# Archway > Archway is the platform for forward deployed engineering (FDE) teams: build and manage customer-specific code at scale. Teams ship bridges (serverless functions that connect their product to each customer's systems) in minutes, with credentials held in a zero-access vault and every version retained. Archway exists because software is going hyper-personalized: serious customers expect integrations built for their systems, and forward deployed engineers and sales engineers are who deliver them. Archway is where that custom work ships without touching the core product, and where it stops being a liability: code is owned by the organization, not the engineer, and keeps running through handoffs and departures. Speed for the people who ship. Custody and control for your organization. ## Key facts - Archway is a forward deployed engineering platform (FDE platform), launched in 2026. - A bridge is a serverless function that connects a product to one customer's systems. Bridges are built, deployed, versioned, and run on Archway. - Deploys take minutes and require no infrastructure tickets and no changes to the core product. - Customer credentials are held in an AES-256 vault with zero-access custody: engineers never see secret values. - Every bridge is versioned and owned by the organization, not the individual engineer. When an engineer leaves, their bridges keep running and stay maintainable. - Pricing: two bridges free, then $45 per bridge per month. - Used by forward deployed engineers, sales engineers, and solutions engineers; approved by sales and revenue leaders. - Website: https://www.tryarchway.ai ## Definitions - Forward deployed engineer (FDE): an engineer who works directly with customers to build and ship the customer-specific integrations and deployments a product needs in that customer's environment. - FDE team: the group of forward deployed engineers, sales engineers, and solutions engineers who build customer-specific code for a company's customers, plus the leaders who run that function. - FDE ops (forward deployed engineering operations): the discipline of running forward deployed work as a managed function: the pipeline of customer builds, custody of code and credentials, handoffs between engineers, monitoring, and capacity across customers. - Forward deployed engineering platform: software for building, deploying, and managing the customer-specific code an FDE team produces, with custody and continuity owned by the organization. - Integration custody: organizational ownership of customer-facing code, credentials, and versions, so custom work survives engineer transitions. - Handoff: transferring a customer's bridges, credentials, and context from one engineer to another with nothing breaking. A first-class operation in Archway. ## Managing FDE teams Without a platform, forward deployed work scatters: scripts live on individual laptops, credentials sit in personal password managers, nobody can say what is running at which customer, and the work walks out the door with the engineer who built it. That is the FDE ops problem. On Archway, an FDE team runs as a managed function: - Engineers build at scale: more customer builds, more deals unblocked, and none of it touches the product roadmap. - Every customer build is a bridge in one place: visible, versioned, and attributed, so leaders can see what exists and what is running at every customer. - Credentials are vaulted org-side with zero-access custody, so security is maintained once, not per engineer. - Monitoring and the audit log show every invocation, so support and compliance questions have answers. - Handoff is an operation, not a scramble: when an engineer changes roles or leaves, their customers' bridges transfer with versions and context intact, and nothing breaks. - Engineers keep shipping in minutes with no tickets. Management gains control without adding process. ## FAQ - Who is Archway for? FDE teams. Forward deployed engineers, sales engineers, and solutions engineers who build customer-specific code, and the sales and revenue leaders who run those teams. - What is Archway? The platform for forward deployed engineering teams: build and manage customer-specific code at scale. - What does Archway replace? Ad hoc scripts on laptops, credentials in env files and password managers, and custom integrations that break when their author leaves. - How does Archway help manage an FDE team? It scales both sides of the function. FDEs build at scale: more customer builds and more deals unblocked, without touching the product roadmap. Leaders see everything that gets built, keep security maintained with vaulted credentials and an audit log, and run smooth transitions so nothing gets broken when an engineer moves on. - What happens when an engineer leaves? Their bridges keep running. Code, versions, and credentials belong to the organization, and handoff transfers their customers to another engineer with nothing breaking. - Can sales engineers use Archway for POCs? Yes. POC and demo integrations built on Archway survive the deal: the same bridge moves to production instead of being rebuilt. - How are customer credentials handled? They are stored in an AES-256 vault with zero-access custody. Engineers reference secrets in code but never see the values. - How much does Archway cost? Two bridges are free, then $45 per bridge per month. - How fast can a team start? The first bridge can be live in minutes. ## Pages - [Home](https://www.tryarchway.ai): The platform for forward deployed engineering teams. - [Product](https://www.tryarchway.ai/product): Build, deploy, run, and hand off customer-specific code. - [Security](https://www.tryarchway.ai/security): Security model, including zero-access credential custody.