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www.technologyreseller.co.uk v22 · 2019

Growing Together Partner-first culture drives rapid growth at Virtual1

Q&A MOBILE VIEW FROM Jamie Farrelly bigs up Veritas COMPUTING THE CHANNEL Technologies’ June product Dynabook branding marks new James Doggart, CEO of mega-launch chapter for 30-year-old start-up Cloud Technology Solutions PAGE 30 PAGE 38 PAGE 40 Article TiTLE

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MK6160 Nimans Cisco Smash Press Ads TechReseller.indd 1 10/04/2019 13:41 ISSN 2632-9301 (Print) ISSN 2632-931X (Online) COMMENT

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04 What’s New An interesting column from Brother UK MD Phil Jones The month’s best new on page 18, in which he lists some of the advice he products and services would give his younger self. These nuggets of wisdom, 07 Distributor News based on his experience in the IT industry, would have Midwich Group opens been valuable at any point in the last 30 years, but Bracknell showroom seem particularly pertinent today. His advice to seek 12 Reseller News and take note of feedback, however challenging it New financial backer for 24 Communications 33 SD-WAN might be, and to be aware of one’s own prejudices, ASL Group The go-to company for New Masergy market ‘decision pathways’ and blind spots strikes me as being UCC analysis highly relevant now that more and more businesses are 26 UCaaS 36 Computing embracing teamwork and collaboration in the pursuit of The opportunity in Meet ‘the most exciting agility and innovation. enterprise-controlled end user computing SIMs product in decades’ Chris Griffiths, who contributes this month’s ‘I couldn’t do my job without…’ feature on page 21, has built a career 37 Compliance on creativity and innovative thinking, helping his clients ICO gets tough over foster both through a combination of training courses, GDPR ‘how to’ books, apps and software tools. How refreshing 38 Mobile computing of him to list as one of his favourite ‘work tools’ free time First dynabook-branded to ‘think, reflect and daydream’. I’m sure this advice will laptops launched in strike a chord with all those readers who took their work 16 Vendor News Europe Circular Computing with them on holiday this year. starts planting in California It has become something of a cliché in the IT world for 18 The Insider established businesses that have recently undergone Lessons I have learnt by 27 Collaboration a change of ownership, rebranding or other significant Phil Jones MBE Enhanced team working reboot to describe themselves as a 20-year-old, 30-year- old, whatever-year-old start-up (see page 38 for an 21 I couldn’t do my job with Dropbox and without… Microsoft Teams example in this issue). When established businesses 40 View from the with layers of bureaucracy, long-standing customer and Chris Griffiths’ favourite channel 30 Q&A supplier relationships, security, generous staff perks etc. work tools With Jamie Farrelly, VP James Doggart, CEO describe themselves in this way it is usually to give the 22 Cover Story of EMEA Channels at of Cloud Technology impression of innovation, agility and inventiveness. Is this Virtual1: the story so far Veritas Solutions credible or is it just a corporate version of the ‘boosterism’ 42 60 seconds… so loved by Boris ‘No Deal’ Johnson? On which subject, With Wilfred Wood, how long before he describes Great Britain as a 300-year- Managing Director of old start-up? Clackstone Ltd 43 People James Goulding New faces, new places Editor, [email protected] [email protected]

Register online Editor: James Goulding Social Media and Web Editor: John Peters To receive your regular FREE printed copy of Technology 07803 087228 · [email protected] 07711 204011 · [email protected] Reseller Magazine simply fill in our online registration form Advertising Director: Ethan White Art Director: Nick Pledge 01732 759725 · [email protected] 07767 615983 · [email protected] at www.technologyreseller.uk/register Publishing Director: Neil Trim Advertising Executive: James Trim 01732 759725 · [email protected] 01732 759725 · [email protected] Join us : Follow us Group Sales Manager: Martin Jenner-Hall @techreselleruk 07824 552116 · [email protected] or [email protected] www.facebook.com/TechnologyResellerMag technology-reseller-magazine Read Technology Reseller online, on tablets and smart phones Technology Reseller is published by Kingswood Media Ltd., Amherst House, 22 London Road, Sevenoaks TN13 2BT • Tel: 01732 759725 Email: [email protected] www.technologyreseller.co.uk www.technologyreseller.uk No part of Technology Reseller can be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. If you no longer wish to receive Technology Reseller magazine © 2019 Kingswood Media Ltd. Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk please email your details to [email protected]

technologyreseller.co.uk 03 INNOVATIONS 9 EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD YEALINK: T5 Prime Business Phones Impenetrable no more The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), a coalition of WWF and Fauna & Flora International, are trialling a combination of Inmarsat satellite technology and handheld devices to collect data on endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. There are thought to be about 1,000 mountain gorillas living in the wild in protected parks, 400 in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and 600 in the Virunga mountains. With human population growth of almost 3% per annum, these areas are experiencing increased Sound shield pressure on space that can result in conflict between gorillas and humans, including New from Nimans, Yealink T5 Prime attacks on crops and people and poaching. Local members of the National Park’s Business Phones remove the need for Human Gorilla Conflict Resolution (HuGo) programme are trialling Inmarsat handheld any telecoms cabling thanks to built-in devices that enable them to record incidences of human-wildlife conflict in their local Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. In addition to flexible language. It is hoped that this, combined with visual tools and standardised reporting, connectivity options, the SIP phones will enable managers to act on information more quickly. Data collected by HuGo groups feature HD communications and Yealink is transmitted via satellite to UWA rangers and other HuGo members in near real-time Acoustic Shield technology, which uses and stored on a central UWA server. As part of the pilot, UWA will also trial the automatic multiple microphones to create a virtual transfer of data to its server via satellite networks. www.igcp.org • wwf.org.uk sound-shield between the speaker and their surroundings. This makes the phones ideal for noisy call centres and offices. www.nimans.net

Feedback for all Unipos, a Japanese employee feedback and recognition app, is launching in Europe. Already used by more than 240 companies globally, the platform helps start-ups and growing companies establish and maintain a positive working environment by enabling employees to reward colleagues with virtual bonuses and claps in real-time and submit feedback on a public timeline. Existing user Andries Bellemans, Head of HR at Lisk, said: “We experienced significant growth in employee Another set of eyes size and needed new ways to hold our Body-worn camera specialist Edesix teams together and foster our core values. What’s New is introducing a new model for the Unipos has helped us to tackle that and policing and security sectors. The has provided a way to celebrate both the VideoBadge VB-400 has an IP67 big and the small wins.” ingress protection rating, full 1080p HD [email protected] recording capability, Bluetooth sensor monitoring for hands-free incident reporting, and built-in GPS functionality to simplify camera asset management across large estates. Other features include a full-shift battery life, Wi-Fi streaming, 120 degree horizontal field Automatic refills of view and haptic and audio feedback Epson has integrated its ink monitoring Turn 5G into WiFi alerts to show when recording has been The Vodafone 5G GigaCube wireless and cartridge ordering system with Amazon activated. www.edesix.com Dash Replenishment, enabling Amazon router is a portable, flexible alternative to customers to sign up for the automatic broadband for customers or businesses delivery of replacement Epson ink without fixed line connectivity that can cartridges. Mauro Bartoletti, Head of Retail, be used anywhere there is 5G coverage. Epson Europe, said: “Epson ReadyInk Offering speeds of up to 1Gbps, the plug with Dash Replenishment monitors ink and play device connects to levels and Amazon automatically sends Vodafone’s 5G network and out a new cartridge when one’s needed, provides Wi-Fi connectivity without the user having to do a thing. It’s for up to 64 devices within the hassle-free, pay-as-you-go solution for a range of 90 metres. The consumers wanting to stay topped up with GigaCube is available on a ink.” Customers only pay when new ink is fixed-term or rolling contract, needed and can pause the service at any with the option of unlimited time. www.epson.eu/ReadyInk data. www.vodafone.co.uk

04 01732 759725 INNOVATIONS

Built to last Durabook, the mobile rugged solutions brand owned by Twinhead International Corporation, is launching a competitively priced, 11.6-inch, 1.2kg Windows 10 Pro tablet for workers in retail, hospitality, warehousing, logistics and field service. Suitable for use in almost any environment, the IP65-rated, MIL-STD-810G-certified device features a DynaVue sunlight-readable LCD screen with a 10-point capacitive multi-touch For the professional panel that can be used with a glove, stylus or finger, even if the screen is wet. Expansion options include an RFID reader; smartcard, barcode and DOOGEE is upgrading its IP68-rated modular magnetic stripe readers; and a rear camera. www.durabook.com smartphone with a new Pro model, featuring the latest AI-enabled Android 9.0 Pie OS, with facial recognition and fingerprint Best buds unlocking options; intelligent Helio P70 Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless headphones CPU for smoother multi-tasking; 24W super combine enhanced noise cancellation and flash charging; and the ability to be used longer battery life thanks to their HD Noise underwater. The S90 Pro is compatible Cancelling Processor QN1e chip and Dual with existing expansion modules that add Noise Sensor Technology. Even with Noise gaming, night vision, walkie talkie and power Cancelling on, the earbuds deliver up to functionality. Like other models in the range, 24 hours’ listening time. For comfort and it is waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and stability, the earbuds feature an ‘ergonomic fully functional when submerged in water up tri-hold’ structure, available in a choice of to 1.5 metres deep for two weeks. sizes. The WF-1000XM3 costs £220. Greater licence With the launch of version 3.0 of the store+find document management solution for Develop ineo multifunctional devices, Develop is changing from a user-based licensing model to a server-based one to make it more cost-effective for SMEs. The solution is available with one-year to five- year licences, covering all of a company’s From a whisper to a screen ineo devices and an unlimited number NEC has announced its quietest projector of users. Up to 20 users can access the yet. With noise levels of just 19dB in eco- application concurrently. mode, the P605UL is claimed to be quieter www.dsales.eu than the ticking of a watch. It is also maintenance-free, thanks to a filter-free Going mobile sealed optical engine and a long-lasting Myco 3 is Ascom’s next generation, enterprise-level Android (20,000 hours) laser light source. With OS smartphone for mobile workers. The handset boasts a 6,000 ANSI lumens output and support sleek aluminium body, 5-inch full HD screen, 13Mp camera, for WUXGA, the P605UL is suitable for use 1D/2D barcode scanner, carry clip and optional hot-swappable in well-lit environments and applications replacement batteries. The drop/chemical-resistant device comes requiring large screen sizes. Optional WiFi with Ascom messaging software, which integrates telephone and and an embedded MultiPresenter function management programs, staff rotas, delivery schedules and alarms, enable wireless presentations and screen- making it easier for managers to organise a mobile workforce. sharing. www.nec-display-solutions.com www.ascom.com/uk

International success story Rittal Ltd. is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The company was established in Rotherham in July 1979 to provide distribution and sales and marketing support for parent company Rittal. Since then, it has established offices in Canary Wharf, London and manufacturing operations in Plymouth. Rittal, founded in Herborn, Germany in 1961, is a global provider of solutions for industrial enclosures, power distribution, climate control and IT infrastructure, as well as software and services. It has 58 global subsidiaries and is the largest company in the Friedhelm Loh Group, which reported annual revenue of €2.6 billion in 2018. Shane Hope, Managing Director of Rittal Ltd., said: “Rittal UK is part of a major international success story. Our core product range of enclosures are used all over the world and are found in more than 90% of all industrial sectors. One of our most popular products, the AE Enclosure, has sold more than 35 million units alone.” Rittal is shortly to launch its new AX and KX range of enclosures (illustrated). www.rittal.co.uk more...

technologyreseller.co.uk 05 INNOVATIONS

...more... 9 EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD DATTO: SIRIS 4 Datto additions Password manager Datto introduced more than 20 products and enhancements at DattoCon19, its annual Following hot on the heels of its new event for MSPs. Highlights include: Cloud Continuity for PCs, a business continuity solution NordLocker file encryption service, that takes continuous backups and protects PC data from ransomware attacks, VPN service provider NordVPN has theft/loss or accidental deletion; SIRIS 4, the next generation of Datto’s all- announced its second new cybersecurity in-one BCDR appliances, offering improved backup resiliency and verification, solution this year – the NordPass enhanced (up to 50% faster) virtualisation performance and increased password manager. NordPass securely durability; and, for Datto Networking partners, a redesigned cloud stores passwords in one convenient management platform, Network Manager, and place, generates strong passwords on the E310 Series of cloud-managed Layer 3 the spot, remembers and autosaves Switches. It has also improved the Autotask all passwords and autofills online PSA user experience and bundled Vade Email forms. Security credentials include a Security with Datto SaaS Protection to provide zero-knowledge encryption process advanced email filtering natively within Office 365. and Advanced Encryption Standard www.datto.com (AES-256-GCM) with Argon2 for key derivation. www.nordpass.com Car talk Vauxhall Motors is using Apple Business Chat to communicate with customers. Economical alternative Supported by IMImobile’s enterprise Epson has completed its line-up of mono communications platform, Apple Business EcoTank devices with the launch of the ET- Chat enables Vauxhall to interact with M1170 printer and ET-M2170 multi-function customers via the Messages app on device. Featuring refillable ink tanks and iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Mileage calculations made supplied with enough ink for 11,000 pages, Clicking the Messages bubble on easy the printers are an economical alternative to laser devices for businesses that print large Vauxhall’s website instantly opens an Autotrip is an automated mileage tracking numbers of black and white documents. Apple Business Chat with a customer and reporting system that tracks every www.epson.eu service agent in the user’s Messages app. business mile made by drivers and Jonathan Evans, Vauxhall Motors Digital reduces the mileage reimbursement User Experience & E-Commerce Manager, process to just a few steps. The solution said: “Apple Business Chat makes consists of an in-vehicle tracker and a web communicating with Vauxhall as easy as app that drivers use to classify a trip as messaging a friend, so we expect it will business or personal (details of personal quickly become our customers’ preferred trips are visible only to the driver). customer service channel.” Managers can review every business trip apple.com/ios/business-chat on a map and store all claims safely and securely in an HMRC-compliant format. Breathe in, Breathe out autotrip.com WiFi to rely on UK payments company Breathe Payments Nokia is lowering the entry-point for whole- has added the Poynt all-in-one smart home WiFi, which provides a solution to payments device to its portfolio. The world’s the problem of poor WiFi caused by a large first all-in-one intelligent smart device with number of connected devices, multiple built in epos software, barcode scanner, high bandwidth activities taking place receipt printer, GPRS and Wi-Fi, Poynt simultaneously, dead zones and interference enables businesses to take orders, present from neighbouring WiFi or appliances. Its bills and take payment, all on one wireless new whole-home mesh WiFi system, the device. Breathe Payments offers two Poynt Beacon 1, offers easy to use, affordable, devices: the Poynt Smart Terminal, with fast and reliable WiFi for areas of 1,500 7-inch merchant touch screen and 4.3-inch We see you square feet per Beacon. New features customer touch screen; and the mobile Danish Superliga football club Brøndby include Intelligent Channel Selection, Poynt 5 for businesses that want to take IF is using Panasonic security cameras which automatically identifies the best the device to their customers and eliminate and FacePRO facial recognition software possible WiFi channel for each device, and queueing. They are available from £34 per to automate the process of identifying pre-pairing and bridging to simplify network month, with rates starting from 0.5% per 100 blacklisted fans and alerting staff to setup. www.nokia.com transaction. www.breathepay.co.uk take appropriate action. By automating the previously manual process, Brøndby IF hopes to reduce congestion at stadium gates, resulting in a faster entrance process for the 14,000 fans who attend a typical matchday. For privacy reasons, Panasonic’s facial recognition technology doesn’t store images of those not on the blacklist. https://business.panasonic.eu/facepro

