Why buy from a software VAR? Get more value from your licenses

When the time comes to purchase software licenses for your teams, should you partner with a software value-added reseller (VAR) or buy directly from the manufacturer? It’s a question as old as time – or at least as old as software.

Indeed, with over 35 years of experience as a software VAR, we at SHI know IT leaders, software asset management (SAM) teams, and procurement managers ask this question every day. As organizations like yours juggle sprawling vendor portfolios, shifting licensing models, and pressure to optimize budgets, the answer could make or break the success of your licensing goals.

So, what is a software VAR, and how can you benefit from partnering with one?

What is a software VAR?

At its core, a software VAR is a technology solutions provider that helps you get the best deal on the right software solutions for your needs. They might also help you implement your chosen solutions, provide additional development or configuration work, or even provide end-user or data center hardware that supports them.

Unlike a software manufacturer or independent software vendor (ISV), which sells and specializes in only one license portfolio, a good software VAR can act as your advisor, broker, and support partner for most – if not all – of your licensing needs.

That means a trusted software VAR can help you navigate different vendors’ offerings and determine which solution will deliver optimal results in your environment.  Then, our experts use their knowledge of different licensing schemes and enterprise agreements to get you the best deal, ideally paying only for the modules and features you really need.

How can a software VAR simplify ongoing licensing, vendor, and renewals management?

If you’re like most organizations, then your software ecosystem likely includes licenses from dozens, if not hundreds, of manufacturers. Buying direct means managing each of those contracts and renewals individually – not to mention all your account reps, portals, and compliance requirements.

When you partner with a software VAR, we bring all the above under one roof. You’ll work with a single, dependable partner that oversees the full spectrum of your licensing landscape. You’ll centralize your software management, helping you:

• Reduce administrative complexity.
• Proactively align and manage renewal timelines.
• Optimize over- or under-provisioned licenses.
• Improve visibility into your software usage and spend.

When you have a question or need technical support, some VARs like SHI can also provide one dedicated point of contact, rather than dozens across OEMs. Instead of scrambling through phone numbers, email addresses, and a web of support tickets, you’ll get fast answers, clear guidance, and time-saving continuity between conversations.

Can software VARs negotiate better prices?

Whether you’re trying to secure the best possible price or negotiate favorable licensing terms, it helps to have a large, well-connected friend.  And it doesn’t hurt if they have top-tier statuses with your preferred software vendors.

Software VARs can leverage aggregated buying power and deep, long-standing relationships across industry-leading software publishers. Whereas purchasing directly leaves you to negotiate in isolation, the scale of a VAR helps secure better pricing and licensing terms that meet your needs.

What does this mean for your organization?

• More predictable spending with fewer compliance surprises.
• The ability to stretch your software budget further without sacrificing quality or support.
• You gain a spend optimization partner that deftly navigates vendor tiers, discount structures, and renewal timing.

When and why should I consider changing my software VAR?

There are many reasons why you might consider moving your licensing agreements from one VAR to another. For example, your incumbent VAR might:

• Get lazy and stop finding you the best deals.
• Fail to effectively manage your renewals.
• Not offer wider technical support, training, or deployment services.

Or sometimes, you just want to deal with fewer partners overall, and it no longer makes sense to buy your Microsoft licenses from one partner, manage your Cisco EA with another, and renew your CrowdStrike agreement with a third. Software VARs like SHI make it our mission to help minimize the administrative overhead of buying from hundreds of software publishers.

Why organizations trust SHI as their software VAR

If you’re evaluating whether a software VAR is right for your organization, the benefits are clear: you can unlock centralized vendor management, cost and compliance optimization, and strategic guidance for your entire software ecosystem.

Whether you’re overwhelmed by decades of vendor sprawl or want to simplify how you select, manage, and deploy software, we believe finding a software value-added reseller you can trust is your best path to success.

As of February 2026, SHI has an Overall Rating of 4.7 out of 5 in the Software Reseller market, based on 68 reviews on Gartner Peer Insights™. That’s the highest customer rating in the market for vendors with a minimum of five reviews! Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what just a few of our happy customers had to say:

From a large healthcare and biotech organization: “SHI isn’t just a great reseller, but also a strategic partner for finding the right solutions to meet our technology and business needs. They also help us get the best pricing available.”

From a local education institution: “SHI has been wonderful in getting us the best pricing for whatever software we’re looking to purchase. Most importantly, they keep it legal by using an approved state purchasing vehicle.”

From a large organization in the transportation industry: “Truly exceptional end-to-end support throughout the entire procurement workflow. Incredible presales support and expertise, great assistance in evaluating multiple vendors, and quality deployment and post-deployment services.”

(As of February 5, 2026 out of 68 ratings).

NEXT STEPS

See for yourself why 96% of existing customers recommend our software reselling services on Gartner Peer Insights™ by contacting our licensing specialists today!

Reviews have been edited to account for errors and readability.

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