www.technologyreseller.uk THE MAGAZINE & ONLINE CHANNEL NEWS & RESOURCE FOR MSPS, IT RESELLERS & SUPPORT PROVIDERS VIEW FROM THE CHANNEL PAGE 24 With Amy Davies, MD of Midland Computers UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS PAGE 28 How Gamma Business is giving partners an edge over the competition PAGE 12 Alibaba.com brings CoCreate to London for the first time DIGITAL SOURCING TECHNOLOGY RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016 IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016 IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016
Why Spitfire’s One Network? Are you at risk from: • Poor device visibility and erratic management? • Requirement for third party remote access? • Default or weak passwords? • Software security updates? • Transmission of unencrypted data? One Network uses MPLS to combine mobile, fixed line and cloud connectivity into a secure private network. A low cost, no fuss, business and IoT solution that is both invisible and unreachable to external threats. Easily built using whichever primary and backup access components are required to connect your sites, users, devices and servers - wherever they may be located - without the need for time consuming VPN tunnel configurations. What could be simpler, or safer? Call us today, to find out more. www.spitfire.co.uk/iot-security Telecoms and IP Engineering Solutions for Business since 1988 Innovative • Flexible • Reliable • Supportive • Cost Effective Sales 020 7501 3333 • Partner Services 020 7501 3150 VOICE INTERNET I O T W A N www.spitfire.co.uk Key Benefits No public internet traversal Avoid need for encryption MPLS private networks available Fixed or dynamic IP addresses Private APN available Invisible and unreachable to external threats Looking for mitigation with one easy, cost effective and time efficient solution ? Worried about IOT security?
04 Distribution News Giacom integrates Cloud Market Tools with the Layer 08 Distribution Exertis Enterprise reveals new priorities at Enterprise Summit 2025 12 Q&A With Michelle Lau, Managing Director of Alibaba.com, France 14 Reseller News Kyndryl and Microsoft collaborate on AI Acceleration Hubs 20 Cover Story How FUTERA can help channel partners unlock extra revenue from existing customers 22 Events All the winners from the second PrintIT Reseller and Technology Reseller Golf Society outing of 2025 24 View from the Channel With Amy Davies, Managing Director of Midland Computers 26 60 seconds with… Jordan Hobday, Country Manager of NETGEAR Enterprise UK&I 27 Cybersecurity James Griffin explains why it’s unwise for MSPs to rely solely on Microsoft 365 security tools 28 Unified Communications How Gamma’s new partner growth programme is giving its resellers a competitive edge 32 Tech Digest A roundup of new developments from established and emerging technology vendors 36 People New faces, new places 03 CONTENTS technologyreseller.co.uk ISSN 2632-9301 (Print) ISSN 2632-931X (Online) Technology Reseller is published by Kingswood Media Ltd., 7 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. © 2025 Kingswood Media Ltd. 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] Events & Commercial activities: Paul Johnson 01732 759725 · [email protected] Account Manager: Jeff Root 01732 759725 · [email protected] Designer: Brian Cloke 07484 288189 · [email protected] If you no longer wish to receive Technology Reseller magazine, please email your details to [email protected] 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 technology-reseller-magazine technologyreseller.co.uk TECHNOLOGY RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016 IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016 IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016
01732 759725 DISTRIBUTOR NEWS e92spark announces Scalefusion as key launch partner Software distributor e92plus has announced Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) company Scalefusion as a launch partner for its new e92spark division. The cybersecurity VAD has set up e92spark to identify and bring to market disruptive, hypergrowth alternatives to legacy solutions, supported by expert-led knowledge and insight to help partners find the right solutions for their customers. Darryl Whiteman, Vendor Alliances Manager at e92spark, said: “Scalefusion perfectly represents our vision of e92spark – new approaches to address real world customer challenges.” In Scalefusion’s case, this involves simplified Unified Endpoint Management to view and secure the explosion of devices caused by BYOD, WFH, multi-cloud and IoT/OT strategies through a combination of policy enforcement, integration with EDR tools and lifecycle management. For MSPs, UEM offers strong revenue and service opportunities as many SMBs lack the internal expertise to manage the multiplicity of devices on their networks, opening the door for MSPs to offer UEM as a managed service, including on-boarding, policy configuration, monitoring, patch management and ongoing support. There is also a significant cross-sell opportunity when UEM is integrated with security stacks such as identity and access management (IAM), security information and event management (SIEM) and data loss prevention (DLP). Resellers can position UEM not just as a management solution, but as a foundational cybersecurity layer within a broader zero trust architecture. Sal King, Channel Sales Manager UK&I at Scalefusion, said: “The launch of e92spark perfectly highlights what we’re seeing in the market: partners need trusted guidance to navigate the overwhelming choice of cybersecurity vendors. This kind of curated approach is exactly what the channel needs to help customers make sense of their security investments.” www.e92plus.com/spark https://www.scalefusion.com … Westcoast to distribute Kyocera ECOSYS print devices Westcoast and Kyocera Document Solutions UK have expanded their existing distribution agreement covering spare parts, toner and consumables to include ECOSYS A4 print devices for the first time. The move increases Kyocera’s channel visibility and simplifies procurement for Westcoast’s reseller base by creating a true one-stop shop and a more integrated go-to-market approach, with account managers at Kyocera working closely with channel managers at Westcoast to identify, pursue and close new business opportunities. After-sales customer care will also be handled in a coordinated fashion. Ryan Mitchell, Print Director at Westcoast, said: “By combining Kyocera’s product excellence with Westcoast’s distribution scale, stock depth and expert service, we’re delivering real value to our partners and end customers. For many years we have partnered with Kyocera on supplies, so we understand the needs of their customers. Expanding this to hardware makes perfect sense.” https://kyocerads-group.co.uk/ … Creative Labs turns to Westcoast to boost UK presence Creative Labs, a pioneer in high-quality audio technology famous for its Sound Blaster sound cards, is enhancing its UK market presence though a strategic partnership with Westcoast. Westcoast’s extensive reseller and retail partner network will give Creative Labs greater access to retail, education and corporate sectors in the UK while its efficient logistics infrastructure ensures customers and channel partners benefit from improved availability, service quality and responsiveness. 