www.technologyreseller.uk THE MAGAZINE & ONLINE CHANNEL NEWS & RESOURCE FOR MSPS, IT RESELLERS & SUPPORT PROVIDERS MSPs PAGE 16 New trustmark launched to raise standards in MSPs PAGE 04 Midwich makes ‘bold investment’ in updated Experience Centre DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY RESELLER AWARDS 2026 PAGE 33 What you need to know TECHNOLOGY RESELLER MAGAZINE IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016 IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016 IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 2016 Egnyte: the opportunity for MSPs See page 24 David Tulip, Director MSP EMEA, Egnyte
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04 Distribution Midwich makes ‘bold investment’ in new Experience Centre 06 Distribution News Managed security service launched by Hammer 08 Reseller News KubeNet expands presence in North Scotland 12 Q&A Joel Chimoindes outlines his plans and priorities for Konekt 16 MSPs New Trustmark launched to raise security and operational standards in MSPs 17 Communications Openreach passes digital milestone with closure of first of 4,600 exchanges 18 AI How a Somerset managed print service provider is exploiting new opportunities in AI voice 20 Research Softcat report highlights key buying trends for 2026 22 Data Security The role of good data management in AI‑readiness and cyber-resilience 26 Cybersecurity Redsquid’s fifth acquisition of 2025 puts it in a league of its own 28 View from the Channel With Daniel Bumby, Managing Director of Simoda 30 60 seconds with… Sam Harrison, Channel Manager EMEA at Kiteworks 33 Technology Reseller Awards 2026 What you need to know about entering the 2026 TRAs 36 Tech Digest A round-up of the latest developments from established and emerging technology vendors 40 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 24 Cover Story Egnyte invests in a stronger channel
01732 759725 04 DISTRIBUTION A bold investment Midwich updates Experience Centre with £1 million investment On November 25, Mark Lowe, Managing Director (UK & Ireland) at Midwich, officially opened the AV distributor’s remodelled, redesigned and updated Experience Centre at Innovation House in Bracknell. The showroom was originally opened in January 2020 and welcomed its first visitors in January 2021. Since then, 3,000 people every year have used the space to experience the latest AV solutions, to undergo training and to meet with consultants, vendors, customers and Midwich’s own experts. Over the last few months, the distributor and its vendors have invested £1 million in redesigning the space and creating a ‘world-class’ Experience Centre featuring 200 products from 50 manufacturers. Welcoming guests to the re-opening, Lowe acknowledged the tendency of distributors to overuse the word value‑add but said that in this case the term was fully justified. “If you’re working on a project and you come here with your end user and you work with us, statistically you are more likely to win that business. This building helps you to generate revenue, helps you to generate profit, so I put it to you that Innovation House is the manifestation of value-add. It’s not superficial. It really does help you to be successful in our industry,” he said. Stuart Holmes, Executive Director Expert Solutions at Midwich Group company PSCo, reiterated this message, describing the redesigned Experience Centre as ‘a bold investment in challenging times’. He said: “The AV industry is tough at the moment – ASPs are down, prices are dropping and the cost of running a business is going up. In fact, we had quite a lot of conversations about whether now is the right time for us to be investing in a shiny new showroom. And we all agreed it was. We all agreed that, as a true specialist, now is the time for us to be investing in the future and in our relationships with you, so together we can win more business.” He added: “This is a big industry and there’s a lot to shoot for, which is what Innovation House and the Experience Centre is all about. We believe in the future of this industry, and we believe that lies in not just selling tin, not just selling hardware, but in creating solutions and delivering ROI. That’s what this place is about.” An immersive experience The refreshed Experience Centre introduces a series of enhanced technology zones covering LED, image processing, workplace solutions, residential AV, home cinema, pro audio, lighting, security, rental fleet and events. Highlights include a mixed reality zone, demonstrating a new way of creating content and backdrops without the need for a green screen; a Microsoft Teams Signature area, showing how the next generation of AI-enabled collaboration can make meetings more equitable and productive; a Live technology showcase featuring big sound systems, lighting, audio and video for large events; a content creation space, including a fully operational podcast studio; a Drone Zone, bringing together drones and projection mapping technology; and X2O One Room immersive conferencing that enables remote participants to dial into Midwich events and training sessions. Midwich Experience Centre Manager Tyrone Zagnoiev pointed out that in
technologyreseller.co.uk 05 DISTRIBUTION To book a demo or a tour of the new Experience Centre at Innovation House and discover how Midwich’s expertise can support projects of any scale, visit https://innovation-house.com/ or contact our sales team on [email protected] or 01379 649200. Look and learn Midwich Experience Centre Manager Tyrone Zagnoiev talks to Technology Reseller about the new Experience Centre Technology Reseller (TR): How does this new space differ to what was here before? Tyrone Zagnoiev (TZ): Before it was more aimed towards LED specifically and UC&C, because that was our focus at the time. But as you can imagine, we’ve grown significantly over the years, and there’s so much more to AV than just LED and UC&C. We wanted to showcase some of the newer technologies coming out, such as mixed reality production, which is becoming more and more prevalent for broadcasters, content creators and businesses, and other growth areas for us, like audio, content creation and podcasting. We’ve managed to squeeze over 50 vendors into this space covering everything from LED to camera technologies, to UC&C, even cabling. And nothing we have put in this space is just a show piece. It’s all functional and operational because we want