Frequently Asked Questions

What is an ASP?

An Application Service Provider (ASP) is a way of delivering software over the Internet rather than loading it into a computer.

An ASP is not software, it is a delivery model -- a way of accessing and using software. ASPs allow agencies to use sophisticated software that is located at a professional data center instead of installed on your agency’s computers. Agency staff access the software using the Internet and a secure username and password. Agencies can have simple, clear interfaces and high-speed response times while avoiding the costs and security risks of operating their own local area or wide area networks.

The development of the ASP offers a way of supporting information technology activities that has great potential for nonprofit and community organizations. Most nonprofits cannot afford the fixed costs of information networking and therefore cannot take advantage of new advances in information services - the ASP model eliminates this problem.

How can it help me?

The ASP model provides top-of-the-line software that is more affordable, more secure, easier to upgrade, easier to fix and much easier to implement than traditional software.

One major problem with running a nonprofit organization is that direct-care staff spends too much time and energy keeping and reporting data for other agencies. Staff members often spend as much time working on reports, records and filing as they do serving their clients. Using traditional software to solve this problem would require the purchase of the application itself, the networking hardware to run it and a highly skilled network administrator. This can cost upwards of $300,000, with ongoing costs of $100,000 per year.

Foothold Technology offers a superior level of service, without any administrative burdens, for a fraction of the cost.

What software does Foothold use?

Foothold Technology has created and deployed a software application that supports an array of agency standard activities including: client charts, direct Medicaid billing, hospitalization records, property maintenance, personnel, e-mail, government reporting, internal auditing and vacancy management. This application, named AWARDS (Affordable Wide Area Relational Database Software) is written in PHP on a Postgres database in a UNIX environment presently on Linux servers.

The software is intentionally self-explanatory; no user manual is necessary. The user logs on to the AWARDS homepage, enters a password and username, chooses an activity and is then taken through a series of pages designed to collect all information relevant to the task at hand.

The menu screens provide clear graphics of options while simultaneously using as little data as possible to enable the fastest Web transmission possible.

The email application in AWARDS is also unique. Our email is linked to other application modules and the email is used to deliver "ticklers," "key data entry alerts" and "snapshot reports".

Can the software be configured for my organization?

One major difference between Foothold Technology and other ASPs - to say nothing of other software companies - is that we offer a variety of configurations for our customers. The real value of an ASP, as we see it, is that we are able to offer pre-configured versions of our software to each of our clients. AWARDS is a vastly detailed application with thousands of data-tracking options. We recognize that there may be data that a given customer has no interest in tracking or there may be data that is presently nonexistent in AWARDS. In either case, the staff at Foothold Technology can configure the application for your organization in days, not weeks or months. We can create pre-formatted reports, add or subtract data and change screens; essentially creating a software application expressly for your organization.

Who owns the data?

You own the data, which is kept securely and confidentially in Foothold’s data center.

Is training included?

Yes. A Foothold trainer will come to your agency to get your staff up and running.

What about technical support?

We provide an unmatched level of client support, with each client having both a dedicated Senior Project Manager for the life of their contract and access to our help desk.

What are the hardware requirements for using your software?

A computer with a Web browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer and an Internet connection.

What kind of commitment do I have to make?

We recognize that being among the first to utilize a new technology can be a challenge and we are committed to working with you to make the most of this opportunity. As a result, Foothold Technology offers a two month money-back guarantee. Two months to establish your customized reports and data fields and set-up your organization for ASP operation. If at the end of two months you are unsatisfied with the impact we have had on your organization, we will refund your money.

Summary of benefits:

• Locating data in a single place means that staff members can enter data from any computer with an Internet connection as long as they have the appropriate authorization.

• Management can now oversee the day-to-day operations of their organization in real time and issue reports to funders and oversight agencies at the touch of a button.

• Data back-up and security are handled by our database professionals to ensure the highest level of privacy and reliability for our clients.

• We can upgrade software automatically with no installation activities for the client.