IN PRINT & ONLINE v61 · 2023 www.technologyreseller.co.uk THE MAGAZINE & ONLINE CHANNEL RESOURCE FOR MSPS, IT RESELLERS & IT SUPPORT PROVIDERS PAGE 28 PAGE 34 FINANCE 60 Seconds CYBERSECURITY PAGE 26 With David Durrant, Channel Sales Manager, Paessler Veeam study highlights the limitations of cyber insurance Nigel Cook’s number one lesson of the last 20 years Connectivity Mobile Voice & IP Comms Product Supply Software & Billing Cloud Expand your product portfolio and grow your revenues with access to market-leading Connectivity, IP Voice, Mobile, Cloud, Billing and Hardware solutions. Learn more on pages 14 & 15 We enable you to win big in the SMB market
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technologyreseller.co.uk 03 If you no longer wish to receive Technology Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] COMMENT One of the great pleasures of the Technology Reseller Awards evening on May 25 (see page 17) was chatting to people who were genuinely pleased to have won an award. Some were seasoned awards winners who still get a kick out of seeing their name up in lights and appreciate gaining recognition for their hard work and achievements. Others were new to the awards game but realised they had done something rather remarkable in the last 12 months that deserved to be marked in some way. And what better way than to win an industry award in a room full of your peers. For new businesses that are seeking to raise their profile this sort of recognition is invaluable – especially at a time when people from right across the ICT spectrum are looking to build partnerships with, or even acquire, businesses that have complementary expertise and capabilities. Of course, not anyone can win an award. But anyone can exhibit at TechLive 23 (while there is still space!). This one-day event returns to the Business Design Centre in Islington on September 12 and, like an industry award, it is a good way of gaining brand recognition throughout the vendor and channel community. You can find out more details on pages 40 and 41. Tech Live is still some way off but, if the list of exhibitors signed up so far is any guide, it is shaping up to be a great event. Whether you are exhibiting or just visiting, please block the day in your diary. Online registration will be opening soon at www.technologylive.co.uk. In the meantime, you can learn about technology companies looking to grow with channel partners by continuing to read Technology Reseller online and in its printed form. This month, IONOS, iplicit and Cytek all lay out their stalls, alongside interviews with John Hayes-Warren from Agilitas, David Durrant from Paessler and Nigel Cook of Evolution Capital. Plus much, much more. Happy reading. 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. © 2023 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk v61 · 2023 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] Account Manager: Jeff Root 01732 759725 · [email protected] Art Director: Nick Pledge 07767 615983 · [email protected] ISSN 2632-9301 (Print) ISSN 2632-931X (Online) 04 News CHERRY launches new gaming brand 07 Partner programmes A round-up of this month’s vendor partner programmes 08 Distributor news A record year for Westcon-Comstor 09 Working together This month’s new distribution agreements 10 Reseller news Econocom designates AV as fourth strategic business line 17 Technology Reseller Awards 2023 All the winners from the third annual Technology Reseller Awards 24 View from the Channel With John Hayes-Warren, Chief Revenue Officer, Agilitas 26 Finance Technology Reseller discusses business valuations with Nigel Cook, CEO of Evolution Capital 28 60 seconds with… With David Durrant, Channel Sales Manager, Paessler 30 Software iplicit seeks resellers to help disrupt accounting software market 32 Q&A The value of AWS Partner status for Logicata 34 Cybersecurity Limitations of cyber insurance exposed in new Veeam report 39 Events Winners from first Golf Society outing of 2023 40 Tech Live 2023 New exhibitors announced for September show 42 Cloud Patience is a virtue for IONOS Cloud 44 Introducing... Cytek, the new name in cybersecurity 45 People New faces, new places Headline Sponsor Business Design Centre · London · 12 September 2023 23 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT tech-live.co.uk
Game on for CHERRY CHERRY, renowned for its computer input devices, is hoping to make further inroads into the household gaming market with the launch of its new gaming brand CHERRY XTRFY and high profile partnerships with stars from the competitive video gaming and esports sector. The German company is already a long-time favourite of Chinese gaming fans and with its new brand and extensive product family is hoping to extend its success worldwide. The launch of CHERRY XTRFY builds on the acquisition of Swedish PC gaming peripherals manufacturer Xtrfy at the start of the year. www.cherry.de ······ Time to switch Nine out of 10 UK businesses (88%) are still reliant on the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for phone lines, broadband, alarm systems and CCTV cameras, according to a survey by M247. The global cloud and connectivity provider warns that with the sale of PSTNrelated products and services set to stop in September 2023 (if not before) and a full deactivation of the network by 31 December 2025, time is running out for those that have not yet switched to fibre alternatives. M247’s research suggests that the fault lies with businesses and not resellers and telecoms providers, as awareness of the changes is high. More than three quarters of those surveyed by M247 are aware of the PSTN stop-sell (76%) and the PSTN switchoff (77%). The fact that 80% of respondents believe migration from PSTN services will take up to six months and 51% expect to face significant disruption if the network is switched off before they have completed the process makes it all the more surprising that just 29% of businesses consider addressing the switch-off to be a top priority. www.m247.com ······ Hybrid workers are greatest risk HP is addressing the challenges of securing and managing a hybrid workforce with new products that enable IT departments to manage remote devices, resolve support tickets, optimise asset management and secure data from loss or