www.printitreseller.uk PRINT, MFP, SOFTWARE, SERVICES, DOCUMENT & CLOUD NEWS & INFORMATION FOR VARS, CONVERGED RESELLERS & MFP DEALERS Winners Revealed See page 22 THEVIRTUAL SHOWROOM EXPERIENCE 2023 10 YEARS · ISSUE II2 IN PRINT & ONLINE ISSUE 112 · 2024
Recruitment Specialists ’FSG’ win Channel Services Award FSG was formed to offer a unique recruitment service to MPS and IT re-sellers nationally. 5 years ago we set out on a mission to use our 30 years combined industry knowledge/ network and disrupt the sector. Our ethos as a company to build sustainable business partnerships and support our clients in achieving their growth plans and objectives. Our specialism is sourcing engineers, sales and support professionals within this sector from trainee to board level appointments. It has been so pleasing for us to have played our part in the growth of some of the industry’s best small to large businesses. We have supported our clients in forming new sales divisions that have added millions to their turnover, whilst building service and support teams around this. With each candidate we work with it is our prerogative is to enhance their career prospects and it has been so pleasing to see so many promotions happen over the past year! To be recognised at the Print IT Awards as ‘Channel Services Provider of the Year’ really was the icing on the cake. We were very surprised especially considering the fellow nominees for whom we have a lot of admiration! We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has supported us over the past 5 years, and we look forward to working with you all in 2024 and beyond. Office Number – 0121 728 8285 Email Service Recruitment – [email protected] Email Sales Recruitment – [email protected] If you are an MPS, IT or Telecoms provider looking to achieve new heights in 2024 and beyond, get in touch with team FSG for an initial consultation! Recruitment Specialists ’FSG’ win Channel Services Award! service to MPS and IT re-sellers nationally. 5 years ago we set out on a mission to use our 30 years combined industry knowledge/ network and disrupt the sector. Our ethos as a company to build sustainable business partnerships and support our clients in achieving their growth plans and objectives. Our specialism is sourcing engineers, sales and support professionals within this sector from trainee to board level appointments. It has been so pleasing for us to have played our part in the growth of some of the industry’s best small to large businesses. We have supported our clients in forming new sales divisions that have added millions to their turnover, whilst building service If you are an MPS, IT or Telecoms provider looking to achieve new heights in 2024 and beyond, get in touch with team FSG for an initial consultation! candidate we work with it is our prerogative is to enhance their career prospects and it has been so pleasing to see so many promotions happen over the past year! To be recognised at the Print IT Awards as ‘Channel Services Provider of the Year’ really was the icing on the cake. We were very surprised especially considering the fellow nominees for whom we have a lot of admiration! We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has supported us over the past 5 years, and we look forward to working with you all in 2024 and beyond. Office Number – 0121 728 8285 Email Service Recruitment – [email protected] Email Sales Recruitment – [email protected]
PRINTITRESELLER.UK 3 Welcome to the first issue of 2024. On December 5, we were delighted to host over 500 guests at the PrintIT Awards evening held at the Royal Lancaster in London. You can find out more about the 2023 winners on page 22. Congratulations to all of the winners and those who received a highly commended award. We also feature part two of our annual print predictions feature (page 39), where more of the industry’s leading vendors share their thoughts on what 2024 will hold for the print and IT sectors. Carla Barker, Northern Cluster Marketing Manager at Kodak Alaris, picks the work tools she uses every day and couldn’t do her job without (page 18). This month’s Q&A is with Paul Clarke, Managing Director, United-UK Technology and PITR spent 60 seconds with Andrew Ellis, Sales and Marketing Director, PCL Direct Group. If you’ve got any news about your business to share, would like to be included on our monthly VOX POP panel, have a compelling business success story or simply wish to comment on any industry issues, please get in touch with me at: [email protected] Michelle Ryder, Editor PRINT.IT Reseller is published by Kingswood Media Ltd., 10 Amherst House, 22 London Road, Sevenoaks TN13 2BT • Tel: 01732 759725 Email: [email protected] www.printitreseller.uk No part of PRINT.IT Reseller can be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. ©2023 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk 04 Bulletin What’s new in printers and printing 16 People A round-up of new hires 18 I couldn’t do my job without... Carla Barker picks her favourite work tools 20 A decade in print Louise Marshall shares her print experiences over the past decade 22 PrintIT Awards 2023 2023 winners revealed 26 Focus on: What’s New A round-up of recent product launches 30 Sustainability A rising focus on sustainability 32 Cover Story Transforming experiences with technology 34 Billing PAE Business benefits from Intelligent Billing 36 Security Mitigating risk with multilayered print security 39 VOX POP Print predictions: part two 46 One-to-One Mike Burke, Managing Director UK & Ireland at Asolvi 48 View from the Channel Paul Clarke, Managing Director, United-UK Technology 50 60 seconds with... Andrew Ellis, Sales and Marketing Director, PCL Direct Group 2024 ISSUE 112 printitreseller.uk Comment Register online To receive your regular FREE printed copy of PrintIT Reseller Magazine simply fill in our online registration form at www.printitreseller.uk/register If you no longer wish to receive PrintIT Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] Read PrintIT Reseller online at: www.printitreseller.uk Join us : Follow us @print-it-reseller-magazine Issue 112 ISSN 2055-3110 (Print) ISSN 2055-3129 (Online) Group Editor: James Goulding 07803 087228 · [email protected] Editor: Michelle Ryder 01732 759725 · [email protected] Publishing Director, Social Media and Web Editor: Neil Trim 01732 759725 · [email protected] Advertising Director: Ethan White 01732 759725 · [email protected] Account Manager: Jeff Root 07976 950285 · [email protected] Art Director: Nick Pledge 07767 615983 · [email protected] COMMENT Lexmark MPS Express Our turnkey cloud solution frees your customers and their teams from day-today printer management Scan the QR code to contact us now 10 YEARS · ISSUE II2 IN PRINT & ONLINE
