This Month HISTORY OF WINDOWS We look at past incarnations of the operating system p29
COMPUTER & IT RESELLERS • RETAILERS • SYSTEM BUILDERS • DISTRIBUTORS • VENDORS
NOVEMBER 2009 ISSUE 74
Windows®. Life without Walls™. Acer recommends Windows 7.
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Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated. Copyright 2009 Acer. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, the Windows logo and Windows Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Centrino, Centrino Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other trademarks, registered trademarks and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the properties of their respective owners. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Specifications subject to change without notice. Pictures are intended simply to illustrate the product. *SDP relates to Suggested Dealer Price. **Mobile Mark 2007 with default setting of “Energy Star”. Can vary depending on product configuration.
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COMMENT Issue 74 November 2009 Incorporating
“Apple’s quarterly fiscal results outstriped expectations – no mean feat in the throes of a recession” WINDS OF CHANGE?
PCR CONTACTS Editor
Andrew Wooden andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer
Matt Grainger matt.grainger@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer
Nicky Trup nicky.trup@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
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Kelly Styles kelly.styles@intentmedia.co.uk Publisher
Stuart Dinsey stuart.dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk
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PCR - Total average monthly net circulation for January 1st to December 31st 2008: 12,766.
DON'T LOOK now, but there’s seems to be something an awful lot like optimism wafting through the industry this month. The consumer segment in particular is attracting a lot more confidence from big name vendors, led by Steve Jobs' clan. Apple – which is positioned squarely at the high-end consumer market – released quarterly fiscal results outstripping expectations last month, thanks to huge bounds in iPhone and Mac computer sales. No mean feat while the industry is in the throes of a recession. Meanwhile, Dell, Acer and Lenovo are making moves to significantly strengthen their consumer propositions (see news pages). This represents a big move for corporate-focused Lenovo in particular, which hasn't dabbled too much with consumers in the past. Recent IDC figures show the business sector dropped in the last quarter to a greater degree than the overall industry. Combine this with the approach of Christmas and you can see why vendors might wish to throw more of their chips towards the end user. While all this is going on, we have the world’s biggest IT distributor – Ingram Micro – and its brand new UK High Command gunning for a big recovery in 2010, and making very optimistic noises about the wider industry. You may also have noticed that Microsoft has just unleashed its latest operating system, kicking off a nine-month launch campaign. The company says it has "never had a sustained period of product launches of this magnitude" and that the next nine months "will be a significant change in the development of our technology". It is predicting these ubiquitous launches will provide a boost to the entire industry. Call it biased if you like, but when a corporate colossus like Microsoft puts its considerable financial weight towards a particular area, things tend to move. We’ve heard so many conflicting opinions and financial jargon over the past couple of years that fiscal analysts making concrete predictions about the economy are these days often met with a raised eyebrow. However, as the run up to Christmas begins, and with it retail's busiest sales period, there appear to be quite a few things to be optimistic about in our particular corner of the economy.
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November PCR 3
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ASUS OC Station SKU: 101270 The ASUS OC Station fits into a pair of external 5.25� drive bays and features a 3� LCD display that makes overclocking a possibility for everyone by taking away the complexities with its simple and easy to use design. The LCD display enables users to review and adjust overclocking settings with further, more comprehensive options, for experienced overclockers.
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PCR Contents News 10-16
ISSUE 74 NOVEMBER 2009
Acer Interview
Appointments 18
PCR talks to Acer’s EMEA deputy president and senior corporate vicepresident Walter Deppeler about the vendors latest product drive, its aims in the consumer segment, and its aspiration to be number one
Frontline Retail Focus 38 Mystery Shopper 40
Brigantia 87 TCA 88-89 ITACS/NASCR 92
23
GfK analysis 58
History of Windows
29
After the recent launch of Microsoft’s latest operating system, we present a timeline of Windows, going right back to DOS
Microsoft Interview
35
PCR talks to the software vendor’s partner group manager about the upsides of a recession, and the company’s plans for 2010
Hardware
Pages 45-59
Ultra cheap Laptops Laptops have enjoyed a massive boost in sales recently, bouyed by low retail prices and rising demand for mobility. With prices now rising again, we talk to some industry figures and showcase some of the more popular products
BfG Interview BFG Tech claims to be the UK’s number one provider of graphics acceleration solutions. EMEA marketing manager Graham Brown talks to PCR about the company’s history and future
49
GFK
55
Mail order retailers and resellers have reported a 34 per cent drop in hardware sales. GfK analyst Carl West takes a look at the market to see what’s happening
58
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Are your customers’ responses as quick as our TFTs?
Software
Pages 61-70
Downloadable PC Games We take a look at the growing download channel for the PC gaming sector, and talk to Football Manager developers Sports Interactive and EA about the effect this business model might have on the channel and the PC industry as a whole...
Consumer Electronics
New Games Releases
63
Pages 71-82
An overview of some of this month’s forthcoming releases, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
69
MARKETPLACE79
Company Profile: SJ Software
96
Sean Jennings talks to PCR about his company, its recent performance and its plans to branch out in to the franchisor market
73
Novelty Gadgets With Christmas fast approaching, we take a look at some of the more fun and frivolous items available on the market today
80
Product Focus
MP News
This month, we examine the Nuvi 1690, Garmin’s first device to include a connection to the nuLink support service suite
A round-up of some of the latest product news
PCR Recommended
84 106
Dell’s Adamo and Apple’s Final Cut Studio 3
NEWS
Acer plans market takeover PC vendor aims to become worldwide number one with new technologies in its arsenal Gunning to be a $30 billion company in 2012 Ambitious market share targets set for fledgling smartphone business By Andrew Wooden
ACER HAS embarked upon an aggressive consumer-focussed product campaign in a bid to overtake HP as the world’s largest PC vendor and simultaneously become a $30 billion
vendor – stating ambitious goals for its fledgling smartphone, 3D, and touchscreen businesses. The firm is predicting over $5 billion in revenue for Q3 – which would represent a massive 40 per cent jump on Q2’s figures. Last month’s IDC figures showed it overtaking Dell to become the global number two in the PC vendor stakes. It cites new product categories as playing a key role in its
Touchscreen is just part of Acer’s plans to become the world’s largest PC vendor
“We’ve just started out in smartphones. Nevertheless, it is an area in the mobile solutions direction which belongs to our long-term strategy. In 2012 we want to be a $30 billion company” Walter Deppeler, Acer ambitious goals – having launched brand new touchscreen and 3Denabled PCs and monitors, and a new line of smartphones – the latter of which it plans to have ten per cent market share in by the year by 2012. “We’ve just started out in smartphones. Nevertheless, it is an area in the mobile solutions direction which belongs to our long-term strategy,” Walter Deppeler, EMEA deputy president and senior corporate vice-president of Acer, told PCR. “In 2012 we want to become a $30 billion
company. And we have an ambitious target for smartphones – this is not going to be a niche for us, it will contribute significantly to our target. What we are looking for is double digit market share in the smartphone sector by 2012. We don’t want to be in a market where we have two or three per cent. I think the objective should be to look towards the next three years and aim to be in the range of ten per cent.” Despite the economy still being in the throes of a full-blown recession, Acer believes these measures and its recent UK growth will help fuel its global expansion plans over the next few years. “We plan to continuously gain market share on a global basis. In the UK, where we are still top, Acer has grown very fast in last nine months. Our target is to become the global number one by 2012.”
