IBS

A business service that automates, integrates, and controls Internet-related business processes for small and medium-sized companies. An IBS provider is very similar to an ASP since it is based on a one-to-many architecture, but IBS providers concentrate on business solutions as opposed to IT solutions. Business solutions include purchasing, project management, project billing, travel expense reporting, customer relationship management (CRM), and employee recruitment and retention.

Business software, applications, and a centralized database are hosted on the provider's server and made available to client companies. Data begets data, and this is one way that companies manage all of it! Again, similar to an ASP, an IBS gives small businesses inexpensive access to sophisticated enterprise software that can be updated regularly or on an as-needed basis.