The appointment will extend TallyGenicom's service and support presence to all areas, aiming to ensure that warranty service, repairs and all forms of after-sales support are no more than a phone call away, regardless of where a customer is located in SA.

David Terry, GM of TallyCom, says that building a presence in the under-serviced areas of the country was a key focus in seeking out an additional ASP.

"We needed to find a partner which had a countrywide reach and a strong track record in the IT services and support arena," he explains. "Since we have a strong footprint in the government and banking sector; and both of these sectors commonly have branch infrastructure located in some of the most remote parts of the country, finding a partner that was capable of servicing customers in even the smallest of towns was a non-negotiable requirement."

Nick Allen, customer services manager at TallyGenicom EMEA, says in this regard Advocate Solutions was the perfect candidate for the job. "Advocate Solutions has a long history of servicing the Genicom brand in SA and takes a product-agnostic view of the market. The company also has agreements in place with a number of the major printer vendors represented in the local market.

"By virtue of the fact that Advocate Solutions focuses solely on the service and support aspect of IT and has strong BEE credentials, their appointment also ensures that no channel conflicts exist. and customers gain access to strong BEE compliant procurement channels," he says.

"Lastly and most importantly," he says, "Advocate Solutions has the reach that TallyGenicom requires. With a branch infrastructure that spans regions of SA, it was a perfect fit."

Frank Beckett, MD of Advocate Solutions, says his company is absolutely delighted with the appointment, as it comes as a strong endorsement of the abilities it has built up over the past decade.

"Advocate Solutions has carved a strong niche for itself by concentrating on the warranty and repair aspects of OEM vendors' operations in the local market. We pride ourselves on our ability to take that 'worry' off of our customers' hands, allowing them to focus on strengthening their brand, marketing and sales efforts.

"We are looking forward to doing an excellent job on TallyGenicom's behalf and effecting a tangible, valuable difference in the service levels associated with the brand in SA," he concludes.