www.printitreseller.uk PRINT, MFP, SOFTWARE, SERVICES, DOCUMENT & CLOUD NEWS & INFORMATION FOR VARS, CONVERGED RESELLERS & MFP DEALERS PRINT IT AWARDS WORKPLACE A night to remember PAGE 18 PAGE 22 PAGE 50 60 SECONDS WITH... Caitlyn Bloor, Brother UK Krystol Slocombe picks her favourite work tools 20 23 Royal Lancaster · December 5 Major refresh for Brother laser printer line-up – see page 32 PRINT IT RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2011 ISSUE 113 · 2024
PRINTITRESELLER.UK 3 Following on from the big reveal of the 2023 PrintIT Award winners last issue, we asked the worthy recipients what being recognised with a PrintIT Award means to them – you can find out on page 39. There’s also a recap of the PrintIT Awards event which took place on December 5 at the Royal Lancaster, London – see page 22. It really was a night to remember and I for one, am already counting down until the 2024 edition! We introduced a ‘decade in print’ Q&A this time last year, a feature designed to celebrate the tenth anniversary year of PrintIT Reseller magazine. The original plan was to run it throughout 2023, but it’s been so popular that we’ve decided to keep it going. In this issue, David Thompson, Regional Sales Manager at Kofax shares his experiences over the past decade, what he’s learned, and the highs and the lows of our unique and challenging industry. Also in this issue, Krystol Slocombe, UK Field Marketing Manager at Lexmark, picks the work tools she uses every day and couldn’t do her job without (page 18). This month’s Q&A is with Ian Rudder, Managing Director, Vir2ue, and PITR spent 60 seconds with Caitlyn Bloor, Channel Marketing Executive, Brother UK. If you’ve got any news about your business to share, would like to be included on our monthly VOX POP panel, have a compelling business success story or simply wish to comment on any industry issues, please get in touch with me at: [email protected] Michelle Ryder, Editor PRINT.IT Reseller is published by Kingswood Media Ltd., 10 Amherst House, 22 London Road, Sevenoaks TN13 2BT • Tel: 01732 759725 Email: [email protected] www.printitreseller.uk No part of PRINT.IT Reseller can be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. ©2024 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk 04 Bulletin What’s new in printers and printing 16 People A round-up of new hires 18 I couldn’t do my job without... Krystol Slocombe picks her favourite work tools 20 A decade in print David Thompson shares his print experiences over the past decade 22 PrintIT Awards 2023 A recap of the 2023 event 26 Focus on: What’s New A round-up of recent product launches 30 Opinion A new opportunity to support retailers 32 Cover Story Brother refreshes laser printer line-up 34 Research Mobility in motion 36 Dealer Profile Oyster celebrates 40 years 39 PrintIT Awards Find out what winning means from the 2023 winners 46 Industry Insight Richard Wells, Head of Sales, Epson UK 48 View from the Channel Ian Rudder, Managing Director, Vir2ue 50 60 seconds with... Caitlyn Bloor, Channel Marketing Executive, Brother UK 2024 ISSUE 113 printitreseller.uk Comment Register online To receive your regular FREE printed copy of PrintIT Reseller Magazine simply fill in our online registration form at www.printitreseller.uk/register If you no longer wish to receive PrintIT Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] Read PrintIT Reseller online at: www.printitreseller.uk Join us : Follow us @print-it-reseller-magazine Issue 113 ISSN 2055-3110 (Print) ISSN 2055-3129 (Online) Group Editor: James Goulding 07803 087228 · [email protected] Editor: Michelle Ryder 01732 759725 · [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 07976 950285 · [email protected] Art Director: Nick Pledge 07767 615983 · [email protected] COMMENT Lexmark MPS Express Our turnkey cloud solution frees your customers and their teams from day-today printer management Scan the QR code to contact us now PRINT IT RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2011
BULLETIN 01732 759725 4 Outdated technology in the workplace New research from Ricoh Europe has revealed that there is a significant gap between employee expectations of technology in the workplace and what is currently provided by employers. The poll of 1,000 workers across the UK and Ireland, conducted by Opinium, found that nearly half of UK and Irish employees (46%) believe that their employer lags behind when it comes to adopting technology that would benefit them in the workplace. Hindering productivity 28% report that their remote work set up hinders their productivity, and 58% are bogged down by high administrative burdens. What’s more, only 68% of UK and Irish employees believe their employers provide the necessary technology to do their jobs well – highlighting a significant missed opportunity. Ricoh argues that businesses should look to process automation and workplace experience tools to improve collaboration and streamline repetitive workflows and tasks, ensuring workers are equipped to do their best work. Implementing the latest technology, such as workplace experience platforms, AV solutions and enterprise content management enables employees to focus less on admin, and more on value-added activities. Dennis Scannell, Director of Digital Service Consultancy at Ricoh UK, said: “What we’re noticing in the market is that more and more organisations are looking to re-imagine their workplaces to bridge the gap between employee expectations and the available technology.” Employers risk losing workers Without addressing these discrepancies in 2024, employers risk losing workers, who may seek alternate employment where their needs are better met. Almost one in three (30%) workers cited working conditions and their employee experience as a reason they would look for another job, while just under a fifth (18%) of employees noted the quality of technology software and technological devices as a leading contributor to them seeking alternate employment. Scannell noted: “We work with many UK businesses to transform their physical and digital workspace to be more