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At the start of the IT reseller channel it was all about product - primarily hardware. At that time software solutions and services were not as critical as they are today. Times have changed to where solutions and services are not only differentiating products, but also actually leading the sale. In today's scenario, it's not necessarily about getting the box out the door quickly, but about understanding and being able to respond to customers' needs. What is happening inside the customer's business is a much more complex challenge, and it's where channel resellers continue to shine during the sales process and beyond. The service and support side is also where the big box OEMs have continued to feel the pressure. Vendors, take note. This same scenario that we've seen in business, government and education is now taking place in digital homes worldwide. If IT-staffed businesses must rely on channel resellers to maintain their enterprise, you can imagine what "typical" consumers' needs are, and will become. The convergence of consumer electronics (CE) and traditional personal computing has been ramping up for quite some time. But, as vendors continue to introduce new products into the market - from audio to video to PC devices - the ability to construct an interconnected digital home center has become more commonplace. But for consumers and the reseller channel, it isn't so much a question of new products as a means of "gluing" them all together. The digital home is a clear opportunity for IT and CE vendors and their channel partners. It's an opportunity because, while these networks are relatively simplistic and consumers have become familiar with networking jargon, they don't necessarily understand the mechanics of setting up a network at home. The vast majority of consumers require help with device selection, installation, maintenance and service. This new scenario plays well into the skills and talents of today's channel resellers who have decided to tackle the digital home market because, unlike the big box OEMs, service and support has been their value-add for many, many years. In this burgeoning market, service and support begins with setting up the home network and continues with a score of interoperability and ease-of-use issues. It's a new market with new technology, and for some, a new breed of customer. But for most channel resellers, this scenario looks familiar. Channel resellers have always prided themselves on being able to solve complex problems, regardless of the vendors' products that may be involved. So, while the ultimate goal may be to enhance consumers' multimedia experience, channel resellers will also be there to recommend, sell and support customers when they want to beef up their centralized digital home systems with a new audio, video or PC device. It's not that the channel is changing to take advantage of the digital home market, but once again it's not as simple as getting the box out the door. What they are doing is reaching out to forge relationships with vendors, and direct relationships with consumers to give them the intimacy and single point of contact that they demand. It's what they do. The Value Of Independent Reseller Channel Channel resellers have already become a critical factor in the process of educating consumers on the digital experience, and they're applying the principles that have made them successful in other markets to the digital home by:
Robert Danese, NASBA's Executive Director, is NASBA's public voice within the technology community. NASBA - the Association of Channel Resellers - serves as the channel advocate for the single largest IT sales channel in North America with over 14,000 member companies and more than 45 industry partners. Reach Robert at 949-729-2259 x225 or email robert@nasba.com.
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