Paul Butterworth (Merge)
Local converged communications solutions specialist Merge was in the process of expanding its retail portfolio of products and services when the distributor for two of its key product offerings, Maxhub and Bluejeans, ran into trouble.
According to Merge director Paul Butterworth, the distributor started having trading difficulties, meaning that Merge’s supply was threatened.
In response, the communications technology provider turned to the respective vendors to see what supply alternatives might be on the table.
“To our surprise they asked us if we were interested in taking up the distribution rights,” Butterworth told Reseller News.
The offer came after Matthew Borchert, former strategic sales director at communications technology maker and distributor Polaris Communications, put in a good word to the vendors about Merge and its leadership team.
According to Butterworth, the vendors recognised that Borchert had been key to the previous distributor being appointed in the local market and trusted his judgment when he had subsequently given Merge a strong recommendation as a reseller in New Zealand.
“So, the original manufacturers thought, on Matthew’s recommendation, that we could move from reseller to distributor; after suitable due diligence by all parties, Merge signed up for both distribution options,” Butterworth said.
A key part of the transition from reseller to distributor was the move by Merge to recruit Borchert to run the distribution business.
Before joining Merge, Borchert had worked with Polaris Communications, which plays in the communications technology distribution space in both Australia and New Zealand, for close to four years.
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Polaris entered voluntary administration in June last year, according to documents lodged with the Australian corporate regulator. However, it appears that the company continues to trade.
Regardless, with Borchert on board as distribution manager, Merge has quickly brought on additional vendors, building up its distribution portfolio to include an impressive and complementary array of unified communications technology vendors in a relatively short period of time.
After striking its first distribution agreements with Maxhub, a Chinese interactive panel manufacturer, and videoconferencing platform vendor Bluejeans, Merge has since been appointed as a distributor for meeting room software Quicklaunch and videoconferencing portal Video Window.
These two additional vendors, the latter of which is understood to have struck an exclusive agreement with Merge, represent complementary products that effectively rounded out the local distributor’s overall meeting room tech offering.
For its part, Maxhub provides Merge with a comprehensive range of interactive flat panels, non-touch monitors, LED screens and related equipment. The Maxhub product set is the foundation of the distributor’s meeting room tech portfolio.
Bluejeans, now owned by Verizon, is on a pathway to major product enhancement and is expected to soon rival other competitor services in service quality and functionality, according to Butterworth. The vendor’s emerging product offering imbues Merge with affordable studio-level videoconference production and control and ad-hoc videoconference and collaboration functionality.
Quicklaunch, meanwhile, provides Merge and its growing partner network with a touch interface for screen, meeting room and videoconference control, bringing together multiple videoconference services with a single touch to join a range of platforms, including Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, Bluejeans and more.
At the same time, Video Window – a recent entrant to the meeting room and videoconference industry – offers spontaneous, ad-hoc videoconference interactions that in essence extend desk, pod or watercooler interactions into the digital space.
Building a reseller base
It seems Merge was in good company when it decided to turn to distribution. Ricoh was already at the table when the company commenced its discussions with Maxhub and was signed up as its first reseller, the deal being inked at almost the same time Merge finalised its distribution agreement with the vendor.
“Ricoh is a premier partner that has committed to fairly significant volumes,” Butterworth said. “They are a mature business with strong sales, marketing and delivery capability, so were quickly into their stride with a fast ramp up of orders.”
In addition to signing Ricoh as its first reseller partner, Merge concurrently pursued a targeted reseller campaign which, from a cold start, is now yielding some success, with four more tier one suppliers in the gold partner category.
And there are another two tiers of resellers the company is working to recruit and onboard – ICT and audiovisual (AV) integrators. In this group, there are dozens of providers Merge has set its sights on.
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