HIS appoints M2M to shake up sales model

Graphics card maker brings in specialist distributor to help it take advantage of booming gaming market

HIS, the three-dimensional graphics cards maker, has signed up Beckenham-based memory distributor M2M to invigorate its sales channel. This is in response to increasing demand for alternative suppliers to established players.

It needed the new distributor because gamers have become a major influence on the graphics card market, according to HIS. The problem is, the modern PC enthusiast needs careful handling, which means good technical support.

Our cards are sought after by PC enthusiasts and gamers,” said Maggie Zaboura, head of northern European sales at HIS. “In M2M, we have found a specialist distributor with strong technical knowledge and great relationships with the most important resellers and system integrators.”

M2M specialises in supplying parts associated with memory, such as high-end graphics cards. The dynamics are changing in this market now, according to the firm.

“We have been analysing the graphics market for some time, specifically looking for a top brand with a clear proposition, strong selling points and a mission to build market share,” said Hitesh Kothary, sales and marketing manager.

The best prospect for filling this brief is currently HIS, he added.

Previously, M2M concentrated its efforts on supplying memory to system integrators. But the much-hyped virtualisation boom has not been the revenue generator that some expected it to be, said Kothary. “It is a commodity now,” he said.

However, the games market is a different story. “The gaming market is the only one that is booming at the moment,” said Kothary.

“These are people who will happily spend $700 (£472) on a graphics card, and $500 on memory, just to get a tiny improvement in performance. These guys are crazy and thank goodness for that.”

The only event that could dampen spirits in this buoyant market would be if manufacturers over distribute products, he added.

“Vendors have a habit of over distributing products, which makes it dif ficult to make a margin,” said Kothary. “Luckily, HIS is not over distributed, and it is a high-end product so there is a premium in it.”

Some retailers welcomed the move. “HIS always had good products, but never managed to sort its distribution,” said Charanjit Kohli, managing director of Yoyotech.

“M2M has a good understanding of high-value tech products and the people who buy them.”