PCR August 2009 by Biz Media Ltd

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This Month SIGNS OF RECOVERY? We talk to the channel about economic green-shoots p14

AUGUST 2009 ISSUE 71

HARDWARE · SOFTWARE · CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ISSUE 71 AUGUST 2009

COMMENT Issue 71 August 2009 Incorporating

“As wrong as the behaviour was, it would be erroneous to draw wider conclusions” ONE BAD APPLE PCR CONTACTS Editor

Andrew Wooden andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk Deputy Editor

Ben Furfie ben.furfie@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer

Matt Grainger matt.grainger@intentmedia.co.uk Editorial Production Manager

Helen French helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk Managing Editor

Lisa Foster lisa.foster@intentmedia.co.uk Executive Advertising Manager

Katie Rawlings katie.rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk Advertising Executive

Carly Bailey carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk Production Executive

Abigail Fanger abigail.fanger@intentmedia.co.uk Designer

Kelly Styles kelly.styles@intentmedia.co.uk Publisher

Stuart Dinsey stuart.dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 www.pcr-online.biz

PCR - Total average monthly net circulation for January 1st to December 31st 2008: 12,766.

THE mainstream press enjoys a good villain – a reprehensible target posing an uncomplicated but potent threat. Preferably this will be something inherently new, which lends itself nicely to a subtle hint that basically, modern society is going to pot. The internet often comes under attack from tabloid zealots, blaming it for all manor of abhorrent behaviour, from terrorism to paedophilia. Attacking the internet as an entity in this sense makes about as much sense as citing an inflammatory propaganda pamphlet as evidence against the use of paper. Video games are also regularly in the spotlight for perceived links between violent titles and real life crimes. Late last month the wolves came a bit closer to home, when Sky News broadcast an exposé on PC repair shops, secretly filming one store in particular stealing bank information and personal photos. The story spread like wildfire across news networks, with coverage of the report reaching as far afield as Fox News in the US. Headlines like 'Exposed: Repair Shops Hack Your Laptops' give a fairly good indication of the tone of most of them. For a moment, it looked as though it was going to explode. It had all the ingredients for a really damaging tabloid campaign, which could easily have been picked up by one of the more reactionary papers. As wrong as the behaviour exhibited in the report was, it would be erroneous to draw wider conclusions. If there's one thing the retail sector doesn't need right now, it’s a public whipped into a frenzy against it. However media campaigns have been built on less. But it didn't happen. One possible reason for this was the quick reaction by a coherent representative mouthpiece – in this case the former PCA. By going on television to respond – insisting that this was an isolated incident and that PC shops aren’t full of crooks – the trade body probably did much to curb further, potentially destructive uproar. This highlights the importance of proper industry representation – which looks to be getting a lot more cohesive with the formation of the TCA, and its aim to work closer with other bodies (see page 10). Most people would agree this can only be a good thing.

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations PCR is published 12 times a year by Intent Media - Saxon House, 6a St.Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648. © Intent Media 2007 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Pensord. SUBSCRIPTIONS UK £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90. The international cost applies per subscription and covers airmail dispatch of 12 issues. To order your subscription via Visa, MasterCard, Amex Switch or Delta contact: pcr.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848. Alternatively visit our website www.pcr-online.biz Subscriptions Manager: Hannah Short, Hannah.Short@intentmedia.co.uk

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PCR Contents

ISSUE 71 AUGUST 2009

SIGNS OF RECOVERY With a growing number of analysts tentatively pointing out signs of growth, Andrew Wooden talks to retailers, vendors and distributors to find the truth

News 7-12

Facts and Figures

Appointments 12

Hardware Charts GfK Analysis

Brigantia 82

51 54

Head of the Brigantia trade organisation Iain Shaw talks about EU trade directives and the retailers obligations to warranties

ASUS’ PLANS PCR talks to Asus’ Iain Bristow about the company’s recent product launches and future plans

PCA 84 Keith Warburton, CEO of the Professional Computer Association discusses the merger with the MTA and what it means

Mac Association 85 Robert Peckham, executive director of the MTA reports the history of his organisation and its merger with the PCA

ITACS/NASCR 86 The two trade bodies highlight retailing in a recession, plus software piracy

PRODUCT FOCUS An analysis of some of the products available from Enta’s broad portfolio

4 PCR August

Games 68 Our regular look at the most anticipated games coming out over the next month, including Batman: Arkham Asylum, the new Wolfenstein title and Dawn of Magic 2...

“The plan is to offer every possibility, for everybody, in every walk of life. That’s part of becoming a whole solutions provider” Iain Bristow, Asus www.pcr-online.biz

WINDOWS 7 With the launch of the new operating system rapidly approaching, we talk to industry figures about their plans for what could be this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest release

Mystery Shopper

Back To School Hardware

MARKETPLACE

This month, our Mystery Shopper takes to the streets of Coventry to see what the upgrade options are and where is best to buy a GPU

With the back to school period approaching, Ben Furfie offers a round-up of some of the hardware products available on the market today

43 58

Mobile Processors Smaller, low power processors have taken the market by storm. Andrew Wooden takes a look at the reasons for their popularity

Back to School Software With educational software sales remaining strong despite the recession, Matt Grainger takes a look at this evergreen market

Orange PCR talks to Orangeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business manager for indirect channels Mark Simm about how IT retailers can move in to the mobile trade

EDIMAX Company Profile

After two decades of behind the scenes operation, Edimax is looking to break in to the mainstream. UK managing director Kenneth Teh talks to PCR about the company, its products and its plans for becoming a Tier One vendor

AVNET/AMD COMPETITION 40 The 45nm Phenom II X4 955 has impressed reviewers with its low energy consumption and competitive processing power. This month, Avnet and AMD offer the chance to win one of these popular, high performance devices

The number one independent memory manufacturer www.kingston.com/europe * iSuppli Corporation (2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007)

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August PCR 5

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NEWS

Rogue trader exposé prompts possible trade body reforms Industry bodies look to tighter checks and greater cohesion after Sky News report reveals foul play

‘Cowboy’ PC dealers were highlighted by a Sky News report (insert) last month

By Andrew Wooden

REPRESENTATIVE bodies in the UK IT channel could be looking to change the way they operate and regulate members, following the uproar created by a Sky News report exposing fraudulent activities by computer repair shops in the London area. The report – which secretly filmed a number of PC retailers charging for unnecessary repair work and accessing

private information and bank details – prompted strong debate both within and outside of the channel. Keith Warburton, CEO of the Technology Channel Association – the trade body which counted the worst offending retailer as a member – told PCR it was looking for ways to combat rogue traders, but that new measures wouldn’t come for free. “We are strengthening the Code, but the only way to drum out the rogues is to check

out every trader who wants to be part of a trade association; that takes time, which means it costs money, which the resellers would have to pay. If we had to levy, for example, £50 extra every couple of years for a physical inspection they wouldn’t be too chuffed. Or perhaps they would?” John Carter, MD of Fix It local – a national network of PC repair businesses acting cooperatively – called for heavier punitive measures

within the industry for members flouting the law. “My personal belief is that we should create an environment where companies commit to the same levels that accountants and solicitors have to in terms of money laundering. If we can achieve this the rogues would not only be exposed but go to prison for their misdemeanors.” Meanwhile, buying group Brigantia asserted a greater degree of cross-body collaboration is required: “This issue is why we introduced the Brigantia Computer Experts accreditation scheme nationally and why we are committed to further developing it. We fully support the work of ITACS and NASCR within our channel already and look forward to developing a relationship with the TCA as things develop.” NASCR also expressed its shock at the report, but insisted this is not a problem indicative to independent retailers, highlighting PC World’s presence in the report. A spokesperson for DSGi declined to comment directly on the report, but stated: “We never access personal data on laptops, personal computers or mobile phones that we repair.”

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Carphone Warehouse retail expansion rolls on TECHNOLOGY retailer The Carphone Warehouse is to open five to ten more stores in the UK over the next two months. The new sites are part of the retailer’s PC and related technology focussed stores, internally called ‘Wireless World,’ which began opening last September. The new format stores are larger, and mainly stock laptops, netbooks, gaming devices, mobile broadband and smart phones.

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The retailer plans to have 44 stores in total trading by April 2010 “This is a really exciting time for us at The Carphone Warehouse, as we move forward with our vision of a Wireless World,” Andrew Harrison, chief executive of The Carphone Warehouse and The Phone House told PCR. “We will open a further 40 new format stores by April 2010, which will showcase the best in wireless technology. The retail environment is

undeniably tough out there but we are well positioned to help customers get the best out of this vision, given our great legacy of making complicated kit easy for customers to understand and get the best out of.” The news comes alongside the appointment of as Scott Wheway as CEO of Best Buy Europe, The Carphone Warehouse’s sister firm, as it prepares for the UK rollout of its bigbox megastores early next year.

August PCR 7

NEWS

Viewsonic prepares retail drive Monitor and projector manufacturer diversifies into PCs and media players Readies big fourth quarter retail push for Christmas Claims smaller size will give it an edge in the race to market By Andrew Wooden

VIEWSONIC is preparing a large-scale invasion of UK retail this Christmas with new lines of PCs and media players, having announced its dramatic diversification programme late last month. The vendor has built its business on producing monitors and projectors, and is utilising this knowledge base in the expansion, launching netbooks, all-in-one PCs, all-in-one TVs, visual media players, mini PCs and portable players, all with a ‘visual centric’ design. The move puts it in direct competition with the likes of Asus and Acer in the netbook

space, and many more technology giants besides. However, Viewsonic believes its particular angle and brand leverage will ensure a big splash at retail this Christmas “We’re diversifying using our expertise, our research and development, our background with the factory suppliers and the people that we know in Asia, to bring new visual display-centric products,” said Ricky Kumar, retail AV manager at Viewsonic. “The majority of the products will be coming in Q3, and certainly the Q4 timeframe for the Christmas peak period. It’s a big move as we’ll be in competition with the likes of Asus and Acer on

“We work with a leaner and smaller structure than other companies, so we’ll be able to bring products to market much faster”

the netbook side. What we’ll be doing is leveraging the strong presence our brand has in the UK space.” After the initial Christmas burst, the firm believes its smaller size will be an asset in the long term when competing with more established hardware vendors, as this will allow it to respond to market trends quicker. “What we are good at is being fast to market,” added Kumar. “We work

with a leaner and smaller structure than other companies as well, so we’ll be able to bring products to market much faster than other vendors.”

Ricky Kumar, Viewsonic

Channel to follow car industry model SENIOR UK executives at Packard Bell and HP have claimed that the industry is likely to see a wave of consolidation amongst brands – which could leave it resembling the car industry. Packard Bell UK country manager Sylvain Braeme and HP’s consumer business development manager Ben Perrin told PCR that current trends suggest that in the near future the channel could be focused on a handful of vendors with numerous brands under their umbrella. Braeme highlighted Packard Bell’s parent company Acer, which also owns eMachines and Gateway, as a prime example of the shift. “You simply can’t target the whole market with a single brand. You have to compromise and that leaves you at a

8 PCR August

disadvantage to a focused rival. The only way for a single company to cater for the whole market is to maintain separate brands that target different customer bases. You can see the same segmentation in the car industry for that exact reason.” Perrin used the example of Compaq to demonstrate how HP is beginning to split its markets based on consumer brand. “HP stands for the rich, premium experience, while Compaq is about just getting stuff done in a fast reliable way,” he added. He dismissed concerns that customers might opt for the cheaper brand knowing that it is the same as a higher-tier brand. “Only people in the industry really know that the HP and Compaq brands are linked – the man in the street

doesn’t always associate Toyota with Lexus for example, despite the fact that they are the same company.” However, neither believes that new brands will emerge as a result of segmentation by vendors. “We may see some old names re-emerge from the channel’s past, but I don’t see any new ones appearing,” said Perrin. “If you look at netbooks, there has been a raft of non-traditional companies launching devices, but the top three in the market are familiar, established names.” “It may mean increased levels of consolidation, especially as more vendors follow Acer’s lead,” added Braeme. “There is definitely a market for the various segmentations of the Acer Group, as there is for the Fiat, Volvo, Toyota and so on.”

www.pcr-online.biz

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NEWS

TCA reaches out to wider tech industry Newly formed trade body looks to forge new alliances with channel players Brigantia is ‘open minded’ about closer relations after fresh start By Andrew Wooden

THE TECHNOLOGY Channels Association – the new trade body formed out of the merger of the former PCA and the MTA – is eager to forge alliances with organisations in other sectors, as it looks to provide a more holistic representative force for the technology industry. The newly formed body is reaching out to the telecoms and internet sectors as part of this push, after announcing it would welcome discussions with smaller organisations in the PC sector “that feel they might benefit by being part of a more powerful group”.

“The TCA is engaging with other not-for-profit trade organisations, as we all have the common goal of making the channel a respectable place to do business” Robert French, Chairman, TCA “The TCA is engaging with other not-for-profit trade organisations, as we all have the common goal of making the channel a respectable place to do business,” said chairman Robert French. “We are speaking to vendors, distributors and buying groups from all sectors of technology channels to build more informed networking activity. The results of this will be shown at the

regional meetings across the UK planned for October 2009.” The TCA didn’t comment on how it saw relationships progressing with specific semi-rival groups in the PC channel (such as ITACS and NASCR), but founder of buying group Brigantia Iain Shaw said: “If the decks have been cleared and this is a genuine new start, then it will have my support.”

Left to right: Robert French, Robert Peckham and Keith Warburton

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Exspect’s sales skyrocket by almost 300% SALES FOR peripheral and accessory vendor Exspect shot up 296 per cent in the early part of this year, as the firm continues to expand its workforce in the new Stoke-on-Trent offices. The firm has taken on 14 new product development, sales and marketing staff in the last 12 months, and in that period has also acquired a new Hong Kong office and begun selling into the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Exspect attributes much of the exponential sales jump to the iPod sector. “Our iPod business is considerably up. That played a significant part in it,” said commercial director Neil Meredith (pictured). “For nine months out of 12 last year, we were the number one iPod accessory brand according to ChartTrack. It’s also a combination of listening to customers and developing good products and services.” The company is now gearing up for the September launch of its new website,

10 PCR August

and over the next year plans to boost customer service and secure recent gains. “There are a lot of initiatives centred around the website,” added Meredith. “I’d be foolish to say we’ll have 296 per

“Our iPod business is considerably up. Our success is also a combination of listening to customers and developing good products and services” Neil Meredith, Exspect cent growth again, so the next stage is consolidating the new accounts, and the business we’ve picked up in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “We plan to continue servicing the needs of UK customers to the standards they’ve been used to, and to become a bit more customer friendly in terms of our support online.”

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NEWS

NewsBytes INSTITUTE AIMS TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS Sony, Samsung Design Europe and the British Film Institute are joining forces with Kingston University to create Digital Media Kingston, a digital skills Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree course that aims to break down the barrier between the arts and sciences. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to move away from the idea that arts people are â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;creativesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and scientists are â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;techiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,â&#x20AC;? said DMKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development coordinator, Karen Cham. HP, SONY AND TOSHIBA ARE STRONGEST BRANDS Product datasheet publisher ICEcat has stated that HP, Sony and Toshiba are the most popular brands, when measured by datasheet downloads. HP took a strong lead, accounting for 27.19 per cent, while Toshiba and Sony followed with 2.82 per cent and 2.78 per cent brand share respectively.

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FUTURE has rebranded its official Vista magazine to reflect the growing range of markets that the brand covers, with a full redesign planned for the November issue. From this month, it will be called Windows: The Official Magazine and continues to focus on Vista, but it will also expand its remit to include Windows 7, as well as Windows XP, Windows Live and Windows Mobile. The publisher of Windows: The Official Magazine, Charlotte Morgan,

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said that the decision to change the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name had been taken in conjunction with Microsoft. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new name not only allows us to cover the new operating system, but also includes the growing areas of Windows Live and Windows Mobile. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Futureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research suggests that many households now have two or three PCs, many running different operating systems. The title change allows us to clearly cover the three latest versions of Windows â&#x20AC;&#x201C; XP, Vista and Windows 7.â&#x20AC;?

CODEWORK ADDS SYMANTEC PORTFOLIO Codework has signed a deal that will see it distribute Symantec security products in addition to its PC MARKET SAVED BY NETBOOKS Shipments for the PC market declined by 9.8 per cent in the last quarter, according to research from IDC. However, further falls were largely staved off by the buoyancy of the netbook segment, which saw growth of 32.9 per cent in Western Europe.

Altiris portfolio. The move comes after it was announced that the two security firms are to merge, following Altirisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; acquisition by Symantec in 2007. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Codework has delivered impressive results since it became a Symantec distributor following the Altiris acquisition,â&#x20AC;? said Symantec spokesperson Helen Wood. CYBER-CRIME WORTH MILLIONS Kaspersky Labs has published a report claiming that internet crime generated over $750 million of revenue last year. According to its analyst Yury Namestnikov, botnets can be used for a multitude of criminal activities including DDoS attacks, spamming, phishing and information theft. WD UNVEILS 1TB MOBILE HARD DRIVE The Scorpio Blue, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first 1TB 2.5-inch mobile hard drive has been shipped by WD. Available in a 750 GB version, the device offers low power consumption, cool operation, shock resistance and a transfer rate of three gigabits per second. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The convergence of the growing mobile computing and digital media trends produces demand for desktop-like capacities in portable devices,â&#x20AC;? commented WD senior vice president Jim Morris. APPLE TABLET SPOTTED According to eyewitness reports, Apple is currently in the process of manufacturing a tablet computer, featuring a ten-inch screen, and is racing to ship the device to retailers in time for Christmas. The touch-screen device will likely have programs and internet capabilities that will provide an experience comparable to laptop computing. And various reports claim Apple is ready to tie the tablet to digital movie downloads, e-books and music via iTunes. Speculation is also emerging that the tablet will be a destination for games, too.

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Hughes and Heale join Exspect Two new additions to the peripherals and accessories team Lowes to align vendor OKI’s marketing programme Zen continues staff expansion and signs Pennington EXSPECT EXSPECT has taken on KAREN HUGHES and MARK HEALE to boost its marketing and finance teams. Hughes joins the company with 21 years of experience in the marketing arena, having worked at US Gold and ISM, while her most recent stint was at field marketers Channel Advantage. Heale joins Exspect from Empire Interactive, where he spent the last two

years as national account manager for UK retail. He has previously worked with Sega and spent eight years in the DVD industry. “As an ongoing commitment to developing our overall pool of talented people, being able to bring Karen and Mark in is great news for all our customers,” commented Exspect’s commercial director Neil Meredith.

OKI The printing firm has appointed GRAHAM LOWES as UK marketing director. He will focus on bringing OKI’S product marketing and marketing communications departments together. “I am confident that Graham’s wealth of industry experience and his expertise in marketing printing solutions will help us to build further on our recent momentum and drive competitive edge,” said OKI’s UK managing director Phil Scrase.

ZEN ZEN INTERNET has appointed MICHAEL PENNINGTON as its new Voice Product manager. He brings over 20 years of experience to the company, having brought Azzurri Broadband to market and has worked with Kingston Communications and Nexus Telecoms. “I am delighted to be working with an organisation that is so highly regarded as a provider of premier broadband services and whom is increasingly being recognised as a key provider of managed IP networking solutions,’ said Pennington.

SNOM SNOM TECHNOLOGY, developer and manufacturer of VoIP phones has appointed NELLY MONKHOUSE as UK sales manager. She will serve as the point of contact for Snom’s distributors. Prior to joining Snom, Monkhouse was partner development manager at telephone software vendor Camrivox. “Nelly’s extensive experience in IT and telephony sales make her a valuable addition to our team,” said Snom’s VP of worldwide sales Oliver Wittig. “Her knowledge of the ISP and carrier market will be very important to our UK growth.”

AVERMEDIA ROB LIVINGS has signed up with digital media specialist AVERMEDIA, where he will assist in the development of its national retail and distribution business in line with the company’s expansion plans.