04 HP refurbished PCs available from TD SYNNEX TD SYNNEX is enabling partners to meet customer demand for more sustainable tech solutions with the immediate availability of HP Certified Refurbished laptops and desktop PCs. All HP Renew Solutions are fully certified by the vendor and backed by a oneyear limited warranty. James Reed, Managing Director – Endpoint Solutions, UK and Ireland at TD SYNNEX, said: “SMBs want to embrace the circular economy just as much as enterprises and the availability of HP Renew Solutions from TD SYNNEX enables partners to meet all their customers’ demands for more sustainable IT products that will help them to run their business efficiently. Having the backing of a one-year manufacturer’s warranty makes all the difference. It means that partners can offer – and end‑user customers can buy – refurbished HP laptops and PCs with complete confidence.” https://uk.tdsynnex.com/ James Reed Giacom integrates Cloud Market Tools with The Layer Specialist cloud marketplace provider Giacom and CRM platform The Layer are enhancing the experience of mutual customers by tightly integrating Giacom’s Cloud Market Tools – a suite of applications that includes its award-winning billing software – with The Layer’s data synchronisation, marketing and customer service modules. Described by Layer Systems CEO Michelle Livingstone as ‘the most advanced integration we’ve delivered to date’, the off-the-shelf integration between The Layer CRM and Cloud Market Tools automatically synchronises customer data between platforms, creating a single source of truth that breaks down data silos, removes the need for manual data entry and significantly reduces the risk of human error. It also empowers channel businesses to use The Layer’s marketing module to segment and target customer data for effective marketing campaigns and use its customisable service desk module to enhance customer support with real-time analytics, SLA tracking and customer satisfaction monitoring. Giacom CTO Ant Molloy said: “Giacom’s mission is to enable our partners to grow faster and become more profitable by simplifying their operations. Back‑office productivity is key to achieving this, which is why we’re developing integrations with other market-leading vendors offering complementary solutions. Integrating The Layer with Cloud Market Tools ensures that our mutual customers can synchronise their data and enhance their marketing and customer service capabilities, ultimately leading to better business outcomes.” Giacom.com Ant Molloy, Managing Director of Cloud Market Tools at Giacom
DISTRIBUTOR NEWS technologyreseller.co.uk continued... Laurie Figzal, Accessories Business Manager at Westcoast, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Creative Labs to the Westcoast family. Their legacy of innovation and commitment to quality aligns perfectly with our values. This partnership will enable us to deliver even more value to our customers across retail and B2B.” www.creative.com … Nuvias UC passes 250,000 seats migrated to Microsoft Teams and Zoom Converged communications specialist Nuvias UC has passed a significant milestone, successfully migrating 250,000 seats to Microsoft Teams and Zoom. With its heritage as a systems integrator, the specialist distributor can provide partners with essential expertise and support throughout often-complex migrations, from evaluating customer environments to full deployment. Today, over 25% of the company’s workforce is dedicated to technical services, holding more than 420 industry accreditations between them. Sagar Gandi, Director of the Services Division at Nuvias UC, said: “Our mission is to help partners capture opportunities beyond their existing capabilities, equipping them to take on new projects and grow their businesses with our support. Reaching 250,000 seats is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our teams, as well as the trust our partners place in us.” This month, Nuvias UC is building on its position as the leading distributor for Zoom, with the launch of a Zoom-first e-commerce portal, designed to make the online purchase of complete end-to-end solutions easier and more efficient. … Westcon-Comstor appointed Proofpoint training partner Westcon-Comstor has become cybersecurity and compliance company Proofpoint’s first external Authorised Training Partner (ATP) in Europe. The accreditation will enable it to deliver Proofpoint-certified education and enablement services at scale to channel partners and end user customers across Europe. Training will be delivered through the Westcon-Comstor Academy, which since 2017 has provided presales, technical and enablement training to more than 3,000 channel partners and 30,000 users on behalf of companies such as Palo Alto Networks, Check Point Software, F5, Infoblox, Extreme Networks and Broadcom. Martin Flensburg, Vice President of Service Delivery and Go to Market at Westcon-Comstor, said: “Gaining authorised status underlines the unique, value-added offering of the Westcon-Comstor Academy and is an acknowledgement of the quality of training we provide. We look forward to repaying the faith that has been placed in us by providing channel partners and their customers with the highest standard of education and enablement across the Proofpoint portfolio.” https://www.proofpoint.com/uk/ cybersecurityacademy/certifications 05 Jabra partners with Exertis Specialist distributor Exertis is enhancing its audio and video offering through a new partnership with video conferencing and professional headset provider Jabra. Jamie Brothwell, Managing Director – Exertis Business, said: “By adding Jabra to our leading vendor portfolio, we’re empowering