theft. These are HP Wolf Connect, an IT management connectivity solution that use a cellular-based network to provide a resilient, secure connection to remote PCs even when they are powered down or offline; and Protect and Trace with Wolf Connect, claimed to be the world’s first software service capable of locating, locking and erasing a PC remotely, even when it’s not on or disconnected from the Internet. In a global study of 1,492 security leaders released to coincide with the launch of HP Wolf Connect, 70% said that hybrid work increases the risk of lost or stolen devices; and 82% said NEWS 01732 759725 04 NEWS continued... BT Wholesale report highlights opportunities for growth The desire to invest in new technologies trumps the need to make cost savings reveals new BT Wholesale research into opportunities for channel partners available exclusively to Partner Plus members via the programme Hub. The list of SMBs’ investment priorities is headed by mobile connectivity (with 70% of respondents likely or extremely likely to invest) – BT Wholesale recently launched Complete Mobile, the first time EE Mobile SIMs have been available to enterprise resellers via a direct channel model. Mobile connectivity was followed by cybersecurity (66%), digital phone lines (64%) and broadband (62%). The report highlights several opportunities for channel partners to generate extra business and fulfil their valued role as trusted advisors. For example, almost one in three of the 300 survey respondents (29%) still doesn’t understand the benefits of all-IP to their business, giving partners an opportunity to guide customers through their all-IP migration journey. To help them do this, BT Wholesale provides Partner Plus members with Complete Switch products, out-of-the-box collateral and personalised messaging tailored to customers’ needs. Gavin Jones, Channel Partners Director at BT Wholesale, said: “With the PSTN switch-off fast approaching, it is clear channel partners must work to spark UK businesses’ digital imagination and help them understand how the move to IP can future-proof them and unlock new opportunities. It’s the end of the line for PSTN, so If you’re not doing it, a competitor is already trying to.” The New Way to Secure the Hybrid Workforce AN HP WOLF SECURITY REPORT Gavin Jones
technologyreseller.co.uk 05 NEWS continued... The PT-D series suits a diverse range of labelling requirements, from home office, through to larger offices, co-working spaces and retail environments. With two label printers to choose from, each model is designed with these specific environments in mind and equipped with features tailored to the needs of the user. With Bluetooth and USB connectivity, users can create and print labels direct from the machine or via their smartphone or tablet and PC/Mac. Print highly durable, laminated labels up to 24mm wide for asset and identification labels, shelving, storage, signage and warning notices. The product also includes a durable carry case, an AC adaptor and sample tape. Find out more www.brotherzone.co.uk Our versatile desktop label printers Offer your customers professional labels to organise their office Save up to 20%* *Terms and conditions apply.
01732 759725 06 NEWS there were gaps in their organisation’s security posture. This particularly applies to endpoints, with 84% of security leaders identifying the endpoint as the source of most security threats. Two thirds say their greatest cybersecurity weakness is the potential for hybrid employees to be compromised with phishing, ransomware and attacks via unsecured home networks (66%), citing the difficulty of updating threat detection measures (e.g. EDR and SIEM tools) to accommodate hybrid employees (65%). Four out of five respondents (82%) have increased their cybersecurity budget specifically for hybrid workers; and 71% expect this hybrid investment focus to increase further in 2023. ······ PUE best practice Kohler Uninterruptible Power (KUP), part of Kohler Co. Energy Group, has produced a free white paper on how to improve a data centre’s Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). Written for IT and data centre managers, it explains the benefits of newer modular systems and includes information on best practice. KUP provides data centres of all sizes with modular and standalone uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, centralised emergency lighting inverters, associated battery and monitoring systems, as well as design, installation and maintenance services and standby diesel and renewable-fuel generators. Kohler-ups.co.uk ······ Helping NGOs with cybersecurity WithSecure has extended its cooperation with the CyberPeace Institute by joining the CyberPeace Builders programme designed to strengthen the cyber security of NGOs. This will enable security professionals at WithSecure to connect directly with NGOs that require cyber security assistance pre-incident (vulnerability scanning, security audits, penetration tests, awareness raising, cybersecurity training); post-incident (attack notification, security hardening, investigation support); and non-technical (data protection consulting, cyber insurance advice, crisis communications training). The CyberPeace Institute claims that even though some NGOs manage millions or billions of dollars in donations and are increasingly targeted by criminal and state actors, only one in 10 provides regular cyber security training to staff; three out of four do not monitor their networks; and four out of five do not have cyber security plans. WithSecure CEO Juhani Hintikka said: “Many of the brilliant minds working in our field want to use their skills in ways that have a genuine, positive impact on people’s lives. Participating in the CyberPeace Builders program is an excellent opportunity for us to help provide a safe, secure and sustainable digital environment for everyone.” www.withsecure.com ······ Mobile security for MSSPs Lookout, Inc., the endpoint-to-cloud security company, is helping managed security service providers (MSSPs) protect clients’ endpoints with the launch of Lookout Mobile Endpoint Security. This advanced mobile endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution enables MSSPs to deliver a complete turnkey program for securing their customers’ mobile devices