SMART brings in Midwich as distie after Steljes demise

SMART Technologies has signed a UK distribution agreement with Midwich, just days after previous distributor Steljes went into administration.

Midwich will support SMART’s new audio visual go-to-market model and will be ready to ship displays and other products in mid-June, said SMART. “This will further enable SMART to work with channel partners directly to bring the power of collaboration to both education and enterprise markets,” said SMART.

It was that move to work with resellers more directly that perhaps helped to tip loss-making Steljes into administration, after being left with less sales and service revenues. SMART was Steljes’ main line.

“Along with extending the reach of our solutions, this new agreement will allow SMART to work with the channel directly, offering account management and marketing services to each individual partner,” Steljes said.

Jane Ashworth, UK managing director of SMART Technologies, said: “This is another significant step forward in the re-invigoration of our UK channel presence. With this new addition, we will be poised to quickly gather pace and accelerate our new channel strategy.”

Among other items, Midwich will push SMART’s 4000 and 6000 series interactive flat panels with SMART’s Learning Suite collaboration software in the education market.

Richard Bovingdon, head of interactive sales, Midwich, said: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement with SMART to distribute its whole product portfolio in the UK. SMART has developed an all-in-one solution that’s ideal for today’s classroom, alongside a range of other products that have valuable roles to play in both business and education.”

@AntonySavvas