www.printitreseller.uk PRINT, MFP, SOFTWARE, SERVICES, DOCUMENT & CLOUD NEWS & INFORMATION FOR VARS, CONVERGED RESELLERS & MFP DEALERS ISSUE 126 · 2025 20 25 Royal Lancaster · December 2 SAVE THE DATE! Royal Lancaster Hotel London. 2nd Dec. WORKPLACE Lynsey Arnold picks her favourite work tools PAGE 18 PRINTIT AWARDS Meet the judges PAGE 22 INTERVIEW A conversation with ECS PAGE 36 20 25 Royal Lancaster · December 2 PRINT IT RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2011
Printers from Brother PC Pro’s Best Printer Brand for 11 consecutive years – trusted, valued, loved. “At your side” for high-quality, reliable, cost-eective printing. *As voted for by PC Pro readers in their 2024 survey. year after year. So much love, Value score* 89% Customer support score* 81% Print quality score* 90% Reliability score* 91% Would buy again* 96%
PRINTITRESELLER.UK 3 COMMENT I was delighted to attend Lexmark’s Channel Partner Summit in Frankfurt earlier this month. Lots of announcements made around new printing devices and AI-powered cloud solutions designed to provide new revenue opportunities for partners. I really enjoyed talking to partners and hearing about the challenges and opportunities they face firsthand. It was particularly rewarding to experience the engagement between Lexmark and its channel, and to learn more about how the vendor is listening to and acting on partner feedback (see page 29). It only seems five minutes since we celebrated the 2024 PrintIT Award winners at the Royal Lancaster in December, however I can confirm that planning for the 2025 edition is well underway! We will be introducing a few changes this year, including some new categories and new entry criteria – all will be revealed next issue, but in the meantime, you can meet the judges on page 22. Also in this issue, Lynsey Arnold, Marketing & Operations Manager at Henley Executive, 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 Gilbert, Managing Director, Key Digital and Director, NMH Group, and PITR spent 60 seconds with Ethan Hoile, Marketing and Operations Associate, Logixal Document Solutions. 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 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 Read PrintIT Reseller online at: www.printitreseller.uk Join us : Follow us @print-it-reseller-magazine PRINT IT RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2011 PrintIT 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 PrintIT Reseller can be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. ©2025 Kingswood Media Ltd. 04 Bulletin Where do you take yours? 06 Bulletin News from the channel 14 People A round-up of new hires 18 I couldn’t do my job without... Lynsey Arnold picks her favourite work tools 20 A decade in print Paul Callow shares his print experiences over the past decade 22 PrintIT Awards Meet the judges 26 Focus on: What’s New A round-up of recent product launches 29 Events Michelle Ryder reports from Lexmark’s Channel Partner Summit 34 One-to-One Chris Shaw, UKI&SA Country Channel Manager at AvePoint 36 Interview A conversation with ECS 39 Opinion Brother’s Greig Millar talks MPS opportunities 40 VOX POP AI in the print industry – part one 46 Industry Insight Miguel Rodriguez, COO, SYNAXON 48 View from the Channel Daniel Gilbert, Managing Director, Key Digital and Director, NMH Group 50 60 seconds with… Ethan Hoile, Marketing and Operations Associate, Logixal Document Solutions 2025 ISSUE 126 printitreseller.uk If you no longer wish to receive PrintIT Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] 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] Designer: Brian Cloke 07484 288189 · [email protected] Issue 126 ISSN 2055-3110 (Print) ISSN 2055-3129 (Online)
01732 759725 4 BULLETIN BULLETIN Where do you take yours? We’re all about championing print at PrintIT Reseller, so don’t forget to get your camera out and send me a pix of yourself reading our magazine 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] Harry Almond and Wayne Jones, OES John Behan, SOS Group Andy Sudlow, Lexmark and Sam Elphick, Lex Business Equipment Jana Lankova, MyQ X Product Owner, Radek Tetík, MyQ CTO and Nikola Novotná MyQ X Embedded Terminal Product Owner straight from MyQ's headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic! (l-r) Max Carne, Icancopy; Lynne Brown and Dwayne Cowans, Lexmark; Ashley Carne, Icancopy and Stephen Curtis, Commercial Great to see so many resellers reading the magazine at Lexmark’s Channel Partner Summit in Frankfurt.
