Microsoft Teams
Mighty Microsoft is gearing up to attack Zoom, Slack & Cisco in a battle to win the business market for group conferencing & collaboration software. CEO Satya Nadella sees Teams product as crucial to leadership in cloud computing & unified comms
Grainger divests
Leading $11Bn in sales, broadline industrial & biz supplier, Grainger has agreed to sell Europe MRO/fastener distributor Fabory Group to a PE firm. It bought Fabory in 2011 and growth has failed to match its international online operations in Zoro & MonotaRO
Nestle can't do
Nestle, the global #1 food & beverage supplier, has had a roller coaster year with questions raised against the Poland Spring water source; court issues over its copycat branding with Incredible Burger; and innovation in reusable & refillable Nescafe dispensers.
SBL Doye thinks
After giant IT reseller CDW acquired Kelway in 2016, the latter's founder bided his time before acquiring SBL, the Ministry of Defence tech services provider in 2019. Now one year later he plans to rename the company in line with its original roots and corporate customer focus...
Costco comps
Leading international reseller Costco Wholesale experienced a demand surge when the Covid crisis broke in February with a double digit growth surge in March. Sales returned to their normal strong pace in April with a number of in store promotions set to resume
D e l l delivered,
Dell Technologies reported declines in core servers and storage categories in Q1'21, but a return to profitability. VMWare continues to be the consistent high growth performer, responding to coporates need for WFH IT networking and security
Unjust UPS ups
United Parcel Service (UPS) is adding “peak” surcharges for customers inundating its delivery network with packages & oversize items during Covid. This unprecedented move to recover a flood of shipments & higher costs seems dumb. Watch fading FedEx copy & crash, playing into the hands of #1 ecommerce delivery service Amazon.
How WBMason
US #1 independent business supplier W.B. Mason "didn’t do home deliveries until Covid forced its hand" reports WSJ's Drew Fitzgerald. CEO Leo Meehan: "We found something we like". We review the interview & comment on how WB's same day, personalised delivery will beat Amazon & Staples in its growing marketplaces.
TechData tanks
Tech Data, the $37Bn in sales global #2 tech wholesaler reported disappointing results for Q1'21. The former growth leader in 2018/19 has reversed course and losing share to regional rivals in US & Europe. Now in the hands of vulture capitalists. What's next?
Poly plummets
Poly (ex-Plantronics), ex-leader in audio & video coms for business, reported disastrous sales in Q4'20 including huge losses from the extravagant, failed Polycom merger. Complacent CEO Joe Burton has departed to be replaced by an interim chief, who has written off substantial goodwill on the deal
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