What is a request for information (RFI) invitation? How is it related to a request for proposal (RFP)?

What will be an ideal response?

During the early phases of the SDLC, IT staff and business users should be systematically exploring the landscape of prepackaged software that might fit the organization's needs. As the list of user requirements develops, a request for information (RFI) is sent out to a large number of potential vendors to serve as their initial market scan of the options. The RFI describes the new system in broad, high-level terms, and interested vendors send responses describing their products and services. The steering committee decides whether to proceed with the design phase or buy. If the responses to the RFI and the committee's own research show some possible prepackaged options, the committee will develop a request for proposal (RFP), which is an invitation to software companies to submit a formal proposal, including a detailed description of their products, services, and costs. This invitation is sent to the most promising commercial vendors and possibly also to companies that specialize in implementing open-source products.