C2000 looks for joint venture to shine in Q2

Broadline distributor Computer 2000 (C2000) is hoping its partnership with mobility distributor Brightstar will kick start its growth in Europe following disappointing financial results.

Tech Data, C2000’s parent company, unveiled European operating losses of $6.1m for the quarter to 30 April, as the distributor took an $8.8m hit from the closure of its United Arab Emirates arm. Net revenues increased 2.1 per cent to $2.9bn.

But Andy Gass, managing director UK at C2000, insisted the UK business had enjoyed a “decent quarter”.

“We’ve had great success in our Autodesk business and with all our other key vendors such as Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard,” he claimed.

Gass said the distributor is gearing up for the formal launch of its joint venture with US mobile distributor Brightstar. Called Brightstar Europe, the company will draw on Brightstar’s vendor partnerships and the European infrastructure of C2000 and Tech Data.

“We’d hope to have 100 or more active resellers using Brightstar in the next quarter [to the end of July],” he said. “Mid-sized and large customers are increasingly demanding mobility solutions and Microsoft is interested in developing this market.”

Gass said the venture offered it an opportunity to take more mobility products into the IT channel.

Gass added that the joint venture will initially focus on Motorola’s new Q9 PDA device.

“The Motorola device will give resellers the ability to offer push email and mobility solutions on a pure Microsoft platform,” he explained.

Pierre Lams, founder of mobility VAR Handheld PCs, said: “Any partner that is making more mobility technology available in Europe would help our cause.

“The issue Brightstar faces is that it will have to find companies that have invested in mobility. It’s all very well having the devices, but if a firm doesn’t have the skills to put it all together it means nothing. The general IT VAR community hasn’t invested enough in developing skills around mobile security, middleware and wireless networks.”

C2000 hopes to AVIT with AV unit

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