v50 · 2022 www.technologyreseller.co.uk THE MAGAZINE & ONLINE CHANNEL RESOURCE FOR MSPS, IT RESELLERS & IT SUPPORT PROVIDERS PAGE 40 Q&A DISTRIBUTION EVENTS PAGE 40 PAGE 17 With Stuart Sykes, Managing Director of Sharp Business Systems UK Exertis turns Hamleys basement into 3,000 sq ft interactive gaming space Tech Live 2022 returns on September 13, in partnership with Mobile News Xpo Hybrid means change; hybrid means opportunity Turn to page 30 to find out how smart, flexible finance can enable your customers to adapt 10905 Tech Reseller Takeover_May 2022_COVER_03.indd 1 08/06/2022 11:50
2 0 2 2 At each event there will be a prize for Overall Highest Score for the Day, Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin. At the final event the top 6 players from the first three rounds will play for Overall Golfer of the Year 2022. All other players will still be able to play for Overall Highest Score for the Day, Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin. The PrintIT Reseller and Technology Reseller Golf Society is open to everyone; Resellers, Dealers, VARs, System Integrators and Vendors – the maximum number of players being 72 at each event. The top two players from each of the first three events will play to become the Overall Golfer of the Year 2022 at the final event taking place at the Warwickshire. The Golf Society is open to everyone no matter what your handicap is... so don’t be shy. Come and join us. & The four events for this year... The First round took place at Belton Woods Golf Resort on the 12th May. The Third round will take place at Wyboston Lakes Resort on the 14th July. The Second round took place at The Welcombe Golf Resort on the 9th June. The Final round will be played at the Warwickshire on the Kings Course on the 22nd September. The is cost per event is £99 per player or £396 per four ball + VAT. SPONSORSHIP If you would like to discuss the opportunities available, please call Martin on 01732 759725 or Paul on 07887 944433, email [email protected] If you would like to join us at any of the events please email [email protected] or call Paul on 07887 944433 PLAYED PLAYED
technologyreseller.co.uk If you no longer wish to receive Technology Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] COMMENT 03 There’s a clear theme running through many of the features in this month’s issue – the benefits of having a diversified product offering. On page 16, Tim Griffin, Managing Director of DCC Technology, highlights diversity within the product/ services offering of both DCC Group and the DCC Technology division as a contributory factor to the Group’s strong performance in challenging circumstances. On page 44, we profile Network Communications Group, which in its 35th anniversary year is continuing to move into new business areas, extending practices it has developed in the comms world to the IT and CCTV sectors with impressive results. On page 46, Stuart Sykes, MD of Sharp UK, says he has noticed a new appetite for diversification since the pandemic, as existing and new Sharp partners look to build more resilience into their businesses. Diversification is also the rationale for Tech Live 2022, which returns to the Business Design Centre, London on September 13, bringing together dozens of suppliers from across the ICT industry eager to expand their routes to market and engage with resellers/MSPs interested in strengthening their own offerings with complementary technologies and services. This year, we are partnering with Mobile News Xpo, giving the Technology Reseller community a not-to-be-missed chance to make connections and explore opportunities with leading suppliers from the mobile communications sector. For exhibitors, Tech Live 2022 is a timely opportunity to meet up with existing or prospective channel partners eager for face to face contact after years of virtual meetings. When Technology Reseller spoke to Juan Lyall, Country Manager of Centreon, for our feature on page 32, he had recently returned from the AWS Summit in London where he had been ‘overwhelmed and amazed’ by the enthusiasm of visitors and the appetite for conversation, which he said was very different to his experience at trade shows before the pandemic. By exhibiting at Tech Live 2022, vendors and suppliers can take advantage of a rare purple patch when people’s strong desire to meet up with peers from the ICT industry is matched by a clear business need to diversity their business to build resilience and tap new sources of revenue. You can find out more about Tech Live 2022 on pages 40 and 41 and at technologylive.co.uk. James Goulding – Editor, [email protected] Technology Reseller is published by Kingswood Media Ltd., 10 Amherst House, 22 London Road, Sevenoaks TN13 2BT • Tel: 01732 759725 Email: [email protected] www.technologyreseller.co.uk No part of Technology Reseller can be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. © 2022 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk 04 What’s New A round-up of the month’s best new products and services 06 Distributor News Westcon-Comstor supports move to subscription model with new payment service 08 Working Together This month’s new distribution agreements 12 Reseller News Demand for cloud services drives managed services growth 16 Distribution Exertis results highlight benefits of diversification 17 Retail Hamleys basement converted into gaming zone 22 Computing Panasonic launches the ultimate Toughbook 25 Cybersecurity Why it’s time for a new approach 28 Cybersecurity Arctic Wolf in EMEA, one year on 32 IT Monitoring Too good an opportunity to miss? 36 I couldn’t do my job without… Kevin O’Brien, CFO of Union Street Technologies, lists his top productivity picks 38 MSPs The Modern Workplace drives growth at Everything Tech 40 Exhibitions Tech Live 22 returns to the Business Design Centre in partnership with Mobile News Xpo 44 Profile Network Communications Group celebrates 35 years in business 46 Q&A With Stuart Sykes, Managing Director of Sharp UK 49 People New faces, new places v50 · 2022 technologyreseller.co.uk Comment Register online To receive your regular FREE printed copy of Technology Reseller Magazine simply fill in our online registration form at www.technologyreseller.uk/register Read Technology Reseller online, on tablets and smart phones www.technologyreseller.uk Join us : Follow us @techreselleruk www.facebook.com/TechnologyResellerMag technology-reseller-magazine Editor: James Goulding 07803 087228 · [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] or [email protected] Art Director: Nick Pledge 07767 615983 · [email protected] Advertising Executive: James Trim 01732 759725 · [email protected] ISSN 2632-9301 (Print) ISSN 2632-931X (Online) The essential show for IT and mobile resellers and providers Business Design Centre · London · 13 September 2022 22 In partnership with
The Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse for Business, a new addition to Logitech’s Ergo Series, has been specially designed for people with small to mediumsized hands. Available in right- and left-handed versions, it features a 57-degree vertical design that takes pressure off the wrist; a contoured shape and soft rubber grip for all-day comfort; and wireless connectivity via Bluetooth Low Energy or Logi Bolt — Logitech’s secure, proprietary protocol based on Bluetooth Low Energy. The £69.99 carbon-neutral mouse is made with varying amounts of post-consumer recycled plastic (54% or 70%) depending on the colour chosen (rose, off-white or graphite). Logitech.com/workdesk 01732 759725 04 INNOVATIONS What’s New Unwanted legacy N-able, a provider of solutions for IT service providers, is modernising business-class backup and disaster recovery with the launch of a cloud-first data protection-asa-service (DPaaS) solution. Built from the ground up with a cloud-first architecture, Cove Data Protection frees MSPs and their customers from reliance on clunky, inefficient hardware and eliminates the complexity and inefficiencies of legacy data protection. Key features include an appliance-free, direct-to-cloud approach; data protection for servers, workstations and Microsoft 365 data, all managed from a single pane of glass; the ability to back up as often as every 15 minutes, moving up to 60 times less data than local-first backups; a standby virtual server image in the partner’s location of choice for fast and flexible restore options; and fully managed cloud storage, with 30 data centres to keep backups in region. Chris Groot, General Manager, Cove Data Protection at N-able, said: “The unique approach of the Cove offering, true cloud-first data protection as-a-service, delivers a premium service at a lower cost of ownership for our partners, along with full business-class disaster recovery.” n-able.com Give yourself a lift Live ESG scores 360 Law Group has launched a framework that enables any organisation to measure its ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) performance. Based on confidential questionnaires completed by employees, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders, the ESG Barometer scores an organisation’s performance and identifies areas of concern, updating both elements as survey responses are completed. Robert Taylor, CEO and General Counsel of 360 Law Group, said: “Sustainability is all too often an ambiguous or subjective term based on self-reporting. We have developed an accessible tool that delivers an effective and objective ESG framework against which organisations can be held accountable.” The first 20 surveys are free; prices for the next 20 start at £100 (ex VAT). https://www.360esg.uk Versatile laptop Dynabook has extended its Satellite Pro C40 range of budget-conscious business laptops with a new 14in model featuring AMD Ryzen 5 and 7 series processors with Radeon Graphics. A combination of AMD Ryzen processors, up to 32GB of DDR4 memory in two configurable slots, SSD storage options of up to 512GB and an 11.5-hour battery life helps the Satellite Pro C40D-B deliver outstanding performance at an entry-level price. Throw in its slimline design, low weight of 1.52kg and anti-bacterial coating and it is easy to see why Dynabook is positioning this as a versatile device for use in the office, at home or on the move. https://uk.dynabook.com/laptops/ satellite-pro/ Flexible friends Visa is offering business card holders access to discounted IT support services from NerdApp, the on-demand IT support platform that connects businesses with local IT technicians. A new partnership between the two companies will give users of Visa Premium and Classic Business Cards in the UK, Ireland, DACH and the Netherlands instant online access to verified IT support technicians and the ability to schedule on-site visits, paid for on an ad-hoc basis, prepaid or on a 12-month subscription. NerdApp CEO Kelvin Wetherill said: “This partnership will enable us to reach even more businesses and help them tailor their IT support to their individual needs and budgets.” Nerdapp.com Desk booking Evoko has added a desk booking solution to its range of smart workplace products. Accessed via an app or a dedicated hardware device, Kleeo makes the desk booking experience effortless for users, while providing employers with anonymised data on space utilisation. The device itself features a built-in presence sensor and four light colours showing a desk’s status. meetevoko.com Kelvin Wetherill Robert Taylor
technologyreseller.co.uk 05 INNOVATIONS Communicate like a pro Kensington is introducing an ecosystem of software and accessories that enables users to optimise how they appear on camera when in the office, at home or on the road. In addition to Kensington Konnect video conferencing software, which allows users to customise webcam configurations for different environments, apply different video effects (e.g. black and white, cool or warm) and adjust display settings, the Kensington Professional Video Conferencing series includes a variety of plug-and-play accessories, such as high-resolution auto-focus webcams with omni-directional microphones, a ring light and mounting systems for microphones, webcams and lighting. www.kensington.com/en-gb/ Music to your ears The plug and play Poly Sync 10 USBpowered, portable speakerphone converts any home office into a personal conference room. Compatible with all major collaboration applications (and certified by Microsoft and Zoom), the all-in-one unit features a two-microphone steerable array that focuses attention on the speaker’s voice and a Hi-Fi quality speaker and power amplifier that doubles as a music speaker. Other standout features include touch-sensitive controls with clear LED indicators for controlling calls, IP64 dust and waterproof resistance to prevent damage from spilt water or coffee and USB-A and USB-C connectors. https://www.poly.com/us/en/ products/phones/sync/sync-10 Hub and speak New from MAXHUB, the in-house brand of interactive flat panel display manufacturer CVTE, the UC S10 Pro communications hub is designed to overcome many of the pain points associated with virtual meetings and collaboration. Features include one-click wireless screen-sharing of up to four screens; HDMI 2.0 4K camera output; intelligent face recognition, a 120° field of view and auto-framing to ensure visibility of all meeting participants; crisp audio with built-in noise reduction, echo cancellation and voice pickup over 8 metres; and an 8W speakerphone. https://maxhub.com/en/ucs10-pro Cloud-first devices HP is launching half a dozen new devices designed for cloud-first computing, including HP Elite Chromebooks and peripherals, HP thin clients (desktop and mobile) and updates to the HP Thin Client OS and HP Cloud Endpoint Manager, which gives IT teams a better way to manage growing fleets of HP thin clients. The new solutions meet growing demand for purpose-built cloud endpoints which, combined with virtualised desktops and applications, provide hybrid workers in mission-critical roles with resilience, performance and security. New models include the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook Enterprise, HP