12 PCR August

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APPOINTMENTS

Product Manager (Full-time) Area: Stoke-on-Trent. Salary: £Competitive – (Subject to suitability) An excellent opportunity to join a rapidly expanding business dedicated to developing a comprehensive range of high-quality design-led accessories in a number of technology fields. As a Product Manager you will be responsible for new product introductions to this fast-paced business. You will be part of a skilled development team based in Stoke on Trent working closely with our Hong Kong office, identifying new product opportunities for the company's product portfolio. We are looking for a team player with a flare for design and an eye for detail. Hitting deadlines is a pre requisite, whilst having an understanding and experience of everything within the gadget world. You will be able to multi-task and remain calm under pressure. Your daily responsibilities will be: UÊ "LÃiÀÛ }ÊÌ iÊ >À iÌÊ> `ÊV «iÌ Ì Ê UÊ > >} }ÊiÝ ÃÌ }Ê Vi ÃiÃÊ> `Ê Vi Ã }Ê «« ÀÌÕ Ì iÃ UÊ 7 À }ÊÜ Ì ÊÌ iÊìÃ } ÊÌi> ]Ê> `ÊV i>}ÕiÃÊ Ê }Ê }Ê Ê iÜÊ> `ÊÊ existing product development UÊ >ÀÀÞ }Ê ÕÌÊ ÌiÀ > Ê«ÀiÃi Ì>Ì ÃÊÀi >Ì }ÊÌ Ê iÜÊ«À `ÕVÌÃ UÊ /À> }ÉÕ«`>Ì }ÊiÝ ÃÌ }ÊÃÌ>vvÊ Ê iÜÊ«À `ÕVÌÃÊ> `Ê«À `ÕVÌÊìÛi « i ÌÊ UÊ ÃiÊ > Ã ÊÜ Ì Ê >À iÌ }]Ê/iV V> Ê-Õ«« ÀÌÊ> `Ê-> iÃÊÌi> ÃÊ} L> ÞÊ ÊÊ the identification and assessment of new product opportunities UÊ *Ài«>À>Ì Ê vÊÀi« ÀÌÃÊÀi >Ì }ÊÌ Ê«À `ÕVÌÊìÛi « i Ì]Êv ÀÊ > >}i i Ì review meetings UÊ ÃÃ ÃÌ }ÊÜ Ì Ê> Êi µÕ À iÃÊvÀ Ê ÌiÀ > Êì«>ÀÌ i ÌÃÊÀi >Ì }ÊÌ ÊÌ iÊÊ Ê Ê «À }ÀiÃÃÉ >Õ V Ê vÊ iÜÊ«À `ÕVÌÃÊ ÊìÛi « i Ì This is a fantastic opportunity to progress within a challenging and stimulating environment. If you are interested in this role please submit your CV to anned@gem.co.uk

PROMOTE YOUR JOB TO OVER 70,000 PEOPLE PER MONTH

PCR print and online offer: Quarter page recruitment advert Exclusive Careers Spotlight on PCR-online.biz Promoted via email newsflashes

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ANALYSIS THE ECONOMY

Signs of Recovery? After a year and a half of gloomy news reports, a growing number of economic analysts are tentatively pointing to possible green shoots in the economy. Andrew Wooden asks whether there is any truth to this, and if there are signs of hope for the technology retail sector…

“Financial analysts appear on news programmes, presented as sorcerors who are able to translate the movements of the economy like runes in a book on demonology”

14 PCR August

THE PROBLEM with a 24-hour news culture is that there is a pressure on some media organisations to present new information at a rate that is sometimes faster than it actually unfolds. The economic recession has provided fodder for many a columninch and TV news segment, the latter of which usually gets to the nub of the matter using some kind of visual metaphor – often a crashing train set. The problem is, a deflating economy isn’t quite as tangible or easily dramatised as, say, the Waco standoff in Texas. The minute numerical changes of a market won’t be frontpage news, but the story is still high on the agenda. So overarching statements are made – a tangible narrative woven from the numerical matrix, which most of us don’t really understand. These large scale economic shifts are almost conceptual ideas, rather than actual, corporeal events, and are as such more difficult to pin down with any absolute certainty. Enter the financial analysts who appear on news programmes, presented as sorcerers who are able to translate the complex movements of a

free market capitalist economy like runes in a book on demonology. But there’s a problem – they don’t all agree. This puts Joe Public in a precarious position. While it’s one thing to trust an expert to understand the complexities of a deflating economy, it’s another to choose between two experts who disagree, especially when you consider that claims have ranged from ‘the economy will be fine by Christmas,’ to ‘the downturn will last another ten years’. Thankfully, there are increasing numbers of reports about ‘green shoots’ appearing in the economy. More and more experts appear to be agreeing that a small, tentative amount of optimism is not out of the question when it comes to the economy. While not quite a consensus, a growing number of voices are making much more positive noise than the doom and gloom reports we’ve had over the last year and a half. And this seems to be reflected by many who are tasked with keeping an eye on the UK’s technology retail sector as well. “It certainly appears that we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Activity on the run-up to the peak appears to be gathering some momentum, with manufacturers planning quite extensive brand or product pushes,” says Nigel Stone, CEO at Infinite Group. “Optimism seems higher than it was six months ago and I get the feeling that some previously planned launches or sales drives were put on hold, rather than shelved indefinitely. What remains to be seen is if the peak will be a ‘V’ (continuous improving sales) or a ‘W’ (a peak, then a decline before we see a recovery). In my opinion, this will depend on whether customers can be enticed with an enriched offering over the busiest trading period and then clear propositions demonstrating customer value through 2010.” In a wider sense, the last couple of months have actually seen growth across the retail sector, according to figures compiled by the British Retail Consortium. While the organisation holds this up as a positive sign, it warns against reading too much into it. Richard Dodd, head of media and campaigns at the British Retail Consortium, says: “The figures for

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June this year were reasonably good compared to last year, with growth overall of 3.2 per cent, which is the second highest growth we’ve seen this year. This shows there are signs that retailers are doing quite a bit better than they were. “Does that mean the recession is over or that we can be clear that we’re on the way to recovery? The answer to that is: not necessarily. The last two months have shown some good results compared to the dire results we’ve had over the last year and a half, but what we haven’t had yet is consistency.” So there are some positive signs for retailers at the moment, but that isn’t a conclusive indication that the hard times are over yet. It’s wise not to let out a breath of relief simply at the change in tone from commentators, but actual figures are genuinely positive. Let’s hope there’s more to come.

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ANALYSIS THE ECONOMY

OPINIONS The seismic disruption a recession brings affects different companies in different ways. While some struggle with reduced consumer confidence, others find gaps in the market in which to thrive…

DISTRIBUTOR PERSPECTIVE Michael Breeze, Marketing Director, Interactive Ideas I believe we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel – it just depends on the company and industry as to how long the tunnel is. At Interactive Ideas we have managed to post record company revenues in the past two years and there are a number of other companies also doing very well. The advantage the IT industry has had on the consumer side is that people still have money to spend, but they’re trying to be more prudent and changing habits slightly – maybe not going out as much – which then means they’re looking at other forms of entertainment such as gaming, photography, and video making. Jon Atherton, Commercial Group Vice President, Enta I believe we will see improvement during Q4. Green shoots are developing in terms of car sales, increased mortgage requests, and house prices are increasing. I also believe that IT is one of the last industries to be affected from a corporate perspective, as IT is now the centre for infrastructure and spend in most organisations.

RETAIL PERSPECTIVE CK, Owner, YoYoTech We have seen a polarisation of sales through the quiet period. On the one hand, high-end systems are selling well – and YOYOTech’s customers are loving all of our pre-overclocked designs like the Water Dragon and Fi7EPOWER ranges. On the other hand, small components like SD cards are also selling well – simply because we’re beating the pricing of High Street majors like Argos by as much as 50 per cent. The challenge seems to be in the middle ground. Mark Webb, DSGi Companies have to look at themselves and react effectively to the changing environment. The companies which will emerge stronger are those that have listened to their customers and adapted their business to focus on the customer.

VENDOR PERSPECTIVE Tony Riccardi, Sales and Marketing Director, Mesh With desktop sales up more than 50 per cent for July, the market is brilliant for Mesh and we’re loving it. There’s nothing like a powerful recession to prune out the weaker companies – leaving only the strongest in the market. Everyone suffered last year, there’s no way of getting away from that. However, our 22 years of experience as the UK’s number one award-winning system manufacturer stood Mesh in good stead.

Simon Geach, Consumer Sales Director, Kaspersky Businesses with solid foundations such as Kaspersky are in a position to support themselves better in times of hardship. Also, technology has become a more fundamental way of life and way of doing business than ever before. Therefore, people accept that having the right technology is now an essential part of everyday life and business.

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ANALYSIS WINDOWS 7

Opening Up Windows With less than three months to go until the release of Windows 7, the industry is preparing for what could be one of the biggest product launches of the year. Matt Grainger talks to some key figures from the Channel to find out what they’re doing and what they expect… WINDOWS 7 will be available for release at the end of October and has already received wide-ranging interest. The release candidate has been available for some time, which has allowed for public testing of the operating system on an unprecedented scale prior to its general availability. The vast majority of reports have been positive and with Microsoft making a point of communicating with users, a huge ongoing marketing drive and record sales during its preorder period, the likelihood is that the new system will be well received. Microsoft seems determined to avoid making the mistakes that somewhat blighted the launch of Vista, and has been working closely with its retail partners to make sure that they know the product and have the right

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marketing materials and web content. Many of its partners are able to offer free upgrade vouchers with sales of Windows Vista, while participating retailers were offering copies of Windows 7 at a discount price on preorder before selling out completely. “We have been preparing for the launch by selling the various Vista editions with an upgrade voucher to Windows 7,” states Enta’s commercial group vice president Jon Atherton. “As well as this we have also been talking to other vendors about bundling their products with Windows 7 on the October 22nd launch date.” “We’ve got plenty of the new Vista products that include a free upgrade voucher to Windows 7,” remarks VIP’s Microsoft product manager Mark Lynch. “We want to make sure that

our customers can keep on selling Vista until the arrival of Windows 7 – these new SKUs help eliminate uncertainty with users who may have considered delaying the purchase of a new notebook or PC until then.” “For now, the emphasis is most definitely on training,” adds VIP’s Microsoft product specialist Phil Bowery. “We have invested lots of time training not only our sales team but also our customers to make sure that we’re all ready for the launch.” Ingram Micro is also placing an emphasis on staff training. “Ingram Micro are working very closely with Microsoft to build the capability of our sales organisation around Windows 7, ensuring we have a sales force able to address our customers’ needs,” comments Ingram

“It’s being well received, and with the way that Vista was received you can already see that the new OS will definitely be bigger and better” Jon Atherton, Enta

>>> August PCR 17

ANALYSIS WINDOWS 7

Micro’s head of software and mobility, Apay Obang-Oyway. “In addition to this, we are also working closely with our customers on readiness activities within their own businesses to ensure they can identify and articulate the opportunities Windows 7 presents for their end customers.” Although some companies cannot be too forthcoming about their actual plans for the deployment of the new operating system, it is clear that it will be a major event for the industry. “Naturally I can’t disclose any specifics at this stage, however Windows 7 will be a major product launch for Gem and we will reinforce its release with a vast range of marketing support,” comments Gem’s head of marketing Neil Handa. “This will certainly include product information and awareness to the channel as well as innovative retail and point of sale marketing.” Much of the reason for the heightened activity around the launch lies in the fact that Microsoft appears to be more confident about Windows 7 than it has been with many other products in its portfolio recently. It has good reason to – when the operating system was made available for preorder at a discount rate, it sold out within a day, with some retail partners exhausting stocks within eight hours. “Windows 7 is in very high demand and we have already seen an increase in sales due to the voucher being sold with Vista,” says Atherton. “This is a positive step forward and will only get better when the official product is launched. It’s being well received, and with the way that Vista was received you can already see that the new OS will definitely be bigger and better.” “I anticipate Windows 7 to be popular and successful and I am sure the channel is looking forward to its release later this year,” predicts Handa. “We are planning for sustainable sales well into its launch as Microsoft targets both XP and Vista users. Having seen it in action, there is a lot to get excited about. The early opinions have been very favourable and the new benefits to users should ensure it’s well received.” Spire Technology’s Microsoft product manager Andrew Ward is also enthusiastic: “Windows 7 is going to be huge. Realistically, I think there are a lot of people on XP who will jump

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“This year’s Microsoft Partner Conference promoted a clear sense of optimism and general positivity towards Windows and Microsoft’s approach to negotiating through this current tough climate” Apay Obang-Oyway, Ingram Micro

Apay ObangOyway

Andrew Ward

Mark Lynch

Jon Atherton

Neil Handa

Mark Wilson

straight in to Windows 7. I have personally been using the release candidate for the last six weeks and I absolutely love it. It’s more efficient, it’s faster and it’s a lot more fluid than Vista ever was – and I’m a Vista fan.”

CCI Distribution’s commercial director Mark Wilson agrees about a potentially high conversion rate from XP users and looks forward to a key boost during the later half of this year: “Many end users are still using

Windows XP, as they were reluctant to jump to Vista after initial bad press following its launch. Therefore, the launch of Windows 7 during the preChristmas run should pick up many users who have been waiting to upgrade – and usually, with the purchase of a new system, comes the purchase of peripherals and other associated products. So, whilst sales in Q3 and Q4 have traditionally been higher than Q2, the launch of Windows 7 should boost the usual seasonality in the IT market.” Bowery forecasts a positive ripple effect for other sectors too: “I think we will see a massive difference with the take-up of Windows 7 compared to Vista. There were many people who were caught in a dilemma; they wanted something newer than XP but they weren’t keen on Vista. There has been so much positive press on Windows 7, even from Linux users who have been genuinely impressed by how responsive and easy to use it is. “One of the most notable things about Windows 7 is its resource usage, not just on desktop PCs but on netbooks – it makes them come alive. I’ve installed the release candidate on an EeePC and it worked brilliantly.” “For resellers, the release of new operating systems can be positive for sales of hardware too,” adds Lynch. “Typically, users see it as a good opportunity to update or even replace their PC. I see sales of netbooks in particular to benefit because the low resource usage of Windows 7 makes it extremely compatible with them. “This year’s Microsoft Partner Conference promoted a clear sense of optimism and general positivity towards Windows and Microsoft’s approach to negotiating through this current tough climate,” concludes Obang-Oyway. “The amount of positive press around the Beta release inside and outside the industry is evidence of the fact Windows 7 is already being well received. That the early adopters programme has been oversubscribed is yet further evidence that this is definitely a product that is being received very positively. “We strongly encourage our customers to learn all they can about the potential opportunity of Windows 7 and that taking advantage of the relevance and value to organisational development is well understood.”

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INTERVIEW ASUS

Widening the net Having invented what we now consider to be the netbook with the original Eee PC, Asus is boosting its presence in a number of other ranges, including soundcards and all-in-one PCs. Andrew Wooden talks to Iain Bristow from the technical PR and component product marketing division at Asus… The netbook sector has obviously kicked off massively. They are cheaper, which could be attractive to many in a time of less disposable income. Has the recession helped the whole sector, in this way? When the original Eee PC 701 launched, it was the very first of its kind. It was the definition of netbook at the time. There have been a lot of competitors who have seen that idea and developed their own route, which

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is great, and I think it’s good we have such a netbook market right now. Has the recession helped? Possibly. People aren’t willing to spend extravagant amounts of money on a new performance desktop PC just to browse the internet. They might want something slightly cheaper when they’re out on the move, and because of the weight, battery life and the portability of netbooks, they’re the perfect companion to your home PC.

But are they seen like that? A lot of people will look at a netbook and simply think how cheap computers are these days compared to ten years ago. Are they being seen as companions to ‘home’ PCs by consumers, or as replacements for more expensive rigs? I think it depends very much on the user. There seems to be this idea that people see them and think, ‘look, a cheap laptop, I’ll buy it.’ For some

“Has the recession helped? Possibly. People aren’t willing to spend extravagant amounts of money on a new performance desktop PC just to browse the internet” Iain Bristow, Asus

>>>

August PCR 21

INTERVIEW ASUS

>>>

people, yes I understand where that idea comes from. But some people might just want a laptop for their nine or ten year-old to do their school homework on. Would you want to give them a £1,200 laptop? I don’t think I would, whereas some people might have a desktop at home but are looking for something else to take around with them. I think the joy of the netbook and how that has evolved is that it’s suitable for absolutely everyone. They are so easy to use. I gave one to my young cousin and to my grandmother. Each of them could use it straight out of the box which is really important – people shouldn’t be afraid of new technologies. That seems to have been one of the chief reasons for their success. The mass market won’t necessarily know what they’re asking for when they walk into a shop to buy a PC. But it is widening, and now more and more people are using PCs. Has the netbook market pushed that development, or followed it? I think netbooks have helped to develop it. As you say, not too long ago you’d look around a store and you’d be told a machine has an XYZ processor, XYZ hard drive, and if you didn’t know what you were talking about, it was easy to get very confused. It’s fine for us in the industry, we recognise the figures. But for someone who’s not tech savvy and looking for a laptop for university or college use, who needs it to do a few things but they don’t want to pay the earth for it. You can go into a store now and see teninch, nine-inch sizes, and find one which is ideal for their individual requirements. I think the way in which we can experience and try out the products in stores now is also very important for their success. Another category, the all-in-one PCs: do you think they’re on the rise? They’re still a niche market, do you think we’re going to see more and more of those coming out? It’s a similar idea to where mobile phones were a couple of years ago, before touch screen phones reached

22 PCR August

functions for our Eee Top, for example. You can use them as a simplistic media centre to play music or movies, or browse the internet in a bedroom, living room or kitchen.

“The biggest launch has to be the Mars VGA. That’s two GTX 285s as a single graphics card. So what that does is actually give us the world’s fastest VGA in production” Iain Bristow, Asus

the market. If someone had said to me I’ve got a new touch screen phone, I’d have thought that was cool, but wonder how easy it would be to use. The same way you’d have a keyboard on the screen on the phone,

why not have them both on a PC? If you just want something in the kitchen to browse the internet while you’re cooking, for example, it’s an ideal solution. There are so many different

Having wall mounted PCs with touch screen capabilities is quite a significant leap from the way we’re mainly using PCs now. As this sort of technology becomes more available, is there going to be a rise in products like that? Certainly. Look at all the people who are using touch screen phones who wouldn’t have dreamed of doing it two years ago. The technology is available, it’s getting better and we’re able to do much more with it. Yes, I definitely think we’ll start seeing more of them. We’ve actually got some interesting developments planned for these technologies, so keep an eye on upcoming developments. You launched a number of new products recently at Computex. Could you tell us some more about this new portfolio? The biggest launch has to be the Mars VGA. That’s two GTX 285s as a single graphics card. So what that does is actually give us the world’s fastest VGA in production. It’s a 25 per cent increase in performance from a GTX 295, and it’s going to be a limited edition unit, so there will only be a thousand made. It’s very important to us as a demonstration of our engineering ability and where we come from as an OEM. It’s also a good example of how we can take ideas, improve upon them, and turn them into our own product. The second item that we’re pushing really strongly at the moment is the Xonar Soundcard range. We started this about a year ago now with the D2 and the D2X. We then released the Xonar DX, a cut down Xonar D2X to cater for the mainstream market at a competitive price point. We’ve also recently launched the Xonar DS, which sits around the £40 price point and offers soundcards to those who don’t want to go out and spend £200 on a super high end soundcard, but want to get a bit more sound clarity in their movies, games and music.

