The pros and cons of using a VAR for your computer purchases and support

A Value-added reseller or VAR takes desired features and adds them to a product for sale. In the computer industry, a VAR would take a type of software program that the customer wants and add it to the hard drive of an existing piece of computer equipment. Then this is sold as a new package. Many VARs can make extremely "personal" computers for the entire company. These highly specialized systems are valued higher by the client that they were created for because they were built to their own specifications.

Before deciding on whether or not working with a value-added reseller is right for you, consider these pros and cons. Also, consider the advantages and disadvantages to using a VAR for both computer purchases and support.

PROS:

• Computer Purchases - The benefit of choosing to go with a value-added reseller is that they can build the type of computer system you need to exactly your specifications. You can be guaranteed the best combination of whatever manufacturers. Say you like the monitors of one company but the hard drive capabilities of a completely different manufacturer. A VAR can mix and match to your liking.
• Computer Support - Going with your VAR for computer support is an advantage because your VAR is the one who actually created your specific type of computer system. They know exactly what components are involved. Also, because VARs are in the business of being very custom and detail oriented, their working practices are smaller scale than large manufacturers. You receive specialized care for your business.

CONS:

• Computer Purchases - Purchasing from a value-added retailer is going to cost you more money. Because value-added retailers do not usually make their own products, they must first buy everything at retail. If the VAR had to buy everything at retail prices, you can bet that they are going to have to charge you more than retail in order to make a profit.

Also, there are often minimum purchase requirements. Your VAR needs to make sure that they make the money that they need and may require a minimum purchase amount. This would not be good for your company if you only have a few computers that you would like specialized.

• Computer Support - When you are not the one who set up your computer system , you may not know what has been done to it. In many cases it is the value-added reseller who is the only one who knows exactly what you have. Not knowing enough about your own computer system will limit your options of repair, acquiring more parts or changing systems.

It may be true that the VAR knows what they have combined to make your computer, but it is not true that they know everything about those parts. Because VARs are not the manufacturers of the product they do not have specialized training in every system. It is true that you don't have as much of a variety if you buy a manufacturer's computer, but the manufacturer's support is going to be much more helpful than that of a VAR. VARs have to know about all of the components of the system that they created. Too few VAR can actually speak as expert for every system component that they use. They do not have an intricate working knowledge of your system as a whole.

In the end it is you who has to decide if choosing to work with a Value-Added Retailer is right for your business. If you do not know how to put together the various computer components that you want in one system, maybe VARs is right for you. If, on the other hand, you can work with the complete systems offered by the manufacturer or you know how to mix and match components yourself, you are better off on your own. In this case a VAR can do nothing for you that you can't so for yourself.

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