Tech Data's UK integration close to completion

Following Tech Data's mega merger with Avnet at the start of the year, the distribution giant says its UK business will be fully integrated in less than two weeks

The dust will have settled on the integration of Avnet into Tech Data UK by the start of November, VP EMEA Patrick Zammit told CRN's sister site Channelnomics Europe.

Tech Data closed its Avnet TS buyout in February this year, hinting that the scale of both businesses would mean that full integration could take as long as a year.

"We have been going through the process country by country. The three that are already integrated are Belgium, Iberia and Italy. And by the beginning of November, the UK and France will be ticked off.

"Basically, by the end if this calendar year, approximately two thirds of the business will be fully integrated," Zammit said.

"It has been a complex integration and we are constantly testing feedback with our customers and vendors, but personally I am very pleased that we have maintained our service levels, which is critical."

Zammit was formerly the president of Avnet TS, but was appointed Tech Data's new EMEA boss after the acquisition was finalised.

The $2.6bn deal - which was called "momentous" by Tech Data CEO Bob Dutkowsky - gave the distie a presence in the APAC region for the first time, and boosted its employee count to 14,000 employees across 40 countries globally.

Avnet boasted a $9.6bn-turnover value-focused datacentre infrastructure, software and services business.

Alongside its addition into the Tech Data fold, Zammit also confirmed that Tech Data will be phasing out its Azlan brand by the end of Q1 2018, citing the results of a brand study, which indicated that recognition across Europe was "limited".

"Awareness of Azlan's reputation was only recognised in only a limited number of countries, mainly the UK and a bit in France. It was not consistent, so our study recommended putting Tech Data at the front as a master brand."

Zammit added: "We have had major changes this year. As you know, with integrations things can go very wrong, so Tech Data has tried to be very focused. Our priority at the moment is succeeding with our integration across the business.

"Next year you are going to see us accelerate with digitalisation to support our customers."