BULLETIN 01732 759725 4 Where do you take yours? We’re all about championing print at PrintIT Reseller, and we’d love to know where you read your issue. Whether it's atop a mountain, on a deserted beach, or even in the heart of a bustling city. We want to see where our magazine travels with YOU! Simply send me a pix of yourself reading PrintIT Reseller in the most unusual, far-flung spot you can find, and you could be featured in our next issue! And the best part – the most creative entry will WIN an exciting prize! We can't wait to see the incredible places our magazine ends up. Send pix to [email protected] Cloud to drive IT spend Gartner has predicted that IT spend will reach $1.1 trillion in 2024, expected to be fuelled by the investment into cloud security and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) which will prompt an increase in overall expenditure on IT services across Europe. The research has predicted that there will be a 9.3% increase on a projected total of $1 trillion this year on IT spending with cloud computing being a large contributor as IaaS, for example, is expected to surge 27% across 2024. CIOs focus is said to be on artificial intelligence and generative AI which is also contributing to the drive in cloud spending as AI-related security risks are driving spending on both the integration of the technology along with underpinning safeguards. The consultancy has said that this underlines shifting priorities among businesses during a period of economic uncertainty as businesses prepare themselves for the future while spending on other areas such as security and risk management are projected to reach around $56 billion, marking an increase of 16% compared to 2023. In a separate forecast, Gartner predicted that end-user spending on public cloud services will reach $678.8 billion, surging by 20.4% across 2024. www.gartner.com AI technologies The Nutanix State of Enterprise AI Report, a global research study providing insights into enterprise decision-making around AI shows AI technologies are ushering in new era of data and infrastructure modernisation. The report provides a holistic view into how enterprises are approaching AI technology strategy and adoption, as well as how future plans will affect IT spending and budgeting. “In just one year, generative artificial intelligence (genAI) has completely upended the worldview of how technology will influence our lives and enterprises are racing to understand how it can benefit their businesses,” said Sammy Zoghlami, SVP EMEA at Nutanix. “While most organisations are in the early stages of evaluating the opportunity, the State of Enterprise AI report confirms that most consider it a priority. More importantly, the survey uncovered an important theme among enterprises adopting AI solutions: a growing requirement for data governance and data mobility across data centre, cloud, and edge infrastructure environments making it even more important for organisations to adopt a platform to run all apps and data across clouds.” 90% of EMEA respondents said that AI is a priority to their organisation and the same number say that security, reliability, and disaster recovery are important considerations in their AI strategy. The report also found that infrastructure modernisation and data security are at the forefront of EMEA AI decision-making. Cost ranked as the third-lowest consideration for EMEA organisations running or planning to run AI workloads. Furthermore, when asked about the key drivers behind upgrades for AI applications or infrastructure, EMEA respondents once again ranked cost as the lowest priority. By contrast, over 90% of respondents in the region agree that their IT costs and cloud spending will both increase due to AI applications. www.nutanix.com Cyber risks not covered in IT security training A pan-European survey from Sharp Europe reveals a worrying disconnect between levels of IT security concern and the specific training businesses have in place to address the most common cyber risks. Despite human error being the biggest IT security concern for over a third (34%) of SMEs across the UK, IT training is missing some of the most common cyber weakness areas for more than half. The research of 5,770 professionals responsible for purchasing IT reveals that employees not following or even having any cyber training is seen as the biggest risk overall to the effectiveness of their businesses’ IT security: more so than large scale industry attacks or concerns around not having the right protection in place. In fact, a third (24%) are now more concerned than previously about technology security risks because of the lack of training for employees. Despite the importance of training, and the concerns around human error, the research reveals that areas that would help address threats, that have impacted UK SMEs, such as virus attacks (25%), phishing (31%), data loss (30%) and password attacks (24%) are simply not covered by a significant proportion of the current training provided to employees. Security training programmes in less than half of SMEs cover passwords (46%), downloading files (46%), connecting to a secure network (45%), or even the basics around logging on and off (44%). www.sharp.co.uk 20 23 Royal Lancaster · December 5 Winners See page 22 Our publishing director Neil Trim has started the ball rolling…
