Microsoft Support Options: US Cloud vs CDW.

Both CDW and US Cloud offer Microsoft support services, however their core business and support capabilities are very different. CDW is a hardware sales company that also sells Microsoft licenses and provides limited support. US Cloud is a global support company that supports all Microsoft business products. Let’s look at their support offerings more closely to see which is the better fit for your company’s needs.

CDW’s core business remains hardware and software resale. Its Microsoft support services exist primarily to meet CSP obligations for its licensing customers, whereas US Cloud is a support-first provider purpose-built to deliver enterprise-level Microsoft expertise across all technologies.

CDW has approximately 250,000 customers across various sectors, including business, government, education, and healthcare in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Over 50% of CDW’s total revenue is hardware sales. CDW’s hardware sales are composed of several key product categories. The bulk of these sales come from:

1. Notebooks and Mobile Devices: This category accounts for approximately 24% of CDW’s total revenue, making it one of the largest contributors to hardware sales.
2. Desktops: While desktops are a smaller portion, they still contribute significantly to hardware sales, with a revenue share of about 4%.
3. Servers and Data Storage: These products are crucial for enterprise IT infrastructure. Servers and data storage solutions together account for around 8% of CDW’s revenue.
4. Networking Equipment: This includes switches, routers, and access points, which are essential for building and maintaining network infrastructures. 6% of CDW revenue.
5. Other Hardware: This category includes a variety of products like printers, peripherals, and other computing accessories, contributing about 9% to CDW’s revenue.

These categories collectively form the backbone of CDW’s hardware sales, catering to a wide range of customer needs across different sectors.

CDW’s support offering wasn’t developed internally. It became a viable offering through a series of acquisitions. Here’s how CDW came to offer Microsoft support in the first place:

• Champion Solutions Group (CSG) offered MSFT support replacement.
• CSG was acquired by Sirius Computer Solutions.
• CDW later acquired Sirius Computer Solutions.

This process tracks with CDW’s primary focus as a hardware company and not a focused Microsoft support replacement.

Challenges with CDW’s Siloed Support Structure

Thanks to how Microsoft support developed at this company, one consistent challenge reported by CDW clients is how fragmented their support organization is. Azure, M365, and on-premises technologies are handled by separate teams that rarely communicate, causing delays and inconsistent issue resolution. This siloed model often results in unnecessary escalations back to Microsoft—defeating the purpose of independent support.

CDW's revenue composition by product category.

CDW Software Sales

About 20% of CDW’s revenue comes from software sales with the vast majority being Microsoft. Of CDW’s total revenue, 9% come from software sales to corporate customers, 2% from small businesses, 8% from public sector customers, and 1% from other sectors.

As a CSP license seller, CDW is required by Microsoft to take all level 1 support tickets from its licensing customers. In practice, many of CDW’s Microsoft tickets are escalated back to Microsoft itself, limiting the independence and responsiveness customers expect from a true third-party support partner.

US Cloud has approximately 1,000 enterprise customers across various sectors, including technology, financial services, government, and healthcare in the 50+ countries worldwide.

89% of US Cloud’s revenue comes from Microsoft support with the balance coming from Microsoft advisory and consulting services. Below are some of the Microsoft technologies for which businesses most often request our help:

1. Azure support: Azure Microsoft support accounts for approximately 32% of US Cloud’s total support, making it one of the largest contributors to support sales.
2. Windows Server support: While Windows Server requests are a smaller portion of our support service requests, they still contribute significantly to support sales, with a revenue share of about 14%.
3. Power BI support: This category accounts for approximately 7% of US Cloud’s total support revenue, making it one of the smaller contributors to support sales.
4. Microsoft 365 support: M365 support covers the largest user base at US Cloud and accounts for 11% of our support share.
5. Dynamics support: This category accounts for approximately 6% of US Cloud’s total support service hours, making Dynamics 365 support one of the notable-but-smaller contributors to support sales.
6. Proactive support: This includes Azure cost optimization, deployments, and migrations, which are essential for building and maintaining network infrastructures. Proactive and advisory support is responsible for 11% of support sales.

These non-exclusive categories collectively form the bulk of US Cloud’s support delivery, catering to a wide range of customer needs across different sectors.

US Cloud's Microsoft support service distribution.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, maintaining seamless IT operations is crucial for businesses to stay competitive. For CDW corporate customers relying on Microsoft solutions, ensuring robust support is essential to minimize downtime and maximize productivity. While CDW offers basic Microsoft support services, there’s a robust alternative that can elevate your Microsoft support experience even further: US Cloud.

Microsoft’s Premier and Unified Support models have been the standard for enterprise-level support. However, these services often come with significant costs and may not always provide the personalized, responsive support that businesses need. The shift from Premier to Unified Support has led to increased costs for many organizations, straining IT budgets and potentially disrupting services.

Different customer focus: volume vs premium enterprise.

US Cloud is recognized as the leading alternative for enterprise Microsoft Support globally. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, US Cloud specializes in providing comprehensive break-fix and consultative support for the entire Microsoft stack, 24/7/365. What sets US Cloud apart is its ability to offer high-quality support at a significantly lower cost than traditional Microsoft support models—typically saving companies between 30% to 50%.

Key Benefits of US Cloud

1. Expertise and Experience: US Cloud’s engineers have an average of 14.9 years of experience, ensuring that your IT team receives expert guidance when it matters most. This level of expertise is crucial for resolving complex issues quickly and effectively.
2. Personalized Support: Unlike traditional support models that often require repetitive explanations of your company’s context, US Cloud’s advanced ticket systems ensure that clients receive white-glove attention, streamlining the support process.
3. Cost-Effective: By choosing US Cloud, businesses can optimize their IT budgets without compromising on support quality. This is particularly important in today’s economic climate, where cost management is a top priority.
4. Domestic Support: All US Cloud engineers are US-based, ensuring that support is delivered with a deep understanding of local business environments and compliance requirements.
5. Low Escalation Rate: Over 80% of all tickets at US Cloud are resolved in-house without the need to escalate to Microsoft.

How US Cloud Enhances Your Microsoft Experience

• Comprehensive Coverage: US Cloud supports the entire Microsoft ecosystem, including Azure, Microsoft 365, and Dynamics 365. This comprehensive coverage ensures that all your Microsoft solutions are backed by expert support.
• Innovative Approach: US Cloud’s focus on FinOps (Financial Operations) helps enterprises manage cloud costs effectively. By leveraging FinOps, businesses can optimize their cloud investments and reduce operational expenses.
• Customer-Centric: US Cloud prides itself on delivering fanatical support, ensuring that every interaction is tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. This customer-centric approach fosters long-term partnerships and trust.
• Integrated Team: No silos here. Our teams continue to collaborate with each other and with our clients to ensure that Microsoft issues (and the people trying to resolve those issues) never need to queue-hop to find the right expert over and over and over again.

In the comparison between US Cloud vs. CDW, corporate customers seeking to upgrade their Microsoft support experience will find that US Cloud offers a compelling alternative. By providing expert, cost-effective, and personalized support, US Cloud helps businesses maximize their Microsoft investments while maintaining a healthy IT budget. In an era where IT efficiency and cost optimization are paramount, partnering with US Cloud can be a strategic move to enhance your Microsoft support experience and drive business success. Whether you’re looking to reduce costs, improve response times, or simply ensure that your IT operations run smoothly, US Cloud is poised to deliver the support your business needs to thrive.