customers to be able to come in here and see their own content and know that what they’re buying is going to work for them. We also want people to create their own content. Our podcast studio and the mixed reality studio are both fully operational, so customers can come in and create content for their own internal use or marketing. TR: How do you choose which vendors to feature? TZ: We do our research. We know the most popular brands and which have the technologies best suited to what we’re trying to achieve. For example, we approached Harman for the Live technology space, because they’re so big in live events, and we have our top three LED manufacturers here – Samsung, LG and Absen – and all sorts of variants of their products. We don’t just choose one vendor; we like to provide a fair representation. So, even though Harman provides the audio for the Live space, Biamp and Bose do the audio in the main showroom. TR: I noticed that when you go around, there’s no information on the products. Is that because visitors will be accompanied by a guide? TZ: It’s a very much a white glove experience. I will show people how each solution works but allow them to go in and play with it themselves. I’m there to be a helping hand, so if they want to see their own content on-screen, they can give it to me and I will upload it for them. We have a client coming in in the next two weeks who wants to see how a camera works in front of a specific LED. They’re sending me the content, and we’ll make it work for them. It’s little things like that that make the difference. We’ve created this space for our partner community and at the end of the day we want to help them close opportunities and complete projects. The Experience Centre is also an event and training space. For example, we have plans next year to host a post-ISE event for those who can’t make it out to Barcelona and several vendors and some of our own customers are interested in holding open days and product launches here. It’s also a training space. Midwich is known for being a training academy and this is where a lot of our big vendors will host certification and recertification training. It’s a very flexible space. Tyrone Zagnoiev addition to the product showcase, the Experience Centre is a training facility and a versatile space partners can use to host their own events, all of which is at their disposal to help them win more business. He said: “This is your space to inspire you and your customers. This could be a basic tour at the beginning of a project to give clients ideas on what you can do for them, how we can help them and how we can support them. Or, later on in a project, you could use the facility to help the client make a decision on that final piece of technology by seeing it in a working format before they go ‘Yes, let’s make this happen’.”
01732 759725 DISTRIBUTOR NEWS 06 Supermicro AI-ready solutions now available from Arrow in EMEA Global technology provider Arrow Electronics has added Supermicro’s complete portfolio of AI-ready infrastructure solutions to its offering in EMEA, including servers, storage systems, switches and software optimised for demanding AI workloads. Arrow says the combination of its experience and support network and Supermicro’s broad portfolio of solutions designed to support pre-trained models in edge environments will enable channel partners to thrive in the dynamic AI landscape and meet demand for powerful solutions capable of processing massive datasets. www.arrow.com … DoiT to scale its footprint with Ingram Micro DoiT, a provider of enterprise-grade FinOps and CloudOps solutions, is partnering with Ingram Micro to provide its Amazon Web Services (AWS) solutions to more than 5,000 of the distributor’s channel partners. These include DoiT Cloud Intelligence, a FinOps 3.0 platform that delivers advanced cost optimisation and operational intelligence to help channel partners and their customers navigate today’s complex cloud environments and spend confidently on AWS. With workflow automation, data ingestion and advanced AI insights, DoiT Cloud Intelligence acts as an ROI engine that connects every dollar spent to the goals of each workload, uncovers the root causes of inefficiency and closes the loop with engineering teams delivering optimisation. Early next year DoiT plans to integrate its platform into Ingram Micro’s digital experience platform Xvantage, giving Ingram Micro’s AWS customers real‑time access to solutions that instantly elevate their CloudOps and FinOps capabilities. Duncan Robinson, Vice President of Global Partnerships at Ingram Micro, said: “This strategic collaboration with DoiT and future integration of DoiT Cloud Intelligence into our Xvantage platform will help our customers transform their cloud investments into ROI machines, while still getting the core visibility and reporting they need to operate.” DoiT CEO Vadim Solovey added: “Our new alliance with Ingram Micro represents a tremendous opportunity for DoiT Cloud Intelligence to scale its footprint in step with a Fortune 500 company to reach a massive audience of new AWS customers ready to take the next step on their FinOps journeys. By combining our advanced FinOps solutions with Xvantage’s powerful AI platform, these customers will be able to take full control of their cloud investments and evolve them into genuine profit centres.” … Pax8 extends collaboration with Microsoft Cloud commerce marketplace Pax8 is enhancing its collaboration with Microsoft with the launch of two initiatives designed to help MSPs generate more Microsoft sales. These are the integration of Microsoft’s unified marketplace of AI solutions, third-party apps and Microsoft-vetted offerings within the Pax8 platform and the launch of OneCloud Guided Growth, a structured enablement journey that helps MSPs do more business across the entire Microsoft Cloud stack. As one of five launch partners, Pax8 is integrating Microsoft’s unified Marketplace (combining AppSource and Azure Marketplace) into its own Pax8 Marketplace. This will enable its partners to access, resell and deliver AI applications and agents in the Microsoft Marketplace; bundle third-party Marketplace apps with their own services, software and hardware; and offer solutions that are pre-vetted for Microsoft compatibility, streamlining implementation and reducing deployment friction. In addition, it is helping MSPs transact across the full Microsoft Cloud