D&H Distributing has launched a new professional services practice that will include white glove and integration services, managed services and project services, according to a statement from the distributor.
The white glove and integration services will target verticals such as education with device enrollment, asset tagging, laser etching of hardware and on-site assessments, fulfilling opportunities for Chromebook and device management deployments in the classroom, D&H said. The managed services offerings will launch in the spring of 2021, and will enable VARs and MSPs to attach services to devices and infrastructure solutions. Enhanced project services will supplement D&H's existing project services portfolio, the company said.
These offerings dovetail with D&H’s existing programs, such as the XaaS and DaaS offerings, where partners can offer a bundled mix of hardware, solutions and services tailored to vertical markets, and which can be consumed via a monthly payment structure, D&H said.
D&H Professional Services Offerings for VARs and MSPs
D&H will offer comprehensive help desk services and bundle hardware from manufacturers like Lenovo and HP with software and security services, according to the statement. MSP partners can resell these services on a white-label basis to strengthen their own offerings. The objective is to create turn-key solutions that add value for the end-user, which can be paid via a monthly license, D&H said.
The distributor is also building a formal managed services offering, slated to launch in spring 2021, to enable VAR and MSP partners to attach targeted services to devices and infrastructure solutions, according to the statement. Partners can customize these services for delivery with their own branded offering, creating new recurring revenue streams, .
Services will include device management, device security, infrastructure management, infrastructure security and help desk services, D&H said. Partners can customize the services for delivery with their own branded offering, and leverage a team of D&H’s professional services experts with no additional investment in technical staff and resources, according to the statement.
D&H also plans to expand its existing project services capabilities with new offerings in areas like assessments, migrations and on-site installation services, according to the statement. D&H said its VAR and MSP partners can leverage D&H’s personal and technical resources to augment their technical skills, geographic reach and scale by branding these project services as their own.
The distributor said it will be expanding its project services capabilities as a supplement to the company’s existing strategic initiatives in areas such as ProAV, Esports, cloud, data center and network infrastructure and security.
“D&H realized that its partners could achieve terrific margins if they could bundle services with every hardware sale, not only increasing revenues for those partners, but enhancing their ability to win business by bringing a total solution to the table,” said Tiffany Ward, director of D&H’s professional services practice. “We’re working to create a more robust, high-value services portfolio for channel partners, making D&H a single-source destination to fulfill the business needs of their end-customers.”
D&H recently hired Ward, who is a channel and distribution veteran, as director of professional services to lead the team of D&H Solutions Experts and build out the company’s portfolio of high-value services, according to the statement. Ward has more than a decade of experience developing managed services strategies for the channel, including with a major distribution partner.
D&H has already started working with integrators and augmenting those partners capabilities, allowing MSPs to offer these services on a white label basis. The new enhancements to D&H’s white glove and integration offering began in late 2020 and Ward will continue to expand the company’s product services capabilities as well as launch a portfolio of managed services, the company said. Ward will report to Jason Bystrak, who leads D&H’s Cloud and Services business unit, according to the statement.
D&H Posts Double-digit Growth
The distributor has already seen a significant increase over last year’s revenue for integration services alone, and has surpassed its monthly sales goals through the fall, according to the statement.
Driven by changing conditions due to the global pandemic, it has achieved overall growth of 14% YoY and VAR growth of close to 25% in the first half of its Fiscal Year 2021, which began May 1, 2020. In addition to fulfilling demand for laptops, webcams, displays, remote infrastructures and collaboration solutions to accommodate the shift to work-from-home environments, D&H said it saw significantly increased demand of more than 50% year-over-year for more traditional technologies such as home office and small business print and imaging solutions.
D&H’s growth outpaced the general distribution industry, experiencing 14% increases in sales in the first six months of its fiscal year. Key categories like cloud solutions (87% increase), XaaS and DaaS (74%), and ProAV (55%) saw notable spikes, and growth is expected to continue in hot categories such as business continuity and remote work, according to the statement. Figures are year-over-year, fiscal year-to-date.
“As is typical with D&H, we didn’t take the course of many competitors during the pandemic,” said Dan Schwab, D&H’s co-president. “When others cut costs and reduced channel investments, D&H extended credit and established new focus areas specific to the evolving needs of the market, providing training and resources in areas like distance learning, remote networks, cyber security, and cloud services. The result of these efforts was increased engagement and loyalty among our partners. As we add new areas such as Professional Services and the market recovers more fully, we look forward to supporting continued channel success and growth.”
“Our fiscal year performance has exceeded our expectations so far, setting records for D&H month after month as we met the explosive demand for technology in 2020. We’re proud to have empowered so many channel partners, helping them keep their business customers viable through the disruptions of COVID-19,” said Michael Schwab, D&H’s co-president.
