NEWS
Trade bodies clash over ‘tech police’
Buying group Synaxon calls for industry force while CompTIA says the trade needs to self-regulate Does the
By Dominic Sacco
THE UK tech industry needs its own watchdog to police the channel and clamp down on rogue dealers, says buying group Synaxon. The group has been hit hard by fraudulent traders in recent years and is now calling for a ‘tech police body’ or ombudsmen. “We need a police force to manage
the channel and keep it as strong as possible,” Synaxon UK MD Derek Jones told PCR. “A technology ombudsmen would
allow the end user to report a fault or unscrupulous dealer to the trade association. If they don’t get satisfaction from the trade association, then they’d get a point of redress higher up with a government body: the ombudsmen. “There isn’t even a process at the moment. There’s always been an element of cowboys and sharks and dodgy dealers in the IT industry, and that can never change until we have a solid trade association.” However, trade body CompTIA says
the focus should be on educating the channel. The group currently offers free guides for IT firms and allows them to apply for a Government-endorsed Trustmark quality seal of approval. “We’re working hard and are passionate about driving professionalism and quality into the industry, and are raising standards through our Trustmark programme,” said Vaughan Shayler, CompTIA’s director of UK channel strategy. “But I’d forget about policing the
industry. Frankly, Fred’s PC shop up the road is never going to be regulated. The industry needs to self-regulate. We’ve got to make the industry itself be more professional and educate buyers to buy from companies with lower risk.”
VCinsight.com’s Keith Warburton,
industry veteran and former president of the Technology Channels Association (TCA, which grew out of the Professional Computing Association and later transitioned into CompTIA), says that if a retailer has broken the law, a customer should
6 PCR September
industry need a tech police force?
Derek Jones – Synaxon
John Carter – DMSL
Jon Atherton – Entatech
Keith Warburton – VCinsight
“There’s always been an element of
cowboys and sharks and dodgy dealers in the IT industry, and that can never change until we have a solid
trade association.” Derek Jones, Synaxon UK
contact their local Trading Standards department concerning the matter. Distributor Entatech UK’s
VP/director Jon Atherton told PCR: “All companies need to implement ‘due diligence’ on customers and suppliers and make decisions on the credibility of that company. “Having a separate organisation is
only worthwhile if it has considerable legal rights, which won’t happen. Code of conducts are great but if they are not legally binding for the industry, they are worthless.” John Carter, MD of business telecoms specialists DMSL, says there’s “a definite passion from the trade” for a
Vaughan Shayler – CompTIA
regulator, especially considering converging markets and the increase in popularity smartphones. Synaxon’s Jones added: “A trade association should protect the trade from charlatans and scumbags. Saying that, the industry is a million times better than it was years ago. There’s no easy money anymore so a lot of the dodgy geezers have moved on. But Trading Standards and police currently take no notice whatsoever [of IT fraud]. “The problem is that it’s too expensive to become an IT ombudsmen – no one wants to do it.” What do you think of the issue? Email
dominic.sacco@
intentmedia.co.uk
www.pcr-online.biz
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104