www.printitreseller.uk PRINT, MFP, SOFTWARE, SERVICES, DOCUMENT & CLOUD NEWS & INFORMATION FOR VARS, CONVERGED RESELLERS & MFP DEALERS Don’t forget to visit www.printitawards.co.uk and cast your vote in five vendor of the year categories. You’ve got until 5pm on Friday September 20. 20 24 Royal Lancaster · December 3 Capture Forms Sign Workflow ECM Print Vasion Automate – one platform, multiple applications See page 32 PRINT IT RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2011 ISSUE 120 · 2024
Join us for a day of golf and networking by purchasing warranties worth £5,000 or more. We look forward to celebrating your success and enjoying a day of golf together! Don’t miss out! This is an exclusive event with limited availability. Qualify early to guarantee your place. How to qualify: Why attend? October 2, 2024 | Wednesday The Belfry Hotel & Resort 1. Confirmation: Agree to our terms and conditions before you can enter. 2. Spend requirement: Ensure your warranty purchases total £5,000 or more between 1st July and 20th September. 3. Spaces: Limited to 12 participants. 4. Reservation: Secure your spot as tickets are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We will use our sales data report to make it fair on who the first 12 participants are. Networking opportunities: Connect with your Account manager Relax and unwind: Enjoy a day of golf at a prestigious course. Exclusive experience: Celebrate our partnership in a unique and enjoyable setting. Lexmark’s exclusive warranty incentive for our valued partners 24EMEA12971 Register here
PRINTITRESELLER.UK 3 Quocirca recently published the results of its State of the Channel Survey 2024 (page 34), the study found that the print channel shows cautious optimism amid its drive to diversify for long-term success. This month we asked some of the sector’s resellers to comment on the findings and share their insight – see page 40. The 2024 PrintIT Awards judging is well underway, but there’s still time to vote for your favourite vendor of the year in five distinct categories. If you haven’t already done so don’t forget to visit www.printitawards. co.uk and cast your votes – you’ve got until 5pm on Friday September 20. The entire team are looking forward to welcoming guests and revealing the 2024 award winners on the evening of Tuesday December 3 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. If you haven’t already booked your place, call us on 01732 759 725, download the booking form at www.printitawards.co.uk or email us at [email protected]. Also in this issue, Julia Thomas, Head of Channel Marketing at Ricoh, picks the work tools she uses every day and couldn’t do her job without (page 18). This month’s Q&A is with Jack Ranson, Director, Certa MPS Limited, and PITR spent 60 seconds with Lisa Matthews, Marketing Assistant, directprint.io. 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., 7 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... Julia Thomas picks her favourite work tools 20 A decade in print Matt Houlden shares his print experiences over the past decade 22 TECH LIVE 2024 TECH LIVE returns to London on September 17 24 Events PITR and TR Golf Society 2024 26 Focus on: What’s New A round-up of recent product launches 29 Interview LeAnne Foley, Head of Indirect Sales at Toshiba Tec UK 32 Cover Story Vasion Automate – one platform, multiple applications 34 Channel Research Growth opportunities, challenges and concerns 36 One-to-One Andy Muskett, Director of Channel Partners at Xerox 39 Global Study Technology is key to expanding economic opportunity 40 VOX POP Declining print volumes, diversification and new opportunities 46 Industry Insight Andy Moffitt, CEO, Aurora 48 View from the Channel Jack Ranson, Director, Certa MPS Limited 50 60 seconds with... Lisa Matthews, Marketing Assistant, directprint.io 2024 ISSUE 120 printitreseller.uk Editor’s 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 120 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 Business Design Centre · London · 17 September 2024 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT 24 in partnership with PRINT IT RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2011
BULLETIN 01732 759725 4 Where do you take yours? Over the past few months, we’ve loved finding out where our magazine travels with YOU. Whether it's atop a mountain, on a deserted beach, or even in the heart of a bustling city, 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! 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!! Please send your pix to me at [email protected] Emma Filmer, Business Development Manager, Scan Document Solutions Team at Midwich took our challenge to the summit – literally! In the first pix, despite the fact it was freezing and windy, she can be seen reading PrintIT Reseller at the summit of Mount Snowdon. And if that wasn’t enough, she did it again, completing a wet and cold climb up Scafell Pike with her son Luke, armed with a copy of PrintIT Reseller and a PFU Scansnap IX100 scanner! Peter Cowan, Group COO at Data Direct catching up on the latest news about the PrintIT Awards. Our very own Ethan White didn’t get the memo! He was visiting Herne Bay and took the opportunity to take a pix outside EKS Digital Solutions HQ… he just forgot to include the magazine! Tony Milford, Managing Director of Vantage Online reading PrintIT Reseller in front of The Pyramid Stage - the most instantly recognised festival stage in the world, at this year’s Glastonbury. Snowden Scafell Pike
