Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) and Tech Data FZ-LLC, a Middle East information technology (IT) logistics management and distribution company, recently announced Fujitsu Siemens’ Value 4 You (V4Y) Channel Reseller strategy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region at a conference attended by more than 100 resellers.
V4Y is a three-way international reseller channel program specially designed by Fujitsu-Siemens Computers to coordinate the services of distributors and resellers. “Fujitsu-Siemens Computers has a very clear strategic direction—Mobility and Business Critical Computing. We believe that the technological demands of the future will be to integrate the mobile world with reliable IT Infrastructures,” said Jacquie Carson, director of sales and marketing Gulf region, at Fujitsu Siemens Computers.
“FSC’s products are assembled in its German factories to German quality standards... In order to expand our marketing reach, FSC exploits the skills and experience of its parent companies—Fujitsu and Siemens—and close partners and complements these competencies by cooperating with product, service and solution partners,“ she added.
“The branded Personal Computer (PC) market is a growing one especially with the revenue opportunities that it brings to the reseller channel,” commented Adnan Al-Falah, sales director at Tech Data. “With a branded PC, resellers can expand their revenue opportunities into the value added services portfolio and therefore realize higher profit margins from branded PC sales and value added services sales, while ensuring that end-users are receiving the best customer support from the channel.”
Working closely with vendors is part of Tech Data strategy, aimed at building the value add business in the channel, and part of Tech Data’s ‘Build VAR Business with Tech Data’ program that the company launched earlier this year aiming at expanding the revenue opportunities at the reseller level.
According to a company press release, Fujitsu Siemens’ V4Y program differs from that of other companies because the company works with the distributors and their resellers to generate customer demand for the products by means of regional marketing activities such as advertising and promotional supplements.
Farid Sabbagh, account manager for consumer business Gulf region at Fujitsu Siemens, explained the main elements that make up the particulars of the V4Y strategy. The supply chain offers aggressively priced models with the latest configurations. The product range in the V4Y program is the Lifebook Series, which comes in a variety of B, C, E and S range and includes notebooks for highly mobile executives who demand ultra-portability with high performance. For high end users who expect extreme computing power, FSC offers a range of Scenic professional desktop PCs at attractive prices.
He added that as part of the V4Y strategy, FSC ensures sales support by quick delivery, product availability, partner training and joint advertising. On the marketing side, FSC offers an integrated promotion program that encompasses the various media outlets. The V4Y strategy is further supported by a reliable service campaign to ensure an all-round strategy that works in cooperation with all aspects of marketing and sales.
“The V4Y reseller program has been introduced here only recently but it is a tried and proven model in Europe,” said Sabbagh. “Since it is modeled on the principle of mutual commitment and full support from FSC, it generates both distributor and reseller loyalty and responsibility. As a mature second tier model, it also enables resellers to increase the share of the distribution business.”
Sabbagh also gave a detailed presentation about the extensive range of FSC products being distributed in the region. FSC targets the entire range of customers from large enterprises and government organizations to small and medium enterprises (SME), the small office home office (SOHO) segment and the ordinary consumers through a well-defined network of Qualified Partners, Distributors, Certified Partners and Retailers.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers was founded in October 1999 as a joint venture of Fujitsu Ltd and Siemens AG and operates in all key markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Based in Maarssen, Netherlands, FSC’s products are assembled and built to order at the manufacturing facilities situated in Augsburg, Paderborn and Sömmerda in Germany.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers offers complete product and solution portfolios including Notebooks, PCs, workstations, Intel- and Unix-based servers, mainframes and storage solutions. FSC leverages the technological strengths of both its parent companies—the information technology, telecommunications and microelectronics know-how of Fujitsu with electrical engineering and electronics expertise of Siemens—to produce built-to-order products for its customers across the globe.
Tech Data Corporation, founded in 1974, is a global provider of IT products, logistics management and other value-added services. Ranked 95 on the Fortune 500, the company and its subsidiaries serve more than 100,000 technology resellers in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.
Tech Data’s service offering includes pre- and post-sale training and technical support, financing options and configuration services as well as electronic commerce solutions. The company generated sales of $20.4 billion for its most recent fiscal year, which ended January 31, 2001. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
