Tech Data Eyes Color Supplies

Tech Data is now offering solution providers a new line of alternative laser printer cartridges manufactured by Media Sciences, Redmond, Wash., for Xerox workgroup laser printers. The move is part of Tech Data's drive to boost supplies sales through its supplies and accessories specialized business unit.

Monte White, Tech Data's director of supplies and accessories, said this is the first line of compatible printer supplies the distributor is offering.

Tech Data will avoid the lower-priced compatible printer cartridges to eliminate conflict with Xerox and its branded line of products, White said. Compatible printer products have been available since the dot-matrix days, but better manufacturing technology, a drive for more margin and a need to reduce the cost of color printing are fueling the current trend, he said.

"The migration to color [from black and white has happened, and it's continuing to happen," said Fran Blanco, vice president of marketing at Media Sciences. Even in a cost-cutting era, Media Sciences has found that color printer supplies have moved from being luxury items to line items in most corporate budgets, Blanco said.

In addition, Tech Data solution providers will have access to Media Sciences' solid ink and color toner products.

The distributor's efforts to educate solution providers about the incremental sales opportunity in printer supplies are starting to pay off.

Future Computing Solutions switched to Tech Data for its supplies purchases more than a year ago when it saw the distributor's increased presence in the supplies market.

Last year, Future Computing sold $4 million worth of supplies through Tech Data, said Bicky Singh, president of the Yorba Linda, Calif., solution provider. "Now supplies has become a focused business unit at Future Computing, too," Singh said.