Distributor signs PDA deal

Specialist distributor Varlink has become a sub-distributor of Hewlett-Packard’s (HP’s) iPAQ range of PDAs.

Founded in November, the York-based distributor specialises in the rugged PDA and mobility markets. The addition of HP marks Varlink’s 10th vendor signing.

Mike Pullon, managing director of Varlink, told CRN: “We monitored where we were winning and losing business, and we realised that a lot of resellers were requesting a business-class PDA.

“I felt that at some point we would need to bring in a business-class PDA, so we approached HP which came up with a way for us to take on the iPAQ range. We can offer a good level of support to resellers because we are smaller.”

However, HP has been quick to clarify that the firm is not joining its official distribution list and is purely a specialist partner.

Neil Dagger, HP’s iPAQ and wireless devices business manager, said: “We haven’t appointed Varlink as an [official] HP distributor. It has decided to start ranging, stocking and distributing iPAQ products.

“As an HP value-added Solutions Partner, Varlink is in a better position to help its reseller network build better mobile solutions and deliver a faster return on investment.”

Dagger added that in the future he would like to do more of this type of partnering with specialists.