Microsoft hardware offers growing business opportunities to channel

Resellers focusing on hardware and the make to order (MTO) market, would be wise to consider including the Microsoft hardware in their product ranges now that the broader range is available through the DSP channel, according to Justin Agar, Microsoft product manager at Axiz.

Agar says that although the broad Microsoft hardware range has been available in SA for a long time, it has only recently been extended to the DSP channel, which now has access to an expanded range of Microsoft keyboards and mice.

"Previously, what was available in retail was only available in the DSP channel to a limited degree," he explains, "Now, DSP has almost the entire range available, including Microsoft`s new wireless mouse and keyboard bundles and the new range of optical mice."

Trek to the summit

00Days

:

00Hrs

:

00Min

:

00Sec

He continues: "We have already seen very strong demand for the Microsoft range of keyboards and mice, which has been fuelled by recent changes in the market and is obviously assisted by Microsoft`s strong branding. Recent market estimates put this at a $3 billion a year business. We have seen double-digit growth in sales of Microsoft hardware products in the past two quarters."

According to Agar, Microsoft`s range of optical mice is particularly popular because of the benefits of the technology. He explains: "Optical mice offer increased accuracy, consistent performance because there are no moving parts, they work on most surfaces and require less frequent cleaning. But Microsoft`s optical mice go further than most competitive products in the market in terms of performance by capturing 6 000 pictures per second, as opposed to the 2 500 pictures per second achieved by most other optical mice on the market. This fast-tracking speed translates into precise cursor movement and unmatched responsiveness," he concludes.