One of the  leading   technology vendors in the World , Toshiba, has reappointed Technology Distributor as its distribution partner servicing West Africa, even as it reaffirm its commitment to the West African market.

With this, Toshiba would  continue to strengthen its presence in Western Africa by  utilizing valuable partnerships in the region to deliver genuine, industry leading technology to government agencies, businesses and consumers.

“We understand that a one_size_fits_all approach does not work when it comes to technology in Africa,”  Simon Gotley, Toshiba Computer Systems Business Manager for West Africa. said in a statement.
“Each region has its own unique needs and the key to success for any business in Africa is its ability to identify those unique needs and deliver high_quality products and services that are locally_relevant and meaningful to the markets that it serves.

“One of the biggest challenges we have in Africa when it comes to technology is the burgeoning grey market, which – although giving businesses and consumers easy and cheap access to technology – often leaves people without the proper after sales service and support because something as simple as spare parts availability is a challenge,” he added.

When distributors and resellers import good through unofficial channels from the Middle and Far East, he said that  these products often are not specifically designed for the region where they are being sold, which means spare parts can be difficult to come by and it could take months to have a faulty laptop or computer repaired.

This, according tom him, are compounded by the huge software piracy problem in Africa, translates into a very unfortunate state of affairs for businesses and consumers who only want to better the way that they work with technology.

“This is why Toshiba continues to work closely with its strategic partners in West Africa,” Gotley explains.

“We’ve just recently renewed our contract with Technology Distributions in Nigeria, which is an official distribution partner servicing West Africa and we’ve got partnership agreements in place with the likes of Microsoft to ensure that our customers benefit from genuine software

“By making official product available through the correct channels, businesses and consumers who buy these products can rest assured that their products are supported and that help is just a phone call away.”
“But making relevant technology and services available to the people of West Africa is only one part of the puzzle.

The world is changing and in today’s economy taking advantage of new commodities – such as knowledge and information – means being progressive in the way businesses and consumers view and adopt technology.

“Toshiba recognises the importance of being a part of this new economy, which is why the company has committed itself to more than just pushing technology into the region for the sake of market share,” he explained.
Admittedly, Toshiba is a relative new_comer to markets outside of South Africa, and, to this extent, has the ability to learn from other vendors’ mistakes and deliver real solutions to where they are needed.

“But we’re confident that our ongoing presence and support structure that we have established in West Africa will not only position Toshiba as one of the top computer brands in the region, but also give the businesses and consumers that utilise our technologies the confidence to invest in technology,” he concludes.