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Midwich Group opens southern showroom Specialist AV distributor Midwich Group As well as showcasing technologies has opened a new 50,000 square foot from Group companies Midwich, PSCo, southern showroom and multi-vendor Sound Technology, Holdan and Invision, experience centre at Innovation House, Innovation House will provide consolidated Segro Park, Bracknell, Berkshire. office space for Midwich Technical, previously based in Crowthorne, and LED and Rental specialist PSCo, which will be relocating from Reading. Facilities include a 14-metre-high research and development space, dedicated training rooms, a cinema, flexible event space, offices for up to 80 technical specialists and a new service centre for Mi Support, an enhanced aftercare option that premises, PSCo is throwing an Innovcation can be purchased when customers order House Party on August 20-22. technical products from Midwich. https://www.psco.co.uk/news-and- To mark the opening of the new events/events/innovation-house-party/

Ingram Micro/Synaxon Connect Distribution celebrates first 50 years donation Home appliance service, spare parts customer service team, allowing us to solve Synaxon UK, the channel services group and accessories distributor Connect queries in real-time.” for resellers, managed services providers, Distribution is celebrating its 50th In addition to its distribution business, independent retailers and office products anniversary. Connect supplies technology components dealers, raised more than £2,000 for The family-run business, established in to end users via the eSpares online store, the Harry’s Rainbow charity at its annual 1969 by Michael Depper to supply local including parts for smartphones, tablets, Gala Dinner sponsored by Ingram Micro. repair shops, today employs 600 people printers, laptops and other gadgets from Donations received from members and at its Birmingham headquarters and brands such as Apple, LG, Samsung supplier partners more than matched the distribution facility. and Sony. €1,000 pledged by Synaxon, bringing the Managing Director Andrew Sharp said: www.connect-distribution.co.uk total raised to £2,005. Harry’s Rainbow, “We’re extremely proud of our track record based in Milton Keynes, supports children but it is important that we continue to who have been bereaved of a parent or innovate. From the early eighties, we were sibling. at the forefront of the industry with our next www.harrysrainbow.co.uk day delivery service; in the nineties, our customers were among the first to benefit from an offline, pre-internet CD ordering system; and at the turn of the millennium we launched ‘Connections’, our instant ordering trade web platform.” He added: “To celebrate 50 years of Key supplier Hoover presented Connect innovation, we’ve introduced an instant Distribution with a 50th birthday cake, messaging system, LiveChat, to our trade which was then donated to Birmingham website. This provides instant access to our homeless charity SIFA Fireside.

Nine out of 10 resellers value aligned technical account management Nine out of 10 resellers see the value of capacity when they have a high volume of aligned technical account management work to manage.” and would like to see more investment in He added that making use of Tech such services, claims Tech Data. Data’s expertise in area such as analytics, Andy Brown, Tech Data UK’s Advanced Big Data and IoT makes it easier for Solutions Technical Services Director, said: partners to enter new markets and develop “The customer survey revealed that there is solutions based on emerging technologies. Andy Brown a growing need amongst resellers for high Other areas resellers believe would quality technical services at both the pre- benefit from additional investment include sales and post-sales stages. Within Tech support and access to expertise on Odette Mould, Harry’s Rainbow CEO and Data, we have an exceptional professional business intelligence (cited by 85%) and Family Liaison Officer, receives a cheque and technical services team and our partner-to-partner collaboration (72%). for €1000 from Mike Barron, Channel customers call on that capability to fill any www.techdata.com Director of SYNAXON UK. gaps in their own skills or as additional

technologyreseller.co.uk 07 NEWS : DISTRIBUTORS

Tech Data to boost sales for HPE partners Tech Data is helping Hewlett Packard storage as a new category to drive HPE Enterprise (HPE) partners boost sales with differentiation; a new Accelerate programme open to all 4 Unlock Data with AI – positioning HPE Silver, Business and Proximity (SBP) HPE as the leader in AI and analytics partners in the UK and Ireland. infrastructure for current and future data- Andrew Stuart, HPE Business Unit intensive workloads; Director at Tech Data UK, said: “The Tech 5 Transform IT with Software-defined – Data HPE Accelerate programme will take focusing on HPE software-defined solutions partners on a journey that will enhance their and a future of composable, multi-cloud technical capabilities and move their sales environments; and Paul North into a higher gear. It’s a genuine opportunity 6 Everything as a Service – accelerating for HPE partners to develop their business the transition to consumption-based Entanet offers lower prices in the Super Six areas using a defined delivery models. for full fibre connectivity methodology that eliminates guesswork and The Tech Data HPE Accelerate Entanet, a CityFibre company and minimises risk.” programme gives resellers access to wholesale provider of full fibre HPE’s Super Six areas are based on accredited pre-sales and business connectivity, has launched a flexible full major IT trends that it believes present the development specialists; training and fibre Ethernet service that costs channel most opportunities for channel partners. certification through the Tech Data Partner partners just £199 (ex VAT) per month They are: Academy; exclusive briefings; use of Tech 1 Redefine Experiences at the Edge – Data’s Next Generation Solutions Centre until September 30. HPE and Aruba sales opportunities across for demonstrations and workshops; access It is also offering all new CityFibre the Enterprise Edge and Industrial Edge; to the company’s lifecycle management 100Mbps connections ordered with 2 Right Mix of Hybrid Cloud – driving services; additional rebates and incentives; a 100Mbps bearer for just £175 per customers’ hybrid cloud strategy with advisory and support for special bids, lead month, less than some charge for services, software and partner stacks; generation and digital marketing. 10Mbps/100Mbps services – also until the 3 Storage to Intelligent Flash – http://trustedadvisor.techdata.co.uk/ end of September. establishing intelligent, cloud-based vendors/hpe/practice-builder. Combining a guaranteed rate of 200Mbps with provision to burst up to Maverick extends credit periods 1Gbps when necessary, Ethernet Flex Maverick AV Solutions, the specialist audio-visual business of Tech Data, is offering 1Gbps meets the need for fast, reliable resellers 90 days’ credit on sales to schools and the public sector over the holiday period. connectivity for day-to-day operations, Running until the end of August, the offer applies to products from Barco, BenQ, Dell, whilst giving customers the ability to Epson, LG, Promethean, Sony, ViewSonic and Vision and can be used alongside other complete bandwidth-intensive tasks without financial schemes from Maverick AV Solutions, such as Tech-as-a-Service. incurring additional charges or having to Anna-Marie Constantinou, Business Unit Director for Maverick AV Solutions UK, said: pre-arrange more bandwidth availability. “Education presents a big opportunity for resellers over the summer period, as this is the best Entanet Head of Sales Paul North said: Anna-Marie time for schools to install new technologies, such as large-format interactive displays and “For some time we’ve heard about software Constantinou collaboration solutions. The extended credit offer will make it easier for resellers that work with defined networks that allow businesses to Maverick AV Solutions to do business with education and the public sector over this period adjust their bandwidth up and down and pay and will ensure they can meet customer needs without having to manage any gap between for what they use. With this service, we’re the customer paying them and them having to pay us.” www.techdata.com removing the need for them to even think about requesting bandwidth changes through Virtual roadshow Midwich expands in Iberia a portal or incurring additional charges. Our Exertis has launched a virtual roadshow Specialist audio-visual distributor Midwich partners can give them a dedicated 1Gbps featuring computing products and is strengthening its position in the Spanish bearer at an incredible fixed price no matter solutions from nine vendors, including and Portuguese markets with the acquisition how much they use it. We believe this is a Acer, Asus, Cherry, Dell, Fujitsu, Intel, of Entertainment Equipment Supplies S.L. game changer for the industry that, at £199 Lenovo, Microsoft and Toshiba. (EES) by its Spanish subsidiary Earpro S.A. per month, enables partners to give fantastic Simon Barnard, Exertis Head of Sales, EES is a Spanish value-added distributor value to their customers.” said: “It’s not always easy for our customers of lighting and lighting infrastructure Both the 100Mbps/100Mbps and to take time out to visit events; our virtual products, with a particular focus on the live Ethernet Flex 1Gbps products are aligned roadshow brings the event to them, events and rental sectors. Founded in San with the national Gigabit Voucher Scheme, available at any time and from anywhere. Sebastian 15 years ago, EES is the exclusive which offers SMEs savings of up to £2,500 Just click on the vendor stand in the distributor of products from Robe, Verlinde off the total cost of new gigabit-capable main exhibition area or from a drop-down and Prolyte. www.midwichgroupplc.com connections. 0330 100 3550 menu and hear the latest information on key products and important information Doubling up affecting the computing sector.” Nimans has donated £700 to Salford Food The virtual exhibition will be updated Bank after matching the £350 raised by regularly as new products come to market. staff at a recent lunchtime staff barbecue at www.exertis.co.uk/computing-roadshow/ Julian Niman House.

08 01732 759725 Technology Finance Empowering businesses to finance technology innovations Contact Siemens Financial Services today: Telephone:    Email: [email protected]

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Dubai distributor Working together opens UK office This month’s round-up of new distribution agreements The Dubai-based Blue Ocean Group has WatchGuard Technologies has signed a always accessible. We are looking forward opened a London office to make it easier UK distribution agreement with Purdicom, to helping our partners grow their IT for the UAE’s home-grown consumer an Oxfordshire-based distributor of managed service offering with Axcient’s electronics brands to enter the UK market. mid-market networking, wireless and solutions.” www.axcient.com The master distributor of consumer cloud-based solutions. WatchGuard offers electronics, domestic appliances, electrical a full suite of enterprise-grade security NFON UK, part of pan-European cloud goods, telecoms equipment and fashion services for mid-sized organisations, PBX provider NFON AG, has signed a accessories, and its affiliate companies, including advanced services for protecting UK distribution agreement with Nuvola undertakes sales, distribution, warehousing, against evolving malware, ransomware Distribution, under which Nuvola will transportation, branding, advertisement, and data breaches, as well as traditional act as Master Agent for the company’s communications and marketing activities for intrusion prevention, gateway antivirus, Cloudya cloud telephone system. its customers. application control, spam prevention Founded in 2010, Nuvola provides Shahzad Ahmed, Chairman and Chief and URL filtering. WatchGuard also offers channel partners with a total solution, Executive Officer of Blue Ocean Group, said: multi-factor authentication, secure Wi-Fi including a comprehensive product range, “This is a strategic move by the Blue Ocean and network intelligence products. Earlier ongoing support, 24/7/365 helpdesk Group to tap the growing opportunities in the this year, WatchGuard introduced the and full portfolio of white-label services. United Kingdom, as it leaves the European WatchGuardONE Partner Programme, Michael Lloyd, Managing Director of Union this year. Our expansion into the UK which enables resellers to reach full Nuvola Distribution, said: “Adding NFON market will help us to promote and sell the WatchGuardONE status in either network to our portfolio of cloud solutions will UAE’s home-grown electronic products in the security, secure Wi-Fi or multi-factor add considerable value to our existing United Kingdom and help boost UAE exports authentication. www.purdi.com reseller partners’ offerings and open up to and imports from the UK.” possibilities for new resellers to offer a Representing some of the world’s top The full range of Poly unified competitive and superior product to the electrical, electronics and consumer goods, communication and collaboration legacy incumbents that are currently Blue Ocean Group exports and promotes solutions is now available from Exertis, dominating the UK market.” products in 40 countries through a network including audio and video conferencing https://nuvoladistribution.com of more than 100 distributors and more units, headsets, SIP endpoints and cloud than 250 system integration partners. It has services. Exertis has sold Poly’s headsets In a new partnership with Spracht, enjoyed more than 20% year-on-year growth for more than 20 years and now, with Manchester and Glasgow-based since its inception in 2013. the coming together of Plantronics and distributor NB Data has added a range www.blueoceanglobal.com Polycom to create the Poly brand, it will of conferencing, wireless speakers and be distributing the company’s much headsets to its existing offering from the broader portfolio. Gareth Bray, Exertis Silicon Valley telecoms manufacturer. Enterprise Commercial Director, said: Based in Palo Alto, Spracht is the “Companies of all sizes are demanding acoustic division of parent company ODI, high quality, audio and video solutions a leader in digital imaging, acoustics, that can be easily deployed and LCD image display and other consumer managed in a variety of spaces, from the electronics. New additions include the board room to huddle rooms and the Conference Mate portable conference home office. Poly can offer a premium room speaker; the Aura SoHo Plus duplex experience either on-premise, in the cloud conference phone; and the Aura Video or hybrid, and is a great addition to our Mate HD video and audio conferencing Shahzad Ahmed, Chairman and Chief UC portfolio.” www.exertis.co.uk unit for huddle rooms. www.nbdata.co.uk Executive Officer of Blue Ocean Group (Centre) with executives from Blue Ocean Cloud distributor Zedsphere has entered Vivitek has strengthened its distribution Global into an agreement with Axcient to network in Sweden with the appointment provide the latter’s full suite of Business of Navigator Nordics as a distributor Yealink award for Nimans Availability solutions to Managed Service of its wireless collaboration solutions Communications and collaboration Providers (MSPs) in EMEA. This includes and displays, including the latest endpoint manufacturer Yealink has named Replibit, BRC, CloudFinder, Anchor, NovoDisplays and Delta LCD Videowalls. Nimans as its global Distributor of the Fusion and the Axcient Cloud. Rick Vivitek Nordics Sales Manager Linnea Year for Microsoft devices, in recognition Yates, Managing Director of Zedsphere, Bergh said: “Vivitek’s portfolio of of its sales success and high levels of said: “Axcient brings a unique, highly NovoTouch panels, ranging in size from expertise. Nimans supplies and supports a anticipated suite of solutions to EMEA, 65 to 98 inches, combined with the wide range of Yealink products, including and we have a pipeline of MSPs who NovoDisplay digital signage panels and the world’s first Microsoft Teams handsets are already trialling the products and slim bezel LCD video wall displays, are a and conferencing devices. ready to deploy their solutions. Axcient’s logical extension of our portfolio as we Nimans was also highly commended in Business Availability suite acts as a work to provide complete and innovative the Distributor of the Year award category at core line of defence to keep businesses solutions to our dealer base.” Atos’ annual Power-Up partner conference in productive, IT systems running and data www.vivitek.eu Budapest.

