Auto ID VAR/Systems Integrator Analysis
<< define ourselves as a supply chain In the view of Les Morley, financial director littered with examples of dissatisfied
integrator,” he said. “We do offer a wide at Pen Mobile (a partner of distributor customers who have failed to crystalise
range of point solutions but customers Varlink), a reseller’s business strategies the anticipated ROI, because what they
come to us because of our ability to can typically be defined by its cost- ended up with was not what they really
integrate these solutions across their versus-service axis. “At the one extreme, wanted,” he said. “There is a host of
supply chain to solve the underlying
business problems.”
Difficult to differentiate
“
Increasingly, even SMEs want instantaneous updates of what their
employees are doing or where they are. We have van sales systems that log
customer visits back to a central server via GPRS the minute the salesman
While many more manufacturers have
leaves the customer’s premises.” – Paul Clark, BlueLeaf.
entered the barcode market place, Adrian
Harris, sales director at EXPD (a partner of
distributor Varlink), believes that, if anything, there are companies who pursue a low- issues that they need to consider
we are seeing more of the same and not cost, low-margin business model that is around product selection, total cost
too much that is new or innovative. “Using predicated on high-volume sales, typically of ownership, support, integration etc.;
mobile data collection devices as an to end users who know (or think they particularly if the requirement includes
example, there are now numerous devices know) what product they want, with what bespoke software development,
available to us, but it’s very difficult to truly specification,” he said. “The route to delivery and implementation. There has
differentiate between many of them,” he market for such resellers has been been a trend towards ‘trusted partners’,
said. “The VAR’s contribution is to guide considerably enabled by web sales and certainly among bigger corporate
us with an endless supply of information; e-marketing, alongside more traditional enterprises, and we see that cascading
so much information is available at our telesales functions.” down among SMEs.”
finger tips through the Web. Information
such as pricing, specifications, stock Morley added that end users have for Consequently, Morley explains that Pen
availability, accessories, options etc, some time been aware that investment Mobile follows a strategy that is based on
makes our job as a reseller easier and in in IT solutions must be judged on much establishing strong relationships with a
turn ensures the end user gets the right more than the headline hardware costs. high focus on service. “Our key ‘value
product, on time and on budget.” “The history of large IT projects is add’ is our expertise in the range of >>
Manufacturing and logistics companies are continuing with their planned investments and developing their businesses.
8 IT RESELLER – FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009
www.itrportal.com
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