Open Computing breaks Computer 2000's stranglehold

Informix is expected to appoint Open Computing as its second authorised distributor in the UK, ending Computer 2000's three-year exclusive hold on the franchise.

Informix is expected to appoint Open Computing as its second authorised distributor in the UK, ending Computer 2000's three-year exclusive hold on the franchise.

Open Computing, which has already been selling Informix on a sub-distribution level for six months, will focus on selling the database vendor's products on the SCO and NT platforms to its customer base of Tetra resellers.

Further appointments for distributors with expertise in the Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard markets are also rumoured.

Jonathan Ellis, sales and marketing director at Open Computing, said the appointment was particularly good for resellers because it comes just a month after the distributor was awarded SCO delivery partner status by Compaq (PC Dealer, 25 August).

"We've been doing a good job as a sub-distributor and this appointment means resellers can get the operating system and the database from a value-add distributor with expertise. This is not a broadline product and we will get a sizeable slice of the market," he claimed.

Tony Stirrup, general manager of the Workstation 2000 business unit at C2000, denied the appointment was a setback for the broadliner. "It can't be dressed up as positive for C2000, but Informix does need a niche market supplier. This doesn't mean we've given up the SCO market," he said.

Andy Cooke, divisional manager of partner operations at Informix, refused to admit that Open Computing had been appointed. "As it stands today, Open Computing is a sub-distributor, buying from C2000. We are reviewing that position and will make an announcement during the fourth quarter."

However, Cooke admitted that the partner review was being driven by increasingly high customer expectations from the channel. "Customers are pressing resellers because they want to be first to market in the internet sector. They can't afford to wait six months anymore and our partner strategy needs to address this," he said.