Published: 17 February 2017

Should I buy software direct from the vendor or through a reseller? Who can deliver the best level of support? Who can I turn to for assistance with implementation? These are just some of the questions many of you face when purchasing new software. In this post we’ll take a closer look at the partner vs direct dilemma to help you decide which is right for your business.

According to IDC, 86 per cent of business customers purchase technology through partner channels. While many customers still buy directly from IT vendors, the partner route is often the preferred choice. However, to realise the true benefits of buying your software through a reseller, first of all it is important to know how it differs from buying direct from the vendor. Here we examine your partner vs direct dilemma…

Purchasing software direct from a vendor

The benefits

Technical expertise

Having manufactured the software, the vendor’s development team is well equipped to resolve all software issues, including bugs and defects.

Working with a recognised brand

Many customers prefer to buy directly from the well-recognised brand expecting consistency in the product and service quality.

The drawbacks

You are just a number

You may find you deal with a different advisor each time you contact the vendor, which can mean you need to repeat yourself when explaining the issue.

Call queues

As a customer of a global software vendor you may face call queues before you reach an advisor. This is usually due to the volume of calls that hit the vendor, the deal direct with customers as well as partners.

Purchasing software through a reseller (like Xperience Group)

The benefits

Dedicated account manager

You are assigned a single point of contact who will take time to get to know your business and your ways of working to provide you with personalised advice and recommend solutions to suit your needs.

Personalised support

You have an option to have a dedicated support contact to liaise with for the resolution of issues. As a result, when you have an issue that cannot be resolved in the first call, you can call back and speak to the same technician, ensuring consistency and removing the need to repeat information.

One-stop-shop

Many partners offer complementary software and services, such as IT support, providing a ‘one-stop-shop’. For example, we provide business management software, such as CRM and ERP, as well as TotalCare Managed IT Service.

Implementation support

In addition to support, partners will have a range of implementation services to help get you up and running with your software, from consultancy and implementation through to training and development.

Vendor endorsement

Software vendors appoint business partners to resell and service their products because of the added value they can offer for the end users.

The drawbacks

Can’t provide bug fixes

Software defects and bugs can’t be fixed by the reseller, therefore they have to be escalated to the vendor and subject to their update cycles.

Difficult to choose

Because there are many resellers it can be confusing to identify and select the right reseller for your needs.

Finding the right supplier is just as important as finding the right software. This is a very important step that can make or break the success of your project!

Read More

2 weeks on from the Crowdstrike outage

2 August 2024

Have you tested your incident response plan? This isn’t the first major IT outage or incident to impact organisations, and while unfortunate for Crowdstrike.

Beyond MFA – Protecting users from modern attacks

12 September 2023

Our CTO Simon Barnes discusses MFA and the further steps you must take to protect your business from modern attacks.

Introducing Microsoft Copilot 

31 July 2023

Microsoft Copilot is the latest AI feature for Office 365. Check out our blog to learn more on how this can benefit your business.

The Challenges of Post-Pandemic Working

27 October 2022

What are the key challenges to working and managing IT in the post-pandemic world? We discuss them in our blog.

Employee or Employer; Where does the cyber breach responsibi...

12 October 2022

Read more...