collaborative and productive. For one of our customers, we were able to increase their office occupancy from 35% to 50% and deliver employee satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5, following a successful office transformation project. “Ultimately, we create workplaces where people feel fulfilled and are happy to work. Employee experience should be at the centre of any workplace transformation project.” Right tools and technologies 65% of employees believe they would deliver more value to their company if they had the right tools and technologies in place, the benefits of getting this right extend beyond talent attraction and retention. Nicola Downing, CEO, Ricoh Europe, said: “Looking ahead, it is imperative that businesses align their technology offerings with employee needs, particularly around process automation and workplace experience, which can help employees be more productive and focus on tasks where they can add more value. “As our research has revealed, any business which overlooks employee experience around workplace technology, risks losing valued team members who will simply look elsewhere for a workplace that meets their needs.” www.ricoh-europe.com Where do you take yours? We’re all about championing print at PrintIT Reseller, and we’d love to know where you read your issue. Whether it's atop a mountain, on a deserted beach, or even in the heart of a bustling city. We want to see where our magazine travels with YOU! This month, Richard Wells, Head of Sales at Epson UK took the magazine with him to Budapest, here he is pictured with Matthias Church part of Buda Castle area in the background. Nick Barnett, CEO at Asolvi decided to read his issue on the roof terrace at Asolvi’s Oslo office. And Louella Fernandes, Director at Quocirca travelled the furthest, all the way to Miami Beach. We want to see where you take your issue, so get the camera out and send me a pix of yourself reading PrintIT Reseller in the most unusual, far-flung spot you can find, and you could be featured in our next issue! You can reach me at [email protected] We can't wait to see the incredible places our magazine ends up. Richard Wells Nick Barnett Louella Fernandes
asolvi.com/workplace-technology BOOK YOUR FREE DEMO Quotations TCO Tools ESR & CO2 Calculator Meter Billing Contract Management Integrations Stock & Consumables Manage your entire sales and operations processes with the UK’s leading managed print and workplace technology solutions: mySalesDrive and Vantage Online. Supporting UK workplace technology providers for over 30 years
BULLETIN Charity support 2023 has seen Agilico's employees actively participate in a number of initiatives to make a positive impact in the communities where it operates nationally. It has raised more than £20,000 this financial year. In the Northeast, the company has partnered with Changing Lives, a charity dedicated to helping those experiencing homelessness and provided ongoing support throughout the year. The partnership extends beyond monetary donations, Agilico has held a corporate golf day and provided Christmas presents for Eslington House. Staff based in the region have also supported both the Alan Shearer and Greggs Foundations. In Scotland, Capital Document Solutions and Highland Office Equipment, are proud supporters of Mission Christmas which aims to ensure that every child in the country wakes up to a present on Christmas Day, regardless of their circumstances. And three Agilico colleagues at HQ near Southampton took part in a Santa Fun Run for Naomi House Children's Hospice. The Agilico team also contributed to the University of Kent Christmas Food and Gifts Appeal, donating ten boxes filled with food, gifts and toiletries for students who are facing financial hardship over the festive season. www.agilico.co.uk 01732 759725 6 Contract win Woodbank Office Solutions has been awarded the managed print contract by Leeds-based Williams Tanker Services, part of the international TIP Group and one of the UK's largest tanker service companies. Woodbank was selected after presenting a comprehensive managed print solution which achieves significant benefits for Williams Tanker Services by optimising their print infrastructure and eliminates the need for maintaining and replacing many of the printers they owned outright. The contract will also see Woodbank’s solution for Williams Tanker Services improve its environmental impact, increase GDPR compliance, and reduce their historically high managed print running costs. "We are delighted to welcome Williams Tanker Services as a new customer," said Managing Director Janet Bowden. "Our goal is always to provide our clients with tailored print management solutions that enhance productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. We are proud to have partnered with Williams Tanker Services in optimising their print infrastructure and look forward to continuing to support them and their business in the future.” www.woodbankoffice.co.uk SCC earns place on cloud framework SCC has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Cloud Compute 2 framework, further extending its service offering to the public sector. Cloud Compute 2 [RM6292] provides public sector buyers a route to procure cloud services including Infrastructure as a Service and Platform as a Service solutions. It is the second iteration of Cloud Compute, which launched in 2021 to complement the G-Cloud framework. Nigel Clark, Head of Public Sector said: “This is a new framework for SCC and provides another excellent route to market as we look to grow our hyperscale business and extend our well-established reach even further across the public sector.” www.scc.com A pivotal year 2023 was a pivotal year for Espria, its first full year under the new brand. The firm was recognised at the EnableX Partner Awards earning the Fastest Growing Pragma Partner £10m+ Turnover and was named Xerox Technology Partner of the Year. The company also retained its ISO certification; continuing to demonstrate its robust and defined procedures, delivering with quality and transparency in