IN PRINT & ONLINE v63 · 2023 www.technologyreseller.co.uk THE MAGAZINE & ONLINE CHANNEL RESOURCE FOR MSPS, IT RESELLERS & IT SUPPORT PROVIDERS PAGE 20 PAGE 30 M&A TECH LIVE PAGE 10 All you need to plan your visit on September 12 Vincent Disneur shows new venture in Tech Live Incubator Zone Redsquid extends its reach with two more acquisitions EVERYTHING YOU NEED, ALL IN ONE PLACE Headline Sponsor 23
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technologyreseller.co.uk 03 If you no longer wish to receive Technology Reseller magazine please email your details to [email protected] COMMENT There’s a lot written about MSPs being trusted technology advisors for small and medium sized businesses – with good reason. Talking to David Weeks of N-able (see page 40), it is clear that they are also trusted advisors to each other. N-able like many providers of software and platforms for MSPs seems to devote as much attention to creating a thriving community where MSPs can learn from each other as it does to developing its products. It is a cliché to say that ‘we grow by enabling our partners to grow’ but with N-able this really is the case. This tendency is very apparent at MSP industry events where companies seem quite happy to provide floor space to competitors, presumably on the basis that a rising tide lifts all boats but also because, as Weeks said to me, ‘I just don't think it's feasible for any vendor to be everything to everybody’. Cloud marketplace Pax8 can often be seen at such events and it, too, sees the value of bringing together partners/competitors to share best practice. Aaron Watts, the company’s VP of Sales for EMEA, says Pax8’s US business uses the term ‘collapetition’ to describe collaboration between competitors. Its vision for its new Cloud Marketplace (see page 14) will test the limits of this notion by seeking to take data from MSPs’ ecosystems via their PSAs into its platform where it can be used to identify sales opportunities and security gaps and other insights. It’s a good idea but will all PSAs want that level of integration? On September 12, Technology Reseller will be doing its bit for the wider MSP community by staging Technology Live 2023 at the Business Design Centre in Islington. This one-day event brings together IT, print and comms resellers/ MSPs looking for lucrative new product areas to move into and vendors on the look-out for ambitious partners to increase sales and expand their market footprint. There is a great mix of vendors at the event (see pages 24-26) and what promises to be an enlightening conference programme (see page 20), followed by After-show drinks where you can mix with colleagues, peers and what Pax8 might call collapetitors (try saying that after a couple of drinks). If you haven’t already registered, do so now at www.technologylive.co.uk. See you there. 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 v63 · 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 New role for BT street cabinets 07 Partner programmes New channel partner programmes 08 Distribution Intec Microsystems targets £100 million turnover 09 Working together A round-up of the month’s new distribution agreements 10 M&A Redsquid completes two more acquisitions 12 Buy and build Resellers on the acquisition trail 14 Cloud Pax8 outlines vision for new Marketplace 20 Tech Live 2023 Conference programme and exhibitor list for September 12 event 28 Q&A With Tech Live exhibitor Dropbox 30 First look FuseGenie to unlock opportunities in software integration 32 View from the Channel With Martin Lauer, CEO of The One Point 34 60 seconds with... Jason Kemsley, Director of Uptime Solutions 36 Events Paul Johnson’s Golf Society bulletin 39 Scanners Canon has VARs and MSPs in its sights 40 MSP tools N-able encourages MSPs to explore Comanaged opportunity 44 Channel Bulletin News from the reseller and distribution communities 46 People New faces, new places Headline Sponsor Business Design Centre · London · 12 September 2023 23 ICT · MANAGED IT · MOBILE · PRINT tech-live.co.uk
01732 759725 04 NEWS Cabinet reshuffle BT Group’s start-up and digital incubation hub Etc. has announced a series of pilots, starting this autumn in Northern Ireland, to assess the technical and commercial viability of converting decommissioned street cabinets (previously used to provide copper-based broadband and phone services) into electric vehicle charging points. The Government is committed to growing the number of UK charge points from 45,000 to 300,000 by 2030 and repurposing existing infrastructure could play a key role in helping them to do this. Early projections by Etc. suggest that two thirds of BT Group’s 90,000 cabinets could be converted into EV charging points, either as a dedicated BT Group venture or in partnership with other organisations. Tom Guy, Managing Director of Etc. at BT Group, said: “With the ban on sales of internal combustion engine vehicles coming in 2030, and only around 45,000 public charge points today, the UK needs a massive upgrade to meet the needs of the EV revolution. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect for good in a whole new way by innovating around our cabinet infrastructure.” www.bt.com/about ······ An addition of note In an industry-first, online visual communications and collaboration platform Canva is giving users the option to include commercially released music clips in their designs at the point of creation. Agreements with Warner Music Group and Merlin will enable Canva Pro, Canva for Education, Canva for Nonprofit and soon Canva for Teams customers to use clips of their favourite songs from the Merlin, Warner Recorded Music and Warner Chappell Music libraries in videos for social media (including TikTok), as well as presentations and training material. Recording artists will earn royalties when clips of their songs are used in published Canva designs. Canva recently launched Beat Sync, a tool in the Canva editor that helps users match their video footage to the beat of a selected soundtrack. ······ Barcode Warehouse opens Newark innovation centre The Barcode Warehouse, the business technology solutions integrator specialising in barcode and RFID technology and mobility managed services, recently opened its third site in Newark, Nottinghamshire. The Innovation and Customer Experience Centre (ICE) gives visitors the opportunity to see at first-hand technology solutions and applications for the manufacturing, healthcare, field services, retail, hospitality, transport and logistics industries, as well as leading brands such as Samsung, Epson, Zebra and Honeywell. Still a family-run business, The Barcode Warehouse was established in Newark 35 years ago and now employs more than 300 people, many from Newark and the Sherwood District. The purpose-built 25,000-square foot ICE includes interactive meeting and training rooms, demonstration areas, a café, an auditorium and break-out spaces. www.thebarcodewarehouse.co.uk ······ Tech sector accelerates move back to the office Out of all industries, the technology sector saw the greatest shift back to office working in the 12 months from May 2022 to May 2023, according to global workplace consultancy AWA. Its analysis of 119 workplaces and 155,000 employees in 22 countries shows that average office attendance in the technology sector increased from 15% to 32% in this