In January Dell signed an agreement with MakerBot that added their 3D printers to their Dell Precision workstations, becoming their exclusive supplier of FDM 3D printers and they have now expanded that partnership into the UK market.
The Dell Precision workstations are hardware and software bundles optimized for small or medium businesses that can be tailored to suit a specific set of needs. This was a very big deal for the 3D printing industry a few months back when the original deal was struck because it changed the perception of 3D printing dramatically. This was no longer a small niche community of hobbyists but was now being taken seriously by one of the biggest technology retailers in the world. That’s the type of legitimacy that MakerBot parent company Stratasys and their arch-rival 3D Systems have been working towards for years.
Expanding the deal into the UK is a very clear sign that the original US deal was successful, or at least successful enough to warrant continuing the partnership. Beyond that however, this is also a good way for MakerBot to get a foothold into the European 3D printing market.
While Stratasys has long been a leader in 3D printing in Europe they initially purchased MakerBot in order to expand their presence into the US, a market that already was and still is dominated by MakerBot. However, in comparison to many other 3D printer brands MakerBot has very little market presence internationally, especially in contrast with their presence in North America. By partnering with an industry leader like Dell, that could potentially change virtually overnight. Not only is it a large vote of confidence in 3D printing as a whole, but it is a vote of confidence in MakerBot’s ability to service their UK clients.
The deal will make the MakerBot Replicator 2X, Replicator Mini and the Replicator 5th Gen the exclusive FDM 3D printers sold on Dell.com as well MakerBot filament and 3D printing assessories.
