Italian ICT Market Q1 2007 - Information Technology Italy

Italian ICT Market Q1 2007 - Information Technology Italy.

The Market Data for Q1 2007 have been published by Sirmi Spa the leading Italian Market Reasearch Company focused to ICT trade channels: IT market growing by 4% compared to Q1 2006, TLC stable, Consumer Electronics growing by 8%.

To see more details click here: Italian ICT Market Q1 2007 or send an email to info@trendeurope.com.

Nino Patane’ launches Buffalo Technology in Italy. Agreement signed with Esprinet.

Nino Patané launches Buffalo Technology in Italy. Agreement signed with Esprinet.

After six months from the startup of the operations in Italy, 650+ Italian resellers have already traded Buffalo’s products. On 6th June 2007 the Japanese Company Buffalo Technology (www.buffalotech.com) has signed a distribution agreement with the leading Italian distributor Esprinet SpA (www.esprinet.com). 

Esprinet (Italian Stock Exchange: PRT) is a major European player

in the wholesale distribution of IT and consumer electronics. Esprinet is the number one distribution company in Italy and Spain (40.000 resellers served, 500+ brands).
With a consolidated sales of €2.22 billion in 2006, using its unique internet-based business model, Esprinet is mainly addressing the small-medium-enterprises market (SME).Esprinet sales rank as the distribution company No.1 in Italy and Spain, the No. 4 in Europe and No. 9 worldwide.

According to the Strategic plan 2007-2009 the Key Strategic Goals of Esprinet are:

• In the next decade aim at becoming the European leader in Technology Distribution via both reinforcing the leadership in South Europe and entering at least one other Western European Market within the next three year

• Financial Targets for the next three years:
  • Consolidated sales growing up to:
  • € 2.62-2.71 billion in 2007
  • € 2.87-3.00 billion in 2008
  • € 3.10-3.24 billion in 2009
  • CAGR ’07-09: +9%
• EBIT expected in a range of
  • € 89-97 million in 2007 (3.5% on sales)
  • 102-111 million in 2008 (3.6% on sales)
  • € 113-123 million in 2009 (3.7% on sales)
  • CAGR ’07-09: +13%
• Net profit estimated up to
  • € 47-52 million in 2007
  • 58-64 million in 2008
  • € 68-75 million in 2009
  • CAGR ’07-09: +20%
• 3-year cumulated net cash flow2 in excess of € ~220 million - Esprinet considers compatible with the expected available financial resources cquisitions up to € 2.0 - 2.5 billion of sales in Western Europe with no need of a share capital increase

Buffalo Technology is a global manufacturer of innovative wireless networking, storage and multimedia solutions for the home and small business environments. The company is recognised as the Number 1 total PC peripheral manufacturer in Japan, and was the worldwide consumer NAS market leader in 2005 and 2006 (In-Stat).

For more information write to: info@trendeurope.com

PRESS RELEASE

Buffalo Technology Signs Distribution Contract with Esprinet S.p.A.
06/06/2007

Milan, 6th June - Buffalo Technology, leading global provider of innovative wireless networking, storage, multimedia and memory solutions, and Esprinet S.p.A., leading distributor of consumer IT products in Italy and Spain, announce today their commercial partnership aimed at the immediate distribution of the whole product portfolio of Buffalo Technology in Italy.

“Buffalo’s worldwide leadership is already consolidated (being the rising star of worldwide Distribution, wireless technology leader and Number One of the consumer Network Attached Storage (NAS) market), but the company’s activities in Italy started just recently. The great results achieved in the first 6 months of activity with our partners (650+ resellers) allow us to share an optimistic view about the development of our presence in this market” said Nino Patané, responsible for Italian Market Development for Buffalo Technology. “Esprinet S.p.A. fills a key position for the development of Buffalo’s channel in Italy: this distribution contract will boost our presence in this market to a new dimension.”. Buffalo Technology put their trust in Esprinet for their excellent logistics, the efficient IT infrastructure and their outstanding capability to address and support the channel through a winning mix of a highly appreciated online platform and a wide portfolio of reseller services.

“We are very proud that Buffalo selected Esprinet to support them in this strong expansion phase of their brand on the Italian market. Our interest towards Buffalo arises from the requests of our customers, asking for new, not devalued, high quality solutions with competitive pricing. Our partnership with Buffalo Technology allows us to strengthen our offer, targeting both the SME and the digital living application markets” comments Matteo Restelli, Country Manager Esprinet Italy.

Buffalo’s product portfolio includes its award-winning AirStation™ line of easy-to-use, high-performance wireless networking products for SME/SoHo and home users. With industry leading AOSS™ (AirStation One-Touch Secure System™) technology, users can simply build a secure wireless network at home or in the office at the push of a button.

