Reseller demand for Dell PCs ''not strong'' says Tech Data CEO

Tech Data’s CEO has admitted that demand for Dell PCs from its reseller customers in North America has not been strong, albeit in a depressed market.

In a channel first this year, Dell tasked Tech Data and Ingram with stocking pre-configured Vostro desktops and notebooks but contrary to its plans, the deal has not been extended to the more fragmented European market.

Bob Dutkovsky, big cheese at Tech Data, was reported in the US channel press as stating that orders for PC and laptops were down in general and that “the demand for products we added from Dell has not been robust”.

Trade customers had allegiances with other vendors he added and though it could influence their buying decisions, “really we fulfil demand that exists in the marketplace.”

Locally, Nestor Cano, EMEA president of Tech Data EMEA, refused to expand on the comments further or indicate if it planned to work with Dell in the region.

Only last month Dell’s global head of channels Greg Davis, admitted the complexity of setting up a pan-European two tier structure had proved more testing than expected but it was still discussing the situation with candidates.

As exclusively revealed by MicroScope, Dell has set up distribution deals in the UK with Hammer and Micro P and these relationships could be expanded, he hinted.

Alain Maquet, EMEA boss at Ingram Micro, said it had a contract with Dell in North and Latin America and Asia Pacific but had nothing to announce closer to home.

“We need to watch the developments for the future but today there is nothing concrete,” he told MicroScope, confirming that any deal would “certainly not” happen in 2009.