"It has been a year with challenges; not only because of the pandemic, but because of trying to migrate a business concept that exists in the United States and in other parts of the world to Latin America," said Max Jaramillo, Chief Integrator Advocate of ConsorcioTec in one of the initial sessions of ConsorcioTec Online, the first event organized by this, the first purchasing consortium for integrators in the region.
The virtual meeting, to which more than 370 people registered, served to get to know more closely the affiliates and suppliers that support this initiative. During the morning and afternoon of March 12, finally about 200 participants, mostly from the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru, were part of the academic program divided into a multimedia room and a security room.
As part of the latter, Max Jaramillo and Milena Castaño, administrative director of ConsorcioTec, reviewed some of the highlights of this incentive and loyalty program one year after its creation. Currently there are already 67 affiliates, whose annual purchase represents more than US $ 75 million dollars in security, multimedia and networking equipment.
A year of internationalization of opportunities
"When we started this journey 18 months ago, there was no pandemic, it was a very different world. And now, as a result, the opportunities with partners are even bigger," said Patrick Whipkey, director of USAV, an association of audio and video industry integrators in the United States and Canada, who in May 2017 joined PSA Security, the world's largest consortium of system integrators.
This pair of sister companies was approached by Max before travel restrictions due to the outbreak of COVID-19 were a reality. He had previously researched the market in relation to the concept of buying groups with the aim of expanding it to Latin America, and found both USAV and PSA some great allies.
With their support, the doors of an international network of more than 300 technology integrators from more than 40 countries, specialized in security, technology, audio and video, were opened.
As highlighted by Chris Salazar-Mangrum, vice president of PSA, and who was also part of the same conversation, this alliance represents access to valuable collaboration opportunities to experience continuous growth in commercial solutions from different geographical locations.
Thus, the affiliates of ConsorcioTec have as an advantage not only that financial reimbursement (rebates) for purchases from the group's factories, but also to be contacted by international integrators that belong to PSA and USAV to execute projects outside the region.
As a result, a U.S.-based PSA security integrator requiring a multinational company with operations in Mexico City contacted one of the members of the ConsorcioTec platform. In this way, it became the first success story, which joins two other multimedia projects in execution of the network.
The consortium continues to grow, and today it has the support of 30 international brands of suppliers in different low voltage systems. The last to enter was Panasonic with its security and multimedia solutions.
What to expect to be part of this network? Learn how to join here.