Why IT Teams Are Looking for Softchoice Alternatives

While the company's sale to WWT might be a primary reason, other factors, such as growing hardware demands and global expansion, also compel managers to look elsewhere.

Let's break down those reasons.

Softchoice's Future Under WWT Is Still Being Written

As mentioned, Softchoice's new identity as "a WWT company" is enough to unsettle Canadian mid-market IT teams that picked it because it was not part of a U.S. enterprise integrator.

While the deal left its leadership and operations unchanged, WWT's admission that current leadership and operational arrangements are near-term suggests that drastic future changes remain possible.

The Canadian IT market has also watched the script play out before. AMD's 2006 acquisition of Markham's ATI Technologies in 2006 ended with the ATI brand retired altogether. Ottawa's Cognos also folded into IBM's Information Management division within two years after the company's sale, and its name eventually became IBM Cognos Analytics.

Additionally, 70-75% of M&A deals fail to meet expectations, according to research from the University at Buffalo School of Management. These failures usually lead to drastic price hikes and layoffs, which may hurt service delivery and client relationships.

The ideal choice for mid-market teams with these concerns is independent providers without parent-company strings that could cause future surprises.

The IT Solutions Provider Market Is Consolidating

The Softchoice acquisition fits into a broader wave of consolidation and ownership changes across the IT solutions provider market. CDW’s $2.5 billion acquisition of Sirius Computer Solutions in 2021 and Presidio’s move to majority ownership by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in 2024 show how quickly the channel is changing.

That kind of movement can create uncertainty for IT managers because they don't know when account changes, reworked service catalogs, pricing shifts, and redirected business focus may hit. That is why they look for Softchoice alternatives, such as Workwize, whose focus, ownership, and service models feel more stable.

Distributed Teams Need Better Global Coverage

Softchoice does not cover businesses beyond Canada and the U.S. Even within the U.S., its focus is on commercial and small and medium businesses. This broadly means that, in addition to companies outside these countries, large enterprises, public sector institutions, and NGOs in the States are outside its coverage.

Using different partners and vendors to cover that geographical spread can lead to fragmented data, inconsistent standards, weaker cost control, and visibility issues. These are especially risky problems for IT asset management, where teams need to know who has each device, where it is, its current condition, and when it should be repaired, reassigned, retrieved, or retired.

The kind of provider that fills that gap is one that can support your specific IT needs across every location.

If you're looking for a hardware lifecycle management provider, for example, it should be able to support international device sourcing, warehousing, deployment, tracking, repairs, retrievals, redeployment, and disposal through a single platform and process.

Missing Services

Softchoice does not provide every IT service. Organizations looking to dispose of their hardware assets, facilitate global returns and logistics, and store hardware across multiple continents will also need an alternative.

 

Top Softchoice Alternatives

We'll cover direct Canadian-owned Softchoice competitors, independent companies with Canadian operations, and platforms that offer services outside Softchoice's portfolio.

Workwize

Workwize is a global hardware lifecycle management platform that supports device procurement, deployment, maintenance, reassignment, and disposal across 100+ countries.

It is an ideal alternative to Softchoice for organizations that manage employee hardware both within and outside North America. It has dedicated warehouses in Canada, the U.S., and across every other continent to ensure faster purchases, deliveries, and retrievals.

The platform's end-to-end procurement workflow involves sourcing, vendor management, SLA handling, and zero-touch deployment. That way, employees can start working immediately after they receive their devices.

Automation is another core Workwize provision. It supports 100+ native integrations with communications, HRIS, payroll, MDM, and identity management platforms. That means activities, such as onboarding and offboarding, can trigger hardware lifecycle operations like procurement and deprovisioning.

Asset tracking and status information are available on the platform throughout each device's lifecycle. IT managers can view assigned employees, general and contextual spend details, current and original device values, and hardware condition.

When HR enters an employee's departure date in the HRIS system, Workwize automatically begins the offboarding process. This includes user deprovisioning to revoke the team member's access to official systems, initiating prepaid returns from anywhere in the world, and securely erasing devices.