and reduce the risk of a data breach through mobile phishing, ransomware or the exploitation of device and app vulnerabilities, whilst also slashing policy administration time by 80%. Lookout claims that less than half of SMBs have any form of mobile security in place at a time when mobile threats are on the rise. According to its recent Global State of Mobile Phishing report, more than 30% of personal and enterprise users were exposed to mobile phishing attacks every quarter last year. www.lookout.com ······ Oxylabs helps debunk online misinformation The Oxylabs pro bono initiative “Project 4ß” is helping Debunk.org in its fight against online disinformation and state-sponsored propaganda by providing free access to out-of-the-box Oxylabs solutions, such as scraper APIs, and the world’s largest ethical proxy network. This will enable the organisation and its volunteers to gather publicly available data, speed up fact-checking processes and gain valuable insights for their research. Julius Černiauskas, CEO of Oxylabs, said: “We are excited to partner with Debunk.org in their fight against malicious actors attempting to deceive the public. As a leading company in the web intelligence collection industry, we understand the power of big data and know that our solutions will assist the organisation in their critical work.” https://oxylabs.io/ https://www.debunk.org ······ Free protection CyberSmart is helping to defend managed service providers and their customers from rising cybersecurity threats by providing its MSP partners with free access to its cyber risk management solution Active Protect. It will also cover the costs of partners’ Cyber Essentials certification and work closely with them to ensure they pass first-time. In March 2022, N-able revealed that 90% of MSPs had suffered a successful cyberattack in the preceding 18 months and in November 2022 the UK government announced that MSPs would be brought within scope of the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations. CyberSmart Active Protect scans enrolled devices 24/7 for vulnerabilities and alerts users with simple remediation guides. https://cybersmart.co.uk/ continued... Juhani Hintikka Tough inside and out Panasonic TOUGHBOOK’s latest rugged notebook, the TOUGHBOOK 40, can now be equipped with an Eclypt Core encrypted internal solid state drive from global communications company Viasat Inc. Ideal for use by the defence sector, police, border control and emergency services, the 14in TOUGHBOOK 40 with Eclypt Core Encrypted Internal Solid State Drive is certified in the UK for securing Top Secret information and for use by NATO. Hisham Awad, Managing Director of Viasat UK, said: “Designed and manufactured in the UK, Viasat’s Eclypt secure data-at-rest technology combines sophisticated authentication, entiredisk encryption and data storage into a tamper-evident internal or portable hardware. In the event of device theft, loss or attack, the solid state drive helps ensure the data is protected and secure once powered off.” https://eu.connect.panasonic. com/gb/en/products/toughbook/ toughbook-40
technologyreseller.co.uk 07 PPDS GPA Members Partner Programmes HP enhances HP Amplify partner programmes HP is aiming to supercharge growth by introducing a number of enhancements to the HP Amplify Program effective from November 1, 2023. These include an expansion of the programme to include all HP products/ solutions, including those from Poly, Teradici and HyperX, and the integration of distribution partners. As well as broadening its scope, HP is adding two new elements to HP Amplify – the More for More benefit and compensation program and a new Fast Lane joint demand generation process. Aimed at increasing sales across the HP portfolio, More for More uses a rate multiplier to boost compensation for qualified partners, while the Fast Lane joint demand generation process simplifies the reimbursement of marketing development funds via an automated process for claims and payments. HP has also made changes to HP Amplify Impact, its partner assessment, resource and training program focused on Sustainable Impact. To smooth the path from Amplify Impact participation to Power status, qualified partners receiving 3-Star recognition will now earn a point towards eligibility for Power and Power Services. HP has a target to enrol at least 50% of Amplify partners in Amplify Impact by 2025. In March, HP announced the 43 winners of its inaugural Amplify Impact Awards. Winners with UK operations include Bechtle AG and Complete Office Solutions (UK) Ltd, winners of Sustainable Business Excellence Awards; Softcat plc, winner of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy Award and an HP LIFE Award for completing the most HP LIFE courses; and Banner Group Limited, winner of a Climate Action Award. http://www.hp.com Dynatrace empowering partners with new skills curriculum Dynatrace, a leader in unified observability and security, has launched a Services Endorsement Program to give partners the skills they need to deliver intelligent automation to global customers. The program includes training and exams focused on unified observability and security, AIOps and advanced DevSecOps and CloudOps. Developed by the Dynatrace ACE Services team, the curriculum will empower participants to architect, implement and manage Dynatrace solutions underpinning the complex, cloud-native ecosystems organisations depend on for digital transformation at scale. Partners who complete the program will become Dynatrace Services-Endorsed Partners. www.dynatrace.com Veritas to support channel goals with updated partner programme Secure multi-cloud data management company Veritas Technologies has updated its Veritas Partner Force programme for fiscal year 2024 with improved rewards for cloud-based deals, a simplified transaction process and new training and accreditation programmes. The changes are designed to support its channel goals for the year, including: n Revenue growth – Veritas partners will have a single target across new business and renewals for software, services and appliances, making it easier for them to meet tiering requirements; n Veritas Alta growth – Veritas will drive adoption of its secure cloud data management platform Veritas Alta through training and accreditation