IT and technology distributor management in Poland - December 2006

In the 1990s the author set up a number of technology distribution companies in Poland, some of which remain are market leaders. By advising manufacturers and exporters PMR is now in the role of “poacher turned gamekeeper”. A well managed and effective distributor network is an intelligent and low cost way to penetrate new markets such as those in Eastern Europe and Russia. However, distributors this strategy does not always work out in the IT and technology sector (or others for that matter). Increasingly, the sales volumes for companies in IT and technology markets in Poland are now sometimes larger than some countries in the traditional markets of Western Europe such as Greece or Benelux. Sometimes even where the distributor is successful, distributor owned operations are not advisable, as the interests of the distributor and manufacturer are not aligned and having external companies controlling access to large volumes of business without direct contact with clients is always risky.