Technology Reseller v32

01732 759725 10 NEWS : DISTRIBUTORS Exclusive Networks is empowering partners to make greater use of the cloud for business innovation and digital transformation and to expand virtualisation opportunities into the SME space with the launch of its new infrastructure-as-a-service offering. Providing an alternative to public cloud, the fully managed infrastructure allows partners to sell the benefits of resilient, scalable, secure, easy-to-use, pay-as- you-go enterprise cloud with no upfront investment and with none of the uncertainty of the variable pricing levied by public cloud providers. Exclusive Networks IaaS has been designed for simple onboarding so that partners can rapidly establish a platform for cross-selling and upselling of related services. Ordering and provisioning is done via a partner portal that provides visibility of all services, each of which is available on a white-label basis. Because Exclusive Networks IaaS is based on Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), it also enables greater platform flexibility for bespoke requirements and represents a consumption-based alternative to HCI procurement, which is highly attractive to SMEs. Graham Jones, Regional Director, UK&I at Exclusive Networks, said: “Customer organisations were already being drawn to cloud-based IT platforms and services, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated that trend significantly. Our IaaS proposition equips partners to address the agility and scale their customers need to respond to changing demands. SMEs especially lack the skills to navigate the complexity of public cloud services and have zero appetite for their unpredictable volume- based costs. Public cloud also provides limited commercial incentive for partners. IaaS is different, providing simple access to a powerful platform on a fixed cost basis, delivering far higher margins and great opportunities to expand the cloud journey.” Exclusive Networks plans to unveil a complete partner programme around IaaS, with training, support and enablement including out-of-the-box marketing resources. www.exclusive-networks.com/uk/ Infrastructure-as-a-service brings new opportunities for Exclusive Networks partners New joiners offered half price SynMSP membership Channel services group SYNAXON UK has introduced an updated framework for its SynMSP membership with the aim of encouraging more managed services providers (MSPs) to join its ranks. New joiners will benefit from an extended series of community events, tools and learning resources, which they can use to develop their competence and capabilities; a series of webinars and workshops with peers and experts; direct access to vendor programmes; opportunities to create new revenue streams, including competitive pricing and purchasing support through SYNAXON UK; personalised account management, marketing and support; and half price membership for 12 months, representing an annual saving of £900. Mike Barron, Managing Director of SYNAXON UK, said: “The SynMSP programme is all about shaping and nurturing a collaborative community of engaged MSPs who will work together to develop themselves and advance their businesses.” The original SynMSP programme was launched at the start of last year and currently has 80 members. https://synaxon.co.uk/reseller-services/ syn-msp Growing interest in SIEM Tech Data reports that its Security Practice has seen growing interest in LogPoint’s security information and event management (SIEM) solutions as security- focused MSPs mobilise to meet the changing needs of customers that have had to become more agile and dynamic to cope with COVID-19. These include a growing requirement to bring all security solutions under one unified, coherent managed service. Tech Data’s Security Practice has been working with a number of MSPs to assist them in integrating SIEM solutions into their proposition and developing the skills needed to deliver SIEM’s benefits to customers. SIEM also brings significant new business opportunities from the sale of related security solutions and technologies, such as compliance and business analytics. Alison Nixon, Tech Data’s Business Unit Director – Security, UK, said: “With the trend towards adopting modern workplace best practice, including remote working, there is a real need to bring data from different systems together and to identify patterns of behaviour or signs of compromise and attack. Tech Data’s Security Practice has been supporting partners in meeting that requirement with expertise, enablement, training and support services on SIEM that allows our partners to improve the cybersecurity and compliance postures of their customers and build a high-value proposition, around which they can wrap value-added and managed security services.” LogPoint SIEM detects cyberthreats anywhere in the network in real time; provides a centralised view of the state of cybersecurity; and delivers advanced analytics and threat-hunting capabilities to cybersecurity teams. With a licensing model based on nodes rather than data volume, MSPs can deploy a multi-tenanted model for SIEM at a predictable cost. Licenses can be flexed up or down quarterly, across an MSP’s entire customer base or for individual customers, with the MSP taking full control from the centre. www.techdata.com Bouncing back Darren Lewitt, former director of Midwich, is encouraging people to bounce back from coronavirus with a new initiative called #BounceBackWithDarren. As part of the initiative, Lewitt will be providing free electronic copies of his new book Dream, Create, Believe, Achieve to anyone who requests it by emailing info@ darrenlewitt.com . He will also be hosting free weekly advice clinics on social media and providing advice to those with specific business challenges caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Lewitt joined Midwich in 1991 and over the next 24 years helped increase annual revenue at the AV distributor from £10 million to £370 million, before selling his one third share of the company. darrenlewitt.com Mike Barron Alison Nixon