CDW (CDW Corporation): where they are strong
CDW (CDW Corporation) is an established enterprise IT distributor with capabilities that overlap with Solaris Wireless across several engagement types. The list below reflects CDW's genuine strengths; we recommend buyers consider both vendors in any engagement that touches their core capability set.
- Public company (NASDAQ: CDW), $21B+ revenue, established 1984. Deep balance sheet and long operating history.
- Massive product catalogue spanning every major IT category: servers, storage, networking, software, devices, security, peripherals.
- GSA Schedule holder with extensive federal procurement footprint and existing contract vehicles for most US agencies.
- Integrated corporate procurement portals (CDW.com, OEM bundle pricing, custom punchout integration with major ERPs).
- Account management depth across Fortune 500 enterprises with named reps and embedded engineers.
- Support services (CDW Amplified) including device deployment, network integration, security operations.
Where Solaris Wireless differentiates
Solaris Wireless is institutional-only and specialised on the device-supply layer. The capability set below is where the engagement profile differs from broader enterprise IT distribution.
- Specialist provisioning depth. CDW supports standard MDM enrolment (Apple Business Manager, Google Zero-Touch, Samsung Knox) but does not flash custom Android OS images, configure SIM lock and carrier branding, or pre-pair handsets to subscriber SIMs. For MVNO launches and kiosk programmes, this matters: Solaris ran the Ritual.co kiosk programme (close to 10,000 mobile-phone units, custom Android One image, stand-mounted, retail-packaged) and Republic Wireless handset launches with carrier-branded firmware.
- Hard-to-find sourcing. Solaris's specialist hardware programme has located 40+ end-of-life and export-controlled SKUs for body camera manufacturers, medical device OEMs and research institutions. The capability that earned Solaris its Google-approved vendor status in 2016 (sourcing a discontinued mission-critical feature phone that no other approved vendor could locate) is a recurring engagement category, not a one-off.
- Government rapid response. Solaris maintains pre-cleared inventory at all five global supply nodes (Miami, Netherlands, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore) for 72-hour rapid dispatch of ruggedised communications hardware to U.S. Government and allied-nation programmes.
- Direct-to-end-user fulfilment as default. Devices ship asset-tagged in tamper-evident packaging direct to the employee, the vessel, the restaurant location, or the field office. CDW's standard model is depot consolidation; per-engagement direct-to-end-user is available but not default.
- Per-engagement specialist account team. Solaris is institutional-only with no consumer or small-business overhead. Account managers operate at the per-engagement level, not the territory level.
Capabilities both vendors cover
- TAA-compliant federal procurement with country-of-origin documentation
- MDM zero-touch enrolment via Apple Business Manager, Google Zero-Touch, Samsung Knox
- Bulk smartphone (iPhone, Android) and laptop (Dell, Lenovo, HP, Apple) supply
- Major OEM commercial-channel relationships
- FIPS-validated encryption configuration for federal/regulated buyers
When to use which
Use CDW when: the engagement is broad enterprise IT (servers + networking + devices + software bundled), you have an existing CDW contract vehicle, the device specification is standard and the provisioning is vanilla MDM enrolment, the IT team handles staging in-house, or the order is for general office IT refresh below 100 units.
Use Solaris Wireless when: the engagement is device-specific with deeper provisioning needs (custom OS, SIM lock, carrier branding, ABM/Zero-Touch with direct-to-employee fulfilment, ruggedised TAA/ITAR/EAR controlled hardware), the deployment is MVNO subscriber handsets, restaurant kiosks, government rapid response, or specialist EOL component sourcing, or the order requires per-unit asset tagging and direct-to-end-user logistics across multiple geographies.
Side-by-side comparison
CDW vs Solaris Wireless: institutional device procurement comparison
| Capability |
CDW |
Solaris Wireless |
| Standard MDM enrolment (ABM, Zero-Touch, Knox) | Yes | Yes |
|---|
| Custom Android OS flashing at scale | Limited | Yes (10,000+ kiosk units) |
|---|
| SIM lock and carrier branding for MVNO handsets | No | Yes |
|---|
| TAA-compliant federal procurement | Yes | Yes |
|---|
| ITAR/EAR controlled hardware brokerage | Limited | Yes (DDTC-coordinated) |
|---|
| 72-hour rapid response from pre-cleared inventory | No | Yes (5 global nodes) |
|---|
| Starlink wholesale distribution (Standard, Business, Maritime) | No | Yes |
|---|
| End-of-life and hard-to-find specialist sourcing | No | Yes (40+ SKUs located) |
|---|
| Direct-to-end-user fulfilment as default | Available | Default |
|---|
| Google-approved vendor | Not specified | Yes (since 2016) |
|---|
How to evaluate both vendors
For institutional buyers running a procurement evaluation, the practical recommendation is to scope both vendors against the specific engagement. Submit the same RFI to both with: device specification and quantity, MDM platform, custom-provisioning needs (custom OS, SIM lock, branding), geographic distribution, compliance constraints (TAA, NDAA, FIPS, ITAR/EAR, HIPAA), target lead time, and contract vehicle preference. Compare written proposals side by side. For a sample order, both vendors typically support 50-100 unit pilot batches before scaling.
Solaris Wireless responds within one business day with pricing, lead time and contract proposals. For broader vendor comparison context, see Zero-Touch Android deployment and bulk iPhone enterprise procurement.
Considering Solaris Wireless alongside CDW?
Send us your scope. We respond within one business day with pricing, lead time and a contract proposal. Run the comparison side by side.
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