mind, as well as meeting the highest ESG standards. Espria took significant steps to make its supply chain more sustainable and achieve its target of 63% and replaced almost all employee laptops and monitors with British Standards Institute (BSI) certified refurbished devices. Chief Executive Officer Clinton Groome said: “As a leading independent managed service provider, Espria has a rich heritage for supporting business growth and change. For over 25 years, we have designed effective solutions to optimise efficiency, security and operational performance and we are excited to continue building on our successes in 2024.” www.espria.com XBM to purchase new HQ XBM has purchased a 16,000 square foot building in Morley, Leeds, where it plans to move its head office thanks to a £1.8 million loan from NatWest. The business has now acquired four buildings over the past decade thanks to financial aid and support from the bank. These include XBM’s current headquarters in Leeds in 2013, Newcastle in 2015, two Birmingham sites in 2018 and 2019, and Glasgow in 2023. The managed print and technology reseller company aims to turnover £30 million per year after the expansion of its Leeds HQ and warehouse site. Chairman Justin English said: “The purchase of XBM’s new Leeds HQ and our continued growth will create an additional 45 jobs and we are determined for our vision for the business to become a reality with the help of NatWest. We currently employ 65 staff across the four main sites and hope to almost double this figure in the next two years.” www.xbmltd.com Janet Bowden Nigel Clark
BULLETIN Xperience completes third deal Digital solutions specialist Xperience Group has acquired business applications solutions and managed IT services provider GCC Group, a move that will see GCC trade under the Xperience brand. The deal, Xperience’s third acquisition in 24 months and its first since Bowmark Capital invested in the business, strengthens its growing network of offices across the UK including Peterborough, Bury St Edmunds, Glasgow, Lisburn, London and Gloucester. Iain O’Kane, CEO, Xperience said: “The acquisition of GCC is strategically important as Xperience continues to build out its business application capabilities, enhancing our client proposition and broadening our footprint in the UK.” Chris Harthman, CEO at GCC, added: “Our ambition has always been to join forces with a company that shared our values and could continue to support our business strategy. As the relationship with Iain and his wider team has developed, it has been clear to me that Xperience represents a great home for GCC, and I am excited about what this transaction will provide to both our valued customers and quality team.” www.xperience-group.com Woodbank partners with MCS Group Woodbank Office Solutions has partnered with managed IT provider MCS Group. Under the terms of the agreement, Woodbank will look after the managed print service requirements for MCS Group clients as and when they are needed. The move came about after the MPS provider supplied a new multifunctional office printer and booklet finisher to MCS for their own offices. Woodbank Managing Director Janet Bowden said: “We often receive enquiries from IT companies when their clients need managed print services. It’s great when one of those IT companies is a new customer. It’s more rewarding when they approach you to discuss working in partnership because of your shared values as a business. We look forward to supporting the directors, the MCS Group, and their clients.” “As a company providing IT support, cyber security, and telecoms, our customers enquire if we also provide managed print services. We’ve considered partnerships before and are very conscious of the relationships we build; if it goes wrong it reflects on us. Because of the overall experience we’ve had with Woodbank as a customer, we knew they were the business we’d like to work with,” said Steve Marsden, Director at MCS Group.” www.woodbankoffice.co.uk PRINTITRESELLER.UK 7 Gamma acquires EnableX Gamma has acquired the EnableX Group which comprises three channel businesses, Pragma, Techland and Candio. EnableX CEO Will Morey said: “We are excited to be part of the Gamma Group and it is clear how the portfolio we have fits into Gamma’s strategy for growth and leadership in the UCaaS space. Bringing these businesses together will help us both bring additional value to the channel.’’ Daryl Pile, Managing Director, Gamma Business added: “We are delighted to welcome EnableX into the Gamma Group. This acquisition significantly expands our channel portfolio providing greater opportunities for our partners to accelerate their growth. We are proud to work alongside them and the partnership that they have forged with one of the leading business communications vendors, EricssonLG Enterprise. The most striking element throughout the process has been the close cultural alignment of EnableX and Gamma, both built on openness, loyalty and trust – we can’t wait to get started.” www.gamma.co.uk A new chapter Capital Document Solutions has announced a rebrand and change of name. Effective 15 January 2024, the company will now trade as Agilico. In a statement the company said: “It’s been just over a year since we joined forces with Agilico and we’re part of a family of UK businesses, each with the same customerfirst philosophy and deep expertise in managed print services and workplace technology. Now it’s time for the next step – from 15 January 2024 onwards, we become Agilico.” www.capital-solutions.co.uk Management buyout Just prior to the Christmas break, Richard Lamb and Richard Willson completed a majority sale of Apex Connected. Apex Founder Chris Hutchings has retained a minority shareholding but has resigned as CEO and will no longer be involved in day-to-day business operations. Managing Director Richard Lamb said: “This is a very exciting time for the business. Personally, I cannot wait to get stuck in and keep driving Apex forward. We have some wonderful customers, and we are looking forward to welcoming many more. Thank you to Chris Hutchings for all his work and support over the last 12 months. Together with Richard Willson I am looking forward to the next chapter in the Apex story.” Operational Director Richard Willson added: “I am thrilled to be a part of the management buyout along with Richard Lamb. This represents an incredible opportunity to leverage our collective strengths and drive the business forward. Together, we will build upon the solid foundation laid by the existing Apex team.” www.apexconnected.com Iain O’Kane and Chris Harthman Business Design Centre · London · 17 September 2024 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT 24
