A technology advisor helps a business choose, buy and renew technology across many providers: internet, phones, Microsoft 365, cloud, security and software. The advisor runs the research, the comparison and the negotiation, and the business signs directly with the provider it picks.
Knowing how advisors work, and how they are paid, makes it easier to understand whose advice you are getting and why.
Three ways businesses buy technology
Direct from the vendor
A sales rep from one provider quotes their own products. Useful when you already know exactly what you want, but you only see one option at a time.
Reseller or VAR
Sells products from a set of manufacturers, often with installation. Paid on the margin of what they sell, so the options are limited to what they carry.
Technology advisor
Compares several providers for each decision, negotiates the terms and stays involved through the rollout and renewals. Does not sell, install or support the products. Paid by the provider you choose.
How a technology advisor is paid
Most providers of internet, phones, cloud services and security run partner programs that pay advisors a commission when a customer signs through them. That commission comes from the provider's sales budget, so in most cases the price you pay is the same as or better than going direct.
It is not guaranteed on every product, and a good advisor will tell you when buying direct or staying where you are is the better deal.
Working with an internal IT team
Many companies with 10 to 100 employees have an IT manager or a small IT team. An advisor does not replace them. It takes the vendor research, quote collection and negotiation off their plate, brings pricing benchmarks they would otherwise have to gather themselves, and keeps the renewal dates tracked so nothing renews on autopilot. The IT team stays in every decision.
How Level2 works
When you sign with a provider through Level2, that provider pays us. We tell you that up front, we compare more than one option and we explain the reasoning behind each recommendation. We do not sell, install or support anything, so there is nothing to steer you toward, and some reviews end with us telling you to keep exactly what you have. Read more on how it works and who we are, or see the suppliers we source most often.
When to use an advisor
- Choosing or replacing a vendor and wanting a real comparison
- A renewal coming up and no time to benchmark the price
- An IT team that needs vendor research and negotiation off its plate
- A second opinion on a proposal before you sign
- Specific hardware with installation is usually better bought from a reseller
Questions we hear about this
It is a similar model. Advisors grew out of telecom agents and now cover internet, phones, cloud, security and Microsoft 365 as well.
Finding and supporting customers through advisors costs providers less than building a large direct sales team, so they share part of that budget with the advisor.
Yes. We take on the vendor research, comparison and negotiation so your team can stay focused on running IT, and they are part of every decision.
Commissions do vary by provider. That is why we show you the comparison, the reasoning and the trade offs, and why the decision is always yours.