Ingram Micro Welcomed to European Projector Lamp Market

Ingram Micro (News - Alert) has launched the company’s own V7-brand projector lamps into Europe and the U.K.; and, according to Britain industry observer Fleur Doidge, established replacement lamp vendors and distributors are pleased.

You’d think that, like in most business fields, more competition is the last thing they want. But according to Doidge, Andy Read, sales and marketing director at replica lamps vendor Diamond Lamps, said new entrants help “increase awareness of alternatives and helps grow its market. We do welcome more competition.”

Read said his company was the first to market with aftermarket lamps from the original manufacturers built into replica cages: ”At the time our aim was to stop the spread of copy lamps by offering a lower cost OEM alternative with equal performance... Our lamps are as good quality as any genuine-inside lamps can get. I don't want to speculate on the quality of theirs."

Earlier this month TMCnet reported that Revolabs, a provider of wireless unified communications products, signed a North American distribution agreement with Ingram Micro to be a distributor of Revolabs Wireless Audio Systems for Unified Communications.

Ingram Micro will offer Revolabs FLX, a line of wireless conference telephones, and the xTag BT (News - Alert) wireless microphone to its North American network of value-added resellers (VARs). Revolab's wireless audio products are based on the company's wireless audio technology.

Simon Kitson, at distributor Just Lamps, told Doidge that competition in the sector may drive prices and margins down in the already well-served market. "However, I welcome that V7 is promoting genuine lamps or from OEM IP, as is the case with us. I'd rather see a new competitor taking this approach than introducing inferior copies.”