Ingram’s new UK top brass looks “It’s clear that 2009 was quite a challenging year. We believe that in the countries I’m running, we can really start growing on a profitable basis in 2010” Johan Vandenbussche, Ingram Micro
Johan Vandenbussche
10 PCR November
THE WORLD’S largest IT distributor, Ingram Micro, is looking towards an end to global economic woes following a top level executive reshuffle of the UK division, which is now tasked with achieving growth in 2010. On January 1st Matt Sanderson will become UK managing director – a position that has essentially been vacant since Julian Klein resigned in June. Meanwhile, Johan Vandenbussche has been appointed regional vice president for Benelux and the UK, effective immediately. Vandenbussche says his first duty will be to secure profitable market
share growth for the division during 2010, bucking the economic trend and proving the analysts wrong. “It’s clear that 2009 was quite a challenging year. We believe that in the countries I’m running, we can really start growing on a profitable basis in 2010. This will be my first role for next year, to drive that. “IDC is still predicting some negative effects next year… we will see some positive evolution. It will take a lot of work and a lot of energy to counter the trend of the market, though I think IDC is seeing the market a little too pessimistically; we
www.pcr-online.biz
NEWS
EntaTech, Interactive Ideas and Ingram Micro sponsor PCR Awards
DEPPELER: “We plan to continously gain market share on a global basis”
to expand believe there will be a better outlook next year.” Filling the UK MD role, particularly by someone who is a UK national, will also fuel Ingram Micro’s upswing, claims Vandenbussche. “The good thing is that we have a national who can speak the language, work with the guys and work with the team. This is a pretty strong start for him – he’s not in a position where he needs to reorganise the company. He will, however, give the team an extra boost by being here, with all the tools available and the strong management team – the outcome will be positive.”
www.pcr-online.biz
THREE OF THE biggest names in the UK IT distribution sector have shown their backing for the PCR Awards 2010, which takes place at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London, on Thursday March 25th 2010. Interactive Ideas and EntaTech have both become Gold Sponsors, while Ingram Micro becomes sponsor of the Vendor category, which includes the awards Hardware Manufacturer, Software Publisher, Specialist Vendor, Gadget Of The Year and Campaign Of The Year. “Ingram Micro is delighted to be sponsoring the vendor category at this year’s PCR Awards,” said Apay Obangoyway, head of software and mobility at Ingram Micro. “Ingram Micro recognises the importance of our vendor partners in driving the opportunities within our channel and look forward to seeing our reseller and vendor partners on the night.” “After last year’s event, we had no hesitation in supporting the PCR Awards 2010,” added commercial
“After the success of the last two events, we had no hesitation in supporting the PCR Awards 2010” Jon Atherton, EntaTech
Gold Sponsors
group vice president of EntaTech Jon Atherton. “We are looking forward to the night and hope to see many of our partners there. We are constantly driving to better engage and work with the UK channel, and we feel the PCR Awards are a great way of doing that.” Marketing director of Interactive Ideas Michael Breeze said: “After the success of the 2009 awards, the past year has been yet another tremendous year for Interactive Ideas. We are delighted to support PCR again in 2010 and look forward to the evening.” For information or booking details and sponsorship opportunities, contact Katie Rawlings on +44 (0) 1992 535 647 or email Katie.Rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk. To nominate your own company or a customer, email Andrew.Wooden@intentmedia.co.uk, explaining why that company should be a finalist and in what category. For more information, head to www.pcr-awards.com.
Vendor Sponsor
November PCR 11
NEWS
Consumer sales offer boost to the industry as business segment stalls Recent financial results suggest that vendors can benefit from focusing on consumers during recession By Matt Grainger
A SLEW of financial reports and industry announcements has highlighted the strength of the consumer segment during the recession, while the corporate market has suffered somewhat. Many of the Q2 2009 results have shown that technology vendors with a keen consumer focus have performed strongly. Meanwhile, a number of key firms that target the business market are now launching aggressive consumer pushes of their own. Apple, a company that positions itself squarely in the high-end of the consumer segment, saw its profits boosted massively by the success of the iPhone, with revenues from the device and its accessories increasing 185 per cent year-on-year to $2.3
billion. In addition to this, sales of Mac computers increased 17 per cent to 3.05 million shipments. Acer, a business which is 70 per cent consumer-based, has said it can become the biggest PC vendor by 2012 after a series of high-end consumer product launches (see page 10). And those firms that are more reliant on the business sector are levelling heavy investment in the consumer sector too – Microsoft with new Windows Mobile and Bing launches, Dell by expanding its retail footprint across EMEA, and Lenovo by targeting the low-end consumer segment for the first time. Recent projections from Gartner state that the business sector will fall by 6.9 per cent this year.
