Microsoft Announces Surface Reseller Program
Microsoft Announces Surface Reseller Program by UCStrategies Staff
Microsoft Corp. announces its two-tiered Microsoft Devices Program that sets up three distributors—Ingram Micro, Inc., SYNNEX Corporation, and Tech Data Corporation—to sell Microsoft Surface devices to a select group of commercial resellers, including CDW, CompuCom Systems, Inc., En Pointe Technologies, Insight Enterprises, Inc., PC Connection, Inc., PCM, Inc., Softchoice, Softmart, SHI International Corp., and Zones, Inc.
“Bringing Surface Pro and Surface RT to the U.S. commercial channel greatly extends the reach of our devices-and-services strategy, delivering our family of devices enabled by cloud services to more organizations than ever before,” said Jenni Flinders, vice president of the U.S. Partner Group at Microsoft. “We look forward to working closely with our Microsoft Devices Program partners to better serve their customers and create compelling solutions together.”
Although the authorized Surface resellers are currently restricted only to those that Microsoft deems as “fully engaged and ready to deliver compelling solutions with Microsoft devices, including Surface, to their respective commercial customers,” Flinders explains that in the future, the Microsoft Devices Program will enable more channel partners to market Surface devices.
Flinders also calls on interested partners to join the email notification list for the Microsoft Devices Program for U.S. partners.
Solution providers have been asking to become resellers for Surface devices since the October 2012 launch, according to Channelnomics’ Larry Walsh. So by making the tablets available to the channel, Microsoft may increase sales and grow its market share against those of Apple and Google.
Meanwhile, Chris Gonsalves argues that Microsoft’s move to offer discounted products to channel partners is “an old trick by Microsoft to spur market development for new products. Microsoft wants partners to adopt all its new products as much as resell them.”
Jon Roskill, vice president of Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft, blogged that from July 7 to 11, 2013, attendees of the Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, Texas can buy heavily discounted Surface RT ($99.99 for 64GB with touch cover) and Surface Pro ($399.99 for 128GB standalone). (KOM) Link. Link. Link.