ISSUE 93 · 2022 www.printitreseller.uk PRINT, MFP, SOFTWARE, SERVICES, DOCUMENT & CLOUD NEWS & INFORMATION FOR VARS, CONVERGED RESELLERS & MFP DEALERS View the 2022 award categories now, entries will open on Tuesday May 3 2022 www.printitawards.co.uk Award-winning MAXIFY GX6050 drives new customer opportunities for resellers See page 28
Our award winning sustainable technology is here to stay At Epson, we are 100% committed to our Heat-Free business inkjet technology and to supporting our resellers in providing their customers with printing solutions to reduce their environmental impact. We’ve developed PrecisionCore Heat-Free technology, a uniquely sustainable alternative to thermal inkjet and laser printers. To start printing sustainably, visit www.epson.co.uk/heat-free Up to 96% fewer used consumables than laser printers* Up to 50% faster from ready compared to laser printers* Up to 83% less energy than laser technology* *www.epson.co.uk/heat-free
Welcome to the third issue of the year. Time is certainly going fast this year and things are moving apace here at HQ too, as we put the final pieces in place before the official launch of the 2022 PrintIT Awards. Entries will open on May 3, and to be in with a chance of winning an award, you must submit your entries by 5pm July 22. The PrintIT Awards are based on merit, and as such, the majority of categories require companies to submit a written entry. These categories will be judged by an independent panel of specialists handpicked by us based on their knowledge and experience of the marketplace. We’re delighted to invite you to meet the 2022 PrintIT Awards judging panel on page 22. Gartner forecasts worldwide IT spending is set to grow and that IT services is expected to have the second highest spending growth in 2022, reaching $1.3 trillion, up 7.9% from 2021. Business and technology consulting spending, specifically, is expected to grow 10% in 2022. With this in mind, PrintIT Reseller asked some of the industry’s leading vendors how they are changing goto-market strategies and their offering to capitalise on the opportunity to help organisations pursue their digital strategies, and support them as they move into 2022 (page 40). In this issue, Greig Millar, General Manager for Sales at Brother UK, picks the work tools he uses every day and couldn’t do his job without (page 18). This month’s Q&A is with Craig Pratt, Regional Sales Director, CMYK, and PITR spent 60 seconds with Chris Bates, Business Unit Manager – Print & Supplies, Tech Data. 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 us at: [email protected] Michelle Ryder, Editor PRINT.IT Reseller is published by Kingswood Media Ltd., 10 Amherst House, 22 London Road, Sevenoaks TN13 2BT • Tel: 01732 759725 Email: [email protected] www.printitreseller.uk No part of PRINT.IT Reseller can be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. © 2022 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk 04 Bulletin What’s new in printers and printing 16 People A round-up of new hires 18 I couldn’t do my job without... Greig Millar picks his favourite work tools 20 Research Cloud plays integral role in transformation of businesses 22 PrintIT Awards Introducing the PrintIT Awards 2022 judging panel 26 Focus on: What’s New A round-up of recent product launches 30 MPS The changing nature of the MPS industry 33 Cloud Hybrid multi-cloud is the ideal IT model 34 Trends Quocirca predicts print industry trends 39 Dealer Profile ISL enjoys success built on great service 40 VOX POP Spending on IT services set to grow 48 View from the Channel Craig Pratt, Regional Sales Director, CMYK 50 60 seconds with... Chris Bates, Business Unit Manager – Print & Supplies, Tech Data ISSUE 93 · 2022 printitreseller.uk Comment Register online To receive your regular FREE printed copy of PrintIT Reseller Magazine simply fill in our online registration form at www.printitreseller.uk/register If you no longer wish to receive PrintIT Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] Read PrintIT Reseller online at: www.printitreseller.uk Join us : Follow us @PrintITReseller Issue 93 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] Group Sales: Martin Jenner-Hall 07824 552116 · [email protected] Art Director: Nick Pledge 07767 615983 · [email protected] Advertising Executive: James Trim 01732 759725 · [email protected] COMMENT PRINTITRESELLER.UK 3 RESEARCH Page 20 Cloud plays integral role in transformation of businesses
Research from STX Next has found that a fifth of CTOs reached the position in fewer than five years. A further 35% of respondents revealed that it took five to ten years to reach CTO, while only 27% took 11-15 years. The results highlight the surprising speed at which a CTO position can be reached, and suggest it is a viable career path for aspiring tech professionals. Other key findings from the research included: n There are multiple routes to CTO: 33% of those surveyed said they joined the organisation as a CTO from another company. Around 29% were promoted from within their organisation and 34% said they co-founded a business and became CTO immediately. n On-the-job experience is crucial: 70% of CTOs were formerly software developers or engineers, while 60% were tech leads or engineering managers and 29% were project managers. Just 7% were academic personnel. n Around one-third of CTOs report high job satisfaction: on a scale of one to five, 35% rated their job a five and 43% rated it a four. www.stxnext.com BULLETIN Fast career path for tech professionals Best areas to work A study by the School of Marketing which analysed data including transport costs, fuel costs, average salaries, and internet access, found that Reading was the best place to work in the office, performing best all-round on transport costs and wages. It scored third for the highest salaries, behind London and Oxford, with an average wage of £2,617 a month. The town has seen big companies move in with new offices, with the likes of Huawei, Three UK and Microsoft all operating in the area. Cardiff came in second, with the area once again offering cheap transport costs and high wages, with the area’s average maximum mean download speed of 660 megabytes per second, seeing it feature in the ten best. Coventry was third, with