period, with 46% of desks being NEWS continued... CYBER TRENDS AI please n UK SMEs handle 597 cybersecurity alerts a day. n Security staff have an average of just two minutes to assess each incident. n 4 in 10 cybersecurity alerts are not investigated. n 35% of UK SMEs have two or fewer people in their cybersecurity team. n 30% use 21-30 security products, with one in eight using 31-40. n 29% want to be able to deploy AI and machine learning so that they can respond to and prevent attacks autonomously. (source: Censornet, State of AI in Cybersecurity) Protection? What protection? n 85% of organisations have a cyber resiliency strategy in place, but only 23% have confidence in it and 53% admit it could be improved. n 70% say they lack the skilled workers to respond effectively to a data breach or loss. n 29% would definitely pay a ransom, and 62% would consider it depending on the ransom and the severity of the attack. Only 9% rule out paying a ransom. n 48% say it is harder to get insurance now than it was three years ago. (source: Cohesity, 2023 State of Data Security & Management Report) Thanks for the help! n 70% of security analysts say the number of security tools they have has increased significantly over the last three years (70%). n 66% say the number of alerts they manage has increased significantly in the last three years. n 39% of security analysts agree security tools increase their workload. n 41% agree that security vendors flood analysts with pointless alerts because they are afraid of not flagging a breach. n 71% admit their organisation may have been compromised and they don’t know about it yet. (source: Vectra, 2023 State of Threat Detection) Gavin Jones
technologyreseller.co.uk 05 NEWS AD DWS TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW We connect technology resellers and MSPs to the best IT, Comms and Cloud products and services, making it simple for you to create brilliant technology solutions for UK businesses. Power in Partnership. DWS, Giacom and Union Street have come together under one brand. Giacom. www.giacom.com
01732 759725 06 NEWS used on average, up from 21% in 2022. With this leap, the IT sector has almost caught up with the average office attendance in financial services (35%). Overall, AWA’s third Hybrid Index study shows that organisations are responding to hybrid working by improving their desk use in offices (up to 48% from 33% a year ago) and reducing their real estate needs. More than one third (37%) of employers said they were planning to reduce their office space through disposals, subletting or consolidation. AWA also found that three years since working practices changed at the start of the pandemic, 46% of offices still don’t have a hybrid working policy. Even where employers do mandate a specific number of days per week when employees must be in the office, employees tend to come in on significantly fewer days, indicating that ordering staff back into the office doesn’t work. Andrew Mawson, Founder of AWA, said: “Most major tech companies are mandating some form of in-office work including Meta, Amazon, Apple, and more recently, Zoom. However, we continue to believe we have reached a steady state on hybrid working. Savvy employers are using the new reality to become more efficient, improving desk use and reducing their real estate needs. We expect this to result in a gradual build-up of empty office space over the next 5-10 years as leases expire, with a resultant downward pressure on rents and asset values.” https://www.advanced-workplace.com/ awa-hybrid-working-index-3 Zoom has opened a new Engagement Hub in Holborn, London where the company’s 200-plus UK employees can connect in-person and remotely with colleagues, customers and prospects. The 15,000 square foot space includes 75 bookable work points, including library-style benches, touchdown spaces, tables for collaboration and traditional desks, as well as community spaces, formal gathering areas and quiet corners for calls. Zoom technology is integrated throughout, from Zoom Rooms technology in meeting rooms to the Zoom Virtual Kiosk in reception. Early next year, Zoom is adding an Executive Briefing Centre (EBC) and demonstration space. zoom.com ······ Cloud adoption is number one challenge Cloud adoption is the number one challenge faced by IT leaders, according to research by Paessler AG, the monitoring experts, followed by resilient infrastructure, data storage, operational technology and automation and robotics. Paessler’s survey of 1,051 IT administrator customers across 100 countries shows that while concern around cloud adoption remains high, actual uptake is low, with just 25% of UK and 19% of global storage infrastructure in the cloud. Technology firms have the highest level of cloud storage, at 24%, followed by financial services (23%), education (21%), healthcare & pharma (17%) and manufacturing (17%). Levels are even lower in Government where 92% of government-related data is still being stored on-premises. Another area where progress has been relatively slow is sustainability. Globally only 37% of companies have started to work on sustainable IT strategies (up from 33% last year). The proportion is higher in the UK (49%) and Scandinavia (56%) and lower in the US (26%). www.paessler.com ······ I’m working from the metaverse today Clockwise, an operator of 15 flexible workspaces across the UK and Europe, is tackling issues of loneliness and lack of community experienced by remote workers by launching the first office space in the metaverse. The Clockwise Campus, when it is launched this autumn, will provide a digital platform where its members and the public (or rather personally designed avatars) can connect, collaborate, interact and socialise. Accessed via a web browser and based on designs by the architecture and design studio MoreySmith, the Clockwise Campus will provide a wide variety of spaces familiar to users of its physical offices including dedicated meeting rooms, desk spaces, breakout spaces, call zones and a contemplation space. There will also be an amphitheatre where people can enjoy large-scale talks and presentations, as well as more intimate panel discussions and fireside chats from industry pioneers and inspirational figures. Alexandra Livesey, COO of Clockwise, said: “We are very excited to unveil our plans to launch our Clockwise Campus, the first ever workspace in the metaverse. Available to our members as an additional space for them to utilise, the Clockwise Campus will also be accessible by the wider public. Operationally, it will work much like our physical Clockwise offices, but on a larger scale. It will be a place where the usual restrictions around sqft and limitations of physical buildings don’t apply, where practical considerations such as weather and maintenance are unnecessary - a sort of Clockwise utopia.” https://workclockwise.co.uk/ Original sketch and concept by MoreySmith ······ A rich mix The average UK company’s workforce is now made up of 57% full time workers and 43% freelancers and part-time staff (21% each). The main reasons for taking on freelancers are to gain skills (52%), to reduce the workload of permanent staff (38%) and to increase productivity (36%). There are more than 4.4 million freelancers and self-employed workers in the UK. (source: Fiverr’s UK Workforce Index) fiverr.com continued...
