Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I choose the right technology advisor for my business?

Look for an advisor who is vendor-neutral, transparent about how they’re compensated, and focused on aligning technology with your business priorities. A good advisor should help you understand what to keep, what to fix, and what to replace — not push a specific provider. They should also offer a clear process, measurable outcomes, and ongoing support if you need it.

2. What does a technology strategy advisor actually do?

A technology strategy advisor helps you make smart, long-term decisions about your tech stack. That includes reviewing your systems, identifying risks, uncovering cost savings, and building a roadmap your business can follow. Instead of managing day-to-day IT support, they guide your strategy, vendor selection, cost optimization, and modernization efforts so your technology stays aligned with the needs of the business.

3. How is a vendor-neutral IT advisor different from a technology provider?

A vendor-neutral advisor works for you, not for a specific carrier, MSP, or software company. Technology providers sell a product or service. Vendor-neutral advisors evaluate all your options, compare providers, negotiate contracts, and help you avoid overspending. The goal is unbiased decision-making, right-sized solutions, and long-term value — not a sales quota.

4. How can a technology advisor help reduce costs and improve performance?

Advisors identify where you’re overspending, paying for unused services, stuck in outdated contracts, or running systems that don’t match your needs. They also help optimize reliability, security, communication tools, and workflows. Most businesses recover significant savings or performance improvements simply by aligning the tech stack to what the business actually needs.

5. What should I expect from a technology advisory engagement?

A typical Twisted Tech engagement includes:

1. Discovery — understanding your goals, risks, and systems

2. Audit — reviewing contracts, invoices, performance, and security layers

3. Roadmap — a clear plan outlining what to keep, fix, or replace for immediate needs, and an ongoing roadmap strategy for larger, long-term initiatives that evolve with your business

4. Sourcing — matching you with vetted providers and negotiating pricing

5. Support — helping you implement, migrate, or optimize over time, as part of an ongoing partnership

Our process is built to simplify decisions and free you from vendor overload.

6. What is an IT roadmap?

An IT roadmap is a structured, forward-looking plan that outlines your upcoming technology needs, timelines, costs, and priorities. It prevents reactive purchasing, improves budgeting, and helps leadership understand where the organization is headed.

Twisted Tech guides businesses through building this roadmap by identifying gaps, consolidating insights from audits, prioritizing initiatives, and aligning technology decisions with business goals. We also support the implementation and vendor coordination needed to bring the roadmap to life, ensuring the plan becomes a practical, executable strategy, not just a document. 

1. What is a cybersecurity risk assessment?

A risk assessment evaluates your vulnerabilities, existing protections, access policies, backup strategy, vendor risks, and overall exposure. It helps you prioritize what to fix first and ensures your security investments align with your business size and risk tolerance.

2. How do I improve cybersecurity without overspending?

Focus on essentials: MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), endpoint protection, patching, employee training, password policies, backups, and access control. Many SMBs (Small & medium businesses) overspend on tools they don’t need; a right-sized strategy prevents waste while strengthening your overall security posture.

Twisted Tech helps organizations identify what’s truly necessary, remove overlapping tools, and choose cost-effective solutions that match your environment. We use our expertise to share Case Studies, examples from the field, and insight that you can't just Google. Our goal is your success, so we guide you toward practical, layered security, without pushing unnecessary products or upsells. 

3. What causes most data breaches in small businesses?

Common causes for data breaches include weak passwords, phishing attacks, outdated software, misconfigured systems, unsecured Wi-Fi, and lack of staff training.

Twisted Tech helps reduce these risks by auditing your security layers, identifying vulnerabilities, improving policies, and guiding you toward better configurations and user practices. Our goal is to give you a clear, manageable plan that lowers your exposure without overwhelming your team. 

1. What is Telecom Expense Management?

TEM is the process of monitoring, auditing, and optimizing telecom, mobility, and cloud communication expenses. It helps businesses eliminate unused services, avoid overbilling, and negotiate better contracts.