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BULLETIN Strategic partnership London-based continuous controls monitoring (CCM) firm Quod Orbis has announced a strategic partnership with YASH Technologies, a global IT solutions and services partner. The partnership will see businesses benefit from holistic monitoring solutions with real-time visibility across their entire IT infrastructure, encompassing cybersecurity risk management and compliance. YASH Technologies has a proven track record in delivering battle-tested consulting, technology, and services to support its customers’ complex and evolving digital transformation challenges. The company harnesses business-centric, innovative frameworks and solutions to help organisations achieve enhanced performance levels and revenue growth. This proactive approach to IT solutions provides the perfect opportunity for Quod Orbis to integrate its CCM platform into YASH’s solution, as a way to support customers through a 360 cyber posture management service. www.yash.com • www.quodorbis.com 01732 759725 6 Cyber resilience managed services Assured Data Protection, an IT managed services provider for cloud data protection solutions and international cyber security and network infrastructure provider KHIPU Networks, have joined forces to provide enterprise grade backup and disaster recovery solutions to SME customers at an affordable price. KHIPU Networks is now able to offer Rubrik’s data protection platform as a managed service through Assured’s second site data replication infrastructure. The partnership will strengthen KHIPU Networks’ offer to medium sized enterprises and public sector organisations across the UK and South Africa in sectors including education, retail, warehousing, transport, logistics, sports and entertainment venues, and others. Until now, true immutable backup and disaster recovery solutions, which can only be guaranteed through data replication at a second site, has been prohibitively expensive for many organisations. The managed services partnership with Assured changes that helping to protect customers’ business networks whilst reducing their cyber risk. “We are delighted to partner with KHIPU Networks to deliver the best of breed backup, disaster recovery and business continuity solutions as a service to its portfolio of solutions,” said Sam Blackburn, UK Channel Director at Assured. “The partnership presents a win-win, creating new opportunities for KHIPU amongst its existing customers by complementing its existing security stack with backup and disaster recovery services and Assured gaining access to KHIPU Networks strong market presence in the public sector.” assured-dp.com • www.khipu-networks.com Key milestone for Carbon Carbon has been awarded the Gold Partner 2024 plaque from Canon’s senior leadership team. This prestigious recognition solidifies its status as a key partner and underscores its dedication to excellence. The company said that this achievement not only highlights its strong partnership with Canon but reinforces its commitment to delivering secure and sustainable print and digital transformation solutions to its clients. https://carbon-group.co.uk DMS expands across the North of England DMS has announced its recent expansion with the opening of a new office in the Raise Building, located in the heart of Yorkshire, headed by Director Michael Wallington. The Yorkshire office will provide the same comprehensive range of technology solutions currently offered by DMS Bolton which include managed document services, audio visual solutions, IT services, security and communications and managed services. “Mike has vast knowledge and experience of working with schools and businesses around the UK, providing innovative tech solutions in an honest and transparent way. DMS business in Yorkshire has continued to see strong levels of growth in recent years and we are committed to maintaining a strong presence in the region. Mike has ambitious growth plans for the Yorkshire office and we have no doubt he will succeed based on his customercentric approach and past performance.” said Managing Director Stephen Small. The move signals the next phase in the firm’s growth strategy and will allow it to fully service existing and new customers across the region. Wallington added: “I am super excited to take on this challenge and begin to develop our physical presence in Yorkshire. Investing in a new office is not just about increasing our capacity, it is about having a great place for our staff to do business that is energised and sustainable. The Raise Building ticks all of our boxes and we are looking forward to putting roots down, increasing our presence here and getting involved in Yorkshire’s business community.” https://thedmsgroup.co.uk Print partner Apprico has announced it has renewed its partnership with Ebbsfleet United for another year. The IT, managed print, and voice and data services provider is the club’s official partner for its photocopier and IT management needs. Apprico’s sales executive team recently visited The Fleet for an open training session ahead of the first league match against Gateshead which took place on August 10 which provided a great opportunity to meet the players and staff and pick up some signed pictures. The company said: “As we enter our second season supporting Ebbsfleet United Football Club both on and off the pitch, let’s get behind the team and show our full support!” www.apprico.co.uk
BULLETIN TD SYNNEX recognised as best workplace TD SYNNEX has been named on the 2024 UK’s Best Workplaces for Women list. The 2024 UK’s Best Workplaces for Women List is made up of employers whose people have provided feedback to Great Place to Work UK. TD SYNNEX has been ranked 15th in the super large category, earning its place as a result of responses to an annual employee engagement survey, which measured how co-workers feel about the company’s culture and their workplace experiences. Jodie Carroll, Senior Director, Human Resources, UK and Ireland, TD SYNNEX, said: “Being listed as one of 2024 UK’s Best Workplaces for Women is a testimony to our commitment and determination to ensure that women have an equal opportunity to develop and thrive at TD SYNNEX in the UK. “We’ve made positive changes in our HR and recruitment policies and we are inspiring women to believe in themselves, apply for management and technical roles, and aim high with their ambitions. We will continue to make further improvements to our gender balance particularly at senior levels