Things just got personal Favourite Actions Easier Administration MyQ X 10.2 now has a fully redesigned UI that can seamlessly streamline your workflows and elevate your entire printing experience l Save your custom workflows for faster access. l Save your frequently performed tasks, such as printing and copying with your chosen preset configurations. l Scan direct to your specific destination folders. l Customise actions by editing, renaming, cloning and reordering them to suit your specific needs and preferences. The MyQ Theme Editor enables IT admins to edit the design of the MyQ embedded terminal by using built-in themes or creating custom themes. To find out more please visit www.myq-solution.com
01732 759725 6 A new era United Business Group and Paralogic have consolidated its different businesses into one larger technology services organisation called Futera – in order to bring customers more value, a wider scope of services and an even better customer experience. The company has also announced that it is now employee-owned. CEO, Lee Manning said: “We’ve re-structured our business to align with what a modern, technology focussed company wants from their managed services provider. We genuinely believe we offer the widest breadth of tech services in the country and it will form the basis of our growth for the next decade as we aim to become the UK’s first choice partner for technology services.” www.futera.co.uk Apogee expands into Spanish market Apogee has invested in CM Advanced Printing Iberia SA, a distributor of HP products in Iberia. The company says this move marks an important step in its expansion into the Spanish market and strengthens its position in the office solutions sector. The investment will enable Apogee to expand its geographical presence in Iberia, a key market for the group. By partnering with CM, a leading player in the distribution of office products, Apogee will gain a strong local presence and in-depth knowledge of the Spanish market. A key objective of this investment is to enable Apogee to share its extensive IT and solutions expertise with CM. Beyond print and professional services, the Apogee and CM partnership will also benefit from the provision of other key workplace services related to HP computing and collaboration. Apogee CEO James Clark said: “We are delighted to partner with CM. Apogee’s expertise in this market enables us to deliver meaningful insights and added value, ensuring CM’s customers are well-equipped to achieve their goals.” https://apogeecorp.com BULLETIN Apprenticeship opportunities Managed network solutions and IT services provider Evolve, has exceeded its 5% Club promise to hire more apprentices across the business. The 5% Club is a campaign that encourages businesses to invest at least 5% of their workforce in apprenticeships and similar programmes. Evolve has significantly increased the number of apprentices within its workforce, surpassing the industry benchmark for training and development. In 2023, 8% of its employees were enrolled in apprenticeship programmes - a figure that has risen to 9.24% in 2024. This achievement highlights the company’s commitment to fostering a dynamic learning environment and providing practical, hands-on experience that drives both individual growth and business success. CEO Alan Stephenson-Brown said: “We pride ourselves on cultivating a company culture where people are our greatest asset. Apprentices are integral members of our team, bringing fresh perspectives and enthusiasm that enrich our organisation. We are deeply committed to supporting internal progression, Elite partner Jordan Woods Group has partnered with Konica Minolta as an elite partner, giving it full access to the manufacturer’s sales, training and service support. Incorporated in 2019, Jordan Woods Group is headquartered in the City of London and provides expert support to customers across the UK via a network of fully qualified service professionals across the country. Harry Terrell, Director of Jordan Woods Group said: “Myself and the team have sold and supplied Konica Minolta devices for years and they have an excellent reputation for service and reliability which is essential for our customers. Being an elite partner ensures we have the full support of Konica Minolta and its team, which enables us to deliver the next level of support and full management of print services that our customers rely on. “Despite being a relatively young business, we’ve seen significant growth. Over the past two years, we’ve completed four successful print business acquisitions, all funded by self-raised funds with no external investments, loans, or shareholders involved. While we’re approaching our six-year mark, our rapid expansion and acquisitions make it feel like we’re just getting started and we are very excited to be working in close partnership with Konica Minolta to continue this growth and pursue our ambitious targets.” Cameron Mitchell, Business Leader for Indirect Channel at Konica Minolta added: “The Jordan Woods Group team fully understands the changing needs of modern businesses and shares our ethos about delivering a customer experience that is second to none. We are delighted to be working together to deliver real customer value.” www.jordanwoodsgroup.co.uk Cameron Mitchell and Harry Terrell and one of the key benefits we offer is the opportunity to gain valuable qualifications while earning on the job. Our apprenticeships are a cornerstone of our strategy to develop future leaders and foster long-term success.” The company has also announced a strategic partnership with Evolve IP. The collaboration promises to drive business efficiency, operational productivity, revenue opportunities and scalability across the 50+ countries Evolve IP serves. https://www.evolvebg.co.uk Lee Manning James Clark
