D&H Experiencing 8% FY 2013 Growth Bolstered by Mobility, Tablet Sales

D&H Distributing reported today that is has experienced more than 8% growth for the 2013 Fiscal Year (ending April 30, 2013), fueled by sales of mobility products.  This figure is more than three times the organic growth rate achieved by IT distribution in general over the past year.  Tablet sales at D&H have tripled year-over-year, driven by strong showings from Android models in the seven- and 10-inch formats.  This year’s overall growth figure adds to D&H’s tally of more than 380 consecutive profitable quarters.

According to study by a Harris Interactive, at least 81% of all employed adults use at least one personal electronic device for business.  Expansion in the tablet category at D&H concurs with recent reports from ABI Research, a NY-based analyst firm, predicting shipments of these devices to climb 38 percent to 150 million in 2013.  It claims that 22% of US companies have deployed tablets, and predicts that figure will grow to 78% in 2013.  The same report predicted that the Android OS would take the lead in market share.

Strong numbers have begun to accumulate for 10-inch tablets featuring Windows 8 Pro, with new models being touted as well-suited for corporate environments.  These include the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 and the Atom-powered HP ElitePad 900, which debuted early Q1/late Q4; in addition to a list of other new Win 8 Pro models.  D&H also predicts aggressive sales of forthcoming 7-inch Windows 8 Pro models.

As tends to happen when new formats emerge, the tablet boon has spawned an ecosystem of popular accessories, including removable keyboards, convertible cases and stands for both iOS and Android models.  Such items have shown healthy growth at D&H as well.  The distributor is also encouraging VARs to bulk-up sales by bundling these accessories into BYOD projects.

In addition, major D&H partners such as Cisco have launched BYOD initiatives, offering products like its Wireless Access Point switches for SMB environments up to 250 seats.  These routers provide ample, secure wireless connectivity to support a fleet of office-bound personal mobile devices ranging from tablets and slates, to Ultrabooks, to smartphones. This vendor’s appliances address one of the main concerns of BYOD:  mobile security.  Such products can serve as add-on items or create upgrade opportunities for VARs.

D&H has also added a new customizable brochure template, “The Benefits of a Mobile Workforce,” to its Partner Services marketing resource library.  This brandable document outlines the pros and cons of employees utilizing their chosen devices for business, in and out of the workplace. The brochure will help resellers market to companies looking for direction on BYOD products and policies, enabling them craft programs and solutions to meet each office’s needs.