Platinum Micro to distribute OKI

Focused niche technology distributor Platinum Micro has secured the agency to distribute OKI Printing Solutions products in South Africa. With the appointment, it becomes the country's third hardware distributor, introducing competition to the market while also expanding the reach of OKI printers in line with an aggressive expansion strategy being executed by the vendor.

According to Martin Venter, General Manager of Printacom, the vendor of OKI products in South Africa and SADEC, a third hardware distributor is considered essential to the growth of the brand. “To date, OKI has enjoyed substantial success as a niche brand. However, with high-performance, low-cost solutions to meet a broad spectrum of business and home printing needs, there is plenty of room for growth,” he says.

On top of higher market visibility driven by an advertising and marketing campaign that showcases OKI 'single-pass' laser technology for high-speed colour laser printing, Venter says a third distributor puts the printers in the inventory of more resellers around the country. “Platinum Micro addresses a very different network of resellers to those with which Printacom itself works. There is, therefore, very little overlap, greatly increasing the product reach.”

Ricky Correia, General Manager at Platinum Micro, confirms its commitment to the brand. “Not only is OKI recognised for performance and unique colour laser technology, it also comes with a three-year on-site warranty. This attests to reliability; the printers are therefore a solid value proposition for our resellers to take to market with confidence.”

He says Platinum Micro will invest in channel enablement through reseller training and equipping its partners with sales support tools, while providing first-level technical support.

“It's an exciting addition to our product range, which serves as a differentiator from other distributors,” Correia adds. Noting that making a success of the new addition to its product range is a priority, he says a dedicated OKI Product Manager is appointed to drive OKI into the channel. “Already we are gearing up to provide training on the products while formulating go-to-market strategies to identify where OKI can achieve optimal impact.”

Continuing, Venter says the distributor strategy is considered a step forward not just for OKI, but for the market. “Competition is a feature of a vibrant market. It stimulates innovation, gives resellers choice and keeps both distributors on their toes. We're therefore very pleased with the introduction of a third distributor for the OKI product range; as more South Africans discover what is possible in terms of performance and value from laser printing solutions, we believe our distributors and their resellers can look forward to solid performance and sound returns from their association with OKI Printing Solutions.”