Elite c645 G2 Chromebook Enterprise, the HP Elite c640 G3 Chromebook Enterprise, HP Elite t655 Thin Client, HP Elite mt645 G7 Mobile Thin Client and HP Pro mt440 G4 Mobile Thin Client. www.hp.com In your own time NEC has expanded its UNIVERGE BLUE portfolio of cloud-based services with the launch of a virtual event service, UNIVERGE BLUE MEET WEBINAR, and a new connector that enables users of on-premises NEC phone systems to take advantage of cloud-based services, such as video conferencing, calling, team chat and file sharing, while maintaining their existing infrastructure. UNIVERGE BLUE CONNECT BRIDGE adds cloudbased functionality to existing NEC phone systems via desktop and mobile apps, enabling customers to migrate to the cloud at their own pace, adding the tools hybrid workers need to communicate and collaborate while keeping their existing phone system and phone numbers. When a business is ready to move fully to cloud-based UC, it can do so with zero downtime and no interruptions. UNIVERGE BLUE MEET WEBINAR provides a complete set of webinar tools and capabilities, including integrations, analytics, polling and customisation, with easy joining from any device. www.univergeblue.com Built for speed Brother has launched a new range of A4 desktop scanners fully compatible with Kofax software for converting scanned pages into searchable and editable text/ PDFs. Built for high volume applications where speed and accuracy are vital (e.g. healthcare, retail and legal), the five-strong ADS4 range has scan speeds of up to 60 pages per minute, the ability to scan up to 100 sheets at a time and a daily duty cycle of up to 9,000 pages (up from 5,000 on the previous range). Other features include USB 3.0 and Ethernet connectivity, a touchscreen display, ultrasonic multi-feed detection and adaptive TWAIN print drivers. Three of the models are compatible with Barcode Utility software, which allows barcoded documents to be scanned and routed automatically to secure folders. www.brother.co.uk/desktop-scanners
01732 759725 06 NEWS : Distributors Westcon-Comstor eases move to subscription model with new payment service Westcon-Comstor is supporting the transition from traditional resale models to subscription-based offerings with the launch of a new payment service that enables vendors and partners to offer more solutions on a subscription basis. The Flex (Flexible Payment Solutions) payment service provides a range of flexible payment solutions, contracted and invoiced directly by Westcon-Comstor, that are designed to alleviate pressure on partners’ working capital and cashflow and help them achieve long-term success in the growing as-a-service world. Callum McGregor, CFO of WestconComstor, said: “We’ve designed Flex to best serve both vendors and partners. With Flex, partners unlock greater vendor discounts by increasing the deal size and maximising the value they get for their budget early on. Because we don’t use third party billing providers, partners deal with us in the exact same way they would with any ‘standard’ purchase. Plus, they can match payments in with payments out, so the customer gets exactly what they want, how they want it, without impacting the partner or vendor’s cash flow.” He added: “With over 90% of tech companies now embracing consumption business models, according to EY, Flex will help all our channel partners and vendors take full advantage of subscription models and capitalise on the direction in which the industry is headed.” www.westconcomstor.com/ flexiblepayments Mike Barron Ingram Micro Cloud expands Marketplace offering Ingram Micro Cloud is continuing to expand its Marketplace with the addition of new solutions available via subscriptionbased licensing, including hands-on learning solutions from Pluralsight and threat prevention, detection and response solutions from Bitdefender. The Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace is an automated, end-to-end e-commerce platform that enables resellers to provision services within minutes, purchase preset bundles to increase their profit margin and streamline back-office operations with consolidated control, while also leveraging the automated Go-to-Market Hub to customise marketing and sales collateral. The addition of the full suite of Pluralsight strategic skills development tools and planning and consulting services, including certification courses, hands-on labs and sandboxes, will enable Ingram Micro’s network of ISVs, VARs and MSPs to acquire the cloud skills needed to deliver every type of cloud initiative for their customers, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Cybersecurity, while also giving them the opportunity to deliver certified Pluralsight services to their customers. John Dusett, Executive Director of Cloud Services at Ingram Micro Cloud, said: “We are thrilled to offer the full portfolio of Pluralsight solutions through the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace. As a customer of Pluralsight Skills, Ingram Micro Cloud has seen the benefits of investing in upskilling our teams in the technologies they need to help build better solutions. With this new relationship, our channel partners can implement strategic skill development plans and help their teams build the skills needed to get the most out of their cloud investments.” Ingram Micro Cloud has also extended the availability of Bitdefender threat prevention, detection and response solutions to the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace in the UK, Australia and New Zealand as well as North America. Bitdefender’s advanced cybersecurity products and services, including unified endpoint protection and analytics, cloud security, advanced threats security, extended detection and response (XDR) and built-in threat intelligence, help protect MSPs and their customers from malware, while the Bitdefender GravityZone unified cybersecurity platform gives MSP partners remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools to protect customers, streamline tasks and automate security processes via a single console. Ingram Micro also plans to offer the Bitdefender managed detection and response (MDR) service to MSP partners, delivering 24x7security monitoring, threat detection and remediation, attack prevention and proactive threat hunting led by a team of advanced security practitioners. www.ingrammicrocloud.com EGIS enhanced with cloud ERP integration SYNAXON UK is giving MSP, reseller and retailer partners a simple and affordable way to automate and streamline their everyday business processes by fully integrating the Teemex Cloud ERP solution with the SYNAXON EGIS stock, pricing and ordering aggregation platform. SYNAXON UK Managing Director Mike Barron said: “Teemex is perfect for small and medium businesses and webstores that need to be agile and efficient, deliver a great customer experience and keep their costs down. It brings all day-to-day operations together in one place under a single dashboard view, and it can be used remotely on any device from anywhere. It’s a