Update your perceptions

Mark Dasent, general manager for Renaissance Brands, is on a crusade to change channel partners’ perceptions of the NEC brand. Since taking on the brand in May, Renaissance Brands has encountered a number of resellers and system integrators that don’t fully understand the NEC product range.  Renaissance’s NEC product range includes laptops, desktops and monitors. In particular, the laptops have been a huge hit in Japan, which Dasent aims to replicate locally.NEC has been successful in New Zealand for a number of years, mainly with mass retailers such as Noel Leeming and Dick Smith PowerHouse. Renaissance now has NEC stock and wants to branch out and recruit new resellers throughout the country to sell to small business and commercial customers.  In fact, Renaissance has recently recruited Amit Sharma from Ingram Micro as the NEC product manager, and Jaynean Leaupepe from EDS as the new NEC business development manager.Although most resellers would initially consider NEC to be just another PC manufacturer, Dasent carefully pointed out a number of key differentiators, from three-year onsite warranty on the desktops through to local support, one touch Skype functionality, and most importantly, great margin potential.  Margins depend upon the model purchased, but range from 12 to 18%.  The NEC range has been split into four categories -  Home, Small Office, Business Professional and Elite, with potential for custom models to be ordered in conjunction with channel partners’ needs.The feedback from the recent small business shows, combined with initial sales, bodes well for the brand at Renaissance.  Resellers wanting to know more about NEC can contact Jaynean Leaupepe at Renaissance on (09) 968 3722.