10 01732 759725 BULLETIN : DISTRIBUTORS

Business critical Audio, video and applications web conferencing

Carrier-grade Contact centre Multi-channel voice and UC solutions mobile collaboration

OpenScape Cloud and Premise Ecosystems of devices, Public, Hybrid applications, APIs and Private

Calling all Mitel Partners In times of uncertainty it’s good to have an established, financially solid, innovative vendor at your side. Unify – ATOS Collaboration Solutions – is exactly that.

As a strategic part of the ATOS Digital Workplace journey we offer partners, of all shapes and sizes, a mature portfolio, vertically aligned and backed by the services power of a global organisation.

Contact Nimans today if you would like to discuss partnering with us, for the long term. For more information 0161 925 1980 [email protected] nimans.net

MK6279-NIMANS-UNIFY_PA_130519 NEWS : RESELLERS

CTS targets another year of 50% growth Platinum a ‘perfect fit’ for Altodigital Manchester-based cloud and data demonstrate that organisations have well Altodigital, the UK’s largest independent science specialist Cloud Technology and truly embraced cloud transformation. reseller of IT equipment for offices, has Solutions (CTS) is targeting turnover of The focus of many of our customers is acquired the Bedford-based IT support £40 million this year, following a 50% now moving towards looking at how they services company Platinum, as it targets increase in revenue to £27.5m in the can disrupt their markets through the use growth of 25% over the next three years. year to March 31 2019. of data science and machine learning, Acquisitions are a key element of Following significant investment from something we’re specialists in at CTS. The Altodigital’s growth strategy and, according James Doggart NorthEdge Capital in March 2018, CTS has integration of machine learning informed to Business Manager Stewart Abrahart, the increased its headcount from 95 to 160; by in-depth data analytics will completely company is already working on others. opened a new office in Frankfurt; enjoyed revolutionise many industries and we He said: “The business is focussing on a record year for customer wins; launched are helping a number of businesses to one more acquisition by the end of the new software solutions under its rebranded capitalise on this paradigm shift.” year, with a few others in the pipeline to CloudM product suite; and completed a CTS was selected as Google’s partner meet that target.” merger with Netherlands-based machine of choice for all higher education Google Platinum provides a range of IT services, learning experts Qlouder to create the Cloud Platform (GCP) opportunities including managed networks, virtualisation largest full-stack Google practice in Europe. in Europe and, at Google Next in San & cloud services, datacentre solutions, Revenue growth has been most rapid in Francisco, was named the 2018 Google telephony and managed print/document CTS’s public cloud transformation practice, Cloud Global Enterprise Collaboration solutions, to a number of sectors, with a which has trebled in size to a team of over Partner of the Year. strong focus on the automative industry. 50 cloud architects, data scientists and www.cloudsolutions.co.uk Abrahart says this specialism was a big machine learning specialists. attraction for Altodigital, as was Platinum’s James Doggart, CTS Chief Executive Turn to page 40 for James Doggart’s existing relationship with Lexmark. Officer, said: “These strong figures View from the Channel. “Platinum specialises in the automotive industry and has about 10% of the UK Jungle IT on the acquisition trail market. Within Altodigital, we want to expand and, with our backing, Platinum (left to right) Since it was founded by Managing can increase its market share. Platinum David Blythe, CTO Director Jonathan Asquith in 2004, also works with Lexmark, one of our current of Jungle IT; Hitesh Horsforth-based Jungle IT has evolved from a partners, so I see the business as a perfect Tailor of Clarion; hardware/software supplier into a managed fit for Altodigital,” he said. Jonathan Asquith, computer services provider, with a workforce Platinum MD Sean Foster said: “We Managing Director of 22 and annual revenues of £6 million. have been trading for 20 years in IT of Jungle IT; Asquith said: “The former Mazars’ IT services and have an excellent relationship Jackie Wilkinson, services operation is a great fit for us and with Lexmark, which is one of Altodigital’s Financial Director it will very much be ‘business as usual’ for smaller brands. Connecting with them is of Jungle IT West Yorkshire IT firm Jungle IT has existing clients. The acquisition will enable us a good fit all round and there is a good strengthened its managed IT services to harness the skills of this experienced team opportunity for both businesses to grow.” offering with the acquisition of the to rapidly expand our managed services client-facing IT services business of offering to SMEs throughout the region and Leeds-based accountants Mazars for an support their digital transformation.” undisclosed sum. He added: “This is the first of a number All three members of the Mazars IT team of acquisitions we plan to make as we build are transferring to Jungle IT and will continue up our services to offer a complete portfolio to provide IT support to Mazars’ clients. of managed IT services to Jungle clients.”

Data protection partnership Following a licensing agreement with Keepit A/S, a provider of Software-as-a-Service Pictured in front of Marshall Land Rover (SaaS) data protection, Continuum Managed Services is to sell the Keepit SaaS Backup in Bedford are (l to r) Stewart Abrahart, Platform under the name Continuum SaaS Backup. The partnership will enable Continuum James Abrahart and Martin Chamberlain customers worldwide to protect critical SaaS workloads, such as Office 365, Google from Altodigital and Sean Foster, MD of G-Suite and Salesforce. Platinum.

MPS provider expands offering with cloud services Managed Print Service Provider Xeretec Cloud journey and include full licence Performance Management; Network has expanded its product offering to assessments to establish whether a Performance Management; and Next include a broad portfolio of Cloud customer is getting the best value from Generation Networking. Services tailored to each customer’s its software; an O365 MOT assessment; Xeretec’s UK helpdesk gives customers needs. O365 fine tuning; migration services; one port of call for hardware, software and Xeretec Cloud Services help end user experience monitoring; Cloud Cloud support. organisations at every stage of their Performance Management; Application

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IT Lab Group to support Datto award for Brookfield Group Microsoft Managed Desktop The Brookfield Group, a full-service managed technology company with IT support and managed services a lower total cost of ownership. The same is offices in the US and UK, is celebrating provider IT Lab Group has become one now true for managing the desktop.” after winning the ‘Datto Hall of of just a handful of official worldwide IT Lab Group has already developed a Fame’ Golden Datto Award at June’s support partners for Microsoft Managed proven Business Case and ROI calculator DattoCon19 conference in San Diego. Desktop. Built on top of Microsoft 365, to help organisations assess the benefits of Datto, a provider of IT solutions the Microsoft Managed Desktop service a Microsoft Managed Desktop solution. delivered by Managed Service Partners, provides device configuration, security IT Lab CEO Peter Sweetbaum said: presents the Hall of Fame award to long- monitoring, app deployment and update “Having helped to develop the business serving partners that have contributed to management. case for Microsoft Managed Desktop, we the company’s success. Tim Wallis, IT Lab Chief Digital are excited to be announced as a support Brookfield Group CEO Fadi Abdallah Officer, said: “Most organisations have partner for Microsoft Managed Desktop said: “To be selected as one of Datto’s top already decided to move their email and globally, supporting our customers to realise partners is quite a point of distinction for productivity tools to the cloud, as Microsoft the value of this new managed service us. More importantly, this award recognises are better able to take the burden of and bringing the power of Microsoft’s three The Brookfield Group for our commitment running, patching and updating these with clouds to the desktop.” www.itlab.com to provide customers with the best IT solutions for their business.” New financial backer for ASL Group The European leg of DattoCon19 is Independent managed office services provider ASL Group plans to accelerate its growth taking place in Paris on October 21-23. strategy after securing investment from Primary Capital Partners LLP, a leading provider www.thebrookfieldgroup.com of private equity finance. Primary’s backing will allow ASL to acquire more businesses, expand its reach and enhance service levels for its 5,000 customers. Since 2010, ASL had been supported by Mobeus Equity Partners as a buy-and-build platform, during which time the privately-owned company made 10 acquisitions and Mark Garius expanded its portfolio to include unified communications, software, IT and production print, as well as managed print services. ASL Managing Director Mark Garius said: “This is a significant milestone for ASL that will enable us to continue to grow our business both organically and acquisitively. Having acquired DXC sets up Azure digital 10 businesses in the last 10 years, we look forward to the new opportunities that the transformation practice investment will bring as we continue to drive better business performance for our customers.” Primary provides long-term financial resources and strategic support to businesses with In an extension of its existing a value of £20 million to £100 million. relationship with Microsoft, Azure Primary Partner Alec Parkinson said: “ASL is a leading operator in a highly fragmented Expert Managed Service Provider DXC marketplace. We are excited to enable the company to accelerate its acquisition strategy and Technology is forming a global Microsoft become the pre-eminent independent managed office services provider.” Azure Digital Transformation Practice www.asl-group.co.uk to accelerate client migration to the Microsoft Azure public cloud. Excalibur achieves ISO 27001 accreditation DXC and Microsoft will co-invest in the development of products and services built Excalibur Communications, a Swindon-based important for us to take a lead in having for Azure and go to market jointly with sales, communications and IT solutions provider, the very best ISMS and being noted for consulting and solution delivery teams has achieved ISO 27001 certification, after it. By gaining ISO 27001, we are not only composed of DXC’s Azure professionals and spending the last six months overhauling effectively managing risk within our own Microsoft architects and technical strategists. its procedures and policies to meet the businesses, but are in a position to meet Dan Hushon, DXC Senior Vice President internationally recognised standard for best the higher levels of compliance demanded and Chief Technology Officer, said: “Through practice in information security management by new and existing customers who take this initiative, we will provide clients with systems (ISMS). Excalibur CEO Peter Boucher security seriously.” Fewer than 100,000 of a highly integrated team approach to said: “As a technology business offering the UK’s four million incorporated businesses modernising their IT systems on Azure. cyber and data security to customers, it’s have ISO 27001. excaliburcomms.co.uk The result will be a reduced time-to-digital and a more rapid movement of client Five in a row for Onecom workloads from legacy IT to a modern cloud Onecom has won Vodafone’s Total Communications Partner of the Year Award for a architecture on Azure.” fifth consecutive year in recognition of its strong sales performance, customer service With the highest level of Azure and understanding of Vodafone’s total communications portfolio. certification, DXC has more than 900 Ben Dowd, CEO of Onecom, said: “We are thrilled to once again accept this award, Azure professional certifications, 900 which recognises the strength of our partnership with Vodafone, as well as our commitment analytics clients and 8,000 analytics and Ben Dowd to consistently deliver innovative communication solutions and excellent customer service.” AI professionals worldwide. DXC aims to Based in Hampshire and with a network of offices across the UK, Onecom is the UK’s increase its global Azure certifications to largest independent business telecommunications provider of fixed line, mobile, Unified 5,000 in the next three years. Communications and connectivity solutions. dxc.technology/Microsoft

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Elite to recruit new partners following Fujitsu call for entries Fujitsu is calling on partners to enter its network expansion fifth annual SELECT Innovation Awards for projects in which channel partners, working With the extension of its Ethernet as trusted advisors, have transformed Fibre services to the Birmingham and a customer’s business through the Manchester areas, channel-focused deployment of digital technology from internet service provider (ISP) Elite Limited Fujitsu’s portfolio. Three finalists will be now provides 1Gbps and 10Gbps Ethernet invited to attend the awards ceremony services in more than 136,000 postcodes. at Fujitsu Forum in November where the To mark the extension of its dark fibre winner will receive $10,000 for use in a network, Elite is partnering with Netgear and joint marketing campaign. The deadline for giving every new channel partner an Orbi Development Matthew Rogers said: entries is September 10. Pro mesh Wi-Fi system with every order they “Expanding our dark fibre network into www.fujitsu.com/select-innovation place, until November 1 2019. these areas allows Elite to fully control the Elite also offering new channel partners quality that we deliver by ensuring only the a ‘Beat Elite’ guarantee, under which any most reliable and dependable hardware is partner that finds a like-for-like service at a used both in our core and at the customer’s lower cost in an area where Elite operates premises. It also brings a whole new level of will receive £1,000. flexibility that we can offer our partners.” Other benefits of Elite’s service include He added: “We are now recruiting free install, a 5-hour SLA, 24/7 support, new channel partners to help change the 1-2-1 account management and on-site Ethernet landscape and deliver what we working. believe to be the channel’s highest-quality Elite Head of Marketing and Business Ethernet solutions.” DFI France receiving the EMEIA SELECT Innovation Award 2018 Data analytics companies are prime acquisition targets, says GlobalData Smart partnership GlobalData is predicting further data analytics acquisitions, following Salesforce’s recent Rittal, Atos and Siemens have formed a purchase of data visualisation specialist Tableau for $15.7bn and Google’s acquisition of global strategic partnership to develop analytics company Looker for $2.6bn. intelligent edge data centre solutions Ed Thomas, Principal Analyst in GlobalData’s Technology Thematic Research team, said: for smart industries, smart cities, smart “The data analytics acquisition trail may now see further activity with companies such as retail, energy and utility companies and Domo and Alteryx becoming potential M&A targets as vendors that need to beef up their data public sector organisations. The jointly analysis capabilities find the pool of available data specialists to acquire dwindling.” developed Intelligent Edge Data Centre He added: “The challenge for enterprises is not collecting data – data is not scarce, nor is (IEDC) is a highly configurable data centre it difficult to extract – but deriving actionable insight from the wealth of information that they solution combining IT hardware and accumulate on a daily basis. This is where big data technologies come in, with their ability to software developed by Atos and Siemens handle extremely large, diverse datasets that, when analysed, can reveal patterns, trends and with infrastructure from Rittal. The IEDC is associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interaction.” available in different performance classes, www.globaldata.com from a wall box or single IT rack to a powerful turnkey-ready and scalable data Panintelligence wins loyalty scheme contract centre container. www.rittal.co.uk Leeds-based data visualisation software modular platform that we custom-build in firm Panintelligence has won a contract around four weeks for any size of client, to supply its data analytics and business choosing the most relevant data, and intelligence software to a making decisions based on that. new digital loyalty platform, We have effectively democratised also based in the city. the whole process, making data The brainchild of former accessible to all.” professional footballer White Label Loyalty was Achille Traore, White Label established in 2015 and currently Loyalty enables retail and employs 12 people. Customers hospitality companies to include Fedex, the Marco Pierre Shure teams up Achille Traore make data-driven decisions White restaurant chain and Yorkshire Shure has joined the Microsoft Teams Zandra Moore to reward customers, using tapas bar group La Casita. Certification program and is working to Panintelligence Pi within clients’ own data Traore added: “The next stage of achieve certification for a select portfolio environments to visualise data generated by our internal development will be the of Shure networked systems products. their business and customers. introduction of predictive analytics, using Microsoft Teams provides a complete Traore said: “The one-size-fits-all AI machine learning to predict customer online meeting solution that includes approach of traditional loyalty schemes churn and intervene to increase retention. online meetings, live broadcasts, Microsoft simply doesn’t work and 75% of loyalty Panintelligence will be a trusted partner for Team Rooms, cloud video interoperability programmes fail. We have created a us on our next step of the journey too.” and audio conferencing. www.shure.com

