1. Separate Legal Entities
Executive & Strategic Solutions, LLC (E&S) and Reliance are two entirely independent companies. They operate under distinct ownership, governance, and business structures.
2. Brand Ownership and Strategy
Digitol is a brand fully owned by E&S. It serves as the primary go-to-market identity for all E&S digital service offerings. Any association of Digitol with external parties—including Reliance—is strategic, not structural.
3. Distribution Agreement
E&S has entered into a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Reliance. The objective is to leverage Reliance’s existing industry relationships to accelerate the adoption and deployment of Digitol services across the dealer community.
4. Role and Reach of Reliance
Reliance is a respected independent wholesaler of aftermarket ink and toner products. It is an authorized member of the Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) and Office Partners buying groups, giving it access to a broad network of independent office products and equipment dealers.
5. Market Barriers for Reliance
Despite its product offering, Reliance faces significant challenges in expanding distribution due to the outdated, legacy software systems commonly used by dealers. These systems often lack the capability to integrate Reliance as a vendor, which severely limits Reliance's ability to transact with potential customers.
6. Vendor-Agnostic Flexibility of Digitol
The Digitol platform, in contrast, is built to be vendor-agnostic. It allows dealers to choose their own suppliers—including but not limited to Reliance—without being locked into one of the dominant traditional wholesalers. This flexibility reduces barriers for vendors like Reliance and empowers dealers with more choice and control.
7. Synergistic Benefits
The collaboration between E&S (Digitol), Reliance, and independent dealers is structured to be mutually beneficial. Dealers gain access to modern, AI-driven digital tools and a wider range of vendors. Reliance gains a viable path to reach new customers. E&S expands the footprint of its platform. This synergy creates a win-win-win scenario.
8. Branding and Operational Clarity
It is important to emphasize that:
Reliance does not own any rights to the Digitol brand.
Reliance does not provide onboarding, support, or technical services related to the Digitol platform.
All Digitol platform onboarding, customer support, and service functions are handled solely by E&S.
9. Invoicing and Payment Structure
All billing for Digitol-related services is conducted exclusively by E&S. Dealers using the Digitol platform receive invoices from E&S and make payments directly to E&S. Reliance does not act as a billing intermediary or service provider for these transactions.
Realted Reading:
Digitol Platform Guide: Curious about the Digitol platform but not sure where to begin? This guide breaks down what you can—and can’t—do to help you make smart first moves.
Digitol Platform Workflows Explained: Discover how the Digitol Platform helps dealers replace legacy systems with a unified, AI-driven ecommerce and business operations solution—built for transformation.