Join us in 2023 IN PRINT & ONLINE v57 · 2023 www.technologyreseller.co.uk THE MAGAZINE & ONLINE CHANNEL RESOURCE FOR MSPS, IT RESELLERS & IT SUPPORT PROVIDERS PAGE 22 Q&A MARKETING View from the Channel PAGE 38 PAGE 34 Nimans’ Stephen McIntyre looks forward to another year of growth With Keith Ali, Group MD of Creative ITC Putting partner marketing on the map with Coterie Community
15th& 16thMarch 2023 | ExCeL London FREE TICKETS AT BUSINESSREVIVALSERIES.CO.UK JOIN US AT THE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY EXPO!
technologyreseller.co.uk 03 If you no longer wish to receive Technology Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] COMMENT ‘I'm quite strange. I love going to these things and standing around talking to people.’ So said EKM Group’s Ian Silvester when I spoke to him about Technology Live 2023, taking place in London on September 12 (see page 19). He’s being harsh on himself. Plenty of people would agree that meeting prospects and catching up with existing customers and suppliers is a good use of time that can also be enjoyable. In fact, according to a recent survey by etc.venues, admittedly an owner of 500,000 square feet of meeting/conferencing space, 99% of event planners now value face-to-face meetings more than (or as much as) they did before the pandemic. This is up from 82% a year ago, which suggests that people are getting real benefits from being in the same room as customers/prospects/ suppliers. Technology Live 2023 aims to optimise the cost:return ratio for exhibitors and visitors alike by providing a compact one-day event, minimising time out of the office, where vendors from across the ICT spectrum can meet existing contacts and forge new relationships with resellers/MSPs looking to diversify into new areas. Even if you are quite happy with your existing business relationships, there is great value in attending events like Tech Live just to be part of a wider community with shared challenges and experiences. In this issue, we hear from a number of advocates of community-building, including Network Group’s David Tulip (page 32), whose top tip for MSPs in 2023 is ‘to go and find your people’, and Coterie’s Helen Curtis (page 34), who has set up a new community to support partner marketers – a large but under-represented and perhaps under-appreciated group that is becoming ever more important to vendors and channel organisations with the rise of the ‘as a service’ model and customised solutions involving multiple brands. In-person gatherings are crucial to both organisations. Industry awards ceremonies are obviously another great occasion for people to get together and at Kingswood Media we are looking forward to welcoming hundreds of people from the ICT sector to the Technology Reseller Awards, taking place on May 25. You still have about four weeks to submit an entry and I would urge everyone to do so. You may win an award, but even if you don’t the exercise can be beneficial. I was talking to a marketing person from a large distributor who said that she had been able to provide masses of detail in response to a customer query only because she had already gathered that information for an awards entry. Turn to page 20 for more about the awards. Good luck with your entry! 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. © 2023 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk v57 · 2023 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 @techreselleruk www.facebook.com/TechnologyResellerMag 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 News Channel leaders confident of finding staff they need 08 Distributor News EVO saves 600 jobs with CBS acquisition 09 Working Together A round-up of the month’s new distribution agreements 10 Reseller News Onecom makes first acquisition of 2023 16 Cybersecurity Why regulators need to take a harder line on cybersecurity 19 Technology Live 2023 Ian Silvester of EKM Global shares his experiences 20 Technology Reseller Awards 2023 Awards categories and deadlines 22 View from the Channel With Keith Ali, Group MD of Creative ITC 24 Ask the Experts Trends in automation for MSPs 32 Events Technology Reseller speaks to Network Group MD David Tulip 34 Marketing How the Coterie Community is putting partner marketing on the map 38 Q&A Nimans looks forward to another year of growth 40 60 seconds With Phylip Morgan, Chief Revenue Officer, EMEA, Pax8 42 People New faces, new places www.trawards.co.uk Business Design Centre · London · 12 September 2023 23 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT
Channel leaders confident of ability to recruit and retain skilled staff Despite the widely acknowledged shortage of workers with good IT skills, the latest channel insight report from channel services provider Agilitas IT Solutions suggests that business leaders in the IT channel are optimistic about their ability to attract and retain talent. Almost two thirds (64%) of the 250 leaders working in UK-headquartered technology companies with more than £5 million in turnover surveyed for the EVOLVE for Your People report gave their ability to recruit skilled staff a rating of 8 out of 10 or above, contributing to an overall confidence rating of 7.8. When asked how confident they were that they had the right recruitment policies in place to appeal to potential recruits, business leaders returned a rating of 7.6, up from 7.3 in 2021. Channel leaders are also confident that they have the workplace culture to support the long-term retention of staff (7.9). When asked to select three things that could most improve workplace culture, the top rated initiatives were: hybrid and remote working (39.2%), diversity and inclusion (32.4%), team building/ social activities (31.2%), company-wide communication (30%) and responding to employee feedback (29%). The EVOLVE for Your People report can be downloaded from www.agilitas.co.uk/ agilihub/initiatives/evolve-peoplereport/ · · · · · · Cybersecurity teams spend half their time on manual tasks The third edition of Panaseer’s Security Leaders Peer Report looking at the concerns and constraints facing CISOs and other senior cybersecurity leaders across the US and UK highlights the growing burden of manually collecting and reporting on security data. Panaseer found that teams now spend 59% of their time on these tasks – a 9% increase on the previous year’s research and a 64% rise from the first survey in 2019. Overall, 70% of security teams spend more than half of their time on manual reporting, leaving less time for threat detection