MS gives Lars chance to hit volume targets

Software giant gives some large account resellers 90 days to pull socks up and meet strict criteria

Microsoft has put some of its direct large account resellers (Lars) on a 90-day notice period after they failed to hit pre-agreed sales targets.

Under MS? annual Lar contract, resellers are required to hit volume targets, as well as have dedicated staff. If they fail to live up to payment, volume and human resources criteria after this time, the vendor will forbid them from selling direct.

Sources have claimed that up to three Lars have been put on hold by Microsoft, one of which was believed to be Info Products. One source said: ?It?s a well-known fact that there have been a lot of problems with Info Products. It doesn?t have the infrastructure to sell Select.?

Sharon Beer, vendor relations manager at Info Products, said the firm?s relationship with Microsoft ?had never been stronger?, claiming it had signed another contract with Microsoft.

Brian Prangle, software product manager at SCC, said any suggestion that his firm was going to lose the right to sell Select was ?ridiculous?.

Microsoft is expected to announce that all Lars will report to Chris Lewis, enterprise partner manager at Microsoft, a change from the present system where some report to organisational customer units.

MS will hold a meeting this week, where it is expected to outline changes to its Ts&Cs for resellers. Jonathon Downes, volume licensing programme manager at Microsoft, confirmed that some Lars had failed to hit targets and MS was reviewing their progress.

He denied that any Lar was about to be scrapped, claiming that Microsoft was working in a positive way to help the resellers hit their targets. He refused to name particular firms.

Lars are expected to demonstrate a high level of commitment by having dedicated staff, with accurate and on-time payments and stiff sales targets.