Avnet reforms for services
AVNET Technology Solutions, which last week launched its services platform SolutionsPath Services in North America is working on the EMEA equivalent. A team headed up by Dieter Lott, Vice President Business Innovation is “in the process of transforming its business from a hardware, software and services focus to a services, software, hardware focus.”
He tells IT Europa: “We have identified over 700 different services offerings across all countries we operate in EMEA. These are both resold services as well as those where we provide the service itself. Parallel to this we are working closely with our US colleagues on the SolutionsPath Services, assessing what we would need to adapt. Our objective is not to compete with our partners, but to extend their skill-set offering without initially having to invest. We expect to launch the programme in the summer time frame.”
In North America, SolutionsPath Services is clearly directed at the sale and delivery of data centre solutions developed within Avnet’s SolutionsPath technology practices, NetworkPath, SecurePath, StoragePath and VirtualPath, and vertical market practices, GovPath and HealthPath.
Our analysis
In the US in particular, Avnet had managed to standardise its offerings, making packages easier to specify and also encouraging its customers, the resellers, to measure their skills and get the required accreditations. Services are a key component of a complete solutions offering for customers, but developing new services in-house requires considerable investment, which some partners might find beyond them. On the other hand, a larger channel offering standardised services packages reduces the margins.....
IT Europa newsletter Issue 3 - 12 th February is available to read now to subscribers. Containing detailed information on the above and similar stories. We also have a special 8-page country report on the Baltic market.