Market distribution issues?
There are pros and cons. Some controls techs wish they could buy and install any brand they happen to like from the local parts store and just get it done.
As this subject relates to DDC controls, I mean the more complicated brands with web front ends, there are good reasons to have exclusive dealerships which can and do in most cases benefit the manufacture.
Oh, did I mention benefit the manufacture? That is what it is designed to do.
If I spend a million dollars on a new product line, and I want to make sure there is an agressive effort to sell the new product, going thru exclusive dealerships help to make sure that happens.
Some dealers take advantage of their sole exclusive selling position to just rape and pilliage, yet others do a very good job of taking care of their clients and the brand reputation. I think we all know some of those companies.
Anyway for my two bits, the system works just fine, even though, I wish I could get some of those controllers and software without getting SIA by the sole exclusive dealers.
Guess if I was any damn good I would have one of those sole exclusive dealerships.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle
Remember to "Pay it Forward"; help out the newer generation of techs, remember someone during our career helped us! ("Pay it Forward" was by someone smarter than me!!)