Staving off shelfware

Network executives share their tips for keeping shelfware at bay.

Unused software and hardware products are a drain on any business. Here are some tips for avoiding the dreaded shelfware scenario. Also, check out our stories about how savvy IT pros dealt with their shelfware woes and add your own shelfware tales to our forum.

Perform extensive pilots. Most vendors will let potential clients trial software in their networks. Make use of this option to ensure that good-on-paper products deliver in the real world.

Demand peer references. Ask vendors for client references with similar use-case scenarios to yours. The fault may not lie in the technology itself, but in how well it fits your particular network.

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Unused software and hardware products are a drain on any business. Here are some tips for avoiding the dreaded shelfware scenario. Also, check out our stories about how savvy IT pros dealt with their shelfware woes and add your own shelfware tales to our forum.

Perform extensive pilots. Most vendors will let potential clients trial software in their networks. Make use of this option to ensure that good-on-paper products deliver in the real world.

Demand peer references. Ask vendors for client references with similar use-case scenarios to yours. The fault may not lie in the technology itself, but in how well it fits your particular network.

Treat each vendor equally. Examine every product pitch -- from a new or existing vendor -- with the same criteria. An existing vendor could have won you over before, but not all of its products will be an exact fit for your needs.

Specify deployment standards. Detail when you expect the product and technology to be working. Vendors are often willing to come on-site and help implement their technology to avoid dissatisfied customers.

Align technology buys with business goals. Include business managers and users in technology purchase decisions. Any product can fail if it doesn't align with business processes or gain acceptance from the user community.

Read more about software in Network World's Software section.