The ASP:

• Stores all data and software on the server
• Provides a daily backup of the data (Storing one copy on-site and one copy off-site.)
• Insures that the software and data are available to the client when the client needs it.

Example:

• Let's say you have 5 retail stores. Each store would log in when it opens for business each day. The stores would do their Point of Sale transactions all day, then log out at the close of the day. The Accounting department can log in and run reports, pay bills, etc. All sales data from all five stores is instantly available to the Accounting Department. The Accounting Department may be in-house or it could be an outside firm. You may wish to give your suppliers access to pertinent sales quantity data to improve the purchase side of your inventory control. The ASP model gives you the power to access real time data from anywhere, anytime. Authorized users are restricted so that they see only the data they need and nothing else.