Specialism: Cyber, network infrastructure, AV, UC&C and peripherals
Key vendors: Avocor, Blustream, Brother, Eaton, EIZO, Ricoh PFU, Sony, ViewSonic, WatchGuard, Yealink
Revenue: £67.2m (+1%)
Headcount: 120
“You say Northamber and people’s eyes light up,” recently appointed Group MD Jeremy Keefe (pictured above) told IT Channel Oxygen when explaining what attracted him to the UK’s longest-established distributor.
The AIM-listed outfit has expanded its repertoire through acquisition in 2024, acquiring UC&C specialist Tempura Communications in April and Irish cybersecurity VAD Renaissance Contingency Services in July.
Its most recently filed accounts, covering the period to 30 June 2023, show revenues inching up 1% to £67.2m (its 2024 accounts were due out imminently as this feature went to press).
“We will be launching a cloud marketplace to help support existing managed service providers”
Quickfire Q&A with Executive Chairman Alex Phillips
What is Northamber’s sweet spot?
Proactive technical distribution of cyber security, network infrastructure, audio visual, UC&C and peripherals to SMB and midmarket-focused resellers.
Which product, service or vendor has stood out for you in 2024?
Following two acquisitions in 2024 (Renaissance Contingency Services Ltd, and Tempura Communication ltd), Northamber has significantly increased its focus on UC&C, cyber security, and the provision of value-add services. The launch of Avail + Services across the group has provided much needed channel support for resellers wishing to offer services. These services allow resellers to offer design and specification, installation, maintenance, and extended warranties amongst others, all backed off to the Northamber groups Avail support department.
If you could change one thing about your business at the stroke of a wand, what would it be?
We have made a lot of change already and are putting a lot of focus on our core strategic technologies supported by services and recurring revenue platforms which we are happy with the progress of. The magic wand would be used to impart knowledge of all these positive offerings to the UK and European resellers in one swoop!
When will the UK distribution market return to growth?
That answer seems to keep changing; there are still opportunities in segments though
Name one area of your business where you are expecting to add staff in 2025
Cyber security: Both Northamber’s UK operation and its Irish subsidiary (Renaissance Contingency Services Ltd) will be launching a cloud marketplace to help support existing managed service providers, and aid resellers with a desire to move into the MSP space.
At its Channel Forums EMEA in October, Canalys characterised AWS Marketplace as one of the world’s largest distributors, owing to its growing third-party software business. On balance, do you agree?
Absolutely; albeit we see it as more of a fulfilment channel than a proactive distribution route.
See who made the wider Oxygen 50 Must-Know IT Distributors 2024 here.
