As if to illustrate the massive growth in the application service provider market this year, the Application Service Provider Industry Consortium has just reached its 650-member milestone - a mere 16 months after its inception.

The 650th member to join the consortium was a California-based company, Voci, which specializes in ASP speech-recognition solutions.

The ASP Industry Consortium promotes the industry by sponsoring research and advocating for best practices. Its web site has extensive links to information and resources on ASPs, including a membership directory where you can find out who does what in this ever changing market.

The organization represents companies in 25 countries from around the world, including Brazil, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Russia, and represents a variety of industries such as hardware, telecommunications, software and ASP companies

For a more basic introduction to ASPs check out our own Expert Guide. Also, Inc.com's Special Guide to ASPs has some helpful advice for small businesses considering ASPs.

For more in-depth news, try a-com magazine - a monthly publication delivering "focused analysis of business and technology developments in the ASP industry."