PRINTITRESELLER.UK 7 Exertis AV announces partnership with Sony Exertis AV has partnered with Sony Professional Displays & Solutions Europe. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in Exertis AV’s mission to deliver innovative, high-performance technology to businesses across the UK. Sony’s reputation for design and quality aligns seamlessly with Exertis AV’s commitment to offering best-in-class solutions. Together, the companies will empower customers to enhance communication and collaboration with state-of-the-art displays, digital signage, and AV technologies that meet the demands of a modern, connected world. Sustainability and inclusivity are at the heart of this partnership, with both Exertis and Sony driving initiatives to reduce environmental impact and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sony’s eco-conscious product designs and energy-efficient technologies, combined with Exertis AV’s commitment to sustainable business practices and fostering an inclusive workplace, underline a shared vision for creating a greener, fairer future. “We are very pleased to welcome Exertis AV as an accredited distributor for Sony Professional Display Products and Solutions. Building upon our existing partnership with Exertis in Europe, this new partnership will enable us to expand our reach across the UK & Ireland, delivering innovative professional display solutions to a broader audience. Together, we are committed to enhancing the experience for our clients and driving strategic growth of our B2B business in this dynamic market,” said Moya Kelleher, Head of B2B Sales - UK & Ireland and Nordics at Sony Europe. www.exertis.co.uk ALE appoints Westcoast Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE) has appointed Westcoast to distribute its full range of secure networking and communication solutions in the UK & Ireland. This includes network switches, Wi-Fi, IoT and communications solutions (on-premise, hybrid and cloud), including the Rainbow UCaaS and CPaaS platform as well as ALE desk phones, mobile handsets, devices, contact centre solutions and tactical solutions for location services and asset tracking. www.westcoast.co.uk Management buyout Aberdeen-based A1 Digital Solutions’ director Scott Buchan has successfully led a management buyout (MBO) to acquire the business. Buchan who has been with A1 Digital Solutions since 2014, has played a pivotal role in the company’s recent growth and success. Under his leadership, A1 Digital Solutions has expanded its offerings and built a reputation for exceptional customer service and innovative solutions. “I am thrilled to take this next step in A1 Digital Solutions’ journey,” he said. “Our team has worked tirelessly to build a trusted and respected brand, and I am confident that this buyout will allow us to continue delivering top-quality products and services to our valued customers, long into the future.” The buyout will enable A1 Digital Solutions to further invest in technology and expand its team to meet the growing demands of the market. A1 has appointed Steve Clark as Sales Director to assist Buchan in leading the sales function and help shape the strategy going forward. Clark has a wealth of sales and management experience having been in the industry for over 20 years in a variety of senior roles based both in Aberdeen and across the UK. “I’m incredibly excited to join A1 and work alongside a team that prioritises customer satisfaction above all,” he said. “I look forward to contributing to the continued success of the business by building genuine connections with our customers and ensuring they receive exceptional service and products every time.” https://a1digitalsolutions.co.uk Woodbank Office Solutions lands new customer Woodbank Office Solutions has signed Liverpool ONE, the UK’s largest open-air shopping centre as its new customer. “We were looking for a business who could support us locally and Woodbank came highly recommended,” said Lee Silk, IT Director at Liverpool ONE. “After meeting Account Manager, Dave Duffy, we were confident they would deliver exactly what we needed. The new machines were installed quickly, seamlessly, and the support has been great.” Woodbank replaced Liverpool ONE’s three outdated printers with two of the latest A3 Konica Minolta devices under a single service agreement. They also took over the technical support of Liverpool ONE’s print management software, Papercut, providing Liverpool ONE with the addedvalue service they needed. www.woodbankoffice.co.uk BULLETIN
01732 759725 8 Distribution partnership Exertis Enterprise has announced a distribution partnership with data storage and management solutions provider Quantum Corporation. Exertis Enterprise and Quantum will deliver innovative data management technologies designed to support AI initiatives and media and entertainment workflows, enhance data security, optimise storage performance, and streamline business operations. The partnership underscores both companies’ dedication to helping customers leverage their data to drive success in a competitive market. “We are thrilled to partner with Quantum,” said Jason Daly, Business Development Manager at Exertis Enterprise. “Quantum’s forward-thinking approach to data storage and management aligns perfectly with our mission to offer best-in-class solutions to our channel partners. Together, we are equipping businesses with the technology they need to maximise the value of their data, ensuring they stay competitive in an increasingly data-centric world.” https://exertisenterprise.com, www.quantum.com Partner event SYNAXON UK’s Attack vs. Defence partner event which took place at the beginning of March at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, was backed by leading suppliers, including headline sponsors Telev8 and Terra Computer. Presenters included Ian Schofield, Regional Cyber Crime Protect Officer for the Regional Cyber Crime Unit (RCCU) West Midlands, who spoke about how the threat landscape has evolved over the years and what the future may hold. The event also included a fireside chat session on modern marketing with Ewan Baggott, football freestyler, presenter and social media influencer, and Tara-Jane Sloane, Managing Director of Telev8. A panel debate focusing on current cyber security challenges featured senior executives from ESET, Huntress, OpenText, Pax8, and Viper. Mike Barron, Managing Director, SYNAXON UK, said: “Cyber security is a huge issue, but there have been more than enough events highlighting the scale of the opportunity and promoting solutions. We want to take a more practical approach.” He added: “As a long suffering Wolves fan and junior football coach, I am used to seeing an attack versus defence scenario played out at Molineux, so I thought we might as well continue with that theme for this event.” https://synaxon-services.com BULLETIN Exclusive distribution rights Citrix has signed a mid-market and sole distributor agreement covering North America and Europe with Arrow Electronics. When engaging mid-market and SMB accounts, channel partners in these territories will work exclusively with Arrow. When engaging in enterprise accounts, channel partners will continue to work with Citrix, with Arrow serving as the distributor and Citrix providing support and software maintenance. Citrix is supporting this new arrangement with an incremental multi-million-dollar investment in partner dedicated technical resources and channel partner support teams. Cedric Doignie, Vice President of New Models for Arrow’s Global Enterprise Computing Solutions Business, said: “Leveraging