shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use SHI International?

Not disclosed - shi.com

Depends. Buy if you're a large organization, school, or government buying hardware, licensing, or IT services at scale — breadth and pricing earn SHI a 4.7/5 on G2. Skip it for small purchases; buy retail or use its self-serve SHI Direct shop instead.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20+ public sources: G2, Reddit, Glassdoor, CRN, MSSP Alert, Wikipedia, and SHI's own sites.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo direct evidence in sources
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Quote-based

Enterprise procurement

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo
SHI DirectListed online

Best for

  • Enterprise hardware and licensing procurement
  • Schools and government buyers
  • Multi-vendor IT consolidation
  • Teams wanting hands-on vendor management

Not for

  • Anyone buying one laptop — go retail
  • Small teams wanting transparent self-serve pricing
  • Buyers needing fast, hassle-free returns
  • MSPs seeking deep resale margins

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

2022 malware attack paused operations roughly a week; class action filed afterward

medium

Quote-based pricing; discount depth varies by rep, volume, and contract vehicle

medium

Returns can draw pushback even when items are unopened

medium

It's a reseller, not a distributor — partners report thin resale margins

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 4.7/5 on G2 across 119 reviews
  • Reviewers call pricing cheaper than competitors
  • Serves 17,000+ organizations worldwide
  • Deep bench: licensing, cloud, security, grants, integration services
  • Cooperative contracts via OMNIA Partners ease public-sector purchasing

Cons

  • Hit by coordinated malware attack in 2022; recovery took a week
  • Class action alleges failure to prevent that breach
  • No transparent pricing; quote-driven with changing terms
  • Return pushback reported even on unopened items
  • Mixed employee reviews: 3.2/5 on Glassdoor

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 12 sources - 2022 coordinated malware attack disrupted SHI for about a week; class action followed. No newer incidents found in sources reviewed.

official x3review x4security x3news x2
  • July 2022 malware attack, Coordinated, professional malware attack over the July 4 holiday; SHI needed about a week to launch recovery and forensics.
  • Class action (Dec 2022), Suit alleges SHI did not properly prevent the breach.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • Quote-based

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. G2 reviewers cite cheaper pricing than rivals
  • Ease of use. No direct evidence in sources
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Vast catalog plus licensing, cloud, security, grant services
  • Support quality: 3/5. Mixed; return pushback documented by admins
  • Security posture: 2/5. 2022 malware breach, week-long recovery, class action
  • 4.7/5 G2 rating 119 reviews
  • Quote-based Pricing SHI Direct lists hardware online
  • 17,000+ Customers Organizations served
  • 3.2/5 Glassdoor (employees) Employee satisfaction

Pricing

Enterprise procurement

Quote-based

  • Full catalog, licensing, and services
  • Dedicated account team

SHI Direct

Listed online

  • Self-serve hardware shop
  • Discounted catalog pricing

Security

2022 coordinated malware attack disrupted SHI for about a week; class action followed.

  • July 2022 malware attackCoordinated, professional malware attack over the July 4 holiday; SHI needed about a week to launch recovery and forensics.⁷
  • Class action (Dec 2022)Suit alleges SHI did not properly prevent the breach.⁸

No newer incidents found in sources reviewed.

What users say

G2 buyers (4.7/5, 119 reviews) praise pricing and breadth, while Reddit IT admins report return friction and uneven experiences.

“I appreciate SHI for their pricing”
G2 review
“They were unopened but I got a lot of push back”
Reddit, r/sysadmin

Alternatives

Compare SHI International with each alternative.

  • CDW

    Rival full-service IT reseller; get competing quotes

  • SHI Direct

    SHI's self-serve shop for smaller orders without contracting

  • Datalink Networks

    Smaller reseller positioning service above CDW and SHI

Companies that use it

  • NRG Energy
  • Rapid7
Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources: G2, Reddit, Glassdoor, CRN, MSSP Alert, Wikipedia, and SHI's own sites.

Big-company IT reseller: great for enterprise-scale hardware and licensing, quote-heavy overkill for small buys.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources: G2, Reddit, Glassdoor, CRN, MSSP Alert, Wikipedia, and SHI's own sites.

Sources

  1. review
  2. review
  3. review
  4. review
  5. news
  6. security
  7. security
  8. security
  9. official
  10. official
  11. official
  12. news

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