and supercharged rewards; n Net new logos – Veritas will work with partners on demand-generation activities to attract net new customers, with accelerated rewards for bringing new customers onboard; and n Increased value in installed customer base – Veritas will reward channel partners that help existing customers extend their use of the Veritas platform to new workloads and use cases. www.veritas.com Aryaka targets VARs and SIs Aryaka, a provider of unified SASE and SD-WAN solutions, has launched a new reseller partner program within the Aryaka Accelerate Global Partner Program to reignite partnerships with VARs and systems integrators across the globe. Aryaka IGNYTE features competitive pricing and discounts along with sales and marketing support focused on pipeline creation. Resellers can realise 25-35% margins on each deal and take advantage of promotions, including the ability to offer clients two months of free services on a 1-year contract or six months of free services on a 36-month contract. www.aryaka.com/partners/ MMD introduces tiered partner programme for Philips Monitors MMD, the brand licensing partner for Philips monitors, is introducing a tiered Solutions Partner Programme to help build long-term relationships with partners that meet certain criteria, including revenue and deal registrations, attendance at TPV Professional Events and a commitment to promote both the Philips and AOC brands. In return, Philips Monitors will provide dedicated key account management, supported pricing, educational and promotional support for internal sales teams, stock forecasting and after-sales support. https://mmdmonitors.com/ Membership of PPDS GPA doubles In addition to launching the MMD Solutions Partner Programme, TP Vision Europe B.V. and MMD-Monitors & Displays Nederland B.V. have announced a doubling of the invitation-only PPDS Global Partner Alliance network to 118 members. A trading name of MMD, PPDS is the exclusive global provider of Philips digital signage, interactive displays, direct view LED and professional TV products and solutions. PPDS officially launched the Global Partner Alliance programme at ISE 2022 to connect multinational businesses with its top tier of regional integration specialists, enabling seamless, consistent execution of projects across six continents. Simone Gagliardi, Head of PPDS GPA, said: “With the GPA, we aim to remove the pain points traditionally experienced with multinational integrations, reaching through regional barriers to ensure projects are completed consistently, quickly and efficiently.” ForgeRock has eye on SIs ForgeRock, a global digital identity leader, has enhanced its partner programme to meet the needs of the company’s growing partner ecosystem, which includes Deloitte, PwC and Ensono. With a special focus on system integrators, the ForgeRock Partner Programme will allow partners to expand their identity capabilities into areas like governance and passwordless for both CIAM and workforce use cases. New features include access to demo environments, roadmap previews, sales enablement resources and RFP support; sales incentives and funding for marketing, training and professional services support; and access to certification programmes and customer support experts. www.forgerock.com Partner Programmes This month’s new vendor partner programmes
01732 759725 08 NEWS : DISTRIBUTORs TD SYNNEX brings captive finance arm to the UK TD SYNNEX is bringing more flexible finance and leasing options to partners with the launch of TD SYNNEX Capital in the UK and Europe. As the distributor’s captive finance arm, TD SYNNEX Capital’s solutions are designed to be fully integrated into the sales process, making it simpler for partners to offer financing options with monthly, annual or quarterly payments over a pre-defined term. A payment solution or Tech-as-a-Service option for any product in the TD SYNNEX portfolio can be integrated into a product sale and will be funded for the full term upfront, eliminating credit risk for the channel partner and providing greater customer value. David Watts, SVP and Managing Director, UK and Ireland at TD SYNNEX, said: “As customers continue to digitally transform, there is more pressure on partners to provide alternative ways to pay for new technology. TD SYNNEX Capital gives partners the tools to offer a robust financing and leasing portfolio without added risk or cost.” He added: “What we are saying to partners is ‘let our money work for you’. We are confident that TD SYNNEX Capital will be the first choice for businesses in need of financing options for technology procurement.” [email protected] Cybersecurity and networking growth delivers record year for Westcon-Comstor David Grant David Watts Specialist distributor Westcon-Comstor has announced record results for FY23 on the back of strong demand for its cybersecurity and networking offerings and an acceleration in its shift to a software and subscription-based recurring revenue model. In the year to 28 February 2023, Westcon-Comstor increased total revenue by 18.3% to a record $3.42 billion – its second consecutive year of double-digit growth – and increased adjusted EBITDA by 21% to $95.1 million. In the context of the strategic planning cycle introduced by Westcon-Comstor in FY18, these represent a five-year CAGR of 8% and more than 30% respectively. Gross margins for FY23 averaged 9.6% globally. Revenue from Westcon-Comstor’s networking portfolio was up by 19% at $1.76 billion, while income from its cybersecurity solutions rose 17% to $1.33 billion. Software, services and subscriptionbased recurring revenues now account for 42% of total revenue, compared to 31% in FY19. David Grant, CEO at Westcon-Comstor, said: “These results demonstrate our ability to thrive amid challenging macro-economic conditions. We’re delighted to have reached so many new milestones in 2023, including accelerating our own digital transformation with the recent successful launch of our PartnerCentral marketplace (see last month’s issue). We’re particularly pleased to have seen industry-beating performance in cybersecurity and networking, while our growth in software and services underlines our position at the forefront of the shift to a subscription-based, recurring revenue XaaS future.” WestconComstor.com Arrow