Sahara, the hardware distribution company that has become hard to ignore since the demise of Siltek Distribution Dynamics, has confirmed it is in talks to buy the computer products group (CPG) of Arrow Altech Distribution (AAD).
Richard Watters, Sahara manager, will not disclose more details. Bill Gradwell, the head of CPG, likewise remains tight-lipped.
Arrow Altech is a distributor of computer and networking products as well as industrial electronic components. It is a joint venture whose history goes back to the late 1990s, when Arrow Electronics, a NYSE-listed electronics distribution giant, teamed up with Altech, a South African JSE Securities Exchange-listed TMT and electronics group.
The gain
Arrow Altech Distribution CPG evolved from Pretoria-based EBE, a processor, motherboard and networking products supplier with Intel as its flagship principal of 32 years. It now carries 30 additional computer product lines from 17 manufacturers. Brands such as Intel, LG, Matrox, AMD, Seagate, Creative Labs, Microsoft, Fujitsu Siemens Computers and others make up the offering.
According to the AAD site, AAD CPG has "certified technical staff who are able to assist in complex network designs and solutions, and can provide pre- and post-sales support on a broad range of products and systems".
Both the AAD CPG catalogue and its skills will therefore stand Sahara in good stead. Sahara has been vetting the idea of a locally manufactured motherboard for some time, and may make announcements in months to come. Meanwhile, it is making a name for itself as a fast-growing distribution force.
AAD`s financial results at the end of February 2002 reported a gain in market share which it expected to continue into this calendar year. It has recently signed a distribution agreement with Microsoft for Microsoft Embedded Systems.
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