our resellers with access to an innovative range of professional headsets, video conferencing and intelligent communication devices that support the modern workplace and hybrid environments. Jabra perfectly complements our growing UC & AV portfolio and aligns perfectly with our goal to provide high-quality, trusted technology that delivers real value to our customers.” www.exertis.co.uk Jamie Brothwell Altnets partners with Camozzi to help ISPs cut carbon emissions Following a successful collaboration last year, Camozzi Automation UK has appointed Altnets as its first UK distribution partner. As a specialist distributor of telecoms infrastructure solutions for internet service providers (ISPs), offering consultancy, design, specification, product procurement, supply chain management, planning, forecasting and scheduling, Altnets is well placed to introduce the Italian manufacturer’s products to its ISP customer base in the UK. These include the V4000 PLUS LE Series of low-emission, metal-free microduct connectors manufactured by Camozzi Technopolymers, part of the Camozzi Group, and brought to the UK by Camozzi Automation UK. Made from sustainable, bio-renewable raw materials using machinery powered by renewable energy, the V4000 PLUS LE Series sets a new benchmark for environmentally responsible engineering in FTTx network deployments. Comprising three components (a Low Emissions connector, an End Cap and a Reducer), it has 85% lower carbon emissions than the standard Series V4000 PLUS series, making it an ideal choice for environmentally conscious ISPs across the UK. Compared to typical products in the market, which generate 3.9 to 4.2 grams of CO2 equivalent per gram of product, the Low Emissions series produces just 0.7 grams. www.altnets.co.uk
DISTRIBUTOR NEWS 01732 759725 ...continued UK distribution sector defies economic gloom with strong Q2 growth The technology distribution market in the UK grew faster than in most other European countries in Q2 with year-on-year growth of 6.5%, according to the latest market intelligence from CONTEXT. The only top five European distribution market to grow faster than the UK was Spain. Nick Westcott, UK Country Manager at the IT channel analyst firm, said: “Businesses and households are clearly facing strong financial headwinds, from rising fuel and freight costs to new tax pressures and declining payroll employment. Yet the UK channel continues to demonstrate remarkable agility and depth. “Strong growth across all three business channels (corporate, SMB reseller and e-tailer) has driven this upward momentum, and it’s the first time since Q3 2024 that we’ve seen that kind of synchronised performance.” Westcott added: “The e-tailer business channel was a standout performer in percentage terms, with 27% growth in April and 21% in June. Although its overall share is smaller, the contribution to the sector’s strength is significant.” The consumer channel, which represents roughly 20% of UK distribution revenues, also demonstrated good momentum, with year-to-date growth of as much as 26% driven by strong performance in categories such as monitors, gaming graphics cards and software. Westcott points out that in the consumer market, retail has thrived, whereas e-tailer consumer segments have struggled to maintain pace with previous years. He said: “Retail sales are doing the heavy lifting in consumer, with five consecutive quarters of growth. That speaks volumes about where demand is coming from, and it is not just replacement cycles. Higher ASPs and appetite for performance upgrades in graphics and components also played a part.” www.contextworld.com … Machine vision centre opened in Oxfordshire Zebra Technologies and industrial automation distributor Clearview are making it easier for existing customers and prospects in the manufacturing and logistics sectors to explore machine vision, 3D and AI automation solutions with the opening of an Industrial Automation Centre in Oxfordshire. As well as providing training and advice to upskill machine builders, systems integrators and end users of machine vision, AI and 3D solutions, the new centre will enable Zebra customers to bring in their own machine vision proof-of-concept applications and receive independent feasibility reports and recommendations. Through a programme of networking events and thought leadership sessions, the Centre will also provide opportunities for organisations to connect with machine vision specialists. Allan Anderson, Managing Director and Founder of Clearview, said: “This is an important step forward for the machine vision industry and the customers we support, bridging the gap between the technology and user knowledge and helping to create the best solutions available. We are on a mission to democratise machine vision, and with our team of certified machine vision professionals, training courses, engineering services and state-of-the-art HQ and centre of excellence, we can help customers create great vision systems.” www.clearview-imaging.com/coe 06 Giacom and Sky Business Wholesale extend partnership Specialist cloud marketplace provider Giacom, in partnership with Sky Business Wholesale, has announced the launch of the Sky Business Hub, an advanced customer premises equipment (CPE) solution designed to complement the innovative Easy Switching broadband service, available exclusively with Sky Business Wholesale. The launch strengthens Giacom’s strategic connectivity proposition and marks the culmination of a phased rollout of Sky Business Wholesale broadband to the channel, helping resellers and MSPs deliver simpler, hassle-free migrations from legacy broadband infrastructure to full fibre and All-IP solutions. The Sky Business Hub, already widely deployed across the UK small business market, includes dualband Wi-Fi 6, automatic firmware updates, telemetry for real-time diagnostics and enhanced security protections. Fully supported and remotely managed by Sky, the Hub enables partners to offer a premium, reliable customer experience while removing the operational burden of device management. Dale Parkinson, Managing Director – Connectivity at Giacom, said: “The launch of the Sky Business Hub is another big step forward in supporting the channel’s All-IP transition. It offers everything our partners need – premium performance, operational simplicity, and a fully managed service. Importantly, it allows them to deliver a better, more reliable experience for their customers while reducing costs and complexity behind the scenes.” The Sky