Epson South Africa has launched a new programme called the PROfocus club designed exclusively for resellers targeting the professional graphics, CAD, photography and GIS markets.

The primary goal of the programme is to encourage and motivate a selected number of resellers to offer value added services to this high-end, specialised market.

The Epson PROfocus club is an extension of Epson's existing general TEAM Epson reseller programme and will be limited to between five to 10 members in South Africa. The club offers additional reseller benefits and rewards, and has three levels of participation: Prestige Partner, Partner Plus and Partner. Key benefits that PROfocus members will be eligible for include; discount rates on demonstration units and supplies, bonus-on-target rebates, quarterly best reseller promotions, participation in Epson roadshows and events as well as access to a members area on Epson's reseller website.

Initial members of the exclusive club include Advanced Imaging Solutions, Digital Distributors, Digital Printing & Imaging, First Graphics, Kemtek, Midcomp, and Teltron. Membership in the PROfocus club is determined by rigorous criteria that include: minimum volume commitments per quarter, products purchased exclusively from PROfocus distributors, an Epson printer installation service must be offered for customer sites, and operational demonstration units as well as Epson consumables and media must be on the reseller's premises.

"We have intentionally designed rigorous membership criteria for the club," says Hans Dummer, general manager, Epson SA. "This is to ensure that PROfocus resellers are held to a higher standard and in turn provide an elevated level of service to customers."

Says John Panton, managing director, Digital Distributors. "As a result of securing membership of the PROfocus club, resellers can achieve as much as 20% rebate on achieved targets across Epson's large format product range and consumables. It is a win-win scenario for the channel, the customer and Epson."

Epson's product line for the specialised professional graphics market in South Africa includes large format inkjet printers, A3 flatbed scanners together with consumables and media that are specifically developed for this particular market sector.

For more information about Epson South Africa, its products and the PROfocus club, contact Albert Fayard, Epson SA, 011 465 9621, albertf@epson.co.za, www.Epson.co.za