PRINTITRESELLER.UK 33 PARTNERSHIPS Canon UK & Ireland has opened two new Canon Business Centres (CBC) in collaboration with platinum partners SOS Systems, headquartered in Crawley, and Munster-based Cantec Group. Michelle Ryder spoke to Natasha Wrighton, Channel Development Manager at Canon, and Chris Sills, Managing Director at SOS Systems about the move Canon opens two new CBCs model enables them to trade with the Canon brand, they also have to commit to being a single-line reseller. Like other OEMs, Canon’s partner programme is tiered and it works with its partners to help them grow their business and move through the tiers. “We have strong relationships with all of our partners, but the CBC is an even deeper level of relationship and one where we see strong growth for both companies,” Wrighton explained. “CBCs are a community, they have an open dialogue with all other centres, they can share best practices and build their network across the continent.” Strong relationship SOS Systems has a customer base which stretches throughout the South of England across multiple sectors. The business was established in 1985 and prides itself on its high levels of customer service, flexibility and innovation expertise. It currently delivers print, document and information management solutions to its customers and guidance on wider business initiatives such as digital transformation. The team completed an MBO in early 2021, and speaking to PrintIT Reseller at the time, Sills said the company had an incredibly strong relationship with Canon, was committed to maintaining its single-line status and was looking to strengthen the partnership further. “Becoming a Canon Business Centre The Canon Business Centre (CBC) model is essentially the pinnacle of the OEM’s hierarchy of partners. It represents a close collaboration between Canon and a mono branded Canon technology partner who understands the local market and has a local presence. Canon Business Centre Munster (CBC Munster) – the first CBC in Ireland, and Canon Business Centre SOS (CBC SOS) opened their doors on January 17. In Europe, Canon Business Centres are a much more established model. There are currently 197 CBCs across the continent and in 2022, Canon opened a total of 14 (including SOS Systems and Cantec Group). In 2018, it opened its first UK CBC, through its partnership with DMC Canotec, but that has since disbanded. IT@Spectrum opened as Canon Business Centre North East in 2020 and with this latest development, Canon UK&I now has three CBCs in the region. Key focus area Wrighton said that further expansion and the opening of more Canon Business Centres is an important part of the company’s strategy. “We see this as one of our key mid-term plan initiatives from both a European and a UK perspective,” she explained, adding: “It’s something that we’d like to expand in the coming years and it’s a key focus area for us in 2023 and beyond.” In order to qualify to become a Canon Business Centre, the partner has to be a platinum partner and as the We have strong relationships with all of our partners, but the CBC is an even deeper level of relationship and one where we see strong growth for both companies continued... was absolutely part of our vision. In fact, we were at the preliminary stages of discussions with Canon at that time, although we couldn’t disclose that then,” he said. Sills added that SOS Systems is a name that’s been around since 1985. “We will most definitely retain that brand and CBC SOS will be the Canon Business Centre arm of the parent company,” he confirmed. “Collaborating with Canon on this exciting project marks a huge step in our 32 years of working together,” he continued. “Today more than ever before, local businesses are seeking out ways to save costs, boost profits and optimise processes – our new CBC SOS supports this ambition and we’re looking forward to helping local businesses grow and succeed.” Growth on the cards Growth is firmly on the cards for SOS Systems. Sills said: “We are looking to grow the business in a number of ways Natasha Wrighton
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