www.printitreseller.uk PRINT, MFP, SOFTWARE, SERVICES, DOCUMENT & CLOUD NEWS & INFORMATION FOR VARS, CONVERGED RESELLERS & MFP DEALERS NETWORKING PRINTIT AWARDS Ethan White reports from Sauze d’Oulx PAGE 22 PAGE 34 PAGE 39 VOX POP Time to step up climate action First peek at the 2024 categories 08/23. Carbon 20 24 Royal Lancaster · December 3 New Epson range balances inkjet printer deployment see page 32 PRINT IT RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2011 ISSUE 115 · 2024
The Convergent Technology Event for IT Resellers & Providers Cloud Services | MPS Workflow | Voice | Mobile | Software | Storage | Finance Security | Sustainability | UC | Mobility | Distribution | AV | SaaS | Ai | Comms | Billing Services | MSP | Document | ICT | UPS Tech Live 2024 will open its doors again on the 17th September 2024 at the Business Design Centre, London. If you are an ICT Professional, IT Reseller, MFP/Printer Dealer, Dealer, Reseller, MSP or VAR looking for new opportunities and products to add to your portfolio, being at Tech Live 2024 is a MUST. We already have an excellent mix of exhibitors offering a range of different propositions with even more in the pipeline PLUS we are putting together an informative and thought-provoking seminar programme for the event. We look forward to welcoming you on 17th September 2024. www.tech-live.co.uk Tech Live 2023 TO BOOK YOUR STAND – Call Ethan, Neil or Jeff on 01732 759 725 or Paul on 07887 944 433 or email [email protected] Business Design Centre · London · 17 September 2024 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT 24
PRINTITRESELLER.UK 3 It’s that time of year again, when we turn our attention to planning for the annual PrintIT Awards. We’ve introduced a few changes this year, some new categories and new entry criteria, and we’ve lined up a stellar panel of experts to determine the winning entries. For a sneak peak at the 2024 categories, see page 22. In late February, PrintIT Reseller and Technology Reseller magazines hosted over 40 intrepid adventurers in the Italian ski resort of Sauze d’Oulx. The inaugural event went down a storm. Ethan White reports on page 34. With climate action and the race to net-zero a pertinent issue for all, this month we invited some of the industry’s leading OEMs to share their thoughts, strategies and initiatives designed to reduce the environmental impact of printers and MFPs. Next month, a number of channel resellers share their thoughts (page 39). Also in this issue, Amanda Riley CEO at Vitale Digital, picks the work tools she uses every day and couldn’t do her job without (page 18). This month’s Q&A is with Daniel Maddox, Managing Director, Evolve Document Solutions, and PITR spent 60 seconds with Sebastian Turner, Document Management Sales Specialist, Northamber PLC. 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. ©2024 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk 04 Bulletin Where do you take yours? 06 Bulletin What’s new in printers and printing 16 People A round-up of new hires 18 I couldn’t do my job without... Amanda Riley picks her favourite work tools 20 A decade in print Steve Pearce shares his print experiences over the past decade 22 PrintIT Awards First peek at the 2024 categories 26 Focus on: What’s New A round-up of recent product launches 29 Conference Integra hosts 2024 National Conference 34 Networking Event Ethan White reports from Sauze d’Oulx 36 Interview An exciting year ahead for Asolvi 39 VOX POP Time to step up climate action: part one 46 Industry Insight Stuart Miller, Director, Channel Partners, Canon UK&I 48 View from the Channel Daniel Maddox, Managing Director, Evolve Document Solutions 50 60 seconds with... Sebastian Turner, Document Management Sales Specialist, Northamber PLC 2024 ISSUE 115 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 115 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 20 24 Royal Lancaster · December 3 PRINT IT RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2011
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! We’re delighted that so many of our readers are taking on the challenge and sending us pix of them reading PrintIT Reseller in unusual settings. Keep them coming!! AUSTIN, TEXAS Last month, cloud ISV directprint.io exhibited at the 2024 TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association) Convention and Exposition which was held in downtown Austin, Texas. In between conducting live demonstrations of the directprint.io serverless print management platform and talking to educators and decisionmakers about how cloud print management can revolutionise printing in schools and entire districts, James Gilmore, Head of Product and Design at directprint.io found out more about the new Sharp virtual showroom. Sarah Kochli, Head of Marketing, Toshiba Tec, spends a few minutes checking out what’s new in the world of print. Dan Lancaster, Director, Nuvem Solutions, spent time waiting for the chair lift wisely, reading up on the latest in cloud print management. Our very own Ethan White grabbed a few quiet moments before heading off to the piste to make sure he was up to date with the latest industry developments. directprint.io Marketing Assistant Lisa Matthews, spent a few spare hours exploring downtown Austin, and got this fab pix of her reading the magazine on E 6th Street, in front of one of the city’s most vibrant murals. We want to see where you take your issue, so get the camera out and 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! You can reach me at [email protected] So far, we’ve featured readers in Miami, Budapest, Austin, Italy and more, let’s see how much further away we can get. We can't wait to see the incredible places our magazine ends up. SAUZE D’OULX, ITALY As reported on page 34, the Kingswood Tech and Media team hosted 40 intrepid skiers in the Italian ski resort of Sauze d’Oulx. Naturally, in between navigating red runs, networking and enjoying the apres ski, the group all took time out to catch up on the latest industry news.
