D&H Distributing Offers Productivity-Boosting Products For SMB Offices

The Distributor’s Growing Linecard Will Help Resellers Satisfy the SMB Business’ Perpetual Need for Money-Saving Productivity Tools, Bundled into Turn-Key Solutions

D&H Distributing, a major North American computer products and consumer electronics distributor, wants to teach its SMB resellers to take a strategic sales stance, offering a roster of products that can save time, money, energy and physical resources for small business environments. The distributor carries a multitude of merchandise that can create efficiencies and decrease total cost of ownership in the SMB office space. This caters to the conservative budgets typically associated with the small business sector.

“Our customers generally sell to local, community-based companies such as real estate offices, healthcare practices and financial companies. This profile is plentiful enough to provide lots of opportunity—but local offices are usually under significant budgetary restrictions. Every dollar counts,” said Jeff Davis, senior vice president of sales at D&H. “We want to provide ammunition for VARs to make a more comprehensive, turn-key sale to companies of this size. They can do so by including products that create economies, which is an easier sell and usually results in an enhanced order.”

D&H carries items that deliver this value in categories from convertible mobile computing devices, to storage products (many new SMB-scaled models have a cloud-based component), to peripheral items such as monitors, arms and accessories. Some of these offerings are from new D&H partners like Connected Data and Ergotron; or unique vendors such as QNap and Wacom, whose innovations make for profitable add-on sales. Some examples:

Mobile computing:
A redundancy of devices is one of the drawbacks of a diverse marketplace—and presents an opportunity for SMB business owners to consolidate costs. Top-flight notebook vendors such as Lenovo, Toshiba, HP, Acer and ASUS have created convertible, hybrid and “slate” computing units that function as both tablets and notebooks. These include the HP EliteBook Revolve, which swivels to convert to a tablet; and the Acer ICONIA slate, a powerful tablet-size computer that clicks into a keyboards and stands up to function as a notebook. These dual-format items save the small business owner from having to invest in multiple units. 

Innovative items like Wacom’s “pen solutions” system allows employees to make hand-written notes directly into their digital files, keeping their documents all-electronic while allowing the freedom to write ad-hoc comments.

Storage:
Multiple cloud storage devices allow companies to store and share data on their own hosted platform, with no fees. These include new D&H partner Connected Data’s external “Transporter” drive. QNAP offers a high-performance, cloud-based NAS unit that allows users to synchronize files from their phones, tablets, laptops, etc., along the lines of Drop-Box. These affordable items accommodate large-scale storage without third-party services.

WD and Seagate also offer options for cost-effective, conservative storage devices, such as WD drives with energy-conserving GreenPower technology, and Seagate’s similarly efficient PowerChoice models.

Monitor arms/stands:
Ergotron’s “Sit and Stand” adjustable-height, dual-monitor workstation accommodates a double-display configuration in the desktop setting, which has shown to increase worker efficiency.

Portable monitors:
Both Lenovo and Toshiba offer USB-based “travel monitors” that easily connect to an existing laptop for an additional, productivity-enhancing second monitor on the road. Lenovo’s ThinkVision and Toshiba’s LCD Mobile Monitors deliver high quality displays up to 14 inches. 

Accessories:
Logitech is famous for its accessories, and items like its simple, convenient illuminated keyboard is an affordable backlit model. If users want a step up, the rechargeable Bluetooth diNovo Edge keyboard provides a sleek wireless alternative. 

Audio/video:
Logitech’s BCC950 Business ConferenceCam accommodates small group videoconferencing, which can reduce travel costs and downtime while enhancing collaboration. And Casio’s Slim Lampless LED portable projector combines laser and LED technology for high brightness that lasts up to 20,000 hours, saving energy at a competitive pricepoint.

“Our product selection is designed to make it easier for independent VARs to excel,” said Davis. “Appealing to the end-user’s need to increase productivity on a budget is a winning strategy. Our job as a distributor is to look at the aggregate of merchandise out there and present customers with ways to meet SMB needs while positioning themselves as trusted advisors. And of course, we want them to close bigger deals in the process.”

About D&H Distributing
As the nation’s leading technology distributor, D&H provides a wealth of resources to empower solution providers and consultants, delivering a broad selection of SMB categories, products and applications. The company’s offerings span server and infrastructure, SOHO and mobile applications, consumer electronics and gaming. D&H’s multi-market expertise, account-dedicated sales teams, sterling service and flexible financing options are unmatched in the industry.

With an impressive 95-year history serving as a trusted advisor to the reseller channel, D&H has been able to consistently reinvent itself based upon changing market conditions. The company prides itself on creating business partnerships with an astute focus on ease-of-doing-business, relationships, value, performance and service.

D&H has been named Cisco’s Worldwide Small Business Distributor of the Year, won the Microsoft Licensing Operational Excellence Award seven years running and has been named Microsoft’s OEM Distributor of the Year. The company ships out of five separate locations in North America, including its US headquarters in Harrisburg and its Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario. Additional US warehouses are located in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; and Fresno, CA. For more information, visit www.dandh.com.