Abstract: A network-based call center for managing a company's interactions with its customers uses resources supplied by an application service provider. The call center stores sensitive information on a database within the company's private network, behind a firewall. When a call center resource or another client or server obtains new sensitive information, the resource writes the information to the database and then erases the information. When a resource needs sensitive information stored on the database, the resource requests the information from the database, uses it, and then erases the information. The call center further provides a browser-based tool, running on the Internet, for enabling non-technical personnel of the company to provision a call center from the resources of the application service provider.