Maverick, Syscap lend hand to the cash-strapped

Public sector funding shortfalls targeted with new finance sub-programme

Syscap and Maverick have launched a finance programme via resellers to ease the budget pressures on potential customers looking for an AV upgrade.

Sid Stanley, general manager at Maverick, said the sub-programme will help resellers ofer flexible kit or services rentals to a range of customers, but particularly public sector customers - especially in education -- suffering fall-out from the government's latest spending review.

"A lot in our marketplace are under stress after the recent government cuts, and anything we can do for the reseller or end user to help them get the best value from their budgets is important," Stanley said.

"Not many resellers use finance offerings anywhere near the level they could be, and it develops incremental business."

Stanley said education accounts for about 25 per cent of Maverick's business, which offered extensive opportunities across audiovisual technologies from video conferencing to displays, print and scan. "We think a lot of IT resellers are still not playing in AV products although such technology increasingly hangs off the network," he said.

Philip White, chief executive officer at Syscap, said the announcement follows on from Syscap's finance launch with Computer 2000 in August. The larger C2000 scheme enables resellers to offer lease-purchase and rental programmes to customers purchasing IT products and services.

"Resellers, end users and influencers - such as legislative and education bodies - could build more collaborative relationships that make sure that we deliver and satisfy customer needs," White said. "And the spending review has affected schools pretty badly."

White said educational institutions still want and need to invest in IT. Resellers of all sizes may be eligible. The offering is tailored for specific deal sizes and customer types - with a calculator available on Maverick's website for assessing their options and creating a document to show prospects.

"We can't stop investing in technology so there has to be another way," said White. "And we will also speak to the school on their behalf, if asked. We didn't want to do traditional rate-chart leasing."

First payments can be deferred until May 2011. Terms are available of 12-60 months, and whiteboards, for instance, have a longer economic life than, say, a laptop, added White.

C2000 and Syscap give VARs finance boost>> www.channelweb.co.uk/1877647