News in the Channel - Issue #6

NEWS

control procurement, user management, cloud usage and more • Automating pricing, quoting and ordering processes, improving quote accuracy, speeding up sales cycles and helping track orders with ease • G iving partners access to valuable data insights through Partner Insights, including descriptive analytics to help spot new opportunities, understand customer and wider industry trends and manage product renewals and subscriptions proactively • Educational tools and materials to give partners the best understanding of the solutions they provide and how to market them. “Our partners want us to provide a digital interface to help their transformation into more efficient, data-driven businesses,” said Patrick Aronson, CMO, Westcon- Comstor. “They want insights which help them understand the opportunities before

their customers ask for them. They want a marketplace to help them easily procure and manage hardware, software and services. But they have made it very clear through our development process: they don’t want Westcon-Comstor to stop providing the industry-leading value and expertise that has been our hallmark for almost 40 years—and the foundation of Partner Success. We are bringing a new marketplace to the channel community, but we’re doing it in a way which ensures we keep, and build on, our value- added, customer-focused heritage.” Rakesh Parbhoo, CTO, Westcon-Comstor, added: “With PartnerCentral, we’re building on the business transformation journey we have been on for the last five years, shifting to the second wave of a more automated, digital engagement. In doing this we are giving our partners the support they need to evolve their offerings at the right time and at the right pace.”

Rakesh Parbhoo CTO, Westcon-Comstor

westconcomstor.com

SCC acquires Vohkus for undisclosed sum

SCC has acquired £100 million turnover IT reseller Vohkus for an undisclosed fee. It is the first acquisition since SCC announced a £300 million technology investment programme to underpin its continued growth, targeting significant purchases in a multi-year strategy aimed at consolidating the company’s position as Europe’s largest private investor in technology. Vohkus, based in Fareham, is an established IT product reseller, with 160 employees serving customers across the UK since 2001. Key to the acquisition is SCC and Vohkus’ shared values and entrepreneurial spirit, with a strong focus on people- and customer-centricity. The acquisition represents an opportunity for SCC to scale its presence in the country and bring its range of product and services offerings to Vohkus customers. SCC also gains a talented and experienced team of professionals recognised for delivering best- in-class customer service. Vohkus co-founder, Ritchie Sharma, will retire from the company, with Frank O’Leary (co-founder), Lance Forster, Ian Hounsome, and Graham Gaut guiding the business day-to-day. “Vohkus prides itself on creating long-term trusted relationships with its people and its customers,” said James Rigby, SCC CEO. “It

was apparent from our first conversation that Vohkus shares our strong entrepreneurial culture, with exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything it does. The long tenure of Vohkus’ people and the talent it has within its growing services business will add tremendous value to SCC. In return, we can help scale Vohkus as part of the SCC family.” Adam Clark, chief revenue officer at SCC, added: “This deal offers a platform for Vohkus to leverage SCC’s in-house services capability, providing both scale and market- leading capability in support of customers’ complex transformation initiatives. Like SCC, Vohkus has a strong partner eco-system, long-serving staff, and enduring customer relationships. The opportunity to grow together is massive.” Frank O’Leary added: “This is a pivotal moment for Vohkus. It represents significant opportunity to strengthen our product business further while significantly expanding our services offerings. This will be to the great benefit of our customers, many of which are currently undergoing major IT transformations.”

James Rigby CEO, SCC

scc.com

business