Datech to Provide Channel, Marketing and Sales Expertise to Distribute MakerBot Products in Europe
Starting January 2015, MakerBot Europe and Datech, Tech Data Europe's specialist brand for the value-added distribution of Autodesk design software, will work together in distributing MakerBot® 3D printing and scanning products in the European countries of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
Datech will exclusively distribute the MakerBot Replicator® 3D Printer portfolio, which includes the MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer, the MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer, the MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D Printer and the MakerBot Replicator 2X Experimental 3D Printer, as well as the MakerBot DigitizerTM Desktop 3D Scanner and MakerBot PLA and ABS Filaments.
"We believe that the sales distribution agreement between MakerBot Europe and Datech is the right step at the right time for both sides and will help MakerBot expand its market-leading position in professional desktop 3D printing across Europe," noted Alexander Hafner, General Manager of MakerBot Europe. "Tech Data is already a distribution partner with MakerBot in the U.S. and partnering with them is designed to help us expand our activities and footprint in the growing 3D printing market in Europe. Datech, with its many years of experience in the Autodesk design software market, is an ideal partner for this project, especially with its deep knowledge of the market and its close connection to a network of more than 3,000 resellers and customers in engineering, architecture and design. Datech and its resellers will be able to broaden their product range with market-leading 3D printing products that are very closely connected to Datech's existing Autodesk business. We see the two markets sharing a large common ground for the Datech resellers, as they already have all the competencies needed to create designs and files that can be realized with MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers."
To enable the reseller on-boarding process, MakerBot Europe has launched its Reseller Zone (makerbot-reseller.zone), which allows resellers to get involved and update their knowledge of MakerBot 3D printing and scanning products, and guides customers through the world of 3D printing.
This sales partnership between Datech and MakerBot will create a network of nine strategically positioned service centers that are planned to be established in 2015 and are aimed to help satisfy MakerBot customers' support and sales needs at the highest level possible and guarantees responses to support cases and specific customer requests in a timely manner.
"Our resellers have been looking for a complete solution and new opportunities with the fast-growing 3D printing market," said Mike Appel, Vice President, Datech Europe at Tech Data. "We are happy to provide them the possibility to use their experience in selling 3D design solutions with Autodesk software to now enable their end-user customers to step into the world of 3D printing and Real-Time Prototyping."
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