and vulnerability patching. Andreas Wuchner, Field CISO at Panaseer, said: “To reduce the significant amount of time spent manually reporting, CISOs and their teams need to be looking to automation. As well as freeing up qualified security professionals to dedicate time to higher value tasks – from threat detection to business continuity planning – automation provides the road to accurate, trustworthy data. We need to prioritise the maturation of automation, metrics and risk management in order to help teams cope with heavy reporting workloads.” Worst year yet for cyber attacks A surge in cyberattacks in the final three months of last year made 2022 the worst year on record for malicious online activity against UK businesses, according to Beaming, the business internet service provider (ISP). Its analysis shows that UK companies experienced an average of 687,489 online attempts to breach their systems in 2022, surpassing the previous record of 686,961 attempts set in 2020. October to December 2022 was the busiest quarter for cyberattacks on UK businesses since Beaming began tracking malicious web activity in 2016, with companies experiencing an average of 177,228 cyberattacks each in the quarter. Almost 1.2 million IP addresses were used to launch cyberattacks on UK businesses in 2022, according to Beaming, more than one fifth of which are in China (268,484 locations). Other prime launching pads include the USA (90,663), India (46,783), Brazil (46,783), Russia (35,842) and Taiwan (30,581). Sonia Blizzard, Managing Director of Beaming, said: “UK businesses have experienced a constant bombardment of NEWS 01732 759725 04 N E W S Nurturing a sustainable, people-first culture for the future. FOR YOUR PEOPLE 2023 REPORT Internet founder fathers share $3 million prize fund Internet founding fathers Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Bob Kahn, Vint Cerf, Sir David Payne and Emmanuel Desurvire were among the winners at the second VinFuture Prize awards ceremony held in Hanoi, Vietnam in December. The VinFuture Prize was established by the VinFuture Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation set up by Vietnam’s first billionaire Mr. Pham Nhat, founder of Vingroup, and his wife Mrs. Pham Thu Huong. It recognises inventors and researchers whose scientific and technological breakthroughs have the potential to positively impact the lives of millions of people and advance sustainable development. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Bob Kahn, Vint Cerf, Sir David Payne and Emmanuel Desurvire received the Grand Prize and a share of the $3 million prize fund in recognition of their contributions to network technology and the World Wide Web. Other VinFuture Prize winners chosen from nearly 1,000 nominations from 71 countries were: n Dr. Demis Hassabis and Dr. John Jumper, who received the Special Prize for Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields for their work on AlphaFold 2, an AI program that has predicted the 3D structures of almost every protein; n Pamela C. Ronald, winner of the Special Prize for Female Innovators for her breakthroughs in the development of high yield, stress-tolerant rice varieties; and n Thalappil Pradeep, winner of the Special Prize for Innovators from Developing Countries for his development of a low-cost filtration system to remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater. The awards ceremony was opened by Christina Aguilera. Christina Aguilera
technologyreseller.co.uk 05 cyberattacks over recent years, but the volume of activity had appeared to be falling from the extraordinarily high levels that accompanied the first Covid lockdown. The surge in malicious online activity we witnessed in 2022 is a timely reminder that no one can afford to be complacent.” www.beaming.co.uk · · · · · · Automation to fill skills gap Faced by skills shortages and rising wages, as many as 77% of UK organisations are turning to technology to carry out jobs previously performed by people, according to a new survey by Rackspace Technology. Roles in customer service are the most likely to be automated (cited by 70%), followed by IT operations (62%), sales and marketing (57%), business operations (56%) and HR and admin (56%). With two thirds (65%) of companies finding it difficult to fill technical vacancies and a similar proportion (62%) struggling to retain IT staff, UK companies are now investing 1.5 times more money in roles performed by technology than those performed by people. This trend is supported by growing confidence in technology’s return on investment among senior leaders. Three in five (58%) organisations admit ROI on technology is encouraging further financial commitments. https://www.rackspace.com/ solve/2022-managing-it-challengingeconomic-times · · · · · · Carbon offsets pave the way to net zero The extent to which businesses are relying on carbon offsets to meet their net zero emission targets is highlighted in a new survey by Kana Earth, creator of an open, auditable and scalable ledger for UK carbon offset units. Its survey of board directors of FTSE 350 listed companies reveals that almost all (96%) have increased expenditure on carbon offset projects and/or carbon credits over the past 24 months, with 59% having done so ‘dramatically’. Around half (47%) say they plan ‘dramatically’ to increase their expenditure on carbon offset projects/carbon credits over the next two years; 42% say they will increase expenditure slightly. More than one third (35%) of FTSE 350 companies say they are already carbon-neutral, with 60% saying they are well advanced on their way to becoming carbon-neutral. · · · · · · IT teams at fault for missed goals Pure Storage is calling on IT professionals to collaborate more closely with sustainability leaders when selecting IT, following a study by Wakefield Research that highlights the damaging effects of technology infrastructure energy usage on corporate sustainability goals. Drivers of Change: Pure Storage IT Sustainability Impact Sur vey 2022 reveals that half of UK companies are behind on their sustainability goals, despite 73% treating sustainability initiatives as a priority. One reason is the amount of energy consumed by IT, with 90% of UK sustainability program directors doubting whether organisations will be able to reach their sustainability goals without a significant reduction in IT infrastructure energy usage. Instead, 76% expect the impact of technology infrastructure on their companies’ carbon footprint to grow over the next 12 months. The