technologyreseller.co.uk 03 If you no longer wish to receive Technology Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] COMMENT The trouble with this fast-moving industry is that while I am wrapping up the latest issue and preparing it for press, I am having interesting discussions about articles for the next one. Thus, I found myself earlier today having a conversation with Brandon Lieberthal of TD SYNNEX about AI PCs. He believes these are revolutionary for the channel, not least because they turn a hardware sale into a consultancy-based solution sale. MSPs make much of their position as trusted advisors and, with AI, that status has real value. An AI PC can’t be separated from the applications it will be running, which will require discussions about pretty much everything – strategy, security, staffing, you name it. For this reason, Lieberthal says it is important for everyone – vendors, distributors, MSPs and end users – to improve education and awareness of AI use cases and applications. Look out for our write-up in next month’s issue. It's easy to say MSPs should do more to educate themselves, but a lot harder to put into practice, especially when there is such a shortage of people with the right IT skills. I can’t help feeling that AI will quickly become a staple of Network Group’s Thursday morning meetings. In our feature on page 10, David Tulip explains how over the years Network Group has evolved from being primarily a buying group into a forum where members can share knowledge, find answers to problems that keep them up at night and gain expert advice on new and emerging technologies. Working together and being supportive of each other may be the best way to approach AI and harness its potential. The dangers of not working together are evident in the PSTN switch-off, which has been delayed until the end of January 2027. On page 28 we ask leading figures from the comms industry for their reaction to the postponement. Most welcome it on the basis that it will provide more time to find solutions to problems that have been thrown up, particularly around telecare. But there is frustration too, mainly amongst resellers who fear it will prolong the process and give businesses another chance to kick the can down the road. What everyone can agree on is that the Government (whoever that might be) needs to step up and do more to encourage businesses and the public to make the switch. 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. © 2024 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk 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 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 Bulletin Wavenet confirms plans to join forces with Daisy Corporate Services 10 MSPs Technology Reseller talks to David Tulip about Network Group’s first 30 years 16 Working Together This month’s round-up of new distribution agreements 18 Distributor News Varlink acquired by Poindus Systems 20 Telephony How GoTalk.ai is taking the pain out of on-hold messaging 22 Cover Story Partner with a quality UC provider 24 Customer Experience TelXL brings contact centre as a service to SMEs 24 Collaboration EvolveIP fires up partners at Williams Racing F1 Experience Centre 26 Apps How Gigabit Networks supports reseller partners 28 Ask the Experts Our panel of experts reacts to the postponement of the PSTN switch-off 32 Connectivity How Comms365 helps partners address customers’ connectivity needs 34 Q&A We quiz CEO Sandeep Johri about the Checkmarx One application security platform 36 Events Paul Johnson reports on the first Technology Reseller Golf Society meeting of 2024 37 Opinion James Munroe, Channel Director of Trend Micro, on why it could pay to be an MSSP 39 People New faces, new places 42 60 seconds with… Tim Bowers, CEO of HaloPSA TECHNOLOGY RESELLER MAGAZINE I N PRI NT & ONLI NE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016 Business Design Centre · London · 17 September 2024 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT 24
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