Computacenter Distribution wins HP print services contract
Smaller VARs can now access the printing services market as distributor tops tendering process
Computacenter Distribution (CCD) has stolen a march on its rivals by securing an exclusive printing distribution deal with Hewlett-Packard (HP) to ramp up sales of pay-per-use printing and services via the channel.
The firm, which recently merged with Metrologie (CRN, 2 October), came top of a tendering process, beating the vendor’s other distributors.
HP operates a direct strategy in the enterprise printing space, but works with a small number of high-end resellers to supply its Smart Printing Services (SPS) to mid-market and SME customers. However, the CCD contract means the lucrative printing and services market has now been opened up to smaller channel players.
Tim Moyle, marketing director at CCD, told CRN: “SPS encourages more firms to consider the channel when it comes to their printing and copying needs. It also allows smaller resellers to go head-to-head with copier dealers and is a truly incremental business opportunity.”
Alan Hatfield, imaging and printing services and solutions programme manager at HP, said: “We asked all our distributors to propose their solutions to offer SPS to resellers and CCD won the contract. It will allow resellers to dip their toes in the water and decide if SPS is something they wish to embrace further.”
Resellers identify and direct SPS opportunities to CCD and are paid on a ‘bounty’ basis. Contracts for SPS are fulfilled by HP directly to the end-user. Then a bounty is paid to the reseller, via CCD, on each deal. Resellers can also wrap HP hardware into the contract to further boost margins.
“This is not aimed at tying resellers to CCD,” Moyle added. “We know they have their favourite distributors and we are agnostic about where resellers buy their hardware.”
CCD has also partnered with specialist print management and deployment firm Print IP, which will work with resellers to provide customer quotes, spot sales opportunities and advise on sales strategy.
>> Further reading:
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Computacenter Distribution preparing for aggressive growth strategy