technologyreseller.co.uk 07 Rachel Rothwell Zyxel Richard Thompson ANS Group NEWS Adding value DarkInvader, an External Attack Surface Management (EASM) provider, has launched a channel partner recruitment drive to find resellers and MSSPs that want to add value to their customer relationships through real-time attack surface intelligence. The customisable DarkInvader Portal allows organisations to see their current exposure on the dark web, from files to credentials and company emails, plus remediation suggestions from DarkInvader researchers. https://www.darkinvader.io/contact ······ Going direct UK-based network solutions company Gbics has launched its own direct channel partner program so that IT resellers and service providers can purchase directly from them rather than via a distribution company. Gbics handles all deal registration, pre-sales support and logistics services in-house, whist also providing partners with product release dates, technical support and tailored product catalogues. Gbics Director James Burgess says going direct can help VARs, MSPs, cloud builders and telcos to cut costs and save time. gbics.com ······ Tiered programme Kore.ai, a conversational AI platform and solutions company, is boosting the support offered to its indirect sales channel through a new Channel Partner Program. Highlights include a new tiered structure (Platinum, Gold, Silver); extensive go-to-market, enablement and marketing support; and a new partner engagement portal. ······ Customised MSP programme Veritas Technologies, the secure multi-cloud data management company, is enhancing Veritas Partner Force with a customised programme for MSPs. In addition to dedicated training, enablement, rewards and flexible pricing (e.g. subscription and consumption-based pricing options), the Veritas MSP Programme will enable the more rapid engineering of Veritas-powered backup-as-a-service, analytics-as-a-service and data recovery-as-a-service offerings. Christophe Bertrand, Practice Director at Enterprise Strategy Group, said: “The old-world way of selling directly to large enterprises via the channel is evolving, as many enterprises contend with IT skills gaps and how to manage today’s complex and sprawling infrastructures. The opportunities are ripe for MSPs to become a valuable force in helping customers address the increasing challenges around data protection and cyber resiliency. The Veritas MSP Programme allows MSPs to harness Veritas technology and support to accelerate their move into this space.” Veritas technology available to MSPs includes NetBackup Enterprise, the industry’s first AI-powered autonomous data management solution, NetBackup IT Analytics and Alta Data Protection for safeguarding enterprise data across any environment, at any scale. ······ Free trial Cloud services company ANS is strengthening its ANS Indirect business with the launch of a new reseller programme for the ANS eCloud platform, the only Sovereign-accredited cloud platform in the channel, and future cloud services. ANS eCloud utilises the company’s UK-based data centres and infrastructure to deliver a true public cloud experience without the need for advanced expertise. Richard Thompson, CEO of ANS Group, said: “This is an exciting time for ANS. We are looking to build out our reseller capability, targeting traditional channel partners and giving them access to our cloud, security and digital portfolio, starting with ANS eCloud.” ANS is offering channel businesses a free 30-day trial of ANS eCloud up to a value of £1000 when they sign up to become a partner. www.ans.co.uk/reseller-ecloud/ ······ Zyxel update Three years after launching its MSP Partner Programme in the UK and Ireland, Zyxel has brought out an updated version to encourage more Zyxel partners to develop a managed services business using the company’s Nebula cloud management platform to monitor and manage network devices for multiple customers. Rachel Rothwell, Zyxel Regional Director, UK and Ireland, said: “Over the past two years we have seen tremendous growth with our MSP Partners. That’s all been down to mutual commitment and the ease of use and growing popularity of Nebula, which has become the core managed services platform for those partners. We will continue to support those partners and help them to grow. We are also ready to help more partners start making the transition to becoming an MSP, with Nebula as their foundation stone.” http://msp.zyxel.com/en/ ······ Try before you buy Consenna, which helps global tech brands drive sales through reseller partners, has created a ‘try before you buy’ programme for AMD Ryzen processor-powered devices. As well as enabling SMEs to assess the suitability of a device over a 90-day period, AMD Ryzen Test Drive provides invaluable user feedback, with purchasers incentivised to leave product reviews to help peers with their purchasing decisions. Consenna’s Catalyst platform delivers a partner co-branded email campaign direct to prospective customers who can register their interest and, after vetting, access a range of AMD Ryzen-powered products for shipping by an approved partner. At any point during the 90-day test drive, the customer can choose to purchase or return their device. Andrew Line, Northern Europe Senior Manager of Consumer and SMB Sales at AMD, said: “For our channel partners, Consenna has created a way of seamlessly managing every stage of the process from the identification and verification of the customer, through the management of distributing devices, the necessary follow up during the test drive, and throughout the crucial collation of reviews and associated feedback.” https://ryzentestdrive.com/ legal?tab=cuterms VENDOR PARTNER PROGRAMMES
