Distributors are rolling out new offerings that will help resellers run their business better or help them target vertical markets.
Tech Data has teamed up with The Business Network (TBN) to offer a free e-business Web seminar. The seminar — on why 90 per cent of e-business initiatives end in
failure and what you can do differently to succeed — is designed specifically for the Canadian IT distribution channel.
It gives VARs tools to manage, develop, design and maintain a Web store using XML-based technologies, including information about online quoting, real-time pricing, submitting orders and managing assets.
The 30-minute seminar is being held every Thursday through April at 2 p.m. E.S.T. To reserve a spot e-mail Carolyn Hanrahan at [email protected].
Ingram Micro has a service to help resellers create sales and service opportunities with refurbished technology. Ingram Micro Outlet handles the process of refurbishing technology products for both resellers and manufacturers, from product restoration to returns management.
This should make the process a little bit smoother for resellers who offer trade-in programs to their customers — and it helps the environment, too. Resellers can also offer products from the outlet — ideal for low-margin markets such as SMEs and education.
Refurbished products offer an alternative to clones and can help resellers compete against big-name vendors or clone makers selling into these markets. After all, not everyone wants to pay for brand-spanking new technology with all the latest bells and whistles.
Refurbished technology is a market that should be expanded further, providing more cost-effective solutions for cash-strapped customers, while making use of hardware that would otherwise be headed for the garbage dump. Taking the hassle out of this process is a bonus for both reseller and manufacturer. Let’s hope we see more of this type of offering from other distributors.
Hartco is also offering a wider range of products that could potentially be sold into low-margin markets, such as SMEs and education.
The company is extending its offerings from Acer Canada to include laptops, desktops and servers. Acer, which only sells through the channel, also offers Tablet PCs, which could be a good option for niche markets where customers are looking for a low-cost alternative to laptops.
In other news, Michael Mercer, Bell Micro’s vice-president and creator of the STORMe reseller program, has left the company for StorageTek Canada. Bell Micro’s STORMe program was designed to help resellers sell third-party storage solutions in markets dominated by tier-one server and storage OEMs.
Mercer will bring his knowledge of the storage market to StorageTek, which has experienced six quarters of year-over-year revenue growth. The company attributes its growth — during a tough time for most IT companies — to its investments in channels and technology.
Perhaps we should expect to see another “”storm”” brewing over at StorageTek — something storage resellers should look forward to.
