Hewlett-Packard South Africa has agreed, subject to contract finalisation, to appoint Tarsus Technologies, South Africa`s largest IT wholesale distributor, as its third Consumables Supplies distributor.
The appointment follows the closure of Siltek Distribution Dynamics (SDD), which was HP`s broad-based wholesale distributor for more than four years, and enables Tarsus to provide a total HP distribution service to the South African reseller channel.
"As Tarsus already handles the distribution of our hardware range including PCs, servers, printers and digital cameras, we believe Tarsus will be able to fill the gap that SDD left, which was essentially a one-stop hp facility," says Toni Ward, Manager, Consumer Business Organisation, HP South Africa.
"We have found throughout our global operations that the channel needs a broad based wholesaler as well as more focused distributors such as our incumbent wholesalers in SA, Cosi and Kolok. The SA market is certainly big enough and has sufficient growth potential to support three distributors," she adds.
Under the terms of the contract currently under way between the two companies, Tarsus will focus on meeting the consumables supplies need of the general channel. Cosi is focused predominantly on supplying consumables specialists while Kolok supplies the stationers and computer retail store markets.
Commenting on the agreement, Guy Whitcroft, Managing Director, Tarsus Technologies, says his company has been keen to secure the HP consumables distributorship for some time.
"The bottom line is that it will enable us to round out our HP offerings. Our dealers will no longer have to go somewhere else to buy their supplies. We can now provide a one stop service to resellers," he says.
"What`s more, it will enable us to offer bundled type deals to promote over all solutions such as digital cameras and specialised papers." With distribution points at Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, Tarsus already has the national infrastructure in place to service the channel nationally and, according to Whitcroft, is now putting together a dedicated consumables team.
"Our focus is gong to be the printer reseller rather than the focused consumables market. We believe these resellers have not been able to benefit properly from the opportunities that exist in the consumables sector. "It`s a huge and growing market when you consider that every printer out there typically generates consumables sales every year the equivalent to its original purchase price," concludes Whitcroft.
Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognised for excellence in quality and support. It is the third-largest computer supplier in the world, with computer-related revenue in excess of $35.4 billion in its 1997 fiscal year. HP has 127,200 employees and had revenue of $42.9 billion in its 1997 fiscal year.
Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com. Press information can be found at http://www.newsdesk.com.
Share