01732 759725 22 COMPUTING ...continued consumption model. It means changing everything they’ve done. So that process needs to be smooth and simple, and worth it. Equally, aaS won’t be right for every business.” How big a part will resellers play in XaaS adoption? JT: “Resellers will be critical in helping to create these XaaS options and taking them to end customers. But the platforms that let resellers sell and manage services will be a deciding factor in the success of XaaS – and that platform won’t be an Excel spreadsheet! Platforms for aaS need to be easy and transparent. Like how some platforms show you how much you’ve saved. The platforms we use in our personal lives set a level of expectation for our business transactions.” “We also understand that we need to support those resellers who want to shift to selling more aaS, because they’re no longer going to be doing deals worth £250,000 and getting a percentage. The value of an aaS deal comes over time. And if resellers don’t know how to make that transition and maximise their return, they won’t feel encouraged to go down the aaS path.” Where do you see quick wins for XaaS? JT: “For end users where having the latest technology really makes a big difference, XaaS can be very attractive. Wrap a solution around the technology which makes it affordable over a period of time and scalable, and provide a continuous service that gives them the ability to always have the latest technology, and XaaS works really well for that business.” Is Ingram Micro in a position to help resellers offer these services? JT: “Yes, we’re already doing this. Many of the larger VARs have already created ways to provide aaS solutions and use Ingram Micro to supplement their offering. But for smaller VARs, we have ways to support them to offer XaaS. There’s no need for them to spend their own money creating services. They can just piggyback everything we already do and reap the benefits as we build new technology practices. One of the UK’s biggest VARs adopted this offering early which contributed to their massive success.” What does this look like in real life? JT: “To give you an example of going beyond transactional and adding a service element to the solution, let’s talk about a project involving Dublin’s flood defences. To mitigate flooding in heavy rain, they would send out trench diggers to divert the water. The city council wanted to react faster to flooding. So, the partner set them up with sensors to detect rising water levels. But they didn’t stop there. Using big data, they looked at historical flooding patterns, enabling the council to predict problem areas and take preventative measures.” “XaaS opens up so many opportunities like this to add value, create revenue streams and build lasting relationships.” In conclusion What comes across from Gary, Ovi and Julian is that there is great energy around XaaS. Servitization is only going to grow. Yes, business models have to change, but there are paths to follow to achieve this. At Ingram Micro, we’re determined to support our resellers in expanding beyond transactional relationships with their end customers to become technology partners. It’s a good time to capitalise on the momentum of XaaS and start your evolution. Here at Ingram Micro, we have teams of specialists who are ready, willing and more than able to help you harness the potential of XaaS to enhance your own business. So, if you’d like to find out how, simply get in touch – https://uk.ingrammicro.eu/contact Panasonic describes the Toughbook 40 as the ’ultimate’ Toughbook thanks to its unrivalled combination of strength, security and, especially, modularity. Key aspects of the latter are half a dozen dedicated expansion areas supporting a total of 70 different product configurations/ reconfigurations for customisation and future-proofing by customers in the emergency services, defence, utilities, automotive and agricultural sectors. They include a user replaceable battery, RAM (upgradeable from 16GB to 64GB) and quick-release SSD, plus four multi-purpose expansion areas: 1 a palmrest expansion area for a contactless smart card reader or fingerprint reader; 2 an expansion area on the left of the device for a contact smartcard reader or a second battery, giving a total battery life of 36 hours; 3 an expansion area on the right of the device for a second SSD or DVD drive or a contact smart card reader (in case you need a smartcard reader and a second battery); and 4 an expansion area at the rear of the device for additional VGA, true serial, LAN, HDMI and USB ports. Individual modules are user replaceable except for the fingerprint reader, which has to be configured by Panasonic or one of its partners. In addition to its dedicated expansion areas, the Toughbook 40 features a choice of wireless connectivity, including 5G, 4G, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC, plus GPS (Bluetooth 5.1, 4G, 5G and GPS are optional). Six antennae – two built in on both sides and above the screen – ensure good signal strength whether you are in the office/home, in the field or in a vehicle. Other useful features when working outdoors include: n A bright screen (1200cd/ms) for good readability in sunlight, with a lower limit of 2cd/m2 for comfortable viewing in the dark; n An enhanced capacitive touchscreen that works with gloves, bare finger or pen and automatically detects which you are using (and whether it is raining) so that you don’t have to change settings manually; and n Integrated speakers that go up to 95dB and noise cancellation microphones so that people working in noisy environments, such as police officers supervising security at a football match, say, can hear commands clearly and also be clearly heard by colleagues at HQ. Security at its core The ability to specify your own choice of user authentication method, including by webcam (if implemented), smartcard, contactless smartcard, fingerprint or NFC, The new Panasonic Toughbook 40 takes modularity to another level The ultimate Toughbook
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