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INTERVIEW ASUS

The third thing was the demonstration of our new P7P55 Series of motherboards, which are due to launch later this year. These boards all feature our new Xtreme Design concept, which is the culmination of numerous technologies found on Asus boards that allow greater stability and reliability as well as overclocking potential. That’s going to be accompanied by our current X58 range, which is seeing some improvements with the addition of SATA 6G and our Xtreme Design concept too. Do any of these represent a change in direction for Asus? The Xonar as a soundcard wasn’t something that we’d really done before. So that’s an example of where we’ve looked at the needs of the market and identified a good solution for our consumers who might not want an onboard sound solution, but something better. So we looked at how we could do that and decided on the Xonar range. The addition of soundcards to our portfolio is just another demonstration of our aim to be a total solution provider. The Mars VGA adheres quite strictly to our roots as a business. What would you say separates Asus from the crowd? We’ve been around a very, very long time now and have just celebrated our 20th birthday a few months ago. I suppose the thing that separates us from the crowd is the design and the innovation that keeps occurring with our products. A few years ago you’d never have dreamed of being able to boot up your home PC in under 10 seconds, to a Splashtop OS to view

your pictures and browse the internet. Instead of trying to have the most powerful PC on the planet all the time, we’ve given a lot of attention to developing a system that delivers great power efficiency, reliability and a high quality experience that ultimately will save the end user money. So reliability would be your ethos? Yes. Starting from conception, our products go through an extremely vigorous testing process. We aim to make them the most reliable and highest quality products on the market, and to offer the best possible quality for the price. What’s the wider plan for the year ahead for Asus? As a business our core focus is going to remain on developing the channel, not only helping our sales to grow but also our retail and reseller partners. Our product line-up has been expanding rapidly over the last two years. So from the initial 701 Eee PCs, we’ve now got an advanced range of Eee PCs with solutions for absolutely everyone. The plan is to offer every possibility, for everybody, in every walk of life. That’s part of becoming a whole solutions provider.

“The plan is to offer every possibility, for everybody, in every walk of life. That’s part of becoming a whole solutions provider” Iain Bristow, Asus

INTERVIEW PACKARD BELL

Brand new

Heavies Few brands in the technology sector have the heritage and history of Packard Bell. With the brand re-emerging in the channel, Ben Furfie sits down with UK country manager Sylvain Braem to find out what the strategy is and how resellers will be crucial to its success… While the brand segmentation between Packard Bell and the rest of the Acer umbrella is a panEuropean-strategy, are there any nuances within the UK market that makes your approach here different? The UK is a very unique market. It has a lot of entry-level products and somebody who is looking for something nice has, until now, had to pay the price for it. For us, the real beauty is because we don’t just have the one brand, we don’t have to

24 PCR August

compromise any of the segments of the market. It means that Packard Bell can really focus on the lifestyle segment, and it means that we can really concentrate on people looking for a PC that has a nice look and feel. We’re targeting people who are willing to pay a little bit more. I think it’s an entirely new space that we’re opening. I know the brand is not really that well known in the UK. That is partly because we were positioned as an entry-level brand by the Dixons Group. But across the rest of Europe, Packard Bell has been known to be a strong marketing player, with an emphasis on quality and good product marketing. You say that Packard Bell isn’t really that well known in the UK. Can you elaborate on what you mean by that? There was a study done by a consulting firm that found that people had heard of the brand and could even associate it with computers. But they didn’t know what type of computers it sold or what market it targeted.

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INTERVIEW PACKARD BELL

You have the same segmentation in the car industry, for instance. It’s the same reason why some people will buy a Ferrari, with a super powerful engine, while others will be quite happy with a new Fiat – they’re both part of the same group, but they cater for different ends of the market. I really do feel that we’re moving towards this with the PC industry. There is definitely a market for the various segmentations of the Acer Group, as there is for the Fiat Group.

In a strange way, it’s very good for us because it means that we start with an established brand, but without it being pigeon-holed into a particular market segment. It’s essentially a fresh start, which is great for us. It’s one of these times that we can help Packard Bell to achieve a second life. You said that Packard Bell is targeting those consumers who care about how something looks, which inevitably draws comparisons with Apple and Sony. Do you feel that your price point is a key weapon for competing with them? If we examine those brands you mentioned, at our price point, there isn’t really any competition. Sony has its own approach – it doesn’t just do PCs, it has a whole range of consumer electronics, which helps it to leverage its brand equity.

“While we are certainly going to be in some major retailers, we are keen to invest in smaller retailers and resellers. It’s one of our top priorities to take care of all our partners” Sylvain Braem, Packard Bell But in turn, you have to pay the price for the brand name. Apple is a very different animal, especially in the PC environment. It doesn’t have the same operating system for one, and its product are expensive. I’m just thinking about all these people – they’re the bulk in essence – who may not be able to afford such brands, especially in the current economic environment. Until now, they have had to go where 80 per cent of the volume in terms of sales is, and until now have not be able to buy a computer with a nice design.

Do you feel that computers have gotten to the point where most are more than capable of doing what an average person wants, and so it isn’t so important to focus on the specs? It’s always going to be the same; some people will continue to consider specs. I know people who will want to have the best PC they can buy for security. They feel by having the maximum computer specification they will get the value back out of it. However, there are also some people who say, ‘no, I’m just looking for a PC based on the tasks that I’m going to use it for.’

Could you give us some more details on your retail and distribution partners? We are going to have a two-phase approach. We’re going to announce about five to six retailers, with products hitting shelves in the third quarter. In terms of distribution, we have one confirmed distributor, which is Micro-P – it’s not going to be a secret as they are very consumer orientated. We’re also going to have a second, just to make sure we cover all resellers. The second set of discussions are a lot more advanced, while with Micro-P, because of its consumer focus, I would say it was a natural choice. So I feel that by the end of Q4, we’ll have everybody on board. The main reason for that, and this isn’t a secret either, is that we have to ramp up – it’s not just like pushing products out, we have a very marketing-orientated approach, so we have to make sure that we get the right message to the right people, and take care of them. This is very central to our business model and that is why it will be in two phases. What we want to get across is that while we are certainly going to be in some major retailers, we are keen to invest in smaller retailers and resellers. It’s one of our top priorities to take care of all our partners.

HISTORY OF PACKARD BELL FOUNDED in 1986, Packard Bell has had a huge amount of influence and a lasting impact on the evolution of the home computer. Initially founded in the US by Beny Alagem after he bought the name, Packard Bell quickly grew to become one of the largest consumer brands in the US. It pioneered a number of features that are taken for granted today, such as colour coding for different cables.

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A number of acquisitions and deals saw the group incorporated into NEC Computers, creating a $4.5 billion company with a 15 per cent market share of the US market. However, as Compaq began increasing pressure on the brand’s sales during 1997, Packard Bell recorded a $1bn loss. That eventually led to the departure of Alagem in 1998, while continued price pressure saw NEC withdraw the brand from the US market in 2000.

Despite the problems the brand had in the US, it continued to be a success in the European market during the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, thanks in part to its exclusive retail partnership with the Dixons Group. In September 2006, the founder of eMachines John Hui bought the brand from NEC. Under the supervision of its new parent company, Packard Bell BV moved its operations to the Netherlands.

A year later, the Chinese vendor Lenovo confirmed its interest in the brand as part of plans to push into the European sector. However, it was beaten to the post by Acer, which used Gateway’s ‘first refusal’ clause to purchase Packard Bell in September 2007. By January 2008, Acer was able to confirm that it had acquired a controlling interest of 75 per cent in the company.

August PCR 25

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August PCR 27

HARDWARE MYSTERY SHOPPER

Coventry This month our Mystery Shopper strolls the concrete avenues of Coventry, exploring the opportunities available for those who wish to upgrade their PCs. With a number of graphics cards recently arrived on the market, it was felt that sales advice would be plentiful...

CURRYS UPON ENTERING the store, I could see it was very quiet; only a handful of customers were present. I walked through neatly presented aisles, which clearly stated the latest deals available to prospective buyers. The only negative point was the look of the store carpet, which was dull, grey and looked like one too many customers had passed its way. After I found the computer section, my ďŹ rst observation was that it was not manned by staff and, despite it being quiet, my presence there did not give any of the in-store team the impetus to try and engage with me to ascertain if I needed any assistance. After waiting for about 11 minutes, I decided to go and seek out a member of staff. Eventually, I found a lady who assisted me. I informed her that I was looking for a graphics card and she stated that she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe that Currys sold them. This was a disappointing visit, as with Currys covering all product genres, I would naturally have expected there to be some upgrade products available to support the PCs that were sold within the store. Summary The member of staff at the store was very helpful and polite, although was unable to provide any graphics cards for purchase.

28 PCR August

SCORE

6/10 www.pcr-online.biz

HARDWARE MYSTERY SHOPPER

Turn the page for more Mystery Shopper results

>>>

GAME THIS STORE is in the City centre and it did not take me long to ﬁnd it. I walked in to a very quiet store; there was just one customer being served. The store looked untidy and the carpet was very dirty. There was a great deal of point of sale material stating various offers, with a highly prominent and striking tennis themed display reinforcing a national TV advertising campaign for a recent game release. I walked around the store for about ﬁve minutes looking for graphics cards; there were clearly not any in the store. I approached the two staff members, who were more interested in talking to each other than serving any customers, and asked about graphics cards. They advised me that they do not sell them and looked at me blankly. No recommendations were given. Summary I appreciate that not all stores sell graphics cards, but a little more attention to customer service may encourage me to shop there again.

6/10

COMET

STAPLES

THIS STORE was right next to Currys and was slightly busier. One of the customers in the store was engaged with a member of staff. Sadly, I wasn’t greeted or acknowledged by any of the remaining store staff, despite there being several of them standing in the store foyer area. It did not make me feel like a particularly valued customer. I walked around the computer section and noted that everything was very neatly displayed. The end-cap offers were clear and stated a range of money saving opportunities to entice customers. As I looked around the store, I could see a gentleman looking at the satellite navigation display clearly looking for some help. However, the rear of the store was neglected by the store staff that had congregated at the front. After 15 minutes of waiting, I took it upon myself to approach a member of staff, who immediately told me that they do not sell graphics cards, but could recommend a nearby store called Eclipse. Again, as with some others, this was a disappointing visit, but it was nice to get a recommendation.

THE STAPLES store was much brighter than the two previous stores; the music was not loud, the aisles were clean and everything was clearly marked with prices. I walked around near the desktops and laptops. Despite the store also being quiet, no staff were around the area or willing to approach me. I could see that they were all congregated at the front of the store. Once again, I walked around for about 10 minutes before having to walk to the front of the store to approach a lady and ask her for assistance. The staff member would not move from the front of the store and called upon another of her colleagues to help. He came out to me and I explained to him what I was looking for. He seemed confused and did not understand what I wanted to purchase. As a consequence, he asked his manager for assistance. I had to explain to the manager what I was looking for and he took me over to the section where they were kept. When we got to the section, he discovered that they do not sell them anymore, although they had done in the past, or so he informed me. I must admit to leaving the store more than a little perplexed about the whole experience.

Summary The store staff were very helpful once prompted, but again this was a national retailer that did not sell any graphics cards.

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SCORE

6/10

Summary It was clear why customers are shopping more and more online. The third retailer that stocked computers, but no upgrade path.

SCORE

5/10 August PCR 29

HARDWARE MYSTERY SHOPPER

MAPLIN

PC WORLD

ECLIPSE

OUTSIDE there was a black speaker playing music to create attention and draw in customers. As I walked around, I noted that everything was clearly labelled and there were lots of clearance offers available, from computer components to solar power garden lighting. I strolled in and out of the aisles to find what I was looking for, but with no success. There were very few staff in-store, so after ten minutes, I decided to wait in the queue to get served and get some assistance. As I waited in line, I overheard the staff assistant asking a customer if they had a catalogue at home. The customer said that he currently just looks online, at which point he was advised by the staff member that the catalogue has £150 worth of vouchers inside which could be spent in store. He recommended that the customer should get one and take advantage of the offers – a nice touch and good customer retention tool. When I approached the staff member I highlighted what I was looking for. He asked me what card I was currently using, and told me that a higher gig card would bring about greater benefits, which he kindly outlined. He showed me the packaging and highlighted the HD features, stating that you could use it for playing HD content with incredible visual fidelity and to watch Blu-ray movies. He recommended two products: the ATI Radeon HD4670 1GB PCI-E Graphics card, priced at £99.99 and the ATI HD3650 512MB PCI-E card at £59.99. He also recommended that l get an HDMI cable. Overall, this was a very good visit, as the staff member had a wealth of knowledge and gave me clear direction for future purchase.

SITUATED IN the same Retail Park, this was a large PC World store. I walked though the entrance and could clearly see what offers they had available. There was a strong emphasis on printer and TV packages. I looked around for graphics cards for about 10 to 15 minutes. During this time no staff approached me or offered support. As a consequence, I made my way over to the Tech Desk to ask for help. Someone eventually came out to see me and asked how he could help. I told him that I was looking for a graphics card that would be capable of streaming Blu-ray to a HDTV. I advised him that I currently have a PCI-Express card, at which point he told me that it did not matter what I have. Consequently, his initial tone came across as condescending. We walked over to large selection of graphics cards on display and he recommended two cards to me: Sapphire Radeon HD4560 – 1GB DDR2 priced at £67.99 and the Sapphire Radeon HD4650 – 512MB DDR2 priced at £69.98. He told me that I was better off buying a 1GB as it was cheaper. When prompted and questioned about DDR2, he told me that it is the way the memory is formatted. He also told me that you could use the graphics card to play games and watch Blu-ray discs on. After overcoming the initial blip with this member of staff, I found him very helpful and when we got into the ﬂow of conversation he genuinely had a good understanding of the products and my requirements. Therefore, I would deﬁnitely recommend PC World to get advice. The only down-side was the length of time I had to wait around for someone to engage with me.

THE STORE was not easy to find; however, when I did find it I walked into the trade entrance. I waited for about five minutes and asked a gentleman who was standing there if I was in the right section. He kindly pointed out that there is another entrance. First impressions were very good; when walking through the correct entrance I noted that this independent store was clean, organised, with everything well laid out and prices were clearly stated. I looked around the store and then looked towards the counter. I was greeted by a smiling staff member who offered me help and assistance. I explained my requirements to him and he immediately knew what I was looking for. He took the time to make sure that he was giving me sound advice and was recommending the right product. He told me that he had found the right one for my requirements, checked stock on his system and went to get it from the back. I was shown a Sapphire Radeon HD4650 1GB DDR2 priced at £53.99: this was much cheaper than PC World’s £67.99. The staff member explained that there were two options available; a 512GB and a 1GB version. He stated that the more information the graphics card can store, the better the picture – as it stores more information to send out. I asked how easy it would be to install and he gave me an overview of what I needed to do. He also recommended that I get an HDMI cable. Overall he was excellent; he made sure that I understood all the information he gave to me. He used ‘layman’ terms to get complicated technical messages across, which for many people would have been appreciated.

Summary A superb level of support given. I would have bought from this store and its attentive staff.

Summary Excellent service once we had passed the initial hiccup.

Summary Very helpful, showing the type of personal service you would expect from an independent.

SCORE

9/10

SCORE

8/10

SCORE

8/10

THE TOP SCORES:

30 PCR August

MAPLIN

PC WORLD/ECLIPSE

CURRYS/COMET/GAME

STAPLES

This Mystery Shop was conducted by infinite Field Marketing Solutions, a leading provider of field marketing services to the technology sector. The solutions provided include Training, Market Research, Mystery Shopping, Demonstration Days, Roadshows, Merchandising and Compliance & Data Capture. Visit our website for details and to request a Case Study.

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CONTACTS

HARDWARE BACK TO SCHOOL

Arrow: 01279 441 144 Avenues Europe: 01217 072 531 CMS Computers: 0844 800 6100 Computer 2000: 0870 060 3344 Computer Gear: 0121 503 0666 Computers Unlimited: 0208 358 5858

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Dell: 0844 444 4699 Ingram Micro: 0870 166 0160

APPLE RANGE

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Thanks to Apple’s dominance of the creative industries, Macs have become essential hardware on many design, photography, video and music courses. Add to that its desirable brand and you have computers that are guaranteed to be a hit with those in further and higher education.

Interactive Ideas: 0208 8805 1000 Monarch: 0115 982 1771

Distributor: Ingram Micro, Westcoast Stone Computers: 01785 812 100 Target: 01977 739 300 Westcoast: 0118 912 6000 Widget: 01438 842 362

Hard schooling With the back to school season in full swing, Ben Furfie sits down with several executives from the education hardware market to discover the key trends in the sector… “Back to school is one of the busiest times of year for most IT hardware resellers” Darren Jackson, VIP

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THE back to school season is upon us again, and with it comes a huge demand for a wide variety of educationally focussed products. The shopping period is unique in that it presents opportunities for both retailers and resellers. On the consumer side, there are plenty of categories that are predicted to perform well, including netbooks and storage devices. On the schooling side, Windows XP Pro laptops, networking and storage are expected to see high demand from customers. “It’s potentially the most important part of the year,” states commercial director of CCI Distribution, Mark Wilson. “Around 25 to 30 per cent of revenue in the third quarter can be attributed to back to school sales.” With so much revenue potential, it

really shouldn’t come as a surprise that other distributors agree with Wilson. “Back to school is one of the busiest times of the year for most IT hardware resellers,” adds product manager at VIP, Darren Jackson. STORING UP POTENTIAL A recurring message from the distributors and vendors interviewed is that availability of cheap storage has fundamentally revolutionised the way that schools and pupils handle personal information such as homework and coursework. “We always see a spike in demand at this time of the year due to the back to school season,” comments Kingston’s regional director for UK and Ireland Ann Keefe. “Prior to all new school terms, and particularly during the

summer before the new university intake, we see an increase in sales of USB flash drives.” Jackson puts the increase in demand for portable storage down to the changing nature of school’s interaction with IT: “As technologies have advanced, lessons and homework have become much more interactive and creative. As images and videos have become more integrated into school life, the demand placed upon storage requirements has grown.” In particular, USB drives have been a key product. “Today, storage is much more flexible, allowing you to easily back-up information and move your content around with you,” says SanDisk’s regional marketing manager, Nikki Willcock.

>>>

August PCR 33

HARDWARE BACK TO SCHOOL

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DELL LATITUDE 2100

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EPOCH NOTEBOOK CASE

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Capable of holding a 15.4-inch laptop, the Epoch is a lightweight design that utilises soft but durable materials. It carries a protective notebook compartment with file and organiser sections for paperwork and cables, plus soft grip handles and permanently attached shoulder strap for portability.

Dell has created a laptop specially designed for the needs of pupils, teachers and IT technicians. The Latitude 2100, Dell says, is affordable, durable and internet ready. It also features rubberised casing to make it stronger and less likely to get damaged in transit.

Distributor: Avenues Europe

Distributor: Dell

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ROCK RANGE

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Rock may have originally been a high-end consumer gaming brand, but its purchase by education vendor Stone Group opened up its performance products to a new market. The PCs are ideal for environments when schools need power, or students want to be able to use their computer for entertainment. Distributor: Stone Group

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INTEL CLASSMATE

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Available in two models – a traditional clamshell and clamshell tablet – Intel’s Classmate range has been designed specifically for the needs of schools and pupils. With rubberised shells, handles and a touch-screen in the tablet version, few devices are as specialised for the education market as this. Distributor: CMS Computers

>>>

“Low cost storage devices such as USB flash drives offer pupils much more flexibility than in the past,” adds Keefe. “They can work on a pool PC at school and then take work back home.” Indeed, storage has had such an impact that distributors who have not traditionally been involved in the education market have seen uplift in demand around the peak times of the year. “It has become increasingly important over the past four to five years,” comments Meroncourt sales director, Steve Walsh. “Each year we

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see an increase in revenue from this period. USB pen drives have been fairly constant in sales volumes.” Walsh put this down, in part, to falling prices for wholesale memory. “While the capacities have increased, prices have remained the same. Three years ago 1GB and 2GB were the norm, now it’s four, eight and 16GB.” PRICE VS BRAND Inevitably, price comes into the equation, especially with the budget limitations for schools and local education. However, as Interactive

Ideas’ Andy Miles stresses, value doesn’t always mean cheap. “Education is an area we believe should not be compromised on by buying in low quality products through pushes for budget cuts and we don’t expect this to be the case either.” The same applies across the spectrum for pupils and the schools, he adds: “A brand is not necessarily a guarantee of a good or bad product, just as the same can be said for price. So we are expecting schools and pupils alike to be searching beyond the first brand or price they see.”

