Online Issue Tracking: How Does It Compare to In-House Versions?

Computer based issue tracking software has been in existence since the 1980s-a time when it was performed only on in-house models. Fast forward to the 1990s, and issue tracking became available on another model: the Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Today, issue tracking is performed using both types of models, but the SaaS model is widely considered the best option. Below are four reasons why:

Implementation Cost

Implementing an in-house system involves a variety of costs that constitute a significant investment. Software purchase is usually the most expensive of these costs. If you do not have the right type of hardware for the system, hardware purchases for different machines to conform to the software requirements can be the highest and most unexpected cost. You may also need IT components such as connector cables and routers to connect workstations to the system. Unless you have IT technicians on staff, you will also need to pay an IT service to install the system.

The total cost for these measures can easily reach the five-figure mark, and in some cases, the cost is even higher. Conversely, implementing an online issue tracking version only requires an affordable monthly service fee. The service provider owns the components of the system, and makes it available as a "service" over the Internet.

Maintenance Cost

Like other types of IT systems, a tracking system requires regular upkeep in the form of hardware maintenance and program updates. The cost of these procedures is usually quite affordable, but the hardware and software will eventually need to be replaced, and replacing them is essentially like implementing a new system in terms of cost.

Using web-based issue tracking software does not require system maintenance fees. Because the provider owns the hardware and the program, it absorbs the cost of maintaining and updating them.

Remote Access

An in-house system can generally only be accessed from the in-house network, but a web-based system can be accessed from any Internet terminal. The ability to access the system remotely is necessary for companies that grant clients access to the system, have two or more locations that work on the same projects, or have employees who work from home, or who travel a lot for company business.

Data Storage

Critics of SaaS software mention the potential security threat of having data stored on another business' servers, but having your data stored on the servers of a SaaS provider can actually improve the security of your data, not threaten it.

SaaS providers use strong encryption and intelligent firewalls to protect your data, and if your company experiences a fire, flood, or hardware theft that compromises its tracking data, it has the option of recovering the data from the SaaS provider. An in-house system does not offer this advantage.

Conclusion

If you need issue tracking software, you may be considering whether to implement it on a web-based model or an internal version. Although either model can help you report and monitor problems, online line issue tracking offers distinct advantages that in-house tracking does not, particularly in terms of cost, system access, and data security.

Web-based issue tracking software is preferred to in-house tracking software. By using online issue tracking, you can implement a tracking system affordably.

Article Source: EzineArticles.