Everything on the platform is also designed to ensure companies meet compliance and ESG targets.

Key Features:

• Procurement, zero-touch deployment, redeployment, maintenance, and ITAD from one platform.
• Warehouses across every continent for faster deliveries and buffer stock arrangements to bypass shipping complexities and prepare for market shocks.
• Model Context Protocol that allows IT managers to initiate workflows using text prompts.
• Comprehensive spend analysis, showing expenditure by role and custom period.
• Secure, environmentally sustainable ITAD in accordance with international standards, with destruction certificates provided.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Source: G2

Best For

Multinational companies looking for a global hardware lifecycle management partner with warehousing provisions across several continents, including North America.

Limitations

While Workwize is not Canada-owned, it has a dedicated warehouse in the country and lacks any parent company influence. Does not provide software asset management, but it can be used alongside a software vendor such as SoftwareOne.

CDW

Image credit: CDW

While CDW is a U.S. Fortune 500 company, it offers the kind of independence some IT managers may be looking for, as it has no parent company. It also has fairly strong local market knowledge in Canada through its subsidiary, CDW Canada.

While CDW is popularly known as a VAR alternative to Softchoice, it also provides software licensing, infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, advisory services, and IT asset management services.

CDW also claims to support customers in 170+ countries, with a strong local presence in Canada and the U.S. That makes it a better global partner than Softchoice.

However, its IT asset management and ITAD offerings are not in-house; it partners with third-party providers, such as Flexera, to deliver these services.

Key Features:

• eProcurement and custom catalogs.
• Managed security, cloud, infrastructure, and application services.
• IT asset management and ITAD

Best For

U.S. and Canadian mid-market to enterprise companies seeking a global, independent procurement partner that can also provide software licensing and cloud services.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Source: TrustPilot

Limitations

Only provides asset management and ITAD services through partners. Its U.S. roots may not sit well with IT managers seeking Canadian companies.

SHI International

Image credit: SHI

SHI International is another U.S. platform popular for its procurement offerings and the breadth of its hardware and software catalog. But it now positions itself as an infrastructure IT solutions and systems integrator. It claims to operate in more than 30 countries and, like Softchoice, provides software, ITAM, cybersecurity, and cloud services.

However, its 30+-country coverage will not be adequate for globally distributed teams with employees on multiple continents. Additionally, some customers have reported that deliveries can take longer than expected, and Account Executive switches can disrupt business.

Source: Softwareadvice

Key Features

• Hardware and software license procurement.
• Cloud, modern workspace, technology integration, IT cost optimization, and finance services.
• AI solutions, including deployment and adoption.
• Asset management and tracking, compliance maintenance, and cybersecurity operations through SHI One.

Best For

Mid to large enterprises seeking an independent partner for IT solutions and a value-added reseller.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Source: G2

Limitations

SHI is not the ideal Softchoice alternative for companies seeking Canadian platforms or hiring outside SHI's covered countries.

Insight Enterprises

Image credit: Insight Enterprises

Insight Enterprises is also a VAR that has rebranded as an IT solutions integrator. Like CDW, it has a Canadian base, and like Softchoice, it provides cloud, hardware procurement, software licensing, and ITAM services.

It works as a Softchoice alternative for the kind of customers that Softchoice does not serve, such as U.S. enterprises and public institutions, as well as organizations outside North America.

However, unlike platforms like Workwize, its 25-country footprint will not serve as the ideal Softchoice replacement for globally distributed companies.

Additionally, being a U.S. enterprise integrator means it does not score points with IT managers seeking a Canadian platform.

Key Features

• Integrated end-to-end procurement.
• Full IT asset lifecycle management, including asset disposition.
• Managed storage, cloud, support, and security services.

Best For

Mid-market to enterprise organizations, as well as public institutions seeking an independent enterprise integrator with strong Canadian and U.S. market knowledge.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Source: Trustpilot

Limitations

Serves customers in only about 25 countries, which may be too limited for global teams. IT teams looking for a platform with a Canadian identity may have to look elsewhere.