report attributes significant blame to IT teams, with 63% of UK respondents saying that vendors’ sustainability credentials tend to be overlooked during the vendor selection process and 64% say sustainability managers only become involved once the purchasing process has already begun. One third of respondents identified IT as the function least likely to take steps to support their company’s sustainability goals. www.purestorage.com · · · · · · Act now to reduce IT stress levels, says CAE IT professionals are dismissive of employer attitudes to security, which they say is adding considerably to stress levels, reveals new research commissioned by IT infrastructure solutions provider CAE Technology Services Ltd (CAE). In its survey of 200 IT professionals working in UK organisations where the IT function supports 250-2,499 users, only 7% of respondents said security was at the forefront of their organisation’s thinking, even though 92% agree that security risks have increased in the last five years and 62% say they are under more pressure through a combination of security risks and pressure from employers. More than half (53%) say they feel more stressed about security concerns at work, with 48% complaining that rapid/ forced deployment of new tools as a result of hybrid working has created challenges around security. Four in 10 complain of insufficient resources and training. Dene Lewis, Head of Technical Strategy and Direction at CAE, said: “We’ve seen a real sea-change in security architectures and hybrid working impacting how organisations manage their IT security and those who provide it. Organisations must act now to ensure they have a secure business and a happy, healthy workforce.” https://www.thisiscae.com/ NEWS continued... Brother has recycled 40 million toner cartridges globally since the launch of its programme in Europe in 2004 – enough to reach from the business’s global Recycling Technology Centre in Ruabon, Wales to its headquarters in Nagoya, Japan. Brother has four remanufacturing facilities globally – in Wales, Slovakia, the US and Asia. Of the 40m cartridges returned to them by customers, 86% have been remanufactured and put back into use. Any parts that can’t be reused are recycled, ensuring that nothing goes to landfill. Sonia Blizzard
From cloud workloads to steaming water Imagine if the heat generated by your cloud workloads could provide free hot water for households. This is the possibility being explored by Civo, a cloud native service provider, in partnership with heata, a green distributed compute network which originated as a British Gas project to help people living in fuel poverty. The two companies are conducting a pilot programme under which Civo customers will be given the option to run offline batch cloud compute workloads (high-volume, repetitive data jobs that don’t require real-time processing) on heata’s network of small compute servers attached to domestic hot water cylinders in people’s homes. The waste heat generated by these servers, which in data centres would require air conditioning to cool, is instead used to heat the water in the cylinder, transferred via heata’s patented thermal bridge technology. Each server can produce up to 4.8kWh per day, which at average utilisation levels could meet 80% of the host household’s hot water needs at no cost, saving 1 tonne of carbon per year and using 56% less electricity than a typical data centre plus separate water heating. Data centres are projected to generate 1.8 gigatonnes of CO2 and use 8% of global electricity by 2030. Currently, 2060% of a data centre’s energy is spent on air conditioning. Heata servers are quick and simple to install and have no impact on the heating system warranty. Chris Jordan, Co-founder and CTO of heata, said: “Our mission is to unlock the value of the waste heat from compute, turning a compute problem into a climate and social benefit. Working with partners like Civo is critical as we look to extend our network, building trust and inspiring more organisations to run their compute workloads in a more sustainable way.” Heata.co · · · · · · 5G to unlock connected vehicle use cases The number of connected vehicles in service globally is expected to more than double over the next four years, from 192 million vehicles in 2023 to 367 million in 2027, according to a new report from Juniper Research (Connected Vehicles: Operator Opportunities, Competitor Leaderboard & Market Forecasts 2023-2027). Connected vehicles are defined as vehicles equipped with communication technologies that allow the exchange of information between various elements of the transport system and third-party services. Their growth is being driven by advances in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and the capabilities of in-vehicle infotainment systems. The report’s authors identify the high speed and low-latency of 5G as critical to unlocking use cases, such as autonomous driving and data-heavy infotainment via 5G, with 5G set to account for 23% of automotive cellular connections globally in 2027. The research predicts that by 2027 commercial vehicles will account for 20% of connected vehicles worldwide, up from 16% by the end of 2023. While commercial vehicle design is currently not leveraging connectivity beyond simple emergency call features and basic connected infotainment systems, this is starting to change as businesses prioritise fleet tracking and logistics capabilities. https://www.juniperresearch.com/ whitepapers/why-operators-are-drivingconnected-vehicles · · · · · · Microsoft and LinkedIn training Microsoft and LinkedIn are hoping to plug the skills gap by providing free access to 350 courses and launching six new Career Essentials Certificates for the most in-demand jobs in the digital economy (in a choice of seven languages). The two companies will also be offering 50,000 LinkedIn Learning scholarships to help people get ahead in their skilling journey Designed to make it easier for employers to find and recruit people with the right skills, the new Career Essentials Certificates cover Administrative Professional, Project Manager, Business Analyst, Systems Administrator, Software Developer and Data Analyst roles. By 2025, Microsoft hopes to have trained and certified 10 million people through this initiative. opportunity.linkedin.com 01732 759725 06 NEWS continued... 