英语翻译An ASP (Application Service Provider) is a business enti

英语翻译
An ASP (Application Service Provider) is a business entity that deals with the delivery and management of applications and computer services from remote data centers to multiple users via the Internet or a private network [I].Application support can be provided via different means.An ASP can provide back end computing services,provide technical support,integrate with other applications,customize the application based on customer specific needs and meet availability requirements of the customer.
Current day ASP services target the PC centric desktop.As applications become more specialized based on user requirements,the PC oriented one-size fits all approach will not always be the best solution.Netpliance [2] for example provides a dedicated function web browsedemail device that works well for users who do not need a full-blown PC for their communication needs.Most ASPs have been focussing their efforts on commercial enterprises that wish to outsource applications to save on setup and maintenance costs.Today’s domestic market is a strong target for future ASPs for various reasons.Among these is the increasing availability of always on broadband access to the home.Another driver is the fact that a variety of specialized home appliances with the ability to access communication networks have emerged recently.
While a PC based platform is highly customizable and programmable it is prone to errors and outages.It is not an attractive platform for an ASP when it is owned and operated by a domestic consumer for two principal reasons:
i) Several applications provided by different ASPs could interact and cause service delivery problems if run on the same PC platform.
ii) A PC based computing platform,while being very flexible and customizable,is typically too complex for the average consumer to operate and maintain.Providing a specialized service to a specialized device (for example,a home appliance) is an attractive proposition since there is typically no sharing of multiple ASP applications at these devices.In addition,these devices have significantly lower configurability than a PC,making them less prone to user-related errors and outages.They provide a dedicated service,which can be supported by value added services provided by the ASP.Such an appliance would typically be a cheaper investment than a full-blown PC since the processing infrastructure would be minimal:the ASP would handle most of the computing and data access needs of the device.An ASP service provider of the future would thus be rendering a valueadded service to a specialized device.