Sony pushes leasing options to help IT resellers

Sony is looking to leverage its strength in the financial markets to give its reseller partners the opportunity to offer leasing options to their customers, with the vendor hoping it will be enough to spur demand for new equipment.

"We've been impressed at the level of optimism resellers have displayed," said SMB VAIO sales manager, David Spratt. "It has been welcomed as a new way for them to sell new equipment to customers at a time when it is becoming increasing hard for them to find the necessary capital."

The issue was picked up by market analysts at IDC, who warned that the channel was not doing enough to ensure that resellers had the tools to be able to carry on selling despite traditional supplies of credit drying up.

"IDC believes that beyond a reseller's human capital, access to financial capital and credit are the second most important business resources," said programme director for technology financing and management strategies, Joseph Pucciarelli. "Therefore, understanding the real-time risks and opportunities confronting these critical segment of the IT solution chain will be an important bellwether."

Spratt echoed those sentiments, telling PC Retail that the move was largely motivated at helping resellers to respond to the changing market place. "The move is all about trying to help our reseller partners to think creatively about how they can continue selling new solutions to customers.

"The financing options are open to customers of all sizes, from large corporate enterprises through to small SMB customers, meaning that it opens up a multitude of financing options to those who otherwise might not be able to afford to roll out new equipment."

Tags: Sony, Channel, it resellers, financing