The VAR opportunities

While companies could license clearString direct, it often makes sense for them to work with a VAR who can provide an integrated package of support and associated services. VARs can add further value by creating template applications within the clearString system, and license them out, leveraging their sector knowledge and relationships.

What is a VAR?

We use the term VAR (“Value Added Reseller”) in the broadest sense, to mean any organisation that resells usage of clearString. They are usually doing this as part of a wider activity, and may not think of themselves as VARs in the traditional sense. For example, a VAR might be a business consultancy, primarily selling their time and advice, where the solution is built in clearString and licensed out to the client. Or a VAR might be a server hosting company, offering a range of machines, some of which are pre-loaded with the clearString system. VARs may be specialists in a particular vertical market sector, or they may be generalists serving a particular location.

Here are some of the ways in which a VAR can operate. In practise a VAR may operate as a mixture of several of these, and integrate them with other non-clearString workstreams.

Simple relicense

The VAR buys a clearString license, and sells it on to the client at a margin. The client may then install and run it on their own server with no further involvement from the VAR.

Relicense with hosting

Suited to a VAR which is acting as a datacentre, or which has a reseller agreement with a datacentre, the VAR buys a clearString license, and installs it on a server (or a virtual machine), which it then licenses out at a margin to the client bundled together with the hosting, connectivity, backup and similar services.

The client can then use the server with no further involvement from the VAR, or may contract for further clearString related services, such as design, support etc.

Relicense with support

The same as a ‘Simple relicense’, but sold to the client at a premium to include a level of technical support.
This would require the VAR to employ staff to provide the support to the client, who would in turn be supported by the clearString support team.