One of the most common queries I get from friends in the IT space is “Hey Trent, do you know someone that can help my organization with _______.” The subject varies, but the goal is the same: to get a referral for a vendor that had a proven track record, is inexpensive, reliable, and will generally make the people who chose them look like a star. Of course, my hope is that when folks ask their buddies “Who do you use for IT Security and Infrastructure?”, the answer is Applied Trust.
In my experience, finding those trusted IT vendors is very, very difficult. Usually it takes actually trying a handful of vendors before one rises to the top. Here’s the set of vendors that I personally trust, and where I often refer folks (and no, they didn’t pay me to mention them here!):