Fujitsu Siemens makes UK first port of call

Fujitsu Siemens has begun to sell Siemens motherboards in the UK in its first assault on the international board market.

Fujitsu Siemens has begun to sell Siemens motherboards in the UK in its first assault on the international board market.

The motherboards, which are used in Siemens computers, will be supplied by AGP Distribution.

Monika Froehlich, OEM sales marketing manager at the vendor's Competence Centre Systemboard division, said Fujitsu Siemens is hoping its proximity to Europe and its faster route-to-market times will help it crack the highly competitive sector.

"There is a lack of support for customers from Taiwan. It is a great advantage for Fujitsu Siemens to be in the same time zone," she said.

Froehlich said the manufacturer had been building its own motherboards for PCs for years, but it had now decided to seek a larger customer base following the merger of Fujitsu and Siemens. She said the vendor was also hoping to convince Fujitsu to use Siemens motherboards in its PCs.

The company will release a number of new features this year to enhance the attractiveness of the motherboard, she added.

But Pieter Waasdorp, director of the components division at distributor Ingram Micro, questioned the move.

He said it will be difficult for AGP to have a distribution model when inventory depends not on the amount of stock available, but on the needs of the vendor. "I don't think it will have a huge impact on the market because it is not their core business," he said.