Introduction
This solution overview focuses on the business model and value proposition around a solution offering developed to address the current and future issues faced by anyone dependent on a networked economy and the emerging markets around Cloud and Software as a Service (SaaS) computing where an application is hosted as a service and provided to customers across the Internet.
The solution is called the S1aaS Utility, and currently there are no products on the market like it. It is a software solution and process model that enables an absolutely secure, multi-function networking community on commodity hardware over any transport and independent of carrier including the internet. It short, it offers comprehensive Security as a Service to any networked environment.
A Uniform and Comprehensive Security Model
By assuming the network transport is unsecure and applying a uniform but comprehensive security model and management model to the network and applications using it, the solution allows for unlimited secure professional and social network communities. This unique secure network fabric enables a unique multi-tenant governance model that enables an entire new business model where customers can subscribe to a set of Secure pay as you use services as well as offer their own custom services and applications to any number of secure market communities. This is similar to the popular models currently adopted by the iPhone / iPad as well as the Google Android model where an open community of application providers can create and offer their applications to a distinct market.
However, a key differentiator is the ability of the service provider to maintain absolute control over their services independent of any other participant in the community and offer their applications as a service to an unlimited number of service requestors. The S1aaS Utility provides, as a function of a member of a network community, all the security, logging and reporting capabilities necessary to enforce a basic business contract.
Unique features include:
- A Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model for comprehensive security as a service for all digital commerce
- Unlimited reach due to compatibility with existing infrastructures such as the internet, large private networks, the wireless user, and existing application investments
- A low cost high margin recurring revenue stream through a service provider model
- A low cost, high margin delivery model that opens new markets not previously possible due to prohibitive costs or complexity
- A leveraged infrastructure that can be built out once and used across multiple markets and industries
- Unparalleled security, management reporting, compliance reporting offered as a managed service model
- The ability to create unlimited secure virtual communities where content providers can (for a fee) securely share their data and apps across any mix of network communities as services that are subscribed to
- The ability to offer any application as a consumable usage based service to a secure community and generate additional revenue
- Ability to achieve secure 1 to 1 marketing via various PUSH services to subscriber users
- Ability to work on any device from a smart phone to the largest carrier class network equipment.
Implementation
The S1aaS Utility solution can be implemented in many forms making it attractive to a broad market to foster a culture of innovation and to accommodate a new computing model for business. Some examples of shifts in the marketplace include:
- Managed Service S1aaS Utility Offering – Providing absolute security and multifunction capability on any Carrier Diverse Network and allow participants to create and securely manage their own content independent of all other participants.
- Subscription Service Offering – For the secure distribution of Web Services and Functions in legacy systems on a pay for use basis. Base universal functions include Secure Digital Courier, Digital Notary, Secure Message Exchange…etc.
- Managed Industry Specific VAN – Value Added Network Implementation by industry or market segment. Examples include financial services, healthcare…etc.
- Any to Any Secure Virtual Distribution – Content distribution and compliance reporting for BPO hosted applications running on a shared network infrastructure. Eliminates the need for dedicated network connection to meet security requirements
- Internal Network Security and Compliance Management – Vast private corporate network implementations can leverage S1aaS Utility for absolute security, compliance reporting, and consumption based billing. S1aaS Utility works with any existing IP infrastructure including a multi carrier / multi-national geographical footprints.
Base Set of Universal Business Services
A base set of services will be implemented as part of a core offering. Examples of services that have universal applicability for nearly every industry may include:
- Secure Digital Courier – Allows for the secure delivery of any electronic file or document
- Secure Digital Safety Deposit Box – Allows for the secure delivery, storage and retrieval of any digital file or document
- Secure Mail Delivery – Secures the delivery of basic electronic mail and can provide notification of receipt
- Digital Identity Issuance and Verification – Allows the issuance of a digital identity and the real time verification of this identity as it is used
- Digital Notary – Allows for the signing of digital documents using the latest cryptography standards assuring accuracy and authenticity.
- Secure Messaging – Secures an instant message dialog and automatically records the event.
Service Bundles by Industry and Business Need
Bundles of SaaS services will be created or acquired by market segment to enhance participant adoption in specific markets. In addition, participants will be able to rapidly offer or create their own unique SaaS services. Specific markets that have been identified for the S1aaS Utility Delivery include:
- Internet of Things (IOT): IOT is expected to rapidly reach every corner of the commercial and retail customer footprint. The need to secure billions of devices will be an afterthought. The S1aaS platform offers security as a service to the many vendors that will be incorporating IOT capabilities into existing and new products. The ability to offer Security as a Service to these vendors is a once in a lifetime opportunity. From the smart home to the smart business the reach will be very broad and comprehensive. The ability to offer a uniform solution across this vendor mix is seen as a extremely large market opportunity that is not being addressed by the mix of IOT enabled product manufacturers. This is a huge void easily filled by the S1aaS security as a service offering.
- Energy Infrastructure and Monitoring: Like many industries the Energy generation, distribution, and consumption markets are going though drastic change in the areas of distributed generation, control, management and monitoring. From the need for secure SCADA solutions to smart meters the need for real time secure control of these systems is immediate and a significant risk to a national infrastructure. Each new system represents a Cyber security vulnerability. The Cyber Security S1aaS Utility applied to this market represents a significant opportunity.
- Government: Federal as well as state and local information dissemination and agency to agency sharing. Dept of Homeland Security, military theater, law enforcement, intelligence distribution…etc.
- Healthcare: HIPAA security compliance and the secure exchange of patient records, billing and claims, drug supply chain support, primary care and pharmacy case management support for high cost chronic disease management to reduce healthcare costs and distribution including RFID.
- Manufacturing: Supply chain management, payments, and receivables
- Digital Logistics: Secure Digital Courier Service, RFID integration and real time secure reporting
- Legal Industry: Secure Digital Document Distribution, Digital Notary, Digital Signature, Digital Audit log, Digital Safety Deposit Box…etc.
- Secure Social Networking
- Secure B to B communities
- Secure Customer Determined Communities
- Secure Business Collaboration
- Secure Cloud Processing
- SaaS Application Delivery
- Secure Web Service Delivery
- Secure Stores for SaaS
…the possibilities are endless!