asolvi.com/workplace-technology BOOK YOUR FREE DEMO Quotations TCO Tools ESR & CO2 Calculator Meter Billing Contract Management Integrations Stock & Consumables Manage your entire sales and operations processes with the UK’s leading managed print and workplace technology solutions: mySalesDrive and Vantage Online. Supporting UK workplace technology providers for over 30 years
BULLETIN Flotek invests in OES Flotek Group has announced the acquisition of a majority share in OES, a North Wales-based managed IT, cyber security, managed print, and web development firm. Displaying rapid growth and a £3.1 million turnover, OES provides digital technology solutions to businesses. Priding itself on its tailored account management and highly trained experts, the business has developed a reputation in North Wales and the Northwest for its bespoke strategies and service delivery, boasting a strong client roster that includes Boots, Hickory’s, and Gamlins, with a particular focus on the legal market. This strategic move expands Flotek’s regional presence in the area, alongside its Chester office acquired last year, and pushes the group to achieve a turnover of more than £10.5 million. Additionally, the acquisition brings 22 experienced OES staff into the Flotek fold, bolstering the team to over 80 individuals. Jay Ball, CEO of Flotek said: “OES’s impressive track record and talented team make them a perfect fit for Flotek. This acquisition will boost our growth and visibility in the area and, crucially, will allow Flotek to enter the managed print and web business and develop our provision for the legal sector while supporting OES with access to a robust telecom offering. We’re pleased to be welcoming OES as part of the group and creating new opportunities for our businesses and our customers.” The deal will see OES’s management team, Wayne Jones, Peter Edwards, and Luke Murray, remain in their roles as Managing Director, Head of Finance, and IT Manager respectively, benefiting from the strategic guidance of the Flotek board, while continuing to run OES and deliver the exceptional service the business has become known for. OES’s brand will be maintained under the Flotek Group umbrella, ensuring continuity and familiarity for clients and employees but delivering an enhanced service through the businesses’ stellar expertise and commitment to future growth. This is Flotek’s second investment acquisition, following the inclusion of Hampshire-based Flexinet last year. https://flotek.io/ 01732 759725 6 KRL Group named a finalist KRL Group has been named a finalist in the ‘Environmentally Friendly Business of the Year’ category at the 2024 Goole & Howdenshire Business Awards. The Goole & Howdenshire Business Excellence Awards, which were co-founded and chaired by local businessman Garrey Haase (Director of Yorkshire Eyewear), recognise and celebrate business excellence in Goole and the surrounding area. The awards have become one of the area’s most prestigious events, recognising local success stories and presenting a perfect opportunity to further raise the profile of the Goole and Howdenshire area of East Yorkshire. The ‘Environmentally Friendly Business of the Year’ category recognises businesses that work hard to minimise the impact of their activities on the environment. Managing Director George Baker attributes the accolade being made possible by its promotion of Epson heat-free devices to businesses in Yorkshire. The company has also opened a new Leeds office. Baker said that following unprecedented growth over the last 12 months, it was considered a strategic move to expand the sales and service support team into the Leeds area to address growing demand from clients and prospective clients in the region. The office is located in an ideal position, just off the M62 at Morley enabling engineers to access road networks quickly if a site visit is required. www.krlgroup.net Business restructure results in new jobs Integrity IT Solutions has experienced a bumper year as a result of a reorganisation, spearheaded by new head of operations Michael Quinn. On the back of the success, Integrity IT, which has offices in Annan and Carlisle, has recently welcomed four new recruits to the team, and promoted two members of staff as part of their personal and professional development. Ben Hoban has returned to Integrity after working as an IT engineer for 15 months at a Cumbrian business chain and has been appointed as a Senior Network Engineer, Ben Haugh and Lauren Johnson have been recruited as IT Technicians and Lukasz Bazydlo has started as an IT apprenticeship. Josh Britton, who joined Integrity in 2015, has continued to impress and has stepped up to the role of Network Engineer, while Becci Grieve who joined Integrity to work on the reception is now responsible for the company’s procurement and logistics operations. Integrity IT Solutions specialises in the design, supply, support and installation of IT systems to businesses across the north of England and southwest Scotland. www.integrityoffice.co.uk (l-r) Lukasz Bazydlo, Lauren Johnson, Josh Britton, Ben Hoban, Ben Haugh, Becci Grieve and Michael Quinn.