“Apple saw its profits boosted massively by the iPhone, with revenues from the device and its accessories increasing 185 per cent year-on-year”
Dell reignites its partner recruitment drive “The aim is to enable more partners to be able to benefit and to offer a wider range of solutions” Paul Harrison, Dell
12 PCR November
PC VENDOR Dell has cut the minimum spend value for its partner program to £10,000, as it continues its drive to expand its retail footprint across the EMEA region. Partners were informed of the move, which effectively halves the previous minimum of £20,000 for most products, at Dell’s Solutions Club event in Rome last month. The new threshold is now in effect and applies to all of the company’s product categories.
“The aim is to enable more partners to be able to benefit and to offer a wider range of solutions,” Paul Harrison, Dell’s UK channel country manager, told PCR. Back in July, Dell lowered the deal value threshold for its PartnerDirect registration from £30,000 to £20,000 for most product types, and down to £10,000 for storage devices including EqualLogic and PowerVault. Dell said at the time of its original reductions that it
expected to see a significant rise in the number of registrations to its partner program. “We saw a very positive reaction from the market when we reduced some of the thresholds earlier in the year,” Harrison said, following the latest cuts. The changes apply across the EMEA region immediately.
www.pcr-online.biz
NEWS
NewsBytes
Lenovo eyes up consumer sector Vendor reveals plans for consumer expansion following B2B channel restructure LENOVO HAS revealed plans for future expansion into the consumer sector, after announcing extensive changes to its B2B channel distribution system. Historically the firm has concentrated primarily on business to business sales, but is now looking to move into the highly lucrative consumer sector. Neil Berville, Lenovo’s executive director for the channel partners organisation in the UK, Ireland and Benelux, indicated that the vendor would primarily be targeting the lower end of the consumer segment. “If you look at our market coverage, the lower end of SMB in consumer is a totally untapped market for us,” he told PCR. “So anything we do in that space is all new and good for us – it’s all about grabbing market share from our competitors. “We already engage with a good number of etailers and system builders, but we’re pushing much
Neil Berville
more towards the glassfront retailer and small etailer. It’s a channel that we want to embrace and encourage and get our products into.” “I know that when netbooks came onto the scene, many were worried about cannibalising the low-end notebook market – for us that doesn’t matter, so we are very strongly backing netbooks, thinbooks, and value notebooks because actually, it’s all new to us,” he added.
30 Under 30 lobbying begins NOMINATIONS are now open for PCR's annual 30 Under 30 feature, which celebrates the best young talent working in the UK’s PC and technology trade. If you have a colleague in your organisation or know someone in the industry who you think should be recognised as one of the industry's rising stars, send an email to Andrew.Wooden@intentmedia.co.uk with the person's name, age (under
14 PCR November
30s only), job title and role, along with a high-resolution photo of them and explanation of why they should be featured. The winning 30 entrants will be published in our January issue. The closing date for entries is December 1st, but we are expecting competition to be fierce, so it’s advisable to submit entries as early as possible to give your nomination the best chance of appearing in the feature.
2009 IS IT INDUSTRY’S WORST YEAR EVER 2009 has been the worst year ever for IT spending, with a global decrease of 5.2 per cent, according to research by Gartner. The segment hardest hit is computing hardware, which is expected to see spending drop by 16.5 per cent this year to $317 billion. However, the industry can expect some growth next year. IT spending is projected to total $3.3 trillion in 2010 – a 3.3 percent increase on this year. HP BACK IN WORLDWIDE NUMBER ONE VENDOR SPOT Hewlett-Packard has regained its position as the world’s largest PC vendor, growing by nine per cent to take 19.9 per cent of the global market share. Acer, meanwhile, saw a 23.6 per cent boost in sales, while Dell’s sales fell 6.7 per cent year-onyear, leaving the US vendor in third place. Overall PC shipments have seen a rise in both the United States and Asia. ISPS BACK EU TELECOMS PACKAGE AMENDMENT European consumer group BEUC and EuroISPA, the world’s largest ISP association, are both encouraging the European Parliament not to restrict internet NEW ONLINE TECH STORE OPENED Last month saw the launch of ZoomBits.co.uk, a new online computer, camera and accessories store. The launch event in London featured an appearance from Nikki Moore from BBC’s Something for the Weekend, who showcased some of the latest gadgets available for Christmas.
access. BEUC sent an open letter to the EU’s Telecoms Package committee, while EuroISPA released a statement saying that it approved of an amendment to the package which allows unrestricted access to the net. RED HAT POSTS Q2 RESULTS Red Hat has reported strong financial results for the second quarter of 2009. The company’s total revenue was up 12 per cent, while subscription revenue increased by 15 per cent year-onyear. Red Hat reports that its partner network has also grown across the globe during the past year, with an increase of nearly 50 per cent in EMEA since January. IBM TO CREATE LINUX OS IBM has revealed plans to release a cloud-based Linux operating system for release next year. The IBM Client for Smart Work package was originally created for emerging markets in Africa, but IBM says it can help businesses save up to 50 per cent on software costs, compared to a Windows PC. The company believes the software, already available in Africa, could potentially eat into Microsoft’s US market share. APPLE POSTS RECORD QUARTERLY RESULTS Apple has posted $9.87 billion in revenue and a net profit of $1.67 billion – a record set of quarterly results for the firm. The figures represent a 47 per cent profit jump overall. The growth was driven by 3.05 million Mac sales (up 17 per cent) and 7.4 million iPhone sales (a rise of seven per cent). However, iPod sales were down eight per cent to 10.2 million.
www.pcr-online.biz
NEWS
Synaxon plans show in BT Tower Windows 7 day with EntaTech an ‘absolute success’ 2010 event will be open to more distributors By Matt Grainger
“We’ll have a small exhibition with various vendors attending”
SYNAXON is planning to hold an event at London’s famous BT Tower in 2010, following the success of the Windows 7 show it jointly organised and hosted with EntaTech last month. The day, which garnered nearly 90 registered attendees, included seminars, workshops and exhibitions. Keynotes were given by a range of Synaxon partners including Kaspersky, Microsoft and Kingston. “It was an absolute success, no doubt
Derek Jones, Synaxon whatsoever,” Derek Jones, Synaxon UK’s managing director, told PCR. “Don’t forget that only 15 of those who attended the event were Synaxon partners, and on the day we had five new members register with us, including the large Welsh company Comcen.” Jones added that next
IT ChannelVision eyes up the UK 2009 is a ‘transformative year’ for annual industry event as it makes its British debut Bob Snyder (centre) with Vision Events’ Liam McSherry and Niamh Hanlon
INDUSTRY event IT ChannelVision came to the UK for the first time last month, attracting delegates from 30 countries and introducing a new focus more in tune with the times. Vendors presenting at the event, held at London’s Grange St Pauls Hotel, included Hitachi GST and network security firm TriGeo. Delegates also had the option of booking one-on-one conversations with vendors.
