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automatic
point of
data capture
sale
VIEW
INTER
The critical link
Distributor Varlink has grown rapidly over the mere two years it has
been in existence. IT Reseller spoke to managing director Mike
Pullon about the methodology behind the success.
t was a fresh-faced Varlink that was knowledge, marketing awareness and
I
first profiled in the November 2005 compatibility with other products. But
edition of IT Reseller. Since then, it definitely was not the time to hunker
the company has moved from down and pretend the world was just
strength to strength, evidenced as sweet as it used to be. We couldn’t
by its decision to relocate to more have thrived and couldn’t have grown
extensive premises in York during April if we had not promoted product, not
this year; conveniently only a stones gone for partnerships, and not brought
throw away from where it was originally new products to market.”
situated. The company’s new distribution
centre has a two-storey warehouse
with mezzanine floors amounting to a Solutions
total of around 4500 sq ft of storage Varlink’s solutions portfolio has
and office space. developed apace over the past couple
of years. It currently offers resellers a
A mere four years ago, this level of range of well-established data capture “It is essential that a reliable, robust
development could not have easily be product brands such as Datalogic,
device is utilised that will increase the
return on investment over the lifetime of
foreseen. “For a couple of years prior Opticon and Baracoda, as well as
the solution and will be supported for the
to establishing Varlink, I gave a lot of mobile printing solutions from Zebra
total lifetime of the system.” – Andy
Haworth, TouchStar Technologies.
thought to how IT had had to adapt and label design software from Seagull
to lower margins and faster pace of Scientific. One brand that historically
change and convergence of has not been so well known in the UK remarked Pullon. “It’s been really
technologies,” explained Varlink’s is Aceeca. “Aceeca manufactures exciting to find a Windows mobile
managing director Mike Pullon. “I had rugged waterproof terminals used in 5-based product with pretty much
worked in mainstream IT and distribution sectors such as forestry and mining,” every feature device you can imagine;
for a while and had even bought a explained Pullon. “Our partnership with and at a very low price. Our resellers,
small reseller. It was very interesting Aceeca takes us into relationships that particularly in the mobile computing
having to deal with the issues that for none of the ‘standard’ vendors were marketplace, have said they totally
many years my customers have had to able to get us in to.” Other solutions agree with us, and have been buying
deal with.” So what was the primary providers that Varlink has recently demo units and selling the product in
reason behind Pullon’s decision to forged a strong relationship with very attractive numbers.”
re-enter the distribution industry? “I include heavy-duty tablet PC company
felt resellers needed products that JLT and Korean vendor Bluebird. “We
were going to be promoted by us to feel we have something really quite Software Village
their end users,” he said. “They also special in this partnership in terms of Varlink runs an ISV ‘Software Village’
needed to know that there was going the product set Bluebird had come to conference and exhibition in York once
to be some weight behind those market with, and also the relationship a year, attended by around 100 of its
products in terms of marketing that we’re developing with the company,” resellers. “For two days, as well as >>
28 IT RESELLER – SEPTEMBER 2007
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