Vendors

Abstract

A vendor is any person or company that sells goods or services to someone else in the economic production chain. Parts manufacturers are vendors of parts to other manufacturers that assemble the parts into something sold to wholesalers or retailers. Retailers are vendors of products to consumers. In information technology, the term is applied to suppliers of goods and services to other companies. This chapter reviews attributes of IT vendors in healthcare. IT consultants who provide services to the healthcare industry are described and then the vendors of software and services.