Arrow’s extensive channel partner network, reach and experience, we look forward to helping Citrix grow its install base, increase subscription conversions and drive further market expansion through this strategic agreement.” www.arrow.com Northamber acquires Epatra Northamber has announced the acquisition of Epatra Ltd., a well-established professional AV distributor based in Netherlands. This strategic move further strengthens its position in the audio visual market and enhances its portfolio of offerings to customers in Europe. Alex Phillips, Chairman of Northamber PLC, said: “We are delighted to welcome Epatra into the Northamber group. There is a strong synergy in strategic focus with existing Northamber business and we look forward to working together with the Epatra team to drive strategic value for all. We are excited to continue to invest in driving profitable growth and broadening our customer base into international markets. The board believes that there remains significant opportunity for further suitable acquisitions in the sector, which should generate additional value for Northamber’s shareholders in the medium term.” www.northamber.com Alex Phillips Mike Barron £2 billion milestone TD SYNNEX now has more than £2 billion in credit lines extended to the UK channel, underlining its significance in enabling partners to do business and meet the changing needs of their end user customers. As well as credit services TD SYNNEX provides flexible options to suit every customer scenario through its specialist finance arm, TD SYNNEX Capital. Solutions are available to support subscription payments for software and services and consumption-based financing. Smaller partners that are growing fast can take advantage of the TD SYNNEX Credit Elevator, which enables partners to increase their credit limit automatically as they grow, without having to re-apply, by meeting a set of pre‑set requirements. The rise in credit lines has been fuelled by steady growth and changes to partner business needs driven by end-customer requirements for hybrid technology deployments. “We are committed to delivering excellence in credit and finance services and with partners now operating mixed models of solutions sales, subscriptions and services, the availability of these options is more important than ever,” said David Watts, Regional Vice President and Managing Director, UK and Ireland, TD SYNNEX. https://uk.tdsynnex.com David Watts
01189 734 564 | [email protected] | data-direct.co.uk For the best prices, next day delivery, industry-leading warranties & so much more! DISTRIBUTOR & MPS FULFILMENT SPECIALIST TONER & MORE Our extensive range of high-quality products & unique partner programs help you achieve your goals with unbeatable solutions Dealing with us couldn’t be simpler Toner Parts & Consumables Fulfilment solutions Recycling Hardware Card Readers
01732 759725 10 Ricoh recognised for ESG Ricoh has been selected for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World Index), one of the world’s most renowned indices for ESG, for the fifth consecutive year. “We are proud to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the fifth consecutive year,” said Chris Hopton, CEO of Ricoh Northern Europe. “Organisations are increasingly looking to align with partners who can help them achieve their ESG goals. Ricoh has an unparalleled and deeply ingrained commitment in sustainability innovation, and this is reflected in the way we engage with our customers, partners and the wider community.” www.ricoh.co.uk Katun partners with ACDI Access Control Devices, Inc. (ACDI), has confirmed the compatibility of Katun’s newly launched Arivia MFPs and two widely used printing and document management platforms, KPAX and Scanshare. Katun and ACDI conducted extensive testing to ensure seamless integration between Katun’s Arivia MFPs and these popular office solutions. This confirmed compatibility will enable clients and users to streamline document workflows and support overall business efficiency. “We are excited to announce this compatibility,” said Tony Ko, Katun’s Vice President of Hardware and Business Solutions. “ACDI’s expertise and support have been instrumental in ensuring that our Arivia MFPs work seamlessly with the KPAX and Scanshare platforms. This achievement demonstrates our continued commitment to helping our dealer partners simplify and optimise their business operations.” Mark Hart, Vice President of Business Development at ACDI added: “We are thrilled to bring Scanshare’s workflow automation capabilities and KPAX’s fleet management solutions to Katun and their partner network. This collaboration highlights our shared commitment to innovation and providing tools that streamline processes and empower businesses to operate more efficiently.” www.katun.com, https://acd-inc.com Joint event Konica Minolta and SOS (Service Offset Supplies) held a joint two-day event focused on colour matching across multiple devices. Colour Match of the Day took place at Konica Minolta’s Client Engagement Centre in Houghton Regis, near Luton, on February 5 and 6. The event included one of the first European public showings of a brand new machine from Roland DG. Visitors experienced live demonstrations of the latest print and cut solutions from Konica Minolta, Roland DG, Vivid and Graphtec, accompanied by the expert team from SOS, an independent supplier and distributor of lithographic and digital printing supplies to the commercial offset litho, web, and digital printing industries. Cameron Mitchell, Business Leader for Indirect Channel at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, said: “The Konica Minolta Client Engagement Centre was built to be a state-of-the-art centre of excellence. It is a place where the UK print industry can come and learn about the latest technology, innovations and applications. The Colour Match of the Day event embodies this ambition, and we are pleased to be working with SOS to host this important event.