Synaxon UK: 'It's a new level of organisation'

The company spoke to PC Retail exclusively this month about its launch plans and how it can benefit retailers and resellers. "This is a whole new level of organisation," explained managing director Derek Jones. "I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised at the efficiency of the group and how much it can help their business."

"It was really good to see the extent of Synaxon in Germany; it really filled us with confidence that it knows what it is doing," said Bear IT's Emma Staley, who attended the group's conference in Germany earlier this year. "The communications we've had recently have been very good; it all seems to be really positive stuff."

"I think the key thing is that Synaxon is structured differently to other organisations in the channel," commented director of Drum Brae Solutions Mike Hoffman. "That's not to say it's not new, it's just the first time it has been done so well."

Like Staley and Hoffman, most of the retailers and resellers involved in Synaxon we spoke to were enthusiastic about what they described as the 'fresh approach to the channel's needs', but there were some who said the company has already put its first foot wrong.

The main contention point appeared to be the way they were added to the firm's reseller list without being asked. "I'm furious at how the PCA and Synaxon have gone about this," commented Peter Booth of Peter A Booth.

Others expressed different concerns: "I don't see any need for another buying group, especially one so closely associated with a trade body," added SBS Computers' owner Alan Camp.

However, the PCA's chief executive was quick to response to this criticism: "The more options resellers have, the better. Synaxon seems to have quite a clear differentiator, EGIS. It seems to me that resellers have nothing to lose as being part of Synaxon – base level membership doesn't cost them anything at all. There's nothing to say that a reseller can't belong to multiple groups."

You can read about Synaxon UK's launch plans on page 47 of the print magazine, by downloading the digital edition here, viewing it online here or by reading the feature by clicking here.

Tags: Retail, Channel, reseller, synaxon uk