01732 759725 08 DISTRIBUTion Intec Microsystems is primed for growth following its acquisition by Chiltern Capital of laptops. We'll buy from the likes of Westcoast where they might have 10 or 50 units left out of their normal stock levels of 500 or 1,000. It's almost opportunistic. We buy product from hundreds of companies and then we go out to the reseller base, predominantly in the UK, and sell those products,” explains Cantwell. “We sell to approximately 600-700 resellers a month out of a reported 8,000 resellers in the UK. Our target is to get in front of more of those 8,000 resellers to tell them what we do and to promote our products and services to them. That represents a great opportunity for the direct vendor partners we have on the distribution side of the business, who see us as a great route to market.” So much so that Cantwell expects distribution to be the fastest growing part of the business, fuelled by an expansion of its vendor portfolio and greater reseller reach. “The actual margins are slightly lower on the distribution side, but you can pick up on volume because you're getting support from vendors. You get more marketing assistance and can piggy-back off their marketing, so it is probably easier to grow the business by working with direct vendors than it is by broking. With broking you’re on your own; distribution is a partnership between you and the vendor.” New partnerships Intec currently has distribution agreements with more than a dozen vendors of hardware and software, including WatchGuard, Riello UPS, UniFi, GOODRAM, iQuila and Zyxel amongst others. As part of its growth strategy, it will be announcing five new distribution partnerships in the next two or three months. “We’re not taking on vendors in a scattergun approach. We're taking on vendors that we believe fill gaps in our product portfolio. We won’t be taking on more UPS vendors because it will just dilute that commitment to the ones we've already got.” Cantwell says that Intec has historically found favour with vendors that feel ignored by the larger distributors. “The big guys will openly admit they don’t have the time or the resources to promote small vendors the way they would do HPE or Cisco or one of the other big guys, because that’s where they make their money, make their margin. When you're a small vendor, you have to look for companies like Intec that are going to be hungry and not lackadaisical about the opportunity they’ve been given. We reach out to resellers; we don't wait for the resellers to contact us to buy something. Our ratio of sales/ account managers is far higher than the big broadliners. Our outreach is far more thorough and professional. “We want to grow the business while maintaining the quality of the relationships we've got with our vendors and our resellers. I don't want to dilute either by taking on too many vendors that are similar or taking on too many resellers and not being able to deliver the quality that they are used to. It's about growing Intec in a managed way.” This, suggests Cantwell, includes extending existing relationships to cover Europe, where Intec generates around 20% of its revenue and has feet on the ground in Holland, Austria and Spain. “We are looking to our existing vendors to expand their relationships to cover Europe and are already in discussions with some about taking on other territories,” he says. Reseller services A third, much smaller but profitable part of Intec’s business that Cantwell says is growing ‘quite dramatically’, albeit from a low base, is the provision of services to help resellers with installations, break-fix and the delivery of extended warranties. If a reseller has the opportunity to do a cloud migration or security install or rollout of Wi-Fi across a large estate but doesn’t have the capability to do it in-house, Intec can do the configuration or the entire rollout on their behalf. “That’s one of the areas that we're going to focus on over the course of the next 18 months,” explains Cantwell. “The larger resellers have their own internal teams to do that, but a lot of the smaller ones get some great opportunities that they have to pass up because they don't have the resources. “A lot of the big disties have built service capabilities, but in the same Celebrating its 20th anniversary in December, hardware, software and services distributor Intec Microsystems is embarking on an accelerated growth phase, following its acquisition by private equity investor Chiltern Capital and the appointment of Alan Cantwell as Executive Chairman. With the departure of company founder Dean Leather, Intec is being run by the existing management team of Andy Russell, Ian Whatton, John Lester and Stuart Hall, supported by Cantwell, who has known the company from its earliest days. Cantwell, who is also Executive Chairman of Midlands-based IT solutions provider Kuiper Technology, has extensive experience of channel businesses, including IT support company Selection Services, which he set up and ran, and Misco in the UK and Europe. Over the last nine months, Cantwell and Intec’s management team have worked on an ambitious growth strategy with an initial target to increase revenue by one third, from £74 million in 2022 to £100 million by the end of 2024, which would make it one of the UK’s twenty largest distributors. Intec started out in December 2003 as an IT broker, buying and selling unwanted stock, before expanding into distribution, with turnover now split equally between the two parts of the business. “As a broker, Intec will look for opportunities to hold stock. We will go out to the market to find cheap deals on product such as end of life versions Going for growth Alan Cantwell
technologyreseller.co.uk 09 Working Together way that small vendors don't feel they're getting represented correctly by the big disties, small resellers struggle to engage with them. The big distributors have all these capabilities, but it can be challenging for a small reseller to access them. We're more approachable…I wouldn't necessarily say services is going to be transformational to the business, but it's definitely a value-add.” Organic growth Cantwell points out that because Intec is profitable and still has the warehouse capacity to accommodate future growth, it has no need for further capital investment, unless an acquisition opportunity comes along. “At the moment, we're focusing on organic growth which we believe is more predictable and more in our control, but that’s not to say that we wouldn’t consider an acquisition if it came across our desk. There are quite a few other smaller distribution companies that we would be keen to look at, particularly if they come with less of a hardware and more of a services or security or software focus. “The margins on services, on value-add are far greater than they are on shifting more product. But they’re a tougher sell. At my previous company, Selection Services, which I ran for 20-odd years, 75% of our business was services-based – project revenue, managed services, managing people’s networks, helpdesk services – and the sales cycle is much longer. I don't want to run before