Specialism: Tier-two vendors
Key vendors: Ubiquiti, Zyxel, Vertiv, Perception Point, Samsung, Lenovo, Logitech
Revenue: £70.7m (-5%)
Headcount: 90
A specialist in providing tier-two vendor solutions to top-50 UK VARs, Intec Microsystems saw revenue dip slightly to £70.7m in calendar 2023.
Acquired mid-way through the year by private equity firm Chiltern Capital, Intec spent the period focused largely on sales and product range diversification.
The Birmingham-based outfit in October unveiled former Agilitas boss John Hayes-Warren as its new CEO (see Q&A with Hayes-Warren below).
“We anticipate the UK distribution market will stabilise in early to mid-2025”
Quickfire Q&A with CEO John Hayes-Warren
What is Intec’s sweet spot?
Customer experience, agility and responsiveness. We focus on established players and disruptors in the network & communications, DC infrastructure and modern workplace arena.
Which product, service or vendor has stood out for you in 2024?
Our network & communications offering has improved beyond recognition, but I am particularly pleased with the exponential growth of value-added services across our broad line offering.
If you could change one thing about your business at the stroke of a wand, what would it be?
Our business has been steadily growing over the past twenty-plus years – we need to be more ambitious in building on our credentials of great people, skills and customer experience
When will the UK distribution market return to growth?
Whilst there has been caution in the market to invest across all sectors there is equally a lot of excitement as ever with emerging technologies.
I am optimistic that the UK remains in a strong position to capitalise on a strong skills base and technical leadership in areas to promote UK and international investment.
We anticipate the UK distribution market will stabilise in early to mid-2025. We have all trodden a path during uncertain times as companies rethink their IT investments, focusing on solutions that increase resilience but also improve productivity. Our job is to help our customers with advice and accelerate time to delivery, filling the gaps with expertise and services that complement the supply chain.
Name one area of your business where you are expecting to add staff in 2025
We will sharpen our vendor focus and build skills to accelerate delivery time for the channel to end customers.
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?
I must agree that AWS Marketplace has redefined how we think about software distribution at scale. However, distribution is more than just access; it’s about the depth of service and partnership. While AWS Marketplace offers convenience and volume, it doesn’t replicate the relational and value-driven approach that distributors like us provide.
Our role goes beyond product distribution, we act as strategic enablers for customers. Whether it’s helping the channel navigate complex purchasing decisions or providing in-depth technical support, traditional distributors play a crucial role in driving long-term value for all stakeholders. In a world where technology ecosystems are increasingly interconnected, our ability to consult, customise, and troubleshoot is more important than ever.
If you could be a fly on the wall for a day at another distributor, which would you choose?
I would call out Distology.
Observing how their team balances high-growth demands with a strong internal culture would provide valuable insights into how forward-thinking distributors can create sustainable, resilient businesses. In an era where company culture directly impacts performance, understanding how they integrate this into their operations would be incredibly insightful as we continue to evolve and refine our approach to growth and agility.
See who made the wider Oxygen 50 Must-Know IT Distributors 2024 here.
