Toshiba touts for Web business

Toshiba UK is now selling PCs on its web site. Another nail in the coffin for PC dealer squealers? Not quite -- Toshiba is doing what it can to keep resellers sweet. It has set up links from its homepage to its resellers' websites -- keeping the channel happy while selling online. Toshiba says that it is acting simply as a gateway, directing the customer to the reseller. This sounds like a step option to us. If Toshiba were starting today, it wouldn't be starting from here. Toshiba's channel policy is interfering with its ability to make sensible decisions over its ecommerce strategy. Toshiba should let punters buy PCs direct off its own web site, if that's what the punters want. Toshiba is vouching for the security of the resellers' sites. Con Mallon, marketing manager at Toshiba commented: "Buying Toshiba PCs from our resellers online is as secure as any other route." More resellers are expected to sign up to the scheme in the future, provided that they meet Toshiba's security and availability criteria. ®