Lexmark signs Ponde to bolster SME sector
Vendor appoints new SME business manager
Printer vendor Lexmarkhas strengthened its SME channel support team with the appointment of Marc Ponde as SME business manager.
Ponde will be responsible for developing sales for resellers in the North and will be based in the vendor’s Cheadle office. He previously worked for reseller XMA as a print specialist in the public sector.
Mark Seaman, SME Director at Lexmark UK, said: “Ponde’s appointment is the latest in a series of developments we have made to our UK SME team as part of our focus to make Lexmark easy for resellers to do business with.”
Ponde told CRN: “I will be going out to meet resellers and end-users face-to-face. My appointment gives Lexmark an additional element of customer service and extra TLC for the channel.
“I can make the link between the manufacturer and end-users and I know resellers’ jobs. I understand what makes resellers buzz, such as new incentives and training opportunities. I also appreciate the hard work VARs do to look after customers.”
Jason Harcourt, senior analyst at Context, said: “Lexmark has been slightly in the doldrums in the SME sector of late. It has always been a corporate-focused vendor, but has seen the need to get into the SME space. Lexmark did have some success, but has tailed off recently.”
Harcourt said Lexmark had been facing stiff competition from the likes of rival vendor Oki which has performed well in the SME sector.
“It will be interesting to see how this appointment pans out,” Harcourt added. “Lexmark may want to promote themselves more as a vendor to gain customer awareness. It is in this area that the company has lost some ground.”
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