BULLETIN 01732 759725 8 Distribution agreement Keeper Security, the provider of zero trust and zero knowledge cybersecurity software for protecting passwords, passkeys, privileged access, sensitive information and remote connections has announced a new distribution agreement with Ingram Micro. The move will see the firm expand its presence in the UK, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. The company hopes the partnership will empower thousands of resellers to address the problem of compromised credentials, which research shows are responsible for more than 80% of modernday breaches. Robert Stockford, EMEA Director of Cyber Security at Ingram Micro, said: “Keeper’s solutions are a great fit to our overall cyber security offering, helping our partners deliver an easy to manage solution based on a zero trust methodology to keep their customers’ data safe.” www.keepersecurity.com Zero contract access Node4 Channel is collaborating with TD SYNNEX to offer partners a zero contract option that enables them to offer Veeam’s cloud backup as-a-service (BaaS) solution to their customers without having to make any up-front commitment to consumption levels. The partnership provides the distie’s Veeam partners with a simple and zero risk way to start migrating their customers who are still on perpetual licencing to the cloud. Available as a white-label service, it enables partners to access the full capabilities of the Veeam Cloud Connect backup ecosystem, maximise customer retention, and start building their own cloud practice and consumption income. Stuart Buckley, Business Development Director, Node4 Channel, said: “This alliance gives Veeam partners everything they need to start migrating customers to the cloud. We have a great platform that is really easy to use, while TD SYNNEX can provide the overlay of expert support and service that will give Veeam partners the confidence to start building their cloud business. We look forward to working with the TD SYNNEX team to help Veeam partners start the migration journey for their customers and their own businesses.” Simon Bennett, Managing Director, Advanced Solutions, UK, at TD SYNNEX, added: “Node4 Channel’s BaaS is ideal for partners that want to move their Veeam customers to the cloud as soon as possible. That’s the clear market direction now and it’s important for partners to take decisive action if they want to retain customers, continue to develop their customer base and build their consumption revenues.” The service is delivered from state-of-theart and highly secure UK data centres that are fully compliant with UK regulations. Node4 Channel provides 24/7 support to partners and end-user customers. The alliance with Node4 Channel is part of the continuing development of the TD SYNNEX partner ecosystem, which brings together channel businesses that have developed specific solutions or services with those that have complementary access to markets. This enables partners to fill gaps on their own capabilities, broaden their value proposition to existing customers and target potential new customers. https://channel.node4.co.uk Infinigate expands UK offering Infinigate has announced new and expanded partnerships with WatchGuard, Anomali and Bugcrowd. Meeting demand for more flexible consumption models, Infinigate is offering subscription billing across WatchGuard’s entire cybersecurity suite initially through its specialist secure cloud business, Infinigate Cloud, prior to its roll-out across the whole of Infinigate UK. Michael Frisby, Senior Vice President of Cloud Services, Infinigate Group, said: “We’re delighted to be the first UK distributor to bring fixed price subscription services for WatchGuard partners across the full product portfolio through the CORE platform (Infinigate Cloud’s Marketplace & Integrations platform). This will remove complexity and currency exchange fluctuation risk for our resellers, which in turn reduces operational overhead and frees time to focus on the end customer.” Just as the WatchGuard partnership builds on the vendor’s existing relationship with Nuvias, an Infinigate Group company, its new partnership with Anomali in the UK, Ireland and France extends an existing relationship between the vendor and Infinigate Group company StarLink in the Middle East and Africa. Anomali’s next-generation security operations platform leverages a big data engine, AI and machine learning and the world’s largest intelligence repository to automate threat hunting, reduce meantime-to-respond and empower business stakeholders to safeguard operations. The company has also enhanced its portfolio with solutions and services from multi-solution crowdsourced cybersecurity platform Bugcrowd. Initially available in the UK & Ireland (with an EMEA roll-out to follow), services include pen testing as-a-service, bug bounty, vulnerability disclosure programs (VDPs) and attack surface management. www.infinigate.com page 22 2023 Datech appointed distributor for Trimble Datech, the specialist design software solution business of TD SYNNEX has signed an agreement with Trimble to distribute SketchUp, an ecosystem of products and cloud services that enable architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals to create, communicate, and collaborate quickly and accurately. This agreement extends the availability of SketchUp to Datech partners in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. https://uk.tdsynnex.com Simon Bennett A night to remember!
