Exit for Enta as Panasonic allies with Computer 2000

Panasonic has reshuffled its distributors for personal storage products as it looks to target the retail sector, with Computer 2000 replacing the incumbent Enta Technologies.

C2000 will join Panasonic's other distributors, which include Ideal Hardware, Micro Peripherals and Osmosis, supplying its range of floppy drives, zip drives and CD-Rom, as well as the emerging DVD-Rom and DVD-Ram formats.

Douglas Wood, distribution business manager at Panasonic Industrials Europe, said: 'Panasonic and Enta were moving in different directions.

We are going down the retail route, while Enta is more systems-oriented.

'Although we initially targeted system integrators, we are now looking at single box retail solutions, which are not the strength of other distributors.

C2000 is strong in off-the-page selling and the SME market, which everyone wants.'

Andy Shepperd, storage business manager at C2000, said the distributor would open up non-traditional markets for Panasonic's storage products, especially DVD.

Shepperd was looking to position C2000 for what he predicted will be a 'massive' market for re-writable DVD. 'DVD-Ram is scarce, with Panasonic's units only shipping since July, but supply will increase by October and we will look to take advantage of this,' he said.

Ed Bateman, product manager at Ideal Hardware, said: 'C2000 is a replacement rather than an additional distributor. We do business differently anyway, as we deal mainly with the OEM market.'