Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Buying Smart in a Complex IT Marketplace

By Joseph B. Kappernick


Technology sourcing and purchasing are constantly evolving functions that impact all aspects of an organization. The pressure to keep technology current, along with rapidly changing trends, forces IT professionals to be prepared for anything the future of IT might bring.

"The Top 10 Technology Trends Enterprise Architects Should Watch: 2012 To 2014" is a Forrest report that lists business intelligence, mobile applications and application platforms as the top three areas we can expect to see the highest amount of business value and development occur. Cloud computing, application integration and data governance are also areas to keep an eye on. Making smart and fast decisions is necessary for IT buyers if they want to take advantage of all the benefits of new technology trends.

To make matters worse for buyers, inconsistent pricing, new vendors, and uncertainty go hand-in-hand with new technology. If organizations are to make the best financial decisions when purchasing new IT, they must consider these three things:

Transparency is a must

IT buyers are often at a disadvantage when purchasing new technologies because there isn't a fair market price list available. Vendors know this and will frequently charge clients different prices for the same purchase. Take back the upper hand by consulting with a third-party pricing expert that can provide you with the benchmarking data you need to make a smart buy.

You need to know your vendors

Understanding new technology is a complicated thing. The myriad of available vendors offering to provide you with these new products can be even more daunting if you are unfamiliar with the vendors and their track records. A thrid-party expert can reduce your risk and help you make better IT purchasing decisions because they have the vendor-specific knowledge and experience to guide you.

Simplicity is crucial

IT sourcing and purchasing is an extremely demanding job that continues to become more complex with the arrival of every new technological advance. New vendors, varying price models and contract intricacies are just a few of the many factors that IT buyers have to contend with in the changing IT marketplace. Third-party vendor contracting experts can guide you through unchartered territory and take some of the uncertainty out of the buying process. This will enable you to make decisions faster and with less risk, allowing your business to benefit more from new technology.




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