Some feel that the whole debate is no longer relevant. “I would potentially suggest neither,” argues VIP product manager Chris Bloxham. “Pricing has come down over the past few years, so purchasing a new notebook or netbook is not the investment that it once was.” On the flipside, many of the channel experts we spoke to said that ultimately, it came down to the child. “Brand has a very important part to play in the selection process. The pupil will understandably want to select a ‘cool’ brand that will improve others’ perception of them, whilst packing

August PCR 35

HARDWARE BACK TO SCHOOL

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SANDISK ULTRA BACKUP USB FLASH DRIVE

]

Described by Sandisk as the first product of its kind, the Ultra Backup USB Flash Drive features the ability to back up all information stored on a computer at the push of button, without the need to use cables or install software. Available in capacities up to 64GB, it has been designed for ease of use and security of the data stored. Distributor: Arrow

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KINGSTON

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Kingston’s range of DataTraveler USB memory sticks provide a wide selection of features, ranging from ease of use through to ultra-high capacity. In particular, its 101 range – available with up to 16GB of storage – has been designed for the education market, with the ability to brand the device with school or pupil details, as well as a protective cover to prevent damage and loss of important school work. Distributor: Computer 2000, Ingram Micro

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MESSENGER TRAVELLER BAG

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[

This item has been designed for users who are looking for a stylish, useful laptop bag that can also double up as a practical document case. As well as a notebook compartment that is protected by high-density foam padding, the Traveller carries a large accessory pocket and zipped side pouches. Available in red, blue or black.

A DELAY ON THE CARDS? The arrival of Windows 7 and Snow Leopard after the school year begins has resulted in genuine worries from resellers and retailers that consumers and schools may be put off buying.

36 PCR August

Many on the distribution side do feel the late arrival will impact sales, on either side. “Despite Windows 7 coming this October, schools are more concerned with sticking with Windows XP Pro,” claims education manager at Spire, Neil Reynolds. “Their main desire is that there will not be any conflict with anything: it’s all going to go in and work. When they have to change, they will do the change then.” On the consumer side, the Vista upgrade scheme will solve many of those problems, adds Lynch. “I don’t think we should see any problems.

]

Monarch’s LapCabby range of laptop and netbook storage solutions have been designed for the modern school environment and feature a number of inbuilt facilities, such as on-board charging and power management systems. Aside from the safety design, which prevents children from accessing the power compartment, it also features vents to prevent damage to the products by keeping the compartments cool.

Distributor: Computer Gear

enough punch to cope with the workload,” senior campaigns manager at Ingram Micro, Daniel Lewis states. Target’s marketing manager Caroline Spillane agrees, adding that parents are swayed by familiar brands: “They are often advised what to buy by the child, who is likely to be brand orientated.”

LAPCABBY RANGE

Distributor: Monarch

From an end user’s point of view, they can buy the latest Vista now and still get the free upgrade to Windows 7 when it is released so I don’t think they will be disappointed.” APPLE IN THE EYE One interesting development within the educational market over the past couple of years is the increasing introduction of Apple hardware. While many of the key programs such as Word and Excel are available on Macs, buying trends suggest the hardware a pupil’s school uses has an impact on

their own purchasing decisions. “Pupils who are used to using Apple hardware are more likely to return back to the brand when making their own purchasing decisions,” concurs Daniels. “Those who are more familiar with PC technology or are looking for a lower initial purchase price are more likely to stick with a well-known PC brand.” Spillane agrees with this observation, adding: “Cheap licences on Microsoft software for schools and universities, which extend to home use too, tend to also encourage PC use.”

>>>

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Stock up now to meet the back to school demand Optical Drives

Storage

Displays

Peripherals

8x External Slimline DVD ROM

2.5" 500GB External USB (Espresso Black)

19" LCD TV/Monitor with DVB-T Tuner

Laptop Stand USB-2

Maxxum Back Pack

Available now from

£9.20 Available now from

Call for pricing

Available now from

£24.00

CCI Part No. 33000 Hitachi Part No. FS-U25/500E

£140.63

* ex.VAT

Black CCI Part No. 32589 LiteOn Part No. ETDU108-02 White CCI Part No. 32588 LiteOn Part No. ETDU108-01

• Watch DVD movies on your netbook • Available in both black or white designs • USB power charging • Portable design, using USB-2 connection to ensure the best performance • Plug & Play, and emergency manual eject function is embedded • Support both 8cm and 12cm discs of CD and DVD family • High efficient power saving mode, slim size and ultra light weight

Introducing the Signature Mini family of bite-size drives, bursting with tasty ingredients. Supple and resilient to the touch, with a positive velvety grip, they're designed by our friends at Pininfarina, the icon of Italian sports car design since 1930. Just plug one in, and inside you'll find smart ways to protect and manage all your precious data. • Durable and made for travel • High speed USB-2 "Y" cable included provides power without extra cables. • Free technical support • 2 year warranty

2.5" 320GB External USB (Black Cherry)

* Pricing is correct at the time of print and is subject to change without notice

* ex.VAT

CCI Part No. 31718 LG Part No. M1994D

This digital TV monitor from LG offers a multi-purpose all-in-one display solution for a variety of PC and home entertainment. Enjoy easy and convenient access to various AV devices such as Blu-rayTM players, video game consoles & camcorders. • DVB-T integrated TV Tuner • 20,000:1 contrast ratio • 5ms response time • DVI/HDMI • 3 year warranty

Consumer Electronics

* ex.VAT

CCI Part No. 33095 Sweex Part No. DS021

• Adjustable Platform Design • Comfortable Wrist Rest • Built-In 4-Ports USB-2 Hub • On/Off Switch-able Cooling Fans • 4 positions adjustable platform • 2 x 80 mm cooling fans • Independent of operating system

USB Multimedia Keyboard

Available now from

£28.68

* ex.VAT

CCI Part No. 28968 Swissgear Part No. GA-7303-13F00

• Made by Wenger, makers of the genuine Swiss Army knife • Fits notebooks with screen sizes up to 15.4" • Shock absorbing shoulder straps & adjustable chest strap • iPod/Music player pocket

Potomac Roller Case

Available now from

£3.01

* ex.VAT

CCI Part No. 31818 Sweex Part No. KB060UK

Media Player HDMI 500GB

Full Size multimedia keyboard in black, with USB connector and 130cm cable. Comes with 13 hotkeys! • Ideal for Multimedia work • Supports Windows 2000, XP and Vista

Call for pricing

Available now from

CCI Part No. 32995 Hitachi Part No. FS-U25/320H

Available now from

£128.52

USB Optical Mouse

* ex.VAT

CCI Part No. 32516 LG Part No. HXF1P50FB

Available now from

The LG XF1 is a mobile home theatre solution, store and view your media content on this ultra stylish portable device. • Full HDMI connectivity • Supports MPEG 1/2/4, AVI (MPEG4, Xvid), MOV (MPEG4) • 500GB storage capacity • Play and Play USB connectivity

£2.11

* ex.VAT

CCI Part No. 30138 Sweex Part No. MI501

£54.23

* ex.VAT

CCI Part No. 28975 Swissgear Part No. GA-7466-14F00

• Made by Wenger, makers of the genuine Swiss Army knife • Includes extra 15"/15.4" notebook case • Easy-Glide Skate Wheels • Expanding Files

Comfortable and stylish USB 3 button mouse. • 3 buttons and Scroll function • Resolution: 800 CPI • Plug and Play

Visit ccidistribution.co.uk for real time stock availability and pricing. Storage • Tape Media • Multimedia Backup • Networking • Flash Media Communication and much more...

Call 01423 704700 or visit

HARDWARE BACK TO SCHOOL

[

WACOM INTUOUS 4E

]

Popular with high schools, colleges and universities, Wacom’s graphics tablets are an essential tool on many creative courses. The Intuous 4 is a high-end device with a wide working area. However, they are expensive, so for those who wish to own their own tablet, the vendor’s consumer Bamboo range is a viable alternative. Distributor: Computers Unlimited

[

FLIP RANGE

]

The Flip Video device has proven popular with consumers and according to distributor Widget, major resellers such as RM and Tag Learning have already started ordering the devices due to demand from schools. Institutions from primary schools through to university are among those using them for various types of work. Distributor: Widget

[

DIGITAL BLUE DIGITAL VIDEO MOVIE CREATOR 3 Along with the Flip, Digital Blue’s Digital Movie Creator comes with everything teachers need to introduce their pupils to the principles of recording video and editing. Using SD cards, each camera can record two hours of footage per 1GB and its included software is easy to use.

]

[

VEHO DISCOVERY USB MICROSCOPE

Distributor: Target Distributor: Interactive Ideas

]

With a zoom factor of x400, Veho’s Discovery VMS-004 USB microscope is ideal for science-based environments. It has a full adjustable stand, two-megapixel lens and can take stills or record movies. Whether it is for a student’s coursework, or for the teacher to demonstrate via a projector or whiteboard, it has the potential to change the way schools do science.

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Unsurpassed safety standards are incorporated in the Xtreme Design series of motherboards for safe operations. ASUS follows stringent Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) testing practices that are 30% more rigorous than any other industry benchmarks. The new motherboards have exceptionally low EMI emissions and together with a low Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and the Q-Shield I/O bracket, EMI is signiﬁcantly reduced to prevent any negative health impact and potential damage to components.

Xtreme Design features the innovative Stack Cool3+ to enhance motherboard component longevity and reduce temperatures. It is a feature that was re-engineered from the original cooper cooling innovation of the ASUS P5E64 WS motherboard introduced in 2008. It also features top quality VRM components, which include: Low RDS (on) MOSFETs, Ferrite core chokes and high quality, Japanese made conductive polymer capacitors.

Power efficiency is important to us and saving energy has so many positive outcomes it should be important to you to. Using 16 Voltage Regulation Modules or VRM’s, our motherboards can correctly modulate power flow and can reach a power efficiency of up to 96%. Combining this efficiency with out heat dissipation technology, we can ensure this is done whilst keeping the motherboard as cool as possible. Not only do you save power, but your motherboard will last longer. Using 100% Japanese made high quality conductive polymer capacitors, our 16-Phase VRM design ensures a longer component life, minimum power loss and higher stability when overclocking!

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HARDWARE MOBILE PROCESSORS

Size isn’t everything With the drive for portability and more compact computing power, mobile processor development is often just as important as that of driving the most powerful top end products. Andrew Wooden investigates how they are driving changes in smaller devices and what we can expect in the future… THE competition between the processor powerhouses used to be much like an arms race, with Intel, ARM, AMD or Texas Instruments fiercely competing to get the fastest, most powerful piece of technology out to market before the other. Power and speed was the only real concern, which drove rapid technological advancement across the PC sector – often to the frustration of consumers, who found their top of the range £2000 desktop had been superseded in a couple of months. There is still that element of competition at the top end of the industry, of course. However the consumer market for the most powerful PC is usually confined to the gaming sector. While this is profitable, it is niche. Less powerful, more portable computers is the current wonder-sector of the industry.

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According to IDC figures, while overall PC sales contracted during the first quarter of 2009, the portable PC market performed ahead of expectation, maintaining growth. This has been chiefly attributed to the rise of the ‘mini-notebook’ segment and ‘additional momentum generated by the telco channel’. The growing importance of this less powerful, but cheaper and more portable category has meant the technology that drives them is no longer an afterthought, it’s an important part of the major chip firms’ businesses. And as capabilities of smart phones increase, there is also technological and functional crossover between them and PCs, creating a kind of meta-sector, which together forms a massive market. “The trend towards slimmer, smaller, lighter devices is continuing,

but we’re also seeing the emergence of new categories of devices as manufacturers take advantage of increasingly powerful mobile architectures to bring new formats and form factors to market,” says Bea Longworth, Nvidia’s senior corporate communications manager for EMEAI. “The current economic climate is pushing consumers towards embracing the convenience and affordability of mobile devices, so there’s a great appetite for these smart phones and netbooks which can become people’s primary computing devices.” The idea of having netbooks as a primary computer is contrary to what many PC vendor and retailers insist – that those computers should only be used as a supplement to a home PC, which is inevitably more powerful and expensive. However since the new frontier of PC sales are new users, who

“The current economic climate is pushing consumers towards embracing the convenience and affordability of mobile devices” Bea Longworth, Nvidia

Turn the page for more

>>>

August PCR 43

HARDWARE MOBILE PROCESSORS

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often only really want to browse the internet and send emails, they are in fact proving adequate primary computers for many people. Alongside this, however, are the greater processing requirements of richer media such as HD video. As the netbook matures, what is emerging is a spectrum of lower priced devices with varying levels of capability, all of which are driven by the processing capability. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest change is the introduction of a whole new market segment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mini-notebooks and ultra thin notebook processors have in turn reflected this change in complexity,â&#x20AC;? says Andrew Buxton, EMEA channel director for AMD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of course weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also seen the constant rise in performance requirements, especially related to multimedia and HD capabilities, as entertainment on the notebook is a key focus area for consumers. As far as netbooks are concerned, it is our belief that users are not satisfied with the level of performance that they are getting on these devices. The ultra-thin platform on the other hand offers good levels of performance and allows users not only to work more efficiently, but also to be entertained, play games and watch high definition movies on HD-capable panels and external monitors.â&#x20AC;? The creation of these new segments and the evolution of established ones is likely to mean that perceptions will continue to change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There have been a a couple of big stories in mobile computing over the last twelve months â&#x20AC;&#x201C; smart phones and netbooks,â&#x20AC;? says Kris Rodolf, European mobility manager at Intel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Though smart phones are changing consumer perceptions of what a mobile phone can provide them, from our perspective the biggest shake up in mobile computing has been the launch of the Atom processor. With the Atom and netbooks, more people are getting a good internet experience than ever before. For laptops, the new ultra-low voltage CPUs from Intel mean that ultra-thin laptops are now a mainstream and commonplace reality.â&#x20AC;?

Kris Rodolf

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ultra-thin platform offers good levels of performance and allows users not only to work more efficiently, but also to be entertained, play games and watch high definition moviesâ&#x20AC;? Andrew Buxton, AMD This change in emphasis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; away from being mainly concerned with the next most powerful product â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has not only helped drive the huge rise in netbooks, but created a wide spectrum

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of end products with varying capabilities and prices. As top-line research and production continues in these areas, the most likely outcome is yet more segments. However the

Nvidiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bea Longworth

mainstream consumer base wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be as familiar with the ebbs and flows of the industry as those working within it. The addition and evolution of computer sectors can add to the problem of erroneous expectations of what a particular PC can actually do. More choice isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a bad thing for sales or the trade, but it can pose problems. Effectively communicating the differing capabilities, as ever, will be the best way to maximise on the new segments, and not get stung by them.

AMDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Andrew Buxton

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HARDWARE HP

Getting

personal As the world’s largest PC vendor, HP’s brand enjoys a status equal to corporate giants such as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, and is integral in the direction of the industry. Ben Furfie sits down with Ben Perrin, HP’s consumer business development manager to find out what has changed about the vendor since it entered the UK, and what it has in store for the channel… “I actually see all this turbulence that has happened in the market over the past couple of years as very healthy” Ben Perrin, Hewlett Packard

48 PCR August

How has the channel changed from when HP first entered the UK? It has gone from being a small, focused market, shared between the big specialist multiples and the independents, down to being quite a fragmented market. Traditional retailers like DSGi, Comet, Staples, John Lewis and independents now have to vie for space in the available market with emerging competitors like Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Carphone Warehouse, T-Mobile and Orange. As the world number one, HP is inextricably linked to that story. You have to base your strategy around it and you have to remain very close to it. Fundamentally, you have to ensure

you are where customers want to buy, and are giving them the products and the service they are looking for. I actually see all this turbulence that has happened in the market over the past couple of years as very healthy. It’s given all sorts of people the opportunity to buy what they want in all sorts of places. I think that’s a good measure of progress. How important has the focus on all key segments, such as Home, SoHo, SME and Enterprise, been to HP’s success in the marketplace? Our breadth is the reason for our success and this is something that applies to everything we do. We are in many countries around the world,

which means that we can use that size not just for purchasing power, but also if there are countries that are having a difficult time financially, you can balance your business against those that are doing well. Also, by having a diverse portfolio of both products and channels, you can have a much better balanced business and you are much less susceptible to the strange little peaks, troughs, and idiosyncrasies of each of those channels in isolation. What is the most important part of your business in the UK? The reality is that they are all important. It goes back to my previous answer – our parts are all by definition

www.pcr-online.biz

HARDWARE HP

important, they are all component parts of the business strategy to be diverse in product, geography and channel. In terms of the UK specifically, consumer sales through retail are a big part of our business. Your ‘The Computer Is Personal Again’ campaign has been running for some time. How successful has it been? It’s been very successful. The standard measures of success you would apply to that are brand worth, and our brand worth has been constantly in the top 15 over all – this is up there with the big global brands you would think of straight away like McDonalds, Disney and CocaCola. HP is consistently in the top 15 most valuable brands on earth, and a big part of that is global, consistent messages that the computer is personal again. Secondly, we are a clear global number one in the PC business. Of course that is a function of various limbs of our strategy. One big one is our marketing campaign. There is a genuinely resonant note about the slogan ‘The computer is personal again’ – that reaches out to people. It seems to make sense to the public. And then if you back that up with products that are personal, so you can either make the software very intuitive, so that they can customise the product, or you allow them to attach all sorts of different accessories, so that they can configure the product to be exactly as they want it to be. The Compaq name has been remerging after a couple of years of being quiet. How important is the brand to HP? The Compaq brand is very much about products that are below the £400-£500 price range; it is a very aggressive price point in the market. In the UK, that segment is a disproportionately large part of the market. But there are opportunities to supply the very best technology, both in power and quality at that price point, and that is what we are planning to do with the Compaq brand. We’ve been working hard to get its brand message across in both the

www.pcr-online.biz

“There is a genuinely resonant note about the slogan ‘The computer is personal again’ – that reaches out to people.” Ben Perrin, Hewlett Packard media and in public. What we are trying to convey is that it is about just getting stuff done in a fast reliable way. It also gives us the benefit of it being distinct from the HP brand. Only people in the industry really know that the HP and Compaq brands are linked – the man in the street doesn’t always associate Toyota with Lexus for example, despite the fact that they are the same company. It’s a perfectly valid strategy, and you’re seeing some of our competitors adopting it. It allows us to make those brands stand for different things – what HP stands for is the rich, premium experience, which comes with having unique features, things that we’ve designed into the

product beyond the conventional processor, memory and hard drive specifications, which everybody shops by. What do the next 12 months hold for HP? At a company level, we will continue to be robust, predictable and we’ll continue to stand for the things that we value – quality, reliability, breadth of products, and a rich experience. We’ll continue to hold on to them, because you don’t just abandon them due to a recession – you double

down, and you stand by your core values. We will continue to invest in our brand, as well as in investments for the future. We still look at acquisitions where they make sense to augment HP’s business, and to give us the arsenal of products and services that we need to compete in the marketplace of the future.