which will in turn positively impact our gender pay gap further and we encourage other companies in our industry to do the same.” https://uk.tdsynnex.com PRINTITRESELLER.UK 7 Westcoast to merge with ALSO Westcoast has entered into a strategic partnership with ALSO, a leading player in the ICT industry. Established in 1983 and boasting a turnover of £4.2 billion in 2023, Westcoast is a dominant force in the UK’s ICT sector. This partnership, which includes operations in Great Britain, Ireland, and France, aims to enhance business continuity and growth for both entities. Joe Hemani, Chairman of Westcoast will be one of the major shareholders in ALSO, with Westcoast maintaining its reputable brand name. He said: “This is an alliance of two highly successful businesses sharing the same mindset of growth. Over the last 42 years, our company went from strength to strength. And this is how it will remain in the future. The continuity of the business, which is paramount for vendors, customers, and our team alike, is secured with this move. I am excited to play an active role during what I know will be a smooth transition and beyond.” The partnership is pending standard regulatory approvals. ALSO’s Chairman, Gustavo Möller-Hergt added: “We already have a successful collaboration, providing over 1.5 million seats to end customers of Westcoast with access to the cloud via the ALSO Cloud Marketplace. This next level opens exciting opportunities for us to scale our business and benefit from the expertise of the UK team; for our customers it means the highest level of expertise in IT provisioning, cutting-edge infrastructure solutions, and services via digital platforms such as cloud, AI, IoT and cybersecurity.” Westcoast’s operations in Germany and the Netherlands will remain under Hemani’s leadership. www.westcoast.co.uk Distribution agreement onemedia has signed a new distribution agreement with PlexusAV, the professional AV division of Sencore, providing a suite of human-focused AV-over-IP solutions. PlexusAV is the latest vendor to partner with onemedia following the earlier agreement with Rethink. The Plexus product suite leverages a true open standard based on SMPTE ST 2110 called IPMX, which is poised to complement onemedia’s mission to deliver total technical AV solutions. Steven Cogels, Global Director of Business Development at PlexusAV said: “We are thrilled to have signed with onemedia as our UK Distributor for PlexusAV. We have spent considerable time reviewing the distributor landscape in the UK and I am confident that onemedia offers the perfect mix of finance services, technical expertise and sales qualities that are essential not only for a successful launch, but in providing the ongoing support necessary for a brand like PlexusAV.” www.onemedia.co.uk Paessler signs Prianto as distribution partner Paessler has recruited Prianto as an exclusive distribution partner – Paessler will be the only monitoring solution on Prianto’s books. The agreement will extend Paessler’s reach in the UK and Ireland, giving partners access to vendor-equivalent support and seamless delivery to resellers and end-users. David Durrant, Channel Sales Manager at Paessler, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Prianto as we look ahead to an exciting period of growth for Paessler. We look forward to transforming the value we can offer our resellers and customers via this partnership, and setting a new standard for service distribution, now and into the future.” www.paessler.com • www.prianto.com Year-on-year growth Westcon-Comstor has announced that its Intelligent Demand (ID) programme, which harnesses data to uncover growth opportunities for channel partners, generated $768 million in additional revenue for partners in FY24 – up 70% on the previous year’s figure of $450 million. During the year, Westcon-Comstor completed 532 Intelligent Demand analyses for partners across 28 countries spanning Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC). There are now nearly 2,000 registered individual users of Intelligent Demand across the global technology provider and specialist distributor’s partner community. www.westconcomstor.com tech-live.co.uk Don’t forget to visit www.printitawards.co.uk and cast your vote in five vendor of the year categories. You’ve got until 5pm on Friday September 20. 20 24 Royal Lancaster · December 3
BULLETIN 01732 759725 8 PAE Business has moved PAE Business has moved to a brand new office in Tannery Lane, Woking. The move represents a significant milestone for the company, marking its continued growth and the beginning of an exciting new chapter in its journey. The company said: “As our business continues to grow and evolve, so do our needs. Our new office space enables us to improve our ongoing commitment to our partners and customers as well as enabling a more collaborative environment for the PAE team.” https://paebusiness.com Distributor of the year TD SYNNEX has been recognised as Dell Technologies’ 2024 Distributor of the Year in multiple regions. Announced at this year’s Dell Technologies World, these awards recognise the distie’s commitment to driving progress and above-market growth through its community of resellers. “These awards are a testament to the hard work of our global teams and their dedication to delivering vital resources and innovative solutions that drive tangible results for our vendors and our partners,” said Patrick Zammit, Chief Operating Officer at TD SYNNEX. “We appreciate this recognition of our collaboration around the world and look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with Dell.” The awards are part of Dell’s global partner of the year awards program, which celebrates Dell partners that provide reseller customers with the best solutions aligned with their unique business needs. https://uk.tdsynnex.com Renewed partnership SYNAXON UK and Integra Business Solutions have renewed their strategic partnership through which partners and members of each organisation will be able to