IT directors reject ASPs as 'unreliable'

Only 17 per cent of senior IT managers are likely to use application service providers (ASPs) in the next six months, with many citing the technology's lack of reliability as the major stumbling block.

A survey to be launched today at the Networks Telecom 2000 show by user lobby group ASP Community, reports that an overwhelming majority of IT managers have rejected the ASP model in the short term.

Simon Moores, chairman of ASP Community, said the survey indicates that IT directors haven't been told what the benefits of the ASP model are.

He said: "I don't think IT directors really understand where it delivers benefits for them, and what applications are available today that you can subscribe to. After 12 months, you have to ask if the industry is showing the required maturity to make IT directors sit up and think seriously about using ASPs."

Mary Hope, senior analyst at Ovum said the low uptake of ASP technology underlines the fact that IT managers are still unsure of what the technology entails and what a move to an ASP model involves.

She said: "The industry hasn't been successful at telling people what ASPs are, and IT managers feel threatened by the cultural change it will require, and ceding control of IT to outside of the organisation."

However, Tim Pickard, vice president of vendor body Aspic (ASP Industry Consortium), claims the figures aren't as gloomy as they first appear.

"If you extrapolate that out, this means that 35 per cent of IT departments will be using ASPs in a year - which is a very significant figure. It's true that people are still unsure of the extent to which they can trust ASPs, and Aspic certainly has a role to ensure this attitude changes," he said.

ASP Community surveyed the IT managers of over 100 medium and large companies.

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