Study: Government Prefers VARs Over Manufacturers

According to a survey conducted by Citrix Systems, 46 percent of state and local government pointed to VARs as their primary source for IT purchases, compared to 16 percent that rely on manufacturers.

Of the 120 state and local IT executives surveyed, 48 percent prefer large resellers that offer a broad range of options, roughly 40 percent prefer resellers that specialize in one technical area, and 38 percent prefer resellers that specialize in state and local government.

"Across the board, respondents view resellers as partners that understand their needs," says Stacey Black, channel manager for state and local government business at Citrix. In fact, 61 percent of respondents pointed to previous experience as more important than breadth of products or access to contract vehicles. "There's a big opportunity to develop ongoing relationships with these customers. As a vendor, we need to continue to build the tools that help our partners build upon those relationships."

Respondents gave VARs high marks in service and responsiveness, product selection and knowledge of needs; lower marks were given for training and procurement support. In general, they look to industry to take on the frustration posed by IT implementation and support.

"State and local governments need to get up and running, and yet they still have these ink processes in place," says Bert Wakeley, director of state and local government business at Citrix. In that respect, agencies are eager to move forward to improve productivity and better leverage resources. "IT frustrates them. Trust me, I sit and get an earful all the time."