access the benefits of the other at preferential rates. Under this agreement SYNAXON partners can sign-up as members of Integra, gaining access to the company’s preferential trading terms with more than 100 leading suppliers, including leading office products distributors such as Antalis UK and VOW Wholesale. Similarly, Integra members will receive discounted SYNAXON UK membership, giving them access to leading brand products through SYNAXON Hub plus stock and availability data from more than 40 IT distributors via the EGIS procurement platform. They can also offer customers ready-to-deploy managed services options through SYNAXON Managed Services, and with SYNAXON’s Project Support services, make use of the group’s experts to offer consultancy, design and delivery of complete IT projects. Mike Barron, Managing Director of SYNAXON UK, said: “Through this alliance, Integra members can call on the extensive resources available from SYNAXON and offer their clients a range of IT solutions – from simple product fulfilment at competitive prices, to tried-and-tested managed services and complete project support. For a lot of office products dealers, technical knowledge and dealing with any hardware issues is the main barrier to offering IT solutions. With SYNAXON that’s no problem as we also provide free, no-quibbles, 14-day RMA process, so any faulty products can easily be returned.” Aidan McDonough. CEO, Integra, added: “We are delighted to have renewed our partnership with Synaxon UK. This strategic partnership gives our members a fantastic competitive advantage within the IT arena with access to industry leading IT distributors, managed services and project support. Under this agreement, SYNAXON partners also have a great opportunity to access additional benefits by joining Integra, particularly within OP and diversification areas. We look forward to working with Mike and the team again and exploring new avenues for growth.” https://synaxon-services.com, www.integra-business.co.uk CTS Wholesale and Go2 Distribution merger CTS Wholesale has announced a merger with Go2 Distribution, a move that will provide resellers with a far bigger range and level of OEM printer, copier consumables stock and keener trade pricing. CTS Wholesale Managing Director Steve Clayton said: “To join our services, which are very much aligned to that of Go2 with an expansive range and quantity of OEM stock is a fantastic synergy and when Damian [Kelly] and I started discussing many months ago this had to be an opportunity for us to explore. Our dealer only customers will have a wider choice to independently purchase a greater span of products and linked to the expanded wholesale offering at CTS is timed precisely for all customers to benefit from. I look forward very much to working alongside Damian as we build further choice and cost savings for our customers.” Damian Kelly of Go2 added: “Six months after that initial meeting [with Steve Clayton], here we are and very much looking forward building a bigger, better business, adding more value for our customers, through a much greater depth of compatible and original products. The joining of our very successful companies into one will make the resulting entity even greater and more formidable than the sum of its parts.” www.ctswholesale.co.uk • https://go2distribution.co.uk/ Steve Clayton Mike Barron 2 0 24 For more information please email [email protected] Read the review of the latest events See page 24
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01732 759725 BULLETIN 10 Strong first quarter for Infinigate The Infinigate Group has recorded strong revenue growth for the first quarter of the financial year 2024-2025, begun in April 2024. The revenue increase represents a +16% yearon-year rise compared to the same period last year and is particularly significant for Europe, where Infinigate’s results show a marked improvement on the previous quarter. www.infinigate.com Cisco security club TD SYNNEX has launched an updated version of the Cisco Security Club community in the UK, with additional enhancements designed to support partners in growing their business. The revised programme will provide partners with access to added business support and services and act as a focal point for all information, programmes and incentives that are available to help partners build their capabilities and customer base. The new UK Cisco Security Club builds on the success of a wider European initiative, adding further elements specific to the needs of UK partners. Organised jointly by the TD SYNNEX security practice and Cisco business unit teams, the Cisco Security Club will provide partners with a range of benefits including access to TD SYNNEX’s Cisco and security specialists, exclusive events and opportunities to learn about and discuss current security challenges, share best practices, collaborate with other partners, and accelerate Cisco security solutions sales. Partners can enter at one of three levels and will receive rewards for their achievements in the form of additional rebates and incentives. They will also be able to regular executive-level meetings and access curated, relevant, up-todate Cisco security-enablement content and business development assets. Jon Sawdon, Director – Cisco business unit, UK, TD SYNNEX said: “The Cisco Security Club is an investment by TD SYNNEX in our partners. We see a big opportunity with Cisco in security and we want to give partners access to all of our combined expertise and support them in developing healthy business practices around Cisco security.” https://uk.tdsynnex.com Westcon-Comstor adds Infoblox to AWS Marketplace Westcon-Comstor has announced a collaboration with cloud networking and security services provider Infoblox that creates new AWS Marketplace growth opportunities for channel partners and will drive adoption of the Infoblox portfolio. As the first distributor outside the US to privately list Infoblox software products and solutions in AWS Marketplace, Westcon-Comstor