C2000's components joy

System builder component sales increase by 20 per cent in six months

Computer 2000 (C2000) has claimed its components sales to system builders have increased by 20 per cent over the past six months.

The broadline distributor has been actively promoting its fledgling components business throughout the past year, by increasing the number of dedicated staff and signing up a host of key components suppliers.

The firm recently claimed its components division had dealt with 2,400 system builders in January and that sales were up 10 per cent on December 2003.

In recent months C2000 has signed distribution deals with components suppliers, including A-Open for its full range of motherboards, optical storage, chassis and multimedia add-in cards.

C2000 recently signed up graphics cards manufacturer PNY Technologies, the UK's leading retail card maker, and is expected to sign other graphics card suppliers in the coming months.

On the display front, the company signed up LG in August - its first new LCD supplier in two years - and then added GNR in October.

"We've really focused on getting our share of core vendor line-ups in the past six months, signed new partners and benefited from the logistical and financial resources we can offer system builders," said John Osborne, general manager of the components division at C2000.

"There is a massive opportunity within the system builder sector for C2000. We are more committed to our components business now, and are continually adding resources. We have 24 vendors in our components business, thanks to a lot of recruiting.

"We have been able to deliver the right products to our customers at the right time and maintain good stock levels. Management of the supply chain is really important in the components business."

John Fitzgerald, general manager of the components business at Ingram Micro UK, said: "Tier-two and -three system builders are our core market. Within that market there are those that build 50 to 100 PCs and, while not our biggest customers, they are regular.

"Consistency of supply is vital, and it's the biggest reason for buying or not buying from any supplier.

"We have just moved to an entirely different way of stocking and supplying customers, and we are now using daily exchange rates so the pricing reflects what's happening in the market."