Sun's US experiment casts cloud over UK
Vendor has not ruled out possibility of using eBay for UK sales
Sun has refused to rule out using eBay as a sales channel in the UK, following an admission to CRN that it is "keeping a close eye" on its US experiment using the online auction site.
Last week Sun auctioned off its latest mid-range server, the four-way Fire V40z, through a week-long eBay promotion.
This is the second instance of what Sun describes as a "disruptive sales offering" using eBay's popularity. In July Sun sold off hardware and software bundles on the site, but assured CRN that it will not adopt this strategy in Europe.
However, Gary Nugent, iForce partner and mid-market director at Sun UK, told CRN last week: "Sun has no immediate plans to use eBay to sell products directly to end-users in the UK.
"We are, of course, watching the US experiment intently to see if an eBay 'channel' can indeed reach a new audience of customers."
Colin Symington, sales director at Sun distributor Recurve Technologies, said he would be annoyed if the strategy came to the UK. "This might encourage users to go to eBay, and the only winner would be Sun," he said.
But Nugent said: "We envisage that any initiative undertaken via eBay would be in conjunction with our iForce partners. Customers invariably buy solutions, not products."
Dale Vile, service director at Quocirca, said rather than accept being just a niche vendor of high-end servers, Sun is exploring other options and has taken its eye off the ball. "Sun is rapidly running out of friends," he said.