But that's not a prerequisite for me to do business with the company. There is one more trait that I would like to point out, and that is that the company supports its clientele. Support meaning that the company will answer questions from the initial installation of the product through to the end-user support of the product. Now admittedly, you have to pay for the support. But if the vendor is good, and the product is good, it's worth it.
Good vendors are hard to find.
But when you do find one, throw your business behind it. I think every IT person has had a bad experience with a vendor. I can probably dedicate three months of columns to problems and stories about bad vendors. Will only give you a deal that will last a pre-defined amount of time to force you to sign a contract. Regrettably, there are more bad vendors than good these days, so be on the lookout.