Hitachi tempts IT resellers with LCD projectors

In an exclusive interview with CRN, Dipak Kumar, general manager of Digital Presentation Solutions Group at Hitachi, said, the division was previously part of its consumer sector.

After 30 years of business in Australia, Hitachi closed its consumer and electronics vendor, in January.

“Until the consumer sector was pulled from the marketplace, all products were sold through mass merchant retailers,” said Kumar.

“The sector largely concentrated on LCD screens, cameras and other electronics.”

According to Kumar, the new division looks at offering products like LCD projectors and LCD white boards to vertical sectors, like education.

“Traditionally Hitachi has gone through AV resellers, who’s main focus is doing a system installation,” he said.

“With both the Federal and State Government pushing more funding into providing technology for schools, we see this as a big opportunity in that sector.”

Kumar said the commercial products were pitched at AV-resellers. However the vendor wants IT resellers to help pitch its LCD projectors to their end users.

“We are planning to recruit a couple of IT distributors who would then, go and recruit IT resellers on our behalf,” he said.

“We are still in the early stages of talks, but I think IT can address new markets like hospitality and SMBs.

“The margins on the product will be whatever the distributor offers.”

He claimed the IT market was dominated with LCD projectors and Hitachi would offer LCD projectors CPRX 17, CPX 1, 2 and 5 its portable models to IT resellers.