Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/1999/10/13/quantum_kicks_c2000_into_touch/

Quantum kicks C2000 into touch

Distie's deals with rivals lead to parting of the ways

By Linda Harrison

Posted in On-Prem, 13th October 1999 11:21 GMT

Computer 2000 has been dropped as a Quantum UK distributor, in the midst of the broadliner's efforts to ramp up its components business. The contract was terminated on 1 October -- Computer 2000 claimed the two companies were heading in "different directions" in the market. In a company statement, Quantum director for Northern Europe John Barnes said: "In the UK region, it was jointly decided by Quantum and Computer 2000 that the best short-term business of both companies would best be served by letting the distribution arrangement lapse. "It is open for this situation to change in the future." Quantum declined to elaborate on the reasons behind the split, but Barnes said that Computer 2000 would keep its other Quantum franchises in Europe, including Germany, France and Spain. Quantum had been looking to trim its partners in the UK, and Computer 2000 was the likely candidate as it offered too many rival storage products, sources told The Register. Sven Mahon-Daly, general manager for PC components at Computer 2000, said: "The reasons lie in us going in different directions in distribution at the moment. Our needs revolve around focussing on hard drives. We have taken on other vendors, and are currently talking to IBM. "We want to strengthen our position in the hard drive market." Mahon said Quantum was unhappy about distributors signing up competing vendors. Computer 2000 is now looking to shift its remaining Quantum stock of around 500 IDEs and 50 SCSIs drives into the UK channel. The franchise termination follows Fujitsu's decision in July to sign up Computer 2000 as a distributor for its hard drives in the UK. At the time, Computer 2000 was setting out its stall to be the lead player in the UK components distribution market. Computer 2000 was this week telling customers it would be concentrating on its storage business with Fujitsu and Maxtor. Quantum's remaining hard disk drive distributors in the UK are Microtronica, Ingram Micro, Ideal Hardware, Karma, Datrontech, Actebis and Raab Karcher Distribution. ®