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01732 759725 BULLETIN 10 Driving growth in cybersecurity sector TD SYNNEX has announced a European distribution agreement with global cybersecurity leader Palo Alto Networks, which will enable partners to access and resell the vendor’s full range of cybersecurity hardware and software products aimed at securing digital information backed by industryleading threat intelligence capabilities and strengthened by state-of-the-art automation. Through this agreement, TD SYNNEX will leverage its digital engagement and distribution capabilities both to support Palo Alto Networks’ existing and new commercial market partners, increasing the reach of the vendor’s solutions across the distributor’s extensive community of small and medium-sized value-added resellers in the region. Partners can access Palo Alto Networks solutions through TD SYNNEX’s digital commerce platforms and can also benefit from specialist sales and advisory support from the distributor’s local cybersecurity experts. Claudette Atkinson, Senior Director, Distribution EMEA & LATAM, at Palo Alto Networks said: "We're thrilled to announce our partnership with TD SYNNEX. It marks a pivotal leap in amplifying our reach to new SMB and commercial partners. With their robust digital capabilities and 'always-on' marketing approach, TD SYNNEX will help us unlock Palo Alto Networks' potential in this space. Together, we're ensuring more partners and customers engage with our platform story, delivering nextgeneration solutions to address today's security challenges for all customers." https://explore.tdsynnex.com/palo-altolaunch.html Official distribution partner Sol Distribution has partnered with global communication solutions provider Sangoma Technologies. “We are excited to formalise our collaboration with Sangoma Technologies as its official distribution partner and expand our reach into the UCAAS market, this is an exciting step for Sol Distribution to push new technologies to our client base,” said Graeme Sutton, Managing Director, Sol Distribution. “This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering top-tier solutions.” www.sol-distribution.co.uk Datech appointed distributor for Dassault Systèmes Datech has been appointed as a distributor for Dassault Systèmes’ DraftSight design and drafting software solution, across the North America and European regions. DraftSight from Dassault Systèmes provides a complete set of editing, design, and automation tools for the essential 2D and 3D CAD design and drafting needs of architects, engineers, design professionals, students, and makers. These include compatibility with industry standard file formats, a familiar user interface, flexible licensing options, and interoperability with Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA and SOLIDWORKS applications. https://uk.tdsynnex.com Allied Telesis extends reach into B2B market Allied Telesis, a global provider of wired and wireless networking solutions, has appointed TD SYNNEX as its distributor in the UK and Ireland, giving partners access to the vendor’s range of enterprise-class networking solutions. The distie’s pre-sales solution architects, sales support and business development managers will be working with the Allied Telesis channel team to meet all the needs of partners and support their business growth. The full Allied Telesis technology portfolio will be available in the TD SYNNEX Business Solution Centre (BSC), in Bracknell. In addition to meeting the needs of established Allied Telesis reseller partners, TD SYNNEX will be looking to identify and onboard businesses that can extend the reach of the company’s products in the commercial and public sector markets. Matt Child, Managing Director, Advanced Solutions, UK and Ireland, TD SYNNEX, said: “Allied Telesis is a valuable and significant addition to the TD SYNNEX Advanced Solutions portfolio, which provides our partners with an attractive set of connectivity solutions for their customers. We’ll be making all our expertise and services available both to established Allied Telesis partners and those who are new to its range of enterprise-class technologies and want to take advantage of growth opportunities they present.” www.alliedtelesis.com Fundraising at Westcoast Activities to support the valuable work of its Charity of the Year for 2023, Mind, saw the team at Westcoast take on walking, cycling and hiking challenges alongside a number of in-office fundraising days. The collective efforts successfully raised £8,500 which, with Westcoast matched funding, saw the company achieve a grand total of £17,000. Fundraising initiatives saw an eightstrong team take on the Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge in May. They hiked100 km from Corfe Castle to the Bridport finish line via Swanage and Lulworth Cove, over 28 hours, navigating the challenges of the coast path along the way. In September, seven Westcoast and Westcoast Cloud volunteers took on the challenge of battling their way across sixteen of London’s iconic bridges. The 25km challenge kicked off heading east from Putney Bridge to the finish line at Tower Bridge. In the same month, David Cheese achieved a 55-mile bike ride from London’s Clapham Common to Brighton pier. Westcoast team members also entered into the spirit of the season of giving, wearing Christmas jumpers (plus added tinsel, antlers, and festive hats), to raise further funds for Mind. The company has announced its support for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) naming it its 2024 Charity of the Year. www.westcoast.co.uk Matt Child
11 BUSINESS BRIEFING With traditional print revenues in decline, print IT resellers are turning to new revenue streams to grow their businesses. Grow Your Business by adding Energy to your portfolio solutions. Fidelity Energy’s dedication to responsible energy management aligns with the corporate emphasis on social responsibility. Fidelity Energy can install technology to optimise the voltage used by your customers, to help lower bills and enhance the longevity of equipment. They can also offer the procurement and installation of EV Charging points, as well as enable self-generation with Solar PV panels. Introducing renewable products like these allows you to generate another new revenue stream, while championing sustainable business practices and supporting your customers on their journey to a net-zero future. Fidelity Energy's user-friendly reseller program makes it exceptionally easy for print IT resellers to become part of the energy landscape. The straightforward onboarding process, along with sales training and support, facilitates the addition of energy solutions to your portfolio. Most of their resellers had never sold energy before, but with minimal effort you can create a simple, recurring revenue stream, becoming