D&H Offering LED Video Wall ‘Kits' & Services, Helping IT Partners Profit From ProAV Opportunities

As Forces Like COVID-19 Cause Companies to Rethink Meeting Spaces or Add Esports Arenas, D&H is Leveraging Vendor Kits & Professional Services To Help Partners Deploy Lucrative Video Walls

D&H Distributing, a major provider of SMB and consumer technologies to the North American high-tech channel, announces it is helping its IT partners capture large-format video wall solutions—a high-ticket, high-margin opportunity. D&H has historically offered traditional DVLED (Direct View digital signage) and LED video walls, and recently added streamlined “video kits” to its product portfolio, including from Samsung, LG, NEC, Planar, and ViewSonic.

These kits are designed to allow IT partners to more easily deploy such full-scale video wall solutions, which many partners otherwise tended to view as complex. The distributor is adding resources including an upgraded online mini-site, new personnel, and a D&H TV educational session for partners. This also includes support from D&H’s Professional Services team, encompassing project services such as on-site installation, pre-sales support, deal registration, the creation of bills of material, and quote assistance. The initiative will position partners to expand their core competencies and increase revenues through these large-format installations.

Historically, video wall installations have been highly customized, requiring expertise in A/V disciplines. However, with the advent of video wall kits, signage manufacturers have incorporated a certain amount of preconfigured and prefabricated elements that allow IT partners with less experience on the installer side to successfully implement these jobs.

Large-scale video wall deployments can be lucrative, especially in markets such as education, where Esports leagues and gaming arenas are experiencing increased momentum. According to Business Insider, the total addressable market for Esports is predicted to surpass $1.5B by 2023, representing a massive opportunity. Depending upon the application and content to be displayed, revenue estimates for Esports installations range from $80,000 on to exceeding the $300,000 range. These projects typically include displays, content management software, collaborative solutions, professional audio, cabling, power products, and accessories. One of the leading applications D&H is seeing for these solutions is to help companies support COVID-19 compliance. Social distancing considerations are causing many organizations to redesign their meeting and collaboration spaces, including the implementation of multi-panel signage which informs customers and addresses physically-dispersed crowds

“Video wall kits are helping to bring these projects to the mass market, streamlining configuration and installation,” said Peter Hurley, the director of D&H’s growing ProAV Business Unit. “We’re looking for partners to utilize the vendor-supplied kits in combination with D&H’s robust menu of Professional Services. They can also leverage resources like training and marketing materials, to both educate partners and help them drive awareness of the viability of these projects. Such tools and services will empower partners to add ProAV video wall deployments to their portfolios, even if they don’t have in-house expertise in this area.”

D&H has witnessed a shift in vendor strategies toward offering both customized and kit-based solutions, allowing existing AV dealers and IT specialists alike to profit in this space. “As the digital signage market continues to mature,” Hurley continued, “D&H’s experts have accumulated hands-on success in the field. They are well-positioned to help partners deploy both custom and kit-based solutions efficiently, while staying on-budget, and within an effective timeline.”

COVID-19 - Creating Demand for Video Walls
COVID-19 has become a key driver for video walls in environments such as schools, hospitals, and houses of worship, all areas where substantial groups of patrons gather and may need information on current COVID-19 directives. Sizable screens have become more of a requisite in socially-distanced settings, where attendees must be further spread-out than ever to comply with guidelines. Spaces ranging from conference areas to theaters now need twice the room to accommodate the same amount of people. This phenomenon is prompting companies to reevaluate signage configurations for boardrooms, meeting halls, lobbies, and performance venues.

Investing in ProAV Training and Resources
To support partners in this category, D&H is investing in increased sales personnel and has upgraded its ProAV mini-site at www.dandh.com/proav. The page now includes information for both on-site and remote projects arranged by vertical market; a streamlined vendor locator tool with access to ProAV assets, briefing center links, and promotions; plus direct links to downloadable manufacturer-based marketing content.

This is in addition to the distributor’s training offerings. A new D&H TV presentation, “Capturing Your Share of the ProAV & Collaboration Market,” took place on February 18 and is available on-demand at www.dandh.com/DHTV. Speakers include Peter Hurley and D&H’s Tiffany Ward, the distributor’s new director of professional services.

About D&H Distributing
D&H Distributing believes the most important element of doing business is developing relationships for mutual success, delivering superior engagement experiences to its community of partners and employee co-owners. The company continues to build upon its 100-year-old culture, providing a wealth of partner enablement resources, multi-market expertise, and consultative services. D&H maintains a focus on independent VAR and MSP partners, expanding their competencies in areas such as cloud services, ProAV, collaboration, UCC, mobility, Esports, digital displays, smart home automation, video surveillance, digital imaging, and server networks across a range of markets. Its value proposition includes highly lauded training opportunities and partner engagement events, dedicated Solutions Specialists, certifications, professional marketing resources, and an expanding digital Cloud Marketplace. For more information, visit www.dandh.com