Magazine Article | April 1, 2002

VAR Opportunities With Cranel's Different Brands

Business Solutions, April 2002
Written by: Shannon Lampe

(Columbus, OH) - Cranel, Inc. continues to carve separate identities for the three brands (Cranel Imaging, Versitec, and Adexis) it created a year ago. I visited corporate headquarters recently to find out how this change is impacting VARs and integrators. According to Scott Slack, Cranel's VP of marketing, the new brands have helped differentiate the companies and the customers they are serving.

Cranel Imaging, a value-added distributor of document imaging products, is the brand most channel members are familiar with, says Slack. This spring Cranel Imaging will unveil a reseller program that provides VARs and integrators more incentives for repeat purchases. The distributor is also introducing leasing options for resellers who want to offer product leasing to their customers.

Cranel Imaging is also promoting to the channel the synergies of working with Versitec. Versitec, formerly Cranel Service, provides technology service and support to end users with document imaging and data storage solutions. Versitec offers call center and online support, as well as on-site repairs. VARs and integrators that want to focus on selling and installation, rather than service and support, can earn referral fees for recommending service customers to Versitec, according to Kate Redmond, Versitec's director of service marketing.

The last brand to emerge from the split is Adexis, which acts as a storage integrator for larger end users. Slack says this company only provides storage solutions to end users, so there is no channel conflict with Cranel Imaging's VAR and integrator customers. Cranel, Inc. President James Wallace revealed a bit of the company's strategy behind its different directions. "We will continue to provide technology products and services in places where the channel and end users need us to. However, Cranel won't go where VARs and integrators feel like we're infringing on their territory." For more information, go to www.cranelimaging.com, www.versitec.com, and www.adexis.com.