Softricity Helps To Boost ASP Efficiency

Connect Computer Corp. and IntelliSuite Technologies, two systems integrators that also offer hosted applications, are among the first Softricity partners to utilize the vendor's SoftGrid for Terminal Servers management product to support their ASP businesses.

With SoftGrid, applications are centrally housed on the SoftGrid server and sent to the client device on demand in bits and pieces to be executed locally. It's SystemGuard technology keeps the applications from altering the registry of the server's operating system, eliminating software conflicts and enabling applications to sit on the same server where previously they could not co-exist.

Thus far Softricity has most commonly targeted its application delivery and management platform at enterprise clients using Citrix MetaFrame in a server-based computing environment, said David Greschler, co-founder and executive vice president of Softricity, Boston.

Softricity partners with Microsoft and Citrix Systems, recruiting Citrix Gold, Platinum and Certified Consulting Partners (CCPs) to sell its products through its channel-only sales strategy.

However, systems integrators using MetaFrame to host applications have approached Softricity about using its technology to make their ASP infrastructure more efficient, Greschler said.

"Ultimately we've been able to reduce the number of servers we use in our environment, thereby reducing cost," said Peter Ayedun, president of IntelliSuite, Schaumburg, Ill. "We had three Dell servers dedicated to two or three key applications. Now we've rolled them into a shared environment," he said.

IntelliSuite saw ROI from Softricity within about three months and is currently supporting about 450 clients with the technology, Ayedun said.

The integrator now is also able to support applications that are not built to run in the Terminal Services environment, such as Peachtree 2000, Ayedun said.

"Essentially it's about saving time and money and increasing performance to the customer," said Dan Delventhal, CEO of Connect Computer, Fairfield, Conn.

When provisioning new accounts, SoftGrid saves Connect Computer the time formerly spent in regression testing to ensure that new applications or application versions did not conflict with software already on the servers, Delventhal said.

"We believe SoftGrid saves 50 percent to 75 percent of the time associated with turning on new accounts," he said.

Softricity is currently in discussions with four other partners interested in using SoftGrid in their ASP infrastructure, Greschler said.

Connect Computer and IntelliSuite are also reselling SoftGrid to enterprise clients, he said.