Micro-P projects healthcare sales with NEC

Micro-P now distributes NEC projectors

NEC Display Solutions has expanded its relationship with Micro-P to distribution rights for its entire range of LCDs, large format displays and projectors.

Neil Hartigan, channel director at NEC Display Solutions, said the deal built on an existing 15-year partnership but this is the first time Micro-P has had access to the projector range.

“Micro-P has recently recruited a new team of AV specialists,” he said. “The projector line will be fairly new to them … but they are now able to sell right across the range.”

NEC has been extremely happy with Micro-P’s expertise in distribution of its other products, and sees it as the right partner to spearhead the push of projection sales into the medical and healthcare verticals especially, he said.

Hartigan said Micro-P now boasts specialists who understand the medical Digital Imaging and Communications (DICOM) standard.

Micro-P also widens NEC’s contact with the IT channel. Other verticals the vendor targets include education, government, corporate and finance.

The dedicated AV team at the distributor now comprises some five or six people, with up to 50 in total touching on NEC projector sales at any one time, he said.

NEC also distributes via Midwich, Medium and Steljes, with Medium and Steljes more specialised in their approach and Midwich with a broader approach more similar to that of Micro-P.

“We think competition is a healthy thing,” Hartigan said. “Midwich has been very successful. With Medium we work on the mid to larger end. With Midwich we are looking at a strategy to take us into some of the direct mail resellers at the low end.”

Resellers can look forward to an upcoming expansion of NEC’s projector range in the near future also, he said.

“We are strengthening our range in terms of low-end LCD product, in XGA 2,200 to 3,000 lumens. We have got some new products launching in the next four to eight weeks, and will also be launching a low-end WXGA product,” he said.

Hartigan said broadening the range increased the overall appeal of projectors. Less expensive short-throw product is also slated for release in the next six months.

“Micro-P will have access to all of these products,” he said. “We will be looking for about £250,000 of revenue from [Micro-P] in the first year.”

Hartigan said the low end SVGA and XGA is extremely competitive and margins are really tight but a reseller should expect to make around 10 per cent. “At the higher install end of the range it is far more margin rich and can achieve 20 per cent plus,” he said.

Futuresource data suggests that the projector market has shrunk from €444 million in 2004 to around €283 million this year as prices fall, and will shrink to just €201 million by 2013. Volumes are tipped to rise – from 270,174 units in 2007 to 260,128 in 2013.

Mark Kahr, director at Micro-P, said in a statement that NEC was strong in the business displays market.

“Adding NEC’s full range of projectors to our portfolio will strengthen our offering and complement NEC’s range of LCDs and large format displays,” Kahr said.

“NEC‘s products are very well respected in the industry and because we already have a well established relationship it makes complete sense to bring all its products under one umbrella.”

NEC projectors cater for personal ultra-portables through to mobile and installation devices, with the latest offering mpeg and flash playback from a USB stick.

For more information on NEC products, resellers can visit NEC’s reseller website, SolutionsPlus.