ABSTRACT
Smaller projects may be afforded a degree of latitude in making errors of judgment when choosing hardware and software products. The scale of such projects invariably means that any significant problems that may arise can mostly be resolved, or at least minimized, without significant cost implications. In other words, they are better placed to have the luxury of making mistakes and learning from them. Larger projects have less room to maneuver in this regard. Poor decisions with respect to the technical infrastructure or the software solution can be difficult and costly to resolve. An understanding of software and hardware product lifecycles, an appreciation of marketing techniques, coupled with a coherent approach to product selection, will all help to improve the decision-making process.
