Pioneer launches online BTO

System builder Pioneer Computers officially launched a notebook build-to-order (BTO) program in conjunction with Intel promising 10 to 20 point margins on its locally-assembled DreamBook laptops for participating dealers.

Its BTO capability had been trialled for the past three months with a select group of resellers.

Pioneer and Intel developed a “system configurator” which is incorporated into the websites of dealers who join the program. The system configurator can be customised with the dealer’s own banner.

Customers use the configurator to customise a notebook and the configurator would send an order directly to the dealer with order payment being processed by the dealer or drop/ship to the end user if required, Pioneer said.

Pricing and specifications are updated at the backend and dealers benefit from the leads with “minimal effort and delay,” Pioneer said.

Other local builders, namely Bluechip IT and Protac, have also joined the program. Distributors TodayTech and Synnex are also part of the program.

Pioneer boss Jeff Li agreed the BTO program is a good thing for local assemblers as it helped them compete with multinational brands.

He claimed that the 10 to 20 points being offered by Pioneer “gives them [the reseller] some space to move around” compared to the one to three points they were earning selling multinational notebook brands.

Protac International – which is also on the BTO program – has been assembling laptops since 2000 but does not have an online BTO sales mechanism.

Patrick Cheng, product manager at Protac, argued that dealers still prefer to pick up the phone and talk to sales people before they lock up a final deal. “At least you know someone is listening,” he said.