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September 29, 2008
SAVVIS Unveils Plan for Hosting, Enabling SaaS Apps
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 29 -- SAVVIS Inc., a global leader in IT infrastructure services for business applications, today announced that it is preparing to launch a new solution to help independent software vendors (ISVs) meet the rapidly growing demand for service-based licensing and delivery models.
SAVVIS’ comprehensive new software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution will provide a secure, scalable, global and function rich hosting platform that will enable fast, economical and reliable deployment of SaaS applications. The offering is targeted at both ISVs entering the SaaS market and existing SaaS providers wanting to outsource their IT infrastructure so they can focus on their core business.
SAVVIS’ new SaaS solution is organized into three service categories that provide an expanded and highly differentiated suite of SaaS enablement capabilities.
- Core Infrastructure Services -- These are SAVVIS’ core managed hosting and security elements tailored to SaaS vendor needs. New services include multi-tenancy enablement, application fire-walling, and holistic application-centered service level agreements.
- Lifecycle Services -- This new category of services assists ISVs through all the tasks involved in development, integration, delivery and operation of their applications.
- SAVVIS Marketplace -- These services create connectivity and commercial opportunities between SAVVIS customers by lowering integration barriers. Local and global high-speed connectivity optimized for SaaS delivery will increase potential for provider to provider and customer integration. Additionally SAVVIS will be creating marketplace awareness tools for use within SAVVIS’ customer base.
The result will be a centralized, scalable path that allows customers to develop, integrate, operate and deliver their software to the Web to meet growing demand for virtualized applications.
“Undoubtedly, SaaS has made it easier and more cost-effective to create, distribute and manage software; however, ISVs looking to adopt a SaaS delivery model have to address a number of key challenges to ensure their application is scalable, secure and multi-tenant,” said Bill McNee, founder and CEO of Saugatuck Technology, a leading industry research firm covering the SaaS marketplace. “The reality is that successful ISVs and enterprise buyers not only need world-class managed hosting support, but an end-to-end software development ecosystem and cloud-based platform as they ‘SaaS-ify’ their offerings, and create new value for end-users.”
SAVVIS’ new SaaS enablement services are being built upon SAVVIS’ existing global IT services platform that features a hosting footprint encompassing 29 datacenters integrated with SAVVIS’ Tier 1 Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network. SAVVIS already serves dozens of ISVs and SaaS customers who have chosen SAVVIS’ IT infrastructure services to underpin their SaaS business models.
Key new SAVVIS SaaS services available now or in the near future across the three service categories outlined above include:
- End-user service delivery and multi-tenancy -- Through an alliance with Parallels (announced separately today) SAVVIS is offering an additional option for achieving the scalability and efficiencies of multi-tenancy. This enables vendors to convert their software to operate in a SaaS environment quickly without re-architecting the application. In addition to speed-of-implementation, Parallels also supports ISVs in managing end user accounts. This includes expanded provisioning and billing capabilities as well as development of back office reports and utilization statistics for their end users. These features reduce costs to acquire, manage and support end users and further reduce the IT resources that ISVs need to support a SaaS software model.
- Virtual lab automation and management -- SAVVIS has contracted with Skytap Inc., a leader in cloud-based virtual labs, to provide customers with on demand, IT infrastructure optimized for dynamic environments. These capabilities make it possible to rapidly build and configure application development and QA, training and IT prototyping environments using just a Web browser. This allows customers to accelerate time to market and reduce infrastructure costs typically associated with internal IT lab environments.
- Application monitoring -- SAVVIS will offer key application performance monitoring features that will provide a real time view of their end users’ experience, as well as to establish service level agreements (SLAs) and 100 percent uptime performance metrics.
- Comprehensive security portfolio -- SAVVIS provides a comprehensive, multi-layered portfolio of security capabilities necessary for SaaS enablement including: datacenter physical security, network and application level firewalls, application authentication, intrusion detection, and DDoS mitigation. Each capability is backed by industry leading 24x7 monitoring and support.
- Portal features -- The SAVVISStation portal provides ISVs with a wealth of monitors and operational statistics in a clean dash-board style interface. ISVs will be able to customize the SAVVIS portal to reflect their brand, eliminating the need for them to build their own portal. SAVVIS is also working with a variety of SaaS enablement providers to provide additional extensions to the platform. Plans call for customers to access these providers through a single Web page on the SAVVIS portal.
“We are significantly enhancing our existing global IT infrastructure services to enable ISVs to move quickly and cost-effectively to the SaaS model, as well as to provide support to those ISVs who want to outsource their existing SaaS infrastructure,” said Larry Steele, SAVVIS’ vice president of SaaS. “Through our SaaS enablement services, we are leveraging our managed hosting expertise and adding development capabilities, changing operational features, and providing better integration to SaaS markets. At the same time, we are also providing our customers a platform to help them deliver SaaS to their customers in a much faster, broader way.”
About SAVVIS
SAVVIS Inc. is a global leader in IT infrastructure services for business applications. With an IT services platform spanning North America, Europe and Asia, SAVVIS is an industry leader in delivering secure, reliable and scalable hosting, network and application services. These solutions enable customers to focus on their core business while SAVVIS ensures the quality of their IT systems and operations. SAVVIS’ strategic approach combines virtualization technology, a global network and multiple datacenters, and automated management and provisioning systems. For more information about SAVVIS, visit: www.savvis.net.
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Source: SAVVIS Inc.
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