HOSTED CAFM GETS A BOOST

20 February 2009

Integrated fm, the UK’s leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) hosted CAFM services, now has 50,000 users accessing the service on a daily basis, highlighting the cost and performance benefits of this approach to meeting IT needs within the FM department.

SaaS, or Hosted CAFM as it’s also known, enables CAFM software to be hosted on a secure remote server, rather than on the user’s own IT system - accessing it via an internet connection and web browser on a monthly fee basis. So upfront licence fees are eliminated and costs can be met from revenue budgets, rather than capital budgets. Also, all of the responsibility for maintaining and upgrading the software and keeping it secure remains with the ASP provider.

“The idea of ‘renting’ software rather than owning it is becoming much more accepted and even companies like Microsoft are now promoting the concept,” said Integrated fm managing director Steve Dingley. “We have pioneered this technology within the FM sector, fine-tuned the technology to eliminate the issues that newer providers now face, and have more users than any other hosted CAFM provider. We have also seen a huge upsurge in its take-up. IT departments like it as well, because they don’t need to accommodate any extra software on their own servers – and that also makes it easier for the FM department to implement,” he added.