the city second scoring highest for internet speeds and accessibility with a maximum mean download speed of 849 megabytes per second. It was also one of the cheapest for transport, coming in second behind Dundee with the cost of a one-month bus pass at £50.90 on average. https://schoolofmarketing.co/ Business printer revenue overtakes consumer market Revenue sales through distribution of business printers across Europe have remained significantly higher than those of consumer devices in January, thanks to the strong performance of Laser SFPs, according to new data from CONTEXT, the IT market intelligence company. CONTEXT’s Index Revenue Trend graph recorded sales figures for consumer and business markets criss-crossing several times during the course of 2021. But since around Week 50 last year, a gap has opened up between the two, with business revenues on top. They crossed the 100 index baseline in January and continue to rise above the weekly average revenue for 2021. “While volume sales for both business and consumer printers were lower over this period compared to a year ago, business volumes fell at a slower rate”, said Antonio Talia, Head of Business Analysts at CONTEXT. “Revenues increased thanks to a different product mix, featuring more high-end devices, and price increases for entry-level and mid-range devices. The latter trend was influenced by a shortage of consumer printers in the same price range - especially Laser SFPs – driving up the average selling price and overall revenue performance.” www.contextworld.com 89% of CTOs plan to embrace outsourcing STX Next research has found that almost nine in ten CTOs (89%) plan to outsource software development or IT expertise in the future. This is despite the fact that 59% are not currently outsourcing, indicating that it is set for a resurgence. The research revealed that outsourcing has experienced a lull in popularity. 46% of CTOs have never outsourced technical talent before, while 43% have done it in the past but stopped. Reasons for ceasing outsourcing include low quality work, lack of strong relationships with external partners, communication issues and a poor cultural fit. However, outsourcing still has major appeal if prospective partners abroad up their game – of those who have outsourced, 39% have done so globally, while 33% have outsourced within the same continent. www.stxnext.com PE investment spurring unprecedented technology deal spree Quantum has released new survey data that reveals the most common challenges organisations struggle with around effective data management, storage and analysis. Yet, to many technology entrepreneurs, private equity remains a poorly understood concept when it comes to capital options. In its recent Tech Private Equity Demystified report, ICON aims to clarify understanding, bust some of the myths around private equity, and shed light on what it takes to secure a successful private equity transaction. Last year, over one-third of all technology exits in Europe was private equity funded – an increase of 38% on 2020, and almost three times as much as in 2015. Predicting further investment growth in the sector, ICON cautions that businesses looking for funds need to get investment fit first to compete for premium deal outcomes. www.iconcorpfin.com 01732 759725 4 PRIVATE EQUITY DEMYSTIFIED 1 Tech Private Equity Demystified February 2022 GLOBAL TECH INVESTMENT BANKING LONDON SAN FRANCISCO BRISTOL Meet the Judges page 22
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BULLETIN Tactus buys Box Consumer technology, gaming and computing company Tactus has acquired online gaming and technology retailer Box, further bolstering its status as a global PC gaming specialist. Tamworth-based Box is an online retailer of consumer technology and specialist devices, with a customer base across the UK and Europe. Founded in 1996, the company has scaled rapidly to become a £100m turnover business in 2021 and has diversified its product range to meet growing market demand for specialist custom-built and pre-built gaming PCs, laptops, components and associated technology products. Box boasts a team of over 140 employees, taking the group’s headcount to over 350 individuals. The business operates from a purpose built 120,000 sq. ft. logistics centre, significantly expanding the scale of Tactus’ supply chain and operations across the UK and beyond, while providing enhanced capacity to accommodate its future growth. www.tactusgroup.com BAYtek Office Solutions helps Eat That Frog BAYtek Office Solutions helped Eat That Frog improve productivity and support operations during the pandemic. Eat That Frog is a community interest company that offers bespoke education to young learners who may have struggled to thrive in mainstream schools or colleges. The organisation approached BAYtek Office Solutions, when it was looking to purchase new technology to ease and enrich the learning experiences it offers. The installation of uniFLOW Online and a number of devices from Canon’s imageRUNNER ADVANCE portfolio has allowed Eat That Frog to see instant productivity gains. Printer downtime has been optimised, whilst less paper is wasted due to uniFLOW Online’s ability to only release what is needed whilst fully tracking print costs. Streamlining print procedures through has also helped Eat That Frog improve its environmental impact. With the solution offering finishing options that can be changed at the device before printing, reprinting and false output is avoided. uniFLOW Online also eliminates ‘always on’ print servers, which is helping to reduce the amount of power used across the organisation’s print infrastructure. BAYtek Office Solutions has been a Canon partner for 11 years and was recently awarded Gold Partner status. www.baytek.co.uk Pro Cloud SaaS partners with directprint.io Pro Cloud SaaS has announced a global partnership with directprint.io. The collaboration will see Pro Cloud SaaS expand its SaaS offering, enabling customers to leverage directprint.io’s feature-rich serverless print management solution to migrate print infrastructure to the cloud. directprint.io is a secure, serverless SaaS solution that enables organisations to reduce print costs, simplify print management and track print activity. The cloud-based