Brother Authorizes Toshiba Partners, Direct Sales Unit To Resell Its A-4 Workhorse Printers

Brother announced it will begin selling its Workhorse A4 multi-function devices through the Toshiba channel, as well as through Toshiba direct sales.

Toshiba direct sales, as well as its resellers, will also have access to Brother programs that aid resellers in securing managed print contractual services, Brother said in the statement.

One such offering is the Brother Value Print Program, designed to align with partners’ existing managed print services strategies with a focus on extended warranties, Brother said in a statement.

"As the market continues to change, there is a need for channel partners to offer a full suite of scalable and secure products and solutions to serve the unique document management needs of each business – and this partnership does just that," said Bill Henderson, vice president of marketing at Brother.

A West Coast Brother solution provider, who did not want to be identified, said the deal doesn’t make sense, and sets up conflict with a Toshiba dealer across town.

“That does not help us out at all,” he said. “The Workhorse is one of the only Brother products that we sell and now they’re giving it to someone else.”

In a statement to CRN, Dan Waldinger, senior director and head of B2B marketing, Brother International Corp, said the company is "dedicated to the long-term growth and profitability of its channel partners and providing dealers and resellers with a full suite of ultra-reliable protected hardware for the B2B channels, customized solutions and personalized services that fit the evolving workflow needs of mid and large-size businesses today."

Toshiba was unavailable for comment.

However, Toshiba called the Brother monochrome and color laser devices an “ideal complement” to its e-STUDIO A3-formatted multifunction printers.

“Our agreement with Brother supports Toshiba’s customer-centric approach of delivering best-in-class managed print services to end users,” said Bill Melo, Toshiba America Business Solutions Chief Marketing Executive. “Combining Brothers’ A4 MFPs with Toshiba’s innovative hardware portfolio and industry-leading assessment and fleet management programs will provide a custom solution to more comprehensively address the specific document management needs of each client.”