Steganos creates UK distribution network
Steganos, the encryption and IT security specialist, has signed Computers Unlimited as its primary distributor for the UK, appointing Colin Hughes as its new UK sales manager in the process. The move is an interesting one for Steganos, which has always positioned itself as selling via the Web in the UK.
The creation of an indirect sales channel, says the company, will see it selling its products via consumer and retail outlets in the UK, as well as selling via the QVC digital TV shopping channel. According to Colin Hughes, Steganos is an attractive marketing proposition, backed up with superior technology. “The opportunity for Steganos to grow in the UK is phenomenal and I plan to be a key driver behind that growth,” he said. Aston Fallen, Steganos’ managing director, said that the move into indirect sales is a new stage of growth for the company. “We launched Safe 8 last June and have followed up with launches of our Internet Security 2006 and AntiSpyware 2006 in August,” he said, adding that, in November, the company launched Safe Professional 2006, which enables businesses to protect and manage data using the worlds most advanced encryption algorithm, AES with 256-bit keys. “By building solid sales channels, we plan to build on this and make it easier for UK consumers to choose Steganos. The market opportunity is there: more than ever, people are aware of the threats posed by viruses, spam, trojans and phishing attacks. Steganos offers all-round protection, at a low price that represents a sound investment for peace of mind.”
ConSentry signs channel partners
ConSentry, the Californian secure networking specialist, has signed its first three channel partners in the UK - Data Integration, Matrix Communications and Integralis. According to Dean Hickman-Smith, the firm’s vice-president of worldwide sales, ConSentry has identified a $17 billion niche market in terms of upgrading the existing networking infrastructure of customers. “We have focused growing the business in the US, and we are turning our attention to the UK,” he said. “I am looking for sales in four key markets: education, professional services such as legal, financial and healthcare, and also the transport and energy markets.”
Hickman-Smith went on to say that ConSentry has just launched its UK dealer registration website and is in the process of recruiting a managing director in the UK, as well as opening a UK office.
Curry’s under fire for misleading adverts
Curry’s, one of the UK’s leading high street retailers for white goods, including IT and computing systems, has been criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over its latest PC adverts, which claimed that a 499 pound Compaq PC contained a 64-bit AMD processor.
The Compaq PC was AMD processor-ready, but Curry’s advertisement writers appear to have got carried away in their pre-Christmas ads, claiming that the machine came with the latest 64-bit AMD processor.
The ASA investigated the advert after a customer complained that the AMD Athlon 64 FX-57 - a chip costing almost 900 pounds - was not included with the machine.
The Dixons Sales Group, Curry’s parent operation, has gone on record as saying that the advert clearly showed the orange logo indicating a regular Athlon 64 processor and not the “highly specialised gaming processor” that is the FX-57.
These things happen in the wonderful world of PC sales, but the ASA has - quite correctly in my opinion - asked Curry’s not to repeat the claim in its future advertising.
Intuit launches 2006 series of QuickBooks
Intuit UK has released the 2006 editions of popular QuickBook series of business accounting software to the indirect sales channel.
Originally developed as a sensibly-priced rival to Sage’s range of business accounting software in the late 1980s, Intuit has grown to be a popular choice amongst small-to-mid-sized businesses in the UK. The 2006 range sees Intuit flesh out its range of software to cater for the smallest business right through to the higher end of the mid-sized UK company marketplace.
According to Intuit, the 2006 range sees a newly designed central information hub and additional features to help users manage their accounts and trade much faster and more effectively. The QuickBooks 2006 family includes QuickBooks SimpleStart for first-time entrepreneurs; Regular for young and growing businesses; and Pro for small businesses with more complex needs such as payroll and electronic payments.
Topping out the range is QuickBooks Accountant, which Intuit says includes additional specialist business planning tools for accountants and book-keepers. According to Susan Lazareff, Intuit UK’s managing director, small businesses don’t want to be held back by anything or anyone. “They need accounting software that gets the job done, efficiently and simply. Customers told us they thought we could make QuickBooks even easier to work with, especially for new users. And, we’ve responded with a new navigation approach and added more resources to do just that, ensuring everyone gets exactly what they need out of their version of QuickBooks.”
The new central information and assistance hub is billed as linking directly to support, training tools, product updates and services. Intuit says that the resource area is always available throughout the program, making book-keeping and other tasks, including payroll and electronic payments, simpler and less time consuming.
Reflex Magnetics goes down the indirect path
Reflex Magnetics is taking a leaf out of the IT security industry in general and moving into dealer sales, following several years of concentrating on direct sales. The company started life in the early 1980s as a magnetic media specialist, since when it has moved into the anti-virus market with its DiskNet range of software.
Reflex dabbled with a number of specialist value added resellers in the 1990s, but only recently signed Computacenter as a fully authorised reseller, and now says it wants to sign a cluster of between 10 and 20 resellers in the UK. Plans call for the company to establish a formal training and dealer channel program, possibly with the option of signing resellers on tiered sales levels. Reflex has been strong on sales with government departments, most notably with the Ministry of Defence. The company plans to continue to sell directly into government agencies, but intends to use its reseller channel to sell into the private sector.
Skype moves into the sales channel
It was a busy time for Skype, the Internet telephony company, at the 3GSM telecoms event in Barcelona, in mid-February. As well as establishing links with 3, the cellular carrier, the company has outlined plans to offer its products via the indirect sales channel.
The linkup with 3 will see versions of the Skype Internet telephony client being developed for cellular handsets sold by 3 in the UK, Italy and a number of other countries.
The indirect sales channel, meanwhile, is being promoted by a link-up with Dangaard Telecom, the Danish specialist, on a pan-European basis.
Dangaard claims that the distribution arrangement will see Skype software and services being offered through more than 34,000 retailers across Europe, including MediaMarkt, Media-Saturn, Merlin, Dansk Supermarkd and Surcouf.
Plans call for DanGaard to work with Skype on promoting a new range of third-party products under the Skype Certified program, with co-branded products from Simply Phones, Ipevo, Labtec, Sennheiser Communications and VoIPvoice. The initial product selection will include starter packs, headsets, USB phones, and Webcams all in uniformly sized packaging with consistent colouring and branding.
Saul Klein, Skype’s vice president of marketing, said that customers will love the convenience of being able to view and purchase from an array of Skype Certified products to enhance their communications. DanGaard says it plans to launch its sales program via its existing 3,500-strong network of retailers during March, and then expand the program to 34,000 retail locations in 12 countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and Sweden.
Steganos, www.steganos.com;
ConSentry, www.consentry.com;
ASA, www.asa.org.uk;
Intuit UK. Www.intuit.co.uk;
Reflex Magnetics,
www.reflex-magnetics.co.uk;
Dangaard Telecom, www.dangaard.com .
Steve Gold (sg@mail.com )