August PCR 49

HARDWARE CHARTS *From May 2009 data GfK provides market research consultancy to manufacturers on the technologies markets and also operates a reseller partnership that provides market research information to dealers in the channel. For further information on GfK please contact Sean Fellows on tel: 0870 603 828 or email: sean.fellows@gfk.com Models listed are non-exclusive: Neither sold as a tradebrand nor sold exclusively within one retailer or retail group

LAPTOPS

DISPLAYS

SAMSUNG

NC10

ACER

X193W

KEYBOARDS

1 MICROSOFT

MICE

LOGITECH

WIRED KEYBOARD 500 BLACK

V150 LASER MOUSE

DELL INSPIRON MINI 10

LG W2242S

LOGITECH ULTRA FLAT KEYBOARD

LOGITECH MX 620 LASER CORDLESS

TOSHIBA SATELLITE L300-20D

SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 943N

KENSINGTON 1500109 VALUE KEYBOARD BLACK

LOGITECH V450 LASER CORDLESS NOTEBOOK

HP 6735S GW694AV

SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 723N

MICROSOFT COMFORT CURVE KEYBOARD 2000

LOGITECH VX NANO CORDLESS LASER MOUSE

ACER ASPIRE 5735Z-343G25MN

SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 943BW

LOGITECH CORDLESS DESKTOP EX 110

MICROSOFT P58-00019 BASIC BLACK

EMACHINES D620

SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER T220

LOGITECH MEDIA KEYBOARD 600

LOGITECH V220 CORDLESS OPTICAL MOUSE

ACER ASPIRE ONE A150X

HP W1907V

LOGITECH DELUXE 250 KEYBOARD OEM

GENIUS XSCROLL CB MOUSE USB BLACK OEM

SONY VAIO VGN-NS20E/S

LG W1942S

TRUST DS-3400D WIRELESS OPTICAL DESKSET

MICROSOFT BX3-00020 WIRELESS NOTEBOOK

TOSHIBA SATELLITE L300-20D 3G

ACER X193HQ

LOGITECH CORDLESS DESKTOP EX 100

LOGITECH V220 CORDLESS OPTICAL MOUSE

TOSHIBA SATELLITE L350-203

ACER V173AB

MICROSOFT MESSENGER KIT

MICROSOFT U81-00008 COMPACT 500 USB

GAME CONTROLLERS

DVD WRITERS

SAITEK

P380 DUAL ANALOG PAD

GH-22NP

INKJET PRINTERS

LASER PRINTERS

1 HP

DESKJET D1560

LASERJET P2055DN

LOGITECH WINGMAN EXTREME 3D

LG GP08NU

CANON PIXMA IP2600

HP LASERJET P1005

LOGITECH 963291-0914 WINGMAN ATTACK 3 USB

LG GH-22LP

EPSON STYLUS S20

SAMSUNG ML 2240

LOGITECH 963290-0914 EXTREME 3D PRO USB

LG GP08LU

CANON PIXMA IP4600

HP COLOR LASERJET CP1515N

LOGITECH 963339-0914 FORMULA VF USB

LG GE-20NU

HP PHOTOSMART D5460

BROTHER HL 2035

LOGIC 3 PRO FLIGHT 2

LG GH-22NS

EPSON STYLUS PHOTO R285

HP LASERJET P1505N

LOGITECH WINGMAN PRECISION GAMEPAD

CNM ULTRA SLIM PORTABLE TS-L633A

HP PHOTOSMART A526

HP LASERJET P1006

SAITEK 107007 P3200 RUMBLE PAD

SAMSUNG SH-S223F

CANON PIXMA IP1900

SAMSUNG ML 1640

LOGITECH 963326-0914 CORDLESS RUMBLEPAD 2

PIONEER DVR-216

HP DESKJET D1470

SAMSUNG CLP 315

LOGITECH 963292-0914 DUAL ACTION USB

LG GE-20LU

HP DESKJET 6940

SAMSUNG CLP-315W

www.pcr-online.biz

August PCR 51

MFDS

GRAPHICS CARDS

PHOTOSMART C4480

PNY

GEFORCE 9800 GT

TV CARDS

1 HAUPPAUGE

VIDEO CARDS

DAZZLE

WINTV HVR-900

DVD RECORDER DVC 101

KODAK ESP 3

INNO3D FX5200

DAZZLE DIGITAL USB TV STICK

DAZZLE VIDEO CREATOR PLATINUM

EPSON STYLUS SX105

PNY GEFORCE 6200

KWORLD PLUSTV DUAL DIGITAL USB TV

V-STREAM XPERT DVD MAKER USB 2.0

LEXMARK X4650

XFX GEFORCE 9400 GT

HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-S-USB

KWORLD XPERT DVD MAKER USB 2.0

HP DESKJET F2280

PNY GEFORCE 8400GS

HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-T-USB2

DAZZLE DIGITAL VIDEO CREATOR 150

EPSON STYLUS SX100

HP QUADRO NVS 290

HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-T-STICK

PINNACLE SYST VIDEO TRANSFER

HP PHOTOSMART C4580

PNY GEFORCE 7200GS 128MO DDR2

HAUPPAUGE WINTV-NOVA-TD-500

HAUPPAUGE HD PVR

HP PHOTOSMART C4585

PNY GEFORCE 9400GT

PINNACLE SYST PCTV NANO STICK

LEADTEK WINFAST VC 100

HP DESKJET F4280

GIGABYTE GEFORCE 7200GS

HAUPPAUGE WINTV HVR-1100

HAUPPAUGE IMPACT VCB

EPSON STYLUS SX600FW

INNO3D GEFORCE 9400GT

10 HAUPPAUGE MYTV

CANOPUS ADVC 55 VIDEO INPUT ADAPTER FW

MODEMS/ROUTERS

WEBCAMS

NETGEAR

DG834G MODEM ROUTER

LOGITECH

QUICKCAM E 3500

PC SPEAKERS

SCANNERS

1 LOGITECH

1 CANON

X-240 2.1 SYSTEM

CANOSCAN LIDE 100

BELKIN F6D4230_4 WIRELESS N ROUTER

MICROSOFT LIFECAM VX-1000

LOGITECH X-140

CANON CANOSCAN LIDE 200

BELKIN F5D7632_4A WIRELESS G MODEM ROUTER

MICROSOFT LIFECAM VX-3000

BOSE SOUNDDOCK BLACK

EPSON PERFECTION V 300 PHOTO

BELKIN F5D7231_4 WIRELESS CABLE/DSL ROUTER

LOGITECH QUICKCAM E2500

SAMSUNG ASP-600S

HP SCANJET G2410

BELKIN F6D4230_4A WIRELESS N MODEM ROUTER

LOGITECH QUICKCAM PRO 9000

GEAR4 STREETPARTY III BLACK

HP SCANJET G2710

NETGEAR WNR2000

CREATIVE LIVE! CAM VIDEO IM PRO

JBL ON STAGE MICRO BLACK

CANON CANOSCAN 8800F

NETGEAR WGR614 WIRELESS ROUTER

LOGITECH QUICKCAM FOR NOTEBOOKS DELUXE

BOSE SOUNDDOCK II BLACK

CANON CANOSCAN LIDE 600F

BELKIN F5D8231 N1 WIRELESS ROUTER

TRUST CHAT AND VOIP PACK CP2100

LOGITECH Z-4 2.1 SPEAKER SYSTEM

EPSON PERFECTION V 500 PHOTO

BELKIN F5D8633_4 N WIRELESS ROUTER

LOGITECH QUICKCAM FOR NOTEBOOKS

LOGITECH LS 21 980-000060

FSC SCANSNAP S510

BELKIN F5D7234_4 WIRELESS G ROUTER

LOGITECH QUICKCAM S7500

LOGITECH X-230

CANON CANOSCAN LIDE 700 F

52 PCR August

www.pcr-online.biz

HARDWARE ANALYSIS

Written by TRISTAN IRWIN 0870 603 8238

The increase in online distribution may seem like a good thing, but could lead to slow summer sales

Software in the sun Seasonal trends in online distribution open up avenues of opportunity for the traditional retail sector... “The launch of 2010 software lines on the horizon, the start of the back to school period, the summer months and a heady Q3 offer the potential to be a strong time for the software market” Tristan Irwin, GfK

54 PCR August

THE UK BOXED software market has been moving toward online distribution since the major multiples made the conscious decision to focus on key volume segments and scale back specialist software offerings. As a result we have seen these specialist software segments only being focussed on by the traditional retailers in key seasonal periods, where stock is unlikely to be left languishing on the shelves for long. Whilst this makes prime business sense from a retail perspective, it has forced many of the smaller vendors out of the stores, and onto the internet where they have seen some success working with the ‘pure players’. The result of these shifts has been a fairly inevitable decline of the specialist segments in volume terms. With the exception of the office and security software sectors, the majority of the rest of the boxed software market has been in year-on-year volume decline. Without a visible presence on shelves, vendors are reliant on consumers knowing their brand, and which

particular product they are after as they fill in the online search box. Without the ability to make a significant investment in online marketing, some of the smaller brands are finding themselves lost in the crowd. Such heavy reliance on online distribution has its drawbacks, however. We have already seen the precursors to what is being touted by weather forecasters as a stiflingly hot summer. In Week 22 2009, the software market hit a blip as internet sales dropped over a quarter in comparison to the previous week, 9.3 per cent down on the same week in 2008. With temperatures soaring, the sun shining, and the Spring Bank Holiday Monday affording people time off to get out and do something, the prospect of internet shopping was apparently less attractive. Whether this behaviour will replicate over the longer summer period is unknown. However it is not without precedent, as similar trends were evident over an unseasonably

warm April 2008 in particular. As a result there are opportunities for bricks and mortar retailers to capitalise on the increased customer presence on the High Streets and re-embrace the specialist segments. The launch of 2010 software lines on the horizon, the start of the back to school period in sight, the summer months and a heady Q3 offer the potential to be a strong time for the software market, despite the difficult economic times we live in. Demand for software is unlikely to drop considerably on Q3 last year, over which just fewer than one million software boxes were sold in the UK. Especially since prices have continued a long term downward trend which has resulted with software average selling price £10 lower than in the May period last year. It is up to the retail sector to re-engage with online shoppers in the High Street, especially at a time where the price differential between online savings, and offline promotional prices is at its lowest point in the year.

www.pcr-online.biz

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Software PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the software market

p 58

BACK TO SCHOOL SOFTWARE PCR provides a broad overview of the back to school software market

p 68

GAMES A round-up of the month’s latest releases and a highlight of the biggest titles

P 66

MICROSOFT Partner Group manager Simon Aldous talks to PCR about the company and its future

>>>

SOFTWARE BACK TO SCHOOL

CONTACTS Ingram Micro: 0870 166 0160 VIP: 0870 622 7500 Interactive Ideas: 020 2205 1000 Koch Media: 0870 027 0985 Computer Unlimited: 020 8358 5858

[

MICROSOFT OFFICE HOME AND STUDENT 2007 SRP: £99.99 Ingram Micro, VIP

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Microsoft Office Home and Student markets itself as the perfect software suite for students looking to do their homework and coursework. The suite includes Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint plus Word and, for peace of mind, the software is protected by the improved automatic document recovery tool, just in case the PC crashes or goes down.

Teaching Programme The back to school period offers a sales boost for retailers in sectors that usually see slow but steady trade for the rest of the year. Matt Grainger takes a look at the children’s educational software market and talks to some of its key players… “The back to school promotional market offers retailers a fantastic opportunity to maximise sales of education software during this key period” Debbie Hives, Avanquest

58 PCR August

LATE SUMMER is upon us again. For most of us this means working in sweltering heat and suffering rainy weekends, but for the children of the nation it means that the best six weeks of the year are drawing to a close. This is traditionally the time when parents are making sure that their child has all the clothing and equipment that they’ll need for a new school year. It’s a time when university freshmen enjoy a period of unprecedented access

to their parents’ credit account before leaving home for the first time, and for these reasons, the back to school period is a time that offers retailers a valuable boost to sales. “The back to school promotional market offers retailers a fantastic opportunity to maximise sales of education software during this key period,” says Avanquest’s marketing manager Debbie Hives. “The overall category is huge, covering everything

from back to school essentials like pens, pencils and clothing to books, toys, games, software and so on. With massive in-store promotional activity across multiple categories, store traffic increases dramatically, along with a parent’s propensity to spend.” “The back to school market has historically been a great period for sales and promotions,” concurs Koch Media’s head of software sales Joanna Kemp. “It’s a busy time of the year

www.pcr-online.biz

SOFTWARE BACK TO SCHOOL

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Norton Internet Security 2009 protects against all types of online threats. It safeguards your computer, identity, and home network without slowing a computer down. Norton claims that its ‘Pulse Updates’ every 5 to 15 minutes deliver the latest updates faster than any other security software.

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FUN4KIDS LEARN RECORDER SRP: £8.50 Interactive Ideas

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Fun 4 Kidz Recorder is a simple way for children to learn how to play the recorder. Designed with Key Stage 2 students in mind, it features playing tips and an introduction to musical notes, plus a complete history of the instrument. There is also a music creator feature, enabling students to write their own songs and then play them back and watch how each note is created.

where retailers always maximise in-store and online presence with key titles and it gives publishers a large pre-peak sales boost. This is one of the key times of the year for sales – aside from Easter and the annual Christmas peak. Back to school is a major sales time for all publishers.” Focus Multimedia’s PR and marketing manager Grant Hughes adds: “Back to school and Easter are the key promotional periods for

www.pcr-online.biz

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LETTS GCSE MEGA PACK SRP: £34.99 Interactive Ideas

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Guaranteed to help students achieve the best grade possible in all key GCSE subjects. Designed to make revising enjoyable and effective, this software is simple and quick to use and packed full of progress checks to test your knowledge. It also contains useful exam tips and advice.

“This is one of the key times of the year for sales – aside from Easter and the annual Christmas peak. Back to school is a major sales time for all publishers” Joanna Kemp, Koch Media educational software. Many of our retail partners already find that educational software fits in well with their existing back to school

promotions. Educational software isn’t always thought of as a gifting purchase, but we do typically see a marked sales increase in December too.”

MINDSCAPE MATHS TRAINER SRP: £9.78 Interactive Ideas

]

Maths Trainer is an enjoyable way for players to test maths ability. Number skills will be challenged using specially designed exercises that will improve mental arithmetic at work, school or during a daily routine. The software features 12 activities, eight daily tests and four bonus games.

Due to its consistent sales all year round, the children’s educational market is often described as an evergreen market, and it is also unique in that it is blessed with a constantly self-refreshing consumer base. The education system is something that every citizen of this country passes through and so with each passing year, a new segment of the population arises to demand these products. Even better news for IT

>>>

August PCR 59

SOFTWARE BACK TO SCHOOL

[ [

LETTS KEY STAGE 2 TRIPLE PACK SRP: £14.99 Interactive Ideas

]

[ [

]

Learning Ladder has been developed for children aged 8-11 with the aid of experienced teachers, and provides the essential literacy and numeracy skills to help children excel in education. The software features one-to-one lessons, practice activities and interactive exercises.

>>>

retailers is that the PC remains the platform of choice for those in education. “Every child uses a computer at school and the PC is still the most popular learning and revision tool in the home,” remarks Hughes. “Our own range of educational PC software taps into this market by helping parents to improve their children’s learning skills when they are out of school. As a result they are much more likely to excel

60 PCR August

]

WORDS ROCK SRP: £16.99 Koch

]

Covering key stage three literacy skills, this software helps build word power, spelling skills, grammar and punctuation. Each player is one of a bunch of street-smart ‘Freak Seekers’ on the trail of the devious, invisible, slippery ‘super slugs’ and use tricks and gadgets to outsmart the other ‘seekers.’

“Every child uses a computer at school and the PC is still the most popular learning and revision tool in the home.” Grant Hughes, Focus Multimedia while they are in school. In the past, there have been attempts to bring educational software to games consoles and even handhelds, but we are finding that most parents still prefer

[

their children to learn using a PC.” While the recession has had a broad impact on customer spending, Hives remains confident that the back to school period can still offer a boost to

VOLCANIC PANIC SRP: £16.99 Koch

]

Volcanic Panic is all about learning, practising and using number facts in a problem-solving game environment. Its comprehensive game play draws pupils into working and thinking mathematically with confidence and competence and the impressive multi-player option means the whole family can play, each at their own maths level.

Covering the majority of outcomes for the word skills sections of tests for children aged 4-14, this software is also fully correlated with the National Strategy for Literacy. It contains more than 3,000 individually crafted questions and provides a huge and diverse bank of activity types including multiple choice, text input and drag-and-drop.

KS2 Triple Pack contains national test-style practice papers and answers in printable form to get children as close to their actual exam papers as possible. Using colourful graphics and clear facts, the software has memory boosting quick tests to check knowledge and understanding of key points. There are test roundup exercises for each main topic area plus a final practice paper with national test-style questions.

LEARNING LADDER TRIPLE PACK SRP: £14.99 Interactive Ideas

WORD SKILLS SRP: £16.99 Koch

[

ULTIMATE MATHS INVADERS SRP: £16.99 Koch

]

This multi-award winning title will drill mathematics in to the heads of any player, young or old. Aimed primarily at users aged between 515 and covering key stages one to three, players will develop automatic recall of essential mathematics by quickly and accurately repelling waves of descending questions.

sales: “The education market – like all other markets – has been affected by the economic downturn, but the second half of the year looks more promising. As retailers look to broaden their PC offering, we’re optimistic about both the back to school period and the run-up to the fourth quarter and the Christmas period.” Although this is a good time for sales, the wise retailer won’t just wait for the customers to

>>>

www.pcr-online.biz

STARTER PACK for Independents The EdAlive bundle consists of an exciting range of educational software which delivers the highest quality resources to parents and children

Includes the following titles : Word Skills KS1 ● Word Skills KS2 ● Maths Skills KS1 ● Maths Skills KS2 part 1 ● Maths Skills KS2 part 2 Reading Success Emerging ● Reading Success Intermediate ● Words Rock! ● Volcanic Panic Baggin the Dragon ● Ultimate Maths Invaders ● Spelling Force ● EdAlive brochures Directly correlated with the National Curriculum

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Consumer and Business Software

SOFTWARE BACK TO SCHOOL

[

CORELDRAW GRAPHICS SUITE X4 SRP: £379.99 Computers Unlimited

]

With vector illustration, page layout, photo-editing and tracing software, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 is ideal for professional and occasional designers who are tackling any type of graphics project. Precision design tools, a broad range of file compatibility and high-quality graphics content help turn creative ideas into professional results.

[

SPELLING FORCE SRP: £16.99 Koch

]

Spelling Force can assist struggling learners by giving them words appropriate to their level, expand their vocabulary, and challenge them with new words and spelling rules to improve their spelling skills. Spelling Force is simple-to-use spelling software with an extensive bank of graded spelling lists.

>>>

come in. Pushing the right products at the right time can make all the difference. “The back to school market offers high margin potential and the ability to deliver volume sales at the end of what is a traditionally quiet period in retail,” continues Hives. “A well delivered, aggressive, high impact promotion on education titles always delivers a significant uplift in sales.” Choosing the right products can be

62 PCR August

[

BAGGIN’ THE DRAGON SRP: £16.99 Koch

]

Baggin’ the Dragon features practical maths content with a fun game environment. Players use basic number fact knowledge to explore the maths of shape, space and measurements, algebra, graphs and handling data. It’s designed to help children develop mathematical thinking pathways necessary both in everyday life and in higher maths learning.

a tricky business for some retailers, especially those without a clear-cut customer base. Fortunately some distributors and resellers are able to offer some guidance in picking the products that will sell. “For retail and online it’s all about product selection and a massive instore or online presence to attract customers, coupled with strong promotional deals,” says Kemp. “Koch works with all of its customers to

[

TYPING TOURNAMENT SRP: £16.99 Koch

]

Players begin a medieval quest at the ‘Alpine Peaks’ and journey through 16 game environments, building typing skills as they go. Each landmark introduces four new keys and includes an animated lesson, three action typing games and lastly, a typing test to measure progress.

ensure that we are offering maximum support during this key sales period.” “Make sure you stock trusted brands that parents are likely to recognise, and try to cater for the different age ranges,” advises Hughes. “We find the most successful retailers are those who run back to school promotions as part of their key promotional activity, in particular grocery stores where the promotions are capable of covering multiple product categories,”

[

ROXIO CREATOR 2009 SRP: £29.99 Computers Unlimited

]

Ideal for students, this software is everything that is needed to make the most of digital media. Beginners can copy and edit photos or movies, while experienced users can utilize the video editing with effects, transitions and HD support, photo management, touch-up tools and DJ-quality audio tools.

declares Hives. “I would suggest dedicated in-store space using endcaps or cardboard display stands to promote a broad range of titles that cover all the key age groups and subjects. Multi-buy promotions work well as they encourage customers to increase their total spend and therefore deliver more revenue for the retailer. Most parents tend to have more than one child of school age so it’s a great way for them to buy multiple titles at a discounted price.”

www.pcr-online.biz

BACK TO SCHOOL he new school year is fast approaching and Interactive Ideas stocks a range of cuttingedge products and tools that can aid any pupil with their learning. From brain exercising software, interactive encyclopaedias, software training videos and GCSE revision programmes to comfortable mice and headphones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we have something that can help. For effective learning, the best ideas are interactive.

