OEM Vs. Reseller VoIP solutions
When we’re looking at the relative merits of cloud VoIP solutions it is well worth considering the origin of the software on which the telephone service is based. There are two key types of solutions. These are ‘OEM’ and ‘Reseller’.
Ouch, sorry! This specialised terminology makes the world of technology bewildering for some. So, what do these terms actually mean?
- OEM – This stands for ‘original equipment manufacturer’ and OEM software is a phrase that refers to the company that owns, develops and maintains an application. An OEM may market a VoIP solution directly under its own brand.
- Reseller – This refers to a company that licences the software from an OEM so that it can assemble its own solutions. A VoIP Reseller markets such a solution under its own brand.
The OEM/Reseller business model is a cornerstone of the technology sales channel, helping to create competition and an abundance of choice – ‘a buyer’s market’.
However, it does sometimes mask the exact origin of the technology. It is not uncommon for an end-user business looking for a solution to evaluate products from different resellers that use the same underlying OEM software.
One good example of OEM licensing is Kaspersky, the cyber security company. The Kaspersky Anti-Virus engine powers products or solutions by other technology and security vendors, including Check Point, Juniper Networks and Microsoft. Altogether, more than 120 companies licence technology from Kaspersky Lab.
Avoid the pitfalls by choosing an OEM VoIP solution
A reseller often asserts that it adds value – hence the term Value Added Reseller, or VAR. In many cases resellers do add value to varying degrees. There are, however, some advantages of OEM supplied solutions that may not be apparent when compared to reseller solutions.
The main benefits include:
- Reduces costs – OEM solution providers don’t need to pay for licensing to incorporate the software in their VoIP cloud services
- Accelerates support – Support staff have instant access to the platform experts that develop and maintain the software to provide support
- Rapid patching and upgrades – Software updates are quickly made to the cloud platform to ensure availability, security and interoperability
Get the advantages of an OEM VoIP solution from Soho66
Soho66 is a VoIP OEM. We develop and maintain the software and the cloud platform with our own resources and dedicated infrastructure hosted by leading data centre service providers.
Soho66 customers:
- Get lower costs – You don’t pay extra for licence fees because we own the software and market our VoIP solution directly to end-user businesses
- Get faster support – You don’t have to wait for support requests to be escalated from a reseller to an OEM because we are the OEM!
- Are assured of the quickest fixes – You don’t have to wait longer than necessary when patches or updates are required to ensure security and reliability
Discover the Soho66 difference today
Sign up today to get started with Soho66
Questions? Just call us on 0333 344 344 3.