The Award wining line of Storage solutions include the Network Attached Storage (NAS) - TeraStation for SME/SOHO and LnkStation for Home users ; external storage offer DriveStation for desktop solution and MiniStastion for portable solution. Also for the digital home environment, Buffalo offer LinkTheater a multimedia player.
Products on the Buffalo line can combine to offer a unique integrated WLAN, Storage and multimedia solution.
About Buffalo TechnologyBuffalo is a global manufacturer of innovative wireless networking, storage and multimedia solutions for the home and small business environments. The company is recognised as the Number 1 total PC peripheral manufacturer in Japan, and was the worldwide consumer NAS market leader in 2005 and 2006 (In-Stat).

Buffalo’s product portfolio includes its award-winning AirStation™ line of easy-to-use, high-performance wireless networking products for SME/SoHo and home users. With industry-leading AOSS™ (AirStation One-Touch Secure System) technology, users can simply build a secure wireless network at home or in the office at the push of a button.

The company’s storage solutions are addressing the needs of both the individual and the business, providing a versatile line of USB flash drives, portable and desktop hard drives and cost-effective network attached storage (NAS) solutions. Including its multimedia players, Buffalo is unique in offering integrated WLAN, storage and multimedia solutions for the digital home environment.

Buffalo’s strong international industry alliances with companies such as Intel, Broadcom™, Nintendo and Microsoft have allowed it to lead the industry in the development of the latest technologies into practical tools for the business and the home.

Italian ICT Market Q4 and Full Year 2006 - Information Technology Italy

Italian ICT Market Q4 and Full Year 2006 - Information Technology Italy

In February 2006 the Market Data for Q4 2006 have been published. To see more details click here: Italy ICT Market 2006 Full Year (pdf, 294K) (suource Sirmi) or send an email to info@trendeurope.com

PTT approvals - Requirements for Datacom Italy and Europe

The European Community went through a strong deregulation process in 1999 for all Telecommunications devices subject to regulatory requirements. As a result of that, the local PTTs offices stopped to requesting compliances to country’s specific PTT regulations and related local process of getting approvals, and moved to 1999/05/EC (R&TTE) directive. In those European Countries, EC compliance is now fulfilled in the following way: the manufacturer of the datacom product submits the device to only one of the Official Notified bodies for a conformity check. The Notified Body will perform a test cycle on the product and once the test is passed, it will keep the complete test report and release an Approval Conformity Certification to the manufacturer. A copy of the certification is usually translated and shipped together with the product (e.g. printed in the user guide) and is valid across all the European Countries.

In Italy as well as a few other Countries, the Ministry of Communication has transposed/adopted the European 1999/05/EC (R&TTE) directive into national laws, and there is a national specific procedure to fulfil. For Telecommunication and Datacomm manufacturers, there is an important difference to consider in order to understand what kind of approval procedure the product is subject to. If the device is intended to be used by the end user, in their home, and is a product such as a phone or a modem, it will not need any extra approval action to be taken into Italy. The European Certification released by the Certified Body be valid in Italy with no need further to engage other local PTT Approvals. If the Telecommunication or Datacomm device is intended to be installed in the Telecom exchange or in any other place rather than the end user’s home, it has to be locally approved according the law (law “D.P.R. nr. 507, 9th December 1998). If this is the case, the device is seen as a “network terminal“. As a consequence of that, the Manufacturer that is willing to perform an Italian PTT approval, should prepare all the necessary documentation (electrical schematics, bom list, application form) and two test units to submit to the PTT Lab’s test. If the entire test is passed, the Certificate of Approval will be issue in around one month. The Manufacturers of products subjected to PTT approvals that are not submitted for the test procedure, will be considered as shipping an illegal product and prosecuted by law. Regarding the, a specific Italian PPT approval process must be followed. Products category such as Wi-Fi devices, Hyperlan2, MiMo, WiMAX, still need to be certified according to the art. 6.4 Directive 99/5/CE and DLgs 1.8.2003 n. 259 art.104 and D.M 28/5/03. This process is called “Immissione sul mercato” (translation: “entry in the market” or “release in the market”). There are no real hw tests performed on the device but the paperwork is generated by the Italian Ministry of Communication who certify the test report released by the European Body. Also in this case, the “Immissione sul mercato” certificate will be available in a month or so after the testing. The “Immissione sul mercato” is mandatory and products without that Certificate could be removed from the shelves of the shops by the Postal Police. For more information on PTT approvals, regulations, conformity certifications, lab tests, CE marking, ROHS, WEEE, RAEEE, etc. - please feel free to contact me info@trendeurope.com

Cebit 2007 - What’s the point in visiting the exhibition?

