Misco ventures into PC builder territory

Firm strikes deal with Zoostorm to manufacture system formerly known as the RM One on its behalf

The first new machines resulting from Misco’s hardware referral partnership with RM are set to ship in June in time for the peak education fulfilment season.

RM initially announced its intention to exit the PC market last November, and CRN revealed it had struck a hardware referral deal with Misco to continue its popular RM One brand.

At the start of the year, CRN hinted that Zoostorm, the PC builder brand of VIP Group, could be in the frame to build the computers on behalf of Misco, and now the deal has been confirmed.

CRN understands Zoostorm will soon take delivery of 5,000 chassis of the machine formerly known as the RM One, which is set to be reborn as the Zoostorm 1 this summer. It will build the PCs to order and ship them via Misco.

Speaking to CRN, Alicia Shepherd, head of B2B at Zoostorm, said the deal was an exciting opportunity for both sides.

“The reason for the deal is that Misco was not familiar with how to handle the manufacturers in the Far East, and we are, so it made sense for us to register the chassis design on behalf of Misco. RM still has managed service customers that they are committed to selling the Zoostorm 1 to,” she said.

Misco has invested a lot of money and resources in the deal and is developing a strong pipeline for the product already, she said, adding that it is important to stress that Misco owns the stock outright, and the partnership will have no impact on Zoostorm’s other customers.

“This is a great way of carrying on the heritage that RM had, and it is great for us to be able to do this because we have the knowledge and the skills to build the systems to order. Having this visibility will open doors for the Zoostorm brand later down the line because it widens our reach into the education sector,” Shepherd said.

Despite being contacted several times, Misco was unavailable for comment as this article was published.