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technologyreseller.co.uk 17 NEWS : VENDORS

Jabra integration for Code As part of its strategy to build more Commenting on ClobbaDM, Lee Davis, Insider... partnerships with software providers, Jabra’s newly-appointed Software Sales @philjones40 Jabra has entered into a strategic Manager, said: “In addition to the existing partnership with Code Software suite of functions of UC&C usage, quality to integrate Jabra devices with and productivity, end users are also now Code’s Unified Communications and equipped to manage their Jabra audio Collaboration reporting and analytics device estate through a single pane of solution ClobbaDM. glass. Usage, warranty, firmware and device Founded in 2013 and based in settings can all be controlled by one Cirencester, Code specialises in reporting, solution. This enables IT leaders to drive monitoring and analytics software that gives user adoption, reduce operational costs and users valuable insight into call quality and reduce end-user troubleshooting from hours the ability to troubleshoot potential issues to minutes.” and optimise device management. www.jabra.com What advice would you give to your younger self? DocuWare acquired by Ricoh Circular Computing gets I was asked this question at a planting conference recently, and it got me Ricoh has announced a definitive thinking. Thirty odd years in the industry Following March’s landmark deal to provide agreement to acquire DocuWare, a have provided a fair amount of ups and provider of cloud and on-premise SYNNEX Corporation in the US with carbon- downs, from which I have learnt many document management and workflow neutral remanufactured computers, Circular things. The first of these is that there automation software to 12,000 Computing is honouring its commitment is a big difference between a lesson customers in 90 countries through a to plant five trees for every laptop sold to identified and a lesson learnt! network of 600 partners. customers of the Fortune 200 business On the basis that a lesson is only ever process services company. Working with DocuWare will operate as a learnt if you don’t repeat the same standalone subsidiary of Ricoh under the OneTreePlanted, a global reforestation non- mistake, otherwise it’s simply a lesson company’s existing Presidents Dr. Michael profit organisation, it has planted its first identified, here is what I would tell my Berger and Max Ertl. 15,000 new trees in an area of California younger self from what I have learnt over David Mills, Corporate Senior Vice recently devastated by wild fires, as part of the last 30 years: President, Ricoh Company Ltd, said: “We the 1 million tree Moonlight Fire Restoration n Always back your decisions with as are committed to maintaining and growing Project. much evidence as you can. DocuWare’s hugely successful partner circularcomputing.com n Feedback, however challenging at the programme, through expanding its channel time, will always give you a perspective network and investing in further product for reflection (whether you agree or development. As a long-time partner, Ricoh disagree with what is said). understands the power of DocuWare’s n Pursue mastery of self so that you channel to deliver document management can understand your default biases and workflow automation solutions to and decision pathways (plus your blind customers. Ricoh wants to strengthen and spots). grow this route to market and is committed n Pursue mastery of subject matter so to helping and learning from DocuWare your skills are always relevant for the and its management team.” industry of today. www.ricoh-europe.com n Build a good network of people who have your best interests at heart to support you in life inside and outside UKFast prepares next generation for digital work. ‘Empowering’ and ‘inspiring’ are two of about careers in the digital industry. n Communicate often, with accuracy, the words used to describe the UKFast The badge was originally created by brevity and clarity (ABC). n Honesty is always the best policy, Digital Challenge Badge established to UKFast and 2nd Northenden Guides, but even when it’s hard to hear! encourage young people to learn more has since been taken up by Scouts and about digital technology. Guides groups from Stockport, Bolton, This list could have been much longer, In its first year, more than 300 Guides Wythenshawe and Hale. but in the interests of brevity (as advised and Scouts have attended Digital Challenge UKFast co-founder and managing above), I have limited it to a few that have served me well over the long term. events at the UKFast Campus where they director Gail Jones said: “It’s fantastic to learn how servers and data centres work, see the level of uptake there has been for Now, my question for you is: what advice code robot mice, design apps and find out the Digital Challenge badges. The feedback would you give to your younger self? we’ve had from the children, their parents Jot down a few points and share them and leaders has been exceptional and we with someone younger in your company can’t wait to welcome more groups to our or network, so that they don’t have to Campus.” re-learn them in the future. Challenge badge activities are designed See you out there. to be accessible to all; they can be done Phil Jones MBE, Managing Director, anywhere and require few technical Brother UK resources.

18 01732 759725 BUSINESS BRIEFING

Red Dot Award 2019 winner: Olympus DS-9500

Olympus has received a prestigious Red Dot Award for the DS-9500, professional mobile dictation device. The Red Dot Award is one of the most prestigious awards for product design across the world.

About the Red Dot Design Awards The Red Dot Award Product Design is one of the world’s largest design competitions. In 2019, designers and manufacturers from 55 countries entered more than 5,500 products in the competition. The international jury comprises experienced experts from different disciplines and has been convening for more than 60 years in order to select the year’s best designs. During an adjudication process that spans several days, they try out the products, The professional DS-9500 digital dictation Olympus DS-9500 discuss them and ultimately reach a well- recorder provides simple wireless (Wi-Fi) founded decision regarding the design transfer via E-mail and an advanced two- n Intelligent two-microphone system quality of the entries. True to the motto “In microphone system for noisy environments. with noise reduction search of good design and innovation”, These features are allowing for an effective n Wireless dictation transfer via E-Mail their assessment focuses on criteria such workflow from speech to text as well as n Slide switch for simple, intuitive as the level of innovation, functionality, more flexibility and freedom in everyday operation formal quality, longevity and ergonomics. work. The Red Dot Award jury states: n 2.4” colour display for a clear “The portable DS-9500 dictation device visualisation Editor’s Choice Award presents well thought-trough functionality n Integrated memory, SD card slot Not to be outdone Technology and innovative Wi-Fi connectivity in order n Rugged casing: Drop tested from Reseller are pleased to add our to provide effective workflow support.” 1.5 m weight behind this excellent The Red Dot Design Award is not the n Docking station for fast charging and product with a coveted Editor’s only prestigious award that the DS-9500 easy data transfer Choice Award. has won recently. It was furthermore n Data loss prevention, PIN code, 256- honoured with a “Great Product” label by bit encryption the Danish hardware test platform Tweak n Resistant to alcohol-containing and received a test score of 9,5 out of 10 sterile wipes points. 9 EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD OLYMPUS: DS-9500

technologyreseller.co.uk 19 NEWS : VENDORS

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Telecoms and IP Engineering Solutions for Business since 1988 I couldn’t do Atlantic Puffin Fratercula Arctica my job without…

There are currently eight isles Chris Griffiths, founder and CEO of OpenGenius, is a multi-time entrepreneur and bestselling around the world named Puffin Island, author on creativity and innovative thinking skills. Here he talks about the five things he where large colonies of puffins gather couldn’t get through his working day without to breed before returning to their Space to think produce innovation. Task Board and sort through everybody’s Like most CEOs, my time is valuable; I can easily switch between Task priorities for the day. Having one big screen open ocean home alone. there is a lot of demand for me to be in Boards and at a glance view the progress that everyone can see makes things easier, many places at once. However, for me, of various projects worked on by different especially when not everybody has a it is absolutely paramount that I leave teams; I can communicate easily with team laptop or device with them. space in my calendar to think, reflect and members, individually and collectively, daydream. Burnout has become something over direct message or group chat; and, An effective company culture of a phenomenon in the workplace, and essential for me, I have the ability to Mind There was a great piece in the Harvard more and more people are downloading Map with speed and proficiency. Best of Business Review recently about the mindfulness apps to combat it. Each to all, everything is in one space, meaning no difficulty of instilling a genuinely innovative Chris Griffiths their own, but I do wonder why we try to lengthy email threads or work split across company culture (https://tinyurl.com/ fight technology with technology. multiple apps. All my best ideas, to-dos and yy5rp42p). The article looks beyond the The simplicity of blocking off time in projects are seamlessly managed in Ayoa. surface-level stuff and makes the point your calendar when you can be completely that while installing a slide or redecorating free to think is essential to creativity and The right mindset your office has its place, the values you problem-solving. It’s when I go for a walk or In my most recent publication – The uphold are more important. just sit somewhere quiet that I am able to Creative Thinking Handbook – I talk Teams and individuals working at work through my most difficult problems. about the importance of innovating with OpenGenius know they can share their Do you want to Henry Ford said “thinking is the hardest optimism. Some people might associate ideas, they know they can make mistakes work there is” – and it’s definitely something this with being airy-fairy or unrealistic, but and, most importantly, they know they we should be giving a lot more time to. that’s not the case at all. must learn from those mistakes. Having connect multiple offices, Numerous studies show that optimistic this working culture keeps everything Ayoa app leaders are more effective. Being positive ticking over and makes teams agile and OpenGenius have been developing also makes one more resilient to failure, adaptable. Being part of that environment homeworkers and the Cloud? software for over a decade now, and and that’s really important in business. One and maintaining it day in and day out is a previous to Ayoa we have had two of the best bits of advice I’ve ever received must for me. successful software solutions, iMindMap is that ‘winners fail more times than losers and DropTask. I remain proud of both try’ – that ability to get back up and carry these tools, but Ayoa is the first app to on after a mistake, with a lesson learned, is Make sense of it all with Spitfire MPLS: crack a long-standing ambition of mine really what secures success in business. Call us now to help • Easily managed and secure private network solutions – to create something that genuinely simplify your changes the way I work. Interactive touchscreen TV • Wide choice of Ethernet and DSL circuit connectivity options communications I couldn’t work without Ayoa now; it is I have a big screen in my office (and in woven into the fabric of my day. Offering all of our meeting rooms) because it is so • Cost effective bandwidth and quality of service and save costs more than task management for prioritising valuable for collaboration and team-work. tasks, Ayoa is also a creative tool that We can put Ayoa on the screen, Mind Map • Centrally managed internet breakout Spitfire MPLS empowers me to do the right things. together on our laptops and watch the • Ideal for VoIP and SIP Trunks from £5 per circuit Creativity and productivity are intrinsically Mind Map update automatically in front of linked and when applied together they us. Or, we can display project tasks on a • Network wide SLAs per month AYOA helps teams innovate and develop Chris Griffiths is the bestselling author of The Creative Thinking • CloudConnect securely to MS Azure and AWS new ideas through a combination of Mind Spitfire Network Services Ltd: Handbook and founder of OpenGenius, the company behind the Mapping, chat and task management. • Easily scaled up or down by adding or moving sites or circuits Training TechTalks creative productivity software Ayoa. OpenGenius delivers bespoke Features include visual Mind Maps; flexible and accredited training courses in Mind Mapping and Applied task management; daily summary emails; Innovation skills, as well as technology solutions to improve quick and clear delegation; the ability to users’ creativity, productivity and leadership skills. Its courses turn conversations into tasks; and team Sales 0800 319 6300 • Partner Service 0800 319 6500 and software have been used by more than one million people collaboration. Find out more or start a free worldwide. https://opengenius.com Innovative • Flexible • Reliable • Supportive • Cost Effective 7-day trial at www.ayoa.com. www.spitfire.co.uk technologyreseller.co.uk 21 COVER STORY Growing together

Virtual1, operator of the UK’s most advanced network, has seen As O’Hagan says: “Our sole purpose is spectacular growth over the years, due to its focus on putting partners first customer success, because if our partners and continually investing in cutting-edge technologies grow, then we grow.” 1Portal is a fundamental element of the support partners receive and, according to O’Hagan, is one of the things road map as an extension of the existing that Virtual1 is most famous for. In fact, 3G/4G based Cellular Ethernet solution. O’Hagan was so certain of the inherent For O’Hagan, FutureConnect 2019 value of the portal that in 2014 he bought is a significant milestone on the journey the software company that created it. Virtual1 has been on since he founded the “1Portal was the first of its kind in the company in 2007. UK, enabling resellers to go online and get “My vision for Virtual1 was so clear that a quote in under 30 seconds. Up until that I returned to the UK from New York, where point it was all done over email. It’s an I had been running Telstra’s US channel incredible tool that puts the management business, and resigned. I sold my house of all services – including quotes and to release the start-up capital, moved into orders – at our partners’ fingertips. a rented flat, built two points of presence, Resellers can login and build their and so the journey began. Virtual1 was solutions i.e. internet, Layer 2 or a full wide a one-man-band for 18 months until area network. The tool will even create I needed to bring in an administrator detailed network designs, so a whole and a sales person, when the business solution can be configured online before upgraded from my kitchen to a small office an order is placed. There’s nothing else like in London. I built the company from there it in the UK market,” he explains. Tom O’Hagan and kept on reinvesting.” O’Hagan adds that it takes just two Virtual1 started out as a network or three minutes to get a full WAN quote, aggregator, offering internet and wide area enabling partners to respond to customer On July 23, Virtual1 held its inaugural network connectivity to the reseller market. requests with great speed and agility. showcase event for partners and Today, it is one of the largest network suppliers at a 5 star venue in Finsbury operators in the UK, with 300 points of National network Square, London. The staging of presence in 180 towns and cities, covering The second big development was securing FutureConnect 2019, which included the 75% of UK businesses. This year it is £10 million in private equity funding from first Virtual1 Partner Awards, highlighted expecting to achieve a turnover of £43 BGF (formerly the Business Growth Fund), the provider’s growing influence and its million, up from £34 million in 2018. a £2.5 billion fund established by five position at the forefront of developments O’Hagan attributes Virtual1’s rapid major banks in 2008 to support the SME in networking and connectivity. growth to two key factors: 1) the sector. “We have grown spectacularly over the development of the company’s ground- “This was an important step for me last few years,” explains Virtual1 founder breaking partner portal – 1Portal; and 2) because we needed the capital to ensure and CEO Tom O’Hagan. “FutureConnect the raising of private equity to fund the Virtual1’s continued growth. We recognised is an inevitable part of our organisation roll-out of a national network. that the aggregator market in the maturing – it is an opportunity for our key wholesale space was getting squeezed and customers and suppliers to delve into the Indirect-only ALT: Wholesale services had a vision to build a national network to future of connectivity.” From its inception, Virtual1 has stuck to take on the big operators.” At the event, Virtual1 shone a light on its principle of providing wholesale-only Virtual1 built 10 POPs in 2013 and developing technologies that are integral services. It currently deals with more than 46 in 2014, before BGF funding in 2016 to its own service offering and highly 470 resellers, systems integrators and enabled it to accelerate the roll-out relevant to those of its customers and VARs and, since building its own national programme, effectively transforming announced that it would be: network, up to 120 carriers and service Virtual1 from a network aggregator into a n Launching a managed SD-WAN providers. network operator in its own right. proposition later in the year; Because Virtual1 is a wholesale “We chose BGF because they only n Continuing its close partnership with supplier, partners are assured that they will required a minority stake, which meant Openreach to take advantage of their never be in competition with Virtual1 and we were able to maintain control of the extensive fibre roll out plans, including a will always receive its undivided support, business. And their patient capital approach business-grade FTTP product; with all the tools, service levels and meant they weren’t looking for short-term n Incorporating 5G into its long-term business back-up they need to succeed. returns either, which suited us well.”