Electronics wins two Fortinet ATC awards The Fortinet Training Institute has awarded Arrow Electronics two Fortinet Authorised Training Centre (ATC) Awards in recognition of its success in training customers on Fortinet products and solutions. These are the 2023 EMEA ATC Award for Marketing Innovation and a Training Partner of the Year Award (in Germany). As a Fortinet ATC, Arrow trains professionals in Fortinet solutions using a curriculum developed for the Fortinet NSE Certification Program. fiveyearsout.com Exertis Supplies to relocate Exertis Supplies, the specialist trade-only distribution business for printer supplies, data storage media and office & technology products, is relocating to larger, more modern premises at Interchange 26, near Cleckheaton. Taking effect from October 2023, the move will help Exertis Supplies meet current and future business needs. www.exertis.co.uk Intrinsic Dev to help CUK Group with Nice/ELAN installations CUK Group, a distributor specialising in custom installation and residential AV products, is enhancing the support it provides partners through a new partnership with Intrinsic Dev that will enable it to offer training on and assistance with Nice/ELAN smart home automation solutions. Founded and operated by professionals with first-hand experience of the custom installation industry, Intrinsic Dev writes, sells and supports drivers for leading control platforms facilitating the seamless integration of products. Intrinsic will help CUK Group expand the capabilities of the Nice/ELAN ecosystem in commercial AV applications by developing relevant drivers. Sam Breen, Director at Intrinsic Dev, said: “Delivering training sessions and supporting the wider CUK Group customer base and tech support team is also beneficial for Intrinsic Dev. As we continue to grow, it is key for us that we stay close to the market. Partnering with CUK Group provides an excellent opportunity to achieve that goal and I can’t wait to get started.” http://www.cuk-group.com Cogent Distribution joins Thames Valley Chamber Following its recent move to larger office and warehousing premises in Newbury, Cogent Distribution Ltd, a value-added distributor of best-of-breed wireless connectivity products, has joined Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, the fifth largest Chamber in the UK. MD Jim Kernahan said: “We’re excited to be members of the Thames Valley Chamber at an important point in our company’s journey and just after our move to much larger office and warehousing premises. I know the Chamber’s business and networking opportunities will really help to support the next steps of our future growth plans.” Cogent Distribution is a renowned stockholding value-added distributor of wireless technology for resellers, system integrators, OEMs and mobile network operators. Its brands include Perle Systems, Peplink, SAF Tehnika, Siklu, RADWIN and Teltonika Networks. cogentdistribution.com
technologyreseller.co.uk 09 WORKING TOGETHER Arrow partners with TBSC Global technology provider Arrow Electronics has added Smarter SaaS for Microsoft 365 to the ArrowSphere platform after signing a UK distribution agreement with The Business Software Centre (TBSC). Designed to help larger organisations optimise their use of Microsoft licences, the pay-as-you-go, automated, cloudbased, Microsoft-certified Software Asset Management solution enables businesses to identify and manage key factors for optimisation. These include lapsed users, non-allocated applications, poor staff training on M365 applications, compliance, and people with the wrong M365 subscription. Data is provided on a single dashboard and the product automatically recommends ways to reduce IT costs whilst finding the best Microsoft 365 subscriptions for every user. TBSC Director Phil Hames said: “We’re thrilled to be able to offer our Smarter SaaS solution to Arrow’s channel partners around the UK, helping them to reduce their IT costs whilst finding the best subscriptions for their users. Smarter SaaS helps Arrow’s channel partners grow their cloud business by securing new customers and retaining current customers through add-ons or a managed service for Microsoft 365 guidance. Across large organisations these inefficiencies can add up to large costs to the organisation which can be eliminated or used more efficiently, helping them to grow cost-effectively.” fiveyearsout.com TD SYNNEX complements tech offering with ergonomic furniture TD SYNNEX has extended its 10-year partnership with ergonomic furniture company Humanscale to cover the UK and Ireland. By giving access to Humanscale’s full range of sustainably produced ergonomic furniture and accessories, including chairs, monitor arms, integrated docking stations, sit/stand desks, lighting, accessories and technology tools, TD SYNNEX is enabling partners in the UK and Ireland to address post-pandemic demand for upgraded/reconfigured workplaces optimised for hybrid workers. For the first time, they will be able to use TD SYNNEX for high quality ergonomic furniture and IT accessories as well as smart collaboration technology, endpoint devices and infrastructure. Mara Pereira, Vice President, Peripherals Europe, said: “The addition of Humanscale to our end-to-end portfolio enables partners to build comprehensive end-to-end aggregated solutions for the modern work environment all in one place by leveraging our broad endto-end technology linecard.” https://uk.tdsynnex.com/ Obrela offered on Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace Ingram Micro has added enterprisegrade Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services from Obrela to the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace. Integrating with Microsoft’s native solutions, the Azurepowered MDR services covering endpoints, IT monitoring and OT/IoT give resellers a costeffective alternative to building an in-house advanced threat detection and incident response capability. uk.ingrammicro.eu/ Altnets partners with FIBRAIN Telecoms procurement specialist Altnets has signed a UK distribution agreement with Polish fibre optic products manufacturer FIBRAIN. As the company’s main UK distributor, Altnets will supply FIBRAIN fibre cables and passive optical equipment to alternative networks currently upgrading the nation to full