Over the last 20 years, the AV/IT industry has been asking the question: is it better for an organization’s IT department to have a single vendor for their networking needs or to have a best of breed approach- relying on multiple vendors that specialize in each component of the network. There has been a constant back and forth on which concept is better. As with everything, each option has its pros and cons. Historically, organizations have opted for the BETTER solution at the time believing that the BEST was not available. Hopefully, we can shed some light on this.
One of the great benefits of a single-vendor solution is that when software updates are available, it is usually easy to proceed with the single vendor without much hang-up. There is a sense of greater system interoperability with the single vendor option as well. From an operational standpoint, there is one point of contact for any troubleshooting or concerns with the network- the “one neck to wring”. Unlike best of breed, the suite is sold, managed, and supported by one single entity. How this one single entity comes to be can cause issues down the line. Traditionally, single vendor companies have done exceptionally well with a single product, and then acquired multiple companies and rebranded the solution as their own. The acquired product lines can be supported minimally but usually call for their own management utilities for more complex situations. This means more down time and higher costs for support.
The best of breed option provides the customer with the very best performance of each component of their network. Each vendor is providing the most innovative and optimal experience for the product they represent. If the network’s parts are correlated correctly, there is a higher sense of security as well. The best of breed also gives the customer a better sense of transparency. Unlike a single vendor, you have clear understanding of what it is you’re paying for. Looking at this from a multi-year standpoint, the best of breed option is usually less expensive. Single vendor outlets have the flexibility of undercharging/underselling the upfront investment as well as increasing and extending service terms. The best of breed model, however, cannot operate the same way. Cost may become a talk point when it comes to training. Usually the single vendor option calls for one training session for the entire network. Each vendor in the best of breed may have a separate training session and fee-costing you in both time and money. Additionally, for every vendor you have, there will be a different contact for support which causes contact chaos and loss in more time
With this said, Organizations must now pick- do they want to have a lesser product for the sake of brand cohesiveness or do they want to deal with dozens of contacts and testing processes for stellar product experience? Veraview has emerged with the solution that provides exactly what a customer is looking for without sacrificing their experience- the hybrid of single vendor and best of breed. Our solution provides the best of breed product line, ensures network interoperability, account management, full turnkey installation, and comprehensive training with lowered cost. With Veraview, your AV/IT integration experience won’t lack in operation or in performance. You can now have your cake and eat it too.