22 01732 759725 COVER STORY

Software defined network Another unique selling point of the Virtual1 network is that it is the UK’s only software defined network (SDN). This enables partners to providers too. This means that if a partner provides a good opportunity for growth.” deliver services (and generate revenue) is selling an internet circuit to their client more quickly. Its automation and today, tomorrow they have the option to Growth opportunities inherent scalability also reduce Virtual1’s easily turn on SIP, hosted voice or Public Looking ahead, O’Hagan sees many engineering overheads. Cloud.” other opportunities for Virtual1 and its “We use SDN for a number of reasons,” customers, driven by changing customer explains O’Hagan. “Firstly, it allows us Cloud services requirements and ongoing developments to automate the whole order journey, In 2015 Virtual1 built a cloud platform in technology. so that when a reseller places an order in Docklands, Heathrow and Woking, “The key ones for us are definitely for a circuit, it is completely API-ed into extending its offering to include cloud Ethernet connectivity, whether for SD-WAN Openreach without any administrative services such as infrastructure as a service or MPLS. The demand for Ethernet is Virtual1 is interventions – it literally takes seconds. and backup, all available through 1Portal. growing rapidly, and will continue to do so. committed to This automation has a significant effect This is a fast-growing area of the business We believe that in 2021 Openreach will on lead times. On average, our install time that has given both voice and data have aligned their 100Mb and 1GB bearer a wholesale- is 25 working days, against the industry partners additional revenue opportunities. pricing, resulting in the market moving to only model average of 35. “We used to have a lot of voice consume only 1GB and 10GB services. and continued “SDN also means that when partners back in the early days, who we We already offer 10GB in London and will investment in our hardware is plugged in on site, trained to help transition to the world of be launching a nationwide service later it communicates with the network, data. Now, we are training them to take this year. We think that once a business- its network, downloads the configuration and, hey the next step onto cloud platforms, and grade Fibre To The Premise (FTTP) product product presto, it’s on. This level of scalability and it is increasingly common for new WAN is rolled out by Openreach and becomes and service efficiency means our customers get great customers to select IaaS, back-up and the more universal, it will replace all the offerings service, which is really important for us. different cloud services we offer.” copper-based broadband infrastructure in And once the services are live they have O’Hagan adds that the company’s the UK.” the ability to turn up their bandwidth – for cloud services have also attracted a Virtual1 is committed to a wholesale- example, from 30Mb to 100Mb – within different type of partner. only model and continued investment in 40 seconds.” “Since launching cloud-based services, its network, product and service offerings. O’Hagan adds that Virtual 1 also more IT-focused resellers and managed These factors, together with enhancements goes to great lengths to connect its service providers have been adding to 1Portal and the company’s software infrastructure with a partner’s supply connectivity into their portfolio, because defined network, will help partners to chain. they can take the cloud services offering be more responsive and enhance their “We have all the leading SIP providers from us as well. That’s a market that we competitive edge. on our network and a lot of the hosted hadn’t directly addressed before but which www.virtual1.com

...it takes just two or three minutes to get a full WAN quote, enabling partners to respond to customer requests with great speed and agility

technologyreseller.co.uk 23 Unified communications The go-to company for UCC LogMeIn is looking for new channel partners enabled LogMeIn to offer a true end-to- support, enablement, which makes it very to support the growing range of UCC end solution with the flexibility to move easy for them to sell, is one thing,” he said. from a meeting to voice or from voice to a “Number two is the compensation products marketed under its new GoTo brand meeting. plan – we have a very good, proven “When it comes to collaboration, what compensation plan. The third thing, which On May 15-16 at UC Expo, LogMeIn we were missing was the telephony piece we are trying to blueprint without copying, introduced UK businesses, partners and – the cloud PBX, the collaboration that is a vertical approach, which makes a potential partners to its new unified comes from voice. For a long time, LogMeIn conversation more relevant for the IT communications and collaboration was telling the market it was looking for manager or the CIO by showing how a cloud (UCC) portfolio brand GoTo and unveiled that solution and Jive became the piece PBX or UCaaS solution within the workflow a number of new products that it will that completed our UCaaS solution. With can solve a business problem. In the US, we be launching in Europe in the coming GoToConnect, you can phone, you can chat, have been very successful with education, months. Foremost amongst these are you can message, you can start a meeting, Government, automotive, healthcare, GoToConnect, to be launched in Q4, and you can terminate a meeting, via a single finance and law, and we intend to bring that the new all-in-one videoconferencing user interface, so it’s an entirely integrated blueprint and use it here to highlight the room solution GoToRoom (see caption). experience,” he said. business attractions of a solution.” LogMeIn’s UCC division, which Another selling point mentioned by accounts for 60% of the Top 10 SaaS Partner recruitment Gargiulo is LogMeIn’s customer retention company’s revenue – the other 40% LogMeIn already has partners in the rate, which in the Americas is as high coming from its Identity Access and UK, but it is hoping to recruit more to as the mid-90s. “Once we are able to Management and Customer Engagement capitalise on growing opportunities in the persuade a customer to come our way, the and Support divisions – is already well UCC space and to replicate over here the expectation is they will stay with us for a known for products such as GoToMeeting rapid growth the company has experienced long time,” he said. and GoToWebinar. in the US. Gargiulo says he is not too particular Joining them, this autumn is a new “So far, UCaaS hasn’t had the ramp about the type of partner LogMeIn signs flagship product, GoToConnect, which that it has had in America or Asia, but up – what matters is that they have a integrates LogMeIn’s existing GoToMeeting every indication is that it will take-off and relationship with IT buyers. web, audio and video conferencing will grow at 20-24% over the next three or “What we are really leveraging is the solution with a cloud PBX so that, via a four years. So, now is the right time to join relationship a particular partner may have web browser or desktop app, users have the party,” said Gargiulo. with an IT manager. Our partners come a single, integrated experience and single In promoting GoToConnect, in different flavours – VARs, integrators, user interface for VoIP calls, messaging, LogMeIn plans both to leverage existing distributors – a whole gamut, but the presence, chat, screen-sharing and web, partnerships and to strike new ones. common theme is the relationship they audio and video conferencing. Gargiulo says that, for new partners, have with that IT buyer,” he said. GoToConnect is made possible by LogMeIn has much to recommend it. LogMeIn’s April 2018 acquisition of Jive, “There are three things: the first is To find out more about LogMeIn’s partner an established US cloud PBX. the infrastructure we put at the disposal programmes for its GoTo UCC portfolio, LogMeIn VP of Sales Pablo Gargiulo of partners, which is almost like having please visit www.goto.com/connect/ says that gaining this functionality has a sales team dedicated to them. Sales, partners

Launched in April, GoToRoom is an all-in-one solution, GoToRoom solutions are based on Poly hardware and can be combining the hardware needed to host or participate in video enhanced with devices from other brands. Examples include meetings and a new GoToMeeting user interface optimised for Logitech MeetUp and Logitech Rally conference cameras and meeting spaces. Available in versions for huddle rooms (2-6 the Dolby Voice videoconferencing unit, which is also available people) and medium-sized conference rooms (6-10 people), on a Dolby Room-as-a-Service (RaaS) subscription.

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TR_2018.08_A4+3mmbleed.indd 1 22/01/2019 11:56:34 UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS Complete control Justin Hamilton Martin, Centile UK Director, Imagine a salesperson out on the separate bills for private calls. Alternatively, explains why enterprise-controlled-SIMs road, talking to a prospect (hands-free of employers may prefer the simplicity of a course). When another call comes in, the UC fixed rate personal usage cost or another provided as part of a UCaaS offering are a platform sees that she is occupied and the arrangement that complies with the growing opportunity for the channel call is automatically diverted to her office. existing tax regime. Her assistant takes the message that the next meeting has been cancelled and sends Supporting differentiation through an IM, which the salesperson sees To enable differentiation, it is important on her screen in the car. Knowing she does that the UC platform supporting native SIM not need to rush to that meeting, she is control is flexible enough to accommodate able to have a more detailed conversation a wide variety of customer requirements. with the prospect she is already talking In addition, many resellers will need to. Once that call is over, she uses Siri to a platform where the engineering, launch a call to bring her next appointment development, management and support forward an hour to fill the slot. are done for them. It also makes sense Initially, sales are likely to come from to look at the experiences of operators, offering a native SIM to restricted teams vendors and resellers with a proven track within an organisation, for instance field record in mainland Europe, where the service engineers or a sales team, rather market remains ahead of the curve. Giving users true control over how they than the whole enterprise. Native SIM control is a game-changer manage their SIMs has already proved There are also opportunities for in enterprise mobility, as well as a doorway successful in other parts of Europe and resellers to build on the legacy all-voice, to advanced UC services. The market is is becoming more of an option in the UK. mobile VPN functionality offered to some young, but it is set to grow fast, so now is Forecast to be one of the fastest corporate customers (historically called the time to get on board. growing trends in telecoms, a native MOBEX, MVPN or OWE, depending on SIM-controlled approach gives technology the mobile operator), by adding the Centile was founded in 1998 and is resellers a potential gateway to selling truly additional benefits of UC features, such as headquartered near Nice, France. Its competitive and ‘mobile first’ services. It collaboration, group chat and enhanced feature-rich, multi-tenant ISTRA platform also help with differentiation, which can be boss-assistant working. allows Service Providers of all types to challenging, but is vital if resellers are to deliver compelling cloud communications make the most of the massive opportunity Private billing solutions to business customers. presented by Unified Communications as a There are a couple of important issues to With built-in FMC, flexible application Service (UCaaS). address with native SIM control, notably programming interfaces (APIs) and With a SIM-controlled approach, unlike the need to ensure that private and work MOBiiS, a revolutionary native mobile existing BYOD over-the-top services, the environments are separate, for billing application, the Centile ISTRA platform employer adds the SIM into the UCaaS purposes and to ensure that personal calls provides business end users with: platform, where it manages the inbound are not accidentally recorded. Fixed and Mobile PBX features, unified and outbound termination of calls. The For this, the UC platform needs to be messaging, auto attendant, voicemail business effectively becomes the SIM able to identify whether a call is personal/ to email, boss/secretary filtering, call provider. private, which it does using cues, such barring, groups management, IVRs, ACDs, In more forward-thinking markets, as status, incoming or outgoing number, audio and video conferencing with screen where alternative operators have had the app being used, time of day or and file sharing, Instant Messaging and freer access to mobile assets, such as location. The ability to separate personal presence. Centile serves over 100 Service the Netherlands and the Nordics, native and work mobile calls by status and by Providers in 20 countries and has a total SIM-control is widespread. In the UK, to using an app to apply rules or personal of 650,000 end users. date, UC services have generally been override enables organisations to generate www.centile.com over-the-top (OTT) applications or based on having separate company SIMs, which has resulted in disjointed UC services. Now, as the uptake of UCaaS accelerates, the UK mobile sector is changing faster than ever, with far more market innovation and disruption.

Applications The channel community is in a great position to start offering compelling packages, based around use cases rather than customer size.

26 01732 759725 COLLABORATION

Microsoft and Dropbox promise easier team working and collaboration with enhancements to Teams (below) and Dropbox (bottom) Teams talk As the number of people using Microsoft sent has been read; Teams on a daily basis exceeds 13 n Manage communications across million and the number of active weekly teams, using an Announcements feature users passes 19 million, Microsoft has to highlight important news and, coming introduced a series of improvements soon, the ability to post a single message to the Microsoft 365 teamworking and in multiple channels simultaneously and a conferencing app. ‘channel moderation’ features that lets a These include the ability to: moderator oversee what gets posted in a n Prioritise time-sensitive communications channel and whether replies are permitted; through alerts that ping a recipient every n Manage staff, with a new time clock two minutes on their mobile and desktop feature that lets shift workers clock in and until a response is received and ‘read out via the Teams mobile app (with the receipts’ that show when a chat you have option of geo-fencing to ensure they are Genesys and NICE inContact to integrate on-site) and a targeted communications Teams with contact centre solutions; with feature that lets team leaders message ASC, NICE and Verint to add call and everyone in a specific role. meeting recording to Teams; and with retail Microsoft has also introduced new IT solutions provider REPL to integrate administrator capabilities, such as the ability Teams and JDA’s workforce management to apply a pre-defined set of policies across solution so that shift workers can view their Teams based on individuals’ job function. schedules and request changes via the Teams app. Partner initiatives Finally, Microsoft is enabling Microsoft In addition to enhancements to the Teams 365 partners to offer free six-month trials feature set, Microsoft is working with of the full Teams experience to customers partners to integrate teams with other that haven’t yet moved to the cloud or solutions. have only done so with Exchange Online. For example, it is working with Five9, www.microsoft.com Bringing it all together Dropbox is responding to growing focused on removing the friction from that for simpler project management. demand for a simpler way of working experience, pulling everything together in a In addition to these developments, by turning Dropbox into a single digital way that nobody has done before.” the new desktop app, which registered workspace for a user’s files, work tools, Highlights include: Dropbox users can opt into through the apps and team collaboration. n A single place to create, manage and Dropbox early access program, provides Drew Houston, CEO of Dropbox, said: search for all content, whether it’s a an improved experience for teams. New “Work has become scattered – files are local file, a web page, a web short-cut or features include the ability to: spread across devices, in the cloud and somewhere in the cloud (e.g. Google Docs, n Pin files to the top of a folder to give on our hard drives. We’re working across Sheets and Slides, which users can now anyone with access to the folder quick multiple apps that don’t talk to each other, create, access and share within Dropbox); access to content; and teams are struggling to keep up. We’re n Visibility into shared work progress, e.g. n Add folder descriptions to give context through information on file activity and a to files; new team activity feed; and n Create to-dos at the top of a folder; n Integration with other applications. n @mention teammates to draw attention Following last year’s announcement of to folder descriptions or to-dos; Dropbox Extensions, which lets users start n Get updates on file activity, including and finish workflows (e.g. signing contracts content shared in Slack and Zoom from or annotating videos) in the Dropbox any device; platform, Dropbox now enables users to n See who’s viewed files with the viewer start Slack and Zoom conversations and info feature, now available on desktop; and share content to Slack and Zoom channels n Comment on shared content across directly from Dropbox. It has also entered desktop, mobile and web. into a strategic partnership with Atlassian www.dropbox.com

technologyreseller.co.uk 27 COLLABORATION

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technologyreseller.co.uk 29 Q&A

