Web licensing boosts Ingram's business

Online licensing is already responsible for more than 30 per cent of distributor Ingram Micro's overall licensing business, despite launching the scheme just three months ago.

Online licensing is already responsible for more than 30 per cent of distributor Ingram Micro's overall licensing business, despite launching the scheme just three months ago.

The distributor has also added software vendors Lotus and PowerQuest to its existing online catalogue, which already includes Microsoft, Adobe and Symantec.

Peter Nevison, category manager at Ingram, said he was pleased with the success of the LicenceLink service, which the company launched last October. "It has given the whole business a boost. There have been many new customers because buying online its considerably cheaper than buying boxed product," he said.

Nevison also claimed that LicenceLink had not visibly suffered from being launched later than rival Computer 2000's (C2000's) InTouch programme.

"Ingram had hoped to launch at the same time [as C2000], but we needed extra time to get the product exactly right. A take-up of 32 per cent in such a short time is great news," he said. "Lotus and PowerQuest have just joined the scheme and the company is hopeful of adding more vendors."

But Nevison stressed that the success of online sales would not signal the end of its traditional sales team. "Customers always need support at the end of a telephone if they run into difficulties," he explained.

C2000 also added Veritas to its InTouch online licensing software last week and Nigel Judd, general manager for marketing at the distributor, said it had been experiencing similar growth. "C2000 has had an online licensing scheme running for over a year now and the figures continue to grow month on month," he said.

First published in Computer Reseller News