Did you ever try to log in a support request with your vendor and they refused to provide it because it seems your product did not belong to the right region? They said your device or software was not purchased through the channel. Hence, they cannot provide the necessary support. You know the product is genuine you know it is the right one; so why are they not providing you with the support? Well, this is because you did not buy through the channel.
Imagine you were Cisco or HPE with millions of customers around the world. These customers each have specific requirements, different standards and regulations, and all of them must benefit from the highest possible level of support and care. Would you scale your company to manage all these customers individually? That would mean having offices in almost every country and it would also be a nightmare to provide support, services, presentations, customer meetings, regulation, compliance, etc. and all that at a competitive cost.
Instead of doing what I just described, companies create a channel. A channel consists of the Vendor (Cisco, Dell, HPE, Veeam, Microsoft, etc.), then comes the distributor (just a few per country), then the partner (also called the reseller), and then the end customer (the final user of the product). This means the Vendor gets to work with only a handful of distributors and that’s it. It enables them to be agile and respond rapidly to our needs as customers.
The distributors belong to a region (North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, etc.) which consist of countries. Representation is given to these distributors to sell to partners in those regions. Apotica is a partner that is authorized to sell in the Africa region typically.
Any product purchased outside the channel is called “grey”. This means it is not procured for the intended region. Let’s look at what seems so attractive about grey products.
Different regions mean different pricing. A product that is listed for $500 in the United States may be listed at $700 for sub-Sahara Africa. It is the same product, manufactured by the same company yet the price differs from one region to another and that price difference may look attractive to customers trying to cut cost.
The main reasons pricing differs is the sales volumes. Certain regions are simply not able to generate enough revenue, which results in a higher cost of doing business for the vendor.
Another reason is lead time. When you buy through the channel, it may take several weeks before the product arrives. Yet if you go online and just buy it off Amazon, you may get it way quicker.
Even though you may get the product at a cheaper price, the vendor will refuse to support you or replace failed components when you need it. No partner will be willing to support you lest they get their license to sell revoked. You will be on your own with a product without necessary support. Besides, we are always ready to give you the best possible discount; talk to your account manager. For early delivery, commit early and get the order booked.
Even though it may be more expensive sometimes (on the short run) to buy through the channel, the long-term benefits (full product support, extended services and warranties, vendor buy-back options, etc.) outweigh that fact. Delivery could take longer because your products get manufactured specifically and tailored to your needs at the time the order is placed (to reduce manufacturing costs). Try your best to get workable realistic timelines and release purchase orders in time for projects.
In order to fully benefit for your brand-new equipment, it is paramount you purchase it through the channel. Place your orders with Apotica, who will in turn book the order with the Vendor through an authorized distributor for your region. This will ensure you are able to take advantage of all additional services that come with the product. Remember, the channel exists to protect your investment.
Apotica is 100% committed to selling only through the channel. Our sales team is always available to provide you with timely quotations and our delivery team will bring the equipment right to your doorstep. To inquire about any equipment or software, call us on +233.54.431.5710 or write to sales@apotica.net.
Apotica, headquartered in Accra, Ghana brings together the best information and communications technologies to help clients grow, compete and serve their customers better.
Matilda, a Chartered Accountant, joined Apotica in May 2023. With over 12 years of experience in banking, insurance, pensions, accounting and finance, she is responsible for the company’s financial control, strategic planning, management reporting, and overall financial performance.
She holds a BSc degree in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Ghana Business School and an MSc in Accounting and Finance from the same institution. Matilda is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana.
Matilda has attended the Executive Education course in Strategic Management at the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands and participated in other leadership seminars around the world.
Peniel Korley is Head of Marketing for Apotica, designing and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies to create awareness of the company’s business activities.
Peniel joined Apotica in April 2019 and has helped build our market presence through an adept combination of traditional marketing and digital marketing techniques, executing and monitoring corporate promotion campaigns, and conducting market research to help us stay abreast of trends.