platform is zero-touch, once installed, no configuration is needed for new devices or end-users; updates are automatic and security is built-in. directprint.io offers competitive per-seat pricing for Chromebooks, Windows, and macOS environments and delivers full, real-time print analytics by user, department, device and more. Pro Cloud SaaS is a worldwide technology services provider that specialises in making customers the hero on their journey to the security and simplicity of the cloud. The company has operations in the UK, US, Australia, Brussels, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Qatar and Zambia. “We are excited to partner with directprint. io, a truly innovative print management platform provider,” said RJ Hines, CXO, Pro Cloud SaaS. “As a global technology services provider of the world’s best SaaS platforms, directprint.io gives Pro Cloud SaaS the ability to expand our service and support capabilities throughout our global network. Additionally, this partnership widens our reach into developing countries that we support. The platform’s competitive pricing model is also a great fit for certain verticals.” https://procloudsaas.com https://directprint.io/ Networking and innovation A new networking and innovation platform for C-level and IT Directors of mid-sized enterprises has been launched by Sanjay Bathija (Partner and COO of Sopher & Co) and Tarek Meliti (CEO of TDM Group). The platform will be used by its members to share advice and insight on how the mid-market can navigate today’s greatest challenges and use technology to scale effectively. The C-Level Innovation Club is available through invitation or application – and only to individuals who identify as C-level or IT Directors, providing an opportunity for both online and inperson discussion and resource-sharing. Interim Chair, Tarek Meliti said: “The past few years have been without doubt the hardest for many in business. Leadership – from the IT department through to finance– have lost vital insight as many of the traditional routes to gaining knowledge have either withered on the vine, or simply seized up. My peers and I felt the time was right to launch the C-Suite Innovation Club for business leaders to come and share ideas and experiences, and look for help and guidance from those who have been through a particular experience themselves.” 01732 759725 6 Fnd out more at: www.binfo.co.uk/golf-society.php 2 0 2 2 Tarek Meliti RJ Hines
BULLETIN Precision Proco buys HP Indigo Precision Proco Group has continued its commitment to further investment with the purchase of a new machine which will increase capacity and give faster turnaround. The company has taken delivery of a HP Indigo 100K at its Dagenham site, the first step in the upgrading of all of its fleet which is planned for the coming year. Following a two week installation process, the new press is already being put to work on producing four colour commercial work, leaving the second B2 Indigo – which was at the time it was purchased the first in the UK – to be used for more specialist jobs. The new machine will give the company the additional capacity it needs to deal with its anticipated growth in 2022 as well as delivering 50% more productivity, particularly on projects that are needed with a quick turnaround such as overnight or on the same day. www.precisionprocogroup.co.uk Collaboration helps cut costs DoiT, a global multi cloud software and managed service provider, and AMD have announced their collaboration on a program to help Google Cloud customers maximise performance, cost and security of their compute workloads. DoiT and AMD will provide expert technical consulting to help customers identify the right workloads for a benchmark comparison on AMD EPYC processors, so customers can achieve the best performance gains possible and optimise cloud spend and management. Together, both companies are providing Google Cloud customers with the industry’s best available tools, technology and technical expertise to ensure compute workloads are finely tuned for performance, cost and longevity. Benefits include workload performance benchmark analysis, expert technical consulting and access to DoiT’s advanced technology suite of solutions, most notably its technology portfolio and FlexSave offering – all free of charge for DoiT customers. www.doit-intl.com SYNAXON UK adds to list of distributor partners SYNAXON UK has announced a new partnership with leading independent distributor, VIP UK. The full portfolio of products stocked by VIP will be available through SYNAXON’s EGIS stock availability and pricing platform with immediate effect. VIP offers a wide range of IT systems, components, software and peripherals from vendors, including ASUS, AMD, Microsoft, Razer, Corsair, Gigabyte, Nvidia, BenQ, Intel, AOC, Philips, Samsung, Seagate, Western Digital, BullGuard, Tenda, MSI and many more. The firm is the latest addition to a growing list of distributors and supplier partners that SYNAXON UK works with to provide its partners with access to the widest range choice of products available in the channel – along with full stock availability and pricing information – through its EGIS portal. Mike Barron, Managing Director of SYNAXON UK, said: “VIP UK is a well-known and trusted name in the channel and its portfolio is a really significant addition to EGIS.” Elliott Hodgeon, Sales Director, VIP added: “VIP are delighted to be working with SYNAXON and look forward to collaborating with their team. The agreement serves as a win for all parties, as current EGIS partners get access to VIP’s excellent service and product portfolio, SYNAXON can add another reputable distributor to its offering, and it gives VIP access to SYNAXON’s loyal EGIS users.” www.synaxon-services.com Xperience continues expansion with Riverlite acquisition Lisburn-based Xperience has announced its acquisition of Riverlite, an East of Englandbased provider of cloud, cyber security and IT managed services. The move which follows the acquisition of Bury St Edmundsbased Green Duck in October 2021, is strategic, both geographically and for service and sector expertise. With the addition of Riverlite, Xperience’s headcount will grow to 150 (a rise of 42% growth in 12 months) and annual turnover will