D&H Distributing Ramps Up K-12 Education Push For Solution Providers

D&H Distributing says the opportunity for VARs in the K-12 education market is far from over, and the distributor has yet again ramped up its portfolio of resources to help them take advantage.

The Harrisburg, Pa.-based distributor, which focuses on delivering solutions to SMB solution providers, announced the enhanced offerings at its West Coast Technology Show in City of Industry, Calif., last week. The new offerings include education initiatives such as webcasts, training opportunities and marketing materials.

D&H, a driving force behind education initiatives for SMB solution providers, launched a series of initiatives last May and teamed up with Wells Fargo for education financing in June. The goal, it said, is to help VARs capitalize on a growing market for education, driven in large part by the Common Core initiative, which provides federal funding for IT upgrades in K-12 schools. The new initiatives add on to ones already in place at D&H, including a team of education specialists to navigate vendor options, quoting and the bid process.

[Related: Why Is Recurring Revenue So Crucial To Growth?]

The reason behind the most recent expansion is a "resurgence" of demand in the K-12 space because of the Common Core initiatives, said Jeff Davis, D&H's senior vice president of sales.

While the K-12 market has been growing consistently for a while, Davis said solution providers are beginning to widen their array of offerings to include tablets and Chromebooks as more vendors come out with education-focused solutions. Chromebooks, in particular, have been "taking the market by storm," Davis said. That shift, according to Larry Staub, director of D&H's education division, enables solution providers to better tailor the technology to meet each individual school's needs and budget requirements.

"Having that plethora of products available is really a win-win for both the reseller and the schools," Staub said.

Broadening the array of offerings also includes stepping beyond computers and tablets, Davis and Staub said. D&H's initiatives also include helping solution providers upgrade infrastructure and sell much-needed add-ons such as charging stations, protective covers, extra chargers and more. The VAR's job, Davis said, is helping the school navigate all of the options and choose the right fit.

"I think that's where the VAR is a valuable component to help a school research what is right for them," Davis said.

Indy Batra, owner of Ventura, Calif.-based MJP Technologies, said he appreciates the education representatives, support, information and technical warehousing that D&H brings to the table. Those elements help the solution provider execute quickly on its client's needs, he said.

"It’s a valuable combination and sometimes it a rare combination to find," Batra said. "I think they're doing a great job of providing it all ... the information, the educational side, getting manufacturers, getting special pricing for resellers like us, and even working with people, like to provide line of credit. I think they're doing a good job."

Batra said the education market is driving incredible growth for MJP Technologies, which grew 250 percent in its last fiscal year. In particular, he said, there is strong demand for Acer's TravelMate series and Chromebooks.

Davis and Staub agreed: The education opportunity is here to stay. Some schools are still navigating the first steps of the federal funding process, and only about 30 percent of schools have completed their upgrades. Those who have finished upgrading their systems to Common Core standards could soon be looking to refresh their equipment, Davis said. Those factors combined will "keep the opportunity going for quite some time," he said.

"If you look at it from that viewpoint, this opportunity still exists and is a very large opportunity," Staub said.

PUBLISHED MARCH 24, 2015