perfect fit for MSPs and hybrid working and will put smaller partners on a level playing field with their bigger competitors.” A fully managed solution hosted on AWS, with fixed cost monthly charges and no hidden fees, Teemex Cloud ERP covers all business functions, including customer portal, CRM, sales, warehousing, purchasing, inventory, finance, delivery, web shop and integration with Microsoft Outlook 365. https://synaxon-services.com/ Exertis partners invited to boost online sales with in-ad technology Exertis is inviting its customer base of more than 700 technology brands and 13,000 resellers/retailers/e-tailers to boost their online sales and improve the customer experience with transactional advertising technology from Playrcart. Playrcart’s patent-pending in-ad technology enables end user customers to purchase products and services directly from rich media (e.g. video, gifs, banner ads) and live streams and reduces the online buyer journey down to as few as four clicks to checkout, increasing the sales conversion rate by an average of 12%. Exertis Director of Sales for New Business Darren Matthews points out that the combination of Playrcart technology and Exertis’ expertise in distribution will help technology vendors/resellers/retailers increase conversion rates at a time of rising online sales. He said: “With the increase of purchases made by consumers using social media platforms, our collaboration with Playrcart is a perfect fit and enables our brands to maximise their marketing spend – not only for brand and product exposure, but now they can see an ROI on actual sales.” Playrcart Founder Glen Dormieux added: “With Exertis’ fulfilment capabilities and our transactional advertising technology, brands can efficiently maximise revenue and significantly improve the online customer checkout journey.” www.exertis.co.uk • www.playrcart.com
technologyreseller.co.uk 07 NEWS : Distributors Matt Child Ian Turner Platinum and Gold for UK disties IP telecoms manufacturer Snom has marked a record sales year with awards for 14 of its best performing distributors. These include Platinum and Gold awards for ProVu Communications and Electronic Frontier in the UK where Snom increased turnover by 39%. www.snom.com Arrow explores new mobility solutions Arrow Electronics has launched a new edge computing initiative in collaboration with 28-year-old wheelchair tennis player Dani Caverzaschi to improve the lives of wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. Caverzaschi, who was born missing most of his right leg and with malformations on his left one, plays on the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Wheelchair Tennis Tour and is a member of the Spanish national team that finished second in the World Cup in Vilamoura, Portugal in May. As part of the Data Analytics & Network Innovation (DANI) Project, Arrow and Dani are collaborating on two technology solutions that use hardware and software, cloud architecture and analytics to meet the needs of people with limited mobility. They are: WheelWay, a city navigation system that combines ‘live’ data from Smart GPS and public open cloud services to provide ‘real time,’ mobility-friendly routing information so that wheelchair users can plan journeys and explore cities with confidence; and DataRally, which, through a combination of sensors, a wearable device and app, gives professional wheelchair athletes live, real-time data that they can use to identify areas for improvement. In Caverzaschi’s case, sensors on his wheelchair and tennis racquet can be used to measure speed, acceleration, distance covered, impacts, number of turns, heart rate, service speed, ball placement on the racquet and more. www.arrow.com/en/fiveyearsout/ stories/dani Women in Tech Data Award winners Jade Whymark, Cisco Sales General Manager at Tech Data, has been named Woman of the Year in the second annual Women in Tech Data Awards organised by Tech Data UK & Ireland’s Elevate business resource group to empower women through career development, education and networking. Other 2022 award winners include: n Newcomer of the Year – Helena Scott, HR Business Partner n Unsung Hero – Melinda Goodall, Software Operations Manager n Manager of the Year – Annette Cunningham, Field Sales Director – Major Accounts n Role Model of the Year – Megan Mather, Technical Presales Consultant n Ally of the Year – Scott Mavero, HP Business Development Executive, Print & Supplies (presented to someone who has supported female colleagues). There were also two Highly Commended awards for Dave Skinner, Sales Manager, Advanced Solutions, and Sandie Jackson, Apprentice Programme Manager. Winners were selected from more than 100 nominations by an external panel of judges, comprising Louise Matthews, Marketing Director, VMware; Graeme Watt, CEO, Softcat; Julia Bishop, Device Marketing Lead, Microsoft; and Julie Simpson, CEO, ResouceiT Consulting. https://uk.techdata.com/ Dynamics 365 made quick and easy Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX company is enhancing the support it provides to Microsoft cloud partners with the launch of an ‘out of the box’ version of Dynamics 365. Dynamics GO, created by specialist provider Dynamiti, can be up and running in as little at 60 minutes, providing partners with a quick and easy way to enter the fast growing market for Dynamics 365, without having to recruit specialist staff or develop their own expertise. Ian Turner, Microsoft Dynamics 365 lead at Tech Data UK, believes the offering will be particularly appealing to Microsoft partners that want to build on an existing Modern Workplace business. He said: “This is a big opportunity. Customer experience and customer satisfaction is everything now. The CRM market is going to be worth more than $80 billion by 2025* and with Dynamics GO, partners can deploy Dynamics 365 almost instantly and thus add value, increase revenues and attract new customers.” Partners that want to develop their Dynamics 365 practice further can access a variety of online enablement and training resources from Tech Data to bring sales teams up to the required standard of competency in selling complete Microsoft Modern Workplace solutions that deliver all the benefits of Office 365, Dynamics 365 and associated security and endpoint management offerings. https://uk.techdata.com/ * Grand View Research Tech Data named Lenovo EMEA Distributor of the Year Lenovo has named Tech Data its EMEA Distributor of the Year 2022 in recognition of the investments it has made to support the growth of Lenovo and its partners across the region. The distributor also won the Lenovo 360 Distributor of the Year award for the UK and Ireland in recognition of its success in driving incremental revenue growth and a substantial increase in the number of net new partners engaging with Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and the wider Lenovo portfolio. Tech Data is the only distributor that can bring together all solutions from Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions Group (servers), Intelligent Device Group (notebooks and PCs), and Mobile Business Group (Motorola). Matt Child, Managing Director of Advanced Solutions, UK and Ireland at Tech Data, said: “We have made a strong commitment to driving Lenovo business in the UK and Ireland, putting dedicated resources in place and supporting Lenovo’s ambition to become the vendor of choice for infrastructure solutions.” Partners who engage with Tech Data on Lenovo gain access to dedicated resources, including bid support, training, early access to advanced information and special promotions. www.TDSYNNEX.com Nuvias accolade Nuvias Group has been named the Juniper Networks EMEA Distribution Partner of the Year for the second year in a row. Gordon Mackintosh, Vice President of Global Channels & Virtual Sales at Juniper Networks, said: “Nuvias innovated and put big wins on the board during another pivotal year of business transformation across Europe.” www.Nuvias.com
