Chapter 12. Preparing for the Proof of Concept and Selecting a Vendor

There are many different types of biometric systems available on the market. Chapter 4 explained what makes a good biometric for network security. Once the decision has been made about which biometric system to use, it needs to be implemented in the company. Since this particular implementation will impact the daily use of the network and the applications on the users' desktops, it cannot be done without planning and testing. The stages in accomplishing this include:

• Preparation for the proof of concept (POC) and vendor selection

• Pilot design and implementation

• Final deployment and rollout of the biometric system

Each of the above stages comprises a separate chapter in this section. Each stage is dependent on the success of the previous one, which means that every stage needs to be completed. Skipping stages will result in failures and disappointments in the biometric system.

Two examples will further illustrate the application of the methodologies being discussed. The examples are a culmination of actual implementations done over several years . The names and companies have been changed, but the situations are real. At the end of each example, the actual methodologies are explained in detail.

The first example is told from the perspective of Martin. Martin works for a Fortune 500 financial institution as a senior manager for a technology group . Martin's story illustrates what happens when the suggested methodologies are used.

The second example is told from the perspective of Jason. Jason works for a large corporate enterprise with locations throughout the world and is a project manager working for the corporate IT organization. Jason's story illustrates what happens when the suggested methodologies are not adhered to.

The POC and vendor selection involve the following steps:

1. Define the driver of the project as either corporate IT or a business need

2. Define the business need or objectives

3. Designate the internal sponsor of the project

4. Define the stakeholders

5. Define a clear set of goals and success criteria for the project

6. Form and charter the POC group

7. Based on the goals and success criteria, invite a few vendors to pilot

8. Set the timelines for the POC and ensure that the implementation activities are done within the scope of the POC

9. Deploy the POC

10. Monitor and evaluate the POC

11. Wrap up the POC

12. Decide on the validity of each vendor's solution

13. Make a go/no go decision to move ahead

14. Announce the results and lay the groundwork for the next phase

Each part of the POC is discussed in great detail in this chapter.