increase to approximately £21.5 million. Iain O’Kane, CEO, Xperience said: “Growth across the UK and Ireland remains a strategic priority, and Riverlite is a natural fit as we share a similar culture and values. Importantly, it achieves a leading presence in the East of England and strengthens our existing team nationally. It also provides another cyber security and data platform, which given the events of last year and continued global threats, is a genuine benefit for our clients. For this and many more reasons we welcome bringing Riverlite into the Xperience family.” xperience-group.com IT business becomes employee-owned North Wales-based IT support services specialist Pro-Networks, has announced its transformation into an employee-owned trust (EOT) business following the retirement of Founder and Managing Director, Paul Crudge. Each member of the company’s 35 strong workforce who has worked there for at least 12 months, is now a beneficiary of the EOT, which will hold shares on their behalf as long as they remain an employee of the company. Many of the employees are long serving members of the team. An experienced new board has been formed consisting of Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Coote and two non-executive Directors, Ian Traynor and Stephen Blank, who will also be Chair. The strong senior management team will continue to manage day-to-day operations and commercial aspects of the business from its headquarters in Deeside, with input from an employee advisory council member. This council will consist of a number of employees enabling its members to listen, record and influence the management team. Coote said: “A great deal of effort and planning went into structuring this deal with the interests of customers and employees as the absolute priority. By gifting his shares in Pro-Networks to the EOT for the ultimate benefit of our employees, Paul has ensured his positive and long-lasting legacy. Each and every one of our valued employees has a genuinely vested interest in continuing to serve our customers to the very best of their ability. We are very excited for what lies ahead for us as a business following this change in structure.” www.pro-networks.co.uk PRINTITRESELLER.UK 7
BULLETIN Market intelligence as-a-service Tech Data has announced a pan-European agreement with global market insights firm, MarketsandMarkets. The agreement will enable Tech Data partners to integrate exclusive market intelligence and advisory consulting services into their offerings for business end customers, helping them to identify and operationalise revenue opportunities in emerging technology segments. The subscription-based service offers analysis on key megatrend categories – such as artificial intelligence, big data, internet of things, connectivity, robotics, smart manufacturing and wearables among others – powered by Marketsandmarkets’ machine learning-driven market intelligence cloud platform Knowledge Store. In addition, customers can access consulting and advisory services bringing personalised insights from industry experts to inform their action planning and strategic technology investment decision-making. “This agreement will help partners and end customers to equip themselves with robust, data-driven insights which will be a crucial differentiating asset as they guide business customers to make the right growth technology investments,” said Craig Smith, Vice President, Analytics and IoT Solutions, Europe, Tech Data. “The targeted market data and trend analysis from MarketsandMarkets empowers business decision-makers to identify opportunities proactively and align their business model to drive nonlinear growth, leveraging Tech Data’s extensive portfolio of next-generation products and solutions.” www.TDSYNNEX.com Integra announces partnership with Beeswift Integra has announces a new partnership with Beeswift, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and wholesalers of PPE and workwear. This new addition to Integra’s supplier portfolio not only further strengthens the group’s diversification programme but also the opportunities available to members. To increase sales and customer awareness, members will have access to a range of marketing facilities including build a brochure; create a quote; and create a flyer. In addition, every product has its own downloadable specification sheet and in line with Beeswift’s ISO 14001 accreditation, packaging and waste information. All easily accessible for members to provide to sales teams and customers. Members wanting to take that extra step will also be able to take advantage of a nonpriced webstore, incorporating their corporate branding, to bolt on or link to an existing website. www.integra-business.co.uk 01732 759725 8 Data Direct signs with SYNAXON SYNAXON UK has signed a partnership with Data Direct, under which its full range of products will be available to partners through SYNAXON’s EGIS procurement platform. The agreement is yet another feather in the cap for SYNAXON UK as it continues to add more suppliers to its EGIS availability and order management platform. Partners can now directly access current stock and full pricing details for over 40 popular distributors on EGIS, covering everything from toners and cartridges, up to IT infrastructure products. Data Direct provides toner, parts and workplace productivity and safety solutions to print and office resellers all over the UK. Patrick Winterbotham, Managing Director of Data Direct, said: “SYNAXON UK is a great fit for Data Direct. Through them we can reach out to more resellers in more markets and give more businesses the opportunity to experience our exceptional service and support.” www.synaxon-services.com Langdown steps down from the BOSS Board David Langdown has chosen to step down from his position as a member of the BOSS Board. Langdown has been an active board member and brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the BOSS Board having held numerous highprofile roles within the industry – including as a Founder and Director of XPD, Officepoint and Focus7. www.bossfederation.com ISG recognises Computacenter Information Services Group (ISG) has positioned Computacenter as a market leader in its 2021 ISG Provider Lens Public Cloud Services & Solutions