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BULLETIN Insight Systems celebrates 20 years Managed print services provider Insight Systems has celebrated two decades in the print industry. Founded in 2003, Insight Systems embarked on a journey marked by adaptability and innovation. The company says its sustainable printing solutions have enabled it to lead the charge in environmental responsibility within the printing industry, and it shall continue to help pave the way for eco-friendly printing into the future. In a statement the company said. The 20-year mark for Insight is a stepping stone for the future. With a keen eye on emerging technologies like Epson heat-free printers, cloud-based solutions and sustainable practices, our passion and commitment to excellence is what makes us the go-to choice for businesses seeking reliable, effective, managed print services. https://insightsystems.co.uk 01732 759725 6 Sustainability in action Aurora.co.uk has published its 2023 ESG report and net zero carbon reduction plan, showcasing its achievements and outlining ambitious objectives for the coming year. In the fourth year of its ESG journey, Aurora.co.uk continues to set the bar high with stringent corporate governance overseen by its board, quality team, and ESG committee. Supported by external audits, the company’s commitment to excellence has earned it prestigious accreditations including Safe Contractor, ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 14001, reflecting its dedication to quality, occupational health and safety, and environmental management. Key achievements this year include diverting 100% of waste from landfill, and installation of telematics in all vehicles to capture carbon emissions and mileage data; investment of £20,000 in training and development, and £2,400 in employee wellbeing; significant reduction in gender pay gap at all levels of the organisation and joining the Science Based Targets Initiative, developing a social value programme, and setting new targets for sustainable growth. Looking ahead to 2024 the company plans to establish diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) champions, become a Real Living Wage accredited employer, and develop a community engagement strategy. Other plans include launching a social value programme, mapping its tier 2 supply chain, and enhancing stakeholder engagement through materiality assessments. The company’s net zero carbon reduction plan outlines its strategic approach to slashing emissions across the value chain. With a commitment to achieve a 36% reduction in Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 2030, and a 79% overall reduction by 2040, a decade ahead of the UK government's build back greener initiative, it remains steadfast despite a 17% increase in emissions due to business expansion. www.aurora.co.uk MSP officially opens Workflo Solutions’ HQ Almond Valley MSP Angela Constance has officially opened Workflo Solutions’ new 6,800 sq. ft headquarters – Workflo House on the Shairps Business Park in Livingston. The new building is a significant upgrade sitting adjacent to the company’s previous premises which it outgrew. It has embarked on an £80,000 refurbishment of its new headquarters which will house 20 full-time office-based staff across finance, sales support, service, IT and marketing on two floors of office space. “We are delighted to welcome Angela Constance to open our new headquarters”, said Founder and Managing Director Michael Field. Angela Constance MSP said: “It was an honour to be able to visit and unveil a ceremonial plaque at Workflo Solutions’ new headquarters. Michael is a good example of a young entrepreneur and business leader starting a business from scratch back in 2007 and through his endeavours, has developed Workflo Solutions into one of the UK’s market leaders for managed print services. What’s more encouraging is Livingston remains the beating heart of the UK operation. I wish him and his workforce every success operating out of the new headquarters.” https://workflo-solutions.co.uk Strategic acquisition builds on growth plans Agilico has acquired YourDMS Limited (YDMS), the eleventh acquisition backed by Horizon Capital. The deal is a strategic move that dovetails seamlessly with the company’s overall growth strategy. YDMS, a long-standing reseller of Invu document management, aligns perfectly with Agilico's earlier acquisition of Invu, the manufacturer of document management and accounts payable software, in November 2021. This strategic synergy now allows end-user customers to access a deeper level of technical knowledge and experience in the product. CEO Simon Davey said: "We have worked with YDMS for many years through our indirect channel, so we know the business and its customers well. This is an opportunity for us to expand the customer relationships with new products and ideas and to bring them closer to the Invu community." www.agilico.co.uk Business Design Centre · London · 17 September 2024 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT 24 Angela Constance and Michael Field Simon Davey
BULLETIN Aurora Managed Services completes Blue Sky Digital deal Aurora Managed Services has completed the acquisition of Blue Sky Digital, an MPS provider to customers in South Wales and beyond. Blue Sky Digital’s organic growth has been driven by a passion for delivering high quality services which has been repaid by the trust and loyalty of its customers. Its focus on excellence has seen it become a trusted partner across many SME businesses and in the education and local government sectors. The combination of Aurora and Blue Sky Digital will enhance both businesses and, importantly, benefit new and existing customers. Ian Brewer, Managing Director of Blue Sky Digital, said: “We are really excited to become part of the Aurora Managed Services Group and are looking forward to continuing to help grow our presence within Wales and the Southwest.” Andy Moffitt, Aurora’s CEO added: “We are delighted and extremely proud to add Blue Sky Digital to Aurora. The acquisition brings scale and further geographical presence in line with our M&A strategy and a marriage of very similar cultures. Ian and Neil [Brewer] have built a fantastic business with a great brand that we intend to maintain. We are also delighted that they will remain with the business to continue their excellent work