With the worldwide PC market showing a static to negative growth trend, resellers that continue to focus solely on the provision of desktops and notebooks might be signing their own death warrants.
But, for those prepared to 'cast the net a little wider' in the quest for products and solutions that add value to their customers' lives, while at the same time driving good revenues and profitability, it's a very different story.
And a prime example of the kind of solution capable of driving these two end-goals, says Sophia Evans, general manager of Tarsus' HP PSG division, is present within HP's digital signage portfolio.
"But, as easy as this space is to understand, resellers should remain cognisant of a couple of facts if they wish to succeed in this arena," she says.
And the most important is undoubtedly the unique benefits of digital signage over conventional flat-panel display technology.
"While it's true that conventional, consumer-grade LCD displays are mountable in the same places as digital signage displays, have high-definition pictures and solid sound systems, they're quite simply not designed for the length of service a digital signage solution is and are not robust enough to withstand harsh environments such as the outdoors or moving vehicles," she says.
"Digital signage displays are also designed to function as part of an intricate network of other elements, such as thin clients, control stations and software that covers everything from the creation of the content, to the control and co-ordination of that content across a countrywide host of locations," she says.
The great news, Evans says, is that Tarsus is not only equipped to walk resellers through the process of specifying such a solution, but carries all of the elements required to build an HP digital signage solution.
"This allows resellers to focus on part of the solution or take an end-to-end approach, depending on their customers' needs," she says.
"And here at Tarsus, we've learnt that versatility and adaptability are what get you through challenging times like those we're facing right now," she adds.
Evans says that Tarsus is particularly bullish about the potential offered by this new area of focus and will be firmly supporting it over the coming months.
"There really hasn't been a more perfect time for resellers to consider entrance into the digital signage market.
"Interested parties should get in touch with us," she concludes.
Share
Tarsus Technologies
With more than 27 years' of experience in the ICT industry, Tarsus is the leading value-added distributor in South Africa, specialising in the supply of the world's foremost PC and peripheral hardware brands to the local reseller channel.
Tarsus strives to meet the channel's needs for credit funding, stock availability and efficient logistics, ensuring that resellers are able to deliver the highest quality service to their customers, focus on support and compile the best overall solutions for their end-user customer base at the lowest possible cost.
The company prides itself on its flexibility, adaptability, knowledge, skills and successful track record combined with an industry-leading ability to manage large rollouts. These are the reasons Tarsus has consistently been rated as the top distributor in the country by international vendors, resellers and the IT media alike.
With its strong commitment to the South African channel, Tarsus is able to not only make the reseller channel more efficient, but more importantly, it plays a vital role in dramatically reducing the costs of doing business in the local ICT market.
Tarsus distributes a range of products from the world's leading manufacturers, including Acer, AOC, APC, Asus, Cisco, Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Meissner, Microsoft, OKI Printing Solutions and Samsung.
Tarsus' head office is situated in Johannesburg with branches in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. Tarsus has also extended its footprint into Africa with branches in Namibia, Botswana and Mauritius.
More information about Tarsus is available at: http://www.tarsus.co.za.
Editorial contacts