01732 759725 26 Alongside that, there will be a range of media compatible not only with Mutoh printers but also with the CAD/AEC market.” Why wide-format? Group Chief Operating Officer Peter Cowan explains the rationale behind the move: “Our traditional print market is in decline and print volumes are moving down. We’ve always seen our role at Data Direct as bringing opportunities to the dealer channel and wide-format, particularly UV, is an increasing market.” Cowan believes many dealers already have customers who could benefit from wide-format, even if they haven’t yet explored the opportunity. “A percentage of their existing customer base will have a requirement or could be interested in wide-format,” he said. “Our aim is to give dealers another expansion channel to make up for the decline in traditional print volumes.” He added that Data Direct’s approach is to simplify the category for resellers who may have dismissed it in the past due to perceived complexity. “We will train them up completely, support them completely. We strip it down, simplify it, and give them a new opportunity,” he said. Slow but steady adoption As with any new category, uptake has been gradual. “There are always the quick early adopters who want to see shiny new toys,” Cowan said. “And there are the Together, Savage and Kabi have been tasked with building a strong, channelfocused wide-format offering that gives resellers a genuine opportunity to diversify. A portfolio built for growth Data Direct currently stocks ROWE and Mutoh, two brands that complement each other across different segments of the wide-format market. Mutoh brings UV and eco-solvent print technology, while ROWE provides scanning, cutting and technical printing solutions. Savage says the plan is to expand further: “We’re also in talks with different media suppliers to add a range of media to our portfolio. Ultimately, the plan is to bring in media that complements not only the Mutoh print technology, but also the CAD and technical drawing market.” Savage said the wide-format market comprises two broad categories. UV/eco-solvent graphics printing, and CAD/AEC technical printing. “Mutoh is very much focused on UV technology; they don’t currently have a printer that sits within the AEC/CAD market. That said, some of the media we’re looking at will complement that area. Fundamentally, the plan is to be in a position where we can offer the full solution – printers, scanners, finishing equipment such as ROWE cutters, and the consumables, including genuine Mutoh inks for the Mutoh range. Data Direct has built a reputation as a trusted distributor in the copier, toner cartridge and managed print services space. But as traditional print volumes continue to decline, the company has moved into a new growing sector – wide-format. With a new specialist team, new vendor partnerships and a fully equipped demonstration facility, the business is positioning itself as a committed player in a market that many resellers have yet to fully explore. The move began with the appointment of Caroline Savage as Sales Manager; she joined Data Direct just over a year ago after almost 15 years at Westcoast/Art Systems. Her background spans many of the leading wide-format brands in the UK, and she was recruited specifically to build the new division from the ground up. “Data Direct weren’t in the wideformat business until I joined,” she explained. “They were known for smallformat photocopiers and managed print services, but they were looking at getting into wide-format. That’s where my recruitment came from, to start that wide-format division.” Shortly before her arrival, Data Direct had signed a distribution agreement with ROWE, the German scanner, cutter and toner-based printer manufacturer. In November last year, Jason Kabi joined the company as Business Development Manager. “I was at KIP UK for around 30 years in wide‑format,” he said. “I also used to work at ROWE as the UK representative.” Data Direct moves into wide-format Data Direct opens up a new growth opportunity for print resellers, with a dedicated specialist team, new brands and a clear channel-only strategy DISTRIBUTION
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