Touch Creates Opportunities For VARs

The global economic situation continues to affect most businesses, especially the small business sector serviced by VARs. Becoming more efficient continues to be a critical element even though credit and loan availability for operations has become easier to obtain. Self-service applications continue to grow as retail, restaurant, and hospitality businesses face increased competition. While consumers feeling the pinch have cut back, they are now looking for better levels of service at a lower cost. So, VARs can provide an invaluable service to their business customers by recommending creative ways to increase efficiencies and lower costs.

Cost and time management continue to be major factors for many small businesses today. All have budgets they need to worry about and parameters that dictate how they operate. As cost pressures, time management, and human resource issues continue to grow, businesses will struggle to find solutions. Touch devices and properly designed applications will not only save on time but money as well.

As self-service expands, touch applications will become more prevalent and touchscreen displays along with all-in-one computers will be solid solutions for VARs and ISVs. But it is still important to understand a customer's needs/problems before you customize a solution that fits – the most natural way to support a long-lasting partnership and relationship. The VARs/ISVs that have a great relationship with their customer are typically the most successful.

Even in good economies, it is important to justify the cost of a technology investment to potential customers. It continues to be cost-effective to focus on a device or application that can save on time and human resources. Many projects using touch applications justify themselves because they typically help provide savings on time and resources.

To maintain or continue to improve your reputation and minimize or eliminate field failure rates, VARs/ISVs should work with experienced suppliers that have a proven track record for delivering high quality and high performance products. Tyco Electronics Elo TouchSystems is an example of such a supplier. With over 35 years of experience in the touch industry, Elo products have earned a reputation for high quality and performance. Specific benefits you can expect: more touch technology choices will allow freedom to choose the right touch technology; quality of design and manufacture will withstand more punishment in the field; and pre- and postsales engineering support will provide more peace of mind.

In order to meet the diverse needs of the customer, it is imperative to work with a company that can help you develop a broad range of solutions. And, with the current economic climate, it is more important than ever to understand customer needs, deliver high quality and performance, and be there when needed.