Fujitsu joins the Habitech trail

Christmas is coming and Habitech has signed Fujitsu to avoid a PCshortage

Japanese hardware vendor Fujitsu has signed as the second PC supplier to pyramid-selling dealer Habitech.

The company decided to add Fujitsu to its existing Compaq franchise to avoid product shortages in the run-up to Christmas.

Martin Slagter, managing director of Habitech, said: 'We needed a broad range of PCs, and Fujitsu and Compaq are complementary because Compaq has got quite high spec.

'We also wanted two PC firms for continuity of supply - if you don't have a product then there's no business.'

Compaq's retail channel manager David Miles said he was relaxed about Habitech using Fujitsu. 'We are really a premium PC range for them and it is a risk for any PC agency to be based on one supplier, so I'm surprised they have not gone to more before.'

Fujitsu channel marketing manager Justin Clarke and UK sales manager Neil MacDonald declined to comment.

Habitech has no plans to supplement the company's Lexmark printer and Microsoft software lines with any additional vendor agreements.

Richmond-based Habitech was formed last year (PC Dealer, 28 June 1995) and concentrates on selling a small number of products into homes and small offices through a network of agents.

Habitech has about 500 agents so far, but intends to double this within the next four to six months.

The company has launched a Web site at http://www.habi techworld.com so agents can communicate with each other.