stack, including Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Azure, Security and Copilot, with the launch of OneCloud Guided Growth. Programme features include a five-stage curriculum (Understand Best Practice, Build It Your Way, Get Buy-In, Implementation and Inspect What You Expect); tailored assessments across strategy, operations, technical readiness, sales and go-tomarket; and 110 courses and 20+ learning paths aligned to partner maturity and growth goals. www.pax8.com/en-us/microsoft/ … LastPass identity security solutions now available from e92plus Cybersecurity VAD e92plus is helping VAR, MSP and GSI partners in the UK, Ireland and Benelux to solve customers’ identity security challenges by adding LastPass password management and identity security solutions to its portfolio. Built on the principles of Zero Trust and passwordless security, LastPass simplifies how users access and manage credentials while enforcing security policies across an organisation through a combination of encryption, adaptive MFA and granular access controls. New additions to the LastPass Secure Access Experiences offering include SaaS Monitoring and SaaS Protect, which help deal with the problem of shadow IT and unsanctioned applications by enabling IT teams to identify what business applications are being used, block or restrict unauthorised or high-risk SaaS and AI apps, detect weak or reused passwords and enforce governance policies automatically. Hammer launches Seceon-powered managed security service Hammer Distribution has expanded its services portfolio with a fully managed, 24x7x365 security service delivered in partnership with Seceon, a specialist in AI/ML-powered threat detection and response. Operating from the distributor’s Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Basingstoke, Sensra unifies telemetry from logs, identities, networks, endpoints, cloud and applications and applies Seceon’s advanced analytics to detect, investigate and stop malware, ransomware and other threats targeting multi-cloud, hybrid and edge environments, in real time. Geoff Towns, Head of Services at Hammer Distribution, said: “With Sensra, we’re giving partners and their customers enterprisegrade security outcomes without the cost and complexity of building a SOC. Backed by Seceon’s AI/ML engine and our delivery expertise, organisations can replace fragmented legacy tools and gain 24x7 monitoring, response and reporting from day one.” Key features include: 24x7/365 monitoring & response by a UK-based SOC; AI/MLdriven detection powered by Seceon aiSIEM + aiXDR analytics across on-prem, cloud and edge/IoT/OT environments; compliance & reporting; and outcome-focused onboarding with defined playbooks, measurable SLAs and continuous optimisation. https://www.hammerdistribution.com/ Geoff Towns Green mobile accessories TD SYNNEX is bringing a range of environmentally responsible mobile, laptop and lifestyle accessories to partners across Europe through a new distribution agreement with dbramante1928. Its device accessories, carry solutions and charging devices are made from recycled materials verified under the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) using production and distribution methods shown by PEF-based lifecycle assessments to reduce carbon emissions. Luc Van Huystee, Vice President, Mobile and Consumer Electronics, Europe at TD SYNNEX, said: “dbramante1928’s product line meets the growing demand for eco-conscious alternatives in both consumer and enterprise markets. This is a win-win opportunity, enabling our partners to enhance their offerings while supporting environmental goals.” Luc Van Huystee
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01732 759725 RESELLER NEWS 08 Community Fibre partners with PXC PlatformX Communications (PXC) is strengthening its relationship with London’s largest full fibre-only network and bringing greater choice to its partners with the addition of Community Fibre’s broadband services to its offering. Community Fibre passes over 1.3 million homes and has 185,000 London-based businesses within 200 metres of its network. According to PXC, it delivers higher speeds (up to 5 Gbps for consumers and up to 10 Gbps for businesses) at lower prices than the national incumbent, with marketleading network reliability and consistently outstanding Net Promoter Scores (NPS). Integration with PXC’s advanced automation and orchestration capabilities provides partners with fully automated end-to-end order management flows and enhanced configuration tools that accelerate speed to market. Born from the combination of Virtual1 and TalkTalk’s wholesale services and national network business, PXC is the UK’s leading provider of solutions for connectivity, voice, cloud and security, underpinned by a robust, secure, resilient and reliable network. PXC.co.uk … Microsoft Operator Connect success a major boost for Green IP Green IP, the Poole-based provider of carrier grade voice and communication solutions, has strengthened its strategic integration with Microsoft Teams by achieving Microsoft Operator Connect status in addition to its existing Teams Direct Routing solution, This advanced integration program allows certified telecom operators to connect their voice networks directly into Microsoft Teams, enabling customers to make and receive calls natively within the platform. Compared to traditional Direct Routing, Operator Connect provides simplified provisioning through the Teams Admin Centre, enhanced reliability through Microsoft’s Operator-Managed Infrastructure and enterprise-grade quality of service (QoS) and performance monitoring, with direct support and billing from the operator. GreenIP’s recently appointed Director of Business Development, Jamie Hughes, said: “Seamless Integration with Green IP’s carrier grade solutions with Operator Connect certification means we can now deliver our cyber voice security, carrier grade resilience and global network reach directly into Microsoft Teams environments. It’s a major boost to our customer collaboration capabilities.” www.greenip.co.uk … Zenture partners with Momentum Zenture Partners, a strategic consultancy and telecom lifecycle management provider with $1 billion in telecoms spend under management and access to over 600 providers, has announced a partnership with managed services provider Momentum. This will enable its enterprise customers to access Momentum’s SD-WAN, network security and