gigabit-capable broadband. The two companies are currently creating a bespoke product catalogue exclusively tailored to UK ISPs and can also design and manufacture custom-made products for customers. https://www.altnets.co.uk/ Pax8 to add CrowdStrike to its Marketplace Pax8 and CrowdStrike are looking to revolutionise cybersecurity for MSPs and their customers by offering the CrowdStrike Falcon platform directly on the Pax8 Marketplace. CrowdStrike Falcon delivers AI-powered protection of endpoints, cloud workloads, identity and data from a unified XDR platform. Later this year, when it is added to the Pax8 Marketplace, MSPs will be able to deploy CrowdStrike instantly, without a reboot and take advantage of consolidated billing and provisioning automation. Pax8 CEO John Street said: “Pax8 recognises the continuous demand of our partners for top-tier security solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into their cloud offerings. By teaming up with CrowdStrike, MSPs will stay ahead of evolving threats, delivering exceptional value to their customers through the market’s leading XDR platform.” www.pax8.com www.crowdstrike.com Nuvola adds Dubber to portfolio Nuvola Distribution has added Dubber cloud-based conversation capture to its Cloud Practice. Complementing Nuvola’s voice portfolio, Dubber captures conversation data from multiple channels including video, chat, SMS, voice, unified comms and Teams. Recordings can be activated on demand or by policy and are stored securely in the cloud where they are instantly available and searchable. Data from all channels is unified in a single pane of glass simplifying analysis and the creation of AI-driven insights and intelligence, with multiple APIs for connecting to other systems. Dubber supports multiple applications, from dispute resolution and compliance to training and sentiment analysis, all of which can help resellers develop stickier relationships with customers. www.nuvoladistribution.com Ingram partners with iPro Ingram Micro UK is expanding its physical security portfolio through a new partnership with Japanese surveillance camera manufacturer i-PRO. Built on 60 years of Panasonic heritage, i-PRO’s range of edge cameras suits diverse applications in the retail, transport, casino, entertainment and construction sectors. Customers buying i-PRO solutions will be able to leverage Ingram Micro’s full-service capabilities including professional and managed services and financial solutions. uk.ingrammicro.eu/ Exertis sees Green Clouds Ahead Exertis has become the exclusive route to market for Cloudist, a Swedish distributor of automated green cloud services. With its motto, Green Clouds Ahead, Cloudist aims to distinguish itself from other providers by offering 100% green cloud services, predictable costs, no lock-in, a scalable pay-as-you-go model and personal service. There is also the option of a whitelabel reseller portal with full multi-tenancy functionality. Cloudist services, including virtual servers, backup, S3 buckets, Microsoft 365 subscriptions and disaster recovery-as-aservice, are delivered from a data centre powered exclusively by green hydro energy. Exertis and Cloudist will initially focus on Sweden before taking the platform to the wider Nordic region and mainland Europe. www.exertis.co.uk Working together This month’s round-up of new distribution agreements
01732 759725 10 NEWS : RESELLERS Vision33 offers integration with Adventoris sales app Vision33, a SAP Gold Partner and implementation partner for SAP Business One and SAP ByDesign, has entered into a partnership with Adventoris, a Huddersfield-based provider of SaaS solutions for vendors, wholesalers and distributors. The partnership will enable Vision33 to fully integrate its ERP solutions with the Adventoris B2B sales app SwiftCloud. By enabling customers to see products, communicate with the seller and make orders 24/7, SwiftCloud has been shown to cut ordering times by more than 50% and increase sales by 15%. John Palmer, Sales Director at Vision33, said: “SwiftCloud is the perfect partner for us. Our solutions go hand in hand to provide a holistic solution for distributors everywhere.” Two Vision33 clients, AFAK Trading and AR Wholesale, are already taking advantage of the partnership between the two companies. Faisal Saeed, Commercial Director at AFAK Trading, said: “SwiftCloud has made it easy for us to capture customer orders and we have seen an increase in order volume since starting to use SwiftCloud, thanks to the easy, quick product viewing options. It has significantly reduced the effort and cost for our company while giving more convenience to the customer.” www.vision33.com https://www.swiftcloud.co.uk/ Econocom makes audio-visual its fourth strategic business line Ben Wylie Andrew Jones Econocom Group, a leading European digital general contractor, is building on strong growth in audio-visual sales by making AV its fourth strategic business line, alongside Financing, Products & Solutions and Services. AV already contributes €350 million in annual revenue to Econocom Group through the activities of smart office technologies expert Exaprobe in France, AV/UC/digital signage expert BIS|Econocom in the Netherlands and Econocom’s own Products & Solutions business line in France, Spain and Italy. As part of the Group’s AV focus, Econocom UK is collaborating with Trams on the establishment of an Audio & Visual Department. The first joint business line since Econocom acquired Trams in 2021 will bring together Trams’ technical expertise with financial solutions offered by Econocom UK. Ben Wylie, Country Co-ordinator at Econocom UK, said: “We see the audiovisual market as a natural next step with our strategic plans. Separately Trams and Econocom UK have helped customers with their AV requirements and we’re looking forward to working with our customers, especially those with large multinational requirements.” www.trams.co.uk DWS and Giacom partner with inTEC Group Cloud services provider Giacom and digital infrastructure specialist Digital Wholesale Solutions (DWS) have entered into a strategic partnership with fast growing ICT specialist inTEC GROUP. Building on an existing relationship between Giacom and IT support provider Astec Computing, which was acquired by inTEC GROUP in May 