reports for both the UK and Germany. This report evaluates the commercial appeal and competitive strength of major market players and their individual portfolios. Computacenter was acknowledged as a leader for consulting and transformational services for large accounts in Germany. In the UK, Computacenter was acknowledged as a leader in the categories: consulting and transformational services, managed public cloud services for midmarket, as well as a rising star in managed public cloud services for large accounts. www.computacenter.com Salt Security appoints Exclusive Networks Exclusive Networks has been appointed the first value-added distribution partner for global API security company Salt Security. As part of the agreement, Exclusive will have sole distribution rights for the Salt Security API Protection Platform across EMEA, with initial focus on the UK, France, DACH, Benelux, Spain, Nordics and Italy. To support growth plans and channel strategy for Salt Security across Europe, Exclusive will leverage its expertise and successful track record in helping emerging and disruptive cybersecurity vendors penetrate EMEA markets. Exclusive will take the lead on channel development, driving partner recruitment, onboarding, and enablement. Additional go-to-market momentum will be provided through Exclusive’s DevSecOps and cloud-native technologies specialist, Nuaware, focussing on end-user engagement, creating market demand, and driving customer adoption. www.exclusive-networks.com Craig Smith David Langdown Patrick Winterbotham
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First rental partner PSCo, a specialist LED distributor and trade-only rental company, has been named as the first rental partner to stock Epson’s new EB-PU2200 range of lightweight and compact high lumens 3LCD projectors in the UK. Epson has made the first units of the black chassis 20,000lm model exclusively available to PSCo’s rental partners from May 2022. Rental partners can either rent or buy the units from PSCo. Stuart Holmes, Director of PSCo said: “We are delighted to be named as the first UK rental partner to stock Epson’s impressive 20,000lm model. This investment in our projection fleet underlines PSCo’s intentions to provide our customers with world leading technologies across our product categories.” www.midwich.com 01732 759725 BULLETIN 10 Tech Data expands cybersecurity offering Tech Data has announced a distribution agreement with cybersecurity softwareas-a-service provider IDEE. With this agreement, Tech Data’s partners in Europe can offer passwordless multi-factor authentication and authorisation solutions for organisations of all sizes. According to research by the World Economic Forum, around 80% of cyber-attacks are password-related and larger companies are increasingly forced to invest a large proportion of IT helpdesk budgets into addressing password issues. IDEE’S solution, called AuthN, helps enterprises to free themselves from this burden and improve their cybersecurity resilience with a user-friendly password and tokenfree authentication process that leverages cryptography and blockchain technology. With no passwords for cybercriminals to exploit, AuthN drastically reduces the risk of phishing and hijacking of user profiles, thereby hindering the spread of ransomware in organisations. AuthN is available as a white-label solution for partners who want to offer their own branded cybersecurity subscription-based services. AuthN works in conjunction with other SaaS offerings and is available with preconfigured integrations, to reduce complexity and time to market for Tech Data partners. Alex Christophe, Sales Director, IDEE, said: “We are excited to start 2022 with this collaboration with Tech Data, which is a critical next step in IDEE’s growth trajectory. Working with Tech Data enables us to reach new markets, leveraging the impressive capabilities of the global TD SYNNEX organisation at a time when the adoption for passwordless is rapidly ramping up. Our agreement with Tech Data in Europe will ultimately mean more of Tech Data’s partners will be able to dramatically improve their customers’ cybersecurity resilience, reduce costs and drive user satisfaction up with best UX practices.” https://eu.techdata.com/cybersecurity Highgate IT Solutions trials four day week IT VAR, Highgate IT Solutions has announced that it will trial a four day working week. The trial will take place over a business quarter, starting April 1. Adopting the 100:80:100 model, this trial will see Highgate commit to 100% pay, for 80% of time, in return for 100% productivity. With the official UK pilot due to start in June, interest in the four day working week has started to build up momentum. Organisations that have already made the move have reported increases in performance and profit, as well as benefiting from an increased attraction to potential employees and higher employee retention rates. Charlotte Lockhart, Founder of The 4 Day Week Global said: “We have passed the tipping point with the 4 Day Week and reduced hours working. The leadership at Highgate have recognised that this is the way forward and we congratulate them and wish them all the best for their trial. We’re looking forward to following their journey.” www.highgate-it.co.uk Ancoris helps customers go green Ancoris is enabling customers to add carbon footprint reduction to their cloud migration and IT modernisation planning. The cloud services provider has launched its new Ancoris GreenLab service, which helps organisations to understand the carbon impact of migrating to the cloud from on-premise and hosted IT deployments, GreenLab also quantifies the financial business case. CEO Andre Azevedo said: “I believe that our GreenLab solution is the best way for Ancoris to have a wider impact on sustainability beyond our own organisation, by helping as many companies as possible to add carbon footprint reduction to their migration business case. This can be up to 80% depending on where you run your workloads today.” https://www.ancoris.com/greenlab Red Hat extends partner training offerings Red Hat has announced it is expanding its offerings for partners in order to advance their skills journey with open hybrid cloud technologies. Red Hat partners can now access Red Hat Training self-paced online courses at no cost in order to develop critical skills around Red Hat solutions in key areas such as cloud computing, containers, virtualisation, automation and more. The initial Red Hat Training offerings that are open to partners include 17 courses, available in eight languages, accessible through the Red Hat Partner Training Portal and paving the way for future skills development through accreditation and certification. With these courses, partners are better positioned to accelerate skills development and achieve Red Hat Certification. www.redhat.com The Convergent Technology Event for IT Resellers & Providers 22 13 September 2022 Business Design Centre, London tech-live.co.uk