16 PCR November
Steve Shakespeare, Intel’s EMEA enterprise solutions director, and SCC chairman and CEO Sir Peter Rigby both gave keynote speeches.
“Over time, these guys build relationships – it’s a community, which is the cool thing,” he said. “On top of that, our job is to keep them
“We’ve compelled resellers to to re-evaluate the types of vendors they want” Bob Snyder, IT ChannelVision Acting content director Bob Snyder said that the event aims to educate and facilitate relationships within the channel.
up-to-date with industry trends and things that will impact their business.” Snyder added that, with the industry moving towards
software as a service, the focus of IT ChannelVision has also moved on. “This year we’ve introduced things like video conferencing, unified communications, a lot more networking security,” he said. “It’s a transformative year – we’ve compelled resellers to confront what’s happening, to re-evaluate the types of vendors they want. Next year we’ll have vendors in these new areas.”
year’s event will be open for more of the company’s distributors to get involved. “We’ve now already provisionally booked the Telecom tower with BT for an event early next year,” he said. “We’ll do the same type of thing – we’ll have a small exhibition with various vendors attending. This time we should be able to invite some of our other distributor clients, because it’ll be neutral ground, so to speak, as it won’t be sponsored by any particular company except Synaxon.”
Louis Belcuore WE regret to inform you that Nvidia's Louis Belcuore has passed away, following a heart attack whilst in hospital for a routine knee operation. The company said in an announcement: “Louis had worked in the graphics industry for many years and was universally loved by colleagues and customers across the globe. Louis’s laughter and larger than life personality brought happiness to everyone he met and he was a truly special and unique person. “His passing leaves a big hole in the life’s of his colleagues and we will miss him dearly. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Louis’s wife, young daughters and family during this very difficult time.”
www.pcr-online.biz
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PCR Editorial Planner
APPOINTMENTS
DECEMBER 2009 Copy deadline: 8th November Advertising deadline: 11th November MP3 Players Cases, PSUs and Cooling Distributor Opening Times To advertise call Carly Bailey on +44 (0) 1992 535647 or email her at Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk For editorial contact Andrew Wooden on +44 (0) 1992 535646 or email him at Andrew.Wooden@intentmedia.co.uk
JANUARY 2010 Copy deadline: 8th December Advertising deadline: 9th December Consumables and value added services Broadband/ISP EVENT: CES/BETT
FEBRUARY 2010 Copy deadline: TBC Advertising deadline: TBC Gaming special Graphics cards Peripherals Displays Games software & hardware
MARCH 2010 Copy deadline: TBC Advertising deadline: TBC Security special Security software Home security Networking PCR Awards finalists EVENTS: PCR AWARDS/CEBIT/ EDUCATION SHOW
Andrew Watkins is Gem of a hire Distributor takes on new recruit Ingram Micro appoints new UK MD and regional vice president Trust recruits PR and marketing assistant GEM Gem has recruited ANDREW WATKINS as national accounts divisional manager. He will be responsible for maximising opportunities for Gem’s retail partners, particularly focusing on range supply and management. Watkins previously worked as a sales director with Pinnacle Software and
Prism, and most recently was a sales director with Dextra. “I’m very excited about Gem’s ability to cover all aspects of retail supply solutions and work with our retail partners to realise all immediate and future opportunities,” Watkins commented.
INGRAM MICRO Ingram Micro has appointed MATTHEW SANDERSON as its UK managing director, and JOHAN VANDENBUSSCHE as regional vice president for Benelux and the UK. Sanderson will lead the firm’s UK operations from the Maidenhead and
Milton Keynes offices from January 1st. He is currently Ingram Micro Australia’s senior director and general manager for volume business and consumer. Vandenbussche, who was previously vice president of business development, takes on his new role in Brussels immediately.
TRUST
APRIL 2010
Peripherals vendor Trust has hired HAYLEY WHYBROW as a PR and marketing assistant, responsible for handling trade and consumer press relations in the UK and Ireland and leading micro marketing activities in the UK. RENE BATENBURG, Trust’s UK country director, said: “Hayley will help us to increase our brand awareness and to maintain this trend in the future.”
Copy deadline: TBC Advertising deadline: TBC PCR Award winners/Channel Expo preview Photography Self improvement and creative software Motherboards, mainboards and processors
MAY 2010 Copy deadline: TBC Advertising deadline: TBC Channel Expo show issue Margin makers Printers EVENT: CHANNEL EXPO/RETAIL VISION EXTRA CIRCULATION
18 PCR November
SANDISK NIKKI WILLCOCK has joined memory vendor SanDisk as UK regional marketing manager. She will focus on promoting the SanDisk brand and increasing its retail presence across the UK. Willcock brings 14 years of marketing experience to the role, having worked with a number of large technology companies. KEITH NORMAN, regional sales director of Northern Europe, said: “We are thrilled to have Nikki join the team to help build key relationships and increase our retail exposure.”