we can walk.” Sustainability and DEI In addition to its growth plans, Intec aims to have a much greater focus on DEI and sustainability, with Cantwell eager to implement measures, including becoming a B Corp, while the company is of a size (circa 100 employees) that allows new policies, procedures and principles to be introduced without too much complexity. “Going back 30 years, statistics show that companies that pursued initiatives like BS 5750 (or ISO 9000 as it became) and Investors in People outperformed their peers. Now, it’s companies that take diversity, social responsibility and climate responsibility seriously that are outperforming their peers,” explains Cantwell. “I don't want Intec to be late to the party.” www.intecmicros.co.uk Mayflex partners with Secure Logiq Secure Logiq, a provider of servers specifically designed for HD surveillance, is aiming to strengthen its market presence through a collaboration with converged IP security solutions distributor Mayflex. With speeds of up to 4000 Mbps and storage capacities surpassing 1 petabyte, Secure Logiq’s advanced servers align well with Mayflex’s surveillance and security offering. www.mayflex.com Mitel added to Nimans offering Following a new UK distribution agreement between the two companies, Nimans is offering Mitel’s comprehensive suite of communication solutions, including cloud-based phone systems, collaboration tools and contact centre solutions. Nimans’ dedicated team of experts will work closely with Mitel to ensure seamless integration, efficient implementation and ongoing support for customers. www.mitel.com Giacom expands FTTP portfolio with CityFibre Giacom, a provider of comms, cloud and hardware services, has expanded its relationship with CityFibre by adding the company’s FTTP services to its broadband offering. Giacom has offered CityFibre Ethernet since 2018. Available to Giacom partners from the company’s new Cloud Market, CityFibre FTTP is a competitive alternative to the BT and Vodafone FTTP products that Giacom already supplies. Unlike most broadband services, which offer asymmetrical bandwidth, CityFibre offer synchronous upload and download speeds of up to 1 Gbps. www.giacom.com QBS Software partners with FileWave QBS Software, a distributor with more than 35 years’ experience in the enterprise software market, is adding FileWave multi-platform endpoint management to its enterprise software procurement platform. In addition to software deployment, patch management and real-time asset tracking, FileWave’s FileSet technology allows for remote device management at a granular level. www.qbssoftware.com/contact e92plus and Deep Instinct offer prevention-first approach Independent cybersecurity distributor e92plus is enabling its partner community to take a prevention-first approach to cybersecurity through a new partnership with Deep Instinct. Using the world’s first and only purpose-built deep learning cybersecurity framework, Deep Instinct stops ransomware and other malware attacks before they land inside an organisation, reducing noise and alerts and improving SOC efficiency. www.e92plus.com Pan-European first for Exertis ColorTokens has appointed Exertis as the first pan-European distributor of its Unified Zero Trust Platforms, claimed to reduce compliance costs by up to 70% and security alerts by up to 80%. ColorTokens allows customers to manage microsegmentation across all asset types, with visibility into deployed assets and network traffic via an intuitive visual dashboard. Users can simplify the creation of least-privilege microsegmentation policies through automated tagging, use centralised policy management to automatically organise and create network and domain groups, manage microsegmentation for containerised microservice application at the API level, and minimise exposure by automatically extending security controls to new cloudnative workloads and applications. www.exertis.co.uk BeeDrive now available from TD SYNNEX TD SYNNEX has been appointed exclusive UK distributor for the new SYNOLOGY BeeDrive personal backup hub. Available in 1TB and 2TB capacities, the BeeDrive is an ideal backup solution for smaller businesses and mobile and home users. https://uk.tdsynnex.com/ Brigantia partners with Conceal Cybersecurity distributor Brigantia is improving edge security through a new UK&I distribution agreement with Conceal. ConcealBrowse, a lightweight browser extension, transforms any browser into a secure, zero-trust environment, defending against malware by isolating risks at the browser. www.brigantia.com PSCo expands projection portfolio with DLP projectors Trade-only display and video specialist PSCo (part of the Midwich Group) is adding DLP projection technology to its professional projector portfolio for live events and large venues. Available for tradeonly rental or purchase, the Barco UDM and G62 DLP projectors give partners more versatility and choice, as well as greater lens coverage and brightness output. www.psco.co.uk Working together This month’s round-up of new distribution agreements
01732 759725 10 ACQUISITIONS In July, Redsquid announced two new acquisitions and a committed funding line to support further M&A activity. James Goulding finds out more about the company’s ambitious buy and build strategy from CEO Sohin Raithatha with IT managed services as well as voice. “In 2019, we still had a very traditional base of telecoms and a big base of mobility. Margins were quite tight, and we were turning over around £3.5 million with an EBITDA of about 80K,” he explained. “Since then, we’ve gone on to upskill our existing talent, recruit extensively and expand our portfolio, acquiring Ridgeway Telecoms, Triumph Technologies (a £1.5 million revenue MSP based in Oxfordshire) and now Covue and Connect2. Today, we are a managed services provider offering all essential cloud-based technologies, including our recently launched Cyber/Kill Managed Endpoint Detection and Recovery solution backed by a SOC team of 30-plus security professionals, which we developed in-house.” Redsquid increased turnover to just under £6.2 million in 2022 and Raithatha expects the company’s new acquisitions, combined with ongoing organic growth, to power a further 50% increase in revenue. “We’ve only just completed on those acquisitions. But after a full year of trading I'd be disappointed if we weren't close to £10 million, with an EBITDA approaching £2 million,” he