Compaq Diamond partner, Aptronics, says it does not use its black economic empowerment (BEE) status to win contracts, and does not expect this, or any other of its strategies, to change once the Compaq and HP merger is finalised.
Ken Marsden, Aptronics business strategist, says the company has actively avoided using its BEE status as a selling point with customers, instead focusing on its service and delivery capabilities to win clients.
Ten-year-old Aptronics is part of the Compaq Diamond Partner programme for BEE companies after becoming a Compaq reseller in 1995.
Marsden says Aptronics has benefited from the Diamond Partner training programme which has accelerated the company`s engineer skills base. He explains that for every engineer Aptronics trains, Compaq sponsors the training of an additional engineer.
He believes this skills base, rather than the BEE connection, has been responsible for Aptronics` success over the years.
Marsden says Aptronics aims to achieve 25% to 35% per annum growth, a goal it has exceeded in the past. However, the market downturn has reduced the company`s income from product sales, but Marsden says the company`s growing focus on services has made up for the shortfall.
As to the changes it expects once the Compaq/HP merger goes through, Marsden says Aptronics has had a history of working with HP, although not to the extent of its relationship with Compaq.
Aptronics remains as uncertain as the rest of the industry as to what the outcome will be in the ongoing troubles with the HP/Compaq merger, and Marsden says there have not been any formal meetings with HP regarding the merged entity`s channel strategy.
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