Business Hub and Easy Switching are both accessible through Giacom’s Cloud Market platform and supported by the company’s All-IP Managed Service (AIMS), which provides tailored migration planning, order management and partner enablement. Giacom.com Damian Saunders, Managing Director of Sky Business Wholesale (left) and Dale Parkinson, Managing Director – Connectivity of Giacom Arrow services capabilities recognised by Fortinet Arrow Electronics has become the first UK organisation and first EMEA distributor to be awarded Engage Preferred Services Partner (EPSP) status by Fortinet in recognition of its ability to deliver professional services on its behalf. EPSP certification recognises channel partners that have the skills and experience to deploy and maintain Fortinet security solutions to the vendor’s own standard and gives them access to specialised training and tools to support security implementation projects. Anthony Dobson, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, at Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions business, said: “EPSP certification is an important milestone in the development of our cybersecurity services. For our channel partners, it means that Arrow can now directly deliver Fortinet-aligned professional services to help them address customer challenges more efficiently and at greater scale.” arrow.com Anthony Dobson
8 01732 759725 Enterprise manage setbacks including the loss of big customers. “The industry is going through quite a large degree of global consolidation, so you’re seeing a lot of brands trying to streamline their own channel presence and have a leaner cost base to be in the channel (or potentially not be in the channel, in some instances) by replacing a proliferation of local distribution partners with global distribution partners. We’ve been a victim of some of those strategic decisions. Some of those hurt financially and in certain instances they hurt because of the investment we’ve made in those brands. But we’ve also been having some real success with brands we’ve taken on to fill those holes, where we’re looking at 20%, 30% growth.” Exploring AI At the same time, Exertis Enterprise has been investing in its own capabilities to help partners navigate a business climate in which economic uncertainty and the transformative nature of the decisions customers are being asked to make are leading to longer sales cycles, despite the requirement for investment in infrastructure (servers, storage, network, cybersecurity) to cope with massive data growth. “People are unsure about the economic uncertainties and some of the trade uncertainties that we’ve got, which has put a bit of inertia into their decision-making and their desire to purchase. The next move they make is fairly consequential Hence the return of the Enterprise Summit. Key developments in its current iteration are a greater focus on server and storage solutions rather than components and devices, because outcome-focused solutions are essential for solving AI processing challenges; and a broader scope, beyond its heritage in storage, following consolidation with the Exertis cybersecurity division and the addition of four or five new vendors in its server and GPU platform offering. “We’re beginning to try and fill in the blanks where we haven’t been traditionally with a portfolio of products that people can challenge the market with,” said Chibnall. “If you take cyber security as an example, there are tier one cybersecurity vendors – and you have to win the right to be a tier one distributor. Then, below that there are probably about 3,000 cyber security vendors to pick from. I’d like to find more tier two and challenger cyber security vendors that will create a much more significant presence for us as a distributor, which will also make us more relevant for a tier one vendor. “In the server solutions space, again we like to work with vendors that become challenger brands. I’m hoping that by working together we and the new vendor brands that we’ve signed up can push each other up the Challenger stack.” The other advantage of taking on more vendors is that it has helped Exertis The big news last month was the announcement by DCC Technology that it is getting out of Info Tech and selling Exertis UK & Ireland and its subsidiaries to AURELIUS, a European private equity investor focused on technology & business services, industrials & chemicals and lifestyle & consumer goods. The sale includes Exertis UK (Business and Consumer), Hypertec, Exertis Supplies, Exertis Ireland, Macro EV, Exertis Supply Chain Services, MTR and Ztorm, but not Exertis Enterprise. This will remain an independent division of DCC Technology, which says it is selling its Info Tech division so that it can sharpen its focus on Pro Tech and Life Tech. Pro Tech encompasses Pro AV, infrastructure and AI-powered solutions, some of which aligns with Exertis Enterprise’s specialisms in servers, storage, components, networking, infrastructure and cybersecurity products and, increasingly, outcome-focused solutions. As Jason Chibnall, Managing Director of Exertis Enterprise, clearly demonstrated in his opening address at the distributor’s first vendor/partner summit in six years, Enterprise Summit 2025 held in the W Hotel in Barcelona on April 28-30, all these technology areas are fundamental to the management of data volumes that are forecast to increase massively with rising AI adoption and the transition to AI reasoning models. It is still early days, of course, and buying decisions take time to get the green light but Chibnall is confident that the changes Exertis Enterprise has been making over the last few years put it (and its vendors and channel partners) in a good position to address opportunities in infrastructure and AI. “We’re back to an individual identity as an organisation, and we understand our value. It’s now a case of showing others the value and the differentiators that we have in the distribution landscape,” he said. At the end of April, Exertis Enterprise held its first Enterprise Summit for six years, highlighting its transition from a server and storage distributor into a specialist provider of infrastructure and solutions that will increasingly be relied upon in the age of AI. At the event attended by 30 vendors and 100 customers, Technology Reseller spoke to Managing Director Jason Chibnall about his plans for the business and how Exertis Enterprise is becoming a trusted advisor to the reseller community A show of trust DISTRIBUTION continued...