said. Raithatha adds the caveat that it’s hard to predict turnover precisely because, through its diversified product offering, Redsquid has so many opportunities to engage with customers in a more in-depth, consultative fashion – including crossselling to the customer base of newly acquired businesses. “On the IT side, IT applications, cloud and security are all growth areas. We still have customers with legacy hardware, so that's a great opportunity. On top of that, AI technology has massive growth potential and educating customers on how they can utilise AI with some of their products will be important. We are expecting Microsoft Copilot to be enormous. “Even on the traditional comms side there are opportunities, from the full-fibre rollout, which could be transformational for businesses that have been used to slow data, to the PSTN switch off and the scope it gives us to modernise voice for customers with traditional PBXs. “I read a statistic that in a few years’ time 28% of the market will be running their voice over Teams. That's giving us the opportunity to have discussions with customers about using that one application for their internal and external comms instead of three or four, which then leads into conversations about their Microsoft licensing and their cloud and business continuity strategies. Security is another potential transformation journey. “Our business has evolved massively in terms of our capabilities. Before we had mobile voice and data, but now we have got into the application side and IT managed security services there are so many opportunities to generate more revenue and better margins, from traditional cloud migrations to security strategy to SOC and SIEM.” Buy and build While Redsquid has devoted time and resources to upskilling its employees, Raithatha says the company’s transformation would not have been possible without the addition of new capabilities, accreditations and customers through its acquisitions. “Deciding you are going to diversify and go to Kaseya or work with Bitdefender or Sophos is one thing, but to do that organically is nearly impossible, so we acquired Ridgeway in 2019 and Triumph in 2021. We financed the Ridgeway acquisition with some high-cost borrowing and then used the Santander Growth Fund to support our acquisition of Triumph and to refinance the Ridgeway acquisition.” Funding for Redsquid’s most recent acquisitions, Covue and Connect2, was arranged through Triple Point and includes a committed funding line for future acquisitions that will enable Redsquid to complete transactions more quickly. Raithatha is planning to acquire at least one more company in the next six months and make further acquisitions thereafter as part of a long-term goal to reach £50 million turnover and an EBITDA of £10 million. “Because we have the facility with Triple Redsquid, the Technology Reseller MSP of the Year in the Mid-Enterprise category (£5 million to £10 million turnover), could soon be challenging for honours in the next level up after completing two transactions that have the potential to take its turnover to more than £10 million. The acquisitions of Covue, an MSP with a strong footing in the education sector, and telecoms provider Connect2, the company’s fourth and fifth M&A transactions since 2019, reinforce Redsquid’s position as a fast-growing provider of IoT, cyber security, IT, data connectivity & voice. They also give an extra boost to the transformation journey the company has been on since 2019. Redsquid was set up by CEO Sohin Raithatha and COO Vince Mignacca 17 years ago in the latter’s spare bedroom. It started out selling mobile voice and data services to SMEs, and within three years had achieved a turnover of £1 million. Over the next decade it continued to grow and expand its offering, moving into fixed line telephony and unified communications with the acquisition of 5Com in 2015. By 2016, it had 40 employees and 550 customers. Even so, profits were low and margins depreciating. Raithatha realised that in order to increase profitability and retain the loyalty of customers with increasingly complex requirements, Redsquid would have to embrace new technologies and services and start providing customers Redsquid extends its reach Continued... Sohin Raithatha
technologyreseller.co.uk 11 BUSINESS BRIEFING AD Nimans At Nimans we go to the n’th degree in everything we do! Becoming a sustainable business is at the top of our agenda. Our One Plan initiative addresses/highlights the need for greater awareness/focus on sustainable working across our everyday business activities and practices. We’re championing the need to adopt a single united approach to sustainability across the tech industry. It’s our ambition to empower our customers and partners to become advocates and contributors of our One Plan Initiative and join us on our sustainability journey. Share in our vision – Learn more about how you can get involved and together we can start to make a real difference. Discover more at nimans.net/oneplan
01732 759725 12 NEWS : RESELLERS Point, rather than doing one acquisition every two years, we can now do two or three a year,” he said. Redsquid recently gained a foothold in the education sector through the Covue acquisition and increasing penetration of the wider public sector is likely to be a key consideration for future M&A transactions, as well as filling gaps in its technology offering and expanding its geographical reach beyond its London/Oxford/ Birmingham heartland, which it serves from premises in Borehamwood and Oxford. Today, Redsquid has circa 55 employees and provides products and services to 1,200 business customers across its five main areas of IoT, voice and data, cybersecurity, IT and cloud. “I would say 40% of our revenue now comes from IT managed services – security, cloud, IT support. Around 40-42% comes from comms and the rest from connectivity and hosted. It’s a nice mix, considering we were 80% mobile in 2019.” A unique brand There are plenty of businesses in the IT sector that have diversified, grown and scaled in this way and while Raithatha admires what they have done he wants Redsquid to carve out its own path and its own distinct identity. “We want our brand to be unique and to have a real community feel to attract the next generation of talent and customers to Redsquid,” he said. “For customers, we want the brand to denote quality. We're not going to be