D&H Shows 8% Growth In Fiscal Year 2013, Bolstered By Mobility And Tablet Sales

— Tripled YOY Sales in Tablets, and New BYOD Partner Solutions, Reflect the Increased Use of Consumerized Mobile Devices in SMB, Contributing to a Profitable Fiscal Year —

HARRISBURG, PA – D&H Distributing, the major North American computer products and consumer electronics distributor, announces it has experienced more than 8% growth for the 2013 Fiscal Year (ending April 30, 2013), fueled by sales of mobility products.  This figure is more than three times the organic growth rate achieved by IT distribution in general over the past year.  Tablet sales at D&H have tripled year-over-year, driven by strong showings from Android models in the seven- and 10-inch formats.  This year’s overall growth figure adds to D&H’s tally of more than 380 consecutive profitable quarters.

According to study by a Harris Interactive, at least 81% of all employed adults use at least one personal electronic device for business.  Expansion in the tablet category at D&H concurs with recent reports from ABI Research, a NY-based analyst firm, predicting shipments of these devices to climb 38 percent to 150 million in 2013.  It claims that 22% of US companies have deployed tablets, and predicts that figure will grow to 78% in 2013.  The same report predicted that the Android OS would take the lead in market share.

Strong numbers have begun to accumulate for 10-inch tablets featuring Windows 8 Pro, with new models being touted as well-suited for corporate environments.  These include the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 and the Atom-powered HP ElitePad 900, which debuted early Q1/late Q4; in addition to a list of other new Win 8 Pro models.  D&H also predicts aggressive sales of forthcoming 7-inch Windows 8 Pro models.

As tends to happen when new formats emerge, the tablet boon has spawned an ecosystem of popular accessories, including removable keyboards, convertible cases and stands for both iOS and Android models.  Such items have shown healthy growth at D&H as well.  Resellers are encouraged to bulk-up sales by bundling these accessories into BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) projects.

In addition, major D&H partners such as Cisco have launched BYOD initiatives, offering products like its Wireless Access Point switches for SMB environments up to 250 seats.  These routers provide ample, secure wireless connectivity to support a fleet of office-bound personal mobile devices ranging from tablets and slates, to Ultrabooks, to smartphones. This vendor’s appliances address one of the main concerns of BYOD:  mobile security.  Such products can serve as add-on items or create upgrade opportunities for VARs.

D&H has added a new customizable brochure template, “The Benefits of a Mobile Workforce,” to its Partner Services marketing resource library.  This brandable document outlines the pros and cons of employees utilizing their chosen devices for business, in and out of the workplace. The brochure will help resellers market to companies looking for direction on BYOD products and policies, enabling them craft programs and solutions to meet each office’s needs.

“Growth at D&H has increasingly revolved around mobility, with its focus ranging from notebooks to tablets and thin-and-lite technologies over the years. The needs of the SMB market are unique.  BYOD presents complex issues for this segment that are not always addressed by suppliers. VARs selling to this space need to provide guidance to their end-customers in order to capture business,” said Dan Schwab, co-president at D&H Distributing.  “As the mobility space has matured, we have worked to educate resellers on their options, so they can dictate what solutions will help maintain security while growing productivity and accommodating the preferences of individual employees.  This consultative engagement has always played a role in our organic success as a distributor.”

Above-20% Growth Categories at D&H, Fiscal Year 2013 (May 1, 2012 – May 1, 2013)

Tablets                                     Desktops                                

Networking                             SSD drives                             

Predicted Growth Areas, FY 2014:

Mobile devices

Wearable computing devices

Servers

Digital signage           

About D&H Distributing

As the nation’s leading technology distributor, D&H provides a wealth of resources to empower solution providers and consultants, delivering a broad selection of SMB categories, products and applications.  The company’s offerings span server and infrastructure, SOHO and mobile applications, consumer electronics and gaming.  D&H’s multi-market expertise, account-dedicated sales teams, sterling service and flexible financing options are unmatched in the industry.

With an impressive 95-year history serving as a trusted advisor to the reseller channel, D&H has been able to consistently reinvent itself based upon changing market conditions. The company prides itself on creating business partnerships with an astute focus on ease-of-doing-business, relationships, value, performance and service.

D&H has been named Cisco’s Worldwide Small Business Distributor of the Year, won the Microsoft Licensing Operational Excellence Award seven years running and has been named Microsoft’s OEM Distributor of the Year.  The company ships out of five separate locations in North America, including its US headquarters in Harrisburg and its Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario.  Additional US warehouses are located in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; and Fresno, CA. Call D&H toll-free at (800) 340-1001 or visit www.dandh.com.