Connection (PC Connection)

Connection competes with Softchoice on various IT solutions levels, from multicloud and Microsoft licensing services to IT procurement and hardware asset lifecycle management. But where it wins in the Connection vs. Softchoice comparison is in coverage. Connection provides its services across more countries (170+) and is an independent company.

It also offers IT asset disposition services, though it does not detail how it executes them. Its DaaS offering is also a strong option for companies that may need to lease equipment short-term.

However, it lacks Softchoice's Canadian pedigree, and some IT managers may find its IT asset disposition offering too light on detail.

Key Features

• Access to over 350 suppliers across 125 countries through its GlobalServe platform.
• DaaS provision offering a 3 to 5-year hardware refresh cycle.
• Certified IT asset disposal.
• Device provisioning, staging, and imaging, as well as RFID tagging

Best For

Mid-market to enterprise organizations looking to use one provider for procurement, preparation and staging, cloud management, software licensing, and IT asset management globally.

Limitations

Connection does not provide comprehensive details about its ITAD service.

Zones

Image credit: Zones

Zones is another U.S. IT solutions provider with a Canadian subsidiary. Headquartered in Washington, it offers distribution facilities, configuration center services, IT asset management (for software and hardware), and cybersecurity solutions.

Beyond Canada, it has strong operations in the U.S and serves customers in more than 180 countries. However, that global reach needs context because, by Zones' own admission, it offers drop-shipping in only 10 EMEA countries.

Key Features:

• Global IT supply chain and procurement through the ZonesConnect online platform
• Full lifecycle asset management for hardware and software, from deployment to disposal
• Depot services, device repair, maintenance, and technical support
• Cloud, data center, network, security, and digital workplace solutions

Best For

Mid-market and enterprise Canadian IT teams consolidating cloud, software licensing, security, networking, and ITAM with one partner. Also ideal for companies expanding beyond North America.

Limitations

While Zones claims to have a global reach, its multinational local presence is smaller than that of vendors like Workwize, with warehouses in most major markets.

Long View Systems

Image credit: Long View

Founded in Calgary, Long View Systems is a direct Softchoice competitor that can fill the space for companies looking for a Canadian IT solutions provider with its independence still intact.

Like Softchoice, it's a Microsoft Solutions and ServiceNow partner and offers cloud services through its OneCloud platform, modern workplace solutions, including Microsoft 365 deployment, and managed services.

Its SYNCSource and SYNCUp products help customers identify the best software and hardware deals and manage their software licenses.

However, it falls short in hardware lifecycle management. Its documentation does mention helping customers with their IT spend (including hardware), and its ServiceNow partnership means you may be able to view and manage your hardware in the cloud. But there are no details about specific management operations, such as returns, retrieval, and ITAD.

Key Features

• Comprehensive procurement and software licensing offerings managed through SYNCSource and SYNCUp
• Network modernization service spanning SD-WAN, SD-Access, and SASE offered through NextNet
• Software-focused IT asset management

Best For

Organizations that prefer a Canada-based and privately-owned IT solutions provider willing to use a different hardware lifecycle management partner like Workwize.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Source: Google

Limitations

While Long View system is not ideal for companies hiring globally, especially outside Canada and the U.S. It's also not the right partner for hardware management.

Compugen

Image credit: Compugen

Compugen is widely considered one of Canada's largest privately-owned and managed IT services providers.

It's a strong option for IT managers weighing Softchoice alternatives because it is still independent and offers virtually the same services. These services include Microsoft licensing, hybrid cloud solutions, IT support, IT procurement, and hardware asset lifecycle management.

It also serves the U.S. market through its subsidiary, Compugen Systems Inc. However, like Softchoice, their coverage does not extend beyond North America.

Key Features

• Full hardware lifecycle management, including configuration, asset tagging, imaging, warranty support, and asset disposal
• Sustainable IT asset disposal through the Green4Good program
• Field services, including project management, staff augmentation, and on-site repairs

Best For

Canadian and North American organizations wanting an independent, Canadian-owned partner for full-lifecycle hardware and software asset management.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Source: Cloud Tango

Limitations

While it covers Canada and the U.S. like Softchoice, Compugen cannot handle the software and hardware needs for companies hiring outside North America. Its hardware lifecycle offering also lacks the level of automation provided by vendors like Workwize.

