As an independent software vendor (ISV) or OEM, how will you get your application to market? Have you considered a deployment partner? What services would they provide? In this first of five articles on NEI’s 5-Point LEAD System, we look at solution design capabilities as a factor in choosing the right strategic partner.
Application design solutions: Purpose-built turnkey designs
When looking for the right partner to deploy your application platform, you want one who can offer choices and experience – the choice to find the best-fit and right-size the platform for your application and the experience to help you choose. Then you want a provider who can go the extra mile and design not only a solution to get you to market, but one which reduces support and maintenance costs.
You want a provider who can offer you a variety of standard hardware platforms and software integration to design a solution with full lifecycle control. One whose designs reduce the footprint, improve the performance, and eliminate vulnerability in your application.
Purpose-built custom designs
If you need a custom platform, you want a solution provider with the experience and expertise to design a specific solution that meets the requirements of your vertical market. Does your provider have an engineering team capable of CAD design, simulation modeling, software development and virtualization? If you have specific size, power, or thermal restraints, does your provider have the expertise to design to your specifications?
Lifecycle management
Design is not just about getting to market, it includes the entire lifecycle. You need a solution provider capable of delivering a design which simplifies manufacture, installation, support, and maintenance.
Does your solution provider offer hardware and software monitoring, automatic field updates and software backup capabilities? Your solution provider should design the best solution for managing the entire lifecycle of your entire solution including the application, OS and hardware.
OS hardening and packaging
Your solution provider should be able to deliver “Just Enough Operating System” (JEOS) for your application. Linux applications should be built from the kernel with only the packages needed to run the application. Windows applications should be hardened by disabling, removing and obscuring features which unnecessarily increase the footprint or vulnerability of the application.
Virtualization
Your solution provider should be able to deliver a virtual image of the physical appliance for reduced cost training and support. The virtual image can also be sold as a low-end solution to the market. The physical and virtual image should be configured from the same software, allowing easier lifecycle management of both systems.
Custom branding
Finally, your brand and its equity are critical to your business. From packaging to installed product, your provider should be able to deliver a solution with your brand on it. Whether its bezels, packaging, user manuals, CDs, quick reference guides or any other end-user item your provider should be capable of delivering all options.
Who to call on
NEI is capable of delivering all these design services. They allow you to focus on software innovation and application development while they focus on providing the optimum platform design to meet your needs.