Mobility seeks UK resellers

US connectivity vendor Mobility Electronics launched in the UK this week seeking 80 resellers and offering to cut prices in half for new partners.

US connectivity vendor Mobility Electronics launched in the UK this week seeking 80 resellers and offering to cut prices in half for new partners.

As part of a Europe-wide roll out, Mobility has already signed distribution agreements with Ingram Micro, Portable Add-Ons and Primary in the UK.

"This is our first major move into the channel," said Alan Case, the company's European director of marketing. "We have some indirect sales in the US but Europe for us is going to be 100 per cent channel. The differences from country to country over here mean they can add a lot more value."

The discounts will be available on Mobility's EasiDock range of PC docking stations. These connect any notebook computer to the corporate network and peripherals, allowing it to work as a virtual desktop system. The key products, EasiDock 1000E and EasiDock 5000, are based on the company's PCI Split Bridge technology which allows the PCI bus of a computer to be extended to a remote location. The products are available for £120 and £240 respectively, which is half the normal dealer price.

Chris Lee, sales manager at rival Belkin, said resellers have been neglected by connectivity companies. "We have been in the UK for four years and retail and mail order have been our staple diet. Our relationship with resellers only spans three months. I don't think we realised how important the channel can be in getting our product into new markets," he said.

The company's channel training schemes begin this week and the promotion ends at the end of November.

"We're placing huge importance on the channel and are looking for a network of resellers in Europe," said Cameron Wilson, managing director of Mobility Electronics Europe. "We're offering significant discounts to resellers that sign up and we're looking for the channel to drive demand for the products."