HOME Middle East distributor Arab Business Machines (ABM) has signed a regional distribution deal with high-end audio specialists Bang & Olufsen. Under the terms of the agreement. ABM will sell B&O PLAY products from Bang & Olufsen in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. ABM will be responsible for building a third party retail channel of stores to sell the B&O PLAY range, with the exception of dedicated Bang & Olufsen stores.
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INTERVIEW: Peter Blampied, The Mustard Concept
DISTREE EMEA brings together a wealth of hot consumer technology products ready to prove they can cut the channel mustard. Buyers and senior executives from the region’s top e-tailers, retailers and distributors will gather in Monaco next week to assess hundreds of brands looking to enhance their channel reach. Channel development specialist The Mustard Concept will showcase its portfolio at the event. Channel EMEA caught up with Peter Blampied, general manager Europe at The Mustard Concept, to get the lowdown on the company’s goals.
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From connected devices to smart home solutions
Persuading European consumers to invest in smart home solutions has been a tough challenge for the industry to date, but a new breed of connected devices and point solutions could help trigger a mass market breakthrough. Speaking at a recent connected home conference, Greg Roberts, VP marketing at connected home platform provider Icontrol Networks, said: “We are now seeing compelling connected devices in the market – point solutions. These may not connect with other devices but it is a chance for customers to get their feet wet in terms of smart home technologies.”
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Ingram Micro makes binding offer for Anovo
Distribution giant Ingram Micro is looking for a bigger slice of the pie in device lifecycle services. Ingram Micro has made a binding offer to buy France-based Anovo, a provider of reverse logistics and repair services for products such as smartphones and set-top boxes across Europe and Latin America. Ingram Micro claims that upon completion the deal will strengthen its position as a global provider of device lifecycle services, while also boosting its relationships with top telecom operators and OEMs.
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We need a radical channel rethink to drive mass market adoption of smart home technologies in Europe, argues Stuart Wilson, Editor at Channel EMEA.
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Ingram Micro UK adds SkyKick to cloud offering
Distribution giant Ingram Micro UK has added SkyKick to its cloud portfolio. The SkyKick migration suite is a solution that enables IT consultants, systems integrators, managed service providers (MSPs) and VARs to automate an entire Office 365 migration project, reducing costs and accelerating deployment.
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Opening the barriers to Europe
James Arnold Roberts, director at Genius Networks looks at what the barriers are to doing international connectivity business in Europe, and how resellers can overcome them.
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Nest’s multichannel European strategy
A connected home is simply the first step on the journey towards a truly ‘conscious home’, according to Lionel Paillet, general manager Europe at Nest. The company, which Google purchased for US$3.2 billion at the start of 2014, is developing and deploying a multichannel European strategy as it looks to drive consumer adoption of new smart home technologies.
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TecTotal targets increased consumer services reach
This week’s DISTREE Brazil & Latin America channel event will also feature a range of companies offering value-added services for retailers. One such company is TecTotal, a leading provider of technical support, installation, configuration and customisation services for technology and electronics products. The company will use the event to meet partners that can help drive consumer awareness of TecTotal’s service offerings and open up new routes-to-market.
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Nest extends European retail channel reach
Smart home products and solutions outfit Nest Labs will extend its product availability into Belgium, France, Ireland and the Netherlands later this month. The Nest thermostat and Nest smoke and carbon monoxide alarm will be sold in 400 retail stores across Europe, with a further 150 stores to be added by the end of the year.
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