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CONSUMER PRESS
The Press Office Your guide to what the consumer press is telling the general public to buy... PC PLUS
PC PRO “Windows 7 delivers on ease of use, performance and features. We recommend you make Vista and XP a thing of the past as soon as you can”
“Consider Windows XP firmly at the end of its life. The new OS is light years ahead” Windows 7
Windows 7
Product Reviews and Features
Product Reviews and Features
Operating System Recommended: Windows 7
Operating System Editors Choice: Windows 7
Plants vs Zombies - 4/5 World of Goo - 4/5
Digital Camcorders Editors Choice: Cisco Flip UltraHD Cisco Flip Ultra - 3.5/5 Kodak Zi6 - 3/5
Routers AVM FritzBox Fon WLAN 7270 - 4/5
A-List: Mesh Elite Ice 5 Pro
Components Recommended: AMD Athlon 2 X4 620 A-List: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Printers Recommended: Canon Pixma iX7000 Recommended: Kyocera Ecosys Desktop PCs Labs Winner: Hellspawn XFire A-List: Sony Vaio VPC-L11S1E/S
Digital SLRs Labs Winner: Nikon D5000 Best Value: Pentax K-m Recommended: Sony Alpha A330
Laptops Sony Vaio NW - 3/5
Servers Recommended: Broadberry CyberServe RS700 Recommended: Dell PowerEdge T410
System Optimisation Tools Editors Choice: Iolo System Mechanic 9
Virtual DVD Blue Lion Software NetDVD - 4/5
Laptops Recommended: Samsung N510
Netbook Games Editors Choice: Peggle
Video Editing Software CyberLink PowerDirector 8
Price: £5.99 Pages: 130
Price: £4.99 Pages: 186
COMPUTER SHOPPER
CUSTOM PC “Real-world performance is impressive as well, with the Vertex booting Vista 64 in just 25 seconds and loading our Crysis level in 28 seconds”
“Its specifications are practically identical to the company’s excellent N120. One key addition is 802.11n wireless networking for faster WiFi connections”
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PCs Best Buy: Samsung N140 Best Buy: Acer Aspire Revo R3600 Best Buy: Asus Eee Box EB1012 Best Buy: Samsung N120 Best Buy: Sony Vaio FW41E/H
Wireless Headsets Approved: Plantronics .Audio 995 Graphics Tablet Approved: Wacom Bamboo Fun
Price: £4.50 Pages: 130
20 PCR November
CPU Coolers Premium Grade: Supermicro SNKP0040AP4 Approved: Zalman CNPS 10x Quiet CPUs Approved: Intel Core i5-750 Midi-Tower Case Thermaltake Element S Motherboards Crucial Ballistix OCZ Platinum Kingston HyperX
Power Adapters Best Buy: Lindy USB Mains Adapter Phone Handsets Best Buy: Panasonic KX-TG6481 GPS Budget Buy: Navman S30 3D
Printers Best Buy: Canon Pixma MP640 Budget Buy: Samsung CLP-315 Business Buy: HP Officejet 6000 Display Best Buy: Mitsubishi HC5500 Best Buy: Panasonic Viera TXP42G10B Best Buy: BenQ G2220HD Photography Ultimate: Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Best Buy: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 Best Buy: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ6
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INTERVIEW ACER
Acer’s high Having just overtaken Dell to become the world’s second largest PC vendor, Acer is ramping up its interest in new frontier PC technologies such as touchscreen and 3D, and has set aggressive goals for its fledgling smartphone business. Andrew Wooden talks to Acer’s EMEA deputy president and senior corporate vice-president, Walter Deppeler, about the firm’s new product drives, the end of the recession, and its goal to become the biggest PC vendor on the planet… “It’s important that the channel grows at least as much as the market is growing. If not, the risk remains that you fall down on revenue” Walter Deppeler, Acer
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YOUR Q2 profits showed a year-onyear drop of 20 per cent, while operating income was actually up 12 per cent. Is this indicative of lower margins on the grass roots level, brought about by the cheaper netbook boom? The operating income was up. Margin percentage could be kept around same level as previous quarters. In addition, we could manage expenses quite well. We’ve just announced that we think Q3 revenue will be at above $5 billion, so this indicates that we are performing
well too, and we’ve grown in terms of units as well as revenue in 3Q09, while the overall market in EMEA has declined in terms of units by more than ten per cent on PC. Retailers cant get much margin out of netbooks and other cheaper devices – is there a danger of the profit falling out the bottom of the channel? Or will the general boost in demand counter this? It depends – each channel has a different dynamic. The question is how
much you grow. If the selling price on products declines, you need to achieve a significant increase in quantity to achieve the same amount of revenue. Our intention is not at all that the channel declines on margin percentages, but it is important that a channel grows at least as much as the market is growing. If a channel starts to lose on market share, then the risk remains that you fall down significantly on revenue. But there is no intention to reduce margin percentage because we are
>>>
November PCR 23
INTERVIEW ACER
>>>
channel-centric. It is important to us that there is a win-win situation in the channel’s margin as well as our margin. As you mentioned, you’re anticipating revenues of $5.019 billion for Q3. This would represent a 40 per cent jump compared to the last quarter – what in particular do you think will drive this jump? On one side the market is picking up a bit. Also, if you look more specifically at the EMEA region in the first half of the financial year, we had areas like Russia – and Eastern Europe in general – down between 70 and 80 per cent in terms of units. But we could offset that quite well in Western Europe. So we predict demand continuing to be solid in the West, and while there will still be decline in the East, it will begin to recover. Our unit growth in 3Q09 was significant. We saw strong demand on notebooks and netbooks, but it was also growing on desktop. We grew in Asia Pacific and China, too. If you’re anticipating growth for the rest of the year, do you consider the recession’s impact on the IT industry over? We see that there is a stronger demand overall, but about 70 per cent of our business is coming from consumers, and the remaining 30 per cent is coming from the SOHO and SMB market. We were less under pressure in last quarter, whereas in the first half we were strongly impacted. I would still say that consumer demand is decent, whereas overall we anticipate that we will remain on the same revenue level year-on-year, which would be a great achievement. Basically, that means we will just lose one year, and next year the market is going to start growing by double digits in terms of units. You’ve just announced your first touchscreen notebook, the
“Initially touchscreen won’t be mainstream, but the segment will contribute to the business overall. We don’t think it’s going to be niche, either. It may be smaller, but it will become more important as we go on” Walter Deppeler, Acer
Deppeler: “We anticipate that we’ll remain on the same revenue level year-on-year, which would be a great achievement”
Aspire 5738PG. How big would you say this category is going to become? Will touchscreens come to dominate the market or will they always be niche? We have touch technology not only on the notebook, but also on the new allin-one. We’ve launched touch on the new monitor, too. When you think of how consumers are used to working, be that on a washing machine or some other appliance, they are used to pressing a button – to touching it. Initially they won’t be mainstream, but the segment will contribute to the
>>>
Acer senior vice president Jim Wong
INTERVIEW ACER
>>>
business overall. We don’t think it’s going to be niche, either – the segment may be smaller, but it will become more important as we go on. The same is true for the new 3D technology. There have been reports of Acer recalling overheating Aspire Timelines. What was the cause of this and has the problem been sorted now? We had a recall on some of the line, but not all of the units were affected. We’ve sorted out the problem and they are currently doing the fix on that. You’ve also launched a number of new smartphones, which is a pretty crowded market already. What is it you’ll bring to the sector that will separate you from the crowd? Our strategic direction is to become leader in the mobile solution area. On the one side of that we have ‘two hand’ devices like the notebook, so it’s a logical step for us to move into smartphones. If you think about the way you work on smartphones, it is very similar to a PC. What we believe is that the smartphone as a sector fits well with our wider direction, but we have no interest to be in the ‘normal’ phone market. How large a proportion of your business overall will smartphones make up going forward? Can you become the market leader? We’ve just started out in smartphones; nevertheless, it is an area in the mobile solutions direction which belongs to our long-term strategy. In 2012 we want to become a $30 billion company. And we have an ambitious target for smartphones – this is not going to be niche for us; it will contribute significantly to our target. What we are looking for is double digit market share in the smartphone sector by 2012. We don’t want to be in a market where we have two or three per cent. I think the objective should be to look towards the next three years and aim to be in the range of ten per cent. Tell us about the 3D technology you’ve been working on, and what products we are likely to see and when?