Q&AWith Jamie Farrelly, VP of EMEA Channels at Veritas

The whole truth Jamie Farrelly On June 20, enterprise data protection all kinds of different places; we talk about protection, insight) – on one platform. This company Veritas Technologies the opportunity around data agility, which platform is both a platform and a vision announced its Enterprise Data Services IDC describes as a multi-billion dollar of how we manage data in the enterprise Platform, powered by Veritas NetBackup opportunity, harnessing the power of your world. 8.2. This unified set of technologies is data and making intelligent decisions designed to reduce the complexity of based on the data in your organisation. TR: How does this approach differ to enterprise IT by enabling users to take The final two, which are equally what you were doing before? control of, protect and gain insight into important, are data compliance and data JF: We would always talk about our recoverable data in on-prem and cloud visibility – if you don’t know what you solutions, but we are now driving more environments. Integrated technologies have, if you can’t see it, then there’s not integration across those solutions. In the include NetBackup 8.2, which enables much you can do with it. Data is the oil case of a typical enterprise customer, enterprises to protect, back-up, recover, of the twenty-first century; it is the most some vendors will say ‘I will solve your manage and apply policies to business important thing an organisation has apart protection issues’; or, if you are moving data; Veritas InfoScale, which provides from its people. to AWS in the cloud, ‘I will help you to resiliency and software-defined storage It’s these five things, at a high level, drive that migration and the availability for hybrid clouds; the Veritas Information that Veritas strives to drive simplicity and and the security of your data as you make Studio unified information intelligence value around. that transition’; or ‘We can optimise your tool; and APTARE IT analytics. Following A couple of interesting stats we used storage insights so you can see the data the launch – or mega-launch as Veritas in our mega-launch that put the data on a network’. styles it – Technology Reseller caught up issue into perspective are that by 2025 With this integrated platform, we have with Jamie Farrelly, VP of EMEA Channels there will be 175 zettabytes of data on pushed all those things together. Rather at Veritas, to discuss the company’s new the planet (enough data to fill 2.6 trillion than driving point solutions, which is platform. 64GB smartphones). Then, in our latest complex, increases risk and increases the Value of Data study, CIOs we surveyed cost of ownership, we are pushing this Technology Reseller: Please could said that 62% of that data is completely all together as one integrated platform to you give a quick overview of Veritas’s dark. So, as they move from on premise drive protection, availability and insight approach to data management and to the cloud, from data centres to remote, across your infrastructure. It’s a pretty big explain how the new platform fits within they don’t even know what the cost of step forward from that perspective. its overall strategy. managing their data will be. Having all these solutions available on Jamie Farrelly (JF): At Veritas, we Furthermore, as we go into the cloud one platform is an opportunity for Veritas think about the data challenge and world, 75% of organisations believe that and its partners to really add value to an opportunities in five ways: we talk about the cloud CSPs, the cloud vendors, are enterprise. It gives a partner that sells data growth, the explosion of data; we talk responsible for the integrity of that data. availability through NetBackup the ability about data fragmentation – data sitting in But they are not; that is still on you as the to have a value added, trusted advisor customer. So, there’s a huge opportunity conversation across the whole issue of for Veritas and its customers to harness data, rather than just different parts of it. and gain visibility of data and to set policies around what they do with it to add TR: Will this new approach influence the value or to drive reduced risk or increased type of partner you work with? possibility. That’s the kind of high-level JF: Not really. We are a multi-segment situation we are in. vendor anyway, working with service What we have launched with the mega- providers, system integrators, VARs that launch is the Enterprise Data Services service enterprises and large enterprises. (EDS) platform, which, uniquely in the Essentially, we are helping existing partners market, addresses those five issues from have wider and deeper conversations with an availability perspective, a protection their customers. We’ve been wanting to perspective and an insights perspective come out with this message for a long – a kind of API approach (availability, time.

...continued

30 01732 759725 BUSINESS BREIFING

EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD Data protection FRAMA RMAIL

New data protection regulations came into “There are a variety of encryption force in the United Kingdom and Europe in configuration options to maximise security, May of this year. while maintaining user simplicity and flexibility. This unique offering provides a powerful This legislation – the biggest change 256bit encryption tool that requires no in data protection law in 20 years has additional work from the receiver’s end, transformed the way in which companies for example signing up to third party web should be sending their email applications, downloading the email etc.. communication. Another key benefit is that it does not All businesses now need to prove Even if a business is using a form of store any sent documents on the cloud or that they are fully compliant with the encryption it may not conform to the new on any server. new regulations and, when preparing to legislation. Why? This is because it is very RMail is easy to install with no IT conform to article 5 of these regulations, difficult to prove what was sent, what was intervention – the RMail platform is simply Frama RMail should be focusing on the secure received and by whom? added to a company’s current email provides transmission of sensitive and financial This is where RMail (Registered Mail), client – and there are also a number of data via email. a solution provided by Frama throughout additional features supplied as standard a legal, Data regulations now require that Europe, will help. Frama RMail provides within the product, such as e-signature third party “the controller and the processor shall a legal, third party authenticated record and large file transfer”. authenticated implement appropriate technical and of who said what, to whom and when. It A value added service record of who organisational measures to ensure a records email delivery, opening, official level of security appropriate to the risk” time of sending and receiving, and Due to the ease of installation and said what, to and expressly states that such measures associated message and attachment powerful suite of tools, Frama RMail offers whom and include the pseudonymisation and content, providing a complete audit trail a new and profitable way to add value to when encryption of personal data. and authentication. any IT services contract. The ICO has published detailed With over 40 million users Worldwide, Lack of email encryption guidance on encryption, exploring its use Frama have established a solid user base Even with these changes to the law, through a range of practical scenarios in the UK and are now looking to expand statistics show that less than 40% to highlight when and where different the number of users through their referral of businesses today use any form of encryption strategies can help provide a program. encryption when sending data via email. greater level of protection. This program adds Frama RMail to Why is this? In most cases it is due to the an existing customer offering, providing cumbersome process both for the sender The Frama RMail platform additional value to your customer base and the recipient. Lenny Wood, Marketing Manager at Frama through our market leading email security UK explains how the use of the Frama platform as well as providing your business RMail encrypted email platform can with an additional revenue stream. help businesses stay compliant with new Our referral program offers; data protection legislation and provide n Additional revenue stream a secure environment for sending and n Improve customer retention receiving encrypted business-critical n Pre and post-sales support package communications. In conclusion Frama RMail provides an easy to use solution for the transmission of sensitive and financial data via email whilst giving businesses the confidence that the data has been sent securely and can provide an audit trail for data protection compliance. A simple but powerful piece of software that enhances standard email opening new revenue opportunities. www.frama.co.uk

technologyreseller.co.uk 31 WebRTC Enhancing your website with real-time communications     

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Woodland Trust fp ad 9-18.indd 1 12/09/2018 11:04 Woodland Trust fp ad 9-18.indd 1 12/09/2018 11:04 22 Q&A

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TR: Will customers have to do anything that provides visibility of a data back- differently? up environment, specifically around JF: No. On a product level, what we are NetBackUp, APTARE enhances our actually launching this week is the new analytical capability by providing version of NetBackUp, which will add data protection visibility and virtual more functionality e.g. cloud native data infrastructure and storage environment protection on AWS and Azure etc.. We visibility, so that customers can say ‘Right, are also launching enhancements in now I have this more holistic visibility of our availability portfolio, on the disaster my overall environment, what policies do I recovery and virtual replication side of need to reduce cost, to reduce risk and to things, as well as adding more emphasis dealing with one player. increase profitability or customer value?’. to our acquisition of APTARE (in March So, APTARE changes the game. But 2019), which is all about providing TR: Have you gained this added enhancements will still continue across insights into a storage environment at a functionality and expertise through protection and availability. cloud level, physical level and virtual level. acquisition? In summary, this week represents From a customer viewpoint, we JF: The insights piece is very interesting four big launches in one, which is why are saying that while there are some in this context. The availability and we are calling it the mega-launch – cool vendors driving point products for protection piece has been our heritage enhancements to NetBackUp and to our particular problems, Veritas has every for 20 years. What I say to clients is ‘Think Infoscale product, which is our availability element covered. One of the complaints about NetBackup; it is not version 1.3, product, plus Information Studio, which we hear from CIOs is that they have to but 8.2’. We continue to add functionality, is our big visibility product, together with use multiple tools to manage their data, to support new workloads and new APTARE, which is our new acquisition. What Read next their security environment, their network approaches to data – the cloud, Dockers, we want partners to understand (and to month’s issue environment. That’s the headache. Our containers etc.. We will always be the take to market) is the fact that we now for Part 2 of our big play here is that while our flagship first to market with that kind of increased have this multi-solution platform that will interview with product has always been for protection, we functionality. However, the APTARE enable them to grow and to have new Jamie Farrelly, now have all this other stuff that can help acquisition is a good signpost of where we conversations both with existing and new where he talks you enhance data management without want to go. customers. about Veritas’s increasing your TCO, because you are Whilst we have a lot of technology www.veritas.com partner strategy. Digital transformation accelerates

Sponsored content WHITE PAPER Market SD-WAN adoption Pulse 2019 SD-WAN Market Trends Report AS COMPANIES CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THEIR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, Over the last two years, software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) SD-WAN IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY FOUNDATIONAL TO EVOLVING NETWORK CAPABILITIES.

Executive Summary: As organizations look to modernize odern enterprises continue to work their way adoption rates have increased significantly, from 35% to 54%, and optimize their network infrastructure, many are through digital transformation: upgrading and considering next-generation technologies such as software- Madapting their infrastructure, business processes, defined WAN (SD-WAN) solutions. These deliver many and services as they strive to remain competitive. Many are benefits, including cost-effectiveness, increased flexibility finding that traditional networks have insufficient capacity as familiarity with the technology and awareness of its benefits and security, and the ability to refresh and consolidate and capability to support the demands and growth of digital network edge devices. business, so upgrading existing network environments to IDG and Masergy recently surveyed IT executives on software-defined WANs (SD-WANs) is becoming a higher and use cases have grown amongst global enterprises the most important WAN connectivity issues they are facing and more widespread priority. as they look to modernize their network. This survey was a As SD-WAN technology has matured and adoption has follow-up to a similar survey conducted two years ago, in increased, the priorities and concerns with which most 2017. This year’s survey identifies WAN objectives and chal- organizations approach SD-WAN deployment decisions have lenges and also highlights SD-WAN adoption trends, benefits, also evolved. Security and cost remain critical challenges, but The Masergy 2019 SD-WAN Market and key considerations for buyers. As SD-WAN technology looking at a variety of factors revealed in the updated IDG/ barrier to SD-WAN adoption, whereas has matured, adoption has increased and buyer priorities, Masergy survey demonstrates an increased comfort level concerns, and expectations have shifted. with SD-WAN and understanding of its potential strengths Trends Survey reveals that 90% of IT concerns regarding interoperability with and best use cases. This year’s survey produced three key findings, as Fig. 1 Top WAN Challenge decision-makers in global enterprises existing WANs are less prevalent than they compared to the earlier survey, conducted in 2017: say security for branch offices • Security is the top WAN connectivity challenge and % and remote workers is the 50 the leading factor guiding companies in the SD-WAN biggest WAN challenge are currently researching, piloting, were two years ago; selection process. (see Figures 1 and 2.)

Fig. 2 Top Factors for Selecting SD-WAN • SD-WAN is no longer just considered as being “on the actively using or upgrading SD-WAN. n Network management simplification radar.” Adoption rates are on the rise. SD-WAN adoption increased from 35% to 54% over the past two years, % 34% 43 33% and future adoption rates could reach as high as 90%. In a 2017 study conducted by the (46%) continues to be the top expected IT Network Security Current (see Figure 3.) visibility and considerations IT staffing managed SD-WAN, cloud communications benefit of SD-WAN adoption; control capabilities

SOURCE: IDG, JUNE, 2019 STRATEGIC MARKETING SERVICES and managed security solutions provider, n The top three expected business benefits IDG Communications, Inc. the figure was just 69%. of SD-WAN are increased efficiency, Key findings from the 2019 survey improved security, and cost savings. Masergy is uniquely positioned to deliver show that: Masergy CEO James Parker said: on the digital ambitions of today’s global n Optimising the network to support “Masergy pioneered software-defined enterprises with our software-defined cutting-edge technologies remains the networking two decades ago, and this network, integrated security and fully top WAN objective (61%) among survey survey validates the growing maturity of managed SD-WAN services.” participants; SD-WAN solutions. IT leaders are tasked www.masergy.com n Security (50%) is the top WAN with transforming their business though Masergy’s 2019 SD-WAN Market Trends Report, produced challenge and the leading factor (81%) cloud-based applications and emerging in partnership with IDG Research, can be downloaded guiding companies in the SD-WAN technologies, but these pivots introduce from https://www.masergy.com/white-papers/2019- selection process; a new level of complexity that can be sd-wan-market-trends-report/. n The skills gap (46%) remains a top daunting for network and security teams. 22 technologyreseller.co.uk 33 DOCUMENTSNEWS : RESELLERS

Delivering Your SMB Customers’ Security Needs: Why Fortinet Is the Smart Choice ightsied security for your customers. argeted support for you.

Today’s small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are going digital like never before – but they need help staying secure. Moving to cloud-based apps and infrastructure, connecting with customers through digital and mobile and the use of new technologies, is inherently fraught with security and compliance risks – which can lead to data breaches and costly fines.

As a Fortinet managed service provider, you can combine your expertise with a world-class security solution that enables you to strategically rightsize your offering to meet your customers’ digital security needs, today and in the future, at a price that fits their budget.

We don’t expect you to navigate this road alone. Fortinet believes that providing you with the right training and support you need is essential to differentiating your business and helping you expertly deliver the right managed solution, policies, mitigation and network defence on your SMB customers’ behalf. All so that you can deliver the reliability, responsiveness and service your customers expect.

“Fortinet recognized as a Leader in Gartner’s 2018 Magic Quadrant for Unified Threat Management (SMB Multifunction Firewalls) for the ninth time, placing highest for ability to execute in the UTM market.”

—Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Threat Management (SMB Multifunction) Firewalls, Rajpreet Kaur, Claudio Neiva, 29, September 2018

The Fortinet advantage

What sets Fortinet apart? It’s our Cybersecurity platform technology, paired with our MSP training and support – a dynamic combination that drives SMB confidence, competence and sales. Unlike other security providers that shoehorn several enterprise technologies

into offers for SMBs, Fortinet solutions are tailored specifically for SMBs – making them the ideal choice.

• Scalable, easy-to-implement solutions fit for SMBs: Fortinet provides best-in-breed, adaptive security solutions that fit any security environment or requirement your customers may demand. We offer platform technology – not disparate endpoint products – that are easy to implement, manage and scale. It’s a smart way to provide one-stop service to your customers.

