Technology Reseller v40

technologyreseller.co.uk 07 NEWS : DISTRIBUtoRS Global distributors are investing in digital transformation, circular economy practices and servitisation to combat a challenging business climate, claims Sage in a new report. Global distributors transform to adapt, sur vive and thrive , produced in partnership with IDG, reveals that almost 80% of distributors currently have a digital transformation strategy in place to improve customer service/experience (39%), implement cloud-based apps (37%) and improve e-commerce capabilities (36%). While nine out of 10 distributors have found implementing new technologies into their operations a challenge due to a lack of in-house expertise and high associated costs, most have already realised significant benefits from digitisation. These include cost reductions (45%), improved data security (45%), faster delivery (42%) and better customer service and experience (39%). Key enabling technologies include the cloud, with most distributors now running core business applications on the public cloud (42% describe themselves as early adopters of the cloud, with a further 22% claiming to be innovators), robotic process automation (RPA) used by 81%, and the Internet of Things (75%). In response to growing pressure from consumers and legislators for more sustainable business practices, 75% of distributors have adopted a circular economy strategy to reduce their carbon footprint (39%), address environmental concerns (38%), increase productivity, efficiency and resiliency (32%) and improve competitiveness (31%). Three quarters (74%) say they are finding it difficult to align profitability with sustainability goals, such as waste reduction and the operation of local supply chains to reduce mileage. Commenting on the report findings, Rob Sinfield, Sage VP Product, said: “Across the board, distributors are leveraging business cloud applications powered by AI and automation, the IoT and data analytics to improve their operations. They’re using this new and emerging infrastructure to drive efficiencies, build more agile supply chains and meet with customer demands to improve sustainability. It’s an interesting time for distributors as they embrace new models like the circular economy and servitisation to drive growth and remain competitive.” https://www.sage.com/en-gb/cp/ idgdistributionreport/#download Datto top scorer in RMM/PSA report Market analyst firm Canalys has identified Datto, a provider of cloud-based software and security solutions for MSPs, as a market leader in the provision of Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) and Professional Services Automation (PSA). In its first RMM/PSA Vendor Point of View (PoV) report comparing the offerings of 17 global RMM and PSA vendors, Datto emerged with the highest combined score and was ranked as one of four ‘strategic’ vendors. Datto RMM helps MSPs remotely secure, monitor and manage clients’ IT endpoints, while its Autotask PSA centralises business operations to provide a singular view of an MSP’s entire business. Integration between the two provides clear insight into an MSP’s managed estate, enabling it to mitigate issues before they impact customers, shave minutes off each ticket and unlock new business opportunities. Richard Randle, Chief Information Officer at MBSG, claims that the California- based MSP’s use of the Datto RMM and Autotask PSA has enabled it to slash the time taken to resolve many support tickets from 10-15 minutes to just 4-5 minutes. He said: “With Datto as our partner, we’re able to support more clients and the ensuing workload with the same staffing. That’s real dollars.” Going the distance Tech Data’s highest achieving Cisco partners may not know the way to San Jose, but they will be covering the distance nonetheless Every year, Tech Data flies the top- performing Cisco partners from its ACES community to San Jose for a special briefing session at the vendor’s HQ. As that has not been possible this year, it is running the Active ACES Challenge instead. In an attempt to bring together the ACES community and raise money for UK mental health charity MIND, it is asking Cisco partners and its own team to run, walk, cycle, swim, scoot, skate or skateboard a total of 10,252 miles – the distance between Tech Data’s UK HQ in Basingstoke and Cisco’s in San Jose – and to do it in just 101 days. That works out at just over 101 miles per day. Participants in the challenge, which ends on July 31, are being asked to donate to the charity via a JustGiving page at ActiveACES Team Page fundraising for Mind on JustGiving. Partner enablement Cloud marketplace Pax8 is enhancing partner support with the acquisition of Sea- Level Operations, a provider of coaching, peer group development programs, scorecard analytics and training to help IT service providers gain more clients, increase profit margins and improve operational efficiency. Pax8 UK CEO Robert Belgrave said: “Education and enablement are key to our partners as we help them capture more than $4.3 trillion in IT spending opportunities. The acquisition of Sea-Level Operations will give our partners access to world-class coaching, education and resources to help their businesses thrive. Pax8 is committed to investing in our partners, and this acquisition is a direct reflection of the enablement we provide.” www.pax8.com Digital transformation helps distributors survive in challenging environment Global distributors transform to adapt, survive and thrive Distributors are modernising to overcome a range of challenges Brought to you by Sage, research by CIO from IDG Research Report Partner of the Year Juniper Networks has named Nuvias Group its EMEA Distribution Partner of the Year in recognition of its help in launching Juniper’s Cloud MSP programme and driving adoption of Mist AI technologies within the wider framework of Juniper’s AI-Driven Enterprise focus. www.Nuvias.com Mike Leary, Cisco Security Business Development Manager at Tech Data, training for the Active ACES Challenge