As the general consumer grows increasingly confident with the process of online shopping, so does the role of the so-called middleman is being forced to evolve. While the popularity of buying smaller ticket items that can now be delivered to your front door have seen fewer people trawling the isles of shopping malls, so too has the pressure been mounting on ways of enticing customers to visit the likes of a pre-owned car dealership and, indeed, a property show-house day to chat to a salesperson or agent ahead of an offer-to-purchase.

If the respective fees charged by these agents – weighed against the potential saving of dealing directly with the seller – can at times be called into question, one should still consider what price can be placed on the convenience of having things like the collation of paperwork, visits to the photocopy machine and, in the case of a car sale, the chore of roadworthy compliance and the peace-of-mind of a warranty period. Time is money, after all.  

Certified software resellers and, for lack of a better word, middlemen when it comes to maintaining your company’s relationship with its relevant operating systems, it’s always amusing to see just how big and bright some of the “download here” buttons on the various software sales sites can be. Indeed, like many saleable items in our digital world, the idea of purchasing software or even updates to existing systems directly from the supplier is tempting. Why then should you consider dealing with a trusted reseller when it comes to this process? 

For a start, without undertaking a comprehensive audit of what you already have in terms of a software library, there’s a very real chance of duplication or, indeed, the overloading of your system with ticket items that you don’t require. This places strain on both storage and operating capacities, while adding potential hidden costs to your monthly overheads.

A core function of certified software resellers is to assess the needs and requirements of a customers’ existing setup, before recommending any updates or collaborations in terms of an optimal software solution. There are, for example, many instances where software programmes have been designed to be able to integrate (or plug-in) within existing setups, rather than needing to serve as a complete overhaul. 

Moreover, via existing long-term relationships with the likes of Adobe, a trusted software reseller is armed with inside information in terms of what’s on the horizon in terms of new products and updates. Would you still have purchased that new smartphone, for example, had you known the all-new version was a month away from launch? As tempting as that online price is, too, are there any handling or shipping costs that could be avoided or accommodated by working through a reseller? 

Like buying a car from a reputable pre-owned showroom, what price would you place of the peace-of-mind of being able to return your vehicle at any stage for anything from a standard oil change to serious mechanical repair work? An unfortunate downside to purchasing software directly from its creator is that should any maintenance or repair work be required, a box-fresh IT specialist would need (billable) time to first get acquainted with the setup before finding a solution. A trusted reseller, on the other hand, has a working understanding of its clients’ systems and should therefore be able to offer an efficient, workable solution. 

Official resellers for Adobe in South Africa for more than 20 years, APS is poised to assist your business with all its software and licensing solutions. Contact us for a no obligation consultation and to hear how much money we’ve saved our existing client base through acting as the right middleman. DM/BM

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