• Expert resources designed for MSPs: We offer the MSP a single-pane-of-glass-management, multitenancy and administrative domains you need, as well as essential API and DevOps integration support for back-end provisioning and custom portals – all with the goal of providing the automation and centralised management Delivering Your SMB Customers’ Security Needs: that’s essential for operational efficiency.

Why Fortinet Is the Smart Choice • Tailored tools, training and certification: Becoming a ightsied security for your customers. argeted support for you. consultative expert in SMB security and developing long-term relationships are key to your success. We offer targeted technical and sales training courses (Network Security Expert, Managed Today’s small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are going digital like never before – but they need help Security Services, sales training) and tools – like guides to develop custom security plans with your customers – to help your team sell staying secure. Moving to cloud-based apps and infrastructure, connecting with customers through with credibility and competence. We also offer Network Security digital and mobile and the use of new technologies, is inherently fraught with security and compliance Expert certification, quick-start guides, in-field experts, marketing risks – which can lead to data breaches and costly fines. and lead-generation support, and our Partner-to-Partner Connect engagement platform that provides a community through which you can jointly deliver services. As a Fortinet managed service provider, you can combine your expertise with a world-class security solution that enables you to strategically rightsize your offering to meet your customers’ digital security • Flexible business models: Fortinet offers a range of consumption needs, today and in the future, at a price that fits their budget. models designed to fit your business strategy, with built-in contract flexibility to help you scale with your customers’ needs. We don’t expect you to navigate this road alone. Fortinet believes that providing you with the right training and support you need is essential to differentiating your business and helping you expertly • Support on demand: Fortinet support is never out of reach. Fortinet-trained support professionals and content are available deliver the right managed solution, policies, mitigation and network defence on your SMB customers’ online and via escalation 24/7 from your preferred distributor. You’ll behalf. All so that you can deliver the reliability, responsiveness and service your customers expect. be well equipped to offer seamless support to your customers.

“Fortinet recognized as a Leader in Gartner’s 2018 Magic Quadrant for Unified Threat Management (SMB Multifunction Firewalls) for the ninth time, placing highest for ability to execute in the UTM market.” What’s next for you —Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Threat Management For more information on how Fortinet can help you support your SMB (SMB Multifunction) Firewalls, Rajpreet Kaur, customers’ most pressing security challenges, contact us today at Claudio Neiva, 29, September 2018 [email protected] End user computing

Something old, something new ‘The most exciting end user computing product in decades’ is how Prianto UK CEO Yuri Pasea describes UK start-up Droplet Computing. James Goulding speaks to co-founder and CTO Peter von Oven to find out more about the company, its technology and the opportunities for resellers

In April 2018, Droplet Computing VMWare, services people, people from the Peter von Oven appointed Prianto to distribute its end customer. When he arrived, the CTO took user computing product in the UK and out his Chromebook and asked for the but what really excited him was the US (now extended to The Netherlands, network password. ‘Ah,’ he was told, ‘there technology’s potential for organisations France and Germany) and to help on- isn’t one because we are off site’. There with legacy apps. board and train a network of resellers. was not even a 4G connection. ‘So am I “A lot of customers were telling us So far, it has recruited 30 resellers in to understand that I can’t connect to VDI they had legacy apps that they couldn’t the UK and plans to take on more to if I haven’t got a network connection?’. migrate – old DOS or old Windows-based enable Droplet Computing to scale up Everyone looked at each other and applications that kept their business and service the growing demand for its nodded. He slammed the Chromebook lid running. Yes, they could refactor an application container technology. shut. Project closed. Everyone out.” application, reformat it, rewrite it from This patent-pending technology allows Von Oven set about finding a solution to the ground up, but that would be very applications to work on operating systems the particular problem faced in the meeting expensive and very time-consuming. And for which they were not designed (with – the need to access offline applications it’s not just a question of rewriting an app, no repackaging or rewriting required), on a non-Windows device – eventually there’s also the security certification, end- securely, both online and offline. As such, producing a prototype on a Chromebook. user training and roll-out to consider. So it provides an economical solution to the “This was what we now call a Droplet we started to take these applications and problem of ensuring the continued viability Computing container. It is portable, so it containerise them,” he explained. of mission-critical applications. can be taken to your platform of choice, “We have produced videos in which we Von Oven came up with the idea of and, because your applications are liken the container to a cup. I can choose container technology in 2014, following a containerised, you don’t need a network what I put in it – coffee, tea, orange juice, disastrous client meeting when working for connection – they run locally. That was our milk – and because the cup is a travel mug, a previous employer. first exploration of the market,” he said. I can take it with me, in a car, on a train or “A customer was looking to deploy With seed funding from Draper as I walk around town. We ask customers around 30,000 Chromebooks connected Esprit, von Oven set about developing what they want to put in the container. ‘I’ve to a VDI platform they were planning to the technology further. His starting point, got some old XP apps’. Well, let’s put them roll out. A kick-off meeting led by the the offline aspect of the solution, was in the container. What do you want to run CTO of the organisation was held off-site significant because it allows a company them on? ‘Well, I quite like Mac’. So let’s to minimise distractions, with the world to run an application locally on a device, put them in there. Now, you can run your and his wife in attendance – people from potentially reducing data centre costs, old Windows applications on your Mac. We can also do that on your Linux box; we will shortly announce the Chromebook; and we can do it on Windows.” Droplet Computing has already done this for applications as old as WordPerfect 5.1, Lotus 1-2-3 and FoxPro. Another important feature of Droplet Computing’s application container technology, claims von Oven, is its security. “NCC Group pen-tested our container technology and found it to be secure. They are a big partner of ours and often go into a client and find applications that are a little old and won’t pass a Cyber Essentials test. That is a big use case for us. Our sweet spot is any organisation that

36 01732 759725 COMPLIANCE

has old applications, whether the NHS, government, banking or insurance.”

Channel opportunity Clearly, this is a big opportunity for the Not so fine channel, not least because Droplet The decision of the ICO to issue notices of ‘intent to fine’ to Computing is 100% channel-focused. “We may have a conversation with a customer British Airways and Marriott International is a much needed direct,” said von Oven, “but fulfilment is reality check for organisations that may have been lulled into a always through the channel.” false sense of security by minimal GDPR enforcement activity One partner Droplet Computing has since the regulations came into force on May 25 2018. Here, been working with for two years is XMA, which is using the technology to help legal and technology experts reflect on what this development its customers overcome interoperability means for business challenges whilst migrating to Windows 10. “One of the biggest challenges in end Jon Baines, Data Protection Advisor, company and you don’t have the money to user computing today is how to move old Mischon de Reya: go through an expensive appeal process XP and Windows 7 applications to Windows News that the ICO is intending to fine BA like BA is doing, a fine may literally shut 10 if those applications don’t run on the £183m and Marriott International £99m is you down. operating system. We can get such projects remarkable for a number of reasons. moving for traditional resellers but also Firstly, and crucially, these are merely Tony Pepper, CEO, Egress: for partners like Amazon. They are pushing ‘notices of intent’ – recent figures obtained It’s really interesting that the ICO issued Amazon Workspaces quite heavily, but the by this Firm under the Freedom of a second intention to fine under GDPR Michael Mittel operating systems in those environments Information Act indicate that nearly one just one day after the BA news broke. By are, guess what, shiny new ones. We have in three ICO notices of intent ultimately barely drawing breath between the two spoken to customers who say ‘I would love either get cancelled or result in a lower announcements targeting two household to go to a rent-a-desktop model and pay final penalty. names, they have achieved maximum $30, $50, $100 or whatever. However, I Secondly, the legality and fairness impact in showing the potential of their can’t take my applications’. And, at the of ICO’s investigative procedure has extended powers under GDPR. The scale of end of the day, that is what users need. come under serious – and extraordinary both fines can leave no doubt in anyone’s Partners see that,” he said. – challenge in the recent case involving mind that we are now operating under very Von Oven adds that as the only Facebook, in which the latter is alleging different standards than when the Data technology that enables organisations to bias, pre-determination and procedural Protection Act was enforced. Tony Pepper deliver legacy applications without any irregularity. It is quite possible that similar re-writes, unpackaged and unchanged, arguments will be aired in any challenge to Divya Gupta, Partner, Dorsey & Whitney: online or offline, Droplet Computing is the notices of intent. The huge fines facing Marriott for a GDPR providing resellers with an additional Thirdly, the notices of intent were breach are a signal to other companies revenue stream, good margins on licensing announced initially not by the ICO but that the regulatory bodies are strictly and services revenue and the opportunity by the recipients, under their market enforcing the law to protect consumer to get in on something new. notification obligations. To this extent, ICO’s personal data from loss, damage or theft. “Our biggest competition is probably hand has been forced; it will definitely When entrusted with personal data, it’s a people doing nothing,” he said. “We are not be hoping it has got its factual and legal company’s job diligently to look after it, Divya Gupta looking to replace any VDI solution – it’s a analyses right, because the challenges and for many years businesses have gotten very good solution. In fact we work with it; coming its way are likely to be robust and away with not doing so. With further fines I can very happily deliver my container in a costly. like this on the horizon, companies doing virtualised Windows 10 desktop delivering Fourthly, these sums are huge, market- business in the EU should look to their an older app that wouldn’t natively run on influencing ones. Up until now, people American operations too. the operating system. But, for partners, were certainly concerned about GDPR, but Several states are imposing privacy ours is an easier sell and it’s a guaranteed this news makes it very clear that fines laws in the United States – California outcome because of the way our container arising from alleged non-compliance have leading the pack with the California works. I could happily go to a customer or become a major corporate risk factor. Consumer Privacy Act – and this means partner meeting and have an app in the No one should over-react to this possible future penalties for non- container before the end of the meeting news. But everyone should pay very close compliance now. Thirty million Europeans – as long as they have the install media, attention to developments. were impacted in the Marriott breach; if which is usually the challenge.” just 10% of that number were California www.dropletcomputing.com Michael Mittel, CEO, Rapidfire Tools: residents, Marriott would be looking at This is just like HIPAA in the USA, where it $300,000,000 in domestic statutory took several years, but eventually fines did penalties as a minimum for failure to become a regular occurrence. In the US, enact reasonable security practices and half of organisations with HIPAA violations procedures. The lesson here: this GDPR end up closing down and the same will penalty is a paltry sum compared to what happen with GDPR. If you aren’t a big is looming.

technologyreseller.co.uk 37 Mobile Computing The 30-year-old start-up

Following Toshiba Client Solutions’ change of name to dynabook and the NO: Sharp’s business is slightly different. launch of the first dynabook-branded laptops in Europe, Technology Reseller They have a managed print service business that over the last three to five caught up with Nick Offin, Head of Sales, Marketing and Operations for years has been more of a direct play Northern Europe, to discuss developments at the mobile computing pioneer for them. But there are opportunities acquired last year by Sharp, part of the Foxconn Group for their AV and displays partners in our market areas and for us to introduce TR: What Sharp technologies in some Sharp technologies to our dealer particular will you be making use of? network, a classical IT dealer network. For NO: Sharp are one of the leaders in the example, Sharp are launching a Windows move to 8K technology, so it is not a huge Collaboration Device, which is generating leap to think that we would want to utilise some interest in the IT market. There’s that technology in some of our products. some cross-over there. They also have an IoT practice, and are developing aspects of IoT that could co- TR: How do you plan to develop the IoT exist with what we have been doing in IoT Eyewear product? with Edge Computing and Eyewear. Those NO: For us, Edge Computing was the are two clear areas where we could benefit conduit to Eyewear. Edge Computing, from current Sharp technology. and the IoT devices that link into it, is an important growth area that differentiates TR: Have you had much success with us from the normal notebook business. your IoT products to date? We are looking at where we take that NO: We are getting a lot of interest in Edge computer next. The integration of 5G Eyewear and assisted reality (AR) and technology makes obvious sense. That’s Nick Offin other vendors are coming into the market where our thoughts and development all the time, which has to say something plans are leading us – making it more of about the opportunity that people see in a mini all-in-one device that can be used the market. We are early with a Windows- both as a desktop and out in the field based system, which has given us some attached to a multitude of IoT devices in good introductions and good conversations a connected environment. That’s where we Technology Reseller (TR): Why has the with companies here in the UK and across see this product category going. dynabook name been chosen for the new Europe. Companies are now seeking to company? understand how they can use Eyewear. For TR: What do you see as the main trends Nick Offin (NO): Dynabook isn’t a new us, it’s the start of a journey in a market in your core laptop market? name: it has been in existence for about that is just about ready to take off. NO: In one respect, the trend is to go thin 30 years, predominantly in the Japanese and light, with growth in the Ultrabook market. We felt that as a global brand, TR: It can’t be a quick sale. segment, where we have a great line-up dynabook made sense for the new entity. NO: No, it is classical solutions selling – today, which we will enhance in the coming It clearly differentiates us from the Toshiba introducing proof of concept, selling the months, and in 2-in-1 devices. We are of old and gives us a start-up feel in the concept to the management team, waiting exploring how we can benefit from the sense of being a new business with new for them to get their budget and then economies of scale that Foxconn brings aspirations – albeit a start-up with 30 rolling it out. That’s quite different to the us; how we can develop the Ultrabook years of heritage behind it. normal notebook selling cycle. line-up and build on the great products we have today; and how we flesh out our TR: What does Sharp’s ownership mean TR: Have you had to take on a different portfolio so that we can compete price for the company? type of channel partner to develop the performance-wise at different points NO: Foxconn is a large conglomerate – a market? of the market i.e. high-end Ultrabooks, $150 billion enterprise that owns Sharp and NO: Some existing channel partners mid-range devices and low-end devices, other technology assets, such as Belkin. We are making that bridge, but we are also where historically we used to sell a lot into sit within the Sharp umbrella, but clearly looking at different routes to market. A schools and education. Our first port of have our own identity, as opposed to being lot of the systems integrators are heavily call is to open up our range, plug the gaps a sub-brand of Sharp. Our plan is to take involved in the IoT market, with embryonic we’ve got and drive the business forward the best of the technologies that Sharp has evangelisation and early adoption. So, there that way. been developing, particularly around visual are opportunities for new channel partners displays, and to utilise the economies of to come into the mix. TR: Where do you have gaps that need scale the Foxconn group offers us to really filling? push forward the dynabook brand and the TR: Are you making use of Sharp’s dealer NO: Perhaps gaps is the wrong word. What dynabook business across the globe. network as another route to market? we are trying to do is flesh out the high-

38 01732 759725 Mobile Computing

end range, where we have 13-inch devices, 14-inch devices and 2-in-1 devices. It would make sense to bring a thin, light, high-end 15-inch device to market. We are also looking at where we can make a clear technology leadership move in the whole thin and light segment. In Japan, we have launched a very thin and light, sub- 800g, 13-inch device. For us to have an ultra-light device like that would be a good technology leadership statement. Then, it is how we address the trend in mid-range devices for USB-C and that type of input. Those are the areas we are looking to cover.

