Informix delays distribution decision

Informix has put off announcing changes to its distribution strategy until the end of the summer, following further shifts in its top-tier management.

The database software tools vendor is understood to be considering whether to appoint a further top-level distributor alongside Computer 2000, or whether to expand the sub-distribution programme it already has in place.

Rob Baird, former director of partner operation in the UK at Informix, has moved to a pan-European position as part of a team being assembled by Alan Kerr, EMEA vice president of Informix. Details of his exact appointment have yet to be released. The move follows the arrival in June of Jacqueline de Rojas as managing director of Informix UK.

Tony Stirrup, enterprise software manager at Informix's UK master distributor, C2000, told PC Dealer the personnel changes had delayed a decision on the review of the tool vendor's distribution tier.

"We're talking about whether having a sole distributor is the right choice and a valid strategy. This is a big decision and the review is ongoing.

We still need to decide what to do about having large direct partners but, in the meantime, it's business as usual," he said.

Terry Lawlor, marketing director of Informix, declined to comment on the areas the vendor was reviewing, but said changes would be announced by the end of the summer. "We don't want to say too much, apart from that the indirect channel is very much a focus for us. We're coming up with some responses and strategies, but I would not want to speculate on the areas."