Storage distributor Zycko has embarked on an aggressive drive to increase its market presence by expanding operations across EMEA, CRN can reveal.

The vendor has signed a deal worth more than 100,000 euros with an unnamed financier to establish a seven-to-eight man team in Paris. The team will be responsible for generating sales across France, with the office expected to open in August.

David Galton-Fenzi, group sales director at Zycko, told CRN: “We will expand Zycko by investment or by acquisition. Our new French office is an investment. We want to win EMEA-wide contracts with vendors spread across the whole region.”

Galton-Fenzi added that Zycko would also look to bring more VARs on board in France because the country is a large and untapped market.

“UK VARs like to partner with a distributor that is healthy, growing and showing strong signs of success,” he said. “Our announcement only helps to compound that message.”

Galton-Fenzi also told CRN that Zycko is in discussions to open offices in both Spain and Italy.

However, Astley Gayle, product manager for UK and Ireland at rival storage distributor CMS Peripherals, told CRN: “This is a move fraught with risk. France, Italy and Spain aren’t obvious markets to go after, so Zycko must have UK-based contacts over there.”

In May, Zycko unveiled a VAR recruitment programme to expand its UK partner base by up to 15 resellers (CRN, 15 May). The distributor has also been pushing its convergence packages to new VARs.

james_sherwood@vnu.co.uk