cloud communications solutions and, through the MyZenture platform, gain a unified view of every telecom contract, circuit and cost, helping them to simplify procurement, reduce costs and future-proof their networks. Rob Bye, Founder and President of Zenture Partners, said: “Enterprises are spending millions on connectivity and network services, yet few have a clear view of what they own, what it costs or whether it’s fit for the future. By partnering with Momentum, we’re expanding our ability to remove complexity from telecom procurement and management. Our customers now have access to a broader set of services, delivered with the same clarity, control and costefficiency they expect from Zenture.” Zenture builds a full inventory of a customer’s telecom assets, consolidating every contract, circuit and cost into a single dashboard. Its AI platform then automates Zen expands full fibre network offering Zen Internet is expanding its Direct Business connectivity offering and giving 260,000 businesses across the UK greater choice when upgrading their legacy connections ahead of the 2027 copper switch‑off. In addition to new Business FTTP and Ethernet services from CityFibre, Zen has launched BT’s SoTAP (Single Order Temporary Access Product), an all-IP solution for businesses that are on ADSL but have no access to full fibre or FTTC connectivity. Zen’s new CityFibre solutions include CityFibre FTTP for Business products (with speeds of 100, 300, 500, 900, 1.8 and 2.5 Gbps) and two Ethernet services – Ethernet 1000 Flex, a cost-effective product between SoGEA and full Ethernet for customers that need more bandwidth but aren’t ready to invest in a dedicated leased line, and 1 Gbps DIA Ethernet, a dedicated Direct Internet Access service for businesses that need guaranteed, uncontended bandwidth. Jon Nowell, Managing Director of Zen Business, said: “Zen Business is building the UK’s most extensive full fibre and leased line network for business. The addition of Full Fibre and Ethernet from CityFibre marks a major step forward in delivering faster speeds and greater value to organisations across the country. With the PSTN switch-off fast approaching and ADSL services retiring, we remain committed to helping businesses upgrade to full fibre. In areas where this isn’t yet possible, SoTAP delivers essential continuity as legacy options disappear.” Andy Wilson, Head of Wholesale, CityFibre and Jon Nowell, Managing Director - Business, Zen Evolve supporting Home Bargains store roll-out Discount retailer Home Bargains has selected managed network solutions provider Evolve Business Group to bring secure, PCI-compliant payments and robust connectivity to more than 650 of its stores across the UK. The partnership will consolidate multiple legacy networks, including those used for payments and CCTV, into a single managed solution proactively monitored by Evolve’s 24/7/365 technical support desk for improved visibility and speedier resolution of issues. To maximise uptime, Evolve has implemented diverse connections into each store, with automatic failover to maintain connectivity if one line goes down. In addition, automatic updating of firewall rules and configuration changes will enable new features to be rolled out instantly across all stores. Tony Mullen, Head of IT Infrastructure and Services at Home Bargains, said: “Having started more than 40 years ago in Liverpool, we now serve more than seven million people each week and plan to grow our portfolio to 1,000 stores throughout the UK, opening around 50 new stores a year. The partnership with Evolve has simplified our infrastructure and improved resilience, offering value without compromising on service and quality. These upgrades will support us and our customers as we continue to expand.” www.evolvebg.co.uk Evolve Business Group (l-r): Ryan Stephenson-Brown, COO; Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO; Lee Simpson, CFO
RESELLER NEWS technologyreseller.co.uk 09 lifecycle management, while Zenture’s team designs resilient network strategies aligned with cloud and AI growth. www.zenturepartners.com … Continuant and Utelogy extend partnership to UK AV management expert Utelogy and AV/UC integrator and MSP Continuant are bringing their long-standing partnership in North America to the UK, where Continuant (UK) is integrating the Utelogy platform into its managed services offering. The unified AV/UC monitoring, management and support solution will give Continuant’s customers in the UK comprehensive visibility across their technology ecosystem, proactive support, faster issue resolution and actionable insights. Utelogy CEO Kevin Morrison said: “Continuant has been a trusted and forwardthinking partner in the US, and we’re thrilled to see our collaboration extend to their UK operations. Their customer-first approach and commitment to excellence align with Utelogy’s mission to deliver scalable, data-driven tools for managing modern AV environments. Together, we’re helping organisations achieve higher uptime, greater efficiency and a better end-user experience.” https://www.utelogy.com/ … PwC and TheyDo tie the knot PwC UK has formed a strategic partnership with customer experience (CX) platform TheyDo to help enterprises translate customer insight into opportunities for growth and realise more value from their CX investments. In early 2024, PwC UK incorporated TheyDo’s AI-powered Journey Management Platform into its CX practice to streamline CX delivery. Since then, it has successfully combined the platform with its own GtX framework, which links investing in CX to measurable business outcomes, enabling PwC CS practitioners to shorten the time to insight and value for clients and PwC clients to maximise the impact of every pound spent on experience-led growth. Jochem van der Veer, CEO of TheyDo, said: “PwC sets the benchmark for connecting customer experience to business growth. By embedding its GtX methodology in TheyDo, it has shown how research can be transformed into a framework to accelerate growth. Together, we’re bringing that value to enterprises, turning complexity into experience intelligence, which is the next frontier for the enterprise.” Expanded cybersecurity solutions launched by Logicalis Technology service provider Logicalis is enhancing its ability to offer organisations proactive protection, continuous visibility and regulatory compliance with an expanded range of modular intelligent