Fujitsu launches first European programme

Vendor looks to bolster its support for its imaging business channel partners in EMEA

Fujitsu Europe has launched its first EMEA-wide channel programme for its imaging business to strengthen support for partners in the region.

Ann Thueland, channel marketing manager at Fujitsu, told CRN: “We’ve not had a channel programme to date – each country did its own thing. Our Imaging Channel Programme will encompass all the individual activities each territory has already been doing, but will have added benefits such as marketing development funds and a partner portal.”

Under the programme, partners will be branded as either an Authorised Imaging Distributor, a Qualified Imaging Reseller, or a Selected Imaging Enabler.

“The first two categories are self-explanatory, but the Enablers will be solution partners that do not sell hardware,” Thueland explained. “We will then team them up with an imaging Reseller that sells hardware.”

Resellers and Enablers will also be tiered at either a Development, Silver, Gold or Elite level.

“To date we have nominated 120 partners across EMEA to go through official certification for the new programme,” Thueland said. “Of these, 60 per cent are from the UK. We obviously want all our resellers to go through the programme and will also look for new partners to come on board as well.”

In order to decide what tier a partner will sit at, Fujitsu has designed a matrix for each country. “It will basically be done on performance, but every country varies in terms of the market so the matrix will help,” Thueland added.

All of Fujitsu’s distributors will be transitioned into the programme. In the UK, Fujitsu’s distributors are: Northamber, Headway, Computer 2000 (C2000), Dicom and Computers Unlimited.

Destiny Keeys, print business manager at C2000, said: “We’ve been a distributor of Fujitsu’s scanners for a year now and our relationship so far has been great. The internal support we get is very good. Resellers are encouraged to see that we’ve taken on a vendor that holds over a 50 per cent share of the UK scanner market.”

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