OEM memory vendor makes channel debut
ADATA ditches OEM-only strategy as it builds ties with UK resellers
OEM memory vendor ADATA has set its sights on becoming a household name in the UK with the help of the channel.
The vendor bills itself as the world's second-largest third-party memory manufacturer and has previously focused on supplying DRAM to PC makers via OEM agreements. Its revenue topped $1.4bn (£867m) last year.
To accelerate its growth, the vendor has announced plans to ditch its OEM-only go-to-market strategy and open up its product portfolio to the UK reseller channel.
To this end, the firm recently signed distribution deals with computer peripherals and component specialists Smithie and M2M Direct, and embarked on a partner recruitment campaign.
John Habington, senior director at ADATA, explained: "Our OEM activities are still very important to us, but to take the company to the next level, we are also focusing on the need to build the ADATA brand in the channel.
"We have already started to sign up local systems integrators and high street independents."
Habington said the company, which opened its UK headquarters in August, is positioning itself as a "competitively priced" alternative to the "more established brands" in the UK memory market.
"I cannot think of a single reseller who only stocks one brand of memory or storage," he added.
"If a reseller looks at all the products in the market and then considers the quality, design, value and availability of them, they will want to stock ADATA."
Gerard Marlow, general manager for business development at storage distributor Hammer, said the memory market has huge growth potential in the UK.
"We have witnessed an ever-increasing demand in memory and SSD in recent months, and these continue to be areas of the storage market with huge potential.
"However, for ADATA, there will be some tough competition from established channel vendors, such as Kingston and Transcend in the commercial sector and SMART Modular and ATP in the industrial market."