26 PCR November
Acer is hoping its fledging touchscreen technology will help it to achieve its ambitious goals
“In 2012 we want to become a $30 billion company. And we have an ambitious target for smartphones; it will contribute significantly. We’re looking for double digit market share” Walter Deppeler, Acer
We are going to launch the 15-inch notebook first, then we will see the technology on the new all-in-one device, as well as on the new monitor. The monitor will launch at the end of November, while the other two will be out with the Windows 7 launch. Where do you see Acer’s market share this time next year in the UK and around the world, compared to where it is now? We plan to pass Dell in the third and fourth quarter (IDC and Gartner figures released since this interview show Acer has indeed overtaken Dell to take the number two global vendor spot).
We still plan to gain some more market share with the multi-brand strategy. We are going to expand graphical improvements with the Packard Bell brand, which we haven’t rolled out in every country yet. And then we are also planning to expand our core business in the PC market, so we will get stronger in the business and professional sector. The Gateway brand will also be expanded in the future. We plan to continuously gain market share on a global basis. In the UK, where we are still top, Acer has grown very fast in the last nine months. Our target is to become the global number one by 2012.
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ANALYSIS HISTORY OF WINDOWS
Antique Windows As Windows 7 finally launches in the UK, Andrew Wooden takes a look at the history of Microsoft operating systems, from the early text based DOS prompt to the graphical showmanship of its latest offering‌
NOVEMBER 20TH, 1985 Retail version of Microsoft Windows is available Windows 1.0 was the first commercially available version of Windows, signalling an end to the text-based interface of MS DOS and paving the way for a new age of graphical operating systems with the ability to run multiple programmes simultaneously. Developers could now write code for mouse-controlled, more advanced programmes, laying the ground for new kinds of software for years to come. One of the chief attractions of this first version was the inclusion of utility apps such as Calendar, Card File, Notepad, Calculator, Clock, and telecommunications programs, which remain a key part of Windows operating system launches to this day. DECEMBER 9TH, 1987 Microsoft ships Windows 2.0 and Windows/386 Building on the foundations of the first release, Windows 2.0 took
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advantage of the improved processing speed of the Intel 286 processor which was filtering through to the industry. Key updates included better graphics, overlapping windows, control screen layout, and the use of keyboard combinations to move rapidly through Windows operations. The follow-up, Windows 2.03, utilised the more advanced Intel 386 processor with a number of updates. MAY 22, 1990 Microsoft announces the availability of Windows 3.0 One of the break-through moments for Windows. This third version of the operating system rode on the success of the new wave of Intel 386 processors, which facilitated a number of new features such as 16 colours, improved visuals and better performance. It was this era that support from third party hardware vendors and software developers really kicked in, driving the success of the Windows brand.
Early versions of Windows were the first to utilise a graphical interface and mouse-operated controls - previous operating systems, such as DOS, had all been text-based
>>> November PCR 29
ANALYSIS HISTORY OF WINDOWS
>>>
APRIL 6, 1992 Microsoft launches Windows 3.1 An updated version of 3.0 – by now Windows support was soaring and new technologies boosted the capabilities and graphics of the operating system. NOVEMBER 8, 1993 Microsoft ships Windows for Workgroups 3.11 With emerging internet technologies, Windows for Workgroups 3.1 added peer-to-peer workgroup and domain networking support. This was the first ‘network-aware’ Windows system, and provided many of the foundations that we rely on for accessing and interacting with the web.