security solutions supported by its 24x7 SOCs and certified CSIRT teams. These include pentesting as a service (PTaaS), which enables organisations to schedule penetration testing on demand to identify vulnerabilities across systems, applications, APIs and social engineering campaigns, with results consolidated in Logicalis’s all-in-one Vulnerability Management Platform. Logicalis has also enhanced its Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) service, which provides customers with continuous monitoring of global threat sources, from darknet activity and leaked credentials to malicious domains and suspicious VPN or email logins, and expanded its Advisory services to help customers implement and maintain alignment with critical frameworks including NIST, DORA, NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act. Bob Bailkoski, Global CEO of Logicalis, said: “The global cyber threat environment has reached an inflection point, where reactive measures are no longer enough. By enhancing our Intelligent Security portfolio with advanced pentesting, continuous threat intelligence, and strategic advisory, we are providing customers with the tools to stay ahead of adversaries. Our approach combines global threat insights with local expertise, helping CIOs and CISOs build cyber resilience while maintaining focus on innovation and growth.” … KubeNet strengthens position in North of Scotland Kube Networks, a Glasgow-based ISP and provider of managed IT and infrastructure services, cloud, Internet, voice, cybersecurity and IoT solutions, has strengthened its position in the North of Scotland with its second acquisition of 2025. KubeNet’s acquisition of the client base of telecoms and connectivity provider Fibre1 follows its acquisition earlier this year of Aberdeen-based managed service provider ISN Solutions. Julie Inglis, Director at KubeNet said: “The addition of over 200 clients further strengthens KubeNet’s presence across the North of Scotland, complementing our Aberdeen office and supporting our ambition to expand our services throughout continued... Talk Talk Business unveils new identity Salford-headquartered TalkTalk Business is entering a new phase following its demerger from the wider TalkTalk Group in 2023 with the unveiling of a new brand identity and website that reflects its evolution from a connectivity provider into a technology partner providing connectivity, cloud, cyber, voice and collaboration products and services. Ruth Kennedy, CEO at TalkTalk Business, said: “Our demerger gave us the opportunity to step back and reimagine what we wanted to stand for in the market. While connectivity remains critical, we’re increasingly helping enterprises navigate more complex challenges across cloud, cyber, voice and collaboration. This new brand identity aligns how we present ourselves externally with how we already work alongside our clients: as a flexible, trusted partner with the experience, people and platforms to help them thrive.” Ruth Kennedy New AV and workplace technology powerhouse Yorktel, a New Jersey–based global systems integrator and managed services provider, and Amsterdam-headquartered AV and UCC integration firm Kinly are now operating as Yorktel-Kinly following the completion of their merger. The move has created a global powerhouse in systems integration and managed services with 2,500 clients, 27 offices worldwide and over 1,600 employees holding more than 900 specialist accreditations. The merged company will be led by CEO Ken Scaturro, Chief Strategy Officer Tom Martin and a new leadership team that brings together industry leaders from both companies. Ken Scaturro said: “The collaboration and IT services market is evolving rapidly. Clients are looking for integrated, scalable and managed solutions across AV, IT and networking. This merger enables us to deliver exactly that.” www.yorktel-kinly.com Ken Scaturro, CEO of Yorktel-Kinly, and Tom Martin, CSO of Yorktel-Kinly
RESELLER NEWS 10 01732 759725 the UK. For Fibre1 clients, this transition means continuity of service, enhanced support and access to the full range of solutions and expertise offered by KubeNet.” Fibre1 Director Lynn Stewart added: “Joining forces with KubeNet marks an exciting new chapter for the team at Fibre1 and importantly gives us access to a broader range of solutions and proven expertise. KubeNet’s strong reputation and collaborative culture align perfectly with our own values and we’re confident this partnership will take Fibre1 and our customers to the next level.” … Pre-packaged Microsoft solutions launched by Avanade Go Avanade has launched a suite of prepackaged Microsoft Azure-powered solutions designed to help mid-market organisations address cloud costs, security and the customer experience without the complexity or overheads associated with enterprisescale deployments. Developed by a dedicated team within Avanade focused on creating and scaling repeatable business solutions, known internally as Avanade Go, the four ready-todeploy solutions are: Avanade Accelerated ERP, offering faster, lower-risk ERP transformation; Avanade Cloud Move, for safely and securely migrating servers and workloads to an AI-ready Azure cloud platform; Avanade Intelligent Security Operations, providing unified security that adapts as threats evolve; and Avanade Intelligent Contact Centre, a ready-to-deploy, AI-powered contact centre. In addition to this quartet of solutions, Avanade has launched Cloud ANALYZE, a free, self-service, fully automated tool that analyses a business’s Microsoft cloud environments and provides advice on how to optimise them to achieve savings of up to 50% on monthly cloud costs and licence fees. Avanade Go Lead Fabio Hasegawa said: “This is just the start of an exciting journey. We’re beginning with launches in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, with plans to expand to additional markets in the weeks ahead. Our ambition is to set a new standard for clients in delivery excellence, bringing the best of Avanade’s Microsoft innovation to more businesses, faster. We’re building a foundation for growth that combines speed, quality and measurable impact for every client we serve.” www.Avanade.com ...continued ANS named 2025 Microsoft UK Partner of the Year Manchester-based digital transformation company ANS has once again tasted success in the Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards, this time for the work