D&H to Distribute Sony's Vaio Notebooks

D&H has distributed Sony products for more than a decade, including digital cameras, storage and consumer electronics products, and joins Ingram Micro and Tech Data as distributors for the Vaio line, executives said.

"This [D&H agreement] can be summed up in two words: incremental business," said John Gawa, senior manager of business development for Sony's IT products division. "We saw two aspects of D&H's business that interested us: their strength in the higher education vertical market, specifically with college bookstores, and also with the base of loyal resellers that is different from resellers purchase from other major distributors. What we saw is an opportunity to add to our business without a share shift."

Solution provides that already buy Sony cameras or other products from D&H can now use the Vaio notebooks as a hub around the peripherals, said Dan Schwab, vice president of marketing at D&H, Harrisburg, Pa.

"There's a real synergy here to tie into the Sony messaging of a complete solution with all technologies that work together. They're a strong player in the channel with storage products, cameras and camcorders. Those products hang off the computers. By selling systems, it will not only penetrate in those accounts [that currently buy Sony peripherals], but we can sell more peripherals around those accounts with Vaio as the hub of the wheel."

D&H and Sony plan to target the Vaios at both education customers and small businesses, Schwab said.

"Sony has done a good job at retail and corporate, but their functionality, style and price feature is great at the small business environment and with solution providers selling mobile technology into that space."

D&H will carry Vaio notebooks from an entry-level model with a 10.6-inch screen up to a high-end model with a 17-inch widescreen.

"D&H has been one of our value distributors for digital imaging products. This is the next step in terms of a robust solution for the customer that they manage," said Mike Sakamoto, general manager of strategic sales for Sony's IT commercial sales. "In the student marketplace, branding is pretty big. Sony is an option, a physical brand that students desire. Penetrating that market is a priority for us."