Tech Data Refreshes Its Brand

Tech Data is simplifying its brand.

The sprawling, multi-faceted IT supplier with $16.5 billion in sales in the first half of this year announced on Wednesday a set of branding moves, which primarily serve to fold the Technology Solutions business acquired earlier this year from Avnet into a more cohesive Tech Data story.

Gone is the word Corporation from the company's marketing name -- it's now just Tech Data. Also jettisoned are smaller brands, such as Tech Data Cloud or Tech Data Mobile Solutions. Now the company will refer to Tech Data's cloud solutions, or Tech Data's mobile solutions. The rebrand also incorporates minor changes to the logo color palette and design.

"Our new global brand is centered on the proven strength of the Tech Data name and provides a unified promise of integrity, expertise and excellence," said Bob Dutkowsky, chairman and CEO of Tech Data, said in a statement. "Tech Data serves as a beacon in the IT channel -- central to our customers' and vendors' success. Our teams have highly specialized skills in next-generation technologies, extensive software and services capabilities, and the best logistics engine in the industry, all backed by a global IT system that can do anything from process the sale of a laptop to configure the most complex multi-vendor solution."

Tech Data is now grouping its offerings into two major portfolios, which encompass most of existing Tech Data products, as well as what came to Tech Data with the $2.6 billion Technology Solutions acquisition. An Endpoint Solutions portfolio will include PCs, mobile phones, printers, peripherals, supplies, software and consumer electronics. An Advanced Solutions portfolio will include servers, networking, storage, datacenter software, converged/hyperconverged infrastructure, cloud, Internet of Things, mobility, security and analytics.

A few specialized brands will persist, including Datech Solutions, Maverick AV Solutions and Global Computing Components. A fourth specialized brand, the European datacenter offering called Azlan, will be gradually transitioned into the Advanced Solutions portfolio.

Remaining in place is the high-level executive team unveiled in February with the close of the Technology Solutions business acquisition.

That structure had Dutkowsky's direct reports as Chuck Dannewitz, executive vice president, chief financial officer; Rich Hume, executive vice president, chief operating officer; Beth Simonetti, executive vice president, chief human resources officer; John Tonnison, executive vice president, chief information officer; and David Vetter, executive vice president, chief legal officer.

Reporting to COO Hume were William Chu, president, Asia-Pacific; Jaideep Malhotra, president of Global Computing Components; Joe Quaglia, president, Americas; Patrick Zammit, president, Europe; Els Demeester, corporate vice president of Integration; and Michael Urban, corporate vice president of Strategy, Transformation and Global Vendor Management.

In Quaglia's Americas organization, Marty Bauerlein, senior vice president of Commercial & Retail Solutions, will run the Endpoint Solutions portfolio, and Jeff Bawol, senior vice president of Enterprise Solutions, will run the Advanced Solutions portfolio. In Zammit's Europe organization, Stephen Nolan is senior vice president of Endpoint Solutions and Graeme Watt is senior vice president of Advanced Solutions.

Posted by Scott Bekker on September 27, 2017