Like any highly competitive industry, the UK channel is packed with bitter rivalries. But that is not to say the UK's top resellers are above admitting a grudging respect for some of their peers, as we explore in this feature
Nominator: Neil Murphy, managing director, Bytes Technology Group
Nominee: Softcat
The competitor that I respect the most is Softcat because they have stuck to their guns, they play to their strength, they've had great leadership over the last 10 to 15 years and they have great financial controls as a business. We always try to compare ourselves to Softcat. They have set the bar high and we want to try to be as successful as they are. They're a good model for us to try to emulate.
They have done a good job in broadening out their portfolio, and their services portfolio as well, and they have expanded in a well-planned and well-thought-out way which has been hugely successful. You look at their figures and they're nothing but impressive. I'm dead jealous!
The channel has hundreds of players in it and they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. There is plenty of room for all shapes and sizes.
There is no one, successful model - but Softcat does have a successful model. It depends on the leadership, the quality of the staff and the culture of the organisation. They have a very strong culture and we like to think our culture is strong too.
Click onto the next page to find out who XMA's Andy Wright most respects...