1000th partner for Lease Group Lease Group, a channel-only, mainly online funding service for suppliers in the telecoms, IT, AV and energy sectors, has announced the onboarding of its 1000th partner, three years after it took the decision to diversify into other markets beyond telecoms. Since rebranding from Lease Telecom to Lease Group at the end of 2019, the finance provider has doubled its partner base from 500 to 1,000 partners. Channel growth has been driven by renewable technologies, with over 100 renewable energy suppliers joining Lease Group’s partner base in 2022 alone, and the popularity of ‘as-a-service’ offerings in the IT and AV channels. Lease Telecom still operates as a brand under Lease Group, alongside Lease AV, Lease ICT and Lease Energy, and remains the UK’s leading B2B funder of telecoms and smartphones, with a 500-strong partner base. Simon Fabb, Director at Lease Group, said: “The key to running a successful finance programme is to develop a solution that approves finance at a far quicker speed than a traditional bank loan. Our partners have access to our suite of white-labelled finance tools, including instant quote generation, online credit decisions and real-time order tracking. All of which makes offering monthly payment options on the latest tech effortless.” www.leasegroup.co.uk Smartphone and consumer technology brand Xiaomi has opened its second bricks and mortar store in the UK, in Birmingham New Street. With 5,200 members, the West-Midlands has the largest Xiaomi fan community outside London. As well as providing a showcase for Xiaomi products, such as the Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone ranges, the Xiaomi Book S, Xiaomi Pet Feeder and Smart Pet Fountain, the store boasts an in-house repair centre. Simon Fabb, Lease Group
technologyreseller.co.uk 07 WORKING TOGETHER AD DWS SOGEA: CONNECTIVITY TO TRANSFORM BUSINESSES Take advantage of the all-IP transition opportunity by selling SOGEA and preparing your customers for the biggest change to communications in over 30 years CONTACT US TODAY t. 0330 100 1233 | e. [email protected] digitalwholesalesolutions.com Connectivity | Mobile | Voice | IP Communications Software Marketplace | Product Supply SOGEA – the Single Order Broadband Solution Available to over 28 million UK premises Bandwidth options from 0.5Mbps to 1Gbps at competitive price points Simple to sell, deploy and support with flexible terms Biggest trending Broadband product in 2021
01732 759725 08 NEWS : Distributors Jason Boxall Alison Nixon Andrew Gake EVO acquires CBS, saving 600 jobs across UK EVO, the UK and Ireland’s largest specialist multi-channel business supplies and services distributor, has acquired the trade and assets of business supplies and services provider Complete Business Solutions (CBS), saving more than 600 jobs across the UK. With over £100m sales in 2022, CBS is one of the UK’s largest providers of workplace supplies and associated services, including stationery and office supplies, IT and tech support, copier and printing supplies, workspace equipment and installation, PPE and workwear. EVO CEO Andrew Gale said: “We are delighted to end the uncertainty and bring CBS into the EVO family, which we believe is the best outcome for all. This was very much a team effort, and I am grateful and indeed very proud of the EVO team, our shareholder Endless, and our banking partners Breal Zeta and Leumi ABL, who have worked tirelessly to ensure this acquisition was concluded as quickly as possible. “CBS is a great addition to the EVO group of companies and will operate as a stand-alone business. Our priority over the coming weeks is to restore stability and confidence for CBS employees and, most importantly, to maintain excellent service to the CBS customers.” EVO has annual sales of almost £500 million and a completely integrated sales, marketing, distribution and procurement platform that connects leading brands with its partner network. Every year, it processes 28 million order lines on behalf of partners and delivers more than 16 million parcels to businesses through its own transport fleet. www.evo-group.co.uk Flexible finance from beginning to end TD SYNNEX has launched a new finance offer that lets customers fund investment in new technology solutions without having to find up-front capital and then choose from a flexible set of options at the end of the agreement period. The Flexscription service has been developed in collaboration with CF Corporate Finance and is available through TD SYNNEX’s Tech-as-a-Service platform, which enables partners to offer customers any combination of hardware, software and services on a subscription basis. It differs from other finance or leasing options in that, as well as allowing customers to invest in new technology solutions right away, it provides several options for the end of the agreement. Customers can either return the equipment, roll it on at the same rate, extend for 12 or 24 months, or make a one-off final fee and have indefinite use of the equipment. All options are embedded into the agreement and are set out clearly at the start. Mike Yiannakou, Director, CF Corporate Finance, said: “By offering clear end-ofcontract options, we’re giving the customer greater reassurance and taking the risk out of financing hardware.” https://uk.tdsynnex.com/ Public sector boost for AWS partners TD SYNNEX has extended its multi-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Amazon Web Services EMEA (AWS) to include public sector business in countries across Europe. The extension gives TD SYNNEX partners access to a wider range of AWS cloud services for national, regional and local governments and public institutions involved in healthcare, education and other nonprofit activities. TD SYNNEX can help partners accelerate their AWS public sector offerings by providing access to dedicated programmatic support; pre-packaged Click2Run solutions based on TD SYNNEX’s Cloud Solutions Factory for AWS; and, with its StreamOne Ion Enterprise platform, a robust tool to simplify and consolidate the management of consumption and billing for AWS services. Jason Boxall, Senior Vice President, Advanced Solution, Europe at TD SYNNEX, said: “Our focus is always on helping our partners to grow and evolve their businesses and we will leverage the combination of specialist local expertise complemented by the regional platforms, programs and solutions architecture that have been core to the success of our collaboration with AWS so far.” https://uk.tdsynnex.com/ Getech Achieves Cyber Essentials Plus Certification Getech, a value-added distributor of edtech and end-user computing solutions, has become one of just 8% of UK businesses to attain