After Transitions, BenQ displays New Channel Program

The Irvine, Calif.-based manufacturer began telling its 9,000 active channel partners of the improvements earlier this month, according to Andrew Weis, product marketing manager for BenQ's Americas Region.

Weis said that at the same time, BenQ is working to remain competitive with Dell, Round Rock, Texas, which has pushed down pricing in the LCD space to the point of giving away some LCD panels for free with system sales last month.

"At this time, [Dell] is trying to buy market share," Weis said. "They are trying to push all of the little guys out of the way. We need to remain consistent and dedicated to our partners."

While in the midst of working on its channel program enhancements and facing stiff competition, BenQ has been faced with some internal turmoil as well. Earlier this year, the company named Jimmy Davlouros, formerly its top executive in Canada, as its executive vice president; shortly afterward Al Giazzon, its vice president of marketing, and Mark Donnelly, vice president of sales, left the company.

Weis said among the changes the company is working toward under Davlouros is limiting the breadth of online initiatives to ensure that solution providers will not be hurt by competition from online sales. The other changes, including a more "solution provider-friendly" bid desk, are aimed at making it easier for solution providers to compete against behemoths such as Dell.

August Shima, president of AM Computers, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based system builder, said BenQ has suffered from issues including its return merchandise authorization policy, which does not provide a quick enough turnaround when replacement systems are needed. But, he said, improvements to areas such as the company's bid desk played to BenQ's strengths.

"We've used their bid desk before, and it's helped us out quite a bit," Shima said. "Their pricing is very good."