01732 759725 08 WORKING TOGETHER ExtraHop, a leader in cloud-native network detection and response (NDR), is building on a 2020 partnership agreement with IT security distributor Exclusive Networks with the announcement of a new pan-European distribution agreement that extends distribution of Extrahop’s entire product portfolio to 14 European territories. This includes the introduction of an appliance hub to streamline distribution into European markets. Sandra Hilt, Senior Director of Channel Sales EMEA at ExtraHop, said: “Exclusive Networks has been instrumental in delivering ExtraHop’s world-class NDR solutions to European partners. Our new pan-EMEA agreement supercharges this ability to meet demand, removing any potential silos and barriers to seamless global distribution.” Exclusive will continue to help onboard new partners into the ExtraHop Panorama Partner Program and support accreditation training that offers partner sales engineers a deeper technical view of the Reveal(x) cyber defence NDR platform solution. This applies cloud-scale AI to petabytes of traffic per day to help organisations detect and respond to advanced threats, performing line-rate decryption and behavioural analysis across all infrastructure, workloads and data-in-flight. www.exclusive-networks.com CyCognito, a leader in the External Attack Surface Management (EASM) market, has appointed Infinigate Group as European distributor to extend its reach across Europe and build awareness of its attack surface management and protection solution. This security platform automates the discovery, classification and assessment of an organisation’s entire IT ecosystem, testing and prioritising what needs to be fixed first and automatically validating remediation. As EMEA distributor Infinigate will provide full support for CyCognito, from proactive lead generation to pre-and post-sales support. Klaus Schlichtherle, CEO of Infinigate Group, said: “We’re committed to working with innovators that are offering something truly groundbreaking which will add real value to our partners’ solution stack. With CyCognito we have just that. They’re not only one of the most exciting new companies in the market, but their team is fully aligned with our own in aiming to deliver something which truly disrupts the market.” www.infinigate.com CMS Distribution has added Rotolight LED lighting solutions to its photography portfolio. Founded in 2009, Rotolight designs and manufactures LED lighting products for the motion picture and photographic industries. Equipment from the British, family-owned business has been used on several major motion picture productions including Sky Fall and Star Trek Beyond. In the past 24 months, Rotolight has won over 15 international awards for its product line including the Rotolight NEO 3, which was named ‘Lighting Product of the Year’ at the Amateur Photographer Awards and ‘Best On-Camera Flash’ at the Photography News Awards 2022. Rod Aaron Gammons, CEO and Co-Founder of Rotolight, said: “We are delighted to be working with CMS Distribution, a leading distributor of premium technology brands, to significantly expand Rotolight’s presence across the UK & Ireland into major retailers. With the launch of our awardwinning NEO 3 and AEOS 2 lights for photographers, vloggers and filmmakers, Rotolight is now very well positioned with CMS Distribution to expand its customer base and looks forward to a long-term successful relationship.” www.cmsdistribution.com Armis, a provider of a unified cybersecurity asset management, risk management and automated enforcement platform, is moving from a direct to a two-tier distribution model with the appointment of Nuvias Group as its sole distribution partner for the UK and DACH markets. The agreement gives Nuvias partners access to the entire Armis portfolio of AI-driven asset visibility and Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity solutions designed to secure fast expanding networks of connected devices including IT, cloud, IoT devices, medical devices, operational technology, industrial control systems and 5G. Nuvias says digital transformation and the adoption of hybrid cloud and edge computing represents a significant growth opportunity for Armis solutions, particularly in the public sector, utilities, healthcare and transport. www.Nuvias.com TD SYNNEX, the global IT distributor and solutions aggregator formed through the merger of Tech Data and SYNNEX, has added the complete portfolio of Google Cloud solutions to its cloud solutions offering, creating opportunities for channel partners to accelerate customers’ transition to cloud infrastructure. Reza Honarmand, Senior Vice President of Global Cloud HyperScalers at TD SYNNEX, said: “The addition of Google Cloud products and solutions enhances the TD SYNNEX Cloud stack and provides greater access to Google Cloud’s capabilities in AI, ML, data analytics, infrastructure, collaboration and more. This latest offering will solidify TD SYNNEX as a leading value distributor in this area, and the foundations laid in the US, Canada, UK and France will position TD SYNNEX as the hybrid, multi-cloud partner of choice as we expand our global reach.” https://www.techdata.com/content/ tdcloud/google-workspace.html Barco is extending its distribution partnership with Exertis to the UK, as it seeks to develop new routes to market for its full range of ClickShare collaboration and conferencing products. Jamie Brothwell, Director of Pro AV at Exertis UK, said: “We are delighted to expand our global partnership with Barco into the UK at what is an exciting time for Exertis Pro AV. Through the recent global pandemic, collaborative technology became the fourth emergency service and changed the workplace as we knew it forever. We believe we are well placed to support the incremental growth of Barco’s awardwinning ClickShare range to both new and existing customers, given our expertise within the IT and Enterprise channels, our unique credit offering and our 24/7 services and solutions team.” Working together This month’s round-up of new distribution agreements Jamie Brothwell, Exertis uK Continued...
