Iomega gives US Website low-key launch

Iomega has played down the launch of its direct sales Website in the US, disputing that it will take away business from resellers, as the company becomes one the earliest peripheral vendors to adopt the technology.

The storage manufacturer last week redesigned its corporate Web-site to enable customers to purchase its range of drives and media directly from the site.

Iomega, which has 90 per cent of its business going through distribution in the UK, has had a European Website up and running since December 1998, but insisted it had no plans to follow the US lead by including the online sales functionality. Instead, the vendor is looking to work with a channel partner to sell online.

Martin Brophy, European marketing director at Iomega, said: 'We have no plans to introduce direct Web sales in Europe. We will watch the US and see what happens there. Iomega is fairly localised and does what is best for each market. What works in the US is not necessarily the best for Europe.'

Iomega claimed that sales from the US Website were unlikely to affect its indirect channel as it is expected to represent only a small part of total revenue.

'This is about giving the customer the choice to buy direct if they want to,' Brophy said. 'The site has not been pushed or marketed. Products will be offered at the RRP - it's not supposed to be seen as a cheaper way to purchase.'

Meanwhile, Iomega has re-called a number of its 60,000 power units, which had been sold with 1Gb and 2Gb Jaz drives.

The drives affected would have been purchased between 1 September 1998 and March 1999.