The right partner, development process and materials ensure success when looking for custom networking hardware. While selecting the right partner may be a challenge, it is the critical step that will drive decisions from early conversations to solution deliverables. Silicon Valley based Interface Masters is a network hardware solutions provider with intense customer focus, a defined development process, excellent material supply chain relationships and the manufacturing expertise needed for networking hardware. Interface Masters’ portfolio of 68+ U.S. designed and manufactured solutions provide a foundation for semi- and custom enterprise solution. The steps taken in the development process assure their clients’ success with the proof in the deliverables.
Goals, Process and End Solutions
Clients setting achievable goals before beginning a custom design with a partner increase the likelihood of success with a custom project. Goals are often focused on new appliances based on new technology (such as cybersecurity), new hardware with new specifications (high speed GPU or CPUs for example), or cost saving solutions among others. Identify the goals and the client can begin with a clear understanding.
Adhering and agreeing upon the hardware specifications is an early step in the design process. The partner can provide expertise in many areas to ensure desired results. For development of complex, standalone or scalable hardware, Interface Masters’ 200+ years of in-house engineering expertise differentiates itself as a partner. This engineering expertise aids in all aspects of material selection, test and analysis to assist during development and provide direction such as Advanced Simulation (ANSYS and Sigrity) including signal integrity, power integrity or thermal analysis.
A cost-conscious partner working with a client’s budget plays a major part in meeting goals and achieving successful results. Interface Masters has focused on engineering cost effective solutions for 26 years. To illustrate this, their 68+ off-the-shelf designs set the foundation for solutions and integrate standardized, proven elements to further lower costs. Providing standard, secure resources like Linux-based software development kits reduce costs and drive solutions to market faster. Additionally, Q/A testing is conducted on all devices providing reliable, tested and validated solutions. Testing ensures reliability and saves on quality-related issues for final product deliverables and includes:
Custom enterprise network solutions must be secure to thwart state sponsored IP theft and other threats, starting with the hardware. Never compromised and always secure, Interface Masters ensures the security of its solutions by closely monitoring the supply chain, and designing and manufacturing all products in the U.S.A. Tamper-Evident, Intrusion-Resistant Networking Solutions (FIPS 140-2) and FIPS 140-3 are also part of the security options on all networking solutions.
Process
Critical for client’s seeking a partner is finding an intensely client focused company clearly communicating its design process of custom network hardware solutions. Working closely with a client, Interface Masters’ design team employs a proven process with actionable key program requirements to deliver a completely certified, tested and Linux-based network appliance:
- Capture client’s detailed hardware requirements
- Work from an agreed upon, detailed project timeline
- Identify the partner and client’s core team, activities and deliverables
- Partner and client communicate often, organize and scrum regularly
- Full documentation on completion to the client
By employing this process, the burden of the hardware is taken off the client and allows the client to focus on the device software for a more timely, effective approach.
Differentiators
Interface Masters’ networking appliances are designed and manufactured in the U.S. setting them apart from other imported enterprise network hardware. The design engineers’ expert approach is differentiated by a focus on several design elements including analysis of complex mechanical schematic designs and conducting critical validations throughout the development phases. Engineers oversee and provide input on the following reviews, simulations and validations, among others:
- ANSYS and Sigrity integrity simulations: Signal Integrity (SI), thermal, Power Integrity (PI)
- QA/ Testing: four-corner design verification, automated manufacturing, walk-in burn-in testing, and Six Sigma QA for product process flow optimization
- Manufacturing: start to finish process flow and tracking with serial number on each product, dedicated testing area
- Design fulfillment: 68+ off-the-shelf and custom products, private branding, direct fulfillment (software load, test and ship)
Additionally, Interface Masters’ engineers have expertise in and support a variety of architectures: MIPS, ARM, x86, and all switch fabrics backed by 28 software engineers with broad architectural support.
In this overview of finding success in custom networking hardware, Interface Masters has been the model for the right partner, the proven development process along with custom design and manufacturing. For over 26 years the company has differentiated itself on proven elements that ensure success including design and manufacture in U.S., a proven process with engineering expertise and reliability testing and validation. The Silicon Valley based company has provided MIPS, ARM, PowerPC, x86 processor-based networking solutions to OEMs, Fortune 100, and startup companies. Interface Masters provides custom, reliable, pre-tested, pre-integrated, long-life appliances that meet the most challenging networking requirements.