the cheapest but you're going to get wonderful service and you’re going to get wonderful technology that's going to change your business, make you more efficient and help you to scale. And we're a sustainable business. We are carbon neutral and are on the way to becoming B Corp certified, so we hopefully can continue to make a small difference to the wider world. “For the talent that comes on-board over the next two, three, four or five years, I hope they will be able to say ‘Wow, I’ve had a massive impact on this business – and I’ve gained so many new skills’. “Can we create this distinctive culture while we scale? I think we can. Over the next two to three years, I believe we can create something really unique and special. We want Redsquid to be the partner of choice for our customers and the employer of choice in the technology sector – while we continue to follow our purpose of making a difference." www.redsquid.co.uk [email protected] continued... Offshore connectivity specialist acquired by Wifinity Wifinity, a Managed Internet Service Provider serving hard-to-reach rural and remote locations such as military bases and holiday parks, has expanded into offshore connectivity with the acquisition of Vital WiFi. Based in Hampshire, Vital WiFi is an expert in wireless connectivity for offshore vessels including energy platforms and commercial shipping. Costas Demetriou, CEO of Wifinity, said: “Joe Burnell and the team at Vital WiFi have built a great business that delivers secure, reliable and quality WiFi services in what are often challenging working environments. We’re thrilled that they’ve joined us. The acquisition provides a unique opportunity to expand into new, complementary markets, while gaining a raft of new product features and industry expertise to help drive our continued growth in the UK and now offshore.” https://wifinity.co.uk/about-us/ inTEC skillset enhanced with Google Partner expertise Manchester-based inTEC Group has continued its ongoing acquisition strategy, bringing Reigate-based IT managed services provider Sweethaven Computers Ltd. into its fold. inTEC’s 14th acquisition since 2016 began life in 1977 as a newsagent before evolving into a fully dedicated managed service provider for schools and businesses across the South of England. As well as extending inTEC’s geographical reach with a site in Reigate, its ninth across the UK, Sweethaven brings Google Partner knowledge to the inTEC skillset, complementing the Microsoft Gold Partner’s expertise in Modern Workplace and Windows 10, Microsoft 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Endpoint Manager. inTEC, a fast-growing group of ICT specialists, specialises in the design, implementation and support of cloud services and business applications www.weareintec.co.uk Datatron acquisition strengthens Apogee services offering Multi-brand managed workplace services provider Apogee Corporation Ltd, an HP Company, is strengthening its Outsourced Document Services offering through the acquisition of Datatron Document Image Archiving Ltd. Founded in 1996, the document scanning services provider currently processes over three million documents per week on behalf of customers across the private and public sectors, including the NHS. Aurelio Maruggi, CEO of Apogee, said: “The Datatron acquisition forms part of our ongoing strategy to be the market leader in Managed Workplace Services, both in the UK and throughout continental Europe. This acquisition will strengthen our existing portfolio of services, helping Apogee and Datatron customers to accelerate their adoption of more secure and efficient ways to manage documents and personal records.” He added: “Among many industries served by Datatron, their reputation and expertise are particularly strong within the NHS. This represents a perfect match with Apogee’s large and growing presence within this market segment.” apogeecorp.com BDR completes third acquisition of 2023 Comms and IT services provider BDR Group is expanding into Essex and East Anglia with the purchase of Wireless Telecommunications Ltd (Loop Voice and Data), a Colchester-based reseller with recurring revenue of more than 90%. Commenting on the company’s third acquisition of 2023, BDR Group MD Malek Rahimi said: “We consider this acquisition to be a very positive gain for BDR Group, providing a huge white space within its customer base for BDR to promote additional IT and cloud products and services.” Founded in 1991, BDR Group provides unified comms, IT, mobile, cloud and security services to private and public sector clients across multiple verticals. The group is headquartered in Stratford-upon-Avon and operates out of several offices with over 200 staff. www.bdrgroup.co.uk Aurelio Maruggi
Five Reasons Why EDR + Managed SOC Are Better Together The combination of EDR and Managed SOC offers several advantages Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Managed SOC, also known as Managed Detection and Response (MDR), are two vital components of a robust cybersecurity architecture. When combined, they offer significant advantages over traditional protective tools, enhancing an organisation’s security posture in the face of ever-evolving cyberthreats. Protective tools, such as firewalls and antivirus software, play a critical role in protecting IT assets. However, they are not foolproof and often struggle to detect sophisticated and emerging attacks. This is where EDR comes in. EDR solutions monitor endpoint devices, like desktop computers, servers, and laptops, collecting extensive data on activities and behaviours. This allows for the early detection of advanced threats that bypass traditional tools. Managed SOC takes a proactive approach by outsourcing threat detection and response to a specialised team of cybersecurity experts. These experts have a deep understanding of the latest threats and attack techniques, and utilise advanced tools and threat intelligence to continuously monitor an organisation’s network for suspicious activities. Managed SOC complements EDR by providing round-the-clock monitoring and swift incident response, even during non-business hours, which many organisations may lack the resources to manage internally. 1 Real-time threat detection EDR detects suspicious behaviour and indicators of compromise (IOCs) on individual endpoints, allowing rapid identification of potential threats. Managed SOC extends this detection capability across the entire network, providing a broader view of threat vectors and identifying multistage attacks that might go undetected by isolated protective tools. 