Bundle of joy for Lexmark VARs

Printer in bid to take market share from rival HP

Lexmark is hoping that bundling products specifically for the channel will allow it to take lucrative SME market share from printer rival Hewlett Packard (HP).

Following its success over the past months in signing resellers, Lexmark last week invited 70 systems partners to see its new 'solution sell options', which offer SMEs corporate-level document management technology and advice.

Since the printer maker launched its partner programme in September it has signed 1,100 VARs. It is now embarking on a value-add strategy to increase sales and improve margins.

"We know our reseller partners need more margin and we are doing what we can to facilitate that," said Amanda Bibbey, marketing programmes manager at Lexmark.

"There are a lot of opportunities in printing if resellers find out more about the business benefits."

In conjunction with its new partner programme the company has moved to an entirely indirect selling model. It is generating leads for resellers through direct touch and advertising.

"The salesforce goes into accounts to see what the issues concerning document management are within a business and then offers total systems, which are sold through reseller partners," said Bibbey.

Mike Slattery, managing director of reseller Integrex, said Lexmark was being very proactive, and that its new programme would help to strengthen its market position.

"The programme should help us to increase margins and improve our customer relationships by demonstrating our understanding," he said.

In a similarly bullish mood, Nick Culley, business manager at distributor Midwich, said the programmes introduced by Lexmark would help it take market share from HP, the clear leader.

"The programmes it has put together are excellent. A lot of vendors talk about channel programmes but there is also a lot of action behind Lexmark's words," he said.