a one-stop-shop for your clients’ needs. All your customers consume energy, and a significant number will have high consumption rates, leading to substantial energy bills. The complexities of procuring energy for businesses, including comparing rates across numerous suppliers and navigating the market, can be overwhelming. With Fidelity Energy’s extensive relationships with the Big Six and smaller suppliers and even those exclusive to energy brokers, they simplify this process. Through a partnership, you can efficiently assess the entire market using their userfriendly, custom-built quoting portal. Within minutes of receiving your customer's energy bill, you can present the best available quote and unbiased advice, offering a swift and effective solution for your customers to make informed decisions. Teaming up with Fidelity Energy provides immediate advantages for print IT resellers. Their extensive network and experience, as one of the UK’s largest brokers, present a golden opportunity to leverage a well-established infrastructure. The management of over 12,520 meters demonstrates Fidelity Energy’s proficiency in overseeing diverse energy needs, making them a trusted partner for resellers and their clients. Fidelity Energy manages £550+ million customer spend and 3.1 tWh of energy, representing 1% of all commercial energy spend. Partnering with Fidelity enables print IT resellers to provide cost-effective energy solutions, yielding immediate savings in time and money spent on in-house energy contract management. In a cost-conscious era, delivering financial benefits makes Fidelity a powerful proposition for resellers. Integrating energy solutions as a print IT reseller extends beyond financial gains. Resellers become indispensable partners, offering comprehensive solutions for both printing and energy needs. This approach strengthens client relationships, fosters long-term loyalty, and represents a strategic move for immediate and lasting benefits. Fidelity Energy, a trusted partner with extensive experience, scale and expertise, enables resellers to effortlessly expand their offerings, creating a new recurring revenue stream and delivering tangible value to clients. Contact the team today to find out more at [email protected] Print resellers are well established as trusted advisors to their clients, which makes them perfectly placed to cross sell other products. One such product, energy, offers both financial gains and environmental sustainability. By using Fidelity Energy’s market leading technology portal, print resellers can enhance their product portfolio and offer more value to customers by integrating energy solutions, a promising strategic move. Fidelity Energy stands at the forefront of this transformative shift, providing a seamless entry point for print IT resellers into the world of energy procurement for your customer base. Fidelity Energy, a leading energy broker in the United Kingdom, helps over 700 channel partners utilise their expertise to sell energy as an additional product to their core business. As an established entity in the industry, Fidelity Energy have been energy experts for over 8 years and their customers continue come back with an 84% retention rate. This robust track record positions Fidelity Energy as a reliable partner for print IT resellers looking to expand their offerings and tap into the lucrative energy market. One of the compelling reasons for any print IT reseller to integrate energy into their portfolio is the seamless synergy between print and energy services. You are already deeply embedded in your clients’ operations, interacting regularly and understanding their unique business needs. By simply asking for a utility bill during routine visits, you can initiate the conversation about energy solutions. This ease of integration allows you to effortlessly offer additional value to your clients without significant disruptions to your existing business model. Beyond energy procurement, print IT resellers can advance sustainability goals by providing renewable John Haw Sean Dixon PRINTITRESELLER.UK
01732 759725 12 BULLETIN Ricoh acquires Albyco Ricoh’s production print customers are set to benefit from a greater range of finishing capabilities, following the acquisition of Albyco, a prominent player in the graphics business. The move is part of Ricoh’s wider growth strategy, positioning the company as a leader in the ever-evolving print and graphics industry. Albyco customers will have ready access to Ricoh’s portfolio of graphic communications solutions. For Ricoh, the acquisition further supports its continued focus on the graphic communications market in line with evolving customer needs, while further cementing its position in this space. The agreement will see Ricoh welcome Albyco’s workforce to the business, complementing existing expertise and capabilities. Albyco’s Managing Director, Jos van Uum, will remain in his current role and continue to grow Albyco’s business. Customers can expect continued support and an expanded range of solutions as Ricoh integrates Albyco's capabilities into its portfolio. Eef de Ridder, Vice President Graphic Communications Group, said: “This exciting acquisition is a move that reinforces our dedication to driving innovation in the print industry. We are seeing growing demand for top-tier finishing capabilities in wide-format and inkjet/toner printing at a commercial scale and rising interest from clients seeking endto-end integrated solutions. Albyco's strong reputation and proven track record in the graphic communications business makes it an excellent addition to the Ricoh family, further strengthening our collective capabilities.” www.ricoh-europe.com Threats hidden in plain sight Research has revealed that 33% of UK small businesses have no IT security measures in place to cover printers, despite 16% admitting to being impacted by a printer security breach. The pan-European research commissioned by Sharp, surveyed 5,770 professionals responsible for purchasing IT, on confidence in IT security capabilities and barriers to IT security investment over the next 12 months. Increased security threats such as phishing or ransomware attacks are a very real concern for the UK’s SMEs. Particularly as the exploitation of new vulnerabilities make networked devices, such as MFPs and printers, prime targets for IT security breaches. Yet, despite SMEs admitting to increased concerns surrounding IT security risks, the research found that less than a quarter of SMEs educate their employees about scanner (23%) and printer (23%) IT security. Colin Blumenthal, Vice President, IT Services at Sharp Europe, said: “Big stories about cybercrimes enabled by complex security technology earn the most media attention, it’s the more everyday business functions that can be the issue in SMEs. More often than