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01732 759725 12 BULLETIN ECS introduces new products ECS has announced new remanufactured Konica Minolta DR512 drum units. The drum units are available in black and colour and are suitable for use with Konica Minolta Bizhub C224, C224e, C284, C284e, C364, C364e, C454, C454e, C554, C554e and equivalent Olivetti/Develop machines. The firm also has stock available for remanufactured Konica Minolta DR512 drum chips, available in black and colour, for use with Konica Minolta Bizhub C224, C284, C364, C454, C554 and equivalent Olivetti/Develop machines as well as compatible Konica Minolta DV512 developer packs, available in black, cyan, magenta and yellow, for use with Konica Minolta Bizhub C224, C284, C364, C454, C554 and equivalent Olivetti/Develop devices. www.ecs-uk-ltd.co.uk M-Files exceeds 30% growth M-Files has grown its annual recurring revenue in 2021 by more than 30%. Advancements in customer success programs helped boost customer satisfaction and raise net revenue retention to over 120% in 2021. The company also increased bookings in the professional services industry by 41%. “Our accelerated growth in 2021 is proof that more organisations are readily embracing our unique, metadata-driven approach to information management to gain a leading edge in their digital transformation journeys,” said Antti Nivala, Founder and CEO, M-Files. “We increased our employee headcount by a recordbreaking 20% in 2021, enabling us to serve knowledge workers’ needs better and provide innovative platform enhancements that deliver superior customer experiences and higher quality work with lower risk.” M-Files also grew its partner program, achieving over 30% year-over-year growth in global channel sales ARR bookings. As partners heightened their proficiencies with the M-Files platform, the average partner-led new deal size increased by nearly 20%, and cloud deployments grew five times faster than on-premises deployments. www.m-files.com Xerox’s PARC announces new venture PARC, a Xerox company, has announced the launch of Novity, a new venture to commercialise predictive maintenance (PdM) technology that reduces unplanned downtime in industrial manufacturing operations. The Novity solution is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology that uses equipment sensors and proprietary algorithms to enable industrial manufacturers to see the future health of their production assets. The Novity TruPrognostics engine relies on a combination of machine learning and physics-based models of equipment. This allows Novity to predict equipment failures with 90% or better accuracy and lead times of months, not weeks or days. www.xerox.com Clover opens UK distribution centre Clover has committed to support its dealers by opening a UK distribution centre. This investment into the dealer channel harnesses Clover’s commitment to provide a remanufactured range of toner cartridges within a logistics framework that meets the needs of its customers. The new UK distribution centre will stock one of Clover’s main European brands – the Freecolorbrand which has been in existence for over 20 years. www.cloverimaging.eu Sustainable IT procurement Circular Computing is helping WWF-UK transition to a sustainable enterprise laptop estate in a bid to continue its carbon neutral trajectory. The company will supply 510 remanufactured laptops to the charity. After successfully trialling 50 remanufactured devices, WWF-UK plans to embed sustainability across its procurement processes and find suppliers that match its values to drive change across all areas of operations. This change was spearheaded by the charity’s Environmental Manager and backed by its ICT team, which recognises the value that sustainable computing equipment can play in advancing the broader climate change agenda. Additionally, as part of the project, Circular Computing has bought back nearly 500 laptops fromWWF-UK’s estate and will look to put them through its recently launched ITAD programme, to give them a second lease of life through remanufacturing. This signifies a truly circular deal and will equal five additional trees being planted for each laptop in the buyback scheme. www.circularcomputing.com IDC recognises Konica Minolta Konica Minolta was recently named a leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Print in the Distributed Workforce 2022 Vendor Assessment. According to the report, “Konica Minolta’s approach to providing for a more distributed workforce begins with a mind-set that “work is not where you are, but work is what you get done.” Olaf Lorenz, Head of International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe said: “Key to Konica Minolta’s success is our ability to help businesses succeed with digital transformation to meet the challenges of the pandemic and beyond. Konica Minolta’s foresight pre-empted the transformations in the world of work that have subsequently been accelerated by COVID-19. The company has been transforming its business for some time from a print/copy provider to a digital services supplier. Its vision of the intelligent connected workplace (ICW) was in place long before the onset of the pandemic and provides an array of documentrelated services (workflow and automation, information management, managed application, infrastructure management, security, and cloud, with more to come) that naturally extend into supporting a more distributed workforce.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk
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01732 759725 14 BULLETIN HP expands Amplify Impact Program HP Inc. has expanded its HP Amplify Impact partner program to an additional 24 countries across Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Japan. Now available in 43 countries around the globe, the first of its kind partner assessment, resource and training program provides >10,000 partners with the opportunity to join HP in its efforts to generate meaningful impact on climate action, human rights and digital equity. HP is looking to enrol at least 50% of its HP Amplify partners in the voluntary program by 2025. To date, 20% of partners have signed the HP Amplify Impact pledge, exceeding the target of 10% for the first year of the program. Partners who choose to take the HP Amplify Impact pledge in qualified countries can choose between two distinct tracks – Catalyst and Changemaker. Catalyst members take the HP Amplify Impact Pledge, participate in a sustainability assessment, and report sales opportunities. Catalyst partners have access to resources through the new HP Amplify Impact Initiatives Hub and an opportunity to be recognised via an annual awards program. The Changemaker track is optimised to assist partners that do not yet have a sustainability strategy in place in support of the development of a long-term sustainability plan. The HP Amplify Impact program provides partners of all levels with training, sales tools, marketing assets, and access to HP’s Sustainability & Compliance Centre (SCC), HP LIFE and HP Planet Partners. Participating partners will be recognised via certification and a global annual awards program. Award categories include the sustainability as a business opportunity award, most comprehensive DE&I strategy award, Planet Partner award, carbon footprint award and community award. Submissions and award category details are available on the HP Partner Portal. www.hp.com ABBYY strengthens partner ecosystem ABBYY launched its new global partner program, ABBYYOne, to enable partners to accelerate intelligent process automation (IPA) throughout the enterprise. IPA converges artificial intelligence with automation to give enterprise leaders more control over business operations, and simpler ways to automate and improve processes and decision-making. The new partner program embraces over 1,000 existing business partners, technology alliance partners and technology licensing partners with particular emphasis on strategic alignment with those most committed to driving mutual success. All training and certifications are offered free via ABBYY University. Neil Murphy, Vice-President, Global Channel Chief at ABBYY, said: “Our mission with the new ABBYYOne program is to build upon the existing success of our ecosystem by creating an aligned global partner strategy that delivers depth of focus to our committed partners. We want new and existing partners to grow their business by solving customers’ intelligent automation challenges with ABBYY Vantage and Timeline, and we are committed to providing them the support they need to succeed.” www.abbyy.com Brother tops colour laser market Brother UK has topped the market for colour laser printer sales to businesses last year in both single function and all-in-one categories. According to data provided by Context Sell Out, the firm secured a UK market share of 27.7%, following sales growth for two of its leading models, the HL-L8260CDW and the MFC-L8690CDW, between December 2020 and November 2021. This placed Brother above HP (26.7%), Xerox (22%), Kyocera (7.6%) and Canon (7.5%) in both the 14-24ppm and 25ppm+ ranges. Brother UK also maintained its position as the top seller in the consumer colour laser market, accounting for 34.6% of units sold last year. Greig Millar, General Manager for Sales at Brother UK, said: “Topping the market for colour laser sales to businesses represents a significant milestone for Brother and is in part testament to how our models are supporting firms as they transition to the new world of work. “Our focus now is to build on this position by expanding our portfolio of hardware, services and solutions to provide businesses with the tools they need to succeed.” www.brother.co.uk Kofax named a leader Kofax has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Print Management Solutions Independent Software 2021 Vendor Assessment. According to IDC: “Kofax offers a broad set of capabilities beyond traditional print and print management. ControlSuite, a flagship solution, is used to extend the general use of the MFP, integrating into major arteries of the business infrastructure. Kofax’s core mission is to push document process automation, regardless of location, to the edges of business.” Anne Valaitis, Research Manager for the Imaging, Printing and Document Solutions (IPDS) Team at IDC, said: “Kofax’s full range of print management solutions are augmented by a robust scan and imaging suite, allowing it to support all business types and strengthen its position in the report. Further, the company’s impressive ecosystem of solution partners and connectors have been vital to its success domestically and globally.” www.kofax.com December 6 2022 The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London www.printitawards.co.uk
DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH INDOOR AIR QUALITY CRITERIA Original HP Toner Cartridges Original HP Toner Cartridges can help you be confident your HP printing system1 will perform within EPEAT emission guidelines. Original HP Toner Cartridges are designed and tested to help protect your customers and employees from exposure to elevated levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).2 Non-HP toner cartridges tested emitted up to 191% over the allowed limit of total volatile organic compounds.3 HP helps support sustainability procurement goals by providing toner cartridges that pass indoor air quality criteria. Original HP Toner Cartridges designed to meet EPEAT criteria When tested, 96% of non-HP Toner cartridges failed eco-label guidelines.2 To learn more: visit hp.com/go/toner 1. An HP printing system consists of HP printer, an HP paper, and Original HP supply. Blue Angel DE-UZ 205 emissions criteria or earlier versions applicable when printing system is launched. 2. Nov 2019 WKI Blue Angel Indoor Air Quality study, commissioned by HP, in compliance with DE-UZ 205: 21 imitation and five remanufactured toner cartridge brands compatible with HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw (CF410A, 411A, 412A, 413A) purchased in EMEA, LA, and NA regions. See hp.com/go/IAQnonhpWKI2019. To learn more i it . t r 1 i i i li . ri i l r rtri r i t t t l r t ct r c t r employees from exposure to elevated levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).2 I I I I LI I I i i HP helps support sustainability procurement goals by providing toner cartridges that pass indoor air quality criteria. Original HP Toner Cartridges designed to meet EPEAT criteria. When tested, 96% of non-HP Toner cartridges failed eco-label guidelines.2 Non-HP toner cartridges tested emitted up to 191% over the allowed limit of total volatile organic compounds.2 Tel: 0844 980 8000 Web: www.vowwholesale.co.uk
