D&H Distributing to Focus on Server 2003 and XP "EoS" Upgrades for SMB

HARRISBURG, PA--(Marketwired - Sep 30, 2014) - D&H Distributing, the leading North American computer products and consumer electronics distributor, wants to help its reseller customers take advantage of opportunities from the impending EoS (End of Service) upgrade cycles. As most IT resellers know, Microsoft recently decreed an end to technical support of two major product offerings: the popular XP operating system, and the similarly prevalent Server 2003 solutions. Support for Server 2003 ends in July of 2015; the XP deadline elapsed in April 2014. According to reports, there are 2.3 million physical servers running Windows Server 2003 in the US, approximately 65% of which are in SMB environments. There are more than four million copies of Windows Server 2003 in use in the marketplace overall, including virtualized deployments. 

"Although many enterprise-level organizations have already addressed migration issues, there is still a vital opportunity to help SMB companies upgrade to the new server and OS environments, including Server 2012, Windows 7 and Windows 8," said Dan Schwab, co-president at D&H Distributing. "The Server 2003 End-of-Service deadline will be the next boon to the SMB reseller, creating opportunities that extend well beyond a basic wireless network installation." 

Similar to efforts around the XP refresh, D&H is offering training and marketing resources to help SMB (small to medium-size business) IT resellers take advantage. The company has already hosted several educational seminars on server opportunities, including a well-attended disaster recovery Solutions Lab webcast in July, which focused on server solutions. The distributor's August New England Technology Show included an End-of-Support server seminar from Microsoft. And the upcoming Fall Mid-Atlantic Show on November 5 will feature a server-themed central exhibit spotlighting multiple vendors. To help resellers and integrators instill end-user demand, the distributor also offers several customizable Partner Services marketing brochure templates, emphasizing both XP and server migration strategies. 

D&H and its reseller customer base experienced a notable uptick in business in the second quarter of this year due to the April cut-off date for XP support. The distributor expects strong, double-digit growth for its third and fourth quarters due to a combined increase in server and XP migration sales, since many networks requiring an updated server system may likely also still be running XP.

The transition from Server 2003 to the more robust and secure Server 2012 R2 creates an even greater opportunity than the XP turnover. Server architectures encompass a much broader range of back office functionality, including networking, storage and security. This turn-key sales proposition is more lucrative than selling one-off items such as printers or desktops, or following the break-fix model that is often seen in the SMB market.

"We hope to lead the way in driving both education and market demand on behalf of our customers," continued Schwab. "Not only will the IT channel profit from this development, but the business community will benefit from the enhancements these new platforms deliver by way of productivity, capability and security."

About D&H Distributing
As the nation's leading technology distributor, D&H provides a wealth of resources to empower solution providers and consultants, delivering a broad selection of SMB categories, products and applications. The company's offerings span server and infrastructure, SOHO and mobile applications, consumer electronics and gaming.  D&H's multimarket expertise, account-dedicated sales teams, sterling service and flexible financing options are unmatched in the industry.

With an impressive 96-year history serving as a trusted advisor to the reseller channel, D&H has been able to consistently reinvent itself based upon changing market conditions. The company prides itself on creating business partnerships with an astute focus on ease-of-doing-business, relationships, value, performance and service.

D&H ships out of five separate locations in North America, including its US headquarters in Harrisburg and its Canadian headquarters in Brampton, Ontario. Additional US warehouses are located in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; and Fresno, CA. Call D&H toll-free at (800) 340-1001 or visit www.dandh.com.