NEOSA, ITAA and GCGA Hosted National Conference on Latest Technology Service Offerings to Jam-Packed Audience

    CLEVELAND--July 12, 2001--ASPs, CSPs, MSPs, ISPs, VSPs -- This alphabet soup of the latest models of technology service offerings were defined and presented with real-life examples to a packed audience of traditional companies, information technology (I.T.) consultants, and technology vendors yesterday.
    NEOSA, the leading representative of the over 2,000 I.T. companies in Northeast Ohio, partnering with the ITAA (Information Technology Association of America) and GCGA (Greater Cleveland Growth Association) held a national conference about the B2B Success through the "XSP" Advantage.
    Harris Miller, President of ITAA, kicked off the conference with striking statistics of the past and projected growth of the ASP (Application Service Provider) segment. "Last year, over $1 Billion was spent in the ASP space alone." Mr. Miller projected that the ASP market would be a multi-billion dollar business in the next 2-3 years and could be the dominant form of business by the end of the decade.
    This conference provided the audience with an understanding of the fundamentals of "XSP" offerings. John Cachat, CEO of IQS, a Northeast Ohio company that provides service offerings to a variety of vertical markets, pointed out the key benefits of "XSP" offerings. These benefits include the ability to conserve cash flow by leasing software at a nominal price instead of purchasing expensive software. Leasing software also enables companies to communicate in real-time at any location over the Internet. In addition, these "XSP" models allow companies, who cannot afford to hire I.T. employees, to outsource the storage of data or monitoring and analysis of their systems.
    Bernie Malonson, Marketing Communications Manager of Covisint, LLC (an industry-sponsored, automotive marketplace) provided the conference's keynote address and explained that the real savings in B2B integration occurs in the people and processes of the organization. He also emphasized that companies need to determine their B2B strategy and focus on using information technology to improve the value-added processes within an organization.
    Other real-life stories came from customers and vendors of service provider models, including Ryan Vero, President of OfficeMax.com. Mr. Vero used the OfficeMax.com portal to provide the audience with a compelling example of the value that can be obtained through the integration of ASP offerings.
    Three recurring themes pervaded yesterday's conference. First, these "XSP" models are here to stay and at some point, companies will be faced with the decision of implementing these offerings within their organizations. Second, just as in any outsourcing decision, management must be aware of the risks involved in switching to these new service models. Finally, the development of solid relationships between vendors and users is the key to the successful implementation of "XSP" offerings.
    The XSP Advantage conference was sponsored by: AT&T Corporation, Crain's Cleveland Business, McKenna & Cuneo LLP, Primexus, Squire Sanders Dempsey LLP, and USInternetworking Inc.
    NEOSA, under the direction of President James Cookinham, was established in 1998, and has as its mission to foster an environment that will encourage the growth and development of our area's information technology-based companies to compete in a global market.