Sun soothes channel fears after eBay sales
Firm denies web site will offer competing route to market in Europe
Sun has attempted to allay channel fears that it plans to use eBay as a selling tool in Europe, despite auctioning hardware and software bundles on the web site in the US last week.
The move sparked concern in the channel that the vendor could establish an alternative route to market on the site, which is popular with consumers and SMEs.
But Philippe Weppe, enterprise and mid-market channel director for Europe at Sun, said: "Personally speaking, I don't think we need (Sun and eBay auctions) in Europe. I understand the US position on auctioning, but our position in Europe is channel engagement.
"We want our current channel to sell the right products at the right price. There may be web shots or auctions, but these will be through partners. EBay is not in the current model in Europe."
ChannelAdvisor, a US-based firm in which eBay owns a stake, provides auction and marketplace management software and has customers such as Dell, Sun, IBM and Hewlett-Packard in the US.
Scott Wingo, the company's chief executive, told CRN: "We provide services that help firms of all sizes sell on eBay. We will see a lot of other technology vendors selling this way in Europe."
But he added that most vendors put their resellers first.
Wingo said: "With IBM in the US we offer products to VARs first. Then anything they don't want goes through eBay."
ChannelAdvisor intends to open a UK office at the end of this year, he added.
However, Simon Welch, marketing director at Sun channel development partner Clarity, said even if Sun did put bundles on eBay on a regular basis, it would have little channel impact.
"I imagine the kind of things Sun would sell (on eBay) would be rock-bottom in the marketplace. Sun's channel adds value and doesn't offer the sort of thing that would be available on eBay."
Andy Griffiths, business development manager at reseller Q Associates, said online auction sites are another route to market for VARs as well as vendors.
But he warned: "It could very easily be seen as competing with an authorised route. Vendors must ensure it does not jeopardise the integrity of the channel."