as we jointly build on Blue Sky Digital’s impressive track record and bring more solutions and innovation to customers.” www.aurora.co.uk PRINTITRESELLER.UK 7 Sustainability partnership SCC has announced a partnership with Grid Edge, a provider of AI-powered holistic energy intelligence software. The partnership will enable SCC to offer its clients a comprehensive suite of energy management solutions that help them reduce costs, improve sustainability, and meet their ESG goals across their commercial real estate. Grid Edge’s technology provides realtime and predictive insights into energy consumption, carbon, and costs. This enables organisations to identify and reduce waste, optimise their energy use, improve their renewable energy integration, and participate in future demand response programmes. “Our partnership with Grid Edge will provide our clients with the latest and most innovative energy management solutions,” said Daniel Cartter, Director of Innovation at SCC. “Grid Edge’s technology will save customers’ money while also helping to achieve their current and future energy and sustainability goals.” Paul McCorquodale, CEO of Grid Edge AI added: “We are delighted to partner with SCC to help its clients reduce carbon and costs without negatively impacting comfort levels. Our technology makes energy optimisation simple, providing organisations with the insights and tools they need to make better energy decisions.” The benefits of Grid Edge's technology for SCC clients include reduced energy costs, with clients often seeing savings in excess of 20%; reducing carbon emissions from energy and increased compliance. www.scc.com, https://gridedge.ai Optimise IT event Espria’s 2023 Optimise IT ‘tour’ concluded on November 22 with the connectivity and hybrid office theme. Microsoft, Sophos and Mimecast took to the stage at the historic Gray's Inn in London. Scott Fielding, Head of Clients at Espria, said: “Optimise IT has been the go-to event for industry leaders and technology innovators for over 20 years. Attendees have the unique opportunity to directly network with key decision-makers and discover creative ways to deliver IT strategies more effectively and efficiently.” www.espria.com Evolve expands office Lancashire-based Evolve Document Solutions has expanded its commercial premises with the purchase of a new unit at South Rings Business Park in Bamber Bridge. The expansion is in addition to another recently-acquired premises opposite. The new unit is being used exclusively for hardware, stock and technical maintenance. The sixfigure property investment increases Evolve’s commercial space to over 3,000 sq. ft. The highlights of the new space for the Evolve staff and the company’s clients include a remodelled mezzanine, creating additional internal rooms and workspace for staff and customers alike. These include a unique chillout area for downtime in a fast, everchanging working environment. The office expansion follows several years of steady organic growth. It also comes as the managed print services company prepares for the official launch of its very own proprietary document management software called Agility, which it is planning to launch early in 2024. Owner Daniel Maddox said: “We’re always looking for ways that we can add further value for our customers. Our new document management software, Agility, is a great example of that. Agility will help us combine the value, service and technical insight we are renowned for with an innovative new way to simplify digital document storage and retrieval. We have to continue to help our customers to become paper-light, and Agility really fits into this process. “The new office space will add value too. We wanted a friendly space where customers and staff enjoy learning together as we take UK office document productivity to a new level. Evolve will be able to offer a blend of hardware and in-house software that I believe few in the industry can equal. And the office expansion means we’ll have a new working environment that matches that promise.” www.evolvedocumentsolutions.co.uk
BULLETIN 01732 759725 8 Pioneering MSSP programme Specialist distributor Westcon-Comstor has signed a worldwide distribution agreement with cybersecurity solutions provider Check Point Software Technologies. The collaboration is designed to unlock new growth opportunities for partners seeking to capitalise on rising managed security service provider demand. The new agreement enables partners to take advantage of a flexible, scalable solution that covers the full Check Point software security stack and is designed to be accessible to MSSPs of all sizes. Westcon will enable partner growth through its value-added offering, covering everything from education, enablement and knowledge sharing to its data-driven approach to identifying prospective customers and cross-sell and upsell opportunities. The programme enhances partners’ ability to meet their customers’ ever-evolving cybersecurity requirements in a partner-led ‘as a service’ offering. It simplifies operations with faster customer onboarding, streamlined quoting, technical onboarding, pipeline development and go to market alignment. www.westconcomstor.com • www.checkpoint.com.com Strategic distribution relationship Ingram Micro and audio manufacturer Shure have announced a new strategic relationship aimed at enhancing UC solutions across the UK, Germany, Spain, and Poland. The alliance will focus on distributing Shure’s Stem Ecosystem, addressing the burgeoning demand for high-quality audio in meeting, training and classroom spaces. “Developing a closer business relationship with IT channels is a key priority for Shure,” said Bob Farahar, Senior Market Development Manager, UC and IT Channels, Western Europe at Shure. “Ingram Micro not only has a strong relationship in the IT sector but also deep expertise and knowledge. We believe Stem Ecosystem will be a valuable addition to Ingram Micro’s portfolio while helping Shure reach new markets.” Richard Tricklebank, Global Partner Engagement, EMEA, Unified Communications & Collaboration, Ingram Micro, added: “We are thrilled to include Shure in our product portfolio. As