Dell business hardware to be on-sold more widely

Computer giant Dell plans to sell its business hardware through more third party IT suppliers in New Zealand, but is staying mum on whether it will make a similar move in the local consumer retail market.

Dell has traditionally shunned the idea of stocking its computers on the shelves of electronic retail stores, preferring to sell its hardware directly to customers via phone and internet ordering.

But that approach has softened as it has faced growing pressure from competing PC makers around the world.

While the company still strongly promotes sales through its website, its machines are now available through tens of thousands of retail outlets around the world, including Wal-Mart stores in the US and the Dick Smith, Officeworks and Good Guys chains in Australia.

While Dell has sales staff in New Zealand dealing with major corporate and government clients, consumers here remain confined to ordering products over the phone or online.

Dell is today launching its global PartnerDirect "channel partner" programme for IT companies wanting to on-sell its hardware.

Third-party IT suppliers have previously on-sold Dell equipment to New Zealand businesses, although the practice has been kept low-key.

Dell's director of channel strategy in New Zealand and Australia, Rob Makin, said launching the PartnerDirect programme here would help cement Dell's place in the New Zealand business market and would also be good for the IT companies that signed up to become involved.

The programme has been in place in Australia since September last year and was launched in the US in 2007.

Makin said while Dell was looking to recruit partners, "we're not looking to recruit everybody". The company would limit involvement in the scheme in different parts of the country so its partners were not flooded with competitors selling the same lines of Dell's products. He would not comment on any potential changes for Dell's New Zealand strategy in the retail space.

The company began selling computers through Australia's Officeworks chain in May last year, adding The Good Guys outlets in December and Dick Smith in May this year.