Westcoast goes live as Authorised Microsoft distributor

Today marks the first official day for the firm as an official Microsoft distributor, months after the vendor announced its initial distribution review process.

Westcoast officially goes live as an Authorised Microsoft distributor today, months after the software vendor began a lengthy distribution review process (CRN, 17 July).

Back in October CRN revealed that the software giant had finally added five additional distributors to its Authorised list – Westcoast, Computers Unlimited, VIP, Blue Solutions, Northamber and Micro Peripherals. However Microsoft also revealed at the time that it would cut one of its three broadline distributors in the UK within six months (CRN, 30 October), which works out at March/April time this year.

Westcoast will supply the full range of Microsoft products and licensing, as well as its full packaged product (FPP) range, and will focus on the SME and independent retail sector.

Speaking to CRN, Andy Dow, commercial director at Westcoast said: “We are the first new Microsoft Authorised distributor to go live for seven years. The SME and independent retail market is an area that Microsoft feels there is a lot of work to be done with the channel and it is our role to also launch a range of programmes in that space.”

Westcoast’s main remit is to deliver a greater breadth of buying resellers, increase the frequency of the way resellers sell Microsoft solutions and to increase the amount of functionality that they sell with each solution, Dow said.

The distributor is also launching a full programme of reseller roadshows next month to raise awareness of its new Microsoft status.

“We are absolutely delighted to be able to unveil our new Microsoft status,” Dow added.

The distributor has created a dedicated Microsoft team headed by former Microsoft employee Alex Delbridge.