Key Benefits of DigJMS
The benefits of using DigJMS are manifold. These include manageability, high availability,
scalability, a familiar interface, and a sophisticated data model.
Manageability
DigJMS offers the scale and functionality of an enterprise software system without the
administrative overheads that are associated with on-premise software. This self-managing
capability enables organizations to provision software throughout the enterprise without
adding to the support burden of the central IT department or distracting technology-savvy
employees from their core tasks in order to maintain a sophisticated business management system.
With DigJMS, you can setup your job management system in minutes. This reduces the
initial costs of software services by enabling you to provision only what you need.
When your needs change, you can easily extend your cloud-based system to meet those needs.
High Availability
DigJMS is built on proven Windows Server and SQL Server technologies, and is flexible
enough to cope with any variations in usage and load. The service replicates multiple
redundant copies of your data to multiple physical servers to maintain data availability
and business continuity. In the case of a hardware failure, DigJMS provides automatic
failover to optimize availability for your application.
Scalability
A key advantage of DigJMS is the ease with which you can scale your system. After
setting up your data, the service scales as your data grows. A pay-as-you-grow pricing
model makes sure that you only pay for the modules that you use, so that you can
also scale down the service when you do not need it.
More Facts about DigJMS SaaS (Software as a Service) Job Management Software
When database software first emerged on the scene, companies that elected to use it had no choice but to
subscribe in the way that the providers offered: as a licensed service to be purchased
upfront and maintained by the purchaser’s personnel on a dedicated company server. As the
new millennium approached, a different model of software deployment began gaining acceptance
in the marketplace. That model, known under many different names including "on-demand",
"internet-based", and "SaaS" (Software-as-a-Service), has grown considerably in recent
years, yet its relative merits versus its licensed counterpart are still often misunderstood.
Exactly What is On-Demand Software?
Simply put, on-demand software is an application that is hosted by the provider and made
available to its subscribers via the Internet. Depending on the specific software and
provider, on-demand software can offer complete JMS (Job Management System) applications
and/or complete RMS (Records Management System) applications. The systems can often link
directly with the customer's other software systems, and with internal databases for easy
transference of information between programs. While functionality is rarely a factor in
deciding between an on-demand deployment and an installed one, a host of other variables
should enter into the decision, but such a decision can only be made if the benefits of the
SaaS platform are understood.
What are the Benefits of SaaS?
If we start with the fact that the SaaS platform can deliver the same functionality as its
installed counterparts, we can then focus on the true benefits of SaaS. Those benefits
can be summarized into a few distinct categories: cost- and time-savings, simplicity and
access, growth and evolution, and configurability.
- On-Demand Software Saves Money and Time
- Efficiency is a hallmark of on-demand software. Unlike installed services which charge
steep upfront licensing fees and ongoing maintenance fees, on-demand software is generally
charged on a monthly basis according to the number of records and program types (modules).
With no upfront purchase requirement, SaaS fees are often easier for corporate budgets
to absorb.
Not only does on-demand save money on a “subscription” basis, it also saves on the
hardware and personnel costs associated with purchasing and maintaining servers, housing
them, installing and maintaining the programs, and providing the necessary back-up systems
to insure ongoing proper functioning. While, the upfront costs of an installed system
are easy to identify, the downstream and often hidden costs associated with such systems
often become an ongoing variable for its users.
From an implementation standpoint, SaaS applications can be up and running in a fraction
of the time required for installed systems. This rapid deployment is feasible because SaaS
providers use their own systems to host the software, have the security protocols and
architecture already established, and are set up to load, manage and maintain data
every day. This is appealing to many companies, especially those newly formed through
mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, or other life-changing corporate events. These
companies are much more likely to select SaaS applications over installed ones.
- On-Demand is Convenient and Provides Continuous Access from Anywhere
- In selecting the right software, the convenience of the product and its availability to
users is a key factor. On-demand applications surpass installed applications on these
measures and, depending on the provider selected, additional benefits often accrue.
SaaS deployment models have the benefit of being maintained by the providers on their servers,
freeing customers from any installation, maintenance or servicing responsibilities, and
freeing staffing at customer IT departments to focus on other corporate initiatives.
From an access standpoint, on-demand software is available continuously; managing the
servers and insuring their ongoing performance is a core competency of the provider. In
practice, providers are likely to be aware of any system problem long before their
clients are, and should be expected to have solutions in place to rectify situations
quickly.
- On-Demand Allows for Growth as Companies Grow
- SaaS software has the ability to grow with a company as its needs evolve. It is not at
all uncommon for a company to begin an JMS relationship with an on-demand provider for
Jobs data only, and then to add other modules as the company grows. On-demand applications
make this a very viable process for users, and different providers have the ability to
make it even easier, depending on their individual platform set-up.
From a financial standpoint, SaaS allows companies to pay for additional services or
records as their own growth makes such payments more affordable. As companies expand and
add users, their proportionate increase in usage fees mirror their ability to pay.
Most corporate finance executives find this to be a much more manageable and equitable
means of payment.
- On-Demand Does Not Force Expensive Upgrades
- When an installed software provider decides to improve its system or upgrade its product,
the cost of the upgrade is paid by users in the form of new license fees. Over time,
those users who elect not to upgrade might find that the services they expected on
their system fail to remain available.
In the on-demand world, product upgrades are made at the expense of the provider. While
modifications are made and improvements developed, users have the option of remaining
with their existing systems or accepting the modified versions but without incurring
additional costs. That’s because the system is installed and maintained by the provider,
not by the user, so any installation, training, maintenance or other costs are absorbed
by the provider.
Are On-Demand Systems Secure?
The growth of on-demand, especially in the highly sensitive area of Database Management could
never have been achieved without the highest level of security. Depending on the provider,
security is enhanced beyond what might normally be expected. In selecting a provider, you should
make sure to ask questions about security of both data and facilities.
Not only should a company ask prospective providers about online and data security, but they
should also ask about user access, filters, controls and the like. Global companies should ask
about the security measures in place to meet data integrity and transfer requirements of
individual countries. Every potential user should ask about the segregation of data from one
company to another so that the separation of information meets the company’s standards.
Whether one is choosing an on-demand deployment or an installed system, security issues must
always be reviewed.
This white paper was prepared by DigSoft, Inc., a progressive and innovative
provider of on-demand JMS and RMS software solutions. DigSoft can be reached at
www.digjms.com or at 800-428-6580.