01732 759725 16 BULLETIN : PEOPLE Ignition expands EMEA operations Ignition Technology, which acts as the springboard for early-stage disruptive cyber vendors looking for accelerated market entry and channel momentum, has announced a significant expansion of its operations across EMEA. Following its acquisition by Exclusive Networks in July 2021, the firm is building on its operations in the UK&I and in the Nordics and Benelux, with a series of strategic new hires. Rodolphe Moreno has been appointed as Country Manager for France to establish Ignition’s first foothold in Southern Europe. Moreno brings a wealth of knowledge with over 25 years’ experience in security and networking where he held senior management roles at both vendors and channel companies. Phil Starr takes up the position of Regional Manager for the Middle East to spearhead Ignition’s growth plans in the region. With over five years’ experience of working at Ignition in the UK in channel management and account director roles, Starr will be able to hit the ground running to rapidly establish Ignition’s presence in the Middle Eastern market. Tony Coleman becomes Ignition’s new Regional Manager for Sub Saharan Africa. A proven leader with strong business development credentials and a successful track record in channel development, Coleman brings over 30 years of knowledge and experience working in senior channel management positions. www.ignition-technology.com Dixon assumes new role at Logixal Matthew Dixon has been appointed Head of Client Experience at Logixal. The new role was announced on the eve of the firm’s tenth anniversary, Dixon has been a member of the Logixal family since its inception in 2012. Commenting on his new role Dixon said: “As the Head of Client Experience, my role is to communicate with our clients to ensure they are continually receiving the quality of service and support they deserve. I am the first point of contact for all our community of clients as well as the Account Manager.” www.logixal.co.uk Apogee adds CPO to executive leadership team Apogee has announced the appointment of its Chief People Officer, Marion Brooks onto the executive leadership team. Brooks will take a strategic HR lead on the executive leadership team, leading the people & culture function to drive the organisational culture by cultivating and championing it to create an environment that fosters integrity, diversity, inclusivity, agility, wellness, and open communication. She brings more than two decades of UK and international HR experience to the role and has previously held senior roles within the retail, engineering, and technology sectors. She said: “I am delighted to be joining the board at Apogee Corporation. As a business we have an exciting journey ahead of us and the people agenda will be a critical part of our success.” Chief Executive Officer Aurelio Maruggi, added: “Marion has made a significant impact since joining Apogee. In her role leading the people & culture team, she has been instrumental in connecting Apogee to its employees, helping us develop and care for our employees and helping those employees with their personal and career development.” www.apogeecorp.com Cirrus appoints first head of customer success Cloud contact centre solutions provider, Cirrus, has appointed Steve Miller as its first Head of Customer Success to strengthen relationships with the company’s growing list of clients. Prior to joining Cirrus, Miller held several consultative roles in organisations such as Vodafone Business and KGT Advisory Services. Over his career, he has focused heavily on client engagement, forming a clear picture of what true customer success looks like. He said: “Customer engagement is a critical part of any business. The primary goal is to form strong relationships and become trusted advisors. And as with any relationship, it’s a two-way street and it is our role to proactively advise them on ways they can improve their processes and formulate coherent road maps for their ongoing development. Cirrus has excelled in forming those all-important trusting relationships with its customers, so now it’s time to take it one step further – and I’m excited to be a part of it.” www.cirrusresponse.com Industry veteran to lead CONTACTCENTER4ALL CONTACTCENTER4ALL has hired Cees de Jong as its new CEO. He succeeds Marcel Reuvers, former CEO and CC4ALL co-founder, who moves on to the main board after overseeing a period of continued expansion and market success for the company. De Jong’s remit is to oversee the next phase of CC4ALL’s major growth as it expands internationally and introduces a range of next-generation solutions. He brings 20 years of successful leadership experience in the telecoms and wider IT market and has held various international management positions at Detron, Vancis and Atos, among others. He was previously a Senior Vice President of leading Dutch telco, KPN. “Strengthening and further expanding CC4ALL’s market position is a wonderful opportunity for me, and I am pleased to be part of such a dynamic and fast-growing company,” he said. “With the latest state-of-the-art software from CC4Teams, which is set to receive a major new release in H1 2022, the company has a strong portfolio for the future.” www.contactcenter4all.com Marion Brooks Cees de Jong Steve Miller
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