Windows 7 was easily the most prominent technology being touted at the New England Technology Show at the Boston Quincy Marriott in Quincy, Mass. on Tuesday, August 11. Still, it wasn’t Windows 7 alone that drew an estimated 700≠ to 800 VARs to the 19th annual D&H Distributing event.
Indeed, training sessions, networking opportunities, and the displays and representatives from more than 50 exhibitors—including Lenovo, Acer, D-Link, Logitech, and GI/Motorola Broadband—also played a role in attracting the attendee crowd.
“I like to see the show specials,” said David Pete of Bangor, Maine-based Computer Essentials. For his part, he was carefully studying the D&H list of available low-priced equipment when he added, “I’m not looking for anything specifically—whatever’s deeply discounted, whatever we usually use.”
Windows 7
Though the technology did have some help luring the crowds, training sessions and demonstrations of Windows 7 were nevertheless key to this year’s event.
Calling August its “Windows 7 Readiness Focus Month,” D&H Distributing introduced show attendees to its series of programs, promotions, and educational venues all aimed at helping VARs capitalize on the new Microsoft launch, which is set for this October.
The Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program—offering free Windows upgrade coupons for qualified Vista-based computing purchases—were of interest to many, as were the hands-on demo opportunities.
Mary Campbell, vice president of marketing for D&H, said she believes the timing is very good for Windows 7. “There’s a lot of hope out there. When you factor in things like the economy, where companies need to do more with less, and stimulus dollars, where companies may have to ramp up production with fewer people, Microsoft’s launch could really mean a lot.”
Campbell says VARs need to position themselves to capitalize on the business the new operating system will generate.
Training Sessions
Show attendees took advantage of vendor sessions as well. Microsoft’s Windows 7 session was, of course, packed, but other sessions were well attended, too. Cisco, Intel, HP, and SonicWALL had plenty to offer. D&H also put on a few good lectures.
Other than the popular “Windows 7 Preview” from Microsoft, some of the other notable sessions were:
- “Enabling Your Customers with Alternative Financing”—a session from Intel
- “Small Business Solutions”—a Cisco lecture
- “How to Sell Servers to Non-Technical Customers,” hosted by D&H solutions specialist Bill Hersch
- “The Next Generation,” a Hewlett-Packard discussion
- “Triple Your Microsoft SBS Revenue,” hosted by SonicWALL Security Solutions
For newbie exhibitor Snom VoIP Phones, however, the draw was the VARs themselves, not the vendors. “We’re meeting a lot of IT VARs that have never done a voice-over-IP phone system,” said Mike Storella, Snom’s director of business development. “There are a lot of opportunities here.”
Pete from Computer Essentials met with vendor newbies like Snom, but he also continued to monitor his show sales list. Last year, he recalled, his company purchased a small cache of Samsung laser printers. “They were almost half price.” This year, he was eyeing several thin line notebooks.
