Distributor aims to add VARs to Luidia’s channel programme to boost interactive whiteboard sales

Maverick is looking to recruit up to 25 additional resellers to audiovisual (AV) vendor Luidia’s eBeam channel programme.

The distributor was awarded sole distribution rights for Luidia’s eBeam Integral interactive whiteboard (IWB) last year (CRN, 12 December), while Luidia’s portable eBeam system that converts any flat surface into an interactive whiteboard is distributed by both Maverick and Gordon Audiovisual.

Andy Rump, interactive business manager at Maverick, claimed: “VARs can make margins of more than 20 per cent on the eBeam range. The portable system has exceeded our sales targets, while the Integral board is just behind. We missed out on the main education sales in January because we didn’t start selling Integral until February.”

To date, 25 resellers are signed up to the eBeam channel programme, but Rump is looking to double this.

“We want a maximum of 50 resellers,” Rump said. “We’ll probably hit 40 by the end of June. We want resellers that take us into different markets – we don’t want 25 education and 25 corporate resellers all competing against each other.”

Andy Brabin, UK channel manager at Luidia, said: “We want a diverse mix of resellers – both in terms of geographic spread and vertical markets. We don’t just want AV resellers either. We’re open to having IT resellers, public sector resellers and even e-tailers.

“We put the original channel programme together before we launched the Integral board, so we have had to update the programme to incorporate it,” Brabin added. “It’s a more informal programme. We don’t want yet another programme that resellers have to jump through hoops to join.”

Colin Messenger, senior consultant at analyst Decision Tree Consulting, said: “Previously Luidia just had the eBeam portable as an add-on. Now it offers IWBs with eBeam attached. This is very clever because it enables it to offer an IWB at a much lower price than other IWB vendors.”