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10 01732 759725 services and virtual products is quite a difficult shift, but we will offer more and more services, and our vendor community themselves are offering more and more services. We’re trying to take the heavy lift away from partners that don’t really want to build something themselves and almost create a SKU that they can sell. As part of our capability, we’ve got platforms that perhaps others don’t that can generate monthly billing, operating on a three-tier model: the channel partner can sell it; we can bill the person that they’ve sold it to; and we can then in turn bill the channel partner and contra off what we collect from the channel partner at the same time. In all of our considerations, it’s always about how we can enable the channel partner.” In the future, this could include AI services. “One of the things we often talk about strategically is our value in operating a bit like an integrator with a distribution card. There’s a whole bunch of software vendors that make up the AI stack, and there’s a need to either find that capability or have partners that can deliver that capability on your behalf, so that you arrive with not just the infrastructure but the software partners that can help enable it. I haven’t quite worked out yet whether we go on an acquisition strategy to try and find somebody to partner with or find a set of partners that are interested in delivering that aspect while we deliver the infrastructure for them.” In the meantime, Chibnall is hoping that Exertis Enterprise comes to be seen more and more as a trusted advisor to the reseller community. “Trust is where our organisational value comes from. We have the most long-term relationships with the people that trust us the most. And it always starts life rather similarly, when someone says ‘Can you sell me 100 of something? And what’s your best price?’. We do that, and suddenly they begin to realise there’s more to us than just selling those products and that’s what gives us that long-term business and certainty in our relationships. Then, as their businesses grow, we grow in line with them,” he said. “We’re of that nice size where we can make contact with most of the vendors and customers at an event like this and are agile enough that if something needs to happen, myself and my board of directors can make it turn pretty quickly. If someone trusts us to do that, we will do it for them.” “That balance has now shifted much more towards the employer. Global consolidation has forced a lot more people into the market who are looking for jobs and existing employees are less dissatisfied with the roles they’re in. When we came back from Covid, there was a concept called the Big Move when something like 70% of people in the technology industry wanted to move jobs within the next two years. We saw a pretty healthy movement in our own organisation, and we definitely saw the cost of doing business go up just because of the salary demands that people were making to come and work in the technology industry. That seems to have stabilised and it’s easier to find people than it was perhaps two years ago.” European expansion A priority this year is recruitment in the Netherlands as part of Exertis Enterprise’s strategic expansion overseas where it has operating companies in six countries, generating around 40% of total revenue. “We’ve traditionally been a very UK-centric organisation, and this year we’ve elected to try and grow one of our businesses in continental Europe,” explained Chibnall. “We’re investing really heavily in three disciplines in the Netherlands – server storage technologies, component technologies and cybersecurity. If we can grow in the Netherlands to a significant degree, then we’ll go and do the same in our German market, then in our Belgian market, and just keep repeating what we do. My challenge is finding the quality in that pre-sales conversation, people that can truly represent the vendor portfolio, because it is now about the value that we create, not necessarily how much we can sell something for or how much we’ve got in stock.” To a degree, Exertis Enterprise is taking a calculated risk and a bet on a future that no one can predict, as Chibnall admits. “If I’m perfectly honest with you, I’m investing in something that I don’t know whether it’s going to give a return, but I know that I can’t just sit and do what we’ve always done,” he said. Moving into services Another area Exertis Enterprise is hoping to develop is the provision of digital services, especially on the cybersecurity side with its recently launched SOC, but also in other technology areas. “To mobilise a sales organisation used to selling physical products into for a lot of people. It’s not a question of just buying a box; these are long-term decisions. The sales cycle is likely to be a lot longer so organisations like ourselves have to be much further down the decision-tree when people are deciding what to do.” Chibnall adds that as a result Exertis Enterprise often gets involved with VARs “almost on a joint venture basis”, to fuel each other’s interest in and understanding of how to proceed with technologies, particularly AI. “The VAR community is typically oriented around how to get a run rate with a set of products. AI isn’t something you can do that with. We are therefore becoming more of a trusted advisor rather than a supplier of products. I extol the virtues of my pre-sales organisation. I know that when my VAR community meets my pre-sales organisation, they often say ‘could you come and talk to us about AI’, with no set outcome expected on either part. We have no idea where it’s going to take us, but sometimes opportunity presents itself,” he said. “We’ve set up a community of people here in the UK to explore AI. We’ve also invested this financial year in a dedicated sales pod in the UK to explore data centre. We know the growth is going to come from AI, so we’ve set up a dedicated hunting team to go after data centre.” Recruitment easing When it comes to finding the right talent, Chibnall is more optimistic than many in the technology sector, suggesting that the pendulum may have swung back in favour of employers. “Three years ago, I would have said it was really difficult to find people. Post-Covid, an awful lot of the vendors woke up and wanted to recruit people and as a consequence distribution woke up and wanted to recruit people. We were all competing for a much smaller pot of available resource and all found it challenging to find the right people. DISTRIBUTION ...continued
