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1-2-2 Solution Business

Solution business refers to a service that provides a mechanism (i.e., solution) to resolve business problems. There are many different solution businesses, such as security solutions that provide mechanisms for information security measures, and CRM solutions that provide mechanisms for customer management. A company that conducts this kind of solution business is called a SP (Solution Provider). A solution business that collectively undertakes everything from the planning and design of an information system that meets business requirements to information system operations and management is called system integration. A vendor that considers support and improvement for problem resolution in business processes along with the customer, and makes proposals for a business system that fits the customer’s business strategy and information systems strategy is called a system integrator. Many of such vendors do not focus on their own development business, and therefore, they also make proposals for the utilization of commercial software (i.e., business packages) that provides the required functions, such as accounting operations and sales management operations.

(1) Cloud computing

Cloud computing is a type of computer usage that is based on the Internet (like “cloud”). If a user has the minimum necessary environment, it is possible to use a service with high scalability (i.e., expandability) and availability over the Internet just by paying a service fee.

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(2) SOA (Service Oriented Architecture)

SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) is a method in which the functions (i.e., software components) that are constructed and organized according to the service elements of a business process are made publicly available on a network and are linked together to construct an information system with superior expandability and adaptability. SOA is an “information system construction method” that constitutes information systems by combining software that has functions for a specific business process, and it can also be called a “business system construction method” that constitutes a business process by combining processing that is performed in the business process. · 3 questions

(3) ASP (Application Service Provider)

ASP is a service or a form of provision that provides application software over a network. ASP is a single tenant method that provides servers and databases for each user company. However, the difference between the single tenant method of ASP and the multitenant method of SaaS is not strictly differentiated in many cases. In ASP, the user company does not own the software that is used in business operations, so there is no need for initial investment in business software. Therefore, software is treated as a variable cost, and there are no costs for version upgrades or maintenance. Furthermore, it is simple to terminate use of the software and to change providers, so this means it can flexibly deal with changes in the environment.

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(4) Hosting service/housing service

This is a service that is provided by a communications vendor such as an ISP. A hosting

service is a service in which a user (e.g., corporate or individual) rents a server that is owned by a communications vendor, and a housing service is a form of service where the network devices and servers that a user owns are installed for use in the communication facilities of a communications vendor. (An installation space is “rented.”) In a housing service, operation of the communication facilities is performed by the vendor, but operation of the system is performed by the user. · 1 question

Service type Information assets	Hosting service		Housing service
	Communications vendor	User	Communications vendor	User
Ownership of server devices, etc.				
Ownership of server installation location			
Ownership of applications				

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(5) Outsourcing service

An outsourcing service is a service in which an external vendor undertakes some business processes. A housing service can be called an outsourcing service that is provided by a service provider (i.e., communications vendor) to which the operation of communication devices is outsourced.