Cyber Essentials Plus certification. The Government-backed and industrysupported scheme helps businesses protect themselves against cyber-attack and gives suppliers/customers reassurance that they have controls in place to mitigate the risk from common cyber threats. Getech MD Guy Watts said: “This is a huge achievement for a company like Getech. As we grow our customer base across both public and private sector clients, it’s essential we have robust security measures that surpass the expectations of our customers and users.” He added: “This is the result of an outstanding level of effort from our IT Manager, Michael Peck, who prepared for and got us through the accreditation.” TD SYNNEX extends ecosystems programme to cyber security TD SYNNEX is extending its ecosystems initiative to cyber security to encourage alliance building between partners with complementary digital security skills. Currently being used successfully for manufacturing, healthcare and retail and distribution, the ecosystems programme is designed to help partners with skills and specialisations in different areas to share experiences, ideas and best practices and potentially forge mutually beneficial commercial partnerships. Participants will be able to draw on services and support provided by the TD SYNNEX security practice, including Security Practice Builder, which helps resellers establish their own cybersecurity services business, and the RECON Security Suite of managed and subscription-based services covering identity and access management, security consulting, SOCaaS and backup and recovery. Alison Nixon, Security Business Unit Director at TD SYNNEX, UK, said: “There is a multiplicity of reseller businesses, solutions integrators, service providers and specialists in all the different areas of digital security, but few, if any, have the knowledge and skills they need to offer a complete cybersecurity offering to their end user customers. In addition to that, cybersecurity skills can only be acquired at a huge premium right now. These are significant challenges for partners and one very good way of addressing them is through partnering. “The Cybersecurity Ecosystems community will provide a valuable forum through which partners can explore new possibilities and the different pathways and options that we provide for them to develop their security and data protection business.” https://uk.tdsynnex.com/
technologyreseller.co.uk 09 WORKING TOGETHER Nick Bannister Anti-fraud solution for Microsoft CSPs launched by TD SYNNEX TD SYNNEX has launched a pre-configured, easy to deploy anti-fraud solution to safeguard Microsoft cloud partners against threats such as phishing and, especially, cryptomining, where criminals hi-jack cloud accounts and spin-up servers that they then use to produce cryptocurrencies. Currently available at no charge to TD SYNNEX’s Microsoft CSP partners, TD SYNNEX SMB Fraud Defense helps small businesses improve the security posture of their cloud environment and set up alerts for any potential misuse or fraudulent activity within their customers’ Azure environments. Features include multi-factor authentication (MFA); the ability to configure conditional access; geographic restrictions for logins; and Azure cost management, including usage thresholds and alerting Darren Dixon, UK Microsoft business unit manager, TD SYNNEX, said: “TD SYNNEX SMB Fraud Defense enables Microsoft CSP partners to better control their cloud environments whilst reducing risk in dayto-day cloud operations. It’s simple and cost-effective to deploy and, most important of all, provides a line of defence for SMBs to counter these threats. It’s a brilliant way of adding value for customers and building up trust and loyalty.” uk.tdsynnex.com/ A solid defence As part of a new sponsorship agreement, Westcoast Cloud, a #Cyberfit delivery partner of Acronis, is providing Reading FC with a full suite of cyber protection solutions and Microsoft cloud solutions, plus advice and training. Westcoast Cloud MD Mark Davies said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Reading Football Club and Acronis in supporting the football club with their cybersecurity requirements. This is one of the biggest areas of concern for companies in the modern era, and providing a secure and robust solution with Acronis is paramount in protecting the club’s assets.” Acronis Cyber Protect will provide Reading FC with fast, reliable backup and AI-based anti-malware, accessible from a single intuitive console. www.acronis.com/en-us/msp-sports/ Pax8 is partnering with Crewhu to provide MSPs with an automated way to collect and track client and employee satisfaction data through Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS). The addition of Crewhu’s web-based recognition and gamification platform to the Pax8 cloud marketplace gives MSPs a new way to measure CSAT for their help desks and sales teams. Custom-built for MSPs, it includes integration with PSA tools and gamification to reward employees for client service and teamwork. Ryan Walsh, Chief Operations Officer at Pax8, said: “MSPs are searching for ways to measure CSAT for their help desks and sales teams so their businesses can grow and thrive. Crewhu is the first vendor in our cloud marketplace that offers solutions to measure customer and employee satisfaction, equipping MSPs with powerful metrics to improve their business operations and stay ahead of their competition.” www.pax8.com Mayflex, a distributor of converged IP solutions, has strengthened its relationship with Motorola Solutions, through a new agreement to distribute AVA cloud-based video security solutions. Like Avigilon, Indigo Vision and Pelco, also available from Mayflex, AVA is now a Motorola Solutions company, following its acquisition last year. Simon Steer, Security Director at Mayflex, said: “AVA is a truly innovative cloud solution that we feel has huge potential due to the rapid growth of 5G and generally improved internet speeds and coverage. With its advanced analytics and ease of install, the AVA solution provides a serious alternative to current systems on the market and can also be integrated with legacy cameras so that you can take advantage of the revolutionary AI capabilities via a hybrid cloud.” AVA cameras feature built-in storage, AI video and audio analytics and encryption in transit and at rest for end-to-end security. www.mayflex.com www.avasecurity.com Cybersecurity VAD e92plus is enhancing its offering with a new managed service from Digital Risk Protection experts Skurio