ASP strategies and solutions for eProcurement processes offered by an eMarket

Instead of having to buy expensive software packages, companies now have the possibility to rent these from an Application Service Provider (ASP), thus saving costs and receiving high quality services. The novelty of the ASP means there is little knowledge available to answer the questions of who should provide what service in which form, for which customer group. In order to answer some of these questions, we will look at the opportunities and requirements that ASP presents for an eMarket focused on procurement services. We will clarify the significance of the ASP in an eMarket environment and which partnership roles it necessitates. We will elaborate upon the advantages for trading partners and the Market Maker. To achieve this we have analyzed three case studies that cover different phases in the life cycle of an ASP. Our purpose is to highlight the challenges for the eMarket in enhancing its offering. To summarize, we will present the lessons learned and provide an overview of potential developments of the ASP model.