Transactional 'Box Goods' Resellers

In June of 2004 at the InfoComm show in Atlanta, GA, I announced that after a two year evaluation of Extron distribution in the United States, the primarily transactional, or box goods, resellers were no longer authorized to sell Extron products. This decision was based on the need for before and after-the-sale design and installation support, and other support considerations unique to Extron products.

Extron products require technical knowledge to select the right products for a specific application. This is why the first requirement for becoming an Authorized Extron Dealer is integration and support capabilities. It is then our responsibility to provide the technical training on Extron products and technologies needed to enhance our dealers' integration capabilities.

In my opinion, there is a place for the transactional reseller of commodity type products and plug-and-play products. Some Extron integration dealers have a transactional function, or order desk, as part of their business. The products that can be offered on the transactional side are the plug-and-play or commodity products that require little or no technical support. If support is ever needed, these integration oriented dealers have the capability of providing full support upon request.

Extron encourages users of Extron products to purchase only from Authorized Extron Dealers. These dealers are capable of providing design, integration and support for Extron products. We have found that most of our Authorized Extron Dealers are highly competitive on price and are unmatched in technical expertise and product support.