not, dayto-day security essentials and potential weak spots such as printers are overlooked in their document, device, and network security. These are threats hidden in plain sight.” www.sharp.co.uk HPE to buy Juniper Networks HPE and Juniper Networks have announced that the companies have entered a definitive agreement under which HPE will acquire Juniper in an all-cash transaction for $40.00 per share, representing an equity value of approximately $14 billion. The acquisition is expected to double HPE’s networking business, creating a new networking leader with a comprehensive portfolio that presents customers and partners with a compelling new choice to drive business value. The explosion of AI and hybrid clouddriven business is accelerating demand for secure, unified technology solutions that connect, protect, and analyse companies’ data from edge to cloud. These trends, and AI specifically, will continue to be the most disruptive workloads for companies, and HPE has been aligning its portfolio to capitalise on these substantial IT trends with networking as a critical connective component. Combining both companies’ complementary portfolios supercharges HPE’s edge-to-cloud strategy with an ability to lead in an AI-native environment based on a foundational cloud-native architecture. Together, HPE and Juniper will provide customers of all sizes with a complete, secure portfolio that enables the networking architecture necessary to manage and simplify their expanding and increasingly complex connectivity needs. Leveraging industry-leading AI, the combined company is expected to create better user and operator experiences, benefitting customers’ highperformance networks and cloud data centres. www.hpe.com Konica Minolta extends partnership with Production Print Direct Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) has extended its partnership with Production Print Direct to include its range of digital label and packaging press solutions. Offering the enhanced range of industrial print solutions reflects the Burnley-based company’s commitment to supporting its customers across the north of England and Scotland, as commercial printers look to diversify and enhance their market offering. Mike Ashforth, Production Print Direct’s Managing Director said: “We celebrated our first decade of business in April this year and we are proud to deliver a one-to-one service, with a dedicated service team and the flexibility to act as soon as our customers need assistance or support. We are very excited to be extending our winning partnership with Konica Minolta and to be supporting our existing and new customers with their label production needs.” www.ppdirect.co.uk • www.konicaminolta.co.uk Business Design Centre · London · 17 September 2024 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT 24 (l-r) Jos van Uum, Managing Director, Albyco and Eef de Ridder, Vice-President, Graphic Communications Group, Ricoh Europe
01732 759725 14 BULLETIN A positive year of growth BIXOLON Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of BIXOLON, the global manufacturer of advanced receipt, label and mobile printers, has announced a positive year of growth against the backdrop of a challenging global economy. The business launched several new products and collaborations; was awarded the world number one mobile receipt printer manufacturer from independent research company Chunichisha Co., Ltd.; made strategic hires to support the business and customers; and re-launched its Unite Partner Programme. www.bixolon.com PaperCut MF 22 honoured PaperCut MF 22 has been honoured with a Buyers Lab (BLI) 2024 Pick Award from Keypoint Intelligence, in the category of Outstanding Print Management Solution for SMB & Education. When assessing PaperCut MF, Keypoint Intelligence was impressed by its ability to accurately track all print, copy, scan, fax, and fab-lab activities through a single application, and the proactive role it plays in reducing costs and meeting green initiatives; the latter being an increasingly important factor given stringent carbon reduction goals and the need for organisations to meet their own ESG targets. Critically, the judging team were also highly impressed by PaperCut MF’s security, praising its device hardening feature and secure pull printing. This ensures information is kept safe at the MFP device. The accolade from Keypoint Intelligence falls in the same year that PaperCut celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of crafting smart planet-saving print management software. www.papercut.com 100% renewable electricity As of December 2023, all electricity used at Epson Group sites is from renewable sources. This makes Epson the first among Japanese companies that have joined the RE100 to complete the transition to renewable electricity at all its sites worldwide, including Japan. The Epson Group consumes approximately 876 GWh3 of electricity per year. By sourcing renewables to cover this demand, the OEM expects to reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 400,000 tonnes. In addition to sourcing renewable electricity, Epson will promote the broader adoption of renewable energy, including by generating more of its own power and by supporting the development of new power sources through co-creation. The company also aims to reduce the amount of energy associated with production and products and will pursue further advances in resource circulation to attain the goal of becoming carbon negative. www.epson.co.uk Kodak Alaris wins BLI 2024 Pick Award Keypoint Intelligence has awarded Kodak Alaris a Buyers Lab (BLI) 2024 Pick Award for the Kodak S3120 Max Scanner. Launched in May 2022, the S3120 Max Scanner provides advanced production-level features with the ease of use and simple setup of a desktop device. This scanner features Perfect Page technology for optimal OCR accuracy, which is essential to intelligent document processing (IDP) and robotic process automation (RPA). Mark Davis, Analyst in Keypoint Intelligence’s Workplace Group said: “The KODAK S3120 Max Scanner can act as the main focus for scanning workflows, meaning that users do not necessarily need to rely on a PC to successfully scan documents - an impressive feature, helping to endear the device to current working practices.” www.alarisworld.com Volunteers help make a memorable celebration Konica Minolta has supported the Candlelighters Christmas Party as a part of its volunteering and fundraising pledge to the Yorkshire charity that provides much needed support to families dealing with children's cancer. Members of Candlelighters, Konica Minolta and other volunteers worked together to give children and their families a truly memorable day, dressing as Champ (the Candlelighters’ official mascot) as well as characters from Star Wars, SpongeBob, Olaf from Frozen and Lego Superman, and