News in the Channel - issue #17

PERIPHERALS

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emerging that enables companies to develop longer-term strategies with portable and powerful professional quality video and audio at the heart.” Ross adds that connectivity solutions such as WiFi access points, mesh systems and range extenders also continue to sell in healthy numbers. “It’s becoming a more sophisticated area of the market – SMBs need good, fast, reliable communications as much as big firms,” he says. “We still see really strong demand for high-res’ webcams and top-quality noise reducing headsets as people continue to look at ways to improve the way they communicate in the digital world.”

the peripherals and accessories used with the laptop, PC, or workstation, can exceed that of the main device itself and there are enhanced margins available with these products too, so it’s definitely worth asking the question!” James agrees that peripherals are ripe for being upsold. “Quite often a customer will initially start by wanted to upgrade just their video conferencing solutions, for example, but will quickly consider upgrading their webcams and headsets in tandem, to ensure their employees are receiving a consistent experience,” he says. “Logitech is well placed in the peripherals market as it has a decent play in all areas of it and can offer a convenient and familiar crossover to end users.” Future Looking towards emerging trends in peripherals, James says that in the next 12 months he expects to see considerable interest in alternate technologies. “Those that provide smart actions and help to improve the in-office experience – docking stations, for example, that also double as deck systems to help indicate office occupancy,” he says. “As employees – and employers – become more health conscious, we’re also seeing increased interest in ergonomic mice and keyboards, which help to reduce RSI-related injuries and improve comfort, boosting productivity.” Ross adds that free standing displays and mounting arms are extremely popular, as are mice and keyboard combos, desktop speakers, desktop storage devices, and all kinds of connectors and cables. “We are also seeing more interest in stand-up and flexible desks,” he adds. “What a lot of businesses and individual users want in all of these product categories is really good quality, reliability and performance – and yes, they are prepared to pay a premium for that.”

Jamie Hughes UK sales director

Upselling With such a range of opportunities,

evolveip.net

peripherals offer great opportunities for resellers to upsell customers buying other office hardware. “Peripherals can sometimes be thought of as ‘add-ons’ and a bit of an after-thought,” says Ross. “But for the user, they are an important part of the set-up – they are products that get used every day. Screens, keyboards and mice are the primary interface between the person and the PC. The desk and chair provide the physical platform on which people work – and they are using these products all day, every day. “It’s therefore important that they choose the right peripherals and that they invest wisely. All resellers need to do is simply remind customers of these facts and they are well on their way to a successful upsell. There some exceptional ranges designed for professional use available, and many resellers do good business and make extremely healthy profits from selling high-grade peripherals. “It’s an area that many more B2B resellers could benefit from to a much greater extent than they do today. In many cases the value of

Mike Barron managing director

synaxon-services.com

It’s becoming a more sophisticated area of the market – SMBs need good, fast, reliable communications as much as big firms.

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