Olicom products will continue to be available in South Africa and the range will soon be expanded, says the company.
The recently launched One Technology Group has confirmed that it will distribute Olicom products in the future, and that it already has stock available for shipment. This follows the announcement by distributor Tarsus Technologies that it had terminated all agreements with Olicom with immediate effect.
According to Tarsus MD Guy Whitcroft there had been difficulty in obtaining stock and Olicom Europe had been unresponsive to complaints. "The continued uncertainty over the future of Olicom... was causing a great deal of distress to our channel partners," he said in a press release. "We were therefore left with no alternative but to terminate the relationship."
Kristian Thyregod, VP of Global Marketing and EMEA Sales for Olicom at the Denmark head office was surprised to learn of the comments made in the press release. "We are somewhat surprised that Whitcroft would issue a press release concerning this matter, which is hardly of public interest. It does not very well correspond with the real world," says Thyregod.
"When two business partners decide to terminate a relationship it is normally because the mutual benefits originally planned have not materialised," he says. "And quite simply this is the case between Tarsus and Olicom."
Thyregod also expressed concern over the future of Tarsus, rather than that of his own company. "We understand that Whitcroft is under pressure because of the current situation of Tarsus, with key employees leaving and a potential financial crisis unfolding." The Olicom business, he says, could not have had a major impact, as the volume has been "consistently mediocre".
The Tarsus statement blamed the "closure of Olicom`s local office" for much of the logistical problems experienced. Nick Muller, who heads up the local office, says it never closed. "There has been some confusion. The office didn`t close, it just changed hands as part of a programme by which several offices in Africa and the Middle East are being transferred to individuals."
Share
Editorial contacts