enables partners to respond to changes in end-user buying behaviour and benefit from the accelerated transaction times, expanded deal sizes, higher win rates and shortened sales cycles offered by AWS Marketplace. Westcon-Comstor customers can transact Infoblox solutions including BloxOne and NIOS, directly in AWS Marketplace. It delivers a complete end-to-end sales journey. David Grant, CEO at Westcon-Comstor said: “By providing partners with a simplified and streamlined way of transacting Infoblox products on AWS Marketplace, we’re empowering them to sell where their customers want to buy and opening the door for continued accelerated growth.” www.westconcomstor.com Arrow Electronics partners with Equinix Arrow Electronics has signed an EMEA distribution agreement with digital infrastructure company Equinix. The collaboration will enable Arrow channel partners to resell Equinix services, invoiced on a monthly recurring basis, as part of integrated solutions for network optimisation, hybrid multi-cloud enablement and enhanced application workload performance. Mike Worby, EMEA Head of Strategic Alliances for Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions business, said: “We are excited to work with Equinix to provide our channel partners with unparalleled access to industryleading digital infrastructure solutions. This collaboration will enable businesses across EMEA to accelerate their digital initiatives, optimise network performance and achieve greater agility in their operations.” www.arrow.com Official distribution partner Accessories specialist Hama has appointed Spire Technology as its official distribution partner. The partnership aims to further strengthen Hama’s footprint within the UK market, where Spire will be distributing the full line of Hama products and will be responsible for covering all sales channels. UK distribution deal Exclaimer, the email signature management solution is aiming to drive growth in the UK through a new distribution deal with Ingram Micro. As Exclaimer’s newest distributor in the UK, Ingram Micro will leverage its vast partner base, which includes thousands of solution providers, value-added resellers and managed service providers to broaden Exclaimer’s market reach. https://exclaimer.com www.ingrammicro.com David Grant Mike Worby Jon Sawdon
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01732 759725 12 BULLETIN Konica Minolta partners with Two Sides Konica Minolta has partnered with the not-for-profit sustainable print, paper, and paper packaging initiative Two Sides. Both organisations will work together to educate and inspire businesses and consumers about the sustainability and potential of responsible print. Malcolm Smith, Category Manager- Professional Print at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Two Sides to highlight the sustainability potential of print as part of our broader environmental, social and governance commitments.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk • www.twosides.info Kodak Alaris is acquired Kingswood Capital Management has acquired Kodak Alaris from the UK Pension Protection Fund (PPF). Kingswood is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm focused on buyouts of middle-market businesses and has significant experience in driving value for consumer and industrial services businesses. Kodak Alaris continues the Kodak legacy of excellence in photography and imaging services through its two business units, Kodak Moments and Kodak Alaris. The Kodak Alaris business unit is one of the largest global providers of data capture and processing solutions and serves customers in more than 100 countries around the world. In a joint statement, Nicki Zongrone, President of Kodak Moments and John Blake, President of Kodak Alaris, said: “The investment by Kingswood Capital is a clear endorsement of the enduring value of our offerings and a testament to our team’s hard work. We are delighted to have secured the backing of new owners who share our vision for the future of our business. We look forward to starting this new chapter guided by Kingswood’s robust operational expertise.” www.alarisworld.co.uk Quocirca names Xerox a leader Xerox has been named a Leader in Quocirca’s 2024 Print Security Market Landscape Report. This annual report provides a snapshot of the positioning of vendors in the global print security market and recognises the top print industry vendors who offer security solutions as part of their portfolio. Xerox has adopted a multi-layered security approach based on a set of zero trust principles to heighten security measures for all clients. According to the report: “Xerox particularly stands out for its strong legacy in the managed print services sector and expertise in delivering comprehensive security assessments.” Quocirca commended the company for its deepening capabilities across device security, fleet management and content security. Also noted were advancements in certificate management, firmware management, vulnerability management, security monitoring and automated remediation. “In a world where data breaches are on the rise, our clients are looking for solutions and services that adopt a zero trust approach, which assumes no device or user is trusted by default,” said Terry Antinora, head of product and engineering at Xerox. “Xerox continues to invest in the latest security technologies and standards to protect our clients. Our comprehensive security features and services help ensure our clients’ print infrastructure and data remain secure against evolving threats.” www.xerox.co.uk PaperCut adds Lexmark embedded app PaperCut has introduced the Lexmark Embedded Printer App for PaperCut Hive. Bringing integrated scanning to Lexmark and white labelled devices. It makes end-users’ lives easier thanks to simple authentication at the MFD and an easyto-navigate user interface. With users now able to create Quick Scan actions – and deploy them across multiple printers in an organisation – the app simplifies scanning on