One reality of new product development is the considerable cost from inception to market. Although modern products are generally compact, their increased complexity mandates a significant development effort that may have an unfavorable impact on end-product pricing or stakeholder return. In its most basic form, outsourcing involves licensing of software or firmware from another company. For example, an ISDN or V.35 interface hardware design or T.120 or H.323 software stacks are non-trivial to design and certify but the designs, software and firmware can be licensed. More complex designs are also available, including audio and video coding algorithms and related control protocols.
Some companies acquire hardware and write their own software.
At the other end of the spectrum, a company may wish to outsource an entire system including user interface, operating system, hardware, all collateral materials and support. Companies anticipating hundreds of millions of dollars of revenues from a new product may need more assurances than just those provided by a data sheet or a sales proposal. Typically under tripartite non-disclosure agreements, HEI evaluates the other company's technologies of interest to the client, relative to the client's specific needs. HEI 's scrupulous integrity in adhering to the terms of NDAs is especially important when evaluating products still under development. HEI 's expertise is well suited to providing our clients with a thorough, unbiased, fully independent evaluation as a basis for making a decision on the feasibility of outsourcing.