Technology Reseller - v22

technolog y reseller.co.uk NEWS : DISTRIBUTORS 07 Specialist AV distributor Midwich Group has opened a new 50,000 square foot southern showroom and multi-vendor experience centre at Innovation House, Segro Park, Bracknell, Berkshire. As well as showcasing technologies from Group companies Midwich, PSCo, Sound Technology, Holdan and Invision, Innovation House will provide consolidated office space for Midwich Technical, previously based in Crowthorne, and LED and Rental specialist PSCo, which will be relocating from Reading. Facilities include a 14-metre-high research and development space, dedicated training rooms, a cinema, flexible event space, offices for up to 80 technical specialists and a new service centre for Mi Support, an enhanced aftercare option that can be purchased when customers order technical products from Midwich. To mark the opening of the new premises, PSCo is throwing an Innovcation House Party on August 20-22. https://www.psco.co.uk/news-and- events/events/innovation-house-party/ Midwich Group opens southern showroom Nine out of 10 resellers value aligned technical account management Nine out of 10 resellers see the value of aligned technical account management and would like to see more investment in such services, claims Tech Data. Andy Brown, Tech Data UK’s Advanced Solutions Technical Services Director, said: “The customer survey revealed that there is a growing need amongst resellers for high quality technical services at both the pre- sales and post-sales stages. Within Tech Data, we have an exceptional professional and technical services team and our customers call on that capability to fill any gaps in their own skills or as additional capacity when they have a high volume of work to manage.” He added that making use of Tech Data’s expertise in area such as analytics, Big Data and IoT makes it easier for partners to enter new markets and develop solutions based on emerging technologies. Other areas resellers believe would benefit from additional investment include support and access to expertise on business intelligence (cited by 85%) and partner-to-partner collaboration (72%). www.techdata.com Connect Distribution celebrates first 50 years Home appliance service, spare parts and accessories distributor Connect Distribution is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The family-run business, established in 1969 by Michael Depper to supply local repair shops, today employs 600 people at its Birmingham headquarters and distribution facility. Managing Director Andrew Sharp said: “We’re extremely proud of our track record but it is important that we continue to innovate. From the early eighties, we were at the forefront of the industry with our next day delivery service; in the nineties, our customers were among the first to benefit from an offline, pre-internet CD ordering system; and at the turn of the millennium we launched ‘Connections’, our instant ordering trade web platform.” He added: “To celebrate 50 years of innovation, we’ve introduced an instant messaging system, LiveChat, to our trade website. This provides instant access to our customer service team, allowing us to solve queries in real-time.” In addition to its distribution business, Connect supplies technology components to end users via the eSpares online store, including parts for smartphones, tablets, printers, laptops and other gadgets from brands such as Apple, LG, Samsung and Sony. www.connect-distribution.co.uk Ingram Micro/Synaxon donation Synaxon UK, the channel services group for resellers, managed services providers, independent retailers and office products dealers, raised more than £2,000 for the Harry’s Rainbow charity at its annual Gala Dinner sponsored by Ingram Micro. Donations received from members and supplier partners more than matched the € 1,000 pledged by Synaxon, bringing the total raised to £2,005. Harry’s Rainbow, based in Milton Keynes, supports children who have been bereaved of a parent or sibling. www.harrysrainbow.co.uk Key supplier Hoover presented Connect Distribution with a 50th birthday cake, which was then donated to Birmingham homeless charity SIFA Fireside. Odette Mould, Harry’s Rainbow CEO and Family Liaison Officer, receives a cheque for € 1000 from Mike Barron, Channel Director of SYNAXON UK. Andy Brown