NEWS INTERVIEW
www.comms-dealer.com
New force in distribution
Alex Lister
such as BT, Plantronics etc. We screens and mobile devices so they
are now distributing two system can start to diversify their business.”
brands, NEC and Samsung, and
would envisage bringing on Lister said the response has been
another vendor over the next ‘tremendous’, with most of the
12 months. We will also start to switched-on VARS understanding
introduce new vendors who can that they must embrace
enhance our existing portfolio.” convergence if they are to move
forward over the next few years.
Lister’s converged marketing “They like the fresh approach
messages are clear. “We see from Micro-P, particularly around
voice, data and mobile eventually the fact that we recognise the
converging and Micro-P is in pole importance of sound technical
position to assist our resellers, both support for the reseller,” said Lister.
voice and data,” he said. “We
will continue to actively promote “By investing in technical support
Unified Communications products we are comfortable that we can
along with our vendors who work offer a level of expertise which
with us. We will embrace new will ensure all our resellers have
technology and support our support when outside their comfort
resellers with technical standards zone. We are also working with
of excellence every step of the our key vendors to ensure that we
Turning over £400 million and part of the DCC
way. We will offer our resellers a offer a flexible training packages
bespoke support package based which are palatable and
group, Micro-P has always been a strong
on their individual requirements minimises time out of the office
distributor of IT and data products and has a
centred around training, product and away from the business.”
offers, marketing support etc.”
firm presence in the mobile market. During
To give VARs a leg up into voice
the past few years, and with the advent of the
Unified communications plays a sales Micro-P outlines the margin
key role for Micro-P. “The company benefits of selling a phone system
convergence revolution, Micro-P needed a
has aligned itself with all the key and assists VARs from a technical
sound understanding of the voice market to
vendors who recognise this fact point of view, hold their hand
and plan key marketing activities through the initial start up. “Our key
embrace and ride the new converged wave.
around this,” noted Lister. “Most message is that technical support is
We got the inside story from Alex Lister, General
of these vendors have either paramount and we have invested
developed, or are developing, heavily in this area working towards
Manager of Communications Micro-P.
unified communications products a centre of Technical excellence
in their portfolio. We see these headed up by John Bird one of
products as pivotal in pushing our latest new recruits,” said Lister.
he key challenges Micro- as Plantronics. We understood that the convergence message. UC is
T
P faced when entering it would take time in recruiting the cement in the building blocks So far, progress is ‘excellent’, he
the voice market were new data VARs, but are fortunate towards our converging market.” reports. “Resellers want to see a
choosing the correct that we have 7,500 VARs with new distributor that can do all
vendors to partner with and whom we have an excellent According to Lister, Micro-P has the basic distributor functions
recruiting suitable individuals to relationship. We held roadshows been inundated with enquiries with ease,” Lister observes. “A
spearhead the Communications in strategic locations and invited from voice resellers who realise distributor that has all the angles
Division, and integrating the new them along to understand the there is another key player in the covered providing voice data and
division into an already successful Micro-P and NEC message.” voice market. “To Micro-P these mobile propositions. A distributor
and established business. resellers are brand new customers who understands convergence
“Obviously these challenges Last month Micro-P bolstered its so we can service them with all from all levels and who can
were overcome and the Micro-P voice credentials by partnering the ‘given’ attributes from a first guide them through and into
Communications Division continues with Samsung’s Network Division class distributor,” commented Lister. the convergence arena with
to grow and prosper,” said Lister. to sell the vendor’s PBX and “More importantly, we can sell first class technical support.
“Choosing our first PBX vendor NEC communication solutions. to them systems and peripheral
in October 2009, it was key that we “Our portfolio of products in products with the technical “Micro-P is expecting large growth
had a sound relationship and they communications continues to support which I feel is lacking in the in the communications area, with
understood fully our go to market grow,” added Lister. “We have distribution market. To add to this, some ambitious growth targets
plan. We already had some good direct relationships with nearly we offer them other products from and a massive recruitment of new
relationships with key vendors such all of the key peripheral vendors our portfolio such as laptops, flat resellers over the next 12 months.”
n
14 COMMS DEALER MARCH 2010 www.comms-dealer.com
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