2022, Giacom and DWS will supply inTEC GROUP with cloud and comms services from technology leaders including Microsoft, BT, Neos and Virgin. Phil Astell, MD of inTEC GROUP, said: “We’ve got ambitious plans for growth at inTEC and we needed a strategic partner who can scale with us and offer unique value to the business. Having previously had a strong and successful relationship with Giacom at Astec, I’m delighted to be able to take that partnership to the next level with DWS.” Giacom provides cloud services to over 3,600 partners supporting a network of almost 80,000 small and medium-sized businesses across the UK. In 2020, it was acquired by DWS, an independent digital IT, communications and cloud services provider to 5,500 channel partners. Last year, DWS, which demerged from the Daisy Group in March 2021, increased turnover to £316.7 million driven by organic growth of 12.8% and double digit revenue growth across mobile, connectivity and cloud. Apogee helps fund 3G sports pitch for local community As part of its community engagement, Apogee Corporation in partnership with Aylesford Football Club has provided an all-weather, floodlit 3G sports pitch to Aylesford village near the company’s head office in Maidstone, Kent. The pitch was part-funded by The Football Association (FA), after Aylesford FC won the county’s FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Club of the Year and Project of the Year awards in 2021. Club Chairman James Fuller said: “Aylesford FC would like to thank Apogee for its support of the local community. The contribution from Apogee has secured one of the best facilities in Kent for sport and will allow the growth of Youth, Disability and Girls’ Football in the area along with many other community projects.” apogeecorp.com AudPro urges resellers to grab £240 million opportunity Andrew Jones, Director of messaging on hold company AudPro, is encouraging resellers to engage with the health sector and take advantage of the Government’s recently announced £240 million overhaul of telephony and on-hold messaging systems in GP surgeries. Investment in the latest technology is designed to make it easier for patients to contact their GP and access the information they need, while also reducing the burden on GP receptionists. Jones points out that on-hold messaging solutions like AudPro’s Messaging on Hold have an important role to play in achieving these objectives by providing callers with their queue position, call-back options, up-to-date opening hours and call routing information. He said: “Messaging on Hold offers far more than just on-hold music and messaging. It provides resellers with satisfied customers, organisations with a seamless system and callers with the information they need – something that GP surgeries will value as demand for consultations continues to increase.” Jones added: “The UK Government’s investment in GP telephony solutions has opened a new market for resellers of Messaging on Hold to explore the potential to improve caller experiences on a national scale.” www.audpro-onhold.com WithSecure award KryptoKloud, the UK-based cybersecurity solutions and services provider, has been named Most Certified Partner of the Year by WithSecure. Announced at the cybersecurity specialist’s SPHERE event in Helsinki, this new award category recognises the partner with the highest number of new certifications in the year. www.withsecure.com/en/partners/partner-offering
technologyreseller.co.uk 11 BUSINESS BRIEFING Are your customers looking for a way to transfer files securely? capabilities. Furthermore, end-users can create read-only PDFs and add watermarks to documents deterring others from copying. Productivity is a key benefit of using WinZip because it allows the user to set up actions and leave the tool to work as needed. For example, your customers can set up an auto clean and organise action, and schedule backup routines without the manual work. This allows teams to work smarter and become more efficient. Why WinZip? WinZip® is trusted by businesses and consumers to boost productivity, simplify file sharing, and keep information private. Offering apps for all of today’s most popular platforms and devices, WinZip gives users a better way to manage and share files in the cloud, email, and instant messaging. The WinZip product line also includes powerful utilities to improve system performance and help keep Windows and Mac PCs secure. Find out more about the benefits of WinZip by visiting: www.climbcs.co.uk/winzip/ File encryption is a method of encoding data, preventing tampering and unauthorised access while files are in transit. Encryption software uses cryptology to secure the data and helps to streamline its movement, eliminating the need for using an alternative, vulnerable method. It is important for organisations that they remain compliant when moving and storing personal data, so having a file encryption solution readily available is key. What is WinZip? WinZip is the industry's leading utility and complete file management solution. Whether organisations are using local or cloud files, WinZip can encrypt the data to allow it to be sent securely without risk of being compromised. WinZip Enterprise gives your customers complete information security while enabling productivity and collaboration that fuels business growth. Team members can safely store, manage, and share files within a single application, and IT teams can uphold the protocols and standards that keep data and systems safe. Additionally, the enterprise version integrates with Microsoft Outlook and allows users to automatically zip and encrypt attachments. This solution helps teams work more productively whilst file sharing and keeping information secure. What are the benefits of using WinZip? WinZip can help organisations save valuable time and space on their computers and on the cloud. This tool offers efficient file compression and duplicate file detection so their employees can store, open, zip, encrypt and share multiple files quickly and easily. WinZip also provides the tools to remove and prevent clutter, speed up tasks and avoid using multiple apps. Storing personal data, passwords, or sensitive information can be a worry but WinZip provides peace of mind with easy-to-use encryption What is file encryption?
