BenQ Canada Corp. is making waves again by signing two distribution deals for the Canadian market.
Bell Microproducts Canada and Tech Data Canada will now carry the diverse line of BenQ digital products, but for different reasons.
Bell Micro will focus on delivering storage and component
products to its reseller base, while Tech Data will begin to offer BenQ peripheral products.
According to Jimmy Davlouros, vice-president and general manager of Toronto-based BenQ Canada, Bell Micro will be the subsidiary’s primary partner for delivering components.
“”We do not have too many distributors that we can say are niche. With Bell Micro they are niche. All of our storage products will be with Bell Micro,”” Davlouros said.
For Bell Micro, this deal also enables the distributor to offer, for the first time, keyboards and mice to its reseller base.
“”With keyboards and mice entering this component segment of the market (Bell Micro) has a brand new clientele that they could not cater to in the past. This gives Bell Micro a strong opportunity to penetrate their current accounts and open up more,”” Davlouros added.
As for Tech Data, the BenQ partnership is another step in the evolution of the distributor’s digital products effort in Canada.
Greg Myers, vice-president of marketing for Tech Data Canada, said BenQ is a building block for a stronger position in the digital media products arena, and also fills a spot in the company’s flat-panel monitor offerings where there is more demand than supply.
“”It’s another vendor option for resellers to gain traction and (BenQ) is being recognized in the market,”” Myers said.
Recently, Davlouros said BenQ Canada sold approximately 24,800 computer monitors in the channel last quarter. Davlouros added that he would have been happy reaching the 10,000 unit sold mark. And, he said 1,200 LCD flat-panel monitors are currently on back order.
Also the Tech Data partnership could help BenQ’s Joybook finally reach the Canadian market.
As reported first here, BenQ CEO K.Y. Lee wants the Joybook multimedia notebook to enter the Canadian market before the U.S. market.
However, current conditions do not allow BenQ Canada to launch the laptop, Davlouros said.
“”The prices are dropping and the white box makers are delivering much higher quality machines. The market is declining and is being opened up to more white box makers, similar to what happened to desktops,”” Davlouros said.
Currently, BenQ does not have the resources in Canada to do notebook build-to-order (BTO), which Davlouros said would help.
“”We want to bring in notebooks, but in the BTO segment. I do not think BenQ is there yet. Until we are able to open up the notebooks and put in the components the consumer wants then we will bring it in and it is not that far away,”” he added.
Tech Data Canada does have BTO resources through its Bizcom program and Myers said the company has talked with BenQ Canada about the Joybook.
Myers concurred with Davlouros on the notebook market being tough, but added that Tech Data would welcome an alternative brand such as BenQ into its notebook offering for resellers.
“”Whether it came to market as a branded product or as a white book, we would look at it and how it would compliment our existing offering,”” Myers said.