Datrontech grip on Kingston slips

Distributor?s status further undermined as vendor signs up Ingram Micro

Datrontech?s hold on Kingston Technologies has been further watered down after the memory vendor signed Ingram Micro as a partner.

While Datrontech has enjoyed sole distribution rights for Kingston for a number of years, the vendor has previously warned that it will look to expand the number of partners that carry its products.

Macintosh specialist Simms International became Kingston?s first partner outside of Datrontech. Last week the firm added local distributors Memory Bank and Advanced Computer Distribution to its Eire operation, but claimed it would also continue to use Datrontech in Eire.

Mark Leatham, sales and marketing director at Kingston, said the vendor had added Ingram to its distributors because it was seeking to gradually grow its business and hoped to leverage revenues from Ingram?s links with PC vendors like IBM, Hewlett Packard and Compaq.

?Ingram has opportunities to upgrade and configure PCs before they leave the building. The distributor has a strong relationship with resellers and dealers that Datrontech might not deal with and we hope to gain incremental business.?

He said the same argument applied to Eire, where the appointment of Memory Bank and ADC was intended to broaden Kingston?s market reach.

A source close to Ingram added that the distributor took on the Kingston line because it needed to be seen to offer a globally available memory.

Steve King, CEO of Datrontech, claimed he was in favour of an additional distributor because it would help police grey channels. ?We welcome the recognition of the brand position of Kingston. It is all part of a maturing world,? he said.

Two weeks ago, Datrontech launched own-brand products in a move to expand its range to cater for the demands of price-conscious assemblers and resellers entering the small and medium enterprise market.