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
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=