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SOFTWARE MICROSOFT

On top of the

world “The partner is at the heart of everything we do. It sounds clichéd, but the fact is our partner communities generate approximately 96 per cent of our revenue” Simon Aldous, Microsoft

Sum up what Microsoft is all about? The partner is the heart of everything we do. It sounds clichéd, but the fact is our partner communities generate approximately 96 per cent of our revenue, so it isn’t an understatement to say we are absolutely committed to the partner channel. We’re committed to constantly reviewing the way that we deal with our partner community. We need to keep a continuous eye on how the market is changing and consequently, how we need to adapt ourselves to help drive forward the success that we’re looking to achieve. However, we must also be very mindful of the fact that our partners’ business models are changing as well and have continued to change over the past 25 years. How much has Microsoft changed since it arrived in the UK? I don’t think you can compare the Microsoft of 1983 to the version that operates today. It, along with the channel, has changed significantly. I think the biggest thing for me is that

66 PCR August

With Windows 7 and Office 2010 on the way, this year looks set to be one of the busiest ever for Microsoft. Ben Furfie talks to Partner Group manager Simon Aldous to find out the history and ethos behind the world’s biggest software company…

the channel had always been a buy-sell model, due in part because of how the distributors operated. It was all about, could a distributor offer credit? Could a distributor effectively communicate to the resellers that are out there? If you look at what distributors are now doing, they’re really redefining our business and becoming much more of a service orientated operation. We’ve also seen a massive change in terms of what resellers are doing. Can you actually define what a typical reseller is? I don’t think you can at all. Yes, you can gather them up under some generic heading, but realistically what we’re finding is that there is no such thing as two resellers with exactly the same business model. The reality is that many, many reseller organisations are constantly evolving, and are continually looking at what is happening from a technology perspective, from an economic perspective – especially at this time – and what they can do to add value to their end users’ packages.

How has that change impacted the way you work with the channel? If I look at SMBs from a Microsoft perspective, they are all the end customers that have 750 seats and below, which is about 4.4 million businesses. We reach them through the channel – so that’s distribution, resellers and those retailers that service the marketplace. There are simply thousands upon thousands of resellers that fit in that pool. One of the challenges that Microsoft has, and one of the things that we are currently addressing, is that we were very clear about how we would segment and compartmentalise various resellers, based on what we, as vendors, perceived that they do. Now that became a real challenge for us, because the world is a rapidly changing place. We had to recognise that and tailor our engagement strategy based on those partners, to acknowledge that they are all different. It is very difficult to say, ‘now hang on, as far as I am concerned, you’re an ISV, or you’re an IS, you’re a VAR and I’m going to

www.pcr-online.biz

SOFTWARE MICROSOFT

engage with you in this specific way.’ That’s quite an arrogant approach, and to be frank, it’s also not a very effective approach either. We began our current approach in the SMB space at the beginning of this calendar year. It is to really engage with the resellers that sell a lot of Microsoft products, go out, talk to them and profile them more effectively to form an understanding of how much of their business is pure hardware; how much is software; do they do any software development work; how much

We’ve split them into five regions – Scotland and North East, North West, Central, Southern and London. We’ve gone out to them, we’ve spoken to them, we’ve got a handle on their business and how we can work with them, and we’re tailoring our engagement accordingly. They’re all part of the Microsoft partner programme, they get all the benefits of the partner programme, they can all sign up to Microsoft Club – which is the marketing rebate programme we have for our resellers.

“Microsoft, from an SMB perspective, has got a far better handle on what is going in the reseller communities than it has for maybe ten to fifteen years” Simon Aldous, Microsoft of what they do is integration and how much of what they do is connectivity. But it’s not just understanding that sort of thing, it’s also understanding what sort of other vendor accreditation that they have. That is to say, look and consider the technologies that they are focused on and pushing, and really try to build an engagement strategy around them, based on those facts. What has come out of that change in strategy? What’ve we’ve done is look at what we would consider SMB VARs, which from my viewpoint are the top 500 partners that sell Microsoft volume licensing solutions and go to them and work with them proactively, and split them up on a geographic basis.

www.pcr-online.biz

We’ve made sure they are enrolled in those programmes, that those programmes are appropriate to them. I feel that as a company we’ve gained a better understanding of what it is they require from us because of these actions that we’ve taken. Microsoft, from an SMB perspective, has got a far better handle on what is going on in the reseller communities than it has for maybe ten to fifteen years. It’s because we’ve taken the decision to redeploy resources from other roles internally to become partner-facing, reseller-facing resources. That means going out into the regions to see these guys, understanding the challenges, evaluating them and pointing them towards the resources that we have internally.

The point of all this is to help them to better understand our products, our technologies, our solutions. It is to help them better overcome objection handling against competitive scenarios, or even just help teach them some more effective ways to open up sales conversations.

Much of Microsoft’s new drive in the partner community is from the recognition that it failed to support them after the launch of Vista – something that will be rectified with the launch of Windows 7

What sort of response have you had from the resellers you’ve visited so far? We’re seeing a fantastic response from our resellers. We’re hearing that they think it is great. Many of the responses have been along the lines of ‘Microsoft has never really been interested in us for ten years, so why are you coming to us now?’ When we start to have those conversations, initially you get some suspicion about Microsoft’s motivations. But we tell them, we can only be successful if you’re successful and we can only see success if we understand the challenges that you face and the help you require from us. Since we started to engage them, we’ve had some really fantastic conversations and it really is helping us to better align our own thinking and therefore, our own investments and directions moving forward. That’s why our success is so underpinned by the channel community.

August PCR 67

SOFTWARE GAMES

Games Releases This month sees the launch of Batman: Arkham Asylum on PC, a new role playing game, Dawn of Magic 2, hits shelves, and the long anticipated release of the latest Wolfenstein title...

GAME OF THE MONTH BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM Distributor: Centresoft Contact: 0121 625 3388 Available: August 28th Price: £29.99 USING the comic incarnation of Batman rather than the motion pictures as inspiration, this title sees the caped crusader trapped inside the confines of Arkham Asylum – Gotham City's psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Batman has to battle a host of

TITLE

murderous psychopaths, headed up by arch-enemy The Joker. The gameplay is a mixture between beat ‘em up style action and role playing adventure, requiring players to take down enemies in close range combat one minute and work through puzzles the next. The game has received strong critical acclaim in the specialist press previews, and the popularity of the Dark Knight across a variety of media should ensure strong sales for this title.

GENRE

PUBLISHER

TELEPHONE

DISTRIBUTOR

DATE

Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans

Kids

Slitherine

0870 027 0985

Koch

Wolfenstein

FPS

Activision Blizzard

0121 625 3388

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August 14 2009

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RPG/Action

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August 21 2009

August 7 2009

Euro Truck Simulator Gold

Simulation

Excalibur Publishing

01869 338833

Open

August 21 2009

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Action

Eidos

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August 28 2009

Farming Simulator

Simulation

Excalibur Publishing

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Open

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City Interactive

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Navy Seals

Action

City Interactive

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Trilogy

August 28 2009

Pole To Pole

Simulation

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August 28 2009

Section 8

FPS

South Peak

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Centresoft

August 28 2009

Raven Squad

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August

Roogoo

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August

Stronghold Crusader Extreme

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September 4 2009

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Trilogy

September 4 2009

Champions Online

MMORPG

Atari

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September 4 2009

The Humans

Puzzle

Deep Silver

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Need For Speed: Shift

Racing

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Brain College 5

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September 25 2009

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Brain College: Lost Cities Of The Amazon

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City Interactive

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Action

City Interactive

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Premier Manager '10

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Zushi

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3 Simulation Pack

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Championship Manager 2010

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Action/Adventure

Ubisoft

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Crane Simulator

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Digger Simulator

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Tough on threats. Easy on you.

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AVG McAfee Symantec Avast Microsoft Other

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et analysts): pendent mark ber 2008. m mpany (inde ce Co d De , an n are we Softw Source: Co Infrastructure

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Consumer

Electronics PCRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monthly look at recent developments in the consumer electronic market

p 73

p 76

ORANGE

PRODUCT FOCUS

Mark Simm, the operatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manager for Indirect Channels, talks to PCR about how retailers can move in to the mobile sector

PCR takes a look at the Muvi Micro Camcorder and the new Walkman E-Series

www.pcr-online.biz

August PCR 71

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ORANGE

A new frontier? Mobile phone retailers like the Carphone Warehouse have been parking their tanks on the IT sector’s lawn for some time now – a trend which many PC dealers are understandably none too happy about. But does it work both ways? Andrew Wooden asks Mark Simm, Business Manager for Indirect Channels at mobile network operator Orange about how PC retailers can enter the mobile game… “The transition for PC retailers moving into the mobile space is both a challenge and an opportunity” Mark Simm, Orange

www.pcr-online.biz

EVERYONE wants a slice of the PC market these days. If it’s not supermarkets selling laptops it’s mobile phone dealers giving them away. If the thought of taking the fight to them has ever crossed your mind, then perhaps it’s the time to act on it. We wouldn’t advise setting up a fruit and veg aisle to get back at the local Tesco just yet, but moving into the mobile phone sector isn’t as far fetched as it might seem. In an increasingly difficult market – where the effects of a full-blown recession are compounding the long standing problem of large chain, e-tail, and supermarket encroachment, diversification into mobile phones could provide small PC retailers with a new regular source of income. While it may seem a big jump, these days smart phones functionally resemble mini PCs in many respects, while the way

netbooks are being sold – for free or at a reduced price alongside a broadband contract – is much more akin to Nokia’s business model than Dell’s. Mark Simm, business manager for Indirect Channels at network operator Orange thinks it’s possible, and could offer some lucrative benefits for PC retailers: “The transition for PC retailers moving into the mobile space is both a challenge and an opportunity. With the growth of mobile broadband and embedded SIMs sold with laptops, the PC retailer is gaining experience of working with the mobile networks. It’s a natural progression for the PC retailer to move into mobility and mobile phones from working on the mobile broadband propositions. If a PC retailer has the will and desire to move into the mobile phone market then the opportunity to sell a full mobile

August PCR 73

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ORANGE

package to a customer is a very achievable objective.” On a technological level, there are more similarities than differences between a state-of-the-art smart phone and a netbook. Without a great deal of research required, understanding the functions well enough to confidently sell them to a customer should pose less of a learning curve than some of the other product categories that have been diversified into over recent years, such as GPS devices. The telecoms industry has been pushing this cross pollination for some time, and with such investment behind it we’re likely to see more melding in the future. “The dividing lines between the IT and telecoms industries are blurring increasingly as devices and mobile networks are pushing for convergence solutions,” continues Simm. “The IT market is in a strong position to take advantage of the benefits of working with mobile operators, which allows them to offer a full end-to-end solution to their customers with all the

74 PCR August

additional revenues that can be made from this. Likewise the traditional telecom dealers can now extend their mobile portfolio and IT products to also lock in their customers. We will likely see these industries become increasingly linked as companies see IT and Mobile Voice and Data form one requirement.”

diversification has kept many companies alive, and the fact there are so many businesses looking to sell phones means there’s certainly money to be made from stocking them. For those who would consider taking the plunge, Simms suggests: “The advice we would give to a PC retailer is to be prepared to work with contracts and

“The dividing lines between the IT and Telecoms industries are blurring increasingly as devices and mobile networks are pushing for convergence solutions” Mark Simm, Orange For those PC dealers that would consider diversifying into mobile phones, probably the most alien aspect wouldn’t be the phones themselves, but the practices endemic to consumer contract selling. This, coupled with the fact that the mobile retail sector is well established, could be enough to put many IT dealers off the market. The other way to look at it is that similar

all the potential issues of commission clawback, fraud, bad debt and so on. A PC retailer will be comfortable with a straightforward contractual process, such as purchase order, supply and then invoice. The mobility solution has a number of other factors to consider when a customer buys the solution and a PC retailer should be aware of this.

“They should also look at other competitors in the market to get a feel of the offers out in the market. The mobile industry is a crowded market place already and any new partners will need to be competitive and also if possible, add value as a differentiator.”

www.pcr-online.biz

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PRODUCT FOCUS

Walkman E-Series Sony’s new entry level video MP3 players offer serious features in a small package DESPITE being one of the original innovators in the portable music category, Sony has somewhat lagged behind in the digital media age. This is something that it hopes to rectify with its latest additions to its entry level range, which the vendor claims is “packed with Sony innovation”. Just 9.3mm thick, the Walkman ESeries offers a two-inch QVGA colour LCD screen for viewing videos, images or playlists, and a variety of sound enhancement features. These include Sony’s Clear Audio technology for sound clarity, the inclusion of Clear Stereo reduces leakage between the left and right channels, and the Clear Bass feature reduces the distortion attributed to low-end frequencies. A five-band equaliser allows the user to fine tune their audio, while a

Dynamic Normaliser automatically balances volume levels between songs to ensure a smooth listening experience. A high quality FM radio tuner is included and broadcasts can be recorded at the touch of a button The device also supports a wide range of digital media formats, including rights-managed WMA and WMV, and its Content Transfer software allows audio files to be dragged and dropped in to the device. Additionally, the software will make any file conversions automatically, if needed. These features are further supported by a lengthened battery life, which can deliver up to 30 hours of music streaming or six hours of video playback on a single charge. The device comes in red or black.

“Just 9.3mm thick, the Walkman E-Series offers a two-inch QVGA colour LCD screen for viewing videos, images or playlists, and a variety of sound enhancement features”

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Muvi Micro Camcorder World’s smallest digital video recorder is now available with an Extreme Sports Pack SINCE the first suitcase-sized devices albeit at higher rate of memory usage. graced people’s shoulders, the video The device comes pre-equipped with recorder world has been on the steady up to two gigabytes of MicroSD storage march of miniaturisation – especially that can be upgraded to eight gigabytes since the introduction of digital to store up to four and a half hours of home recording. footage, and its “The addition of an lithium ion battery At just 55mm in length – a size Extreme Sports Pack offers up to three comparable to a is an intelligent use hours of constant use pen cap – Veho’s from a single charge. of the Muvi’s Muvi Micro The addition of an strengths, Camcorder seems Extreme Sports Pack is compactness and to be the an intelligent use of culmination of a the Muvi’s strengths, portability” movement that compactness and reduces size but not functionality. The portability, to add appeal to the high-resolution camera offers a 640 x extreme sporting crowd. The pack 480 image quality, recorded at 30 includes a spring-loaded handlebar clip frames per second with a 72-degree and mounting bracket, helmet and arm field of view. High-speed recording can straps, a magnetic wall mount and a enable slow motion action footage – silicon protective case.

76 PCR August

www.pcr-online.biz

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>>> THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

MARKETPLACE

ADVERTISER CONTACTS Agency Sales 01623 473 040

aslweb.co.uk

Bluepoint 0870 121 8001

bluepoint.net

Brigantia 01765 603 300

brigantia.com

Broadband first 0800 027 0346

broadbandfirst.co.uk

CD Writer 0208 293 0777

cd-writer.com

Computer gear 0121 503 0666

computergear.co.uk

Enet 07801 818 815

enetcomputers.net

Expodata 0870 077 0077

pctestpro.com

GEM 01279 822 822

gem.co.uk

Ideal Software 01767 689 720

idealsoftware.net

Interactive Ideas 0208 805 1000

interactiveideas.com

Kaspersky 0871 789 1632

kaspersky.co.uk

Keyboard Co 0845 205 5555

keyboardco.com

Laptops direct 0844 412 4513

laptopsdirect.co.uk

Real computers 0208 522 1522 Realtime 01480 435 881

realcomputer.net

realtimeonline.co.uk/

SDA 0161 819 1515

sdatrading.com

SJ Software 01282 865 500

sjsoftware.co.uk

Solwise 0845 458 4558

solwise.co.uk

TADL 0845 370 8668

tadlassist.com

VIP 0871 622 7500

vip-computers.com/uk

Wasp 0845 430 1971

waspbarcode.co.uk

www.pcr-online.biz

To advertise on these pages please call Carly Bailey: 01992 535647 carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk August PCR 79

MARKETPLACE NEWS

Kaspersky targets independents Security vendor describes independent dealers as crucial to its retail push “We feel it is important to reach out to independents. They play a major part in the channel” Simon Geach, Kaspersky

KASPERSKY is targeting the independent channel in a new campaign to increase its market share in the UK. The security vendor recently announced plans to team up with Target Distribution to supply its 2010 range of software to its resellers and system integrators. Consumer sales director at Kaspersky Labs UK, Simon Geach said the

deal would open ‘previously untapped channels.’ “Kaspersky has deals with some significant multiple resellers, which is good, but it doesn’t allow us to reach those parts of the market that they don’t cover,” he told PCR, explaining why independents were seen as crucial to its plans. “That’s where partners like Target come in. They allow us to reach a customer base that

we otherwise couldn’t reach. It also allows smaller and independent resellers, who otherwise might struggle to get onto our partner programme, to access it and the benefits it brings. We feel it is important to reach out to independents. They play a major part in the channel, and we feel that to be able to assist them will have benefits for ourselves, as well as them,” added Geach.

Simon Geach

Target to match up repair providers Distributor looks to increase independents’ revenue with new cooperative skill-share programme TARGET will officially launch its Technology Skills-Share programme at its open day this month, PCR can reveal. The programme is intended to put resellers with different skills in touch with each other, so that they can both get extra business by working together. “Resellers that offer a complete repair service, including the more technical

and complex repairs, such as laptop motherboard repairs, can increase their business by offering their full range of services to other resellers,” explained Target’s managing director Paul Cubbage. “Those who offer a partial service – for example, they can do screen replacements, but not to the level of soldering – can both increase their

business on the services they offer and extend their range by offering more complex repairs.” As well as boosting the number of jobs a reseller can take on, the programme will also have a positive effect on the distributor’s recently launched spares programme. “The pricing will be transparent throughout, with a

menu of services offered, clearly showing the provider’s charge, the total charge including transport and administration fees, and the suggested price to the consumer,” said Cubbage. “We have a wide customer base that offers their end customers all sorts of IT products and services, but in simple terms all of our customers would like

Paul Cubbage

more business and all our customers would like to increase their service offering.”

MARKETPLACE NEWS

NewsBytes SPIRE SIGNS OCZ Spire is set to distribute high-end memory vendor OCZ. The deal was hailed by the distributor as fitting in ‘perfectly’ with the rest of its products and brands. OCZ’s performance memory, flash media and power supplies are to be stocked by the distributor. Sales and marketing director at Spire, John Appleton said that the range had shown itself to be recession proof and offered a great opportunity for its resellers

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A-VIP VIP has signed a deal with Sanyo that will see it increase exposure to the audio-visual market. The agreement means that the distributor will now stock televisions and digital cameras, alongside its traditional lines. The firm has described it as “a great time” to enter the AV market.

Meroncourt to re-fresh Raptor DISTRIBUTOR Meroncourt has laid out its plans to boost its presence in what it sees as a growing gaming peripherals market, following a deal with Raptor Gaming. The firm is confident it can help the brand succeed in the UK following previous failed attempts, with a strong marketing drive. Despite the fragile economy, sales director Steve Walsh told PCR that he is confident of the brand and the sector: “PC Gaming is one of

the few areas still continuing to show growth even during these tough economical times, so it is something any sensible retailer should consider giving some focus. “Raptor is a brand which has been active and successful in mainland Europe for many years and a couple of minor trials in the UK have not worked for them so they approached us as they are aware of our status in the UK market and gaming scene.”