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Ghana and a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing from the University of Ghana Business School. He’s a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
As Head of Projects, Sylvester Kyeremeh is responsible for coordinating people and processes to ensure that our client projects are delivered on time and produce the desired results. He leads this function within the confines of our quality management and information security management systems.
Sylvester joined Apotica in 2017 as a Systems Engineer, before moving on to join our project management practice a year later. His calm and collected approach to interpersonal engagements, impressive sense of planning, and excellent communication skills continue to receive the plaudits of our customers.
Sylvester received his B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology. He’s a Certified Information Systems Auditor, a Cisco-certified professional, an ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, and a member of the Project Management Institute with PMP and Scrum Master qualifications.
At 25, Millicent is currently the youngest head of department at Apotica, taking up this role in August 2020. She’s responsible for managing all aspects of risk to the organization, employees, clients, assets, reputation, and interests of stakeholders. Millicent also works with the leadership of the organization to embed and maintain a risk-aware culture in the organization.
Before joining Apotica, she worked as a broadcast journalist at Radio Universe – a popular media house in Accra. Millicent holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has attended the Executive Education course in Personal Leadership at the Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands.
She’s a Certified Governance, Risk, and Compliance Professional (GRCP) and a qualified ISO 9001 Lead Implementer.
Elom Kutsienyo is the Chief Technology Officer at Apotica. A technology enthusiast and Apple nerd, he is responsible for the development and maintenance of our excellent technical services capabilities and enabling our engineering teams to become adept at industry best practices relating to enterprise solutions design, deployments, and support.
Since taking up the CTO role in August 2019, he has strategically grown our product offerings through strong channel partnerships with leading ICT vendors. Elom’s extensive experience in product sales, project management, service delivery, and field engineering also helps as he oversees company webinars, product demos, proof-of-value activities, and technical proposals for clients.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Telecom Engineering from Ghana Technology University College and has attained several professional qualifications including the coveted Cisco CCIE certification as well as certifications from Microsoft, VMware, NetApp, HPE, and Nutanix.
Clifford leads the Customer Experience practice at Apotica which encompasses our consulting, technology, support, and learning services.
Prior to his position at Apotica, Clifford was the senior manager of IT Infrastructure at Stanbic, a leading commercial bank in Ghana. He has also previously held roles in field engineering, service delivery, and customer support at organizations including Huawei, IBM, Tech Mahindra, and Zenith Bank.
Clifford is PMP-certified and holds a Bachelor’s in Information Technology, as well as several industry certifications from Microsoft, VMware, and Amazon.
Dzigbodi Amekoudi oversees company business in Benin and the countries in French West Africa. As Country Manager, his primary responsibility is business development, which involves helping to define and introduce the right go-to-market strategies and making sure our business operates profitably in the territory. He’s also responsible for establishing operating budgets and managing company employees in his region.
During his tenure, Dzigbodi has led Apotica’s expansion into other countries including Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry, Mali, and Niger. Additionally, he works with our technical services leads to ensure successful post-sales delivery of customer projects.
Dzigbodi started his career in engineering and project management, before joining Apotica as a key accounts manager in January 2020.
He earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Telecommunications from Ghana Technology University College and a Master of Science degree in International Management from Franklin University Switzerland. He’s a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
Emmanuel Nketia is responsible for managing all sales functions at Apotica and oversees other departments, including marketing, operations, and client renewals. An excellent salesman and negotiator, he brings with him 20 years of experience in logistics, accounting, business development, and customer relationship management.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology. He’s also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK, and an MBA Marketing candidate at the University of Ghana Business School.
Emmanuel has attended the Executive Education course in Strategic Management from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands and participated in other leadership seminars in the USA.
At Apotica, we are on a mission to help clients grow and serve their customers better. As CEO, Felix Nkansah works closely with our Sales, Services, and Operations leadership to identify customer and industry transitions and determine our strategies to address them.
Felix joined Apotica in January 2017 and brings more than 18 years of experience across executive leadership, systems engineering, customer support, and sales functions with some regional conglomerates and information technology companies.
He has a background in computer science and holds expert-level professional certifications in networking, security, and systems design.