it is doing in AI. After winning the 2024 Microsoft UK Services Partner of the Year Award, it has now picked up the 2025 Microsoft UK Partner of the Year Award in recognition of its success in delivering secure solutions and services and harnessing the transformative power of Microsoft’s Cloud and AI platforms. ANS CEO Richard Thompson said: “Our journey with Microsoft has been nothing short of transformative. Together, we are not just challenging the status quo in the UK, we are actively shaping the future of technology, driving innovation across both commercial and public sectors.” Microsoft UK named Rubrik as its UK ISV Partner of the Year and CapGemini as its UK GSI Partner of the Year. www.ans.co.uk Richard Thompson Ortecha-Broadgate merger creates end-to-end FS specialist Ortecha, a provider of data, analytics and AI advisory and implementation services to global financial services (FS) companies, is creating one of the UK’s largest FS technology and data specialists with the acquisition of Broadgate Consultants, a specialist in large-scale technology transformation. Founded in 2010 by Richard Gale and John Vincent, Broadgate has established itself as a trusted partner to corporates undertaking major transformation programmes, with a strong pedigree in the FS sector. Its team of over 150 consultants has delivered numerous transformative projects spanning cyber security, operating model design, strategic advisory and sourcing management. The merger of Ortecha and Broadgate creates a single, end-to-end transformation partner with around 200 consultants and revenues of approximately £20 million. Pete Youngs, CEO of Ortecha, said: “Clients don’t want to manage multiple specialists who work in isolation. They need partners who can deliver integrated data, AI and technology transformation and understand how every piece affects the whole. We remain committed to ‘data made human’ but can now provide our clients with broader technology services to ensure data, AI and technology work in harmony for them.” John Vincent, Managing Partner of Broadgate Consultants, added: “What’s exciting about this merger is how it changes the client experience. Everything becomes simpler - one conversation, one strategy, one implementation plan. Clients can focus on their business priorities while we handle the complexity of making it all work together.” Debrett’s, acting as lead advisor in the sale, structured a deal that allowed Broadgate’s shareholders to release a significant portion of their equity while retaining a meaningful stake in the combined group’s future growth. www.ortecha.com www.broadgateconsultants.com IN BRIEF... Axians UK is helping customers achieve real-time visibility across both IT and Operational Technology (OT) environments with the launch of the Theia Observability-as-a-Service (OaaS) suite. The fully managed, vendor-agnostic solution provides a unified view of hybrid infrastructures, supported by curated insights, personalised dashboards and long-term data retention, enabling organisations to proactively manage performance, security and business continuity. www.axians.co.uk CyberLab has launched a new platform designed to help organisations monitor, assess and reduce their exposure to cyber threats through a combination of vulnerability scanning, dark web monitoring, attack surface monitoring, supply chain security and remediation advice. A key feature is the HackRisk Score, a single, shareable metric that distils a company’s security posture into a number that partners, insurers and auditors can understand at a glance. https://cyberlab.co.uk Wavenet has expanded its CyberGuard portfolio with a new managed service giving businesses unified visibility, security and control across complex network environments spanning cloud, on-premises and remote users. Harnessing disparate technology from industry-leading vendors Gigamon, NetBrain, Kentik and Darktrace, CyberGuard Net360 brings together advanced network visibility, zero trust networking and network detection and response (NDR) in one powerful, integrated solution. Other cybersecurity services from Wavenet include penetration testing, managed detection and response, incident response and vCISO consultancy. wavenet.co.uk
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12 01732 759725 really good at already. Northamber owns their own operations, their own logistics and warehouse, whereas we outsource that today. They can provide the right model and then layer the value-add on top. TR: What impact has the sale had on your headcount? JC: Twenty-five people have gone to Northamber as part of that purchase, and Alex and I have an agreement, and there’s a contractual one as well, to ensure a smooth transition of the business for customers. It isn’t a case of handing over the keys and moving on. We have a responsibility in the coming months to make sure we help Northamber achieve a smooth transition. It sounds like a cliché, but our motto is zero customer disruption. Customers can still place business with us today, in the same way they could previously, on account or anything like that, and we will act as an agent for Northamber to make sure that business is processed in the right way. So, zero customer disruption. TR: How many people are now employed by Konekt across the UK and Europe? JC: About 60. To be absolutely clear, the Northamber deal is a UK-only deal. Our plan is to exit hardware in Europe in a controlled fashion over the next three to four months, so we can then focus on the Konekt strategy, which we’re really excited about. TR: And what’s happened to the Nisha AI virtual assistant in this transition and rebrand? JC: It’s a great question. Konekt isn’t simply a rebrand of Nuvias UC; we’re adopting a whole new philosophy inside the business. We sat down and asked what would a startup look like in this environment? What would a startup look like in cloud communications, software and services for the channel? We came up with a strategy around that. The reality is Services is a £40 million GII business, serving 400 customers, so by definition it can’t be a true startup. However, our philosophy around how we work, around how we act, around our systems is like that of a startup. We’re rebuilding our systems and putting AI and automation at the heart of what we do. Also, our business is now much simpler structure in place is that we had different go‑to‑markets, different strategies and different