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12 01732 759725 This year, we have brought CoCreate Pitch over to Europe and opened it up to all global SMBs, with no limit on the type of product they can pitch. It could be a consumer product, it could be an industrial product, it could be some great innovation. The whole purpose of CoCreate is to convey the idea that everybody can co-create products and business ideas with Alibaba.com, so we would encourage SMBs of all sizes and at all stages of their development to enter to be in with a chance of winning not just financial funding but also the extra visibility we will give them. TR: You mention the importance of the European and the UK markets. Can you give me some idea of Alibaba.com’s growth in Europe, and whether that’s being driven by buyers or suppliers. ML: We have seen very promising growth both on the buyer side and the seller side. The number of buyers in Europe in April and May was 37.7% higher than in the same period last year. In the UK, the number of buyers increased by over 53%, outpacing the average for Europe as a whole. We believe that one of the drivers for this growth is the effort we have put into strengthening our global and European supply network. For example, at the start of our financial year the number of products offered by European sellers had already increased five-fold. We strongly believe that developing and investing our efforts on the supply side, will drive growth on the buyer side, where there is huge demand from European buyers to source both locally and globally. This is a strength of our platform – a very diverse supply network, with suppliers from key industrial regions around the world, and a very diverse choice of product categories, covering almost 40 industrial verticals not just with consumer finished products but also raw materials and parts and components. TR: What is your business model? How do you generate revenue? ML: Our business is based on a subscription model for sellers, a little like a digitalised trade fair. Sellers, i.e. suppliers, pay an annual fee to have a presence on the Alibaba.com platform, which allows them to showcase their products to buyers from almost 200 countries and regions around the world. They can invest in paid marketing global suppliers and helping SMEs in the UK and Europe boost exports and find global manufacturing partners. Technology Reseller (TR): Why are you launching CoCreate in the UK? Michelle Lau (ML): Our platform and our digital solutions mainly serve SMBs, and we know SMBs are the backbone of the UK and European economies, so these are particularly important markets for Alibaba.com. We believe Europe and the UK have a lot of potential to grow, especially when it comes to exports and digital sourcing and procurement. We have already seen very good growth in the number of European buyers and sellers on Alibaba.com and in the range of products they are selling, and we’re confident this momentum will continue. CoCreate Europe is going to be an excellent occasion for us to showcase all the platform tools and AI tools we have been developing and the resources we can provide to European SMBs. Last year we were lucky enough to hold a series of events during Paris 2024, so London, being one of the most digitalised economies and an important global hub, was an obvious choice to host the first CoCreate Europe. Hopefully, in the future we will hold CoCreate events in other European cities. TR: Is CoCreate an exhibition, with suppliers meeting buyers, or is it more of an Alibaba customer event? ML: It’s a mix of the two. First, there will be a great selection of exhibitors, mainly suppliers from global industrial regions that we are bringing over to showcase their latest innovations. Then, there is the insight and sharing part, a series of conferences and workshops and a learning centre where visitors will be able to discover everything about the Alibaba.com platform, the digital tools we are developing and the different insights and connections they can leverage to grow their e-commerce business. Last but not least, CoCreate Europe will stage the final round of CoCreate Pitch, the pitch competition we have created to give financial support and visibility to SMBs that want to showcase innovative product ideas they would like to develop. As Donald Trump’s mercurial approach to trade deals and tariffs continues to cause friction and confusion, many exporters to the US will be looking to develop alternative markets for their goods, which makes the European launch of Alibaba. com’s CoCreate B2B event very timely. The Chinese-owned platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce has been hosting its annual customer and trade event in Las Vegas since 2023, providing an opportunity for North American SMEs to develop relationships with selected product manufacturers/ suppliers and learn how to use the Alibaba. com platform to maximise the benefits of global digital sourcing. This year, for the first time, Alibaba. com will be bringing this flagship event to Europe as well. Taking place at ExCeL London on 14th November, a couple of months after the third US event, CoCreate Europe is expected to build on growing interest in digital sourcing from European sellers and B2B buyers. Underlining the platform’s value in taking a product idea from prototype to global distribution, CoCreate Europe is also hosting the final round of Alibaba.com’s $1 million product-based pitch competition, CoCreate Pitch (see box), which is open to global SMEs for the first time. In this Q&A, Michelle Lau, Managing Director of Alibaba.com France, explains how Alibaba.com is helping B2B buyers in the UK and Europe source products from With Michelle Lau, Managing Director of Alibaba.com, France INTERVIEW Michelle Lau Q&A