that helps MSPs identify potential cyber threats and detect data leaks across customers’ digital supply chains. It does this through a combination of 24/7 monitoring of the surface, deep and Dark Web for customers’ data and real-time alerts that enable MSPs to act quickly to mitigate risk and prevent attacks on customers. Skurio CEO Jeremy Hendy said: “Adding Skurio to their portfolio allows e92plus MSPs to extend their customers’ defences beyond their network perimeters, protecting their data from cyber threats wherever it lives.” www.e92plus.com CMS Distribution is offering its network of resellers and MSPs a powerful messaging archiving solution through a new partnership with Global Relay. A long-time leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Information Archiving, Global Relay provides cloud-first message archiving, supervision and eDiscovery solutions for highly regulated industries. It enables users to archive data of every type from multiple messaging platforms (email, instant social, mobile, web) in a secure Global Relay Archive or other destination. Discovery tools enable users to organise and analyse data to meet compliance requirements and gain insight into trends and business processes. globalrelay.com www.cmsdistribution.com Arrow Electronics has signed an agreement with Devo to distribute its cloud-native suite of Security Operations Centre (SOC), Security Information Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR) solutions in the UK. Together, Arrow and Devo will aim to deliver what Devo calls the autonomous SOC – complete visibility, automation, analytics and open access to security community expertise and content. Nick Bannister, Vice President Sales for Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions business in the UK and Ireland, said: “Devo is proving itself to be a leading choice for monitoring real-time threats and focusing on the detection of critical issues to resolve them on large-scale infrastructure.” fiveyearsout.com Working together This month’s round-up of new distribution agreements
01732 759725 10 NEWS : RESELLERS Oncecom announces first acquisition of 2023 Onecom, the LDC-backed communications technology provider, has started 2023 with the acquisition of Midlands-based IT services provider IMS Technology Services Limited. Founded in 2002, the Microsoft Partner provides a range of IT services, IT support and unified communications solutions to more than 600 customers across the UK. IMS Technology Services is Onecom’s ninth acquisition since 2019 as it continues to broaden its IT services offering and geographical reach to provide customers with a single source for their communication tools and IT services. Martin Flick, Onecom Group CEO, said: “Economic uncertainty and accelerating convergence of communications and IT technologies will increase UK businesses’ dependence on the expertise of specialist suppliers such as Onecom. IT services and communications tools should no longer be sourced independently if cost and operational effectiveness are to be achieved. Onecom’s proposition is designed to help our customers leverage evolving technologies to deliver operational efficiency, technical innovation and high staff productivity.” Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Hampshire, with regional offices across the UK, Onecom is a provider of IT services, communications and unified solutions across fixed line voice, connectivity and managed cloud. It has strategic partnerships with Vodafone, Microsoft, Google, Mitel, Samsung, Apple, Gamma and Five9, amongst others. www.onecom.co.uk Silver ranking for OT Group Business services and workplace solutions provider OT Group has been awarded a Silver medal by EcoVadis in recognition of its sustainability management and performance. This puts it in the top 25% of organisations assessed. EcoVadis ranks businesses using 21 indicators, including sustainable objectives, implemented activities, certifications and controlling measures, across four key pillars – environment, labour & human rights, sustainable procurement and ethics. Andrew Jones, CEO of OT Group, said: “As a vital part of our clients’ supply chains, they trust us to support their sustainability obligations and aspirations. Receiving the Silver award enables us to assure our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders of our environmental commitment, while encouraging those within OT Group to continue integrating sustainability into the way we work.” Part of the wider Paragon Group, OT Group incorporates the OfficeTeam, OT Wholesale, Office Depot UK & Ireland, Spicers Ireland, and Zen Office brands. https://otgroupltd.co.uk/ccs/tailspend Martin Flick B Corp win for Commercial Commercial Foundation, the social enterprise founded by Cheltenham-based business services group Commercial, has been awarded B Corp certification in recognition of its social and environmental standards and commitment to goals other than shareholder profit. Since it was founded in 2015, Commercial Foundation has helped more than 130 16-24-year-olds outside work or education to gain skills, experience and self-confidence through its #NoLimits employability programme. This includes work experience at the Foundation’s WE DO. Print studio. Commercial Foundation is one of 1,000 regsitered companies in the UK and 6,000 worldwide to have been awarded B Corp status. www.commercialfoundation.co.uk Commercial Foundation (l-r): Print Account Manager Harry Styman; Director Adam Miller; Commercial Co-founder and Managing Director Simone Hindmarch; Foundation Production Apprentice Jake McGregor; and Production Manager Emily Jewell celebrate achieving B Corp certification. Fisco extends service offering with Apogee Facilities management and cost reduction company Fisco UK is expanding its IT services offering to customers through a new partnership with managed workplace services (MWS) provider and HP company Apogee Corporation. Taking advantage of Apogee’s Affinity Partnership Programme, it has seamlessly integrated Apogee managed print services (MPS), managed IT services (MITS) and outsourced document services (ODS) into its existing offering for clients in the manufacturing, professional services, warehousing and logistics sectors. The partnership has already delivered impressive results for Fisco UK clients, including a 28% increase in MFP uptime compared to the previous MWS supplier. Fisco UK itself has benefitted from access to additional resources, including Apogee’s 200+ person engineering team and Apogee-led