Your Vendor Risk Checklist: What to Assess When Deciding on Software Support

If you’re evaluating the software maintenance and support market options available to you before signing a new agreement, there are several important factors to consider before committing.   

Figuring out what software support best suits your business can be a complex process, especially with many providers more concerned with vendor-driven upgrades and long-term licenses over customer experience. Thankfully, enterprises today have more choice than ever—including independent providers who help extend software lifespan and reduce unnecessary change.

Software maintenance and support is vital to your business, as any issues that arise across your IT environment can affect the day-to-day operations, security, and reputation of the company. In short, unaddressed IT issues can cost you time, money, and resources. The most important thing for the future of your business is to properly assess software vendors and understand the options available to you. Our vendor risk checklist is here to help.

Risk #1: Cybersecurity Concerns

One of the chief considerations when choosing your software support provider should be the impact it may have on your cybersecurity.  Weak or inconsistent security practices can introduce additional risk into your environment, which is why security should be a core capability of any vendor you’re considering.  Rather than a reactive measure, IT security should be approached proactively, contextually, and with a defense-in-depth mindset.

If your software support vendor does not see security as a priority, it can also impact your ability to securely store data.  With threat actors evolving their cyberthreat tactics with AI, breaches continue to present significant operational and financial risks.  The global average cost of a data breach was $4.44 million in 2025 and there is also the reputational damage that customer data risk exposure can do to a business.  The right support model can help reduce risk and strengthen your overall security posture.

Risk #2: Avoiding Unnecessary Changes

Change is inevitable—it’s a universal truth —but this does not mean that any and all changes are essential. OEM upgrade cycles are often tied to the vendor’s product roadmaps, which may not always align with your operational needs. Frequent or unnecessary upgrades can lead to higher costs, operational disruption, increased risk, and strain on internal resources that can affect your ability to innovate and grow.

Before you sign-on to a fresh cycle of changes with the OEM vendor, you should ask yourself one important question: Does your existing IT environment still meet your performance and operational requirements? If the answer is yes, then a forced upgrade may not be necessary. Independent support providers like Origina can help extend the life of your systems, reduce disruption, and free up resources that would otherwise be tied up in changes you don’t need.

Risk #3: Interoperability & Compatibility

Your software support must make sense for your environment and needs. It sounds simple, but it’s an often-overlooked piece of the puzzle when it comes to OEM software support. Any changes or updates to your software environment need to be properly assessed and considered to ensure they are compatible with your existing systems. Failing to properly consider compatibility, and upgrading without clear business need, can introduce unnecessary complexity into your carefully curated IT environment.

Compatibility doesn’t just come down to your systems either. You should feel in sync with your software support provider as well. Proactive, contextual, and personal support can go a long way to addressing issues that may arise and help you feel more secure in your systems.  With a support provider who understands your environment, your teams can focus more time on strategic initiatives and innovation.

Risk #4: Financial Feasibility

The investment involved will be top of mind for any business when choosing their software support provider, but the hidden costs of some traditional support models can often be overlooked. Consistent upgrade costs, potential operational downtime, hardware turnover, and increased security risks are all financial considerations beyond standard maintenance fees that can often be minimized.

Tailored independent support can help alleviate these costs by extending the life of your existing systems, proactively mitigating risks, and ensuring that your support is in line with what your environment actually requires.  While OEM support may appear cost-predictable, it can introduce long-term expenses tied to upgrade cycles and subscription changes. Independent support can offer a more sustainable and cost-stable alternative.

Origina—Ticking All the Boxes

If you’ve gone through the checklist and are now considering a change in your software support, Origina may be the option for you. Our independent software maintenance and support is unique in that we take a contextual, environment-specific approach. This means you remain in control of your IT roadmap without unnecessary upgrades or vendor-driven change—just the support you need, when you need it. By switching support to Origina you can reduce disruption, strengthen stability, and optimize software investments so your teams can focus on innovation and long-term strategy.  Independent maintenance gives you the freedom to run your software on your rules.

Get your risk in check and reach your full potential with Origina. Get in touch today.