BULLETIN Growth and expansion for RDS Right Digital Solutions (RDS) has opened two new office locations, marking a significant milestone in its growth strategy. The London team have relocated to a new nearby location on Gracechurch Street. Located in the heart of the city, the eco-friendly building provides a great space to work from and deliver quality service for clients. In addition to the London move, RDS has also opened a second new office location in Leeds to deliver managed IT, telecoms and print services. This expansion presents an exciting opportunity for the Northern team to grow and better serve clients in the region. Sales Director Paul Ryland said: “We’re delighted to open our Leeds office. It’s ideally situated for us, giving us a base from which to provide IT services from our expanding portfolio to businesses locally. Our regional team have years of experience working in the IT space, and they have already hit the ground running.” www.rightdigitalsolutions.com Three decades of partnership Konica Minolta and its Stockport-based 5-star accredited partner Woodbank Office Solutions are celebrating three decades of partnership. Managing Director Janet Bowden founded Woodbank Office Solutions in 1989 reselling used photocopiers as a side venture to her job at a bank. Determined to grow and enhance the business, she soon became a Minolta partner (the forerunner of Konica Minolta) and the two companies have worked in close partnership ever since. Today, Woodbank Office Solutions provides managed print solutions, office photocopiers, printers, and integrated business solutions to businesses in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the North-East. Passionately supporting her team whilst remaining hands-on with day-to-day activities, Janet prides herself on maintaining the best mix of people on her team and trusting in them to use their own skills to maintain Woodbank Office Solutions’ ongoing success. “We have a great culture based around trust, if your team can trust in each other, then customers will trust you too. If you set the right foundations up, everything else will flow. I know there are companies that have grown faster, but whilst our growth may have been a bit slower, we are steady and we're strong.” www.woodbankoffice.co.uk PRINTITRESELLER.UK 7 Focus Group acquires Pinnacle Focus Group has announced its strategic acquisition of Pinnacle, a well-established cloud communications and mobile specialist headquartered in Bristol. This move is set to enhance Focus Group's geographical reach across the Southwest, market presence and service offerings, solidifying its position as a comprehensive provider of innovative solutions in the telecoms, IT, connectivity and mobile sectors. Several key factors drove Focus Group’s decision to acquire Pinnacle. It comes at a time of significant growth for both companies and represents a natural alignment of values and objectives. Pinnacle has earned an outstanding reputation in the industry, built upon its commitment to delivering exceptional service and its strong focus on culture and a peoplefirst approach to business. Furthermore, the business has a compelling success story having demonstrated consistent revenue growth over the years, with high visibility on future earnings and strong cash generation capabilities, aligning closely with Focus Group's growth strategy. With a proven track record of cross-selling IT, mobile, and fixed-line services, Pinnacle offers significant growth potential that can be further enhanced through the integration of Focus Group's products and expertise. Brian Lodge, Regional Director at Focus Group said: "We are thrilled to welcome Pinnacle into the Focus Group family. This acquisition reflects our commitment to growth and not only further strengthens our operations in the Southwest but also brings together two companies that share a common vision for growth and customer satisfaction. Pinnacle's product range complements Focus Group's offerings in telecoms, IT, and mobile solutions, while its expertise in customer-centric UC technology presents additional opportunities for synergies and innovation." Katy Simmonds, COO at Pinnacle added: "We are excited to join forces with Focus Group and leverage their extensive resources, strengthened product portfolio and industry experience. We remain dedicated to providing unparalleled value to our customers and as part of Focus Group, we will be in a position to continually innovate and deliver best-in-class solutions to meet their evolving needs." https://focusgroup.co.uk Expanded partnership Agilico is embarking on a bold initiative to align its operations with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This strategic move comes as part of the company's broader commitment to becoming net-zero by 2030, reflecting its dedication to sustainability and responsible business and community practices. www.agilico.co.uk Recognition for Carbon Carbon has received a letter of commendation from the Dunfermline local MP, Douglas Chapman, acknowledging the dedication and success of its team and investment in the area. The company said that after promoting sustainable managed print and digital services to local businesses in Fife/ Central Scotland, it's incredibly rewarding to see its efforts recognised. Managing Director Colin Yule said: "I am delighted with the recognition of our team's effort and acknowledgement of our growth of sustainable managed print services in the Central Belt. “A big thank you to our team for their hard work and commitment. Together, we're making strides towards a more sustainable and efficient tomorrow!” https://carbon-group.co.uk
