Technology Reseller - v19 2019

01732 759725 INNOVATIONS 06 Greenvoicing Organisations that switch from paper-based invoicing to paperless e-invoicing can cut their carbon emissions by more than 30%. So says Basware, a leader in networked source-to-pay solutions and e-invoicing. Its analysis shows that while reducing printing, distribution and paper manufacturing does lower the carbon impact, most savings derive from more efficient invoice handling. Basware says emissions generated by computing are not a big factor, as today most paper-based systems involve scanning and further handling by computers. www.basware.com Track and trace The Trexee IoT asset tracker and monitor from Neeco Global ICT Services enables companies to collect and analyse data about their assets and react to new information much more quickly. A step-up from existing asset trackers, Trexee can monitor and report the exact position of an asset, including its speed and direction of movement; temperature, air pressure and humidity; acceleration and tilting vibration patterns; and battery and voltage status. Security is ensured through 128-bit encryption and a VPN tunnel of global connectivity providers. The complete offering includes a GPS unit with motion and tilt detection; a responsive web portal; an embedded global SIM; and a mobile app. Neeco is offering versions for five vertical industries. www.neeco.com A meeting of minds Following an alliance between the two companies, Lenovo is to include Avocor in its Vendor Label Hardware Program. As well as selling Avocor’s E series, F series and Windows collaboration displays, Lenovo plans to market bundled offerings and co- develop collaboration solutions with Avocor. Windows collaboration displays enhance teamwork by delivering Microsoft 365 at room scale and include IoT sensors for monitoring devices and the environment. www.avocor.com 5G blast-off As part of a 5G pilot at Manchester airport – the UK’s first 5G-connected airport – Vodafone was giving visitors to its 5G ‘blast pod’ a free Entertainment Pass for streaming service NOW TV. Using a 5G-enabled portable router (the Gigacube), they were able to download an episode of Tin Star in 45 seconds and the whole series in six minutes and seven seconds, compared to 26 minutes and eight seconds using 4G. Free access EdTech charity LGfL and Adobe have joined forces to give 3,000 schools across the UK free access to Adobe Creative Cloud. Offered as part of an LGfL Let’s Get Digital high speed internet subscription, Adobe’s software provides a range of tools for graphic design, video editing, web development and photography, plus mobile applications and optional cloud services. Participating schools also receive free access to Adobe Spark for Education, a suite of storytelling applications for creating mobile and web content. https://adobe.lgfl.net Azure boost Microsoft is more than doubling the size of its Azure regions in the UK with the launch of Azure Availability Zones. This new investment means that Microsoft has increased the compute capacity in UK Azure regions by more than 1,500% since they were brought online in 2016. An Azure region is defined as an area containing at least one Microsoft data centre. Out of 54 Azure regions globally, there are two in the UK – South and West – hosting data for tens of thousands of Microsoft cloud services customers. Availability Zones, now introduced to UK South, are separate, physical locations within an Azure region that provide added protection against hardware or software failures. School building The Acronis Foundation has helped build a new school in the remote village of Soupa Serere in Senegal. The joint project with non-profit organisation buildOn will provide a safe learning environment for 140 pupils. Foundation sports partners Rokit Williams Racing Formula One and Arsenal Football Club helped kit out the school with educational supplies, shirts and footballs. The Acronis Foundation is already involved in the building of four other schools and plans to build 15 more over the next four years. https://acronis.org/ Northern Lights move south Huawei marked the UK launch of its P30 smartphone series by bringing the Northern Lights to the Tower of London in a laser art installation by immersive artist Dan Acher. Anson Zhang, Managing Director of Huawei UK’s Consumer Business Group, said: “What better way to showcase the unparalleled photography capabilities of our flagship smartphone than to recreate the breath- taking natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights in London.” https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=xtlG4D6sOno more... Photo credit: Alioune Gueye Sall