EDUCATION LICENSING Microsoft is to bring in sweeping changes to its educational licensing programme, including removing the need to buy licenses for every computer, regardless of whether it can run the software or not. Education body BECTA has praised the move.

SERVERS OUTLOOK ROSEY Server revenues are believed to have declined by 39.3 per cent compared to the same time last year according to IDC. However, the analyst was more optimistic about the second half of the year. It said that server sales are expected to return to positive growth by the end of 2009. IMAGO JOINS SYNAXON Synaxon has further expanded its product range after it welcomed video communications specialists Imago on board. The Manchesterbased distributor becomes the 22nd company to allow its products to be sold through the buying group’s online purchasing platform EGIS. Synaxon UK MD Derek Jones said it added “a further dimension” to the group’s offerings. ZIGOR FORMS PARTNERSHIP WITH MICRO-P Micro-P has been appointed by power supply specialist Zigor to distribute its products in the UK. The vendor, which produces uninterruptable power supplies and various associated software solutions, said the deal would allow it to expand its marketshare in the UK by a significant margin. FAILING TO SAAS-TISFY Gartner has warned that Software as a Service (SaaS) is failing to impress users. It found 56 per cent plan to maintain current levels of deployment, while less than a third are planning to expand it. “Our research findings did not exactly provide a ringing endorsement of SaaS, in fact I would go as far as to say that satisfaction levels among SaaS users are little more than lukewarm,” said Gartner’s research vice president, Ben Pring.

MARKETPLACE BRIGANTIA

Where do we stand? This month Brigantia’s Iain Shaw talks about EU consumer directives and independent retailers’ obligations regarding warranties...

CONTACT IAIN SHAW info@brigantia.com 0870 160 3215 www.brigantia.com Iain invites opinions from PCR readers and will respond though this column

82 PCR August

RECENTLY The Guardian reported a news story where someone quoting EU consumer law got Tesco to replace a faulty 18 month-old TV. This caused a great deal of debate on the Brigantia members forum about where members stood and what contingency plans they had to deal with similar situations, perhaps involving a faulty 18 monthold laptop. Manufacturers warrant the laptop for 12 months, but the EU makes the retailer responsible for a minimum of two years and up to six years. Opinions amongst members varied, so at Brigantia we thought it was time to get some answers. One major benefit of Brigantia membership for indies is access to our free legal and business support helpline provided by Croner Consulting. We turned to Basil Long, senior legal consultant at the firm, for his opinion on the matter: “There has been a considerable amount of confusion in this area of law. I read the article myself and it is factually incorrect on a number of points. “Unfortunately the EU website itself is also incorrect. There is no legal

obligation to offer a warranty. The EU directive does not alter this. It is a commercial decision as to whether a retailer or vendor offers a warranty. “The goods supplied must be fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality. There is a lot of discussion as to what this actually means and generally the higher the value of the goods, the longer it should remain free from defect. Whether an item is fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality will be a question of what the item is and what the problem is, and will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Where a defect becomes apparent within the first six months the obligation is on

“There is no legal obligation to offer a warranty. The EU directive does not alter this. It is a commercial decision as to whether a retailer or vendor offers a warranty”

the seller to show that the goods were supplied fit for purpose. After the first six months of ownership, the obligation is on the buyer to show that the defect was in existence on sale. “The obligation on the seller is to repair or replace. The choice of repair or replacement is with the buyer. There is only an obligation to refund where repair or replacement is impossible or disproportionate, or where the seller has been unable to repair or replace the item within a reasonable amount of time. Rather than have a full refund, the seller can choose to keep the item but take a reduction on the price. “There is a six-year limit on any contract claim in England and Wales. It is during this time that any argument as to fit for purpose or quality must be brought, however the defect must have been in place at the time of the contract. This is the provision which the EU legislated that there must be a minimum of two years, and so doesn’t affect England and Wales. “Where a warranty is given, it is binding on the seller. The customer has a contract with the seller, and not the manufacturer. Sellers should therefore make sure that any contract they have with the manufacturer or their supplier has adequate provisions for recovery of costs under the warranty. If there are not, then the seller could be bound by a warranty but be unable to recover any incurred costs from the manufacturer.” Unfortunately the guidance on the EU website does refer to a two year warranty, but this is not what the legislation says. “It is important to note that TSO and CAB will always take the side of the consumer and so look to achieve maximum benefit for them. However, they may not always be in possession of the complete facts.” Next month I will be talking about centralized purchasing for buying groups and I would invite any feedback from indies around this topic.

www.pcr-online.biz

INDIE PROFILE/EVENTS MARKETPLACE

INDIE PROFILE This month Roger Humm talks to Norman Ellis of Albatros Computers in York… ALBATROS COMPUTERS opened its doors for business at its current retail premises in York in May 1998. The founder and owner Norman Ellis had previously worked in the corporate sector but always had a dream of owning and running his own business. Finding a suitable shop with living accommodation close to the centre of York, Ellis sold the family house, said farewell to his long term employers, and put 100 per cent commitment into his new commercial venture. Albatros was one of the first independent computer service providers to be established in York and after just two years trading was turning over more than £200,000 per annum. Initially the business revolved around sales and support for consumers and enjoyed a virtual monopoly in York for the first few years of operation.

FACT BOX Year Established: 1998 Number of Outlets: 1 Number of staff: 2 Regular Vendor Lines: AMD, APC, BullGuard, HP, Hauppauge, Intel, JetTec, Microsoft, Netgear, OpenOffice, Protector Products, Seagate, Trust and Ubuntu

The trading conditions in York, according to Ellis, have been tough over the last couple of years and the credit crunch has brought even more challenges. Consumer sales have fallen as competition has become ever fiercer from the online etailers and supermarkets. The Albatros business has developed though and following the pattern of other successful Brigantia members, Ellis has developed and steadily built up the repair and

service side of his business model. “Although we continue to look after our loyal consumer customers we are now concentrating mainly on business to business services, and we are firm believers that our membership of the ITACS trade association, Brigantia buying group and our relationship with other Indies and associated distributors will see us through these hard times. The key is hard work and keeping one step ahead of the game," said Ellis.

Contact name and address: Norman Ellis, Albatros Computers, 189 Burton Stone Lane, York, YO30 3DG. Email: sales@albatros.co.uk Website: www.albatros.co.uk

Roger Humm is Head of Membership Relations at Brigantia Computer Experts – roger.humm@brigantia.com

STORAGE EXPO

LGC www.pcr-online.biz

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DIARY DATES 2009 The UK’s channel calendar is full of important events. Here are some upcoming highlights…

OCTOBER 2009 STORAGE EXPO 2009 October 14th–15th Olympia, London Storage Expo is the UK's leading storage event, with all the major names in the channel present. Designed for both resellers and CIOs, Storage Expo is a melting pot of IT professionals, providing the ideal opportunity for resellers to not just find out about the latest products and developments in the channel, but also network with companies that are actively seeking a new storage solution. The event also has a number of educational programmes designed to boost your knowledge and understanding of the market, as well as discuss solutions with experts and peers.

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION 2009 FORUM October 18th-21st Arizona Grand Resort, USA The 2008 CEA Industry Forum is a four-day conference designed to inform and connect leaders in the consumer electronics industry. The Industry Forum offers a chance to network with over 400 of the industry’s top executives and decision-makers from retailers, manufacturers, vendors and service provider companies. The event offers the opportunity to participate in membership meetings, learn about the latest market research from the Consumer Electronics Association and attend specialist programming designed to keep you up-to-date on the latest issues affecting the consumer electronics industry.

LONDON GAMES CONFERENCE October 27th BAFTA, London The London Games Conference will take place during the increasingly popular London Games Festival on Tuesday October 27th at BAFTA in Piccadilly. Organiser Intent Media, which publishes MCV and PCR, expects up to 200 delegates. It is also introducing a different concept to previous games seminars. One key element of the London Games Conference is value for money, with the walk-up rate for the day being only £229. This is half the price of last year’s Games 3.0 conference. Members of the ELSPA and TIGA trade bodies will be able to gain a further discount, bringing the cost to under £200 per delegate.

If you would like to promote your event, please contact: andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk This information is believed to be correct, but potential visitors should confirm details with show organisers before making arrangements to attend

August PCR 83

MARKETPLACE TCA NEWS

You don’t progress by

standing still Keith Warburton, the CEO of the new Technology Channels Association talks about the merger with the Mac Technology Association and what it means... BY NOW READERS will be aware that the PCA has progressed to become the TCA – the Technology Channels Association– by joining with the Mac Technology Association. Since you will probably have already read the press releases and the comment around them, I thought you might also appreciate a bit of the inside story. The Personal Computer Direct Marketers’ Association was founded in 1993 as a group for UK system builders. Within a year it had changed to encompass vendors and distributors as well, and in 1995 it was renamed the Personal Computer Association. Wishing to underline our views on standards of trading we became the Professional Computing Association in 2003, introducing a personal membership category at that time, and in 2004, we introduced the Confidence Assured membership category aimed specifically at independent resellers. As you can see, we’ve never been afraid of change. We know that just like any commercial organisation, trade associations must change to reflect changes in their markets, and we’ve seen other bodies fail over the years because they were unable to adapt. Economies of scale are probably more significant for trade associations than they are for commercial enterprises; it is incredibly difficult for any proper membership body to do all the things it should do, with just part time volunteer staff. Happily we have full time as well as part time staff and are thus able to be pretty productive. The Mac Technology Association had not yet grown sufficiently to support full time staff. The recognition that the boundaries between technologies are blurring enabled the two organisations to begin discussions over a year ago, drawing on a history of co-operation in various events and initiatives.

84 PCR August

The other key factor in our change is the recognition that we are, above all a channel organisation, working for the benefit of the whole channel. We’ve had the ethos of ‘keeping the industry as strong as possible for as long as possible’ for many years. Our involvement in various elements of legislation, our campaigns on channel issues, and our Code of Practice, all bear witness to our commitment to the well-being of the channel. The Technology Channels Association recognises this from the start and is an overdue change that we’ve been discussing for several years. We’ll be retaining the ‘Confidence Assured’ logo for our reseller members to use in their marketing and promotions, and the existing one, together with PCA membership certificates can be used alongside the new ones until all of our members have been transferred to the new system. Speaking of which, we aim to have our new membership admin system up and running by the time you read this. With a bit of luck you’ll be able to find it at www.tcauk.org In these challenging times, all players in all channels need to work together, in their own interest and those of their customers. More than ever, vendors are keen to engage with their resellers. One of the biggest issues affecting all of us, particularly independent resellers, is that they find it hard to give their suppliers the amount of time they want – they are too busy looking after their clients. The TCA aims to ease this, and we’ll be providing details of local ‘out of hours’ meetings later in the year. By the time you read this, summer will be in full downpour. I hope you are able to take advantage of a few quieter weeks in order to recharge your batteries and prepare for what we all hope will be a very busy fourth quarter.

“In these challenging times, all players in all channels need to work together, in their own interest and those of their customers”

Robert French is the newly appointed chairman of the TCA

Keith Warburton, TCA

Keith Warburton is the CEO of The Technology Channels Association, the recently renamed, not-for-profit trade body with membership made up of businesses from all parts of the channel. Visit www.tcauk.org for more information or email keith.warburton@tcauk.org.

www.pcr-online.biz

MAC TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION MARKETPLACE

ROBERT PECKHAM is the Executive Director of the MAC TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION, which began life as The UK Mac–Dealer Association five years ago, and re–branded in 2007 to reflect the changing, consultancy and services–driven business model that many Apple resellers have now adopted.

>>> WWW.MACTECHNOLOGY.ORG.UK >>> INFO@MACTECHNOLOGY.ORG >>> TELEPHONE: 08717 177264

Don’t say

goodbye, say see you later The Mac Technology Association’s Robert Peckham joins the Technology Channel Association...

Geoff Carr (far left), Robert Peckham (second left) and Keith Warburton (far right) look forward to working together. They’re pictured with Adam Afriye, MP

www.pcr-online.biz

CONVERGENCE is now upon us in a big way. In my sitting room I have recently connected a Apple Mac Mini to my HD LCD TV, so my family can do all kinds of photo, video, music and games stuff, and also browse the internet on a big screen while sitting around in comfy chairs. This computer is presently used far more than the cable box it sits next to, or the sadly redundant DVD player beneath it. Convergence is happening elsewhere too, not least of all in the world of trade associations, as proved by the fact that this is the last column I shall ever write for PCR as the executive director of the Mac Technology Association. Why? Because by the time you read this, the Mac Technology Association will have converged with our good friends at the PCA to form a new, bigger, more diverse and more influential trade association – the Technology Channels Association. When the original MTA directors first discussed the concept of a co-operative group for the Mac Reseller channel way back in the summer of 2003, (which we originally called the UK Mac-Dealer Association) we had some very clearly defined goals and aspirations. One essential factor during these early years of our development was the advice

and support we received from the Professional Computing Association, and in particular Keith Warburton, whose experience in growing and managing the PCA gave us a real foundation for quickly establishing a credible organisation. We changed our name in 2007 to reflect the different nature of how our Association is viewed by the Mac-buying public. But we’ve increasingly had to think again about how to best serve a massively growing and diversifying channel of Apple resellers who are themselves facing greater challenges. Over a year ago we began investigating the possibility of merging the Mac Technology Association with the PCA, and these discussions have led to the formation of the Technology Channels Association, which was launched officially on July 9th 2009. Our membership, both current and future, will benefit greatly from this convergence, but they will be hearing about this directly. And I’m sure you’ll be very pleased to hear that I am joining the TCA as its Mac channel specialist, so my future columns for PCR will be written as part of this new role. So goodbye from the Mac Technology Association, hello from the Technology Channels Association, and I look forward to meeting you all at many future events.

August PCR 85

ITACS NEWS

INDEPENDENT TRADE ASSOCIATION OF COMPUTING SPECIALISTS YOU CAN CONTACT ITACS ON 08445 763 760 OR VISIT WWW.ITACS.ORG.UK

Retailing in the

credit crunch ITACS chairman Matthew Woolley, talks about repairs and his dialogue with Microsoft... THE MULTIPLES are suffering through the credit crunch the same as independent retailers. It’s the low profit items that are moving, such as net-books and laptops, with some shops giving them away free with a mobile bundle. We know the mobile bundle subsidises the laptop but as far as customers are concerned the laptop is free. That lowers the expected price for any servicing work and repairs – why pay to get a free thing fixed? For the retailer this results in short-term gain at the cost of long-term profit. This industry is good at shooting itself in the foot. These goods cost money to sell and support. As such we should all try and make a profit doing so. The shops giving them away for free generally do not service them and that’s where we come in. We, the smaller guy, can charge a reasonable amount to the customer and still make a profit. The availability of laptop spares has increased greatly in the last six months whilst prices are dropping. If you don’t fix laptops then outsource them to companies that do. Keep your customer. That should be the long-term business plan. Fixing software issues We have plenty of tools to fix Windows XP, but there are very few to fix Vista. We have recently

86 PCR August

“If you don’t fix laptops, then outsource them to companies that do. Keep your customer. That should be the long-term business plan”

entered into discussions with Microsoft about several topics, including releasing more tools and utilities so that we can repair PCs without having to wipe them. We hope they take this on board as we enter the hype phase for Windows 7, about which the industry has so far had only good things to say. We’re also discussing with Microsoft the issue of worn Certificates of Authenticity. Our customers want us to be able to repair their computers and that means having the product key on a sticker that lasts. Over 45 per cent of computers sold next year will be domestic. ITACS is dedicated to being the independent voice that consumers can turn to. To have a voice, we need members. There are things that need to be changed. With your help we can level the playing field.

MARKETPLACE

NASCR NEWS

Piracy: For or Against? NASCR committee member Geoff Carr uses this month’s column to talk about the effect of piracy...

“Many people consider that the only victims of piracy are undeserving fat cat executives, forgetting that everyone involved in production and sales are also affected”

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPECIALIST COMPUTER RETAILERS YOU CAN CONTACT NASCR ON 08456 440715 OR VISIT WWW.NASCR.ORG

AT THE MOMENT there are a lot of column inches in newspapers, magazines, online comments and blogs being filled with pro-piracy sentiments. Unbelievably, a political party has even been elected in Sweden to further the cause. It has all been sparked off by the convictions of the founders of Pirate Bay. This is a file sharing site that, unlike others, overtly advocates piracy. Many people consider that the only victims of piracy are undeserving fat cat executives, forgetting that everyone involved in production and sales are also affected. There is a dilemma for the IT retailer as to where he should stand because there are issues to address that are different from other viewpoints. The lack of opportunity for selling software hits at profits and the competition against someone who is hard-drive loading even affects hardware sales. Other than the hard drive loading already mentioned, which could attract unwanted attention from the mighty Microsoft, some dodgy dealers may be tempted to visit computer fairs and car boot sales to sell home-recorded CDs and DVDs. This is generally done without any mention in the accounts to avoid VAT, taxes and NI leaving them worried about a firm grip on the shoulder by Trading Standards and other authorities. Chipping games consoles as a profitable sideline? Once again there’s the possibility of going to jail. So piracy is still stealing and getting involved in it not only damages legitimate sales but crosses the line into the criminal world. Retailers should keep a clear conscience and instead of ‘fighting fire with fire,’ if they are directly affected by other’s activities, they should report them.

www.pcr-online.biz

MARKETPLACE COMPANY PROFILE

Pushing it to the ‘Max With a clear target of becoming a Tier One vendor in the next 12 months, and a major High Street deal in the bag, it's an exciting time at networking vendor Edimax. Ben Furfie speaks to UK director Kenneth Teh…

Phone: 0845 123 8307 Web: www.edimax.co.uk

88 PCR August

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CONTACT

FOUNDED in 1987 as a shoe and luggage vendor, Edimax has become a leading original equipment manufacturer, supplying many of the world’s largest vendors with the networking technology behind market leading products. The company was instrumental in the introduction of network cards, but after over two decades behind the scenes, it is looking to grow its brand

A major part of the vendor’s strategy is to cover all aspects of the retail channel. The first fruits of this policy emerged at the very end of July with the announcement that the UK’s second largest supermarket chain, Asda, was to stock Edimax’s range of networking products. However, Teh is adamant that this is not the end of the vendor’s strategy to break retail, but merely the beginning. “We’re in

“We’re not quite there yet in terms of how we’re perceived, but we have got all the branding and the product qualities of a Tier One brand” Kenneth Teh, Edimax

to rival the likes of Netgear, Belkin and Linksys on the High Street shelf. Edimax UK director Kenneth Teh is confident that the combination of its research and development operation and its strong ethos of customer service will help it become the next Tier One networking vendor. “As a manufacturer, we started in the OEM business,” Teh explains. “About eight to ten years ago, we decided to use the Edimax name as a brand for our networking products. We eventually entered Europe, and then we opened a branch in the UK nearly seven years ago to push Edimax as a tier two brand. “Eventually, we grew to the point where pretty much everyone in the trade had heard of Edimax. As a Tier Two manufacturer, we upgraded our designs, the quality of the product – everything from the design of the case to the easy-use installation software – to get up to the Tier One image. We’re not quite there yet. In terms of how we’re perceived, but we have got all the branding and the product qualities of a Tier One brand.” To change perception of the brand, it must enter the High Street, claims Teh. “The next major challenge – and key to attaining that Tier One status – is breaking into the retail channel. This is the way to make everyone aware of the Edimax name.”

contact with many of the big UK electricals retailers, and we’re hoping that after we begin selling into Asda, they will take us onboard.” The other part of the company’s strategy remains its focus on unique products. “We have two research and development centres: one is in Shanghai, the other is in Taiwan. This is a result of our founding as an OEM business. Manufacturing is still about 50 to 70 per cent of our revenues, while the other 30 per cent is Edimax. A lot of major brands out there – obviously, I can’t tell you who – use Edimax technology at the heart of their products. “Edimax has always wanted to become a unique manufacturer, because networking has now become so common,” he adds. “Wireless cards used to be a prestigious product, but these days they are standard fare. So now, to differentiate ourselves, we have to put an emphasis on the product’s service or the uniqueness of the product that we’re trying to introduce into the market.” Teh says that one of the key aspects of the renewed push is the

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COMPANY PROFILE MARKETPLACE

home integration market: “If you look at media servers, they can cost nearly £500. That’s an awful lot of money, especially in the current climate. We instead supply a router that can act as a media hub, so people can use their own laptop as a media centre, or if they so wish, they can buy a media streamer. But separately, they are a considerably cheaper proposition than buying one specialised device.” The firm is also pushing easy usage as a key selling point. For instance, it is looking to remove the need to remember IP numbers. “Instead of having to write down every device’s

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unique IP address, users can simply give the device a name and then enter it into the router and it will work. It’s all about making things easier to use.” The channel is also set to benefit from this approach” says Teh. “While the customer might still spend £500 on a solution, instead of a media server costing the same, and maybe only having a five per cent margin, you might have five £100 devices. That all have an eight per cent margin. It’s not hard to work out that the reseller can benefit from that.” “Customer service, product quality, price and the strength of our reseller partners all work together to influence the outcome of a product and brand. That’s why it is so important to pay attention to those factors.” He was also critical of Edimax’s

“It’s important to focus on other factors, such as customer service and product quality, as well as the price you set your product at. Price competition is tiring and it is also unhealthy for the channel” Kenneth Teh, Edimax rivals who play the ‘price game’. “You can’t always claim to be the cheapest brand out there on the market; there will always be someone cheaper than you. So it’s important to focus on other factors, such as customer service and product quality, as well as the price you set your product at. Price competition is tiring and it is also unhealthy for the channel.” As for what the next 12 months hold for Edimax, Teh is optimistic. “This year, we want to become a Tier One rated vendor. We’ve seen significant growth over the years, and now is the time for us to establish ourselves as a Tier One vendor. We already have the products of a Tier One vendor, we just have to prove to our partners that we already are one.”

