Previous: Features to Look For
Hosted or Installed Calendar Software
When you're shopping for calendars, you'll need to make a choice between
software that installs on your web server, and a hosted version of the product.
In the hosted version, the software vendor runs the application on their
computer for you. There's no software for you to install. Here's a table that
shows the pros and cons of each kind of software.
| Type |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|
Installed Software
|
- No recurring fees unless you upgrade.
- Software under your control - No dependency on vendor.
|
- Requires IT buy-in of selected package.
- Installation and Upgrade require technical staff.
- Data may or may not be backed up.
- Application Rot - You're usually running an older version without current
fixes or enhancements.
- More difficult to support. Vendor support staff usually can't login and
manage the system.
- Target installation server must support scripting language/database
supported by application.
|
|
Hosted Calendars
|
- Vendor usually upgrades to latest versions when released. You always have
the newest features and bug fixes.
- Data is backed up and can be restored.
- Simpler Support. Vendor support staff can easily login and troubleshoot
problems.
- Typically, no buy-in or approval from in-house IT staff required.
|
- Recurring Fee
- System will be unavailable if internet connection is down.
- If vendor goes out of business, data may not be accessible.
|
One advanced feature to look for in a hosted calendar is virtual host name
support. Ideally, you want the URL to the calendar to be http://calendar.yourdomain.com,
not http://some.calendarvendor.com/some_long_stuff/Calendar=?YourDomain
In the calendar software category, you want to look out for calendar generators.
These are desktop applications that install on your computer. They generate HTML
calendars that are then uploaded to the web server. The issue that arises with
this type of software is that only one person can make changes to the calendar,
and changes must be uploaded each time.
Next: Free versus Purchased Calendar Software
