Mustek, manufacturer of South Africa`s top-selling consumer-brand PC, Mecer, has formally announced the opening of corporate development division to supply the enterprise market with high-level Mecer computer systems. Headed by Willem Viviers, the division has already made an impact on the market with the securing of a R380 million government contract for the supply of departmental servers, desktop systems and laptop computers.
The division`s sales model will hinge on its extensive network of implementation partners located around the country, with all technical support and backup provided by Mustek. "We are aiming for rapid growth and high market penetration this financial year, and we felt this model would help us achieve our targets most successfully," says Viviers. Viviers explains that Mustek Corporate Development would provide marketing and sales expertise, with fulfillment being managed by its partners.
Viviers expects this year`s revenue to be realised equally from sales to government and the private sector. "Mecer is the top-selling brand in the consumer market, and our goal is to occupy the no 1 position in the enterprise domain as well."
Pivotal to this initiative will be Mecer`s acceptance as an Enterprise tier brand in terms of the Gartner Group ratings. "Currently Mecer is excluded from many tenders and proposals for enterprise solutions because it is a local brand, and therefore does not fall within Gartner Group`s tiering structure, which many organisations in South Africa use as a specification medium," Viviers points out. "Mecer, in all aspects of quality and assembly specifications, complies with the Enterprise rating conditions, yet we are battling to get the ear of the standards bodies to state our case."
The division has put a technical support help line in place to provide first-level and on-site support for its implementation partners. It has also implemented a separate quality assurance process at its assembly line. Viviers says that the division will also expand its sales force to create a strong presence nationally. "One of the major reasons for our large-scale contract wins has been our nationwide infrastructure. We plan to strengthen this further."
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