Midwich deal puts kibosh on duopoly

Tektronix has appointed Midwich Thame as its third UK distributor, breaking up a long-term duopoly between Computer 2000 and Micro Peripherals.

Norfolk-based Midwich will supply the Tektronix range of office workgroup colour printers. Nick Culley, printer account manager at the distributor, said: 'This is the product line we've wanted for two-and-a-half years.

We are printer specialists and the colour printer market is growing very fast.'

Culley declared that the Midwich deal was a blow to Tektronix's other distributors. 'Micro Peripherals is going to be less than happy about it,' he said. 'It was Tektronix's first UK distributor and it had an exclusive deal until C2000 came along. It has a considerable share of Tektronix's distribution business and we have a history of taking market share from Micro Peripherals.'

Gordon McDowell, managing director of Micro Peripherals, refused to comment.

'It's a matter between us and our partners and no one else,' he said.

But Andy Dow, general manager of peripherals at C2000, insisted he supported the decision. 'It is a logical step because Tektronix is growing at a considerable rate and wants to reach to the entire channel. Midwich touches a lot of resellers, particularly in the SME sector that we don't reach,' he said.

Culley said Tektronix has managed to shrug off its label as a niche, high-end printer vendor. 'It is experiencing greater growth in office printers than in the professional graphics market and is growing its share in that market. Its products have been accepted,' he said.

But Culley added Midwich's first job was to increase Tektronix's reseller base. 'There are hundreds of resellers out there who don't know about Tektronix and we intend to tell them,' he said.

No one from Tektronix was available for comment.