Software and hardware solution selection
AFI specialists support your project at any stage: comparing products, preparing a budget, running a PoC, designing the architecture, planning a migration or training the operating team. We agree on the scope, responsibilities, deliverables and decision criteria before each stage begins.
We start with your requirements rather than a preferred product. The assessment considers the current environment, operational and security risks, regulatory constraints, timescale, available expertise and budget. The initial outcome is a shortlist of suitable options, a set of questions for technical assessment and a recommended next step: demonstration, PoC or preliminary sizing. Experienced integrators and solution providers from the AFI partner network take part in delivery.
What selection includes
- workshops with IT, information-security and business stakeholders;
- documentation of the current environment and target state;
- separation of mandatory requirements from preferences;
- a product shortlist and requirements matrix;
- compatibility, integration and constraint assessment;
- preliminary sizing for compute, storage and network resources;
- an initial estimate for licences, support and professional services;
- a focused demonstration or PoC plan.
Demonstration and proof of concept
A demonstration shows how the product addresses a defined scenario and gives your team direct access to an engineer for technical questions. A PoC tests whether the product works in your environment and meets agreed acceptance criteria. Before testing begins, we document the scenarios, data, integrations, responsibilities, schedule and measurable success conditions. The final report records the results, conclusions, limitations and outstanding questions.
Architecture and deployment
- architecture and capacity sizing;
- installation and initial configuration;
- directory, SIEM, DLP, CI/CD and business-system integrations;
- data and process migration;
- clustering, backup and recovery;
- customer-specific operational documentation.
Hardware and complete workplace infrastructure
When the requirement cannot be met by software alone, AFI and its partners prepare an integrated hardware and software configuration. Application workloads are mapped to compute, storage, network, availability and operating requirements so equipment is selected as part of a coherent architecture.
We select and supply servers, NAS/SAN and object storage, network equipment, load balancers and firewalls, branch and communications equipment, workstations, laptops, monitors, peripherals, power protection and rack infrastructure.
Specialist training
Training focuses on practical operation of the selected product: architecture, installation and upgrades, roles and policies, routine administration, monitoring, diagnostics, backup and disaster recovery. We tailor the programme for administrators, security specialists, developers, first-line support teams or end users and deliver it before, during or after implementation.
Discuss your requirements with an AFI specialist
No finished specification is needed for the first conversation. A concise description of the objective, environment, scale and key constraints is enough to begin.