BULLETIN 01732 759725 8 Network Group welcomes five new vendors Network Group has announced the signing of five new vendors. Huntress, Pillr and ScalePad joined the community in January, while CloudOlive and ConnectSecure will be attending their first Network Group event in April. All five vendors have committed to an annual plan with Network Group and enhanced commercial terms for members. Network Group Managing Director David Tulip said: “I am delighted to invite our five new vendors to Network Group, it will further enhance our offering to members. These vendors bring leading solutions which will benefit our members and their customers. In addition, the people behind the vendors will bring fantastic experience and insight, further strengthening and contributing to the success of our Network Group community.” www.nbg.co.uk Deal to drive partner growth Global technology provider and specialist distributor Westcon-Comstor, has announced an expanded partnership with Cisco to create AWS Marketplace growth opportunities for channel partners and drive adoption of Cisco’s solutions. The agreement means Westcon-Comstor, which through its Comstor arm has a relationship with Cisco dating back more than two decades, can now privately list Cisco’s cybersecurity, observability and networking and collaboration-focused software products in AWS Marketplace. Cisco is one of the first software vendors to be formally announced as a participant in Westcon-Comstor’s AWS Marketplace programme, following the signing of the distributor’s Designated Seller of Record (DSOR) agreement with AWS. “We’re thrilled to announce Cisco as a launch vendor for our AWS Marketplace programme,” said David Grant, CEO at Westcon-Comstor. “End-users increasingly want to procure in AWS Marketplace thanks to the flexibility and predefined budgets it offers, and we’re committed to enabling partners to sell where their customers want to buy. In giving our partners access to Cisco’s exceptional technology portfolio and equipping them with a simplified and streamlined route to transacting Cisco products on AWS Marketplace, we’re creating a new platform from which to drive growth and scale across the value chain.” www.westconcomstor.com TD SYNNEX expands cybersecurity portfolio TD SYNNEX has formed an alliance with specialist ISV, Crossword Cybersecurity, that will give partners access to Trillion, the company’s advanced dark web data mining platform for businesses, for the first time. Ideal for MSSPs, Trillion proactively scans for customers’ employee usernames and passwords that are being shared on the dark web. It also provides information on where and how the information was sourced. Full enablement and support on the solution will be provided for Trillion by TD SYNNEX’s specialist security practice in collaboration with Crossword Cybersecurity’s own UK-based team. Channel programmes for both managed services providers and reseller partners are available for Trillion, which becomes part of a wide-ranging portfolio of security solutions and services available through the TD SYNNEX security practice. Alison Nixon, Director, Security, UK, TD SYNNEX, said: “The dark web has become a distinct and growing threat to organisations and Trillion is a valuable addition to our expanding security portfolio. It enables MSPs and partners to offer monitoring of the dark web and thus help their customers to be aware that information is out there that could be used to break their own or their customers’ network and data protection.” The addition of Trillion makes TD SYNNEX even better-placed to support partners in growing and developing their cybersecurity business, she added. https://uk.tdsynnex.com Exertis Cloud strengthens security portfolio Exertis Cloud has announced a strategic partnership with Nord Security. This powerful collaboration brings NordPass, a next-generation password manager, and NordLayer, a secure cloud access platform, directly to Exertis Cloud's extensive network of channel partners, empowering them to secure their cloud environments with unrivalled ease and efficiency. By joining forces, Exertis Cloud and Nord Security empower businesses to effortlessly strengthen their cloud defenses. NordPass simplifies password management with AI-powered features like automatic filling, breach alerts, and secure sharing, boosting both employee productivity and password hygiene. NordLayer, meanwhile, establishes a robust zero trust security perimeter for cloud access, offering advanced encryption, threat protection, and centralised user management. “Exertis is thrilled to announce its partnership with Nord Security, home to the world’s most advanced VPN service, NordVPN. This partnership means we can now offer our customers two industry-leading cybersecurity solutions – NordLayer and NordPass. NordLayer empowers businesses of all sizes with flexible and easy-to-implement cybersecurity tools, while NordPass simplifies password management for businesses with its intuitive and user-friendly interface. These Nord Security solutions strengthen Exertis' hand-picked vendor lineup, enabling partners to bolster their MS 365 and Azure offerings and deliver comprehensive cybersecurity solutions to their customers,” said Sarah Potter, Commercial Director of Cloud & Software at Exertis. www.exertis.co.uk Sarah Potter Alison Nixon David Tulip
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01732 759725 BULLETIN 10 PCL Direct integrates with Vantage Online PCL Direct Group has announced its recent integration with Vantage Online as part of its on-going channel services improvement plan which helps to increase the efficiency and simplicity for dealers when placing orders for their remanufactured toner and other consumables. The integration enables the dealer channel to connect via their established Supplier LiveLink, utilising Vantage Online’s proven API to connect directly with PCL Direct’s EDI System. Dealers can now benefit from a more streamlined process, from order placement to delivery and stock management, through the bespoke EDI virtual warehouse designed for the efficient handling of direct orders, especially smaller ones. Ian Mcintyre, Sales Director at PCL Direct Group said: “Having the connection to the Vantage Online system is imperative for dealers. One of our aims is to continually improve on our services to the channel and, with most dealers connected to Vantage Online already, it makes perfect sense for them to connect directly to our EDI to place orders for our remanufactured products and is particularly beneficial for placing small orders.” Tony Milford, Managing Director at Vantage Online added: “We are always delighted to partner with people who share our desire to deliver value for workplace technology and managed print services businesses. PCL Direct supply great products to the channel and we look forward to providing enhanced solutions to our mutual clients.” www.pcl-direct.com Partnership enters next chapter Exclusive Networks is to accelerate its XDR strategy with SentinelOne. Through this partnership, the cybersecurity distie will offer partners access to Singularity XDR, SentinelOne’s pioneering security platform, which provides a unified view of security threats and incidents across endpoints, identities and cloud to protect the entire enterprise. Exclusive Networks will also provide its expertise in