workspaces evolve and the need for highquality, reliable audio becomes increasingly important, Shure’s cutting-edge technology will offer a total solution for our reseller customers.” www.shure.com • www.ingrammicro.com Midwich acquisition Midwich Group has entered a binding agreement to acquire prodyTel Distribution Gmbh, a distributor of professional audio and technical solutions products based near Nuremberg, Germany. The company operates across Germany and employs thirty staff. Through its German subsidiary Kern & Stelly Medientechnik Gmbh. Midwich will acquire 51% of the company's share capital for initial cash consideration of €8.5 million (approximately £7.4 million). Put/call options are in place to facilitate the purchase of the remaining 49% of the share capital in June 2024 for a fixed cash consideration of €8.1 million (approximately £7.1 million). An additional performance linked amount of up to €5.5 million (approximately £4.8 million) will be payable in cash in 2026. Stephen Fenby, Midwich Group Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to have reached an agreement to acquire prodyTel, which will strengthen our technology offering in the DACH region.” www.midwich.com TD SYNNEX launches financial services industry ecosystem TD SYNNEX has launched an industry ecosystem community for financial services with the aim of bringing ISVs and businesses that have specialist expertise, applications or services, together with partners that have access to markets. The first official meeting was held at IBM’s York Road location in London last month, with an initial core group of interested parties gathering to discuss strategic objectives and a plan of action. The next stage will see key players working together to organise the first large-scale event aimed at ISVs, solutions and service providers, end user organisations and other interested partners. This is currently scheduled to take place in April 2024. Neil Cornish, Ecosystems Business Manager at TD SYNNEX, said: “It’s great to get the financial services industry ecosystem up and running. The initial meeting was extremely productive, and we are all looking forward to bringing together interested parties with different perspectives, skills, and capabilities as we expand and develop the ecosystem. “Financial services organisations have extremely diverse needs and with the exciting new developments we are now seeing in generative AI and in data analytics, there is huge potential to create new and differentiated solutions and to drive additional value for customers.” The financial services industry ecosystem is the seventh to be launched by TD SYNNEX in the UK. Three others cover other industry sectors – healthcare, manufacturing, and retail and distribution. The remaining three are technology ecosystems, focused on sustainability, cybersecurity and on Red Hat containerised solutions. They are all operating successfully with regular gatherings and workshops taking place. https://uk.tdsynnex.com page 22 2023 Neil Cornish Winners Westcoast partners with Boom Westcoast has been named the official UK distributor for video conferencing firm Boom Collaboration. Westcoast will supply the complete Boom Collaboration range, including 4K PTZ conferencing cameras, video bars, personal devices and audio speakers. Westcoast’s Unified Communications Business Manager, Sam Armstrong said: “Boom Collaboration can offer our resellers something different and it is a very welcome addition to our high calibre UC collaboration division across the UK, France and Germany. We are confident this new partnership will be a big success.” https://boomcollaboration.com • www.westcoast.co.uk
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01732 759725 BULLETIN 10 Tree-planting Antalis, who has worked with Forest Carbon since 2014 and is their longest standing current partner, hosted customers Coventry Building Society, Egan Reid and The Printroom, at a treeplanting day at The Croft on the Lowther Estate in Penrith, Cumbria. The day saw the planting of a native oak, adding to the 9,000 plus broadleaf and coniferous trees Antalis and its customers have already planted on the six-hectare site as part of the carbon offsetting scheme offered by Antalis. Through the planting and management of these trees, over 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be captured. The Croft is one of four schemes Antalis and its customers are supporting through the partnership with Forest Carbon. In addition to The Croft, 4,000 native broadleaf trees have been planted on a 2.5-hectare site at Thorney Coppice near Kettering, Northants, with 1,000 tonnes of CO2 capture underway. A further 31,557 broadleaf and coniferous trees have been planted on just under 16 hectares at Doddington North near Wooler, Northumberland, meaning a further 4,308 tonnes of CO2 will be captured. www.antalis.co.uk TD SYNNEX moves to green energy TD SYNNEX has succeeded in getting all four of its UK locations running on electricity from a renewable source before the end of 2023, which means that 100% of the electricity consumed by the business now comes from renewable sources. The achievement further reduces the company’s UK carbon footprint and its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. It came after the management company for its Bracknell offices confirmed that it has now switched to a green energy tariff from National Grid for The Capitol Building at Oldbury. TD SYNNEX UK was already getting 90% of its power from renewable sources, with its warehouse facility at Magna Park, Lutterworth, and the office locations in Basingstoke and Warrington all using green energy. Kevin Wragg, Director, Environment and Quality Compliance said: “We had set a target to get all our UK operations onto renewable electricity by the end of 2023 and we’re pleased to have achieved that goal. It’s vitally important that our industry continues to make progress in reducing its carbon impact and it is worth celebrating as every small step takes us a little bit closer to net zero.” Efficiency gains, especially at its main Basingstoke offices, have also seen TD SYNNEX reduce its energy consumption quite significantly