joining them for activities that included face painting, a disco and presents for everyone. Rob Isherwood, Customer Success Manager at Konica Minolta was one of the team who volunteered. He said: “It was a truly magical day and the smiles it brought to the children will live with me for the rest of my life.” 150 toys were added to Candlelighters’ Christmas boxes to be shared with the children. These gifts were donated by Konica Minolta and its employees (through the company’s Toy Drive initiative). A further 150 gifts were also shared with the Dynamic centre for children and young people with disabilities in Wrexham. www.konicaminolta.co.uk All about print Toshiba Tec recently hosted two partner events centred around the theme of ‘All About Print – Who and What? During the events the team showcased the new BC400P – industrial colour label printing and barcode solutions, cloud print management offering and officially launched its new range of A4 e-STUDIO MFPs and printers, to channel partners. Toshiba’s new range of A4 e-STUDIO MFPs and printers feature fast print speeds up to 50ppm, a 10” touch panel screen, 2,850- sheet paper capacity, WI-FI-option, a secure TPM (Trusted Platform Module) and energy-efficient low power supply. www.toshibatec.co.uk page 39 2023 What the winners say
KYOCERA Document Solutions (UK) Limited More than meets the eye. The ECOSYS PA6000x Series are more than just reliable, cost-e ective, carbon neutral workgroup printers handling up to 60 pages per minute. They're also your front-line agents in the hidden war against cybercriminals. Thanks to Kyocera's award winning K-level security, with ECOSYS PA6000x Series devices, the data you need to print will be for your eyes only. Find out more at kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.uk/pa6000series Discover more: kyoceraduk @KYOCERADUK kyocera-doc-solutions-uk • +44 (0)333 015 1855 [email protected]
01732 759725 16 BULLETIN : PEOPLE NFON begins new chapter Integrated cloud business communications provider NFON, has named Andreas Wesselmann as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Chief Executive Officer Patrik Heider said: “Our journey as a leading European cloud telephony company is shaped by steady growth and great pioneering achievements. It is essential that our product portfolio and technological platform provide reliability, scalability and innovative strength for advanced cloud solutions. The new executive team headed by the CEO and CTO live and breathe this new spirit. NFON is experiencing an unprecedented mood of optimism!” www.nfon.com Driving partnerships in UK&I OptimiDoc has hired Richard Houghton as Sales Manager for the UK and Ireland. He will oversee relationships with OEMs and partners in the UK and Ireland, aiming to tailor solutions to the unique needs of these regions. The company says that Houghton was drawn to OptimiDoc’s adaptive products, which are continually evolving to meet market needs. The cohesive team environment sealed the deal, emphasising that OptimiDoc is a company with cutting-edge software matched by an exceptional team. His immediate goal at the company is to establish solid partnerships and collaborations within the UK and Ireland, driving the company’s market presence to new heights. https://optimidoc.com Growth leads to appointments A positive year of growth led to a number of strategic hires to support the business and customers by BIXOLON. The sales team has expanded to include Joanna Latkowska and Paris Kapenis for BIXOLON’s CEE territories (Central and Eastern Europe). Neil Baker joined the Northern European team and Jesus Lacalle joined the Southern European team. Jeremie Brocas joins the French team and Dominik Pratz forms part of the German team. In addition, Giulia Tassone has been added to BIXOLON’s marketing team, and Neil Sully and Omar Hassanein have joined the technical department. www.bixoloneu.com Former VMware President joins Proofpoint Sumit Dhawan has been appointed Chief Executive Officer at Proofpoint. Chief Financial Officer Rémi Thomas who has been acting as interim CEO since October 25 will continue to serve as the company’s CFO. In his most recent role as President of VMware, Dhawan was responsible for driving over $13B of revenue and led the company’s goto-market functions including worldwide sales, customer success and experience, strategic ecosystem, industry solutions, marketing, and communications. www.proofpoint.com Henley Executive adds to team Jim Varnish has joined the Henley Executive team as Managing Consultant. Varnish has spent many years developing and recruiting teams within the telecoms space. In his new role, he will help drive Managing Director Max Levenger’s vision for the company to build market strategy and expand into new markets that encompass his speciality in technology services across permanent and contract positions. Levenger said: “Jim has the knowledge and experience of the headaches that the recruitment discipline can bring. This will give our candidates and clients a different perspective compared to most recruiters in the market, and we hope, also add a different dimension to our clients recruitment experience and processes. His initial mission will be to utilise his extensive base within the telecoms space and explore how we can grow the executive search / headhunting to add value into this market.” https://henleyexecutive.co.uk Organisational structure change Patrick Zammit has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer at TD SYNNEX, reporting to company CEO Rich Hume. In this new role, he will coordinate the company’s business strategy to drive profitable growth across all technologies, geographies and vendors, and to accelerate the adoption of new, high-growth technologies around the globe. Zammit has served at TD SYNNEX as President, Europe, since 2017, adding executive responsibility for Asia Pacific and Japan in 2021. With this organisational structure change, regional presidents in the Americas, Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) and Europe will now report into Zammit, along with the corporate functions responsible for global strategy and information technology. www.TDSYNNEX.com New hire at XBM Yorkshire-based XBM has appointed Mark Cranshaw to the post of National Service Manager to help further develop the company’s ‘customer first’ ethos. With over 30 years of hands-on technical and business experience in the ever-evolving office equipment industry, Cranshaw brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role at XBM. A technical support specialist for Sharp MFD equipment, he oversaw day to day running of service support for more than 2,500 clients. www.xbmltd.com Andreas Wesselmann Mark Cranshaw Richard Houghton Sumit Dhawan Jim Varnish Max Levenger Patrick Zammit
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