Find and Select
AI Technology
Artificial intelligence is the most discussed - and most confusing - technology category in enterprise software right now. Every vendor claims to be AI-powered. Every board wants an AI strategy. And yet most business and IT leaders are still asking the same foundational question: what AI technology do we actually need, and how do we find and select the right solution for our specific situation?
Viewpoint Analysis is an independent Technology Matchmaker. We help enterprise business leaders, IT Directors, and transformation teams cut through the noise and find the right AI technology - quickly, objectively, and without vendor bias. Whether you are exploring AI for the first time or running a formal AI vendor selection process, we bring structure and independence to every stage.
Below you will find our latest AI vendor content, a guide to the enterprise AI landscape, our selection services, and free tools to help you get started.
What is Enterprise AI Technology?
Enterprise AI technology is a broad term covering the AI-powered platforms, tools, and services that organisations deploy to automate processes, augment decision-making, and improve productivity across their operations. Unlike consumer AI, enterprise AI solutions are built to integrate with existing business systems, meet corporate security and governance requirements, and deliver measurable business outcomes at scale.
The enterprise AI market is expanding rapidly and covers a wide range of use cases and technology categories:
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Work AI and Enterprise Search - AI platforms that help employees find information, automate repetitive knowledge work, and work more efficiently across the organisation (e.g. Glean, Microsoft Copilot, Moveworks)
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Generative AI Platforms - tools that use large language models (LLMs) to generate content, summarise documents, draft communications, and support decision-making (e.g. OpenAI Enterprise, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini for Workspace)
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AI Agents and Automation - autonomous AI agents that can execute multi-step tasks, interact with business systems, and handle complex workflows with minimal human intervention (e.g. Kore.AI, ServiceNow AI Agents, Salesforce Agentforce)
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AI-Powered Analytics and BI - tools that use AI to surface insights, detect anomalies, forecast trends, and generate natural language explanations of data (e.g. ThoughtSpot, Microsoft Fabric, Tableau AI)
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Vertical AI Solutions - AI platforms built for specific industries or functions, such as legal AI (e.g. Scissero), HR AI (e.g. Sana), or financial services AI
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AI Infrastructure and MLOps - platforms for building, deploying, and managing AI models at enterprise scale (e.g. Databricks, Astronomer, AWS SageMaker)
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AI Video and Content Generation - tools that use AI to produce video, visual, and multimedia content at scale (e.g. Synthesia)
The challenge for most enterprise buyers is that AI capabilities are increasingly embedded across almost every software category - from HR and CRM to finance and supply chain. Deciding whether to buy a standalone AI tool, adopt the AI features within your existing platforms, or build a bespoke solution requires independent, vendor-neutral guidance.
AI Technology Vendor
Content
Our analyst team publishes independent AI vendor profiles, category explainers, and market guides to help enterprise buyers understand the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The following are a strong starting point:
How to Find and Select
AI Technology
Selecting enterprise AI technology is fundamentally different from selecting a traditional software platform. The market is moving faster, the vendor landscape is less mature, the implementation risks are less well understood, and the gap between vendor demos and real-world performance can be significant.
Our 'How to Find and Select AI Technology' guide covers thirteen key evaluation elements. At a high level, any robust enterprise AI selection process should address:
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Defining the business problem you are trying to solve before engaging vendors - AI is not a strategy, it is a means to an end
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Deciding whether you need a standalone AI tool, an AI layer on top of existing platforms, or AI features built into your current software
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Evaluating data requirements - most enterprise AI solutions are only as good as the data they can access, so your data readiness is a critical factor
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Assessing security, governance, and compliance requirements - particularly important for regulated industries and any AI tool that will process sensitive employee, customer, or financial data
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Understanding the vendor's model - are they building on top of third-party LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google), or do they have proprietary AI capabilities?
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Evaluating integration with your existing technology stack - AI tools that cannot connect to your core systems deliver limited value
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Checking vendor viability and roadmap - the AI market is consolidating rapidly and the vendor landscape today may look very different in 18 months
FINDING
AI Technology
If you are at the early stage of an AI initiative and are not yet sure which AI category or which vendors to explore, our finding services help you bring structure and objectivity to that initial assessment.
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AI Innovation Series - looking for new ideas? Our Innovation Series brings vendors and thought-leaders to present new ideas and technologies.
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Stick or Switch Application Review - a great way to decide whether to continue with your existing software, or move elsewhere.
AI Selection
If you have an AI project ready to go and you just need to now find the right technology, Viewpoint Analysis services include:
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Rapid RFI and Rapid RFP - Our super-quick approach to the old-fashioned technology selection process to go from a 'long list' to a shortlist of potential options.
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30-Day Selection - need to move even quicker? Our fastest AI tech selection process is completed in less than a calendar month!
Useful AI Technology Selection Advice
The following Viewpoint Analysis resources are designed to help business leaders and IT teams run better AI technology selection processes:
Interested?
Whether you are exploring AI for the first time or running a formal vendor selection process, Viewpoint Analysis can help. We bring independence, speed, and enterprise technology experience to every AI engagement.
Get in touch to discuss your requirement and we will explain exactly how we can help - no obligation, no vendor agenda.
Frequent Asked Questions
What AI technology areas do you cover?
We cover the full enterprise AI software and services marketplace - from Work AI and generative AI platforms to AI agents, AI-powered analytics, vertical AI solutions, and AI infrastructure. There is no category we do not cover. If there is an AI vendor community serving your use case, we can engage them on your behalf.
We are not sure exactly what AI technology we need - can you still help?
Yes, and this is actually the most common starting point for our clients. Many organisations know they want to do something with AI but are not yet clear on the specific use case or technology category. Our AI Technology Matchmaker Service and Innovation Series are both designed for exactly this situation - they help you understand the market and clarify your requirements before moving into a formal selection process.
How is Viewpoint Analysis different from an IT consultancy?
We are a Technology Matchmaker, not a consultancy. We do not implement AI technology, we do not have preferred vendor partnerships, and we do not receive referral fees or commissions from any AI vendor. Our only commercial relationship is with you, the buying organisation. That independence means our advice is genuinely in your interest - not influenced by margin considerations or delivery capacity.
How long does an AI vendor selection process take?
A traditional AI RFI and RFP process can take three to six months. Our Rapid RFI and Rapid RFP processes are designed to compress this timeline to six to eight weeks end to end. For organisations with urgent AI projects, our 30-Day Technology Selection delivers a preferred vendor decision in under a month.
Do you work with AI start-ups as well as established vendors?
Yes. The AI market includes everything from global platforms (Microsoft, Google, Salesforce) to fast-growing scale-ups and early-stage specialists. We engage the full vendor landscape and will bring whichever vendors are most relevant to your use case - regardless of size, funding stage, or whether we have worked with them before.