All too often we hear about Canada lagging behind the U.S. in technology trends. But while we’re often playing a game of catch-up with our neighbour south of the border, there are always exceptions.
Ingram Micro’s Canadian outlet program, which sells refurbished and discontinued products, is being extended to the channel in the U.S. The distie says its Ingram Micro Outlet meets a significant demand in the marketplace for end-of-life technology.
It’s actually surprising it took this long for the U.S. to get onboard – or that there aren’t more programs of its kind, for that matter. But with the environment top of mind these days, it’s no longer acceptable to chuck old computer equipment in the garbage – which will likely end up in a giant e-waste landfill somewhere in Asia.
In some cases, execs require top-of-the-line technology to perform specific job functions. But it doesn’t mean their two-year-old laptop is no longer useful – in many cases, it’s perfectly acceptable to a large number of users who don’t need the latest and greatest.
And some products have simply become trendy. Cell phones, for example, are now considered a fashion item – many teenagers (and plenty of adults, for that matter) get a new phone at least a few times a year, just because they want all the latest gadgets or a slimmer, sleeker version.
The concept of turning technology into fashion really struck me when I attended an event for LG’s Chocolate phones, where lingerie-clad models walked down a runway with a Chocolate phone in hand or strapped to their bicep.
So churn isn’t going away anytime soon.
In Canada, Ingram started offering refurbished and discontinued products to VARs back in 2004 – clearly, the program is doing well, since it’s now being extended to the U.S. One reason for its success could be the lower price points that VARs can offer with these products – opening up new business opportunities with, say, educational institutions or small businesses that can’t afford the latest and greatest.
According to Ingram, VARs represent a significant portion of the overall business for such products in Canada. Ingram is also offering products such as plasma TVs through online retailers that target the consumer space.
We’ve become a throw-away society where we replace our wardrobes, cars and technology on a regular basis – even if there’s nothing wrong with the “old” version. Clearly, it’s good PR for a company to push green initiatives. But in the end, does it really matter, so long as the result is less waste?
Not every distie wants to become the Goodwill of the tech industry, but there’s plenty of room for others to follow suit.
