Xerox remains committed to its channel partners – despite the print vendor’s profit warning earlier this week – according to Russell Peacock, president of the firm's North American Channels Group.
Peacock says that he doesn’t believe Xerox resellers should be affected by the cost cutting measures in place at the firm: “I’m confident that the actions we are taking following last week’s Earnings Guidance for the first quarter will in the main part be focused on driving internal productivity and eliminating waste and duplication rather than diluting our value propositions to our channel partners around the world,” he told Channel Pro.
“Xerox feels that this is not a competitive issue......It’s a marketplace issue.”
He continues: “We hold number one revenue share position in the segments in which we participate in our industry and we expect to continue to grow share in the future. However, it is clear that the market has declined in recent months and our customers have, to a degree, put the brakes on spending. We’re seeing some reductions in both equipment sales and printer based supplies. That said, we continue to believe that we must build marketplace momentum and maintain brand visibility which is why we are continuing to invest and increase visibility with the channel.”
Peacock says the company’s acquisition four weeks ago of Comdoc, the largest independent Ricoh dealer in the US, for US$150m underlines Xerox’s commitment to extending its market reach, and that its channel partners will continue to play “a pivotal role” in its growth.
“In short, our focus is on taking the smart actions today to ensure that we are optimally positioned to emerge as a winner as we come out of this economic downturn,” he adds.