XDR strategy, sales acceleration, and technical implementation to help partners manage the platform effectively. “We are excited for this next chapter in our SentinelOne partnership,’ said Paul Eccleston, SVP EMEA at Exclusive Networks. ‘SentinelOne has disrupted the market with its pioneering AI-powered security platform and continues to innovate in securing the endpoint against threats. In deepening our ties and combining our expertise and best-in-class portfolio with SentinelOne’stechnology, we can enable our reseller partners to realise an XDR strategy.” www.exclusive-networks.com Accelerating AI Lenovo has announced an agreement with Anaconda to empower its high performance data science workstations. The partnership will couple Lenovo’s ThinkStation and ThinkPad workstation product portfolio heritage and leadership with Anaconda’s enterprise strengths for open source leadership, security, and reliability. With Intel-powered Lenovo workstations architected with the latest generations of professional NVIDIA GPUs built for large-language model fine-tuning, and the Anaconda Navigator’s ability to enable businesses to leverage open source and AI with enhanced security, scale, and governance mechanisms in place, the partnership allows data scientists to create and deploy AI solutions with first class hardware and enterprise-grade AI software support within a more manageable investment framework. “With Lenovo’s trusted workstation leadership and Anaconda’s trusted leadership in open-source software support and reliability, the partnership is a perfect match,” said Rob Herman, Vice President and General Manager, Workstation and Client AI Group at Lenovo. “We’re excited to activate this partnership to aid data scientists in pushing forward the capabilities of AI with our premium workstations portfolio and Anaconda’s stellar open source packages and repositories.” www.lenovo.com Cloud Labs TD SYNNEX has launched Cloud Labs, a solution designed to accelerate the go-tomarket process for vendors by providing a virtualised environment for proof of concept demonstrations at cloud scale. TD SYNNEX Cloud Labs supports ISVs to address the growing challenges faced by the industry in delivering flexible, scalable, and costefficient PoC environments. The visibility into product performance is specifically instrumental in validating purchasing decisions. "As cloud adoption continues to reshape business operations, the need for robust cloudnative infrastructure has become increasingly critical. Cloud Labs represents a significant leap forward in addressing the challenges vendors face in this landscape,” said Peter Zonneveld, Vice President, Global Solutions Aggregation and Innovation, TD SYNNEX. https://uk.tdsynnex.com Sophos expands channel commitment Sophos is expanding its commitment to the channel with the addition of Partner Care, a new offering in its global partner program that features a dedicated, 24×7 team of Sophos experts who handle non-sales related questions and operational support. The offering is designed to speed up response times for Sophos partners and managed service providers needing assistance with administrative and operational tasks, freeing them up to focus on selling and securing their customers with Sophos’ portfolio of managed services and endpoint, network, email, and cloud security solutions. Sophos Partner Care offers a single point of contact for quoting, navigating the partner portal, addressing licensing queries, not for resale (NFR) requests, and more. With this high level of service, partners working with small and mid-market organisations can better boost their productivity and increase profitability. www.sophos.com 2 0 24 See page 47
11 BUSINESS BRIEFING PRINTITRESELLER.UK
01732 759725 12 BULLETIN Epson placed on CDP A List Epson has been placed on the A list for its achievements in tackling climate change and water security by CDP, the independent not-for-profit charity that runs the global environmental disclosure system. Epson believes it was recognised for delivering on its range of carbon-reduction measures following the establishment of a task force on climate-related financial disclosures. Recent initiatives include implementing and completing a programme to transition to 100% renewable electricity at Epson Group sites around the globe. Mr Nagafusa, President of Epson Europe, said: “Receiving a CDP ‘A’ in two of the categories – climate change and water security – sends a powerful message to our customers, business partners and investors. It shows how Epson is deeply committed to achieving carbon negative in all its global operations. The latest CDP A rating provides further evidence that we are serious about tackling climate change and preparing our business for the future.” Of over 23,000 companies that disclosed information through CDP, less than 2% made the A list. Epson was one of a small number of companies to receive an A in two categories, an acknowledgment that it is a leader in sustainability. In addition to being an important statement to institutional investors making ESG investment decisions, Epson believes that this prestigious listing sends a powerful message to customers looking for products and services that reduce their environmental footprint, as well as to business partners and other stakeholders. www.epson.co.uk Intuitive partners with Anota Intuitive has announced experienced DocuWare Partner Anota, as the first UK-based reseller of its Intuitive Dashboards for DocuWare. The Intuitive Dashboards enhance Anota’s solution portfolio as a leading UK provider of process automation solutions. As an Intuitive valued-added reseller, Anota will work with Intuitive to provide dashboards that make it easy to visualise data from key business process systems that use DocuWare. In addition, Anota and Intuitive have developed an integration with the VertoSuite invoice processing suite. Antony Dickson, Managing Director of Anota said: “We are delighted to incorporate Intuitive Dashboards into our solutions portfolio. We are always looking to provide added-value to our customers, and the Intuitive Dashboards for DocuWare are a great addition. With Intuitive Dashboards, we are able to help our customers easily visualise the data in their DocuWare systems in real time in order to improve process management.” As Roger Stocker, Intuitive CEO added: “We are thrilled to welcome Anota as our first reseller specifically for our DocuWare dashboards. The Anota team provide a high level of skill and