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk, serviceoffsetsupplies.co.uk BULLETIN TSC Auto ID acquires Bluebird Inc TSC Auto ID Technology has acquired global enterprise IoT solutions provider Bluebird Inc. The collaboration marks a strategic move by TSC to advance its global position and broaden its product portfolio. Vincent Chen, President of TSC Auto ID, said: “By offering Bluebird’s mobile computers and data capture solutions alongside our own robust printing technologies, we shall be able to offer customers more comprehensive solutions. The demand for seamless input and output devices continues to grow and our vision is to deliver integrated, efficient solutions to meet evolving needs and enhance overall customer experience.” The two companies will leverage each other’s strengths and develop product offerings, with the intention of becoming leaders in integrated Auto ID solutions and services. Post-acquisition, Bluebird will continue its independent operations with TSC helping optimise its management system, and creating synergies through product roadmap integration, technical support, and joint sales and marketing initiatives. https://emea.tscprinters.com/en, www.bluebirdcorp.com Sharp/NEC celebrates 40 years Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its MultiSync technology. Since it launched in 1985, MultiSync has set the standard for highperformance display solutions, becoming one of the industry’s most successful display brands, selling over 54 million units to date worldwide. The NEC MultiSync monitor was the first successful multiple frequency, autosynchronous display that users didn’t have to update or modify if they upgraded their computer, making it one of the first futureready computer peripherals in history. Four decades on, Sharp/NEC remains focused on optimising the flexibility and compatibility of its display solutions to deliver ever more enhanced user experiences. “Celebrating 40 years of MultiSync is a testament to our company’s unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence,” said Tobias Augustin, Manager Product Management at Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe. “We are proud of the impact MultiSync has had on the display industry and remain dedicated to developing cutting-edge, future-ready solutions that meet the changing needs of our customers.” www.sharpnecdisplays.eu
Green Energy Procurement Solar PV Panels Electric Vehicle Charging Points Easy to get started Add commercial energy to your portfolio to: Open up a new revenue stream Help your customers on their net zero journey Worried about declining print revenues? Get in touch to find out about becoming a partner 0800 048 4800
01732 759725 12 BULLETIN Kyocera earns BLI Awards Kyocera has been honoured by Keypoint Intelligence with the 2025-27 Most Reliable A3 Brand Award as well as two 2025 Pick Awards for the TASKalfa MA3500ci and ECOSYS MA4000cix. The 2025-27 Most Reliable A3 Brand Award was presented following five years of rigorous testing of the company’s full A3 range. In a controlled, conditioned lab environment, Kyocera A3 devices consistently demonstrated exceptional reliability, achieving high volumes of impressions with remarkably low misfeed rates and no service calls. The two Pick Awards honour the TASKalfa MA3500ci and ECOSYS MA4000cix for their faster-than-average job streams and first‑print‑out time, as well as above‑average scan speeds, searchable PDF accuracy, and image quality. Kozo Teramoto, Senior General Manager of Sales & Marketing at Kyocera Document Solutions Europe, said: “The reliability of our technology has been put to the test and shown that our devices can withstand and thrive under immense workloads and pressure. Maintaining quality over a long lifecycle is at the heart of our way of doing business, as these awards reflect.” www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.uk Resource recycling Canon will begin using recycled steel material (electric furnace steel sheets) in some printing products, including office multifunction devices, home inkjet printers, large-format inkjet printers and commercial printing presses, that will be released in 2025. Going forward, the company will gradually increase the number of products utilising recycled steel. Steel is the second most used material by weight in Canon’s printing products, following plastic. The company has studied the characteristics of electric furnace steel sheets (recycled materials produced in an electric furnace from steel scrap that has been collected from used products) and optimised the processing method so that they could be used in products. CO2 emissions from the production of electric furnace steel sheets are about one-fifth of those from blast furnace steel sheets – common steel materials made from iron ore – and its use reduces the input of new resources and increases the resource recycling rate. Currently, Canon Ecology Industry Co., Ltd., one of Canon’s group companies, finely separates steel scrap from collected used office MFDs and sells the refined steel scrap to Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Steel), an electric furnace steelmaker. The total amount of collected steel scrap provided to Tokyo Steel from April 2020 to March 2024 was more than 5,000 tons. Canon will supply steel scrap to Tokyo Steel, and in turn use the electric furnace steel sheets produced by Tokyo Steel to develop, design, and manufacture more sustainable products thereby promoting the recycling and effective use of limited resources. The company has set targets of 20% for 2025 and 50% for 2030, after recording a value of around 16% in fiscal 2022. www.canon.co.uk Ricoh Europe signs pledge Ricoh Europe CEO Nicola Downing has signed the Working with Cancer pledge – an initiative designed to build a supportive work environment for those who are battling cancer and other chronic diseases and serious illnesses requiring specific medical care. It also extends to employees who are providing cancer care to loved ones, while raising awareness of these challenges across the wider workplace. With an overall aim of abolishing the stigma and insecurity that exists for people with cancer in the workplace, the pledge rallies companies around the world, to provide a supportive and recovery-forward culture at work for all employees impacted by cancer. Ricoh’s commitment to signing this pledge not only demonstrates the importance of raising awareness around these serious diseases and illnesses but also its commitment to continue the open dialogue surrounding this inside of its organisation. Downing said: “As a people-first organisation, we recognise the profound impact that cancer and other chronic diseases and illnesses can have on individuals as well as their families, and their work lives. As such, to reinforce our commitment to our people, we pledge to support our employees, colleagues, and community members who are affected by such serious diseases and illnesses.” To further reinforce its dedication to joining this movement, Ricoh Europe has already set out the following commitments as part of this pledge which include applying discretion to the sick pay of any colleagues unable to work due to a diagnosis of cancer so they have assurance and security and therefore can focus on their treatment and recovery and to continue to provide flexible working arrangements to ensure well-being and recovery are prioritised. The company has also pledged to support all Ricoh employees in a primary caregiver role, to allow them to balance their roles at work and as a caregiver in line with the company’s flexible working policies. www.ricoh-europe.com Joint venture details confirmed FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. and Konica Minolta, Inc. have announced an establishment date of January 31 for their joint venture. In addition, the name of the joint venture company has been decided to be Global Procurement Partners Corp. www.fujifilm.com, www.konicaminolta.com Nicola Downing Recycled steel used in Canon products (prior to processing)