TR: Is there much regional variation in the types of products you have available? NO: There are some regional nuances. TR: You mentioned doing more with 5G, available to us in this big new group we In Japan, the market doesn’t buy a lot of do you see that as giving your business are part of, particularly in the second 14-inch devices, but in the UK and Europe a big boost? half of our financial year, which starts 14-inches is probably now the biggest NO: From a mobility perspective, 4G/5G in October, when we should have some segment. It makes sense to take what they today and 5G going forward will give very interesting launches and technology have in Japan and see what we also need a boost to mobility over the coming statements. from a European and global perspective. months, as 5G becomes normalised in the www.dynabook.co.uk What our new ownership gives us is the marketplace. ability to bring products and devices to market a lot quicker, in terms of the TR: Are Sharp and Foxconn involved in The newly launched Portégé X30-F, Tecra development cycle and production cycle. foldable screens? X40-F and A30-E are the first laptops to be NO: Sharp is one of the market leaders in dynabook-branded in Europe. Although the TR: What are some of the challenges panel displays, in terms of their technology dynabook brand is new in Europe, it is well your resellers face at the moment? and their R&D, and it wouldn’t be far established in Japan. Toshiba launched the NO: To work out how to benefit from the removed from the truth to say that they world’s first laptop computer in 1985 (the cloud. How do you move from a traditional have invested in foldable screen technology T1100) and the first notebook computer – managed service model to a cloud service and that that will play a part as we move the DynaBook J-3100 SS001 – in 1989. model where customers want that type forward. It’s still early days, but the ability of experience? Also, as big cloud players to make devices smaller by having a folding come into the marketplace, like Amazon, screen is obviously something that will partners are looking to diversify, for emerge in the fullness of time. example into the IoT marketplace. Over time, partners have learnt how to adapt TR: What other developments from their models; smaller ones probably adapt dynabook should we be keeping our a lot quicker and the larger ones probably eyes peeled for? consolidate more. For us, the channel NO: We want to be seen as a leading is constant, in the sense that it remains brand that brings new technology our core route to market, but for channel evolution to the marketplace, so partners it is always evolving, always keep your eyes open for how we changing. enlarge our product offering by utilising the opportunities that are TR: What do your partners ask you, as a vendor, to do or to provide them with? NO: They want us to provide them with the best, most competitive range and they want us to bring new segments to market that they can get behind, like Edge Computing. It’s important for all vendors constantly to refresh what they offer and how they bring products to market. We are no different.

technologyreseller.co.uk 39 View from the channel View from the Channel With James Doggart, CEO of Cloud Technology Solutions

Technology Reseller (TR): clients. It’s an ethos that runs right through How’s business; better or worse than the business – a culture of learning and 12 months ago? How confident are you development is key to what we do. In terms about the future? of our client offering, adapting to provide James Doggart (JD): Better. The market is real expertise in the field of data science moving quickly and we are confident about and machine learning is one of the ways current and future opportunities. There we have been proactive in seizing new are two particular trends that are really opportunities. driving growth for us. Firstly, the end-user market is shifting further towards the TR: What do you see as the biggest cloud. When it comes to cloud adoption, challenges facing channel businesses the question now is how and when, rather today? than if. The second development is that JD: From a cloud perspective, adding Google has invested heavily in cloud value to customers is one of the and has cemented its position as one biggest challenges. Building long-term of the industry’s largest players, which is relationships with clients is key to this. providing us with new opportunities. TR: Could vendors and distributors do TR: In what areas are you experiencing more to help you overcome key business the most demand right now? challenges and, if so, what? JD: We are seeing rising demand across all JD: While vendors may have the big-name areas of our business. In part, that is being brand, it is businesses operating in the driven by our position as an independent channel that have the relationship with Cloud Technology Solutions (CTS) is software vendor operating across 89 clients. Often, it is those operating in the the largest dedicated Google Cloud countries, which allows us to spot macro channel that best understand clients practice in Europe and one of the world’s trends early and capitalise on them. and their needs. More vendors than ever leading cloud transformation experts. We’re also spotting new growth understand this, but there’s always room Headquartered in Manchester and with opportunities for machine learning for more partnership-working such as we offices in London, Edinburgh, Maarssen expertise, which our acquisition of have with Google. and Frankfurt, it provides a full-stack data science expert Qlouder last year Google Cloud solution to organisations has helped us meet. Increasingly, our TR: Are customers becoming more in the finance, retail, hospitality, customers want to know how machine demanding? And, if so, in what ways? research, education and Government learning can help them exploit their data JD: Yes, and rightly so. We are operating sectors, encompassing cloud migration, and drive unique business insights. in two disruptive areas; public cloud and transformative working, IT infrastructure, machine learning. Machine learning, machine learning, data science and app TR: Where is business proving most in particular, has the potential to development. Its CloudManager and difficult? revolutionise how services are delivered CloudMigrator products have migrated JD: There are a few economic headwinds to customers, so the demands on us are more than nine million users and 33,000 that the market is having to contend with. higher. From a cloud perspective, we have domains to the cloud and are used by Brexit uncertainty and talk of a recession automated one of our migration services more than 3,000 organisations in 83 have the potential to delay decision-making in response to the market become countries. Clients include Netflix, Spotify, for businesses. That means we need to increasingly demanding. Completely Homeserve, Manchester City Council, articulate how valuable our expertise and revolutionising one of our own services has Roadchef and the RSPCA. Following services are and why they should be a allowed us to offer an improved service to a record year for customer wins, the priority for businesses rather than a nice- a higher number of clients. launch of new software solutions under to-have. The fact that we enable our clients the rebranded CloudM product suite to save money helps with this. TR: If you could change one aspect of and a merger with Netherlands-based your job what would it be and why? machine learning experts Qlouder, TR: How have you changed/are you JD: That’s a tough question, especially Technology Reseller asked CEO James changing the way you operate to exploit since my job continually changes thanks Doggart for his ‘View from the Channel’. new opportunities? to the growth we’re experiencing. If the JD: As a business, we pride ourselves on number of meetings I find myself in were our agility. That means we’re constantly cut down, I wouldn’t complain! learning and changing to ensure we provide the best possible offer to our www.cloudsolutions.co.uk

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technologyreseller.co.uk 41

CHANNEL LIVE SINGLE INSERT.indd 1 11/06/2019 16:17 60 SECONDS

60 seconds... with Wilfred Wood, MD at Clackstone Ltd., UK distributor of Epygi UC solutions

Where do you see the next big Describe your most embarrassing moment. opportunity? People who know me know I have a very We should stop talking to clients about bad memory for names, which can get me on-premise, hosted, cloud, hybrid cloud, into embarrassing situations. This is not ISDN, SIP etc. and remember that our job the worst example, but it demonstrates is to connect businesses to their customers how bad the problem is. In the early ‘80s, and to deliver the optimum solution for I walked into a waiting room where about each client’s needs. It is for us, not them, six people were sitting, and asked which of to know the intricacies of how this is done. them was Stephen Fry! Only after he stood Connectivity will become the basis of our up did I connect the name with the person industry, with everything else just a service I had seen so many times on TV. on top. So, the next big opportunity is to www.clackstone.uk build a set of stable foundations on which to build your skyscraper. What was your first job? What’s currently having the greatest What would make your day job easier? Between school and further education impact on your business? Two pieces of advice spring to mind: I worked at Ordnance Survey, updating Right now, changes in the way products are 1 Sell what you have got, not what you maps of southern Birmingham. Quite a consumed, the network infrastructure and haven’t got; and different industry to the one I ended up business organisation. Being agile enough 2 If the deal doesn’t make business sense, in, but with certain parallels – working to embrace these trends whilst keeping don’t do it. with microwaves, lasers, satellites; doing your feet firmly on the ground is key. Having complex calculations; planning – all of experienced many changes myself, I know If you had had a crystal ball, would you which I would do again in my career in the key is to embrace the new, but also not have done anything differently? comms. to be afraid to let something go if it doesn’t This is the perpetual conundrum: I enjoy work for you. The big change everyone what I do, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing What would be your dream job? is talking about is, of course, the ISDN it; and if I had done things differently, I A job that allowed me to make a living, switch-off. Luckily for me, I have first-hand wouldn’t be doing what I enjoy. They say that working from my home office, with hours knowledge from other countries that have with hindsight you gain 20/20 vision; my to suit me…Oh wait, I have it already. gone through the same change, so am well 20/20 vision suggests I got it about right prepared to help businesses through this. first time round. Money’s not an issue, what’s your perfect car… and where would you drive it? I used to take a keen interest in cars but find today’s models lack the style and innovation of the classics of the late ‘60s and ‘70s. So, a Citroen DS or a Jag MKII, on winding roads in a rural backwater, taking life at a slower pace.

Fine dining and good wine, or curry and a pint? I think what’s most important is who you are eating with. My first requirement is friends and family, then the food must be good (and plentiful). I would prefer a good curry and several beers with close friends than fine dining in a room full of strangers. How do you like to spend your spare time? Two things consume all my spare time. The first is cycling, on my mountain bike or Favourite holiday destination? road bike – I enjoy both. The second is beekeeping. I am an active member of my Anywhere that’s not cold and snowy. local beekeeping association and the rewards are very sweet. I don’t do winter sports.

42 01732 759725 PEOPLE

promoted Mark Alexander from Chief Customer Officer and Arun Operating Officer and acting Chief Varma has joined as Chief Technology & Information Officer to Chief Marketing Officer. Ideagen People Executive Officer (CEO). As CEO, Alexander, CEO Ben Dorks said: “I who has been with Arkadin for more than am delighted to welcome Channel nine years, will be responsible for the both Paul and Arun to operational management of Arkadin and the Ideagen management New Sales Director for ptg for overseeing the strategic evolution of team in what the Board Paul Marshall Leeds-based pure technology group has Arkadin’s suite of cloud communication believes will be crucial moves for the promoted Scott Deacon to Sales Director solutions. www.arkadin.com business going forward. Customer success to help implement the company’s three- and general customer satisfaction will year plan to grow its customer base by New head of Yealink business unit be front and centre for Ideagen as we 30% and increase turnover from £30 Warren Bone has been appointed Head of continue our migration to a software-as-a- million to £50 million. One of his first the Yealink business unit as the company service (SaaS) business model.” Ideagen tasks will be to increase headcount in Scott Deacon, targets continued growth in sales of has enjoyed 10 years of growth, supplying pure technology the sales department from 21 to 30. deskphones and audio and video-based software and services group Previously Sales Team Manager, Deacon collaboration solutions. Bone joins Yealink to more than 5,000 has been with the company since 2007, from Panasonic, where for nine years he organisations operating in when he and three others set up the was Distribution Sales Manager for the highly regulated industries business with ptg CEO Stephen O’Brien. UK and Ireland. In his new role, he aims such as aviation, He said: “I’ve been with the company to strengthen Yealink’s relationships with banking and finance, life since its infancy, so seeing it grow to the distributors and resellers. He said: “The sciences, healthcare and multi-million-pound business it is today – Yealink brand has gained massive global manufacturing. Arun Varma and knowing I’ve been a part of that – is traction. With a broad, high-quality, yet cost- extremely rewarding. As well as growing our effective product portfolio, as well as fast New UK Sales Manager for Opengear Warren Bone, existing customer base organically, I’ll be and effective technical support, Yealink has Opengear is hoping to drive further growth Yealink developing a new business drive to add successfully established itself among the in EMEA with the appointment of Alan 270 new customers to our books.” leading brands in the global IP endpoint Kinsey as Regional Sales Manager for the market and is well positioned to leverage its UK and Ireland. The network resilience Vendors strength for continued success.” specialist is already on target to achieve double-digit year-on-year revenue growth Datto targets EMEA growth ECi aligns European and global in EMEA, after significant investment in Datto, a provider of IT solutions delivered operations its European operations. This includes the by managed service providers, has made a ECi Software Solutions is aligning its recruitment of a Paris-based Southern number of new appointments to drive further European and global operations by making Europe Regional Sales Manager, Sales growth, including a new Managing Director the existing President of U.S Distribution Engineer and Inside Sales Executive. for EMEA (Mark Simon), a new Chief Sales and Net1 Divisions, Brian Bowerfind, Kinsey joins Opengear from Riverbed Officer (Sanjay Singh) and, in late 2018, head of its European Wholesale/Retail Technology, where he was a regional Distribution Division. Bowerfind said: “We’re territory sales manager responsible for a new Customer Experience Officer (Chris Mark Simon, making a significant investment in Europe, managing Xirrus Wireless-related sales McCloskey). As MD of EMEA, Mark Simon Datto will be responsible for Datto’s growing which is strategically important to ECi’s across EMEA. presence in the region, where it has added global business. Our mission is to provide www.opengear.com more than 1,600 MSP partners in the last the technology that small and medium 15 months. In total, Datto serves more than businesses need to grow and I’m looking Promotion for Zoghlami 500,000 SMBs through partnerships with forward to getting to know our customers in Enterprise cloud computing company more than 15,000 MSPs in 130 countries. Europe and understanding how I can build Nutanix has promoted on the excellent work of the European team Sammy Zoghlami to Jabra strengthens software sales team to date.” ECi’s products for the distribution Senior Vice President sector cover business management, of Sales in EMEA. He Headset and conferencing supplier Jabra Brian Bowerfind, business intelligence, e-commerce and was previously Sales has appointed Lee Davis as Software ECI Software Sales Manager with responsibility for EMEA Solutions proof of delivery solutions, including ECi Lead for the company’s North. Since the start of the year, Jabra has Horizon, ECi Progress, ECi Acsellerate, operations in Southern Sammy Zoghlami been seeking to improve the range and EasyOrder and JumpTrack. Europe, having joined quality of services it provides to end-users www.ECiSolutions.com Nutanix as country manager for France by developing partnerships with software in 2013. In his new role, Zoghlami will providers. Davis has worked at Jabra Ideagen strengthens management team be responsible for sales and customer since December 2010, most recently as Just weeks after the announcement support, strategic business development, Enterprise Account Manager. Previously, he of a major growth strategy and the channel relationships and management enjoyed spells at Samsung and Toshiba. establishment of four Centres of Excellence of Nutanix offices and operational www.jabra.com in the UK, North Carolina and Kuala teams in 31 territories across the region. Lee Davis, Jabra Lumpur, Nottingham-based global software Before joining Nutanix, Zoghlami held Arkadin recruits from within firm Ideagen has made two additions to business development roles at Cisco and NTT company Arkadin, a global provider its C-Suite team. Paul Marshall, previously Computacenter in the UK and France. of cloud communication services, has Sales Director, has been made Chief www.nutanix.com

technologyreseller.co.uk 43 Article TiTLE

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