Imagine going to the doctor with your symptoms. The doctor listens, nods — and prescribes you a medication. Nothing unusual. Except the doctor earns a commission from the exact pharmaceutical company whose product they chose.

Would you still trust that diagnosis?

In the IT industry, this is everyday reality. Most IT companies sell products on the side — and earn commissions for it. Behind their advice, there's always a question: what's the most profitable option for us?

This isn't a conspiracy theory. It's a business model.

How reselling distorts advice

When an IT company is a reseller or partner of a specific vendor, their revenue depends on how much they sell that vendor's products. Microsoft Gold Partnership. Cisco Select Partner. Dell Premier. These aren't quality labels — they're sales tiers.

It means that when you ask for advice, you get an answer that favors their portfolio. Not because they're dishonest, but because that's the world they know and where their revenue comes from.

Example: A client had 15 users and needed simple file sharing. The previous IT partner had sold them a SharePoint Online solution with licenses, training, and customizations. Nobody used it. Nextcloud would have done the same thing for free.

Three problems with the commission model

1. Overselling

When revenue comes from product sales, the recommendation is always "more." More licenses. A higher tier. An add-on service. This doesn't mean the more expensive option is never the right choice — but who evaluates that objectively when the evaluator benefits from the pricier option?

I've told clients directly: "Don't get this license. You don't need it at your size." That's advice. Selling the license would have been sales.

2. Technology trap

A reseller knows their own products. That's natural. But it also means solutions always come from the same toolbox. When your only tool is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail.

The world is full of situations where the best solution isn't Microsoft. Or Cisco. Or any commercial product at all. Sometimes the best solution is an open-source tool. Sometimes it's a simple script. Sometimes it's doing nothing at all.

But a reseller never says "you don't need to buy anything for this." That's not their business model.

3. Lock-in

When an IT partner sells products and manages them, a dependency is created that doesn't serve the client's interests. Admin accounts are in the partner's name. Licenses go through them. The environment is built their way.

And if you want to switch partners? Surprise: it's "complicated."

This is by design. The harder it is to leave, the more likely the client stays. That's not a partnership. It's a trap.

What vendor neutrality means in practice

A vendor-neutral IT consultant doesn't sell anything. No licenses. No hardware. No cloud services. They don't receive commissions, bonuses, or partnership benefits from any vendor.

It means that when they say "this is the best solution for you," there's no motive behind it other than the client's interest.

In practice, this looks like

Microsoft when it fits: M365, Intune, Entra ID — excellent tools when the company is the right size and the use case is right.

Open source when it fits: Nextcloud, Element (Matrix), Linux, CrowdSec — often free, sometimes better, and always without vendor lock-in.

Hybrid when it fits: The world isn't black and white. The best environment is often a combination of commercial and open solutions.

Nothing when it fits: Sometimes the right answer is "you don't need anything new for this." That's advice.

IBM quoted 150 hours. I did it in fifteen.

One concrete example. A client needed an email relay migration. IBM proposed a solution where every system and printer would be reconfigured to route mail through M365 connectors. Estimated effort: 150 hours.

My proposal: replace the old mail service with a simple Postfix relay server using the same IP address and TLS certificate. Zero reconfiguration. 15 hours of work. Same result. A fraction of the cost.

Why didn't IBM suggest this? Because their model doesn't reward simple solutions. It rewards hours.

This isn't just IBM's problem. It's a structural problem across the entire industry. When revenue comes from products and hours, nobody benefits from a problem being solved quickly and cheaply.

"But nobody works for free"

Fair question. A vendor-neutral consultant charges for their work — not for products. Hourly rates or fixed project pricing. When income doesn't depend on which products are recommended, the recommendation is genuine.

This model doesn't suit everyone. For large IT companies, reselling is a significant part of their revenue. They won't give that up voluntarily.

But for an SMB that wants an honest assessment of their IT environment? A vendor-neutral consultant is the only one without a hidden agenda.

How to recognize an independent consultant

Five signs of genuine independence

1. Doesn't resell anything — no licenses, no hardware, no cloud services.

2. Sometimes recommends open-source solutions over commercial ones.

3. Says out loud "you don't need this."

4. Admin accounts and licenses are always in the client's name.

5. Switching partners has been made easy — not difficult.

Summary

IT consulting and product sales are two different things. When they're mixed together, the client can never be sure whether the recommendation was made in their interest or for the consultant's revenue.

Vendor neutrality isn't a marketing trick. It's a principle. And it's the only way a client can trust that advice is advice — not a sales pitch.

If your IT partner earns a commission on what they recommend, it's not a recommendation. It's an offer.

Want to know if you're paying for things you don't need or using the wrong tools? An independent IT health check will tell you directly — without a sales agenda.