OUR CORE VALUES WE ARE SPECIALISTS IN HIGH QUALITY REMANUFACTURED PRODUCTS THAT ARE RIGHT FOR THE CHANNEL EXACTING STANDARDS Our R&D and quality control ensure reliability and consistency across our range. All products undergo rigorous multiple checks and live testing. Our solutions are engineered to match OEM-original supplies, o er the channel and end-users high quality, cost-e ective alternatives and drive the circular economy through our innovative processes and services: INTEGRITY We take pride in our integrity and ethical practices to ensure we remain 100% true to our claims and being the best at what we do. COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY We run a number of intitiatives that ensure our products comply with, and often exceed, the sustainability criteria required by the industry, WEEE regulations and achieve zero landfill. DEDICATED TO SUPPORT THE CHANNEL The channel benefits from our wide range of exceptional quality remanufactured consumables and upcycled MFPs, which are all supported by our on-line warranty service. We guarantee the same performance as OEM products - or better. Channel Waste Collection Extensive stock held of remanufactured products for most leading brands High Quality Control Testing UK based remanufacturing On-line Warranty Portal 5-Star Accredited Membership to ETIRA European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association Excellent Partner relationships Enhanced capabilities in toner output Award-winning providers of OEM-alternative remanufactured consumables, parts and MFPs for the UK Print IT market. 02476 663366 [email protected] Please scan the QR Code to visit our website www.pcl-direct.com
01732 759725 14 Mike Faiers takes on new role at Konica Minolta Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) has appointed Mike Faiers as Chief Operations Officer. Faiers joined the company in 2021 as its Chief Technology Officer to drive innovation and deliver solutions and services to meet the current and future workplace challenges of its customers. Assuming the new role of Chief Operations Officer, his remit is to develop and refine processes and procedures that position Konica Minolta even closer to its customer, to provide them with the solutions, care and support they need throughout every stage of their journey. During his tenure as Chief Technology Officer, Faiers led a team that helped to consolidate Konica Minolta’s reputation as a supplier of innovative digital technologies that are transforming operations in SMB office environments as well as professional print rooms. In his new role, he will build on his time spent working across every facet of the business, to optimise operations including service and support, logistics, and the wider supply chain. Faiers said: “Our success is defined by the satisfaction of our customers. Having one best-in-class team responsible for overseeing and fulfilling our commitments to them, ensures we optimise our service delivery, identify opportunities to develop our portfolio and build long-term loyalty, rooted in trust, competence and consistently delivering on every promise we make.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk Nutanix appoints UK&I channel director Chris Pickerill has been hired as Nutanix UK&I Channel Director, with responsibility for leading the company’s UK&I channel organisation, enhancing partner engagement, driving revenue initiatives, and supporting a robust channel ecosystem that results in strong selling capabilities for partners. Additionally, he will play a key role in driving channel focused initiatives, such as Nutanix Elevate Partner Program, which is centred on sales, technical and services certifications, and building partner competencies on Nutanix solutions. Commenting on his appointment, Pickerill said: “Nutanix’s leadership in hybrid multicloud and strong cloud-native capabilities alongside its focus on driving true business value for customers and partners alike make it a highly desirable organisation to join. That’s one of the reasons I am excited to be part of this dynamic and successful organisation, and I can’t wait to get engaged with the business and our channel partners. They are the bedrock of Nutanix’s success and I look forward to driving partner-initiated revenue growth and aiming to enhance overall revenue streams in the region.” Pickerill joins Nutanix from his position as North EMEA Partner Director at SentinelOne where he ran the UKI & Northern European Channel, having previously led sales and channel teams with VMware, Splunk and NetApp over the past 20 years. www.nutanix.com BULLETIN : PEOPLE New sales leader at Aurora Paul Rylands has joined Aurora as Group Sales Director. Rylands has over 25 years’ senior-level experience leading national sales channels to achieve significant growth and increased market share in the workplace technology industry. Prior to joining Aurora, he held directorship roles at several major managed service organisations, developing and growing salesforces across the corporate, SME and public sectors. CEO Martin Oxley said: “I’m delighted to have Paul joining the Aurora board to lead our sales operations. Paul is such an experienced and inspirational sales leader; he understands exactly what organisations in the public and private sectors need from a managed service partner and he brings a huge degree of professionalism and expertise which will inspire the salesforce at Aurora. He’s an exciting addition to the leadership team; I am looking forward to working alongside Paul to take Aurora to the next level.” www.aurora.co.uk New hire at Vasion Vasion has named Bob Pritchard as its new Chief Revenue Officer. Pritchard has a distinguished career in technology leadership spanning over three decades and joins the company from M-Files, where he successfully served as Chief Revenue Officer. “We are excited to welcome Bob to the team,” said CEO Ryan Wedig. “His deep expertise in the technology automation industry, coupled with his proven ability to build and lead successful revenue teams, will be invaluable as we continue to expand our market reach and deliver exceptional value to our customers.” https://vasion.com Bob Pritchard Mike Faiers Chris Pickerill