Lexmark devices. www.papercut.com Ricoh to unveil new market insights Ricoh’s Print Evolution Live event returns on October 16. Hosted at Ricoh's Customer Experience Centre in Telford, this event promises an immersive experience for leaders in business and print. Alongside a comprehensive review of the new technologies featured at drupa, Ricoh will unveil new market insights from a report titled ‘A New Narrative for Print’ which examines the changing perceptions of the print industry. Attendees will once again have the unique opportunity to gain valuable insights from industry experts on the latest in digital print technology while also enjoying excellent networking opportunities with fellow industry leaders. Simon Isaacs, National Sales Director for Graphic Communications at Ricoh said: “The event is designed to help businesses stay ahead of the curve by exploring the latest advancements and trends in the print industry. Last year we were over-subscribed and anticipate the same again this time round. We attribute this success to the event not only being informal and enjoyable but also to the knowledge and connections attendees leave with, all of which help drive their businesses forward.” www.ricoh.co.uk
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01732 759725 14 BULLETIN STX Next partners with appliedAI STX Next, a global leader in IT consulting, has partnered with Europe’s largest initiative for applied artificial intelligence to deliver the appliedAI Management Suite, a management product that increases AI value creation and facilitates EU AI Act compliance. The solution makes risk assessment and AI portfolio optimisation easier and will drive progress for the next generation of AI initiatives. The crucial role of AI Appetite for the potential of AI projects is at an all-time high, according to research conducted by the Cloud Industry Forum, which revealed that 42% of businesses now consider it to be their most important IT project, ranking ahead of other considerations such as security, IT sustainability (both 40%) and controlling costs (38%). David Terrar, CEO of the Cloud Industry Forum, said: “As with any new technology, AI was met with some scepticism during its rise to prominence. The data from this year’s report indicates that much of the remaining scepticism has entirely been quashed. Businesses are now further informed and fully on board with AI’s ability to reduce costs, save time and enhance their offerings.” AI’s prominence in modern business is also supported by the finding that 96% of organisations believe AI will be at least somewhat important to their organisation in the next five years. This figure is a significant increase from 2023, when 86% of organisations reported the same. Though AI projects are not limited to generative AI, it remains a popular form of adoption. 94% of organisations report that they are either planning to or are already using generative AI. Specifically, 62% of businesses report that it is already in use across at least some parts of their organisation. For many businesses, the motivations for adoption are clear. 96% of respondents in this year’s report said that generative AI will or has already benefited their organisation, including improving data analytics (46%), customer service (45%) and/or products and services (43%). Terrar continued: “Generative AI has perhaps become the most well-known use case for AI, largely spurred by the ways that large language models have powered the AI assistants and chatbots that are becoming ever more commonplace in our lives. For businesses, generative AI has much more potential in its ability to power intelligent analytics and supplement the role of humans in the workplace. “For cloud service providers in particular, generative AI can and will be an important tool for improving their offerings in several ways. Not only will it assist in personalising offerings for users, but it will also help potential customers to better understand what cloud can do for them. For vendors, generative AI will be vital in offering innovative solutions to challenges that have historically been complex, which will help optimise workloads and unlock new opportunities for growth.” https://cloudindustryforum.org Sage expands AI-driven AP automation Sage has announced new enhancements and updates for Sage Intacct customers globally, to streamline financial operations and enhance security worldwide. As part of this major expansion, Sage Intacct is rolling out AP Automation globally. AP Automation streamlines financial workflows by automatically creating draft bills from uploaded documents, promptly identifying issues such as duplicates, and significantly reducing data entry efforts and costs. www.sage.com Konica Minolta announced as best large supplier Konica Minolta has been announced as the Best Large Supplier at the CPC Supplier Excellence Awards. The awards celebrate the outstanding performance, innovation and collaboration of the Crescent Purchasing Consortium’s (CPC) framework of more than 1,000 suppliers to the UK public sector. As a CPC framework partner of more than 15 years, Konica Minolta provides an extensive range of technology-driven solutions to education establishments, emergency services, the NHS, local and central government. These include managed print and print security, managed IT, a cloud-based SMS platform and intelligent video solutions. The company is a member of the CPC’s Multifunctional and Digital Transformation framework, which is recommended by the Department for Education (DfE). To win the Best Large Supplier category the company was required to demonstrate 'excellence in delivering quality products or services, meeting, or exceeding expectations, and adding value to the business and its stakeholders'. Konica Minolta was cited by the judges for its customer endorsements, ESG credentials and innovation. Amanda Walsh, Head of Customer Success at Konica Minolta said: “We are proud to be the inaugural recipient of this award. Being recognised by CPC for the work we do to support public sector clients overcome and meet challenges is a great testament to both organisations, and we are looking forward to continuing to develop our partnership in the years to come.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk Don’t forget to vote. www.printitawards.co.uk/vote 2024 Richard Halstead, Jason Connolly & David Copping of Konica Minolta recieving CPC Award
