Thompson-Hughes weighs anchor in vendorland

Former React boss joins Eseye as business development director

After a tough couple of years trying to keep his reseller business afloat, former React Technologies boss Jess Thompson-Hughes has switched his allegiance firmly to vendors.

Just 11 months after his first vendor job as EMEA managing director of Trilliant Networks, he has emerged as the business development director of IoT specialist Eseye, insisting he is in this role for the long haul.

Eseye, which specialises in the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected technology ranging from vending machines to smart streetlights and smart meters, is already established in the US market, and is looking to set up a UK channel in the near future.

Speaking to CRN, Thompson-Hughes (pictured, right) said: "React wasn't supposed to be anything that permanent. I left Eriksson after the big recession and became an importer of Aruba technology into EMEA. Eventually we were told we couldn't carry that on and had to make the choice to become either a distributor or a platinum partner. We went down the Platinum partner route and React was set up [in 2004]."

He said when it became clear that React could only sell Aruba and not Ruckus, despite both being owned by the same company, problems arose and the firm spread itself too thin in terms of vendors, leaving it vulnerable when the next recession hit.

"Last year we ended up severely out of pocket on a number of big orders, and that is when I decided I had had enough and made the decision to start winding React down," he said.

Thompson-Hughes said he spent 11 months as EMEA managing director at Trilliant Networks, before joining Eseye at the end of 2015.

"For the first time ever I have no staff and I'm in a job that I really enjoy," he said. "We will definitely be looking for partners that want to work in the IoT/machine-to-machine space and are keen to set up a channel in Europe."

He explained the technology competes with many other players depending on the vertical market in question, and that the technology will give resellers the chance to buy the "physical tin" in the form of Eseye routers, but then to tie customers into a three-year data services contract to ensure recurring revenue.

"This market is driven from the bottom up and resellers that don't have an IoT strategy in place right now should really start thinking about it. Things will only get more connected in the future," he added.