Technology Reseller - v29

technologyreseller.co.uk 07 TECH TRENDS security procedures to manage high volumes of remote access over the next three months, with 73% giving staff extra training on how to remain cyber-safe when working remotely COVID-19 turbo-charges existing trend Much has been made of the likelihood of long-term change to working habits caused by COVID-19 and the popularity of video meetings. In fact, analysis by Futuresource Consulting of 2,500 end users in the UK, USA, Germany and France suggests that the trend towards more frequent, more informal meetings was well underway before Zoom became such a cultural phenomenon, with nearly 40% of companies – twice as many as in 2018 – reporting that employees regularly hold meetings in ad hoc spaces like kitchens, foyers and reception areas. The research also highlights rising investment in meeting room technology, which Futuresource Consulting Associate Director Chris McIntyre-Brown says is driven by growing demand for smarter collaboration. “In our 2018 wave of research, the primary reason respondents gave for using conferencing technologies was to save time. In 2020 that was usurped by the ability to share content. As a result, we’re expecting to see a greater focus on display quality as the industry moves forward. Vendors will try to replicate the quality and experience of face-to-face meetings in their video conferencing solutions, and HD and 4K displays will become the expected norm.” Remanufactured IT wins new fans The shortage of in-demand home working tech, notably laptops, has benefitted remanufacturers, as we report on page 43. This includes Circular Computing, which each week has been producing three times its normal monthly output of carbon- neutral remanufactured laptops. It points out that even before the COVID-19 pandemic there was growing demand for its products, driven by rising prices for new IT caused by more expensive raw materials e.g. an 80% increase in the price of palladium this year. It also highlights the changing attitude of manufacturers, citing an HP direct mail campaign running in Denmark for its new Elitebook 840 G6 laptop, which also features the Elitebook 840 G1 from Circular Computing. Under the headline ‘We believe in reincarnation – at least when it applies to HP Notebooks’, HP explains that the Circular Computing 840 G1 looks and performs exactly like a new machine. Circular Computing says such an endorsement from a global brand is unprecedented. Founder Rod Neale added: “The endorsement from HP recognises that our remanufactured laptops offer the perfect solution for people working remotely who want identical performance and reliability to a new machine, but at lower cost and with immediate availability. Plus, users have the peace of mind of knowing their purchase is genuinely ethical. Every Circular Computing laptop is certified carbon- neutral, and we invest in reforestation, renewable energy and social programmes worldwide.” Not going to waste For businesses that still require new IT but don’t want to contribute to the worldwide problem of toxic e-waste, TCO has enhanced its TCO Certified Edge certification with a new option that gives purchasing organisations the opportunity to take responsibility for the e-waste they generate. When businesses buy an IT product with E-waste Compensated certification, an equivalent amount of e-waste is collected in a country that lacks safe recycling systems and is transported to a recycling plant where it can be recycled in a responsible manner. Circular service provider Closing the Loop is the first approved collector within the framework of TCO Certified Edge, E-waste Compensated. Circular Computing remanufacturing facility – UAE Booming tech sector attracts investment The UK tech sector’s investor and employment boom is highlighted in the Tech Nation Report 2020 produced by Tech Nation, the growth platform for tech companies. This shows that the digital tech sector grew six times faster than any other industry in 2018, contributing £149bn to the UK economy or 7.7% of UK GVA (the value of goods and services produced in the UK). The sector now employs 2.9 million people – 40% more than in 2017 – or 9% of the national workforce. The UK is home to 77 tech unicorns ($1 billion-valued companies) and 95 companies valued at between $250 and $800m in 2019. This is the most ever on record and a 27% increase from 2018. So far, these companies have raised £6.75bn and employ 17,475 people. UK companies secured a third of the £30.4bn of investment raised by tech companies during 2019 in Europe, with fintech, AI and healthtech all attracting late stage scaling investment. In 2019, 81.2% of investment into UK tech went to scaling firms (companies that have seen average annualised growth of at least 20% over three years with 10 or more employees at the start of the period). Manchester is the fastest growing European tech city, with a 277% increase in investment between 2018 and 2019, from £48m to £181m. https://technation.io/report2020/ Bucking the trend Software and computer services are bucking the trend in job creation from foreign direct investment (FDI), with a 39% increase in the total number of new jobs expected to be created from FDI in 2018/19, compared to a UK average decline of 24% from 2017/18 figures. Analysis of the latest Gov.uk figures by Specops Software reveals that 11,589 jobs will be created in the sector from last year’s investment, compared to 8,336 from FDI in 2017/18. https://specopssoft.com/