IBM

Technology product buying in Singapore turns on the fine print — licensing scope, local support tiers, and what it costs to leave. Use this checklist to separate a true publisher from a reseller and pin down the contract terms before you sign.

How to evaluate a technology product vendor in Singapore

• Establish whether you're dealing with a publisher, distributor, or reseller — buying direct can mean clearer SLAs, while a Singapore-based VAR/CSP often has better volume pricing on smaller deals; get quotes for both rather than assuming.
• Verify the entity and licensing scope: check ACRA for active UEN status, confirm the listing on the original publisher's partner directory (Microsoft Partner Centre, AWS Partner Network, Salesforce AppExchange), and demand global licensing in writing if any seats or usage are restricted to APAC or SG IP ranges.
• Model total cost over three years, not the headline year-one price — include true-up steps, year-over-year increases (cap them at CPI + 2-3%), and consumption overages; get at least three competitive quotes for comparable functionality before negotiating.
• Confirm what support is actually local versus offshore: ask which support tier sits in Singapore, the SLA on each tier, and the mean response time on P2 tickets over the last 12 months — many vendors have a local sales office but route technical support overseas.
• Pin down the product roadmap and release cadence in writing, and lock in data-portability and exit-assistance clauses up front so you can extract your data in a usable format and avoid lock-in at renewal.
• Treat ISO 27001 / SOC 2 Type II as a baseline and verify PDPA fit before signing the DPA — your organisation stays the Data Controller, so require purpose limitation, breach notification meeting the PDPC 72-hour window, sub-processor controls, and a right to audit.

Verify for IBM

• Confirm key details directly with the vendor — this listing isn't vendor-managed yet.
• Ask for two recent Singapore client references you can speak with.
• Ask for a written scope of services before comparing quotes.
• Request evidence of relevant certifications and their current validity.

Questions to ask

• Are you the publisher of this product, or are you reselling another vendor's licences — and either way, what exactly is in scope of your SLA versus account management?
• What is your mean P2 response time over the last 12 months, and which support tier is staffed in Singapore?
• On exit, what format do we get our data in, and what are the data-portability and exit-assistance terms?
• Can you provide two reference clients of similar size and sector in Singapore that we can speak to?

Prepared under the TechDirectory editorial byline with review credit June C; this label is not proof of identity, credentials, or a completed human review. This directory-authored checklist is not attributed to IBM; editorial independence has not been independently audited. Editorial standards