and the UK operation is on target to achieve its goal of achieving a 20% reduction this year. In Q1 2024, it expects to have electric vehicle charging points at all four UK locations. These will be free at the point of delivery to co-workers. There are already EV points available at the Basingstoke location. https://uk.tdsynnex.com evo Foundation completes first charity event Steve Smith, evo UK Warehouse Director, has successfully completed a 274-mile charity trek, marking the evo Foundation’s first charity event. The walk, which was completed in ten days and the equivalent of ten marathons, included significant evo landmarks along the way, including Sheffield, Lutterworth, Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds and Normanton. evo employees from across its businesses – Vow Wholesale, Banner, Complete and Premier Vanguard – all took part and joined Smith for different legs of the journey, with his family and friends ready to surprise him as he crossed the finish line. All donations raised will go towards evo’s new charity, the evo Foundation, raising money for the advancement of education and the prevention of poverty globally. Reflecting on his achievement, Smith said: “What started as an idea amongst half a dozen of us quickly became a challenge that has involved over 100 evo employees from across the country. The hardest moments of the journey, including the hills between Leeds and Buxton and the resulting blisters, was all worthwhile knowing I had the support of my colleagues, our suppliers, friends, and my family who were there to cheer me on for the final stretch.” www.justgiving.com/campaign/walkofevo Integra partners with NWT FM Solutions Integra has signed a new agreement with NWT FM Solutions, giving members preferential terms on over 7000 skus in the facilities management sector. Established over 20 years ago, NWT is a trade only supplier providing resellers with everything they need to support customers in all sectors. With highly competitive pricing including volume discounts, a dedicated account manager and ecommerce data available via FusionPlus, this is another opportunity for members to grow sales with existing customers and generate new accounts on the back of an extended product and service offering. Members will have access to NWT’s FusionPlus catalogue for their back-office and webstore and also be able to export inventory and cost price files. www.integra-business.co.uk Kevin Wragg
01732 759725 12 BULLETIN Cohesity expands collaboration with Microsoft Cohesity has deepened its relationship with Microsoft to help organisations more quickly respond to and recover from data loss within Microsoft 365 environments. With this expanded collaboration, Cohesity is working with Microsoft to deliver enhanced backup and recovery performance for Microsoft 365 environments via the integration of native APIs of Microsoft 365 Backup Storage with Cohesity DataProtect. Cohesity DataProtect is a high-performance, secure backup and recovery solution that safeguards data against sophisticated cyber threats. It offers comprehensive policy-based protection for cloud-native, SaaS, and traditional data sources. www.cohesity.com SentinelOne expands Pax8 partnership The two companies announced a significant expansion of their four-year-long relationship that will allow them to get more best-in-class endpoint, identity and cloud security offerings in the hands of more companies across the sizable and rapidly growing market more quickly. Under terms of the multi-year agreement, Pax8 is committed to accelerating the adoption of SentinelOne solutions among its growing partner base and expanding its service offerings beyond the company’s traditional endpoint security product into areas like cloud, identity and other related modules. And SentinelOne will leverage Pax8’s powerful ecommerce platform to speed adoption of the solutions among SMBs through a new, click-to-buy option, making it faster and easier than ever for them to connect to Pax8, if they choose to, and begin their cyber journeys. www.sentinelone.com • www.pax8.com Kodak Alaris wins multiple awards Keypoint Intelligence has awarded Kodak Alaris two Buyers Lab (BLI) Awards - a 2024 Fall Pick Award for Kodak Info Input Solution as Outstanding Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) Solution, and a 2024-2025 Pacesetter Award for Excellence as a Capture & IDP Partner. “Our research has shown time and again that customers need expert guidance when it comes to what is possible in the realm of Intelligent Document Processing,” said Jamie Bsales, Principal Analyst of Smart Workplace Solutions at Keypoint Intelligence. “In our in-depth study of leading IDP providers, Kodak Alaris occupies a unique position. It offers both best-of-breed capture hardware along with customisable software that together simplify the journey from document arrival to usage in business processes quickly, accurately, and reliably. And just as importantly, Kodak Alaris is focused on raising its channel partners’ abilities in IDP to ensure end customers are reaping the full benefits of its advanced technologies.” www.alarisworld.com West Midlands recruitment drive Hexaware Technologies, a global provider of IT and digital solutions, has marked the next phase of its UK expansion by opening a new Birmingham-based facility, with plans to create 250 jobs. The facility at 3 Brindley Place was officially opened by West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street. The expansion plan forms a key part of the business’ UK growth strategy, which is focused on establishing the company as a trusted partner for innovative IT and digital services. It is committed to scaling up its Birmingham facility to house 250 talented professionals by 2025. The onboarding process for over 60 local employees is already underway, with plans to actively seek out additional top-tier talent to complement Hexaware’s growing team. The business’ recruitment drive is being supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) skills team, following an introduction by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC). https://hexaware.com Epson hits 100% renewable