WORKING TOGETHER technologyreseller.co.uk 09 Ad DWS SOGEA: CONNECTIVITY TO TRANSFORM BUSINESSES Take advantage of the all-IP transition opportunity by selling SOGEA and preparing your customers for the biggest change to communications in over 30 years CONTACT US TODAY t. 0330 100 1233 | e. [email protected] digitalwholesalesolutions.com Connectivity | Mobile | Voice | IP Communications Software Marketplace | Product Supply SOGEA – the Single Order Broadband Solution Available to over 28 million UK premises Bandwidth options from 0.5Mbps to 1Gbps at competitive price points Simple to sell, deploy and support with flexible terms Biggest trending Broadband product in 2021
01732 759725 WORKING TOGETHER 10 Ivanti, provider of the Ivanti Neurons automation platform, which discovers, manages, secures and services all endpoints and IT assets from cloud to edge, has appointed Infinigate Group as its European distributor. Klaus Schlichtherle, CEO of Infinigate Group, said: “We’re extremely proud to be the chosen value-added distributor for Ivanti’s cybersecurity solutions in Europe. Our key focus will be to develop and build a strong and focused Ivanti team, creating a strong sales force with capacity to train and enable our channel partners to proactively drive new business opportunities in the region, extending Ivanti’s reach across Europe and building its market presence in the region.” Ivanti recently expanded its capabilities in the unified endpoint management, cybersecurity and enterprise service management markets with the acquisitions of cybersecurity vendors MobileIron, Pulse Secure and RiskSense. Cloud commerce marketplace Pax8 has expanded its offering with cloud-based network monitoring software for MSPs from Domotz. Domotz is Pax8’s first network monitoring and management vendor to provide MSPs with all the features and integrations they need to securely monitor and manage multiple network-based systems. Alerts, network performance measurements, soft/hardrebooting of devices, configuration backup & management of network infrastructure, friendly SNMP monitoring, and advanced dashboards are all possible in an easy-toconfigure and easy-to-use platform. Ryan Walsh, Chief Operating Officer at Pax8, said: “With Domotz, we are enabling partners with an unparalleled network monitoring and management solution and the ability to integrate and consolidate billing across their preferred Professional Services Automation (PSA) tool through the Pax8 platform.” Silvio Di Crosta, Chief Executive Officer at Domotz, said: “The partnership with Pax8 pairs our technology with the power of Pax8’s technology and integrations into PSAs for ease of use, billing and provisioning. MSPs are seeking more automation in their businesses and an easy way to monitor and manage their customers’ networks while maintaining a high level of efficiency. We believe this partnership offers incredible value to MSPs, and we are excited to enable Pax8’s ecosystem of partners.” www.pax8.com CMS Distribution has entered an exclusive partnership to start selling the Morphisec suite of prevention-first cybersecurity products and services in Europe. Augmenting rather than replacing customers’ existing cybersecurity solutions, Morphisec gives IT and security professionals peace of mind by stopping ransomware, fileless malware and other advanced attacks from endpoint to the cloud – attacks it claims today’s next generation antivirus (NGAV) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions do not stop. Morphisec protects nearly nine million endpoints worldwide, stopping up to 30,000 ransomware, zero-day attacks and other evasive attacks at companies such as Motorola, Maersk, Citizens Medical Center and Yaskawa. Nick Bailey, Alliance Director at CMS Distribution, said: “The ability to offer what we see as game-changing technology to the channel at healthy margins for our value-added resellers is an opportunity not to be missed. Morphisec brings a different approach to endpoint protection with its ‘breach prevention made easy’ solutions. Their ‘defence in depth’ architecture means resellers can offer customers this great prevention solution operating seamlessly with existing layers they already paid for.” Datech Solutions, the Autodesk-focused business of Tech Data, has signed an agreement with Esri, a global leader in location intelligence, that allows for the distribution of a joint offering from Autodesk and Esri to support building information modeling (BIM) and geographic information system (GIS) cloud collaboration throughout EMEA. Part of a wider Datech plan to provide select add-on solutions that enable partners to add more value and thus drive increased loyalty and customer satisfaction, the joint offering couples ArcGIS GeoBIM technology from Esri with Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro. Maverick AV Solutions, a specialist division of Tech Data, has strengthened its smart meeting room offering across Europe with the addition of audio and microphone solutions from Sennheiser. These include the newly announced TeamConnect Intelligent Speaker (TC ISP) for Microsoft Teams Rooms, featuring advanced voice recognition to differentiate between voices and automatically transcribe meetings, send notifications of tasks and invite participants to follow up meetings; and the bestselling TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone array (TCC2) for medium-sized to large meeting rooms for around 14 to 16 participants, equivalent to an area of between 50 and 60 square metres. Bart Stam, distribution manager EMEA for Sennheiser, said: “By adding Maverick AV solutions as a distribution partner to our existing sales channels, we are convinced that our business communication products will find their way better to IT resellers and integrators. This exciting collaboration will enable even more customers to experience Sennheiser’s advanced audio technology products. The TC ISP and TCC2 products are intuitive, agnostic and audibly better while offering true problem-solving capabilities for lecture spaces and meeting rooms.” Following a successful relationship in North America, Exertis and video solution provider Vimeo are extending their partnership to cover the whole of Europe. The Vimeo Enterprise platform provides a range of functional and security solutions for video and content management, including the ability to live stream for internal events and communications, webinars and video monetisation and share and distribute video content in a closed group or to a wider audience. Vimeo licence holders benefit from security features, the ability to add bandwidth and users, update existing apps, password-protected content, advertfree video, and Vimeo Interactive, which integrates a choice of videos for the viewer to choose from. www.exertis.co.uk UX Distribution (UXD) has been appointed an accredited UK&I distributor for 10ZiG Technology’s full range of Thin Client and Zero Client solutions for VDI, DaaS and SaaS. UXD is a digital workplace-focused distributor with a wealth of knowledge around the End User Compute (EUC), DaaS and SaaS marketplace. Andy Gonzalez, UK & Ireland Channel Manager at 10ZiG Technology, said: “With UX Distribution, we have an excellent partner who can help 10ZiG reach new resellers and markets. As one of the top focused cloud and digital workplace distributors in the UK, UX Distribution will bring additional benefits to our customers and partners, and I am looking forward to working with them.” www.10ZiG.com ...continued