technologyreseller.co.uk 13 TR: Are there other ways in which you’re strengthening your platform or other areas where you are seeking to make improvements? ML: Our long-term vision is to make it easy to do business anywhere and to make B2B transactions as easy as buying a pair of sneakers online. The AI tools we’re developing will simplify that process, but we also believe the trust element in B2B transactions is important, so we’re doing a lot to create trust between buyers and sellers, for example through Trade Assurance, which is like having Alibaba.com in the middle, providing assurance services for both sellers and buyers, so they can trade with confidence. Our goal is to increase the use of Trade Assurance around the globe, particularly in the European market where Trade Assurance orders have increased tremendously. In addition to Trade Assurance and AI tools, we’re improving our payment system to make transactions more fluid all the way through to payment, for example by introducing local European payment methods and different types of credit card. TR: What other things should SMEs be looking out for from Alibaba.com? ML: CoCreate is one of the most important initiatives in the coming months, a not-to-be-missed opportunity for entrepreneurs and SMBs to discover the latest enhancements to Alibaba. com. I would invite all SMBs to join us at CoCreate in London on November 14 and, before that, urge anyone with a great product or business idea to enter CoCreate Pitch to be in with a chance of winning a share of the £750,000 prize fund. www.alibabacocreate.com tools that automatically generate highly professional digitalised catalogues that allow suppliers to get a new product or new offer to market in a fraction of the time it used to take. By fully digitalising their catalogues, suppliers also increase their visibility, because when a product is easily searchable, it is more likely to be found by buyers, who are also refining how they search for products. SMBs have very limited resources in terms of time and human resources, and AI tools really can help them become more efficient and effective. Our B2B AI sourcing tool Accio.com, for example, is revolutionising how SMBs do business, enabling them to make very data-driven, informed sourcing decisions. As soon as they have a product idea, they can use Accio to test that idea, to see its market potential, to see whether a similar product is already in the market, and to work out the right retail price, taking into consideration wholesale prices, business costs, margins etc.. They can then finetune attributes, find the best supplier to develop the product and connect with them via our communication tools. Since we launched Accio.com last year, it has been used by more than 1 million users globally, highlighting the desire of SMBs to incorporate AI tools into the sourcing experience. Already, it has increased purchasing intent by 40% compared to traditional methods, and our team at Accio is continuing to enhance tools and add more functionality to support SMBs all along the supply chain, from developing product ideas and finding suppliers to placing an order and completing the transaction. services to increase their visibility and we also provide services to buyers to give them the best digital sourcing experience, for example trade assurance and logistics services. TR: What digital sourcing trends are you seeing in Europe? ML: We see two big trends. As I mentioned, Alibaba.com is essentially a generalist platform: we have final consumer products on the one hand and raw materials and equipment on the other, and both product types have recorded very strong sales. On the consumer side, there’s a huge growth in products like shoes and fashion accessories, which have increased by more than 153%, and in consumer electronics and smart devices, which have grown by more than 73%. Where companies are not just buying products to sell, a lot have started to use our platform to source commercial equipment they need to operate their business. Sales of equipment that, say, a restaurant or a hotel might need have grown by almost 95%. We’re confident that being a generalist platform, serving companies whether they source products to use or to sell, is a source of growth for us. We are also seeing good growth for products that are very European, like French wine and Italian food or machinery from the industrial regions of Europe, so we will continue to reinforce our supply network and offer buyers more diversified products in terms of their geographical provenance and product type. TR: What do you see as Alibaba.com’s other core strengths? ML: From the start, Alibaba.com has been a platform for connecting buyers and sellers digitally and globally. As such, our strength lies in developing digital tools and infrastructure that make the sourcing experience more fluid, more efficient, more productive and lower cost, both for buyers and sellers. As we move into the AI era, our development of AI technology is very focused on solving the practical problems faced by SMBs. In the case of digital sourcing or global procurement, we have already developed AI tools that allow B2B buyers to get data-driven, tailor-made recommendations on suppliers. We also make it easy for them to connect with global suppliers through our communication tools. On the seller side, in addition to digital services that ensure the trustworthiness of transactions, we have developed AI INTERVIEW CoCreate Pitch Alibaba.com is supporting its launch of CoCreate in Europe by extending its product-based pitch competition, CoCreate Pitch, to SMES globally. Entrepreneurs and SMEs interested in taking a product idea from prototype to global distribution are being invited to submit their entry to CoCreate Pitch before the October 15 deadline. You can either post a 30-second video highlighting your business or product idea on Instagram or TikTok (using the hashtag #CoCreatePitch and tag @Alibaba.com_official) or fill out an online form at https://pitch.alibabacocreate.com/?tracelog=pr. Submissions will be judged on innovation, feasibility and market potential. Thirty European semi-finalists will be announced on October 25, before finalists pitch live at CoCreate London in front of a judging panel made up of industry leaders and investors, including Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter, the official Crowdfunding Partner of CoCreate Pitch 2025. Two Grand Champions from the Las Vegas and London events will each receive approximately £150,000 (50% cash and 50% in sourcing credits on Alibaba.com), with 20 global winners being awarded up to £30,000 in cash and sourcing credits. See last year’s highlights at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LojKyVGN0tY
