Acer abandons Gateway channel play
Acer is rumoured to be planning to scrap its Gateway brand of SMB-focused desktop, servers and storage following problematic fulfilment, lacklustre channel adoption and the long memories of customers that were burnt by the failure of Gateway the first time around.
According to a channel partner familiar with the situation, the few partners that have signed up have had fulfilment delays of three to four days. “When you can buy HP or IBM for next day it’s a bit ridiculous,” says the commentator.
Gateway has not updated any news on its website since March and the promised partner locator has not materialised. It is believed that Acer is planning to rebrand its Gateway misadventure under the Acer Business brand and re-launch the channel offering sometime in 2012, but details are vague.
Many of the Gateway distributors are effectively on hold for taking new orders as the firm sorts out the new strategy. Acer has been hit by number of challenges including stock issues in Spain, senior staff departures and PC shipments across EMEA which plummeted by more than 40 percent. The fall leaves it with a market share of 12.7 percent trailing behind rivals including Lenovo and possibly Apple to maybe hit 5th spot for EMEA.
Channel Pro Comment:
Acer has had a run of bad luck that is hard to pin down. To drop from #1 PC maker across EMEA in Q3 of 2008 to shedding almost half its market share in less than three years is a combination of stronger rivals mixed with average product portfolio. It also has little SMB or enterprise credibility.
The Gateway idea was good on paper but the tarnish of the old Gateway bankruptcy hasn’t rubbed off for the channel and the multi-headed brand that is Acer just didn’t have enough focus to establish another Packard Bell. Will taking its SMB product under the Acer brand allow it to get into the market when firms like Lenovo, and even possibly Samsung, have spotless reputations and a clean slate? Only time will tell.
