Redefining B2B reseller market for electronic technology

Thierry Boulanger

"The ability to synchronise and integrate multi-model technologies is becoming a major differentiator for resellers," says Thierry Boulanger, director of IT and B2B Solutions at Samsung Electronics. "Today one of the defining characteristics of an opportunistic reseller is the ability to dispense with tunnel vision and start devising value-added services that will move its efforts to the next level."

While B2B sales cannot be compared with B2C sales, there is potential for growth and adoption of this broader thinking, as resellers have the opportunity to educate the market and sell solutions as a holistic whole, rather than merely moving products. As consumers continue to grow their knowledge and understanding of electronics technology and mobile communications, the choices they make in the business arena are geared around performance and interconnectivity, rather than around price.

"In the race to meet demand and to provide a more holistic market offering, the company believes the goalposts have changed. No longer are we just selling devices, but rather an emphasis on providing complete business solutions, customised for specific needs, has come to the fore. While some may see this distinct shift as threatening to the status quo, we perceive it as an opportunity to not only display our multitude of technology offerings, but also drive unique models and opportunities for the reseller market to leverage - and the examples are endless."

Multiple industry opportunities

The company's TVs are perfectly tailored for the hospitality market and, with the inclusion of a full backend infrastructure and content management element, offer a packaged solution for this growing market.

Its products and solutions for the medical sector have been developed and marketed with a full understanding of the very niche requirements of the operators. Input from reseller specialists in the medical field assists not only in the servicing and maintenance but also in the development of a comprehensive medical portfolio. Furthermore, as the demand for improved and more widespread education accelerates, the company has incorporated smart education solutions that are able to penetrate even the most remote locations in Africa. A range of mobile communication devices needs to be supported and enhanced by the supply of educational content and digitisation of materials by third party resellers who are already entrenched in the educational sector.

End-to-end solution for security industry

On the security side, a high-end range of surveillance equipment, CCTV cameras and other security equipment is producing favourable results for clients. The incorporation of a specialised backend infrastructure from a reseller, which includes a reliable network, a monitoring hub (control room) and remote offsite monitoring, provides an end-to-end security solution for businesses. Additionally, as businesses become more ecologically conscientious, they continue to seek ways of reducing their carbon footprint.

At the same time, the move towards installing LED lighting in the business environment has positive financial implications. Similarly, intelligent climate control has come to the forefront as an energy-efficient alternative to simple HVAC systems. Specialised applications in data centres, where precise environmental temperature and humidity is critical, forms another avenue for the channel to explore along with comprehensive energy assessments to provide optimum lighting and environmental control solutions to businesses.

Capitalising on synergistic opportunities

By aligning with synergistic business partners and resellers, the company is able to capitalise on the intellectual property, capabilities, capacities and resources of each individual contributor. Backend support and a wealth of application knowledge and experience embellish the holistic market offerings available.

"The bottom line is that businesses need to function with a sense of immediacy as competition accelerates in a demanding economic climate. By carefully considering the value proposition around a number of business sectors, we are redefining the traditional channel model and opening up new avenues to not only increase productivity, enhance service quality and delivery but also improve market penetration and share. We will continue to seek out and identify business partners who are able to complement our technology offering for a more customer-centric experience and welcome partners to join us in redefining the B2B channel," concludes Boulanger.