01732 759725 16 BULLETIN : PEOPLE HP announces new UK MD HP has announced the appointment of Ruth Patterson as Vice President and Managing Director for the UK and Ireland. She succeeds Zoe Westwood, who has served as Interim Managing Director since 1 November 2024. Patterson has held a variety of leadership roles within HP in the United States and UK. Her expertise spans sales, marketing, category management, and operations across multiple countries, as well as in regional and global positions. Most recently, she served as Vice President and Category Lead for HP’s Advanced Compute Solutions division, where she demonstrated exceptional leadership and delivered strong results positioning HP as a leader in high-performance computing. Neil Sawyer, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for HP’s Northwest Europe Market said: “Ruth’s deep understanding of our business, combined with her strong alignment with HP’s values, makes her the ideal leader for our UK&I market. Her passion for fostering meaningful relationships with our people, partners, and customers will be instrumental in driving continued success in the region. I am confident that Ruth will build on the solid foundation established by Zoe Westwood and the UK&I Leadership Team.” “It is an incredible honour to step into this role and lead HP’s UK and Ireland business,” Patterson added. “I am excited to work closely with our talented teams and partners to build on our success and drive impactful results for our business and the communities we serve.” www.hp.com IT Document Solutions has added two new faces to its team. With a strong foundation in technical IT and software development, De Wet Bester offers a diverse skillset and deep understanding of IT infrastructure surveying and reporting, complemented by his extensive project implementation experience. His hands-on expertise includes the setup and management of various Cloud services, such as Azure and Google. Additionally, in his daily work, he serves as the IT administrator for numerous M365 and Google platforms. The company has also welcomed Orla Linsday to its managed services team as she takes on a new role of 1st line helpdesk support. Having worked client side with a fuels company headquartered in Ireland, she has a true understanding of customer needs and how to resolve issues. www.itdocumentsolutions.com CRO to strengthen Intelliworx global expansion Global managed services and cloud solutions provider Intelliworx has appointed Jeremy Mumford as its Chief Revenue Officer to help drive the company’s global expansion. The move, which follows a number of other recent changes to Intelliworx’s senior leadership is in response to the company’s rapid growth throughout 2024 and the increasing focus mid-market businesses are placing on data integrity and their cybersecurity postures. Mumford, who joins Intelliworx from software-as-a-service backup provider Keepit, will report directly to Managing Director Shane Maher. Based in London, his primary responsibilities will include growing Intelliworx’s business in the UK and further developing its data integrity offering. Maher said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Jerry to the Intelliworx team. With his extensive industry experience, we’re confident Jerry will help drive significant growth across our global offices within the next 12-24 months.” He continued: “The UK in particular continues to be a very important market for us and a key pillar in our global growth strategy. In 2025 we’re looking to differentiate ourselves within the MSP space, particularly around data integrity and back-ups, given today’s ever shifting cybersecurity landscape.” Mumford added: “There is a great opportunity for businesses in the channel who can provide a differentiated offering, and this is something Intelliworx has established with significant success. Our aim is to build on this success and take Intelliworx to the next level in its global growth journey over the next few years.” https://intelliworx.co/uk Canon EMEA names new President & CEO Shinichi ‘Sam’ Yoshida has been named President & CEO for Canon Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), succeeding Yuichi Ishizuka who is retiring after seven years in the role and a successful 44-year career with Canon. Yoshida was previously based in the USA where he held the position of Executive Vice President & General Manager of the Marketing Strategy Unit, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Canon Solutions America, Inc. and Canon Financial Services, Inc. He takes over a regional sales organisation which has operations in 120 countries, employs approximately 12,300 people and contributes about a quarter of Canon’s global revenues annually and is tasked with bolstering and growing existing core businesses while capitalising on the brand’s reputation for imaging and printing technology and solutions expertise to expand into new areas such as B2B imaging, industrial and commercial printing and information management solutions. www.canon.co.uk Ruth Patterson De Wet Bester IT Document Solutions expands team
Get the complete guide to Windows Protected Print Mode We think this is the biggest change to printing in the last 20 years. MATT COAD, HEAD OF SELF-HOSTED SOFTWARE A comprehensive overview of WPP, its timeline, and how your organisation can prepare for (and benefit from) this powerful security feature. SCAN FOR GUIDE
01732 759725 18 5 Canva Working for a small team where we do not have a dedicated graphic designer and copywriter at my beck and call means when I need to get creative, I can. I have all the fancy tricks I need at the touch of my hands. Whether it’s a social media graphic, business cards, blog images or branded goods, I have the software at my fingertips to quickly and easily whip something up and easily resize. I know all of the actual designers probably loathe it but working for an SME you have to be adaptable as well as multiskilled, and Canva has allowed me to do just that. 6 Black Tea That’s right. Black. As in no milk. In the Tea. At all. Thank you very much. Much to the disgust of most people who make me a cup of tea. Yorkshire Gold by preference, tea leaves rather than bag if I’m being picky. I even have a specific mug if I’m at home. But a good cup of tea will keep my brain whirring and just make the day (and me) work better, so maybe this should have been top of my list! https://henleyexecutive.co.uk 2 Paiger This is a social media scheduling tool for the recruitment industry that has been a huge timesaver for me. It helps me plan content and schedule for the team, which not only saves me brain space but them too. It also helps remind me to generate content and highlights news and articles of interest. Invaluable! 