ProLabs and Intec find they are compatible

Deal driven by the number of resellers looking for components cheaper than those offered by the big vendors

Independent distributor Intec Microsystems has launched an official distribution partnership with compatible components vendor ProLabs.

The deal sees Intec join the vendor's five current UK distributors Anixter, Boston, Exertis, Fibus Telecom and Zycko.

Intec independently distributes hardware from major vendors including HP and Cisco, but this is its first official agreement with a UK vendor.

"More and more people are struggling to pay vendor prices," marketing director Stuart Hall told CRN.

"We were selling all the transceivers branded anyway; it just so happened that our customers were crying out for the same, but cheaper, to suit budgets for their end users.

"We want to look for more distribution agreements with young up-and-coming vendors that have got something different to offer and to challenge the likes of HP, Cisco and APC - we're looking for more official distribution agreements."

ProLabs claims its components are compatible with over 50 vendors, and that it has seen a growing demand for its products over the last two years. The vendor operates a channel-only strategy in the EMEA region.

Stephen Burke, vice present of sales for EMEA and Asia, said: "Intec's extensive network and industry-wide connections will help ProLabs continue to reach and support more customers.

"Our high-quality products offer resellers and end users more choice, and significant TCO benefits when measured against vendor-supplied parts.

"This new partnership extends ProLabs benefits to more customers, and enhances the challenge to vendor lock-in for transceivers and cables."

Hall added that he sees the compatible components market becoming a fruitful sector for Intec over the coming years, starting with this agreement with ProLabs.

"We truly believe we'll be really good for them. Should our performance be good and other vendors see that, hopefully we won't have to go hunting for vendors and they'll come knocking at our door.

"We'd like this to be at the forefront of what we're doing."