14 01732 759725 RESELLER NEWS ANS revamps partner programmes Manchester-headquartered digital transformation company and cloud services provider ANS has revamped its partner programmes to boost cloud, digital and security sales within the channel. Tailored for different partner types (MSP, telco/IT reseller, SaaS provider, IT consultancy), the refreshed programmes have been structured to offer partners flexibility, scalability and alignment with business goals. Highlights include enhanced managed services portfolios and cybersecurity offerings within its Digital and Security Partner Programmes and tailored cloud transition support and flexible partnership models (cosell, white-label or referral) in its new Cloud Partner Programme, designed to address the evolving needs of VMware partners. Ryan Martin, Head of Indirect at ANS, said: “Our partner programmes aren’t one-size-fits-all, they’re crafted to empower our partners to thrive in a more complex, competitive tech environment.” www.ans.co.uk/channel … Atlas Cloud aiming to disrupt legal sector with Challow acquisition Newcastle-based IT services company Atlas Cloud has expanded its geographical footprint and strengthened its offering in the legal services sector with the acquisition of Challow Design Network Services Limited. Based near King’s Cross in London, Challow is a niche IT services provider targeting barristers’ chambers and law firms with a fully managed, compliancefirst solution designed to align legal customers with the UK Government’s Cyber Essentials scheme. The combined company will leverage Atlas Cloud’s operational engine to widen the availability of Challow’s all-in-one solution, while merging Atlas Cloud’s cyber security division to incorporate Cyber Essentials accreditations and services like penetration testing under one roof. Atlas Cloud CEO Pete Watson said: “Challow have spent years perfecting a totally unique solution, choosing to refine with their current customer base over pursuing growth. Atlas Cloud has in recent years placed a huge emphasis on developing an operational blueprint that delivers a great service in a scalable way. It’s given us greater capacity, allowed us to tighten SLAs and our customer feedback scores are now consistently world-class. Together, we make the industry’s best-kept secret – eager to disrupt the legal services sector.” Plans for the combined business include helping law firms unlock the potential of Generative AI to make savings on chargeable hours. … Econocom expands AV capabilities Econocom, a European leader in digital transformation for public and private organisations, has strengthened its audiovisual capabilities in the UK and Ireland through the acquisition of Smartcomm and Image Supply Systems Audio Visual (ISSAV). These acquisitions add 55 AV specialists to Econocom’s UK and Ireland team, enabling it to design, install, integrate, maintain and support AV environments of continued... Kyndryl and Microsoft collaborate on AI acceleration hubs Enterprise technology services provider Kyndryl is working with Microsoft to accelerate the adoption of agentic AI solutions for industry-specific challenges with the launch of a global network of physical and virtual Kyndryl Microsoft Acceleration Hubs, including the recently opened AI Innovation Lab in Liverpool. Serving as collaborative environments for ideation, prototyping and deployment of AI and digital solutions, Acceleration Hubs bring together the consulting and co-creation expertise of more than 16,000 Microsoft-certified Kyndryl professionals with Microsoft cloud and AI technologies, including Azure AI Foundry and Copilot. Ismail Amla, Global Leader of Kyndryl Consult, said: “We are confidently doubling down on our successful collaboration with Microsoft because we know that the combination of Kyndryl Consult expertise with Microsoft technologies is a powerful duo that will help customers reap the benefits of AI, drive innovation and achieve meaningful business outcomes.” Kyndryl recently achieved the AI Platform on Microsoft Azure specialisation and renewed its Azure Expert MSP (Managed Services Partner) designation, the highest status for Microsoft service providers, achieved by less than 2% of the company’s partner ecosystem. Last month Kyndryl leveraged its learnings from thousands of infrastructure deployments of AI with the launch of a Kyndryl Agentic AI Framework designed to help enterprises implement and run self‑learning agentic AI solutions at scale across diverse IT estates (on-premises, in the cloud or in a hybrid setting). www.kyndryl.com Advania acquires Swedish AI consultancy Northern European IT services provider Advania is accelerating its transformation into an AI-focused company offering the benefits of infrastructure sovereignty and comprehensive advisory and implementation capabilities through the acquisition of The AI Framework. The Swedish AI consultancy was founded by AI thought leader Errol Norlum, former head of AI at H&M Group, where he led a major technical transformation, recruiting over 150 experts and integrating AI into the company’s core business. Norlum said: “We’ve always believed that AI should serve business objectives, not the other way around. Joining Advania allows us to scale this impact while maintaining our commitment to strategic, value-driven AI implementation. Together, we can help more organisations navigate AI transformation with confidence and purpose.” Advania UK CEO Geoff Kneen added: “The acquisition of The AI Framework is a bold step forward in Advania’s mission to lead on AI not just in the Nordics, but across the UK and wider Europe. This deal delivers proven, strategic AI expertise which we can bring to our clients.” Advania’s AI offering now includes AI Consulting Services; the AI Academy to upskill employees in AI technologies; AI Advisory services for governance, risk management and regulatory compliance; and subscription-based AI Services that enable clients to leverage AI capabilities without the need for in-house expertise and capital investment. Geoff Kneen Ryan Martin ANS
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