PERSONAL storage vendor Iomega has added Softprint as a distributor in New Zealand alongside Tech Pacific.
Iomega’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand Scott Dillon says that while there are many positives in his company’s existing relationship with Tech Pacific, “They just weren’t in a position to do what Softprint can do for us in the retail sector.”
Dillon says he recognised Iomega products weren’t getting space on retail shelves in this country. “I went to the major retailers, such as Harvey Norman, and asked them who does a good job.”
Iomega is best known for its now ageing Zip product range, but the company is currently regrouping around its REV brand of removable hard drives which is proving popular with small businesses. The company also makes CD and DVD burners as well as flash memory products and portable hard drives.
Dillon says Softprint’s appointment is important to his company’s strategy because of the way New Zealand small businesses buy computer products.
He says most only employ a handful of people and smaller operations often purchase through retail outlets rather than VARs and other channels.
Softprint national sales manager Bruce Millar says that while REV is largely aimed at small business users, it has the potential to become a consumer product.
“We’re training resellers to tell the REV story,” he says.
Millar believes retailers will also be interested in Iomega’s portable hard drives and flash memory products. “They are a large growth area. There are a lot of cheap alternatives, but these sell on quality,” he says.
Softprint deals with over 900 retail outlets, says Millar, however some of these are video stores that also sell computer games.
Last year Softprint took on a manufacturer’s representative organisation (MRO) role with Logitech which, like Iomega, also distributes through Ingram. Millar says the two product lines are complimentary.