training for internal salespeople, plus a percentage of revenue from successful referrals. John Edmonds, Account Director at Fisco UK, said: “Client success stories are coming thick and fast following our partnership with Apogee. The service excellence provided by Apogee’s dedicated teams has completely eliminated unnecessary touch points, giving our clients consistent access to quick, efficient and reliable support. And, of course, the HP association provides further assurance that we can rely on Apogee to deliver every time.” apogeecorp.com Comms and mailing from one source Agility Comms has joined forces with The Mailing Room to provide customers with a single source for telecoms services, including broadband, and mailroom technology. The merger, which builds on Agility’s strong growth of 56.55% in FY21 and 88.70% in FY20 and TMR’s own expansion with six acquisitions since 2015, is expected to present significant cross-sell opportunities for both entities. The 2025 Switch-off, for example, means that the thousands of businesses that still use PSTN and ISDN connections to run their franking machines will require new connectivity services or upgrades to existing franking hardware. https://agilitycomms.co.uk/
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01732 759725 NEWS : RESELLERS 12 Networking specialist ITM Communications acquired by Aliter Mark Barber New look for SoftwareOne SoftwareOne Holding AG, the global software and cloud solutions provider, has adopted a new brand identity to reflect its evolution over the last five years from a licensing reseller into a global software and cloud solutions provider. The rebrand, which introduces a distinctive black and white logo in which the word Software is incorporated into the word One, can be seen on the company’s global website today and will be rolled out locally across SoftwareOne’s 90 markets over the coming months. Since 2018, SoftwareOne has expanded its professional and managed services portfolio organically and via acquisitions, adding over 5,500 new employees and tripling in size. Today, the company offers cloud and application services, SAP services, digital workplaces, security and FinOps, as well as commercial software offerings such as IT Asset Management (ITAM), software sourcing and software publisher advisory. SoftwareOne has also developed vertical expertise in the construction, finance, government and non-profit sectors. Dieter Schlosser, CEO of SoftwareOne, said: “Our new brand reflects the all-inone provider we have become. The way organisations buy and manage software has been changing for years, driven by the move to cloud and an everything-asa-service model. Drawing on our strong foundation and licensing expertise, we have built a holistic offering and an exceptional team of experts to serve our clients along their entire cloud journeys.” www.softwareone.com IWG Ensono extension IWG, owner of leading co-working and serviced office brands like Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature, has extended its 15-year partnership with Ensono by three more years to accelerate the migration of its business applications to a new cloud-based solution that will facilitate the provision of personalised digital services to customers. Already operating 3,500 flexible workspace locations in 1,200 towns and 127 countries, IWG plans to add an additional 1,000 locations to its network in the next year or so. Ensono.com • www.iwgplc.com Aliter Capital LLP, a specialist investor focused on small to mid-size UK support services businesses, has acquired the network connectivity and IT managed services provider ITM Communications Ltd (ITM). The investment secures a third platform business in Aliter’s £134m second fund, Aliter Capital II, completed in December 2022. Based in Milton Keynes and with 85 employees, ITM specialises in supporting ICT infrastructure with expert capabilities in five areas – cabled & wireless connectivity, physical infrastructure, converged IP, offsite staging and logistics, and site technical services. ITM’s current management team of Mike Jackson, Mark Barber and Lynda Ayris, who led an MBO of the business in 2010, will remain in place, assisted by Aliter partner Greig Brown, who has joined the ITM board as a non-executive director. ITM Director Mark Barber said: “We have been aware of Aliter for some time and having seen what they achieved with North, a business operating in sectors similar to ITM, we believe strongly the added support of the right investment partner with significant experience and resources will help us accelerate the next stage of ITM’s development.” North, a networking and connectivity provider, was acquired by Aliter in 2018 and sold in 2021 after four acquisitions in three years had increased revenues to £45m and headcount to 265. Greig Brown added: “ITM is a great example of the type of business we are looking to back, where we can use our sector expertise to support future growth. We have a strong track record in this sector and see clear potential to grow this business, both organically and through bolt-on acquisitions.” www.itm.uk.com • www.alitercap.com atom partners with Pragma Newcastle-based atom technology solutions, founded in 2021, has added iPECS Cloud and complementary Ericsson-LG services from distributor Pragma to its offering for customers in the North of England and Scotland. The telecommunications and IT services provider’s in-house engineers already have years of experience installing and supporting Ericsson-LG on-premise telephony solutions and, with Pragma’s help, are now undergoing technical accreditation on the company’s iPECS Cloud offering. Dean Cowens, Managing Director of atom technology solutions, said: “Working with Pragma and Ericsson-LG Enterprise was a no-brainer. We have previously worked with the team, and some of our clients have deployed their solutions. The journey to the cloud with Pragma is natural for these clients, as and when the time is right.” Ionize a rising star Ionize, the Aberystwyth-based provider of ICT solutions and services, is offering to help other resellers exploit opportunities with Webex, after picking up the Webex Rising Star Award EMEA at the recent Cisco 2022 Webex Partner Awards. The award recognises Ionize’s achievement in growing its Webex business to 35 customers, from a standing start in November 2021, and adding to its initial focus on Webex Calling with the addition of Webex Contact Centre. In its citation for the award Cisco noted how, even though it was brand new to Webex Calling, Ionize became certified, placed its first order and had the customer up and running within five days, adding an additional 20 orders within just 8 weeks. Ionize MD Kristian Ellmore said: “We honestly could not have done this without the support of (distributor) TD SYNNEX, particularly in the early stages when we needed to get accredited as quickly as possible. They have been excellent at navigating us through the administration and ordering side of things. “I imagine there are probably quite a few partners who for whatever reason don’t want to take on Webex work and it would be a shame for those partners to miss those opportunities, even if they are only for a single user. I think that’s where we can help, by partnering with them and leveraging the support that TD SYNNEX can provide, to help them expand their business.” https://www.ionize.co.uk/