knowledge around DocuWare which coupled with our dashboards provides a winning combination. Managing your business processes in DocuWare will now be so much better as you can easily visualise what’s happening. We are excited to see the success we can bring to Anota’s customers.” www.weareintuitive.com Coterie boosts partner marketing education Partner and channel marketing specialist, Coterie, has launched a new pillar to its business aimed at elevating partner marketing education and boosting skills in the sector. The Coterie Academy will educate, inform and certify individuals on all aspects of partner marketing, the firm has also announced a dedicated partner marketing book and a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)-recognised training programme. The book, called How to be Boundary Spanner, has taken two years for Coterie co-founders Helen Curtis and Jo Dunkley, to write and includes everything a partner marketer needs to launch, run and support successful channel and partner marketing programmes. Coterie is also establishing a series of development programmes aimed at boosting the number of people coming into partner marketing. Training and guidance will be given by Coterie while individuals are already in the workplace in the hope that it could provide the incentive businesses and individuals need to show more interest in partner marketing and help fill the current skills gap. https://coterie.global/ PaperCut attains ISO 27001 PaperCut has attained the respected ISO 27001 Certification, confirming that its Information Security Management System (ISMS) meets with internationally recognised standards for security best practice. In light of the complexity of the modern threat landscape, ISO 27001 is increasingly recognised by decision-makers as a key differentiator when considering product or service offerings. Steve Holmes, PaperCut’s Head of Global Sales & Channels/EMEA GM, said: “Customers are increasingly looking for security certification as part of their product or service selection criteria. In line with that, PaperCut has always had a highly responsible and proactive approach to security, as witnessed by the measures we have taken to attain ISO 27001 Certification. It provides our customers and partners with additional assurance that our efforts to keep data secure are compliant with security best practices outlined in the ISO 27001 standard. In addition to offering easy-to-use print solutions that are suited to the performance and flexibility requirements of the modern hybrid work environment, our robust information security processes will ensure peace of mind for new and existing customers.” www.papercut.com SEE THE 2024 CATEGORIES Page22 Steve Holmes 20 24 Royal Lancaster · December 3
01732 759725 14 BULLETIN Keypoint Intelligence recognises Xerox Keypoint Intelligence has awarded Xerox the Buyers Lab (BLI) 2024 Smart Workplace Software Line of the Year Award. The award recognises the vendor with the most exceptional portfolio of applications, software and services that help solve modern workplace challenges. Xerox has been named the award recipient for six consecutive years and a total of ten times since 2014. “Xerox is committed to helping our clients with their digital transformation efforts as they adapt to an ever-changing hybrid work environment,” said Terry Antinora, Vice President and General Manager, Global Offering Solutions at Xerox. “Powered by artificial intelligence and analytics, we automate complex business processes to enable a productive work experience from anywhere.” “Our market research shows that the top business priorities for IT purchase decisionmakers in 2024 and beyond include improving data and document security, migrating to cloud-based solutions, shifting from paper to electronic processes, and adopting advanced workflow solutions such as IDP and RPA,” said Jamie Bsales, Principal Analyst in Keypoint Intelligence’s Workplace Group. “Our annual Smart Workplace Solutions Line of the Year study seeks to identify the document imaging original OEM that has the strongest portfolio of products and services to meet those customer needs, and this year Xerox proved it is exactly that partner.” www.xerox.com A year of success Konica Minolta is celebrating a successful first year of its enhanced partner programme and partner portal, which has for example seen unit sales (of A3 and A4 multifunctional devices) increase by 128% compared to pre-pandemic figures. The company now also has 28 solobranded ‘Exclusive Partners’ throughout the UK, all benefitting from being an extension of the Konica Minolta brand. Encompassing office, professional and industrial print, along with IT solutions, Konica Minolta’s channel development programme has seen 32 new resellers added through a careful process that avoids potential sales or geographical conflicts with existing partners. To support this ongoing growth Konica Minolta has expanded its partner support management team to offer personal one-to-one support for lead generation, customer bids (including pricing and after-sales support), along with additional marketing and PR support to ensure partners get all the visibility they need to compete in the market. Cameron Mitchell, Business Leader for Indirect Channel at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd said: “Over the last year we have continued to further develop our offering in line with our commitment to our partners. This includes building and developing a framework for professional print accreditation, along with new partner onboarding. With the business IT and print market continuing to evolve rapidly, our partner programme is geared towards supporting our partners as they evolve with it. This includes selling our integrated digital transformation software solutions, which are fully backed by a dedicated specialist sales team and the technical expertise of Konica Minolta’s ProcessFlows team.” He continued: “With many print businesses looking to diversify and deliver a broader range of services, there are huge opportunities for our partners to deliver Konica Minolta’s powerful but flexible and cost-effective AccurioLabel range of digital presses. These presses offer greater flexibility of set-up and use, with a costeffective pay-per-click approach which enables professional print houses to offer more to their customers. With Konica Minolta’s broad expertise in print, our partner programme is designed to actively support, and reward partners looking to diversify and embrace these opportunities.