Fortinet is a global leader in cybersecurity, delivering a broad, integrated and automated security fabric to enable 550,000+ customers to accelerate their digital journey. 100 per cent channel focused, with no direct sales team, Fortinet’s Engage Partner Program has a singular goal: to provide partners with a valuable, flexible platform to build a profitable and highly differentiated security practice that leverages the industry’s best solutions to drive customer success. www.exclusivelyfortinet.com | [email protected] | Tel: +44 (0)845 521 7217
12 01732 759725 NEWS : RESELLERS Demand for cloud services drives managed services growth Europe’s IT and business services market had a strong start to 2022, with record first-quarter demand for cloud-based services and continuing momentum in managed services, according to the latest report from Information Services Group (ISG). The EMEA ISG Index, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with an annual contract value (ACV) of $5 million or more, shows that ACV for the combined market exceeded $7 billion for the first time in a quarter, coming in at a record $7.5 billion, up 21% year over year and up 8% sequentially from the fourth quarter. The UK market continued its strong, post-Brexit recovery, exceeding $1 billion in managed services ACV for the second quarter in a row and the third quarter in the last four. First-quarter ACV was $1.1 billion, 27% higher than the prior year. Steve Hall, President of ISG EMEA, said: “Europe’s combined market has been steadily growing as the region’s demand for cloud-based services catches up with the rest of the world. Growth slowed toward the end of last year but has since bounced back to the levels we saw in the first half of 2021.” EMEA demand for cloud-based services (XaaS) continues to accelerate, with ACV rising 44% to a record $3.9 billion in the first quarter. Following the third straight quarter of 40%+ growth, XaaS now accounts for 51% of the combined market, the highest proportion ever. Within the XaaS segment, infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) ACV soared 58% to a record $2.9 billion in the quarter. Software-as-Service (SaaS) advanced 15% to $1 billion, but was 2% off the record fourth quarter. Managed services ACV recorded a sixth straight quarter of sustained high demand, rising 3% to $3.7 billion, with a record 256 managed services contracts awarded in the first quarter, up 15% on last year and up 25% compared to the fourth quarter. The trend toward smaller contracts continued, with a record 151 deals in the $5 million to $10 million range, the smallest band measured by the ISG Index. www.isg-one.com Overall named Scale-up Entrepreneur of the Year Adrian Overall, CEO of CloudStratex, has been named ‘Scale-up Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the 10th annual Scale-up Enterprise Awards. The award is testament to the performance of the IT advisory specialist Overall established in 2019, which is on track to exceed turnover of £20 million and a headcount of 150 by the close of its third year in business, following year-on-year revenue growth of 112%. CloudStratex is dedicated to the implementation of technologies and practices that enable enterprise organisations to achieve operational efficiency, integration and resilience through its own incubation and knowledge transfer techniques. Global clients include MunichRE, LV= and The Ardonagh Group. Adrian Overall, CEO of CloudStratex, said: “In just under three years, CloudStratex has grown from a desire to disrupt and transform the conventional IT consultancy model into a multi-million-pound organisation that has not only taught enterprise organisations to fish (i.e. become self-sufficient), but is also focused on driving the operational resilience, integration and efficiency space forwards.” https://www.cloudstratex.com https://www.enterprise-awards.co.uk Security first for Integrity360 Cybersecurity services specialist Integrity360 has become one of just eight organisations in the UK and Ireland and the first indigenous Irish partner to have been awarded 5* Partner Status by Check Point Software Technologies. In total, Integrity360 has 49 recognised Check Point accreditations including Certified Collaborative Support Partner (CCSP), Maestro Partner and Harmony Endpoint Partner. Brian Martin, Head of Product, Strategy and Innovation at Integrity360, said: “This achievement is testament to our highly capable team and in-depth expertise. Not only does it make us stand out within the partner ecosystem and the cybersecurity industry as a whole, but it also reinforces the confidence that clients should have in us to support and secure their business using versatile technologies that deliver lasting value.” MSPs fill cyber skills gap The cyber skills gap is significantly increasing reliance on external managed service providers, according to the latest survey by the Neustar International Security Council (NISC). This shows that 89% of security professionals have somewhat (45%) or greatly (44%) increased their reliance on external providers due to the ongoing talent shortage and the difficult security environment created by accelerating digitalisation. Survey participants are most likely to be looking for individuals with cloud security skills (64%), followed by network operations skills (55%) and risk management and application development security skills (both 51%). Fewer than three in ten respondents (28%) are actively looking to hire DevSecOps skills. www.nisc.neustar Eficode enters UK market Eficode has entered the UK market with Agile and DevOps consulting services and a managed service for DevOps tools that helps large companies stay compliant and maintain high security standards. The ISO27001-certified Eficode ROOT managed service integrates over 50 DevOps tools, including those of Atlassian, GitHub and GitLab. Ilari Nurmi, CEO of Eficode, said: “Companies across industries now prioritise software development as a critical strategic imperative. We are working with businesses to build successful software organisations and coach them through changes in culture, processes and tools for software development. Together with our partners, we will bring modern practices and tools to customers in the United Kingdom.” (l-r) Tony Irving [COO], Hollie Dittmer [Financial Controller] and Adrian Overall [CEO], CloudStratex