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14 01732 759725 NEWS : RESELLERS UK Connect builds on existing Cala Group business Hello Accrington! Sundown Solutions, the Accringtonbased tech consultancy and MSP, capped another stellar year by booking Toploader to perform at its Xmas party. The band, with over two million album sales and several top 20 hits to its name, entertained staff and guests at a black tie event held in Accrington Stanley’s £2.5 million hospitality suite. Sundown Solutions has increased its headcount from 12 employees to 73 over the last two years and is looking to recruit 70 more in support of its ambitious growth plans. www.sundownsolutions.com Another Nybble Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has renewed its recent technology partnership with Nybble IT, a Blackburn-based IT managed services provider. Nybble became a Strategic Partner of the Chamber in 2021, providing Greater Manchester Chamber members with tech support in everything from cloud solutions to cyber security under the guise of the GM Tech Support Service. Symatrix taking on more staff to support record growth Symatrix, a Manchester-based Oracle HCM and ERP partner, is planning to increase staff numbers by 50% to more than 150 employees over the next 12 months to support its continued growth. This builds on a doubling of the firm’s headcount from 56 to more than 100 in 2022, following record revenue growth of 35% (projected) in the financial year to February 2023, up from 18% in the previous financial year, and a record pipeline of consulting and managed services projects for 2023. Chris Brooks, Managing Director of Symatrix, said: “We are very proud of our performance in these challenging times both in terms of winning net new customers across multiple sectors, including some very large contracts, but also with regard to our success in winning more work from existing customers. ”More than 50% of the company’s revenues are recurring. Growth is being driven by overseas activities – Symatrix opened a wholly owned division in India, Symatrix Global IT Services, in 2021; strong demand for its BPO Payroll Service and growing interest in the Oracle HR Help Desk solution designed to help HR teams manage queries more efficiently; and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). www.symatrix.com Cloud pioneer signs 100th Oracle NetSuite client Eureka Solutions is celebrating winning its 100th Oracle NetSuite client – Trinity Grain, a grain storage cooperative with 300-plus farming members. The cloud software specialist recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with Oracle NetSuite, during which time it has more than doubled in size to become a £5m+ business with more than 70 staff and one of the biggest NetSuite providers in the UK. Trinity Grain, with locations in Wiltshire, Berkshire and Hampshire, provides members with grain storage facilities and pooled resources for marketing, transport and other services. Its new Head of Finance, Caroline Whillock, who had worked with Eureka Solutions while overseeing the financial transformation of virtual reality gaming firm nDreams, drew up a shortlist of potential partners to modernise Trinity Grain’s business management and financial software before appointing Eureka Solutions. Eureka Solutions CEO David Lindores said: “Reaching our 100th customer is a brilliant achievement. The fact that it is thanks to a returning customer is the cherry on top. Return business is the greatest compliment we can receive. It is a real testament to our team and our approach.” www.eurekasolutions.co.uk UK Connect has won an exclusive contract to deploy, install, manage and support connectivity and IT services at all Cala Group construction sites across the UK. Previously, the construction sector specialist supplied many, but not all, Cala Group site offices and sales suites with rapid Cellular Broadband connectivity. Under the new contract, UK Connect will replace on-site fixed-line services and traditional IT systems at all Cala Group construction sites, including Cala Homes and Legal & General Homes sites, with 5G and IT connectivity solutions. UK Connect’s Cellular Broadband connectivity solution can be installed in just a few days, giving Cala teams full connectivity and fast communications from day one, unlike traditional wired connectivity solutions (including copper and fibre broadband), which can take months to install on new sites. In addition, UK Connect will provide on-site teams with a range of fully managed IT services, including Network Operations Centre (NOC), a 24/7 IT Support Helpdesk and fully configured and installed IT resources, including 5G EnterpriseGrade routers from Cradlepoint, wireless connectivity through a partnership with Ruckus Networks, VoIP telephony solutions and onsite IT hardware. UK Connect’s national network of professional engineering teams will be available to support Cala Group’s IT needs, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. UK Connect Managing Director PJ Farr said: “We are delighted that Cala Group has chosen us as its national exclusive Managed IT Service Provider for its construction sites. As a longstanding customer of ours, we have built a trusted relationship with Cala’s central IT operations and regional businesses and are excited to be building on this relationship over the coming years. Our unrivalled technology solutions, combined with our national network engineering teams, means that we are in a fantastic position to support Cala’s sites across the UK.” www.ukconnect.com Toploader performing at Sundown Solutions’ Christmas party
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