Advanced Management is Olympus disty

In a bid to extend its user reach deeper and in a more extensive manner Olympus has appointed Kolkata-based Advance Management as the first distributor in IT channel business for their entire range of digital cameras. In a strategic tie-up that was agreed between Advance and Olympus, the former has been given the responsibility to distribute Olympus digicams in the state of West Bengal. 



Speaking about the tie-up Anand Philip DeSouza, Business Development Manager (India), Olympus Imaging Corp said, “People who enter an IT shop to purchase a PC prefer to buy the entire package including all the related components. And digital cameras are nowadays identified largely as a product related to IT. Therefore, it makes sense for us to tap this huge share of end users related to the IT industry.”



Till recently, Olympus had distributors for the photographic channel only. Realizing the large untapped potential of digicam sales through IT channel this tie-up is an effort by Olympus to target this segment. 



Throwing light on the reason why Olympus chose Kolkata to launch into the IT channel DeSouza said, “ We always wanted to have the maximum presence here. And since now onwards we will have our products moving through both the IT and photographic channels we will be able to accomplish our target by having more visibility in the market.” 



Olympus has a sales rate of about 700 units per month in Kolkata through the photo channel. With its new venture the company is expecting to have an initial sale of another thousand units per month in West Bengal. 



Discussing the tie-up Sanjay Chhajer, Director, Advance Management said, “Olympus has been present in Kolkata for quite some time now. But they were almost absent in the IT channel. The sales were done mainly through the image channel. This is the first time that they have entered the IT channel business mode and it is our privilege that we got the first opportunity.” 



The company is highly hopeful of the success of its new endeavor. “There is a vacuum as far as high-end digital cameras are concerned. And the brand weight that the Olympus camera carries in the photography arena, will certainly attract the buyers,” Chhajer said. 



Meanwhile Olympus being present for over eight years in India opened up their first liaison office in Mumbai last November. For Olympus the first three months will be crucial in measuring the success rate of their newly found business mode. The company is also looking at introducing this latest strategy in other parts of the country as well. Though it will be too early to predict anything right now as a lot will depend on the success ratio of the present effort, yet for the IT channel this is certainly one company to watch out for in the days to come.