There have been consistent themes through the evolution of Windows - each version has been influential in the industry
One of the key updates of Windows 7 is a more advanced graphical interface, though Microsoft is keen to stress that the operating system will have a smaller processor footprint than Vista, which was criticised by some for being ‘bloated’
AUGUST 24, 1995 Microsoft Windows 95 is available worldwide What could be considered the first of the middle-era of Windows operating systems, Windows 95 really embraced internet infrastructure with the inclusion of an integrated 32-bit TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) stack for built-in internet support and dial-up networking. ‘Plug and Play’ capabilities for easy installation of hardware and software were also included. Within a year of launching, it boasted 40 million users. JUNE 25, 1998 Windows 98 is available in more than 40 countries worldwide Launching under the tagline ‘works better, plays better’, Windows 98 was an upgraded version of 95, and the first ever Windows designed specifically for consumers, opposed to businesses. USB and DVD support was added and things were tweaked to run faster and easier. JUNE 10, 1999 Windows 98 Second Edition ships An incremental update, Windows 98 SE had a number of online tweaks that made negotiating the internet easier, as well as multimedia enhancements thanks to Direct X updates. SEPTEMBER 14, 2000 Windows ME (Millennium Edition) is available Windows ME was the last operating system to be based on the Windows 95
30 PCR November
code base, putting an end to that era of the operating system. It provided many music, video, and home networking enhancements and reliability improvements, and a number of groundbreaking utility features such as System Restore to help users maintain their own computers. FEBRUARY 17, 2000 Windows 2000 Professional lands Windows 2000 Professional was designed to replace Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 on all business desktops and laptops. OCTOBER 25, 2001 Microsoft announces the worldwide availability of Windows XP with a celebration in New York City XP essentially melded the business and consumer brands of Windows, a trend which continues to this day. XP stood for ‘experience’, which was supposed to represent the wide degree of applications, making it versatile to whichever type of user you were. This could be considered the first of the modern era of Windows products. NOVEMBER 30, 2006 Microsoft launches Windows Vista to businesses – consumer launch is January 30, 2007 Vista is launched, the precursor to Windows 7. A new host of graphical interfaces and features gained its initial praise, however upon launch the system attracted criticism from some consumers and critics for relatively high system and space requirements, and long loading times. Addressing these issues has become a large part of the Windows 7 marketing campaign. OCTOBER 22, 2009 Microsoft Launches Windows 7 Windows 7 is essentially an update to Vista, but has a smaller footprint on the computer – reducing what many saw as the ‘bloated’ nature of its predecessor. Improved compatibility with third party software has been a key part of Microsoft’s marketing for the system. Windows 7 is the spearhead of a slew of releases from Microsoft due in the next few months. Initial commentary on it has been highly positive.
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INTERVIEW MICROSOFT
Microsoft’s new vision The release of Windows 7 was the beginning of a nine-month product launch plan for Microsoft, which will include Office 2010 next year. The firm claims that at the heart of all these new releases is a strong dialogue with partners and end users, in order to make sure criticisms are met and specific needs catered for. Andrew Wooden caught up with Microsoft’s partner group manager, Simon Aldous, at the firm’s recent partner conference in Wembley Stadium to talk about the new operating system, the benefits of a recession, and what’s in store for the world’s biggest software vendor… “We’ve never had a sustained period of product launches of this magnitude – the next nine months are a significant change in the development of our technology” Simon Aldous, Microsoft
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This is the biggest Microsoft partner event for five years in the UK – what are the main things you want to achieve with it? Over the years we’ve not done enough to connect with out partner communities. I think Scott (Dodds, Microsoft’s general manager for small to medium enterprises) used the words cumbersome, large and complex. I’d echo that. We need to be sure that we’re actually addressing the needs of the end user more effectively – we do that through our partner communities. We’re not a direct sales organisation, everything is through our partners. We need to ensure we’re providing our partners with the tools they need to sell to those end customers.
That’s the message we want to get across today – it is really Microsoft coming back to the channel and saying, ‘We recognise that we haven’t been as effective as we need to be in our engagement with you, we recognise there’s been some challenges. This is an excellent time to come and talk to you with the product launches that are coming.’ We’ve never had a sustained period of product launches of this magnitude. If you look over the next nine months, it’s a significant change in the development of our technology. How much feedback are you taking from the partners? Could you do with more of it?
The answer is yes, we need more. We’ve made a lot of changes, so after the last 18 months – really since Scott came into the role and looked to redefine his part of the business – we’ve made a number of changes to try and allow us to get closer to our partner communities. If you look at the SMB market (classified as firms with 0-250 employees), we’ve made some significant changes internally at Microsoft. When I joined three years ago there wasn’t a dedicated sales focus on this area, we didn’t really have an internal infrastructure that was targeted at supporting it. Now we’ve got something in the region of 30 sales people working regionally within the UK. The
>>>
November PCR 35
INTERVIEW MICROSOFT
Microsoft’s partner event took place at London’s Wembley Stadium
“What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics, but it’s built on very stable core Vista technology” Simon Aldous, Microsoft
Users can choose to use a touch interface with Windows 7
>>>
regions are important, you can’t treat everyone the same. From an SMB perspective we’ve segmented the country by RDA region. We put people out in the field to try and create communities and a local Microsoft presence. Was a ‘one size fits all’ policy followed in the past, then? I wouldn’t say ‘policy’, but our messaging became ‘one size fits all’ for whatever reason. The change in the economy over the last couple of years specifically has forced Microsoft and many other organisations out there to revisit what their value proposition is. The term ‘SMB’ didn’t used to exist at Microsoft formally until about six months ago, so we’ve restructured our routes to market globally. Have you been forced to do this by the recession? I think we would have got there anyway, but what has gone on in the world has expedited that change, without a doubt. I think historically we
36 PCR November
would have gone out with a broader ‘one size fits all’ approach, and now we have a much more partner-focused approach. [A recession] forces the mind. It forces to you think more clearly around what you are trying to achieve and what were the blockers. When the sun is shining there’s no incentive to change the roof on your house. It’s only when its raining that you realise there’s a problem. Is Windows 7 really a much more agile operating system, in terms of the specific uses it can be moulded to? The interesting thing is, it’s basically the next version of Vista. Vista was a totally redesigned operating system from XP. We’ve improved upon Vista in that way. We’ve stripped out a lot of the code, we’ve made a lot of it much more efficient, it sits on a smaller footprint, it operates far more quickly, it’s far more agile and effective in terms of the calls it makes. I saw an article recently that described it as ‘Vista on steroids’, and in some ways you can absolutely relate to that.
One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very graphical and easy to use. What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. We’ve significantly improved the graphical user interface, but it’s built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance. So you’ve taken the style of the Mac platform and built it on the more solid foundations of Vista? We’ve taken everything that’s good about Vista, along with the core infrastructure of the operating system, and we’ve made it faster and slimmed down the code to make it more effective. We’ve also tried to listen to what customers want in terms of a much slicker user interface and the ability to engage with it far more intuitively. That’s the product that we’re delivering.
