Hardware Selection Criteria

• Hardware must support current software as well as software planned for procurement over the next planning interval [year, 18 months, three years]
• Hardware must be compatible with existing or planned networks
• Hardware must be upgradeable and expandable to meet the needs of the next planning interval
• Hardware warranties must be of an appropriate length
• Hardware maintenance must be performed by [local/remote vendor, in-house personnel]
• Whenever feasible, hardware standards will dictate procurement of like brands and configurations to simplify installation and support
• Routine assessments of installed infrastructure will feed an upgrade/replace decision process

Software Selection Criteria

• Software must be compatible with current and future hardware over the next planning interval
• Software maintenance and warranties must be of appropriate length and cost
• Sotware help desk must be maintained by [vendor, third party, in-house personnel]
• Software must be standardized throughout the business to improve purchasing power, simplify training, and facilitate support
• Software must comply with current standards set by technology leadership
• Software must support and enhance business goals

In addition to these hardware and software selection criteria, StratVantage will evaluate the proposed vendors on several criteria, including:

Stability — Vendor's attributes such as length of operations, size of customer base, size of income and revenue, company size, leadership, stock history and more can affect a technology purchasing decision

Proven Track Record — A vendor's experience not only in the broader market but in your business' specific industry can be key

Business Model Fit — If the vendor is offering, for example, software as a service, but your business isn't always Internet-connected, this business model mismatch could rule out the vendor

Mature Technology — You want to see continuity in the vendor's offerings. If the vendor has been through a series of acquisitions and is just now integrating new technology with an old line of business, you may want to obtain assurances on the longevity of the vendor's solution.

Service Level Agreements — Unfortunately, most vendor Service Level Agreements (SLAs) aren't worth the paper they are printed on. We'll help you understand the vendor's SLA and negotiate a service level partnership instead.

An example hardware and software need for Oracle products -

Hardware and Software Requirements

This chapter describes the hardware and software requirements of Oracle Communications Data Model:

• Supported Platforms

• Hardware Requirements

• Software Requirements

Before you install Oracle Communications Data Model, you must verify that all hardware and software requirements are met.

Software Requirements

The minimum software requirements for Oracle Communications Data Model are as follows:

• Operating System: For details of supported platforms, see "Supported Platforms".

• Oracle Database 11g Release 2 Enterprise Edition, including the Oracle Data Mining Option and the Oracle OLAP Option. See "Oracle Database Requirements".

• Oracle Warehouse Builder. See "Oracle Warehouse Builder". (Oracle Warehouse Builder is required to use the ETL supplied with Oracle Communications Data Model.)

• Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition. See "Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition". (Optional for Oracle Communications Data Model component installation. Required for sample report installation.)