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01732 759725 16 BULLETIN : PEOPLE Insight expands team Richard Carnegie has joined Insight Systems as a Senior Sales Executive. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, his expertise lies in a customer-focused, consultative approach – with a strong emphasis on sustainability, security and cost efficiency. The company said Carnegie has the ideal knowledge to tailor bespoke solutions to help his clients achieve their business objectives. In his spare time, he enjoys being kept on his toes by his three children, keeping fit, travelling, and is an avid rugby enthusiast. https://insightsystems.co.uk Cotton joins WithSecure WithSecure (formerly F-Secure Business) has appointed Samantha Cotton as Head of Channel UK & Ireland. She joins WithSecure from Bitdefender and previously held channel manager roles at Claranet and e92plus. Dean Porter, Regional VP at WithSecure, said: “Samantha’s experience and market knowledge makes her the ideal leader as we focus on the next phase of channel growth in the UK. “Good partnerships are at the heart of our business. This appointment underscores the importance we place in supporting our network of partners and providing them with the best value and highest levels of service to grow their business.” www.withsecure.com Cisco names new CEO Cisco has named Sarah Walker as its new CEO for the UK and Ireland. She succeeds David Meads, as he transitions to lead the company’s operations in the Middle East and Africa. She said: “I am delighted to be stepping into this role at such an important juncture for the nation, the technology industry, and for our customers. AI is creating even clearer lines between the outcomes that technology can support, the strategic objectives of organisations, and the needs of society. The way we use and build for AI now will shape the next decade. No one is better placed than Cisco to ensure that we do so securely and responsibly.” Oliver Tuszik President, Europe, Middle East and Africa added: “Sarah brings not only a proven track record in leveraging technology to solve problems and create value for organisations across the public and private sectors, but also a wealth of energy and innovative thinking. I could not be more confident in her ability to lead the Cisco team in the UK and Ireland to create an even greater impact through our solutions, benefiting our customers, partners and the community.” www.cisco.com New face at Data Direct Data Direct has welcomed Paul Bannister to the team as its new OEM Product Manager. Bannister brings 16 years of industry experience to the role. www.data-direct.co.uk Senanayake to drive strategic growth at Paessler IT and IoT monitoring expert Paessler GmbH has appointed Dinesh Senanayake as its Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Senanayake was previously COO and CFO at Ventiv Technology. At Paessler GmbH, Senanayake will accelerate the company's international expansion and will utilise investments to ensure exemplary product quality, as well as working to expand Paessler's existing services portfolio. www.paessler.com Nutanix announces three new hires Nutanix has appointed Chris De Vere as its new EMEA Managed Service Provider Leader. De Vere will lead Nutanix’ team of MSP Sales and Business Development Managers, some of whom are already with the company and will move into his team, others will be recruited as part of approved headcount investments for FY25. Philippe Dosset has been appointed to lead the EMEA OEM and Alliances team. In his new role he will be responsible for driving new business opportunities through alliances and OEM partnerships. And Sven Schoenaerts has been hired as the new Senior Director, Channel Sales EMEA where he will assume responsibility for Nutanix’ routes to market. All EMEA Regional Channel Sales Leaders will report to him. www.nutanix.com Leadership transition at TD SYNNEX Patrick Zammit has assumed the role of CEO at TD SYNNEX. He succeeds Rich Hume, who is retiring but will remain on the board of directors. Zammit has served as the company's Chief Operating Officer since January 2024 and brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence. "It has been the greatest privilege of my professional career to serve as CEO of TD SYNNEX. I am proud of the culture we have built, our partner-first focus and commitment to customer excellence, and the purposedriven approach we have taken in our business,” said Hume. “In this dynamic and ever-changing technology landscape, Patrick is the right leader to build on this foundation as we continue to deliver value to our customers and vendors across the ecosystem. Under his leadership, I am confident that TD SYNNEX will reach even greater heights." https://uk.tdsynnex.com Richard Carnegie Samantha Cotton Dinesh Senanayake Patrick Zammit with Rich Hume
