Ingram wins noteworthy deal with Toshiba

Ingram Micro has pulled off a coup by becoming the second wholesale supplier of Toshiba's entire range of notebook and desktop machines in the UK.

Ingram Micro has pulled off a coup by becoming the second wholesale supplier of Toshiba's entire range of notebook and desktop machines in the UK.

The distributor started selling Toshiba kit yesterday, after signing a deal with the hardware vendor two months ago.

Computer 2000 is Toshiba's other broadline distributor in the UK, becoming the first after the Japanese giant adopted a two-tier channel strategy in the summer. This came about following pressure from its resellers and because its hybrid operations appeared to be losing their position in the market.

Gary Evans, dealer sales manager at Toshiba, said appointing Ingram as a second broadline distributor will allow the vendor to increase its coverage and spread the risk. "Having all your eggs in one basket is a very risky strategy.

"With both Ingram and C2000, we will have good strong sales while spreading the risk," he said.

Evans also said having the UK's two biggest distributors on its books is also part of a strategy to align Toshiba's channel strategy across Europe. "Toshiba has both organisations in other sectors in Europe," he declared.

"The company is harmonising its approach to the channel right across Europe," he added.

Ingram would not comment. But a source said the deal was a "major coup" for the distributor.

"This is massive news for Ingram as Toshiba is a high-calibre vendor," he said.