P&L shapes across hardware, software and services. Previously, everything was lumped together, which made it difficult to apply different strategies and go-to-markets and financial reporting for each of those segments. The divisional structure helped give us clarity on how our software and services businesses were performing, with growth of 20-25%, versus the hardware business, which was definitely underperforming. TR: And it is that devices and infrastructure division that you’ve sold to Northamber? JC: Yes. We separated out our hardware business – devices and infrastructure – and have sold that to Northamber, which is a fantastic home for it, by the way. Over the last year, I’ve got to know Northamber and its Chairman Alex Phillips. They are a fantastic specialist distribution business and really fit into this layer around the intelligent workplace with the portfolio they already have around UC and VC, plus security and some networking and infrastructure as well. So it’s a great home for the business. That’s from a strategy perspective. The other thing that’s been great for us as we’ve got to know Alex and his team is that Northamber is also a great fit culturally and ethically. Alex has the same passion as I do for specialist distribution, so it felt like exactly the right deal for the business and for its people as well. TR: Why have you chosen to sell the hardware business? JC: The reality is that business in the hardware collaboration market that we existed in, which did experience some fantastic growth during Covid, has been really tough in the last couple of years. Despite us still having really good market shares, we were getting to the point where we weren’t making any money out of that hardware business. Our processes were good, but the overall costs in that business, and I don’t mean people costs, but operating costs, were too high. We needed a partner who could take that business and build into what they’re At the start of December Nuvias UC announced that it was selling its hardware business to Northamber for £7.1 million and rebranding as Konekt. With £28.8 million in annual revenue and 700 customers, Nuvias UC’s hardware and infrastructure division specialises in Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms and hybrid-working ecosystems. Its acquisition will enable Northamber to expand its existing UC and AV portfolio and enhance its offering with specialist support, provisioning and configuration services, building on capabilities gained through its acquisition of UC and AV distributor Tempura Communications in 2024. As part of the acquisition, Northamber gains use of the Nuvias UC name, with the remaining part of the original business rebranding as Konekt and focusing on its two higher growth divisions – cloud solutions and services – that together generate annual revenues of £40 million from 400 customers across the UK and Europe. Here, we ask Konekt CEO Joel Chimoindes for his perspective on the sale of Nuvias UC and his plans for Konekt. Technology Reseller (TR): In April, you introduced a new divisional structure based around hardware, software and services. Was that done with an eye on the sale of the hardware business? Joel Chimoindes (JC): Yes and no. The reason we put the divisional INTERVIEW Q&A With Joel Chimoindes, CEO of Konekt Joel Chimoindes
technologyreseller.co.uk 13 TR: What are the needs of your customers and how do you address them? JC: If you’ve got a European distribution business, what you want is a onesize-fits-all model. But that won’t work in cloud communications right now because the countries we serve – the UK, France, Germany and Benelux – are at different stages of cloud communications adoption. In the UK and the Netherlands between 58% and 60% of end users have already moved their communications from an on prem to an off prem scenario. In France and in Germany, the penetration rate is about 20 to 22%, so the go-to-market in those markets will be different. How we address our resellers’ needs is by giving them the tools and services and vendors to help them move their customers from an on prem to an off prem scenario. Places like the UK, the Netherlands and Benelux, and the Nordics, have entered a second phase in which people are moving from one cloud platform for communications to another, so our role there is slightly different to what it would be in France and in Germany. www.konekt.tech ago, way before my time. We looked at it. We liked it. We thought it fitted really well with the rebranding and what we wanted to do; we can play with the word Konekt quite a lot in our branding and messaging; and it sums up what we want to do with our partner community and with our vendor community. TR: What does the sale of your hardware division say about distribution today, because there’s always a conflict between people wanting specialists and people wanting fewer suppliers to deal with? JC: Let’s be clear, everyone has talked about the death of distribution for the last 25 to 30 years, and it hasn’t happened, and it won’t happen because distribution continues to evolve to meet the needs of vendors and resellers. As long as distribution continues to evolve, it won’t die. But if you stand still and don’t meet the needs of your vendors and your customers, of course you’re at risk of dying. With Konekt, I really believe that we are evolving to meet those needs and are in a fantastic place to continue those growth rates I spoke about previously. When it comes to the separation of the hardware business, what we’ve done is give it to a company that’s a specialist in that area, so they can take the business and help it thrive. in terms of its transactional model. So, if we take that AI, automation, digitalisation approach, and then wrap around our magic sauce, which is our technical capability, we’ve got something that’s really fantastic for the industry. Re: your Nisha AI question, that is absolutely part of what we are doing inside Konekt, because we still absolutely need that capability. TR: What are your priorities for the new business. Are you going to go after new vendors? And are there any particular areas you’re looking at? JC: The three priorities that I’ve set in the business are to selectively expand our vendor landscape – we are deep in conversations with a number of new vendors already and that will continue as we expand our ecosystem around cloud communication; to launch new services to extend