SoftwareOne

Image credit: SoftwareOne

SoftwareOne is Softchoice's software-focused alternative for organizations that need an independent global partner.

It provides a robust software catalog through its marketplace, handles software asset management (SAM), and offers cloud services. Other services include data and AI, business outcomes (including cost optimization and revenue growth), digital workplace, and business applications (SAP and ServiceNow) deployment.

SoftwareOne also absorbed Crayon in a deal announced in July 2025 to expand its software licensing capabilities even further.

But organizations that need hardware management can use SoftwareOne's software offerings alongside a device lifecycle management partner, such as Workwize.

Key Features

• Software sourcing, licensing, cost optimization, and managed services across thousands of software publishers.
• Support for cloud migration, modernization, and FinOps across platforms, such as Microsoft Azure and AWS.
• Software-focused IT asset management, portfolio management, and compliance monitoring.

Best For

Multinational organizations that need global software procurement, cloud expertise, and tighter control over licensing and technology spending.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Source: SoftwareOne

Limitations

SoftwareOne may have extensive global coverage and a robust software catalog, but it is not a Canadian-owned platform. Its asset management offering also focuses on software and cloud estates, with no published device procurement, logistics, repair, retrieval, or disposal offerings.

GAM Tech

Image credit: GAM Tech

GAM Tech provides managed IT and print services, as well as Hardware-as-a-Service, cybersecurity, network security, and cloud solutions to the Canadian market.

It's a great alternative to Softchoice only if your company is fully based in Canada. Businesses with a presence in other parts of North America and beyond will need a different partner with a better footprint.

Key Features

• Managed and co-managed IT services with 24/7 monitoring, help desk support, patching, and Microsoft 365 management.
• Hardware-as-a-Service with device setup, support, replacements, refreshes, reuse, and recycling included in a monthly plan.
• Cloud infrastructure, backup, disaster recovery, networking, and strategic IT consulting.

Best For

Canada-based IT teams seeking a fully Canada-owned IT service provider.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Source: Google

Limitations

GAM Tech’s offices and stated service coverage are limited to Canada. It is not a suitable single partner for widely distributed international teams. Its Hardware-as-a-Service program covers managed devices and replacements, but the website does not present a broad global logistics and hardware lifecycle network.

IT Reseller Vs. Lifecycle Platform: How to Choose

Most companies on this list, including CDW, Softchoice, Insight Enterprises, and SHI International, were traditionally known as value-added resellers but have since repositioned themselves as IT solutions providers and system integrators.

They are still different from dedicated lifecycle platforms, such as Workwize and GAM Tech.

However, many of these IT solutions providers also provide hardware lifecycle management, even if it isn't their core business focus.

The right platform to choose depends on the problem you're trying to solve. This table will help you make that decision.

Evaluating Softchoice Alternatives: A Checklist for IT Teams

Whether you're looking for a Softchoice alternative with Canadian roots or an independent provider without a parent company, the following checklist will help you identify the right option.

Why Workwize Is the Best Softchoice Alternative for Distributed Teams

Platforms like Compugen and Long View System are ideal alternatives to Softchoice if you want a Canadian IT solutions provider. SoftwareOne, SHI International, and CDW are strong options for SAM and Microsoft licensing, while Zones is one of the strongest competitors for global IT procurement.

However, Workwize is the best alternative to Softchoice for global hardware lifecycle management. It provides services across 100+ countries, with warehouses on every continent, to ensure devices reach employees faster and you avoid the complexities and extra costs of international shipping.

The platform also automates every lifecycle event, from procurement and maintenance to retrieval and secure erasure, using a mix of integrations and preconfigured workflows. As mentioned, these workflows can be triggered by a new employee's entry into an HRIS system or someone requesting repairs on the Workwize platform.

Secure and certified ITAD is also part of the lifecycle chain, which ensures you recover value from old devices or properly dispose of them without exposing company data.

Book a demo today to see how Workwize fulfills global hardware procurement and lifecycle management.