Unisys New Zealand and Clear Communications have joined forces to offer what they claim is New Zealand's first fully-operational application service provider (ASP) programme.
Unisys says the market-ready service is complete with infrastructure, applications, extensive application and network partners, a comprehensive Web site, customer-care centre and customers. It will use Clear’s fibre-optic network as the preferred method of delivery from Unisys data centres in Auckland and Wellington.
The service has been trialled with five customers.
The business application software available covers financial management, customer management, business management software, e-knowledge tools and e-commerce.
Users will also have free access to the UBD Insight New Zealand Business Database when they become Unisys customers.
Unisys will offer four levels of service.
- Unisys ASP Direct, offering applications in basic form with end-user configuration and standard levels of service support.
- Unisys ASP Solutions, with customised offering, training integration to existing systems and specific service-level agreements.
- Infrahost, offering rental of the Unisys ASP network to other ASP providers.
- E-@creditate, offering testing and development facilities to software vendors and developers, giving an accreditation service for applications before deployment via an ASP service.
Unisys also announced a series of partnership arrangements as part of the programme. These include Great Plains, QSP, Advanced Management Systems, StayinFront and Genie Systems.