the capacity and the capability of the channel – so we’ll start to build out more services around AI-related subjects for cloud communications, which is really exciting; and to replace our systems with new one ones – our ambition is to have the first version in place at some point in April next year. TR: Where does the name Konekt come from? JC: Konekt was a name that was used for a project in the business a very long time INTERVIEW DCC Technology rebrands as Nexora Konekt is not the only new name in distribution. At the start of this month, DCC Technology rebranded as Nexora to unite 2,500 employees in 27 specialist distribution businesses across Europe and North America with a shared purpose and identity. The name, a compound of Nex (next) and Ora (energy), was chosen by Nexora’s own employees for its evocation of progress and momentum. The rebranding of DCC Technology follows the sale of Exertis UK’s IT businesses to private equity investor AURELIUS and its exit from lower-margin IT activities in France, Spain and the Netherlands. Nexora’s remaining businesses include specialists in professional AV, enterprise infrastructure and lifestyle-enhancing consumer technologies, notably Hammer (previously Exertis Enterprise) in the UK and Europe; Comm-Tec in DACH, Italy and Iberia; Azenn and Connect in France; Captech in the Nordics; and Almo and JAM in North America. Together, they deliver $3.6 billion in annual revenue. Commenting on the new name, Nexora CEO Clive Fitzharris said: “This is an exciting milestone for our business. Nexora reflects who we are today and where we are going, a community of specialist businesses built on deep expertise and strong partnerships. It is an identity and direction which captures our energy, our ambition and our belief in the power of technology to enrich lives.” www.nexora.com
35 Years +
16 01732 759725 Proof, not promises New trustmark launched to raise security and operational standards in MSPs Trust is a word you hear a lot in the managed services space, when what people really mean is a leap of faith. MSPs and technology providers like to position themselves as partners that businesses can trust to secure their systems, protect their data, guide their IT strategy, future-proof their investments. But on what basis? Must customers take MSPs at their word or is there objective proof of their capabilities SMEs can rely on when selecting a ‘trusted partner’? On the other side of the equation, what can MSPs with a long history of customer success do to validate their capabilities and differentiate themselves from rivals that haven’t made the same investments in systems, personnel, skills and accreditations? How can they show their value and stop SMEs just buying on price? Mit Patel, founder and CEO of Assurix, a new trustmark for managed service providers, says these questions have become highly pertinent for the growing number of MSPs that offer managed security services, before you even consider the impact of new regulations like the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. As he told Technology Reseller, one of the big challenges for everyone concerned is that cybersecurity is essentially invisible, which can make it hard for customers to gauge how well an MSP is doing its job. “Service is very visible. If you don’t respond to a ticket, if you don’t return a phone call, if you don’t reply to an email, an SMB will get on the phone and ask what’s going on. But security is invisible. You don’t know if your machine is getting patched. You don’t know if you’ve got the right security settings turned on. You don’t know if the MSP itself is secure.” A reliable guide Patel, who grew Netstar from a breakfix IT company into an MSP with more than £8 million recurring revenue before selling it to Air IT, points out that the usual assurances customers look for, such as ISO accreditations and industry awards, aren’t necessarily a reliable guide to performance. Nor, he suggests, are existing MSP assurance schemes, which tend to be limited in scope and focused mainly on cybersecurity. In contrast, Assurix aims to provide a broad assessment of an MSP’s capabilities, including operational performance, cybersecurity maturity and business resilience, and uniquely includes live monitoring to ensure standards don’t slip following certification. Of the 68 controls monitored by Assurix, more than 20 are tracked live. “Assurix is designed to provide ‘proof, not promises’, which we’ve done by building a live trustmark on two frameworks: one, from a security perspective, is completely aligned to the Cyber Assessment Framework, which is what the government wants to put in place; the other, based on an operational maturity framework, looks at things like SLAs, the clarity of the MSP’s invoicing and whether they are patching the machines they’re meant to. We make it live by integrating with the tools MSPs use to run their businesses – the PSA, the RMM – so we know they’re doing what they’re meant to be doing every day, not once a year, which is what happens in most other audited schemes.” If a certified MSP lets standards slip in one of those control areas, they are given 30 days to fix things before the Trustmark is suspended. A win-win Patel describes Assurix as a ‘win-win’ for everyone: SMEs gain a quick means of identifying MSPs with the highest standards, helping to boost security levels throughout the supply chain; and MSPs have proof of their operational and security credentials, enabling them to win deals more quickly, maintain margins and enjoy preferential terms from suppliers. Already, Beazley is offering certified organisations a 25% discount on professional indemnity and cyber insurance. He adds that Assurix certification can even boost company valuations as it gives a potential buyer evidence that an MSP has been doing the right things from a security and operational point of view over a period of time. Onboarding Assurix was officially launched on October 2, with the intention of signing up 100 MSPs. Costs, based on the number of clients an MSP has, start at around £400 a month, plus a one-off set-up fee starting at £3,000. So far, 78 MSPs have paid the refundable £500 deposit, leaving just 22 slots available for the first cohort, with onboarding to start in Q1 2026. The time taken to achieve certification varies depending on the maturity of the MSP, MSPs Mit Patel
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