Fujitsu inks two new deals

Vendor expands partnerships, signing agreements with Synstar and C2000

Fujitsu Siemens has been busy expanding its partnerships over the past week, securing deals with IT service provider Synstar and broadline distributor Computer 2000 (C2000).

Synstar beat 12 other hopefuls to win a £200m pan-European contract with Fujitsu Services to provide logistics, services, support and maintenance contracts.

The seven-year deal includes the delivery of computer parts, capital purchases, strategic planning, bid support, warehousing and distribution.

Steve Hill, services director at Synstar, said the deal is the "first of many" that the VAR hopes to secure with major vendors.

"Because we maintain most manufacturer's equipment we have a broader product range than any of our competitors," he said. "Vendors excel at maintaining their own equipment but struggle with other vendors' kit, which is where we fit in."

Separately, Fujitsu Siemens has signed a strategic distribution agreement with C2000 for its full range of consumer and professional PCs, mobiles and servers. C2000 will join Ideal, Micro-P, Northamber, Midwich and ETC in the UK.

Ian Snadden, director of channel and SME at Fujitsu Siemens, said: "We have been talking to C2000 for some time and it was inevitable we would start working together at some point. C2000 will give us a bigger footprint in the UK."

Gary Fowle, commercial director at C2000, said: "Fujitsu's products deliver superb value to end-users and solid margin opportunities for the reseller."

Lee Perkins, principal sales manager at rival distributor ETC, said: "If there as a big established demand for Fujitsu and a decent amount of product moving in the channel already, then C2000 could cause damage by aggressive pricing and going after existing partners.

"But because the deals that are happening are so few and far between, I don't think C2000 will be able to muscle in. We certainly won't be pricing aggressively against them."