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01732 759725 14 NEWS : RESELLERS OGL recruitment drive Technology solutions provider OGL Group is following a record 12 months, in which it increased staff numbers at its Midlands and London offices to 300, with a recruitment drive to take its headcount to 350 staff by the end of the year. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, it made big inroads into this target with the recruitment of more than 20 new employees to support growing demand for digital transformation solutions and cyber security services at its cyber security arm, CyberGuard Technologies. To accommodate its expanding team, OGL Group recently refurbished and expanded its Kidderminster site, gaining 10,000 sqft of additional space through the acquisition a number of surrounding properties. https://www.ogl.co.uk/opportunities www.cg-tech.co.uk Renovotec partners with Brother Renovotec, a reseller specialising in the retail, warehousing and logistic markets, has added Brother’s TJ range of highvolume industrial label printers, the RJ series of mobile devices and the TD line of desktop models to its portfolio. The partnership with Brother will help the supplier of auto-ID and automated technologies to warehousing and distribution centres meet rising demand from retail and logistics businesses for new technology infrastructure. An extra 50.7 million sq ft of warehousing space was taken up in 2021, with operators prioritising labour optimisation, returns management and error reduction, according to The Warehouse Trends survey from VDC Research Group. Ged Cairns, Head of Auto ID at Brother UK, said: “Renovotec’s unrivalled presence and expertise in this market allows us to reach major operators with our new and established solutions at a time when the rise in ecommerce is making labelling technology increasingly essential to order fulfilment.” Renovotec generated £50 million in sales in 2021. www.brother.co.uk Twelfth acquisition for inTec Group Manchester-based inTEC Group has acquired a controlling interest in IT services provider Astec Computing as part of its on-going acquisition strategy. The company’s 12th acquisition since 2016 and its fourth this year increases its headcount to more than 120 across 10 sites in the UK and Ireland. Based near Hastings and with customers throughout Sussex, Kent and London, Astec is a Microsoft Gold Partner specialising in Modern Workplace/Classroom, IT Security, Support and Infrastructure. inTEC Group specialises in the design, implementation and support of a wide range of cloud services and business applications including I.T. managed services/ infrastructure support, hosted collaboration, and communication solutions. Content+Cloud joins MISA Content+Cloud is adding to its long list of Microsoft accreditations (16 Gold competencies, 19 awards, 4 MVPs and 8 advanced specialisations) by becoming a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA). MISA is an ecosystem of validated independent software vendors and Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) that have integrated their solutions with Microsoft to better protect customers against cyber threats. Content+Cloud’s ability to provide customers with both offensive (Red Teaming) and defensive (Cyber Security Operations Centre) cyber security solutions, delivers the bi-directional protection that is becoming increasingly necessary as organisational digital landscapes expand and user bases disperse. Pravesh Kara, Security & Networks Product Director at Content+Cloud, said: “As a Microsoft Gold partner, we are dedicated to driving the adoption and implementation of Microsoft’s security solutions and cloud services to best meet the evolving needs of our customers. As a member of MISA, our ability to innovate and deliver new integrated solutions will be central to our continued growth as a security services provider.” www.contentandcloud.com Deloitte strengthens cloud observability practice Deloitte is expanding its cloud obsersvability practice to drive faster, more successful digital transformation for its clients using the Dynatrace software intelligence platform. Deloitte’s team of dedicated DevOps and site reliability engineers is being trained and certified to incorporate the Dynatrace platform into its Innovation Centers and DevOps Cloud Platform. Deloitte will also continue to use Dynatrace for its own internal IT operations, covering the organisation’s wide range of technologies and processes. www.deloitte.com Civo switches to four-day week Civo, a pure-play cloud-native service provider, has switched to a four-day week following a successful trial. Employees at the Stevenage business will now work a 34-hour week (down from 36 hours), split across four 8.5-hour working days, with the option to spread the same number of hours over five days for those who prefer to do so. The shorter week is one of several measures Civo is implementing or trialling to improve staff wellbeing and attract new talent. Another is a trial of uncapped holiday entitlement. Mark Boost, CEO of Civo, said: “Our adoption of the four-day work week came from the belief that by streamlining the working week, we could create a more productive and ultimately more successful organisation. I have been thrilled to see Civo staff embrace this flexible way of working. Teams are more engaged and motivated, and crucially from a business perspective we have seen no drop in the quality of work delivered.” He added: “The uncapped holiday trial is a core part of our belief in the opportunities created by flexible working. As long as you get your job done, and it doesn’t impact the team or our customers, you should be able to take whatever holiday you feel is appropriate.” Civo’s mission is to revolutionise the industry by providing cutting-edge services powered by Kubernetes that enable tech companies to host core applications with ease, speed up development, increase productivity and reduce costs. Mark Boost
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