Online strategy - Datrontech joins struggle to net VARs on the web

Datrontech joined the battle among distributors for online VAR sales last week, with the launch of its e-commerce site, Datrontech Online.

Datrontech joined the battle among distributors for online VAR sales last week, with the launch of its e-commerce site, Datrontech Online.

The site officially went live at the Computer Trade Show in Birmingham.

Datrontech has followed the lead of other distributors, such as Computer 2000 and Ingram Micro, that offer an online service to encourage VARs to free up sales people by getting them off the telephone.

However, Fiona Squire, product marketing director of Datrontech UK, admitted the initiative will probably account for only five per cent of the company's overall business within the next 12 months, and will take at least three years to produce a return on investment, "if ever".

She added: "We know most resellers want to call up and have contact with a sales person, but this is another service we can offer and ultimately the benefits, including a reduction in calls to our sales staff, will allow us to provide a better overall service."

VARs will have to register to access product, stock and personal account information as well as an ordering facility on the site. Squire said the company aimed to have at least half of its 4,000 VARs registered within the next six months.

James Morgan, incoming managing director of Datrontech UK, said the biggest bottleneck to establishing the site had been vendors. "Most of them have not embraced the idea as much as they could have done," he said.

Morgan added that the site is just the start of Datrontech's e-commerce plans. More details are due later this month.