Trustmarque exits pass-through business

Microsoft to help resellers make alternative arrangements

Haddow: We are not leaving anyone in the lurch

Trustmarque will part with about 150 VARs and sacrifice a tenth of its Micro­soft revenues after opting to exit pass-through licensing business.

The firm recently advised resellers that hold Microsoft Volume License Agreements with it to switch to an alternative Microsoft LAR.

Chief executive Scott Had­dow said Trustmarque would continue to sub-contract for a handful of larger systems integrators.

“We want to spend our time with customers that we can build a value-based solution with,” he added. “We are not leaving anyone in the lurch.”

Dave Simpson, commercial director at Softcat, said the LAR already operates a “selective” policy with regards to pass-through business.

“It is a lot of risk for very little rewards,” he said.

Edward Hyde, Microsoft’s group manager for LARs, said: “We support Trust­marque’s realign­ment in this area. We are also keen to support non-LAR Microsoft resellers where they need to make alternative arrangements.”