What’s the point in visiting CeBIT? CeBIT is the world’s largest ICT fair for digital ICT solutions designed for home and professional environments. The yearly spring visit to the “Hannover Messe” always gave both to businesses of any size and technically acquainted users the opportunity to gather first-hand information on new international ICT trends and solutions. It’s a matter of fact, that the information flood we experience daily through all web-based communication means definitely makes a mere informative visit to the CeBIT superfluous, although all exhibitors (6,262 in 2006!) still showcase their latest solution highlights and new products at CeBIT. So what’s the point in visiting CeBIT 2007? CeBIT has developed from the world’s biggest ICT exhibition to the world’s largest international ICT business platform. With an attendance of roughly 430,000 visitors in 2006 coming from the industry, the retail sector, banks, service providers, government agencies etc., the CeBIT is still the most interesting ICT expo being the biggest market place and barometer for the ICT industry. At CeBIT, hold every year in Hanover (Germany) you have the unique opportunity to join your peers, executives and managers, international business partners and potential customers. Personal contact is the only thing the newest information means cannot provide. This is the point in attending to CeBIT 2007, paying a visit to the major European exhibithon! The CeBIT 2007, organized by Deutsche Messe AG, will be held from Thursday, March 15^th to Wednesday, March 21^st 2007 at Hannover Exhibition Fairground (Messegelände), 30521 Hannover, Germany. Opening hours for visitors: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The CeBIT, History and curiosities. With the opening of the new hall 1 of the Hanover Messegelände 1970 coincided the launch of an exhibition for information technologies. The initially planned name for this trade show was “CeBOT” (German acronym for “Centrum für Büro und Organisationstechnik” - “Center for Office and Organization”) but short before start the Exhibitors’ Committee decided in favour of “CeBIT” from “Centrum für Büro und Informationstechnik” (Center for Office and Information Technology). The apparent hint of the second syllable to the smallest unit processed by computers (“bit”) was not planned at all, but turned out to be a very fortunate coincidence, especially in the light of the ICT technologies up-wind during the last 30 years. Due to the constantly increasing numbers of PC manufacturers and IT companies wishing to show their products and solutions at CeBIT, at the end of the 1970s Deutsche Messe AG dedicated also halls 2 and 18 to CeBIT. At the beginning of the 1980s CeBIT expanded further into Hall 3. 1986 Deutsche Messe AG took over the organization of CeBIT in Hannover each spring. Nowadays CeBIT covers almost all Hannover Messegelände for a whole week and has developed to the “World Center for Office, Information and Communications Technology”. According to CEBIT organizers more than 6000 exhibitors from around the world (70 countries) and more than 430000 visitors from all over the world attended the last edition of CeBIT, i.e. CEBIT 2006 edition

I will be at Cebit 2007 from 16th March until 2oth March 2007 and will be happy to meet companies looking to expand their business in Italy and Europe, looking for sales and marketing services or virtual subsidiary services or sales representatives / sales agency, or developing a sales channel and partners network or auditing and widening / improving their existing network of channel partners. 

European Union widens to 27 states and Euro zone widens to 13 Countries

From January 1° th 2007 the European Union widens to 27 States with the entry of Bulgaria and Romania; from the same date the Countries of the “Euro zone“ (the area adopting the Euro as single currency) will reach the number of 13 because of the entry of Slovenia in the “Euro“ currency system. The Euro, is the unit of currency introduced in 1999 as the composite monetary unit of the members of the European Union. The European Union was founded in 1957. The founding members of EU were, in 1957, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands. Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom joined in 1973; Greece in 1981; Greenland (self-governing island belonging to Denmark located between Iceland and the northeastern coastal islands of North America, largest island in the world) in 1985; Spain and Portugal in 1986. In 1990 the DDR (i.e. the East Germany, the former communist country) entered the EU because of the reunification with West Germany. Austria, Finland and Sweden followed in 1995. Ten Countries joined European Union in 2004 at once: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia,Slovenia . At that point the Countries of the European Union were 25. On 1st January 2007 Bulgaria and Romania entered the EU too. Now the European Union’s democratic Countries are 27 in total, of which 13 have adopted the Euro as single currency. The current candidates for entering the union are: Croatia, country located in the Balkan area (formerly part of Yugoslavia), Macedonia, country in southeast Europe independent from Yugoslavia since 1991, ancient kingdom of Philip II and Alexander the Great in the Balkans, and Turkey, country in western Asia and southeastern Europe between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.

Virtual subsidiary

Using a Virtual Subsidiary service is a way to quicly establish a presence in a new market. A Company that provide a “Virtual subsidiary” service to its customers should be capable to be, at the same time, a top public relations consultant, a top marketing agency,  a top sales agent, a top sales representative.

I provide “Virtual Subsidiary” services, with my company TrendEurope, sales and marketing agency, based in Milan (Italy), since 1998 and I know that a strong dedication is necessary, along with a very high sales rep and marketing experience. Also very important is to be well know in the market so that the visibilty will be an immediate advantage for the customer that - by doing things in the usual way - would spend years before getting an established good reputation in a new market. Within a “virtual subsidiary” model the local team provides not only sales skills and introductions, but also merketer support, media buying, press office, local identity, development of sales channels, resellers recruitment and, last but not least, an office, meetings facilities,  an address and dedicated telephone numbers.

“Virtual Subsidiary” means also establishing a win-win relation. The Virtual Subsidiary’s income will depend on business results, so that before taking an assignement all checks are made to make sure that the new venture will be a success for both parts. TrendEurope, founded in 1998, is Virtual Subsidary based in Milan, Italy. For more info: info@trendeurope.com