Synaxon lines up distribution allies

Buying group gets ready for UK live date

Derek Jones: Relieved to be on course for planned live date of January 2009

German buying group Synaxon has formalised ties with 12 distributors as it prepares to go live in the UK.

Broadliners Westcoast and Enta, storage outfit CMS Peripherals and audiovisual specialist Median are among those to have got on board.

They will provide automatic data feeds into Synaxon’s Enterprise Global Information System (EGIS), giving members information on pricing and availability.

Synaxon UK managing director Derek Jones said each distributor had also agreed to give the firm’s higher-level

Technology Premier partners (STPPs) “exceptional” terms and lower-level Technology partners “preferential” terms.

“This means we are off to a flying start,” Jones said. “We go live with all the technology in January. We are now in

December and although we planned to be at this stage, we are relieved to see it coming together.”

STPPs pay a £99 membership fee, but Chris Gallagher, technical manager at STPP Matrix IT, argued that the outlay is justified.

“If you are doing 20 orders with Westcoast a week, it will pay for itself. This empowers smaller companies like us to compete with larger firms such as Insight and Misco.”

Matrix is one of 10 dealers testing EGIS and Synaxon’s web store. “I can see it taking off,” said Gallagher.

Synaxon claims to account for 15 per cent of IT purchases in Germany with combined member revenues of €3.2bn (£2.8bn).

“Our principle differentiator is we focus on generating sales for our members ­ buying is just part of what we do,” Jones said.