New software license selector
takes the pain out of licensing
You’ve been asking for it, and now,
it’s here. It’s an intuitive software
license selector that helps you find the right part number by prompting you with questions that
narrow your search in four easy steps. At the end of the process,
you can add the appropriate license to your shopping cart and
check out with complete confidence that you have the right part
number at the right price.
It’s just that simple.
“Tech Data wants to be known as the distributor that finally
demystified software licensing,” says Tech Data Vice President of
Software Product Marketing Stacy Nethercoat. “Our intuitive new
software license selector is just the first of many ways we’re working
to streamline software licensing.”
4 Easy Steps
Once you press “Begin,” the first
step is to select the end-user type.
As a bonus, end-user information
can be stored in a private address
book to save you time if you have frequent
software orders for the same customers.
After narrowing your search by
end-user type, the second step in
the license-selection process is to
choose the vendor(s) and/or
categories from a drop-down menu.
As part of step three, you’re ready
to select the specific product you
need; but, if the list of options is
still too long, you can further
narrow the choices using additional vendor
and category filters … then just select the
product that meets your customer’s need. Now, you’re at the fourth and final
step! This step helps you identify
the part number and gives you a
price based on the product
version, the number of seats you plan to
license and other options. With this
information, you’re just one click away
from adding the software part number to
your shopping cart.
The new tool even enables you to step
through the software license-selection
process at the same time you purchase
hardware. Additionally, relevant software
part numbers will appear under “May We
Suggest” when you choose specific hardware,
making it easy to add software to your
hardware purchases.
We Heard You
Throughout the development of the software
license selector, Tech Data received input
from a Reseller Advisory Council. This
group consisted of a number of VARs who
already sell a significant amount of software
and some who have avoided selling software
altogether due to the complexities associated
with software licensing.
“Tech Data was very responsive to our
feedback,” says Suzanne Mayes of North
Carolina-based reseller Software Express,
Inc. “As a member of the Reseller Advisory
Council tasked with providing feedback on
the new software license selector, the first
thing I noticed was how intuitive the new
tool appears to be. If you can read, you can
use this tool. It’s very simple and clean.”
“With the new software license selector,
I now have the option to save customer
information rather than re-typing it every
time I place a new order for the same
customer,” says Eric Kroeger president of
Waretech, based in Chesterton, IN. “This
feature alone will save me a lot of time. The
difference between the old way of acquiring
licenses and the new software license selector
is like the difference between 90s cell phones
and smartphones today. It’s a significant
improvement.
“Another enhancement I expect to see soon
is software vendor product and promotion
information becoming more accurate and
integrated into the new tool,” adds Kroeger.
Director of Symantec’s Mid-Market Field
Sales Mark Bartig is equally pleased with
Tech Data’s innovative approach to finding
the right software license. “Symantec is
focused on making it easier for our partners
to do business with us. Tech Data’s new
software license selector helps simplify and
accelerate the sales cycle for our channel
partners by allowing them to use guided
questions that help them pinpoint the best
product to meet their customers’ needs. The
tool also is designed to help our partners
maximize their sales opportunities and
grow their services profits incrementally by
recommending complementary items that
align with the products they’ve selected.”
Even if you don’t know all the answers, you
can still move forward with the licenseselection
process. Simply entering the sitting in front of her rather than calling
the licensing desk and waiting for them
to call back or send a quote electronically.
“I can look at exactly what I’m getting,”
she continues. “It’s not that Tech Data
doesn’t do a good job sending quotes, but
sometimes when we just get part numbers
and pricing, the license isn’t for the vertical
market I’m selling into. Since I’ve been
doing this for more than 19 years, I can tell
when I get retail versus academic pricing.
Having all the quote information in front of
me and available 24 hours a day will save me
a lot of time.”
There’s Still Backup
“While the new software license selector
finds the right part number most of the
time, there’s always going to be a need for
the human touch that’s provided by the
software licensing desk,” says Tech Data
Software Product Marketing Manager
Deb Neumeier. “And Tech Data’s licensing
experts are among the best in the channel.”
“It’s a relief to know that I still have the
software licensing desk to fall back on if a
very complex opportunity presents itself,”
says Mayes. “It’s really the best of both
worlds. Much of the time, I’m able to price
out and place orders on my own, but I still
have the option of getting assistance when
required.”
“We’ve partnered with 40 major software
vendors to integrate their purchasing rules
into this tool so we can provide accurate
information and enable the reseller to
quickly and easily find the right license at
the right price,” says Tech Data’s Nethercoat.
The new software license selector is
now available at
www.techdata.com/
softwarelicenseselector.aspx.
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