2. How do I know if I’m overpaying for internet or phone service?

Signs include:

• Bills that slowly increase

• Surprises on invoices

• Paying for unused lines or features

• Price differences across locations

• No contract review in 1+ years

Most companies overspend without realizing it.

3. Can telecom contracts be negotiated?

Almost always, there is room to negotiate. Pricing varies widely between vendors, regions, and contract terms. Many contracts include built-in flexibility that allows for discounted rates, better SLAs, waived fees, or upgraded services when you know what to ask for.

Twisted Tech helps businesses review their existing contracts, compare market pricing, uncover hidden fees, and negotiate more favorable terms. Because we stay vendor-neutral and evaluate multiple providers at once, we can identify where you’re overpaying and secure options that align better with your budget and performance needs.

1. What’s the difference between on-premise and cloud surveillance systems?

On-premise systems store and manage video footage locally on servers or NVRs that you maintain in your building. Cloud-based systems store footage online, allowing you to access video from anywhere, scale storage easily, and receive automatic software updates.

Cloud systems also reduce the need for onsite maintenance and make it easier to manage multiple locations. On-premise setups can offer more control but often require higher upfront costs and ongoing IT support. Twisted Tech helps you understand which approach fits your budget, security needs, and long-term plans.

2. How do access control systems improve workplace security?

Access control systems restrict entry based on user roles, log who enters which areas and when, and integrate with alarms or video systems for stronger visibility. Modern solutions also support mobile credentials, keycards, biometrics, and remote management.

These systems reduce the risk of unauthorized access, make it easier to manage staff changes, and provide audit trails for compliance. Twisted Tech helps you choose the right access control tools and ensure they’re integrated cleanly across your security and IT environment.

3. What is Security-as-a-Service?

Security-as-a-Service is a subscription model that provides businesses with surveillance, monitoring, access control, and security tools without requiring large upfront investments in hardware. Instead, equipment, software, updates, and support are bundled into a predictable monthly fee.

This model helps growing organizations stay current with technology, avoid outdated hardware, and scale security as needs change. Twisted Tech helps evaluate Security-as-a-Service providers, compare costs, and ensure the solution aligns with your physical and digital security requirements.

1. How do I compare technology vendors objectively?

Evaluate vendors based on factors like uptime, SLAs, contract terms, roadmap reliability, customer support, integration capabilities, security posture, and total cost of ownership—not just the monthly price. The challenge for most businesses is that each vendor frames these details differently, making apples-to-apples comparisons nearly impossible.

How Twisted Tech helps:

We remove the guesswork by building a clear, side-by-side comparison of vendors based on your priorities—performance, security, scalability, or budget.

• We validate claims directly with providers.

• We analyze contract fine print (renewals, fees, auto-terms, SLA credits, and support tiers).

• We bring engineering insight to evaluate technical fit, not just marketing language.

• And because we’re vendor-neutral, our only job is to make sure you’re choosing the right solution—not the loudest seller.

This gives businesses the confidence to make decisions based on facts, not sales pressure.

2. How do I negotiate better pricing with providers?

To negotiate well, businesses need visibility into market rates, usage patterns, service bundles, and contract timing. Providers typically offer their best pricing only when customers know what to ask for—and most organizations don’t have access to benchmarked rates or contract leverage.

How Twisted Tech helps:

This is one of the biggest value areas of working with a technology advisor. We negotiate every day, across dozens of vendors, so we know:

• Real market pricing, not list pricing.

• Which concessions vendors are willing to make (and which they never do).

• How to structure contracts to avoid hidden fees, surprise renewals, or unnecessary add-ons.

• When bundling services actually saves money—and when it doesn’t.

• How to use competitive pressure to secure better rates and improved SLAs.

We act as your advocate, not a reseller, so we negotiate purely in your interest. Most clients save significantly more through optimized contracts than they ever could by negotiating alone—without adding any cost to their business.