SPONSORED: Channel Awards winners Q&A - Getac UK

Getac UK on how it won specialist vendor of the year

Outline Getac's channel strategy

The channel is fundamental to Getac's business. We're continuing to develop our channel community, with over 150 channel partners across the UK, Ireland and the Nordics. In 2018, we doubled our investment into the channel to find and develop the right partner relationships. Our focus is on developing strategic partnerships with organisations that understand what we do, what we're about and how our products and solutions can grow their business and reach new markets.

What has been the highlight of 2018 for your business?

There's not one single highlight. It has been a terrific year for our channel activity and business overall; we've seen our market share grow phenomenally thanks to the series of education and brand-building activities we've carried out, as well as making sure we've got the fundamentals right and being agile and supportive to our channel partners.

Over our last 30 years Getac has been dominant in specialist industries such as defence. 2018, however, saw us further increase our penetration in a broader set of sectors such as emergency services, utilities, oil and gas, transport and logistics, and notably automotive, with some really significant wins.

How pleased are you to have won?

We are over the moon! It's the pinnacle of a great year. We so want people to know who we are and what we do differently - the award will really help us achieve this.

How has the award been received in the company so far? How did you celebrate?

Winning the award is a huge achievement for Getac. We had a brilliant time at the awards and have raised a glass or two back in the office. We are grateful to have received many congratulations from the industry; people are starting to recognise the Getac brand and we already see an increase in the number of channel partners approaching us. The award gives us the confidence going into 2019 that we're doing the right things, and now we can concentrate on improving and developing with our channel partners' support.

What would you say is your greatest channel achievement in 2018?

We're doing things differently to reward people and support them in how we work together, such as creating online product configurators so it's easier for partners to promote our products. We launched our new partner programme and online portal to support knowledge sharing around our value, to share marketing investment, through to building customer solutions together. It is providing our current and potential channel partners with new opportunities for growth and profitability with Getac's products and solutions.

With this comprehensive and intuitive online programme, Getac wanted to put its sales and technical expertise at the disposal of its resellers to ensure they could develop truly differentiated propositions and consistently win. Members who develop their expertise, register deals and build an active relationship with Getac can upgrade to higher levels of membership, unlocking even more benefits.

2018 really has been all about helping the channel to see that we strive to be easier to work with and are doing everything we can to create a successful community together.

We encourage channel partners to take part in product training, engage more end users, increase channel revenue and build stronger relationships. Following this, for the first time, we organised a five-star event in the Mediterranean to reward our successful partners.

How important is the channel to your business?

We are not yet a household name so it's vital. The channel is how we reach our customers, how we are able to get our message around enhancing productivity through our unique range of mobile devices to them. Without our 150 channel partners across the UK, Ireland and the Nordics - and this continues to grow - it would simply be beyond difficult. In our world where mobile PCs are mission critical, and expected to consistently perform in the most challenging of environments, our customers expect a level of experience and professionalism - our channel continues to deliver that.

What difference will winning this award make to your business in 2019?

Visibility and brand awareness! Getac has been building rugged mobility for nearly 30 years; these products are being utilised more and more as design and function capability improves. Rugged solutions today continue to be one of the growth areas within client sales and it's generally a solution-led sale, so margin is available to those resellers who invest and drive the awareness to their customer base. Getac is a $729m (£578m) organisation, part of the $30bn MiTAC-Synnex group, proud of its heritage and achievements worldwide. As a channel-driven business, partners that work with us help drive new opportunities and revenue streams, benefitting together.

Chris Bye is president of Getac UK