Have you noticed how complex Information Technology has become?

You’d have to be living under a rock if you haven’t. It’s getting so complicated that business owners who try to keep up find themselves struggling to find the time to actually run their business. If you spend all day comparing IT solutions and trying to stay up to date with the latest in technology, your business will suffer.

This is where the IT service broker enters the picture.

Don’t bother with Google on this one. Google gets confused by IT and assumes you’re looking for a real estate or stock broker, because it doesn’t parse “IT” as Information Technology, but instead as “it”. Don’t worry, we’re providing this in depth guide on IT service brokers to help you decide whether your business should jump on board or just continue with business as usual.

For starters, good brokers bring you options. Lots of options. IT service
brokers aren’t frontline salesperson of a single provider. They are carrier
agnostic. This is a key element of their value proposition.

Similar to real estate brokers, insurance brokers, and stock brokers, an IT service broker makes recommendations and facilitates IT projects based on the unique circumstances, needs, and budget constraints of your specific business. Put simply, a good broker will take the time to listen to you, discuss your situation, and assess your needs and budget. A good broker is knowledgeable about the most up to date and reliable services on the market, so he or she will be able to tailor the most appropriate IT solutions tailored to your business.

There are several services that an IT broker can help you research the best fit for your specific needs. These include (but aren’t limited to):

• • Tech infrastructure (IaaS)
  • Software or software services (SaaS)
  • Cloud services or big data analytics

Working with an IT service broker is easy. It’s just like working with any independent contractor.

You’re probably wondering why you would hire an IT service broker over just doing it yourself. The bottom line is that a good IT service broker finds and negotiates IT solutions everyday. They work with a variety of vendors which means that they can usually bundle services which allow you to take advantage of the best solutions and services for lower, flat rates. Brokers can also typically help reduce installation and setup time to get business solutions up and running quickly. Ultimately, a good broker can help you procure the IT services your business needs so you can focus on your own clients and running your business.

Although not a necessity for every business, an IT service broker can often be a critical lifeline when the need arises. One example would be if your business needs to get an IT infrastructure in place quickly. You may not have the staff, time, or resources to put everything together within an acceptable amount of time. A good broker can take that on and potentially save you an enormous amount of time, money, and frustration. A good broker can also help when examining different options such as deciding whether to build an in-house infrastructure or use a cloud solution for big data analytics. Finding and negotiating the correct solution at the right price is what a good IT service broker does.

If you do decide that an IT service broker makes sense for you and your
business, you should look for one who:

• • • Has some experience in your industry. Different industries may call for
      different types of solutions
    • Has experience with companies similar to your size. Different sized
      businesses have different IT needs
    • Has relationships with many different vendors. When multiple providers
      compete for your business, you ultimately win
    • Has flexible and scalable solutions that can grow with your business
    • With whom you are able to develop a long term relationship. You two should ultimately spend a lot of time together. Make certain that you get along and that you trust them to help design your business IT landscape