electricity target Epson has met its 100% renewable electricity target across Europe, with a global achievement expected by the end of 2023. With the release of its 2022/2023 European Sustainability Report, the company sets out its environmental vision, with a pledge to become carbon-negative and underground resource-free by 2050. The report further highlights the company’s progress towards this goal and how it’s driving transformational change through four core areas: decarbonisation, advancing the frontiers of industry, fulfilling its social responsibility and strengthening its governance. Between FY17 and FY22, Epson has made significant strides, reducing natural gas consumption and emissions in European offices by 51%. The German head office has relocated to a new building in Düsseldorf, where the energy consumption is 75% lower per sqm than in its previous office. The company has also further strengthened and continues to improve its commitment to DE&I by establishing its strategy for the development of its DE&I goals, metrics and governance. Yoshiro Nagafusa, President at Epson Europe B.V, asserts Epson’s commitment to a ‘less is more’ approach: “For us, our philosophy of ‘efficient, compact and precise’ is more than just a technological concept. It’s an approach to reducing environmental impacts, enriching the environment and lives by eliminating waste and making things smaller, more efficient and more precise.” www.epson.co.uk
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01732 759725 14 BULLETIN HP paves way for partner growth HP has launched HP Amplify for All, an initiative which integrates all HP solutions and services including Poly, Teradici and HyperX into the HP Amplify programme, offering one unified global platform for partner engagement. The newly integrated partner programme will also be extended to distribution partners. With the launch of HP Amplify Distribution, distributors can benefit from the industry-first foundation of capabilities, collaboration and performance. The new programme, optimised for distribution partners, removes complexity making it easier for distributors to take advantage of its many benefits and engage customers on a deeper level. HP has also revealed details for new commercial partner benefits, including the More for More rate multiplier to enhance partner compensation and Fast Lane, the industry’s first automated marketing development funds (MDF) reimbursement process. The company also announced Growth Plays, a new programme element to be rolled out across commercial and distribution partners in May 2024. www.hp.com Ricoh is a contender Ricoh has been positioned in the Contenders category of the IDC MarketScape: European Human-First Digital Workspace Solutions 2023 Vendor Assessment. This IDC MarketScape assesses IT service providers with a footprint in Europe that offer digital workplace solutions and services with a focus on a human-first experience. Ricoh’s position as Contender reflects the company’s commitment to delivering innovative digital workspace solutions centered around a humanfirst approach. According to IDC’s report one of Ricoh’s key strengths lies in: “well-designed in-house solutions and numerous human-first focused acquisitions”. These strategic acquisitions have enabled Ricoh to “translate its legacy in print and imaging solutions into differentiated digital workplace offering”. Ricoh’s dedication to sustainability goals and products is also a standout feature, aligning with the company’s commitment to responsible business practices. www.ricoh.co.uk RISO UK supports Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care RISO UK has been named as a platinum partner of Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, as part of the charity’s corporate partnership programme. The partnership will see RISO UK work with Rennie Grove Peace through its event calendar. A number of RISO UK colleagues will also be taking to the skies at the charity’s upcoming sponsored skydives. Tatsuo Murakami, Managing Director at RISO UK, said: “We’ve recently moved our UK head office to the Croxley Business Park and are keen to work with our local community in a number of ways. This partnership with Rennie Grove Peace is one of the ways we are pledging to support people in our local community.” www.riso.co.uk Sales award for Toshiba Tec Toshiba Tec has secured an Investor in Sales award which is conferred when at least 75% of a sales team passes the (Institute of Sales professionals) ISP’s ethical registration exam. The exam tests selling skills, knowledge, professional ethics and decision-making. To qualify, candidates must score at least 85%. A new exam has to be taken every two years so salespeople must keep their skills and knowledge up to date to remain on the ISP’s professional register of competent, ethical salespeople. The company currently has several members of its team with level 7 Masters or level 6 Bachelors degrees and it wants to continue on this positive trajectory of growing its highlytrained team. Simon Coulson, Head of National Sales at Toshiba Tec said: “Achieving the Investor in Sales award is a proud moment for our salespeople and for the company as a whole. Our membership of the ISP is massively important for the way we do business and underpins the culture, vision and values which are central to Toshiba. We hope that by gaining this celebrated award, both our current and prospective customers feel assured of the positive partnership they can expect when choosing our services.” www.toshibatec.co.uk 2 0 24 Kodak Alaris named a major player in IDP Kodak Alaris has been named a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) Software 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment. Partner and customer feedback played a role in how IDC evaluated Kodak Alaris’ strategies and capabilities in the market, in addition to its IDP solutions including Kodak Info Input Solution, Kodak Capture Pro Software, and INfuse Smart Connected Scanning Solution from Kodak Alaris. The IDC MarketScape states that: “Kodak Alaris leverages a best-of-breed approach of 3rd party IDP providers, 1st and 3rd party hardware, and in-house and 3rd party service capabilities. This curated approach, although new, makes it a vendor of consideration for any organisation looking to experiment, learn, or expand its use of IDP more broadly.” Jim Forger, Vice President of Business Solutions at Kodak Alaris said: “We are honoured to be recognised by the IDC MarketScape as a Major Player in Worldwide Intelligent Document Processing. We understand the unique challenges our customers face in enabling successful digital transformation, particularly across invoice processing, claims processing, and onboarding. We are proud to offer cutting-edge solutions, backed by professional services that address our customers’ requirements and resolve their challenges head-on.” www.alarisworld.com See page 47
