An Internet/Intranet will only be as successful as its system. Choosing this system is one of the most important first steps in planning. Even before Arden conducts its thorough Requirements Analysis, to determine the best system for your needs, you will need to give some thought to just what those needs are. You may find the following guidelines helpful in defining your demands:

• Performance - What are your exact requirements and expectations for your system? Will it be supporting a high traffic, database-linked web-site or the Intranet of a small company?
• Stability - How important is it for the system to be reliable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year? Can you afford failures?
• Evolution - With plans for new offices and anticipation of yearly growth, how do you find a system that provides adequate flexibility along with a solid commitment to the future?
• Vendor Support - If something goes wrong with the system's hardware, can you (should you) count on the vendor's timely support? Is there an expiry date on the support, and a limit to what the vendor will do?
• Target Audience - Who will be accessing this system? Also, what systems do they run and where are they located?
• Cost - How many of the options offered by the system are really necessary now? Will they be more expensive to add later?

Once you have considered the above, Arden can pair your general requirements with specifically suited systems that match your budget, needs and projected evolution. Arden's consultants have experience in planning, designing, implementing and supporting systems for major corporate Internet/Intranet deployment and we bring that expertise to every project. Your well considered answers will help us to:

• Evaluate and select hardware platforms
• Evaluate and select software platforms
• Evaluate and select routers and hubs