3 WhatsApp for Desktop It’s so much easier to type out a WhatsApp text on your desktop rather than on your phone. And because it’s on my desktop I can easily send a quick screen grab if needed and whizz across for a quick response. It’s a quick and easy go to when an email feels a bit too much. And the response is usually quicker too, so I assume other people feel the same way. 4 My Phone It’s so much easier to just pick up the phone and have a conversation. Plus, it allows me to multitask. If we’re out and need a picture for our social media, my phone can take the picture, and I can post straight through to our feeds. It gives me access to all of the tools I mentioned above and more. A mini office on the go with me. And now that iPhone’s have moved across to USB C I no longer have to take a million charge cables with me too. Win-win! Lynsey Arnold, Marketing & Operations Manager at Henley Executive picks the tools she uses every day and couldn’t do her job without I couldn’t do my job without… WORKPLACE Lynsey Arnold 1 Google If a client mentions a new term I don’t understand, I google it. If I have no clue what the latest thing the team in the office are talking about, I google it. Need to find the directions to my clients’ offices, I google it. If I need a fancier synonym for a word, I google it. It probably seems lazy, but I honestly don’t know what I did before googling. Ask Jeeves just did not have the grip on me that Google does. That’s right. Black. As in no milk. In the Tea. At all. Thank you very much. Photo: pixabay.com/JillWellington
The power behind the Workplace Technology community. The UK's leading Industry-specific dealer management solution. Vantage Online supports more UK Workplace Technology and Managed Print providers than any other ERP solution. Talk to our dedicated, experienced team of MPS professionals to see how Vantage Online can transform your internal processes for better customer outcomes. Call 01494 465066. Asolvi.com Service & Helpdesk Management Billing & Contract Administration Stock & Consumables and much more... https://www.asolvi.com/vantage-online BOOK YOUR FREE DEMO Powerful Reporting & Analytics Industry-Specific Integrations Flexible Documented API
01732 759725 20 PC: COVID and the ‘paperless office’ combined. Many businesses have been working on strategies to reduce physical printed pages for a long time. When COVID struck, it closed down offices and accelerated the use of Teams and other tools. Business printing has never fully recovered. Anyone involved in document management really needs to start exploring other ways of delivering customer value in order to stay relevant. Net zero and ESG are booming categories and certainly worthy of investigation. PITR: If you could change one thing about the last decade, what would it be? PC: Honestly speaking I would have liked to slow down the pace at which online has accelerated at the cost of local ‘bricks and mortar’ businesses. Don’t get me wrong, the online world offers incredible value and convenience especially with the emergence of Uber‑type business models allowing almost immediate delivery of pretty much anything. At the same time though, I think we might be losing the opportunity to buy, work and think locally, which has value in terms of supporting and strengthening communities. It might not seem important now, but once it’s gone it’s going to be difficult to get it back. PITR: What has been your proudest moment of the past 10 years? PC: I don’t think there is any one thing. Becoming almost a full-time digital nomad for a couple of years and managing to work whilst following the sun was nice for sure! I think within the print market I would say though that seeing the continued success at Brother and many individuals who have remained loyal and focused do so well makes me happy. I’m also very proud to say that I have retained and been able to enjoy so many varied relationships with people in the channel, including customers, partners and colleagues. PITR: Sum up the decade in three words. PC: Frustrating. Challenging. Enlightening. opened up the opportunity for me to get into the print market based on the things I learned in the retail market. PITR: What was your first job? PC: I was initially employed as a Retail Account Manager, tasked with building the inkjet business in places like Staples, Office World, Tempo and Comet (all no longer here), and some other players who are still around! That didn’t last long, not once I was introduced to IT distribution! I loved that whole business model and IT and the people in it seemed to respond well to me! I was fortunate to be allowed the elbow room to put my energy into building the inkjet business in that channel and things went rather well. PITR: What has been the high point of the decade? PC: I look back fondly at the time I spent at Brother UK as General Manager. I was fortunate to find myself amongst a group of open-minded and supportive people who were willing to overlook my weaknesses just enough to allow me to do the things I enjoyed and which made a positive contribution to the business. If I had my time over, I might have approached some things and some people differently, but I am incredibly proud still of the results we achieved and what some of my colleagues there have gone on to achieve in their own careers. PITR: And the low point? PC: I spent almost six years trying to turn around a print-focused business which in a variety of ways had lost its mojo. There were many good and dedicated people and a brand which carried good value, but for a variety of reasons, the planets just couldn’t be brought into alignment and ultimately the project failed. Everyone did their best in their own way and whilst it was a personal and financial low point, a lot of good lessons have been learned. PITR: What (or who) has had the greatest impact in the sector in the last 10 years? 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? Paul Callow (PC): I entered the print market in 2000. It was a long time ago but, in some ways, only feels like yesterday. I started my career in consumer goods, working for brands like Haagen-Dazs and L’Oreal and whilst that was exciting, I wanted to get into IT as it has been such a booming sector in the 80s and 90s. Lexmark at the time had a consumer print division and that Paul Callow, Head of Strategic Partner Acquisition, Fidelity Energy 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 INTERVIEW Paul Callow
binfo.co.ukRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=