2 Threat hunting and analysis Managed SOC teams proactively hunt for cyberthreats using threat intelligence and behavioural analysis. They can analyse patterns across multiple endpoints and uncover subtle signs of attacks that evade protective defenses. Incident response and remediation EDR provides organisations with critical data required to respond to incidents effectively. The Managed SOC team enhances this by providing expert guidance during the incident response process, enabling swift containment and recovery. 4 Reduced dwell time Dwell time refers to the duration between an attacker’s initial compromise and detection. EDR, coupled with Managed SOC, minimises this time, preventing attackers from operating undetected for extended periods, thereby limiting potential damage. Adaptability to evolving threats Cyberthreats are constantly evolving, and attackers frequently adjust their tactics to bypass traditional protection tools. EDR and Managed SOC continuously update their threat intelligence and detection capabilities to stay ahead of emerging threats. In conclusion, the combination of EDR with Managed SOC offers a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity. While protective tools serve as essential barriers, EDR and Managed SOC provide advanced detection and response capabilities, reducing the risk of successful breaches. When used together, these solutions enable organisations to stay resilient in the face of dynamic and persistent cyberthreats prevalent in today’s digital landscape. 5 3
01732 759725 14 Pax8 aims to keep disrupting distribution with intelligent use of data. James Goulding reports demand learning, instructor-led courses, peer groups and coaching delivered via the Pax8 Academy (launched in EMEA earlier this year). Morgan argues that Pax8’s new Data phase builds on advances made in these earlier stages by creating an intelligent, data-driven marketplace that uses insights from customers and the broader Pax8 community to help MSPs generate additional revenue and maximise crossselling opportunities. “Today, marketplaces are nothing other than a series of vendor catalogues where you can go and buy products, and until recently our marketplace too was just a catalogue. What we've learned over the last two years, particularly during the pandemic, is that that is no longer fit for purpose. We need a new marketplace, with lots of insights and lots of data, not just a catalogue of vendors and not just education and enablement. At Beyond, we launched a way for a partner to look at the whole of their ecosystem from a data perspective.” Data syncing The foundation of this new approach is the ability, from this autumn, for MSPs to sync data from their on-premises and cloud ecosystems, via their PSA, to the Pax8 platform where it can be processed and made use of through a variety of new instruments. At the time of going to press, Pax8 had integrations with Kaseya, Syncro, ConnectWise, Autotask and RepairShopr, and it will be looking to add other PSAs to enable more MSPs to benefit from new capabilities within its marketplace. These include: n Opportunity Explorer. Product mapping will identify gaps in customers’ services adoption, with benchmarking against peers, highlighting sales opportunities for MSPs; and n Security Insights. MSPs will be able to see the security posture of every customer in their platform (e.g. who's got global admin rights, who's not got MFA switched on etc.) and give them a global security score that, again, could drive additional sales. Morgan says that opportunities highlighted by Opportunity Explorer and Security Insights will enable the Pax8 marketplace to give recommendations very much in the style of Amazon – i.e. ‘people who bought this also bought this’ – allowing MSPs to be more proactive in their customer engagements. “We are going to deliver a way for MSPs to have a guided conversation with their customers by recommending different products or services within the ecosystem that they could be selling to their customers. Instead of having a bottom-up catalogue approach, we are starting with a technology and solutions requirement and finishing with our offering, effectively reversing the customer journey within the Pax8 marketplace,” he said. n Solutions Centre. In support of this more solutions-led approach, Pax8 is planning to supplement its choice of SaaS software-as-a-service (SaaS) products with a Solutions Centre featuring an e-tailize catalogue and fully integrated Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ) experience that will enable MSPs to produce quotes for solutions encompassing cloud, hardware and services from within the Pax8 platform (with the hardware element going through a third party). Quotes can be delivered via the customer’s preferred delivery method or platform, one of which could be a customer storefront. n Customer storefront. The option of white-labelled, fully automated storefronts will enable an MSP to provide each customer with a bespoke, pre-approved line card of services that conform to the customer’s security requirements and On June 11-13, cloud marketplace Pax8 capped a successful decade of disruption by holding its first ever partner conference at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Denver, Colorado. Bringing together 1,200 MSPs, vendors and analysts for the purposes of community-building, networking, education and training, Pax8 Beyond provided a launchpad for a raft of enhancements to the company’s marketplace – features that Phylip Morgan, Chief Revenue Office for Pax8 EMEA, believes add up to a third, data-centric phase in Pax8’s evolution. This follows an initial Disrupt stage, when Pax8 launched its cloud marketplace to fix the perceived failings of a traditional, box-shifting distribution model in a world moving towards subscriptions and cloud services, and a subsequent Community phase, when it invested in multiple initiatives to help MSPs grow their business. These range from new partner briefings, boot camps for CIOs/CTOs and, most recently, Pax8 Beyond to extensive educational opportunities including onData-driven, automated, partner-curated: the future of the Pax8 marketplace CLOUD MARKETPLACE Phylip Morgan
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