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01732 759725 16 BULLETIN : PEOPLE BOSS welcomes new board member Mark Wilkinson, ACCO Brands Regional Vice President, UK and Ireland has joined the BOSS board. Amy Hutchinson, BOSS CEO, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Mark to the BOSS Board, his extensive knowledge of our sector will be a real asset to the Federation as we strive to build a wider community. I look forward to working alongside him and our ever-supportive existing board members”. www.bossfederation.com New MD for ESET As Managing Director UK, Matt Knell will head up cybersecurity company ESET’s team in Bournemouth, with responsibility for galvanising its partner programme and strengthening its bespoke corporate solutions for enterprises and large SMBs. Knell has almost 25 years’ experience in cybersecurity, including 16 years at McAfee and more than eight years at Sophos as an Enterprise Sales Director and Senior Sales Leader for Strategic Growth and Channel. www.eset.com Debbie Nice named BOSS Interim CEO Debbie Nice has been appointed Interim CEO at BOSS while existing CEO Amy Hutchinson takes maternity leave. Nice has over 35 years’ experience in the business supplies sector having worked in senior strategic roles in procurement, marketing and sales at the EVO Group, CPD, Office Friendly and Spicers. She has extensive channel knowledge and is passionate about the environment and embracing opportunities for growth and change. She has been a trustee of the BOSS Business Supplies Charity since 2015 and was on the committee of BOSS Yorkshire from 2000-2020. www.bossfederation.com Trio of new appointments IT and managed networks provider Evolve has strengthened its team with a trio of new appointments as it embarks on a new growth phase, following the completion of two acquisitions in the last 12 months and a doubling of its headcount. The new hires include Lee Simpson as Chief Financial Officer, Paul Washington as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Dean Lord as Account Director. Simpson brings significant financial and M&A expertise to Evolve, he was previously CFO at UK Hire Group and before that Head of M&A at law firm Slater & Gordon and DCC Technology (Exertis). Washington previously held senior roles at Cognizant, IBM, Sopra Banking Software and Atom Ban, and Lord, a specialist in large scale deployments of solutions such as SD WAN, was previously Head of Connectivity at MLR Networks. https://www.evolvebg.co.uk/ Role changes at TD SYNNEX Simon Bennett, Senior Director, Enterprise Software and Cloud, UK and Ireland at TD SYNNEX, has been promoted to Managing Director, Advanced Solutions, UK&I. Bennett takes over from Matt Child who has moved into a new role leading the distie’s European digital strategy. As Senior Vice President, Digital, Europe, Child steps into the shoes of Andy Gass, who is retiring from the business in January 2024, after a 30-year tenure. Bennett said: “I am really excited to be taking on the leadership of the advanced solutions division in the UK and Ireland. Over the last four years, Matt has built a fantastic team with incredible depth of capability. He has established the advanced solutions business as a leader in the enablement and aggregation of emerging technologies and a genuinely trusted advisor for channel partners. I look forward to continuing and building on that success and taking the business into the next exciting phase of its development.” https://uk.tdsynnex.com/ Konica Minolta hires new CFO Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) has appointed Suzie Thorogood as Chief Financial Officer. Commenting on her new role she said: “I am delighted to be joining the Konica Minolta senior leadership team at this exciting juncture. Following the business’s significant transformation over the last three years in response to broader global changes, I am excited to be taking on the role of Chief Financial Officer during this next phase of growth and change.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk GoTo bolsters leadership team GoTo has promoted Damon Covey to the role of Chief Product Officer (CPO). Covey joined the company in 2021 as Senior Vice President and Head of Product. As CPO, he will be responsible for leading the product teams and UX for the company’s full IT management, support, and business communications portfolio. Ruth Frank has also joined as the company’s new Head of UX within the product team, where she’ll lead the ideation, user research, and design functions for product development. Before joining GoTo, Frank was the Vice President of Experience Design at Pitney Bowes, where she worked for over 18 years. www.goto.com ArtSystems promotes Zac Ambler ArtSystems, the specialist systems distributor and service provider, has promoted Zac Ambler to the position of Supplies Account Manager in its specialist wide-format supplies team. For the last 18 months, he has worked in the Nottingham-based distributor’s sales administration team. Part of Westcoast Holdings Group, ArtSystems serves the design, manufacturing, graphics, sign and display markets with imaging and printing hardware, materials and consumables from leading manufacturers. It employs 70-plus people and has a turnover of more than £70 million. www.artsystems.co.uk Simon Bennett Suzie Thorogood Mark Wilkinson
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