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However, printers are no longer the one-dimensional sale they once were - they now require just as much focus and attention from resellers as other, perhaps more interesting technologies. In fact, selling printers can now be a full-time occupation, rather than just the add-on it used to be.

Although the perception is that there is a very little margin to be had from selling printers, the savvy reseller can turn it into a lucrative cash cow.

With printers now sitting on networks, they are at risk from the same security threats as PCs; hence a growing requirement for security software specifically for printers.

Businesses are also increasingly looking at ways to manage their printer fleets, so there are various document management offerings available that VARs can push.

With the cost of colour printing continually falling, resellers should point out the benefits of colour versus mono to end users and help them make the transition.

Printer speeds are continually improving and new types of print technologies, such as gel, are being developed, so there are new reasons for resellers to revisit their existing customers as well as new ones.

And the good news is that with so many vendors competing for market share in the printer arena manufacturers are constantly looking at ways to differentiate not only their products, but themselves.

To gain even a fraction more market share vendors need assistance from channel partners; and to attract and retain channel partners, they need to make sure their offering is better than their competitors’.

Resellers can therefore expect to see improved, revamped partner programmes, increased benefits and much more focus form their vendor partners than ever before.

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