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk Kyocera Golf Club Classic enters its eighth year Kyocera UK has announced it will continue to sponsor the UK’s only national club team competition in partnership with Matchplay Golf for the next three years, and a change of name from Kyocera-Annodata to Kyocera Golf Club Classic. The event, which is now in its eighth year has brought together the best amateur players from golf clubs across the country, with this year’s competition featuring 380 ladies’ and 350 mens’ teams. Liam Davies, Tournament Director, Matchplay Golf said: “We’re pleased to have Kyocera Document Solutions UK on board as sponsor for another three years. We’ve worked with the team there for many years under the Kyocera-Annodata brand and expect our partnership to continue its success through the tournament’s evolution.” Rod Tonna-Barthet, CEO, Kyocera Document Solutions UK said: “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of such a prestigious national golf event for the UK’s amateur grass roots golfers, this time under the Kyocera brand (of which previous sponsor Annodata is a group company). “At Kyocera we enjoy our sports, and you don’t have to look very far to see this in our company culture. We promote healthy, active lifestyles and many of our employees are keen golfers. Alongside Matchplay Golf, we also support another grass roots sports charity – the GLL Sport Foundation who develop young athletes to achieve their true potential at major events such as the Paris 2024 Olympics.” www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.uk Cameron Mitchell tech-live.co.uk 24 17 September 2024 ICT • MANAGED IT MOBILE • PRINT Business Design Centre London
At Technology Reseller & Print IT Reseller magazines we believe in the power of community, networking and bringing the IT market together With this in mind we have launched a brand new initiative Based at the National Cyclopark in Gravesend, this event will include track and road cycling under expert guidance, a visit to the Meopham Valley Vineyard to sample award-winning champagne followed by an evening of networking and socialising at local hostelries and then a curry. We are also including a night’s B&B! On the day you will have access to the 2.5km purposebuilt racetrack for time trials and a team event. This will be followed by a 40-mile or 25-mile road circuit (your choice) through the Garden of England, with a stop-off at the vineyard before returning to the hotel. The evening will start with drinks in some of Gravesend’s historic riverside hostelries and then dinner at an excellent curry house, booked out exclusively for us. With only 50 places available, this must-attend networking opportunity for cyclists of all levels will fill up quickly. So don’t delay in booking your place with either Neil, Jeff, Ethan 01732 759725 or Paul 07887 944433 to secure a place along with your clients. Cost is £395 plus VAT per person. Join us on October 10th for this new and exciting venture where 50 members of our community can come together to network & share an unforgettable experience in the Kent countryside ITINERARY: Thursday 10th October 9.30am: Arrive dressed for cycling. Park cars at Best Western Hotel Gravesend which is a short 4 min ride to Cyclopark. 9.45-10.30am: Registration & welcome: coffee, tea, bacon roll, pastries on arrival. 10.45-12pm: Hand over to professional race organisers for fun and instruction on the track. 12.30pm: Prize giving. 1pm: Depart Cyclopark for 40-mile road route guided by professional cyclists (support car included). 1.45pm: Depart Cyclopark for 25-mile road route guided by professional cyclists (support car included). 4pm: Whole group to arrive Meopham Valley Vineyard for champagne reception. 5.15pm: Arrive back at hotel (bikes are welcome in bedrooms so they are secure). 6.30pm: Meet hotel lobby for quick drink. 6.45pm: Cabs to a riverside pub. 8.45pm: Move to curry house for dinner. 11pm: Close... or continue on as is your wish!
01732 759725 16 BULLETIN : PEOPLE Board appointment at Ricoh Paula O’Brien has joined the Ricoh UK board as Director of Sales, succeeding Glenn Griggs who was appointed as CEO in July 2023. O’Brien has over 30 years of sales experience across a range of digital services and IT portfolios. Most recently, she headed up the enterprise retail division at AWS where she was responsible for driving year-on-year growth as well as spearheading key strategic initiatives as part of the UK senior leadership team. Prior to AWS, she held senior positions at Xerox and Capgemini. Commenting on her new role she said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be joining Ricoh as both the company and the market are in a period of evolution. I look forward to working with Glenn and the rest of the leadership team to deliver success for our people and our customers and can’t wait to meet and listen to my new colleagues as I get to know the business.” www.ricoh.co.uk Carl Tomlinson to head sales at Woodbank Woodbank Office Solutions has appointed former Sales Director, Business by Technology (BBT) Carl Tomlinson, who’s come back into the industry to head up their sales and account management operation. Working closely with Managing Director Janet Bowden and Operations Director, Jason Morris, Tomlinson will be responsible for overseeing the sales strategy, account management and continued growth of the business across the UK. Janet Bowden said: “Carl’s 39 years of experience and reputation is well known throughout our industry. He knows our technology partners well and the benefit both our account management team and our customers will get from his guidance and vast experience will be huge. It’s exciting times.” www.woodbankoffice.co.uk Channel sales veteran joins GoTo Channel and sales veteran Tony Haller has joined GoTo team as Global Head of IT Partner Sales and Strategy. He will be focused on growing partner awareness and performance in IT support and management products such as GoTo Resolve and Rescue. Haller brings decades of technology industry sales expertise to further GoTo’s commitment to supporting and growing the IT partner community around the world, focusing on MSPs and strategic partnerships. In addition to this, GoTo has revamped its traditional Partner Benefits Program (Partner Perks) to be more inclusive and rewarding for direct and agent partners. www.goto.com Sharp/NEC strengthens UK sales team Two new appointments see the Sharp NEC Display Solutions UK sales team