August PCR 89

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Sony launches first netbook Vendor emphasises connectivity aspect Stresses that it isn’t designed to replace a user’s main PC SONY has unveiled its first netbook, the VAIO W, emphasising it as a device for the web-centric lifestyle rather than a replacement for a desktop or laptop. Powered by Intel’s Atom N280 and sporting 1GB RAM with a 160GB hard drive, the device is being pitched at the chic crowd, with the vendor’s marketing concentrating on web browsing rather than content creation. According to Sony, the device is chiefly being positioned as a vehicle for social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace. It has a 10.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1366x768. Its 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio cuts down on the need to scroll sideways to view websites. Above the screen is an integrated webcam for video chat functionality and taking pictures.

The VAIO W is available in three suitably chic colours – sugar white, berry red and cocoa brown. The device will available from the middle of this month.

92 PCR August

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Acer’s new mid-range laptops are marketed as ‘powerful and stylish entertainment solutions’

Acer unveils 7738 and 5738 series Multimedia laptops take aim at mid-market, with wide range of features for leisure users

“Security is also a key part of the design, with integrated fingerprint scanners running on the vendor’s Bio-Protection software, which is included”

ACER has launched its new Aspire 7738 and 5738 series laptops, which are positioned as ‘powerful and stylish entertainment solutions’. The two models feature a number of stylistic features, such as intricate NeoWeave palm rests, designed to reduce slipping and discomfort, quick keys for frequently used functions, and a multi-gesture touchpad. Both come with Dolby Home Theatre, optional Blu-ray drives and a choice of integrated or discrete graphics solutions. Available in a variety of sizes, the device’s displays are high definition, native 16:9 and are made with Acer’s CineCrystal panel technology. Above the screens is an integrated webcam.

The 7738 and 5738 series feature Intel Centrino 2 processors, as well as large storage capacity and 4GB of dual channel DDR3 RAM. Both of these models feature Intel’s Wireless Wi-Fi Link technology, which gives it dualband, quad-mode 802.11a/b/g/n networking, and optional Bluetooth. The 5738 also comes with the option of integrated 3G connectivity. Security is also a key part of the design, with integrated fingerprint scanners running on the vendor’s BioProtection software, which is included. Meanwhile the Acer Backup Key also allows users to copy their files to another location without comprehensive computing knowledge.

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August PCR 93

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Packard Bell details iMedia range High-powered PC series launched, with emphasis on performance at a low price point PACKARD BELL has launched the updated iMedia range of PC desktops. Featuring a new design, as well as a chassis that is around 60 per cent smaller than a regular desktop, the new iMedia series is being pitched as the ideal computer for those users who want a powerful solution, without paying a high price tag. Packard Bell is pushing the benefits of the desktop, and as part of the drive is reiterating that they have better performance and storage space than

laptops, along with the ability to expand and upgrade at a later date. The design of the PC itself – a major emphasis for the vendor – is black and chrome, with its many card and media slots placed at the top of the machine. Despite its small form factor, it will not be underpowered. The top of the range model will come with either an Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom II X4 processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 1TB hard disk drive, Blu-ray and an Nvidia GT230 1.5GB graphics card.

“They have better performance and storage space than laptops, along with the ability to expand and upgrade at a later date”

94 PCR August

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HP updates its workstation range New high-end devices to make use of the latest AMD multi-core Opteron processors The xw9400 incorporates AMD’s multi-core technology and ATI’s graphics accelerators

HP HAS announced that it will be integrating AMD’s six-core Opteron 2400 series into its new family of desktop workstations. The xw9400 workstation is designed for high-end professional applications, such as in the engineering, 3D digital content creation, oil and gas, and science industries. “HP understands the immense pressure its customers are under to deliver more return on investment in a shorter period of time,” said the director of worldwide marketing for workstations at HP, Jeff Wood. “By providing the most extreme combination of technologies – up to 12 cores in one workstation – HP

continues its commitment to bringing customers leading-edge technologies.” “The six-core AMD Opteron processor delivers top-line performance with no compromise in feature sets across the product line,” added AMD’s director of business development for server workstations, John Fruehe. “Including the six-core AMD Opteron processor and ATI FirePro V7750 3-D workstation graphics accelerator in the powerful HP xw9400 offers customers an optimal combination of computing performance and high-end graphics capability.“ The workstation is now available in the US, with UK availability expected to be announced this month.

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August PCR 95

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Dell introduces 12-inch Vostro New smaller laptop launched after strong demand from the business community DELL has set its sights on the 12-inch business market with the launch of its latest Vostro laptop. Designed to provide business users with features that would normally only be found in much higher priced and bulkier devices, the range emphasises performance and a long battery life. The base model of the Vostro 1220 has Intel Core 2 Duo processors, ninehours battery life and weighs 1.5KG. It also comes with Dell Video Chat, solid state drives, fingerprint readers and encryption software to protect data. This new line comes after market analyst IDC predicted a growth of 35

“The Vostro 1220 combines performance, built-in security and long battery life with useful features, like video conferencing, to be the ideal weapon of choice for any road warrior” Sam Burd, Dell

per cent for the 12-inch business market. “This trend supports what Dell has been hearing from customers,” said the firm’s global vice president for small and medium business, Sam Burd. “Today’s globe-trotting entrepreneurs need a laptop that is powerful and long-lasting. That used to mean carrying around an ungainly device, but the Vostro 1220 combines performance, built-in security and long battery life with useful features, like video conferencing, to be the ideal weapon of choice for any road warrior.” The device is available now in obsidian black and deep cherry red.

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NEW LOOK, SAME SOLID VALUE. 96 PCR August

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Asus motherboard launch aimed at SMEs Vendor stresses that the channel has a key role to play in rollout SMBs primed for growth ASUS has teamed up with Intel to introduce a range of motherboards designed to help small and medium businesses refresh their existing PCs, without the need to buy new systems. The motherboards are targeted specifically at the SMB market and are split into three separate categories: ‘secure’, ‘productive’ and ‘smart’. All come with Asus’ latest technology and include service support, with one-year supply of product availability and conditional advance swapping. Both Asus and Intel believe that the SMB segment is primed for significant growth over the next couple of years, and these solutions are designed to take advantage of it. “We are very pleased to see ASUS embrace the SMB market opportunity

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with its purpose-built board line-up,” commented general manager and vice president of Intel’s Business Client Group, Rob Crooke. “We have a very positive outlook on the potential of the SMB IT market,” added vice president of Asus’ Motherboard Business Unit, Joe Hsieh. “Asus’ solutions include not only motherboards, but also the full range of PC components and a complete 3C portfolio. We are determined to deliver reliable, scalable, and targeted technology solutions and services that are focused on the SMB segment.” Asus has made it clear that system integrators and VARs are crucial to the implementation and rollout of this technology.

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Sitecom updates router portfolio Popular Pure Emotion series has had a range of features added

“Meroncourt recently described these modems as one of its best selling lines”

98 PCR August

SITECOM has refreshed its Pure Emotion line, with the launch of its X-Series wireless ASDL 2+ modems. The line is targeted at users who require a high quality wireless network, but want to avoid the usual problem of aerials protruding from the back of the router. Each has a number of internal high performance antennae designed to give the best range and reception. As well as allowing users to share files and an internet connection, the new SKUs also enable the wireless sharing of peripherals, such as printers and scanners. The latest in the series also retain their focus on security, coming with WPA2 enabled out of the box. Pitched as the ideal solution for those who are not technologically minded, the X-Series comes with its signature single-click button set up. The three SKUs have been individually scaled for the needs of different customers, with a varying number of internal antennae based on the range needed and the number of obstacles that the signal may have to overcome. Distributor Meroncourt recently described these modems as one of its best selling lines. SRPs range from £62.99 for the base model, to £89.99 for the three antennae model. All are available now.

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Panda reveals latest GateDefender Integra Security specialist’s unified threat management hardware to benefit from cloud-enabled features PANDA Security has launched a new version of its threat management appliance, GateDefender Integra. Designed specifically for small to medium businesses, it is available in two SKUs. GateDefender Integra SB is a new model to the security vendor’s lineup and is for businesses with up to 50 employees. GateDefender Integra 300, meanwhile, takes up the mantle for businesses of 50 to 250 workers. Both include firewall, an intrusion prevention system, virtual private networking, anti-malware protection, content filters, and web filters. Panda is highlighting the appliance’s use of the cloud to provide continuous

protection. It contacts Panda’s online database to update its rules and digital signatures every 90 minutes for its malware, IPS and web filter, and every minute for its spam filter. “Some 99 per cent of threats affecting corporate networks are transmitted across the Internet,” commented Panda’s corporate systems analyst Tony Roberts. “These threats are increasingly varied and complex, heightening the risk for SMBs. This makes the internet gateway a critical security point for any network. This software offers centralised perimeter prevention against all types of threats, protecting companies from the moment it’s plugged in.”

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August PCR 99

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Kaspersky Lab updates security suites Security specialist updates its portfolio New comprehensive protection methods introduced KASPERSKY LABS has released the latest version of its internet security and anti-virus software packages. Incorporating a host-based intrusion prevention system in its application control module, unique sandbox technology (which allows potential viruses and malware to run in a virtualised environment in order to ascertain their nature) and a social network that uses results from other users’ computers to cut down on response times. “Tens of thousands of new malicious programs appear worldwide every day. Cyber-crime has become a multimillion pound industry, demonstrating exponential growth,” commented Kaspersky Labs’ chief executive Eugene

Kaspersky. “The routine hazards posed each day by viruses, worms and trojans are surpassed by new threats like distributed zombie networks made up of millions of computers. “The sheer scale of the problem means it is no longer possible to ensure complete security using only conventional signature-based and heuristic protection methods. The new malware landscape calls for new comprehensive protection methods. That is why Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 has implemented a revolutionary approach to protection whereby global monitoring of malicious activities is performed by the protected system itself with the aim of preventing crimeware from ever affecting the user’s computer.”

100 PCR August

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Kyocera revamps printer range New 1028/1128 range replaces FS1118MFP SKU Single unit has ability to print, copy, scan and fax KYOCERA has launched three new multifunctional printers aimed at the small business market. Following on from its FS-1118MFP product line, the new FS-1028/1128 range is based on its successful FS-1300 line up. Each of the three new printers feature the ability to print, copy and scan documents, while the 1128MFP also offers fax capabilities. The vendor is pushing the space saving design of the range, as well as considerably improved printing speeds over its predecessor. The line-up has a number of features that are designed for small to medium

businesses, such as duplex printing, a 667MHz processor, and 256MB memory to help improve printing speeds. It also has the ability to package and send scanned documents to an FTP or via email. It incorporates a number of security features, such as SSL encryption, and LDAP authentications to prevent unauthorised access to scanning, printing and faxing, even on an internal network. In addition, data from a USB can be printed without the need for a PC, but is still protected by the same security features.

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August PCR 101

MARKETPLACE RECOMMENDED

[

ACER ASPIRE REVO R3600 AS THE first Nvidia Ion system has hit retail, the pressure is on Acer’s Aspire Revo to prove net-top PCs are good for more than just web browsing. Previous Atom-based models, with their integrated Intel graphics, have lacked the processing power to play back highdefinition video smoothly, but our recent look at a pre-production Ion gave us hope that net-tops could find a niche as low cost media devices. The good news is that Acer’s implementation is just as successful. It pairs a 1.6GHz Atom 230 with Nvidia’s GeForce 9400M graphics, resulting in a far more capable core specification than the Asus Eee Box B202. We ran a selection of 1080p videos and found that the graphics chip was more than capable of bearing the brunt of the smooth decoding, providing you know how to enable GPU acceleration in your chosen software. For the most part it’s no departure from previous net-tops, but the graphics chip makes all the difference to

usability. It’s no gamer’s paradise, managing just 15fps in our latest demanding Crysis test, but the ability to play back HD video on such a cheap device is appealing. If media capability is important to you, the Acer is better looking than HP’s chunkier Compaq CQ2000UK-M, despite the latter’s bundled monitor. Asus’ new Eee Box B206 with ATi graphics runs it close, but right now the Acer Aspire Revo R3600 stands alone as the first net-top PC we’d genuinely consider buying for our living rooms.

Distributor: Ingram Micro Contact Number: 0870 166 0160 SRP: £250

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The Aspire Revo is Acer’s first foray into the net-top box market

NVIDIA GEFORCE 3D VISION

Nvidia is hoping to take 3D gaming to the masses

102 PCR August

TO EXPERIENCE games in glorious 3D you need two key elements: the GeForce 3D Vision set of batterypowered glasses and emitter, and a monitor capable of refreshing its image at 120Hz. Samsung and ViewSonic have both produced the first two 120Hz-capable 22-inch desktop TFTs, and this is Samsung’s offering. The Samsung SyncMaster 2233RZ is a fairly standard 22inch TFT in most respects; 1,680 x 1.050 resolution, 300cd/m2 brightness and 1,000:1 contrast ratio, along with Samsung’s curved design and some rather odd flowers etched into the rear. But that 120Hz refresh rate is the vital component, since it allows 3D Vision to produce a sufficiently smooth image to keep things headache-free.

The glasses are necessarily a little clunkier than traditional polarised specs, in order to house the battery and the USB port for charging, but as you’ll get 40 hours out of one charge you needn’t worry about being unnecessarily tethered to your desktop. At £347 exc VAT for the full package (assuming you already own an Nvidia card,) it certainly isn’t cheap. Nonetheless, this is a new technology aimed at early adopters, and once you see the results with your own eyes it’s a highly tempting proposition. Yes, it has its early flaws, but with Nvidia wielding such clout in the world of gaming we can see GeForce 3D Vision making steady progress towards the mainstream.

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August PCR 103

OFF THE RECORD

Off the Record THIS MONTH: PCA Golf Day brings out the channels’ competitive side, Enta spotted at the Great Wall of China and Hannspree’s superbikes...

PCA GOLF DAY The PCA held its annual golf day last month and took the opportunity to announce its rebranding as the Technology Channel Association, following its merger with the Mac Technology Association. To the right stands (left to right) Neil Spicer of Sapphire, overall winner Steve Morgan, Gem’s Richard Stickler and Sapphire’s Shaun Bratt.

Atherton, John Below, left to right: Derek Jones, Jon their golf poses Harris and Robert French show us

Right, top to Bottom: Medea’s Mike Scott tees off, Fix It Local’s John Carter at the putting green and the TCA’s very own Keith Warburton at the driving range

104 PCR August

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OFF THE RECORD

Send your pictures to: andrew wooden@intentmedia.co.uk

ENTA THE DRAGON In April, Enta announced that it would be sponsoring Janet Poole on her ten day hike along the Great Wall of China. Trekking with 50 other walkers in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, Poole conquered her fear of heights and left behind her four children to raise £3250 for the charity. “It went really well,” commented Poole. “I am very pleased with how it went but yes, I was feeling very tired by the end.”

Left: Poole proudly flies the Enta banner from one of the reconstructed sections, but the neglected areas (above) posed much more of a challenge

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GLADIATORS, READY! PCR’s very own executive advertising manager Katie Rawlings (left) goes toe to toe against MCV advertising manager Lesley Blumson (right) at the Gem 25th Anniversary celebrations, which took place near its Harlow headquarters.

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SAMSUNG ZONE Samsung UK vice president Andy Griffiths was joined by PRC founder John Digwa and Bollywood superstar Shilpa Shetty in the unveiling of the new ‘Samsung Zone’ at PRC’s flagship store in Ilford.

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HANNSPREE’S SUPERBIKES Hannspree is proud to be the global title sponsor of the SBK World Superbike Championships. The race took place on June 28th and was attended by Formula One driver Mark Webber, who is pictured here with the sons of Hannspree’s UK sales manager Simon Wren, Nicholas and Matthew.

Left: Hannspree’s UK sales manager Martin Kent enjoys some quality time with the ‘Hanns Girls’

August PCR 105

In the

HOT SEAT This month, Darren Perks, Sales Manager at EntaTech bares all to PCR...

Describe yourself in three words Thorough, eager, funny. How do you relax away from work? Doing active sport takes your mind away from the pressures of distribution. Spending time with my two boys has the same effect. What’s your favourite game/book/film/album? Rock Band, Dead Soles, Hot Rod, and Employment by The Kaiser Chiefs. What was your first computer? Who knows – it was so old and big we had to forklift it out of the house. What’s your best memory from working in the industry? I had the good fortune to go ice rallying in Sweden with D-Link – a truly memorable day. Who’s the funniest person you’ve ever met? Howard Barnes, who is a work colleague. What did you want to do when you were younger? A pilot in the RAF, but then who didn’t? When were the ‘good old days?’ Having been in the industry for ten-plus years, I have seen many companies come and go. I would definitely say ten years ago there were some great characters and businesses around. You could pick up the phone and do business there and then. Now a lot of people do business over portals, email and MSN which has changed the way we interact and the relationships we used to have.

106 PCR August

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UNQUOTE “Two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal department saying -- this is a true story -- saying, ‘Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices.’ They took like $100 off or something. It was the greatest single phone call that I've ever taken in business. I did cartwheels down the hallway. At first I said, ‘Is this a joke? Who are you?’ Not understanding what an opportunity. And so we’re just going to keep running them and running them and running them.” Microsoft COO Kevin Turner shares Apple’s reaction to the ‘Laptop Hunter’ ads at this year’s Worldwide Partner Conference

“It was the single greatest phone call that I’ve ever taken in business. I did cartwheels down the hallway” “Google the following: ‘AT&T censoring the Internet.’ Do that in five or more tabs, then press the little downwards arrow next to the refresh button. Select Enable every five seconds, or every 10 if your computer is slow. This will put AT&T on the Google top 100 and that is where journalists are always looking for news stories on the web. Thus the journalists will put this in the news. BING INSTANT COVERAGE.” Following the blocking of the 4chan website – described by some as ‘the internet’s hate machine’ and ‘the anus of the internet’ – by AT&T, a weblog offers advice to raise awareness of the apparent breach of the US constitution “We never mention the existence of the software during sales, because we don’t want to turn customers away.” Beijing-based Lenovo sales representative Feng Erbei hints at Chinese public sentiment towards the controversial Green Dam – Youth Escort internet filter software

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