01732 759725 18 WORKPLACE Julia Thomas, Head of Channel Marketing at Ricoh, picks the tools she uses every day and couldn’t do her job without I couldn’t do my job without... w Exercise I try (but don’t always manage to) fit in a bit of exercise every day. When I’m working from home, I usually do 20 minutes of weights at lunchtime, or if I’m in the office or meeting with partners I often take a quick walk. I find it helps me to reset and refocus and sets me up to remain productive during the afternoon. e Office time Hybrid working is fantastic, I love it, but I think it’s really important to stay connected to people. I really enjoy time in the office with my colleagues – whether that’s in our London HQ or Staines office, as well as visiting partners at their premises. Nothing beats personal interaction, and I often find the best ideas come from when you’re all together and collaborating. That said, apart from the train journey there and back, those days typically tend to be my least productive in terms of getting work done! r Monday morning call Every Monday at 10am we have a team call. It involves the entire marketing team and it’s agile so doesn’t last more than 30 minutes. But it really sets us all up for the week ahead, helps us understand where the priorities are and ensure that we’re all aligned. q Music in my ears While some people might need peace and quiet to really focus on a task, I’m the opposite. I like to listen to loud music, BUT it has to be in my ears. So, when I need to get organised or want to be at my most productive, I rely on my Apple AirPods and Spotify to blast out my favourite house or dance music, I find it really helps me to concentrate and get work done quickly. t Teams app I work flexible hours at Ricoh and I find having the Teams app on my phone really convenient. It might not be for everyone, but it works for me, ensures I’m always accessible and helps me to remain connected. y Hotdesking Like many companies, when we plan to go into the office, we have to book a desk and car parking, we can’t just turn up. I use the Ricoh Spaces app, I can see who else will be in, pre-book a desk next to my colleagues, or a meeting room if I need one. It really helps in terms of planning my week and making sure that when I’m in the office, I can get to see the people I need to. www.ricoh.co.uk Julia Thomas
BUSINESS BRIEFING 51 PRINTITRESELLER.UK 19 We’ve expanded our range to meet your needs. For over 10 years, PCL Direct have been remanufacturing in the UK, supplying the highest quality toners and consumables for Konica Minolta, Develop, and Olivetti MFPs, meeting the demands of the market and the needs of our channel partners and their customers. Now we have extended our range with over 90 lines of remanufactured Canon and Ricoh consumables. We only use recycled OEM cartridges, which are thoroughly tested and quality checked to the exacting standards we have always maintained, to ensure the channel has access to a choice of the best remanufactured solutions. All our products are ETIRA accredited. With PCL Direct products you can be guaranteed to provide your customers with the highest quality and added value remanufactured consumables. More brands, the same commitment to high quality and the circular economy Discover our full range. Contact us now. [email protected] 02476 663366 www.pcl-direct.com 5 STAR ACCREDITED MEMBER Canon CEXV-58 Remanufactured Toner Ricoh IM C300/400 Remanufactured Toner
01732 759725 INTERVIEW 20 Matt Houlden, Operations Director, Vantage Online shares his experiences over the past decade, what he’s learned, and the highs and the lows of our unique and challenging industry A decade in print hasn’t it? At Vantage and Asolvi we had it easier than many did and on a personal level I was lucky to avoid some of the challenges and losses that many others experienced, but not something any of us want to experience again, I’m sure. PITR: What (or who) has had the greatest impact in the sector in the last 10 years? MH: I would have to say the inexorable rise in cloud computing. The pace of change has been remarkable and, on balance, the impact on our products, our business and the ability to deploy solutions at speed and at scale is something that is almost unimaginable compared to when I started all those years ago with Service Accent. PITR: If you could change one thing about the last decade, what would it be? MH: I’d like some of my hair back! But other than that, there really isn’t anything of any real substance that I’d like to change. PITR: What has been your proudest moment of the past 10 years? MH: The birth of my daughter. Like many other parents of children who are on the autistic spectrum, she has given me a fundamentally different perspective on life. She’s also a bit bonkers but makes me laugh every single day. All children are special, but she’s a constant source of inspiration as well as a reminder that a life well-lived cannot be counted in bits of paper, financial achievements or many of the other things we are conditioned to view as ‘successes’. PITR: Sum up the decade in three words. MH: Resilience. Innovation. Connectivity. https://www.asolvi.com/vantage-online PrintIT Reseller (PITR): You’ve been working in the print and IT industry for more than ten years. What led you to enter the sector? Matt Houlden (MH): From an early age, I’ve always enjoyed taking things apart, understanding how they worked and then putting them back together. A close friend worked for a local copier dealer and told me they were on the lookout for a junior engineer. Fresh out of A-levels and with no clearly defined plan in my head it sounded interesting, so I read up a bit, blagged my way through an interview and practical exercise, and landed the job! The first few months were spent in the workshop prepping new, reconditioning returned machines, and attending training courses. And I got my first company car! That business used an early service management and billing system and there’s a straight line from there, to working with Tony Milford, Vantage, and then Asolvi. PITR: What was your first job? MH: My first foray into the world of ‘proper jobs’ was working a couple of evenings a week, plus Saturdays/ Sundays in a Bradford clothes shop. Paid in cash every week…lived for the weekend. Good times!! PITR: What has been the high point of the decade? MH: Bringing our Vantage Online solution to market at the start of 2017. For me personally, it was an immensely proud moment to see this project through from inception to completion. Three years of hard work, early starts, late nights, occasional arguments, and plenty of laughs along the way. PITR: And the low point? MH: It’s got to be COVID and lockdown, Matt Houlden
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