continue to grow and strengthen as it evolves ‘towards tomorrow’. Sian Cotty joins the end-user sales team and Kate Butcher joins the channel sales team, both bringing a wealth of professional experience and industry knowledge. As End-User Account Manager, Cotty will drive new business development. Her initial focus will lie within the pharmaceutical and professional services sectors where her proven client-centred solution-oriented approach will perfectly align with the Sharp/NEC ethos. With a 17-year career in the AV/IT industry, both channel and end-user focused, she brings a fully rounded understanding of customer expectation. Butcher brings 10 years’ sales experience in the channel and AV services, previously at Peerless-AV and more recently, Airtame. www.sharpnecdisplays.eu Miriam Murphy returns to TD SYNNEX Miriam Murphy has been appointed TD SYNNEX’s new President, Europe with responsibility for leading the company’s 7,000-strong European workforce, driving business strategy and operational execution in the region. She will report to Chief Operating Officer Patrick Zammit, who she succeeds and will serve on the company's global executive team. Murphy will lead the distributor’s European executive board, which consists of geo leaders, as well as executives responsible for strategic business units and support functions in the region. Murphy returns to TD SYNNEX following two years as Chief Executive Officer, Europe at NTT Ltd. Prior to this, she served at TD SYNNEX for more than 20 years in various leadership roles. https://eu.tdsynnex.com Distology refocuses senior leadership team Distology has announced key changes to its senior leadership team in the form of a new Chief Marketing Officer and a new Chief Technology Officer. Both roles are key to its growth plans in 2024 and beyond and will precede significant portfolio additions in the coming months as the distributor gears up for its new financial year beginning in April 2024. Lance Williams, previously Chief Product Officer, steps into a new role as Chief Technology Officer and following a successful role as Director of Partner Marketing across EMEA and APAC, Sarah Geary brings a fresh perspective to Distology’s go-to-market strategy and partner value proposition. Now, she will use her expertise in building partner programmes, uniting sales and marketing and understanding vendor go-to-market strategies to further strengthen Distology’s rapidly growing portfolio. www.distology.com Paula O’Brien Miriam Murphy Carl Tomlinson Sian Cotty Kate Butcher Sarah Geary Lance Williams
Director’s Cut 2023 The Director’s Cut 2024 June – Venue: Home Grown Club Mayfair You are invited to address potentially new and existing partners in the IT, ICT, Print and Comms Channel in a slightly different way! Over 3 days our editors would like to interview 15 Vendors and Distributors to find out among other things... A: Has the market delivered what you expected over the first 5 months of this year? B: Will your company plans change over the next 6 months? C: What do you think the challenges will be over the next 6 months? D: What you couldn’t do your job without? Your interview will be recorded then streamed, published, and promoted through the Technology Reseller and Print IT Reseller multiple platforms. We will, of course, give you a copy of the interview so you can use it on your own platforms. Cost – £P.O.A. and you will receive: • A copy of the interview • Editorial coverage in Technology Reseller Magazine and website • Editorial coverage in Print IT Reseller Magazine and website • Streamed Video on both websites • E-cast to the full database of Kingswood Media. • LinkedIn promotion for the duration. To book your slot or for more information please call Ethan, Neil or Jeff on 01732 759 725 or Paul on 07887 944 433. No one else has the reach and penetration of our market leading channel products, covering ITC, MSPs and MPS Resellers. Monday June 10th Tuesday June 11th Wednesday June 12th 10.00am Booked Booked 11.45am 1.00pm 2.30pm Booked Reserved 4.00pm Book your slot today: Join us for a long as you like during the day. Full refreshments will be available. IN PRINT & ONLINE
01732 759725 18 WORKPLACE Amanda Riley CEO at Vitale Digital, picks the tools she uses every day and couldn’t do her job without I couldn’t do my job without... w Our management portal As a tech business – we build as well as sell tech. We practice what we preach and have invested heavily in building a management portal that controls every operational and financial aspect of the business. My day is made so much easier knowing that key metrics are being monitored automatically, so it was worth the investment. e Moleskine daily planner We use project management tools across the company, however a business coach told me years ago to manage priorities by scheduling them over the week/month/year within a daily planner. It helps to manage a long to do list that you never quite get to the bottom off. It’s very effective at not only ensuring you manage current workloads, but you don’t lose sight of actions for later in the year. It’s a process that has kept me sane when workloads can sometimes feel unmanageable! q HubSpot HubSpot as a tool is an integral part of my day – I couldn’t manage without it now after five years of using it. We use the sales, marketing and service hubs operationally across different parts of the business. We have built in automation to make it very efficient and have integrated it with our proposal software to get realtime MI on sales conversions, and we have built custom reporting dashboards to get instant sales data across both divisions of the business. r Remarkable Tablet During the COVID lockdown I purchased a Remarkable paper tablet as online meetings were generating a lot of notes, and I haven’t looked back. It files all meeting notes into client folders and can also convert your handwriting into text to email to you as actions, which is a bit of a challenge for it as I have handwriting like a doctor’s! t VidYard We use VidYard to record and narrate service portal demonstrations and training for managed print clients, plus we talk through proposals via video recordings if we can’t present in person. It’s a smart tool that also gives analytics based on the user viewing the video and again, integrates with HubSpot and our proposal software, so a nice ecosystem of sales MI to feed into our dashboards. https://vitaledigital.co.uk Amanda Riley
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