ZEBRA ARMS RESELLERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PRICE WARS

Zebra Technologies Europe Limited, a global leader in on-demand printing solutions for business improvement, is helping resellers to rise above the price war that has lead to margins being driven down. Zebra is working with its channel partners, to build sales and marketing strategies that deliver significant margins to resellers and advanced business solutions to customers.

Ashley Ford, sales director at Zebra Technologies Europe (pictured left), says: "Until now bar code printer sales advice has focused primarily on 'speeds and feeds' and the cost of getting a printer into the workplace. Price has been king, value-adds have disappeared and reseller margins have tumbled. Today, the marketplace has moved on and smart customers are looking for something more.

For 23 years we have been refining and developing label printing solutions to meet these continually evolving needs, and offer products that customers are willing to pay for. Today, Zebra has ten key differentiators - we call them 'Business Aces' - that we believe can help our channel close sales without compromising on price."

Zebra has developed a complete sales kit for its resellers and is running a series of road shows around Europe to help educate partners on its' Business Aces. The programme the appointment of Marion Obergfell as EMEA channel marketing manager last month, further evidence of Zebra's commitment to supporting its channel.

Zebra's 'Business Aces' are:

Connectivity for SAP users - users of mySAP can connect directly to Zebra printers

Connectivity for Oracle users running WMS and MSCA modules - Zebra's XML-enabled printers can connect directly to a variety of enterprise systems

IBM iSeries Connectivity - simple compatibility for both mobile and desktop Zebra printers connecting to AS/400 applications

Unicode - out of the box support for all EMEA languages and character sets

Mobility - wireless and mobile print solutions that reduce error rates, increase operational flexibility and raise productivity levels

RFID technology - Zebra introduced Europe's first EPC compatible printer and recently demonstrated the first EPC Class 1 Gen 2 printer in Europe

Printer management - Decrease downtime, increase visibility and provide real-time, remote control of printer populations

Printer replacement - a comprehensive range of printer replacement tools make it quick, easy and painless to switch to the Zebra brand

Supplies - a huge range of label and ribbon products for every application

Custom Applications Group - Zebra's experts can help redevelop printers with added functionality to help resellers secure the sale

Ford concludes: "We have learned that, if you solve the customers' business pain and clearly demonstrate rapid return on investment, they will be willing to pay more for that solution. This means bigger margins and more sales for resellers."