1. Bullet-Proof Your Installation
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are challenged
with accurately and quickly deploying their software
products to market. Building bullet-proof installations
takes time, skills, and domain experience, as well
as an understanding of the specific challenges
associated with installation setups. Release
engineering teams are often under-resourced and
may lack the skills required to take on complex
installation related projects.
As the pioneers behind the market-leading
InstallShield and InstallAnywhere software
installation solutions, Flexera Software Global
Consulting Services understands the numerous
challenges involved with small to large scale
installation development. Flexera Software delivers
industry leading installation services to help
companies create a bullet-proof software installation
process: patching and updating, self-repair, admin
deployment and more.
Additionally, beyond assisting clients with actually
building their installation, the Flexera Software
Global Consulting Service team offers architectural
and code review services, advanced support and
troubleshooting, training and more enabling you to
learn best practices and turn them into repeatable
processes.
Outsourced Installation Development:
The Value Continuum
Through subject matter expertise and proven
methodologies, Flexera Software Global Consulting
Services provides optimal, comprehensive
installation solutions that offer immense ROI by
avoiding unnecessary and costly mistakes.
Flexera Software Outsourced Software Installation
Development services are designed to assist with:
• Failed installations that can negatively impact
a customer’s first impression of the product.
Inherently sound applications can be judged
negatively due to failed installations
• Failed application patching or updating that can
render the application inoperable
• Multiplatform installations (i.e. java applications
on Unix) that require specialized installation
development skills difficult to acquire
• Understaffed installation development resources
which can delay delivery of the product putting
the product release or schedules at risk
• Undertrained or junior resources that may not
deliver the installation in a best practice fashion
introducing risk to the product. Furthermore,
techniques for authoring installations may differ
with the delivery goal to an end user or IT
administrator
How Outsourced Software Installation
Development Service Works
The Outsourced Software Installation Development
service is accomplished via a combination of
preparation, requirements gathering workshops
and document preparation and review. At the end
of the service, the client will receive a set of pre-
defined deliverables.
All technical elements of the prospective
installation are first scoped out in advance.
Installation development engagements of less
than approximately four weeks can be scoped out
primarily via phone, email, and review of existing
documents or binaries. Installation development
engagements of larger than four weeks typically
require a dedicated onsite scoping engagement
of 2-5 days.
Once the preparation is complete, a statement of
work (SOW) is generated, detailing the installation
tasks of the project.
DATASHEET
Outsourced Software Installation Development
Design and Implement Robust MSI Installer and Multiplatform Installer Solutions
Outsourced
Software Installation
Development Delivers:
• Augmentation of
your resources with
experts in designing
and implementing
end-to-end installation
processes and
solutions
• Higher success rate of
installations to ensure
customer satisfaction
every time
• Best practices for
application patching
and updating to
maintain product
effectiveness and keep
it up-to-date
• Knowledge transfer
so your staff assumes
responsibility for the
entire installation
process after the
engagement ends
2. Delivery Approach
This service is delivered by a Flexera Software Global Consulting Senior or Principal Consultant staff member with 5-15 years
of experience with InstallShield installation implementations. All of Flexera Software’s Consultants possess software development
skills in C++, C#, java and many other languages. Additionally, they have each delivered hundreds of installation projects for
numerous companies and are familiar with best practice installation implementation for several industries, including energy,
health care, financial and government.
Delivered as a customized service, specific topics and approaches of this service may include:
• Initial Needs Analysis and Discovery
• Whiteboarding
• Business Problem(s) Rationalization / Prioritization
• Project and Implementation Plans
• Project Phasing
Deliverables
Deliverables could include any of the following items, depending on the goals of the initial ‘Application Packaging Process
Improvement and Best Practices’ workshop and the needs being addressed:
• SOW (supplemental proposal) outlining specific installation development requirements
• Supplemental Design document detailing the specific installation development requirements for larger projects
• Test plans delivered to client’s test engineering teams
• Project plans
• Final installation binary deliverables
• Final installation source project (InstallShield or InstallAnywhere) deliverables
Project Timeline
Outsourced Software Installation Development engagements typically require 5-20 business days to implement depending on
the size of the underlying application, configuration elements required, end user interaction, and number of operating systems
supported. However, larger sophisticated installations may require up to 6 months for adequate analysis design, build and test.
• Small Installations: ~5 days, fewer requirements, configuration elements, no formal test plan, one operating system
• Medium Installations: ~10 days, more configuration elements, 1-2 operating systems, more formalized testing
• Large Installations: ~20 days or more, large applications, numerous operation systems, formal test plans
Primary Audience
Client resources are crucial to the success of the services engagement described above. Typically, these include stakeholders
from the following groups:
• Product manager
• Release/build manager
• Release engineer (setup developer)
• Help Desk (initial troubleshooting for failed installations)
• Executive sponsor
None of the roles above require 100% participation during the engagement. It is estimated that over the length of the
engagement, 25-50% involvement would be required for any given resource. Additional time and an extended audience may be
required depending on the degree of socialization and review of the design specifications for longer term engagements.
Outsourced Software Installation Development
• Resourcing Plans
• Statement of Work creation
• Build
• Test
• Go Live Support