01732 759725 12 NEWS : RESELLERS Partnership still evolving after 50 years Flotek completes acquisition number eight Flotek has completed its eighth acquisition (its third in South Wales) since the company was set up in April 2022 with a mission to help SMEs consolidate data and voice communications with one trusted provider. The acquisition of Liberty Solutions (Swansea) Limited, a telecommunications provider based in Swansea, follows those of Gower Business Systems, Cloud9ine, Saecom, Mazing Tree, FlexiNet, ECS Solutions and Toolk-IT. Commenting on Flotek’s latest acquisition, CEO Jay Ball said: “Liberty Solutions have been a trusted telecom provider for local businesses in and around South Wales. Joining Flotek means customers will now benefit from Managed IT and cybersecurity services from one technology provider.” www.flotek.io New 4Com acquisition 4Com, a provider of business telephone systems, has completed its fifth deal in the last 12 months with the acquisition of the business customer base of Hampshire-based telecommunications provider Meridian IT Communications Ltd. This purchase follows those of Midshire Telecom, Eastern Voice and Data, Reach Digital Telecoms and the business telecoms customer base of Bluebell Cloud Solutions. Gary Scutt, 4Com Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted with our latest customer-base acquisition of Meridian IT Communications. As we continue this acquisition journey, we are constantly pursuing new opportunities to further our expansion.” www.4com.co.uk/acquisitions Veritas Partner of the Year SCC has been named the Veritas FY23 Partner of the Year for UK&I. The award was presented at the annual Veritas UKI Awards and at the Veritas EMEAI Awards where SCC was named FY23 Top Partner – UK&I Region. FluidOne acquires project five Connected cloud solutions provider FluidOne has acquired Surrey-based IT managed service provider project five in line with its strategy to invest in regional IT MSPs and create a branch network of expertly delivered localised services for its SME customers. Based in Camberley, project five provides outsourced IT services to small and medium-sized businesses across Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire. The acquisition of project five, together with that of Highlander Computing Solutions in January 2023, has created a £30m revenue Business IT Centre of Excellence (CoE) within the wider FluidOne organisation, with 930 customers, 134 employees and four branch offices. Post-acquisition, FluidOne CEO Russell Horton is to become Chairman of project five, with FluidOne Directors Brendan Lynch, Chris Rogers and Roy Hastings becoming board directors. Project five Founder Steve Coburn is to be consultant to the board. Established in 2006, FluidOne has its own national fibre network, Platform One, and is also a provider of cloud solutions, including connectivity, SD-WAN, cyber security, IT managed services, mobile, IoT, UCaaS and CCaaS. It has 2,200 customers, including 200 channel resellers, and an annual turnover of £97 million. www.fluidone.com www.projectfive.co.uk Russell Horton Gary Scutt Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) and Agilico Workplace Technology have marked the 50th anniversary of a working relationship that started in 1973 by collaborating on the setting up of Agilico’s brand new, purpose-built national MFD (multifunction device) refurbishment centre in Leicester. Having started out as a Minolta dealer in 1973, Agilico today has three distinct divisions: Agile Print for managed print services; Agile Docs for consulting and software; and Agile Tech for IT and telecoms. In total, it has 500 staff, almost 14,000 customers and 40,000 Machines in Field (MIF). As part of its commitment to the circular economy, Agilico, with the support of Konica Minolta, has opened a National Refurbishment Centre that will give a new lease of life to ex-showroom and underutilised machines. Rob Ferris, CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, said: “Businesses need expert guidance to choose how they get the best return on their investments. That could be new or used technology, or indeed a blend of both. This Agilico refurbishment initiative really helps to drive that agenda and we are proud to be working in partnership to support it.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk CyberCX achieves CREST accreditation CyberCX, a provider of cyber security and cloud services, has achieved CREST accreditation for its managed Security Operations Centre (SOC) services, following a site audit and review of the company’s nine SOCs in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Rowland Johnson, President of CREST, said: “With SOCs playing an increasingly important role in delivering critical incident detection and response capabilities, CREST Accreditation puts CyberCX in a strong position to expand its managed SOC services business. With SOC Accreditation, CyberCX customers can be confident they are getting high-quality services from a trusted provider with internationally recognised, independent validation.” CyberCX’s SOC services have been accredited at CREST Level 2 for: n Organisational environment n Customer requirements n Technology and tools n Event analysis and response n Threat intelligence and situational awareness n Securing the physical SOC facility. With a workforce of more than 1,400 cyber security professionals, CyberCX provides end-to-end cyber security and cloud services to private and public sector organisations. Simon Davey, CEO of Agilico Workplace Technology, and Rob Ferris, CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd
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