The Core Group, a distributor of software from Adobe, Apple`s full range and a bevy of other software and peripheral names, has increased its Adobe rights to assume full distribution. This ends a period of sub-distribution via Comztek.
Adobe hopes to offer added value to our clients through the Core appointment as a full service distributor, says Andrew Lindstrom, Adobe regional manager, Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.
Simon Bromfield, product marketing manager for software products at Core, says sales grew 70% in revenue and 110% in units for the first half of this year over the same period in 2002. "This will improve product availability and enable us to provide better service and support to resellers," he adds.
Reseller benefits
Core`s support offerings have been bolstered due to the fact that it now has access to pre- and post-sales technical resources. This means resellers can add high-end solutions to their portfolio without having to invest in expensive skills.
Bromfield says resellers should focus on creating e-paper solutions into existing implementations as "the way forward". Adobe`s e-paper solutions provide extra collaborative functionality and security in addition to the universality of the Acrobat Reader, all of which gives it an edge over word processing software.
Taking charge of its channel
Van Spaandonk says the credit crunch and price wars in the channel in recent years have led the company to focus on a policy of exclusive distribution in all its ranges. "We managed to convince Apple that this was the way to go," he says. Where exclusive distribution is not a policy of the vendor`s, as is the case with Adobe, Core has at least managed to up its value-proposition to the extent that it came under consideration for full distribution.
Van Spaandonk says Core goes beyond mere product aggregation and logistics support in its redefined role as distributor. It will interface directly with customers and sell solutions in partnership with the channel. "Of course, we don`t collect all the money," he says. "It is our view that the reseller is best placed to offer service and support. Traditionally, the entity offering support does not write the business, and that is what the reseller is going back to in their dealings with us. Initially, they were wary of this, but I think they realise we don`t have the numbers to do everything, including services."
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