You’re also going to be launching Office 2010 as part of your ninemonth product roadmap, would you say that’s been updated in a similar way – streamlined with an improved user interface? It is the next step in terms of trying to address the consistent feedback, which is all around usability. For us it takes what is a fantastically stable and successful product and addresses the need for that technological evolution realistically. We’ve significantly beefed up the capabilities of Excel in terms of the amount of data it can handle and the functionality and the reporting pieces, for example. We’ve looked at PowerPoint and what people want to do with that, and how we can make sure manipulating high-resolution video is inherent within the product. It’s a very exciting time for us in terms of what we can bring for end customers, such as improving business productivity, driving down costs within organisations, with the business productivity concept.
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RETAIL FOCUS
From the Frontline STRONG RETAIL PRESENCE FOR ACER ACER has big plans for the consumer market, as can be seen in our interview on page 23. The consumer end of the market has always been a key proposition for the vendor and this months sales feedback indicates that their ongoing strategy is working. The number one selling desktop according to our survey is Acer’s entry-level X1300, which has been designed for home entertainment and computing and features a 2.3GHz AMD Phenom X4 quad-core processor, with up to four gigabytes of DDR2 RAM and Nvidia GeForce 8 series graphics support. The device can be found bundled with a monitor for as little as £400 from some online retailers. Meanwhile, Acer’s Aspire laptop range dominates our laptop chart. The number one slot has gone to the Aspire 5536, the entry level device among Acer’s latest additions to the range. It features a strong emphasis on HD viewing and carries an AMD Athlon 64 X2 CPU with ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics, at a price point around £400. Some of the other Acer devices shown are slightly outdated now that the vendor has released these new additions, and so can probably be found at slightly lowered prices. Elsewhere, the graphics cards show a strong preference for budget components. PNY’s Verto GeForce 9600GT has been praised for its solid performance at a relatively low price point, and ATI OEM Sapphire’s lowend Radeon HD3650 has been described as the ideal solution for people disappointed by their integrated graphic set. matt.grainger@intentmedia.co.uk
38 PCR November
This month infinite FMS has made an intensive survey of 500 stores to gather the required information, talking to the grass roots of the retail sector and finding out the latest sales trends...
DESKTOPS 1
ACER X1300
2
HP P6105
3
ACER ASPIRE X3200
4
PACKARD BELL IMEDIA D3519
5
COMPAQ PRESARIO CQ5115
LAPTOPS 1
ACER AS5536
2
ACER AS7535
3
ACER AS5338
4
HP COMPAQ CQ60 420SA
5
PACKARD BELL LJ61-RB010
GRAPHICS CARDS 1
PNY Geforce 9600GT
2
PNY GEFORCE 9500GT
3
ATI SAPPHIRE RADEON HD3650
4
PNY BFG 9400GT
5
PNY 6200 AGP
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RETAIL FOCUS infinite FMS is a specialist field marketing provider delivering bespoke solutions purely for the technology sector. With over ten years experience, we understand how to support manufacturers with the execution of their below-the-line campaigns, ensuring brands are reinforced, product messages are effectively delivered and sales objectives are achieved. Our services include product training, compliance & data capture, promotion & demonstration activity, Mystery Shopping & Roadshows. To learn more about how we can support you, please contact us on 01793 686504 or visit our website at www.infinitefms.com
No 49%
Don’t know 24% Yes 27%
QUESTION: ARE CUSTOMERS INTERESTED IN INTERNET ENABLED TVS? With the digital switchover looming, it would seem that internet enabled TVs are likely to take a back seat. However, awareness is slowly growing, with over a quarter of respondents reporting interest.
KEY COMMENTS During the canvassing of retail store staff, we looked to obtain real honest feedback about key themes running through the IT industry, which may give us an insight into the mindset of retailers and their experience at the coal face of the industry. Below are the most frequent (and pertinent) comments that were made this month: “Recently a lot more older customers seem to be embracing new technologies, including laptops” “Price is the number one deciding factor when it comes to laptops”
MICE 1
“Customers are becoming more aware of Windows 7 and would prefer to wait until it’s released before purchasing a new PC”
MICROSOFT Optical 3000
2
LOGITECH V150
3
MICROSOFT MOBILE 3000
4
LOGITECH REVOLUTION WIRELESS LASER
5
MICROSOFT OPTICAL 1000
KEYBOARDS 1
LOGITECH LX710
2
MICROSOFT WIRED KEYBOARD 500
3
MICROSOFT 2000 COMFORT CURVE
4
LOGITECH WAVE
5
LOGITECH ULTRA-FLAT WIRED KEYBOARD
“Increase in laptop sales, decrease in desktop sales”
“Customers are most interested in the smaller desktops”
“Peripheral sales are rising, especially external hard drives”
UTILITY SOFTWARE - BACK UP 1
NORTON 360
2
NORTON INTERNET SECURITY
3
KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2010
4
MCFEE VIRUS SCAN PLUS 2010
5
AVG INTERNET SECURITY 8.5
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“Consumer concerns seem to be about the digital switch over rather than internet access though TV”
November PCR 39
RETAIL FOCUS MYSTERY SHOPPER
Sheffield Our Mystery Shopper is spending more time away from home and wants to see their favourite TV programmes remotely. What do staff recommend as the best media streamer for ease of use and quality...?
JOHN LEWIS ARRIVING on the third floor, I perused the electrical department in search of media streamers. Unfortunately I had no luck so I headed back to speak to some staff members I had previously seen upon arrival. I caught the eye of one who smiled and she asked how she could help. After explaining I wanted a media streamer so I could watch my favourite TV shows when I was away from home, she called a colleague for extra help. A gentleman approached me and led me to the hard drives. I informed him of my request, but he said: “We don’t have a great variety of things like that. However, we do have something called a Slingbox. This is probably the best thing we
40 PCR November
have for you, as it enables you to watch TV programmes away from home.” I asked him how it worked and if it was easy to use, but he wasn’t sure. “To be honest I’ve never used one, but I can print off some information for you.” He then pointed to a Netgear EVA8000, which was a media streamer without the capability of watching TV programmes from home. He said the Slingbox Solo SB260-110 Media Streamer cost £106. It enables the user to watch and control the TV, DVR, digital cable and DVD from anywhere in the world as long as there’s a high speed internet connection. Slingstream technology dynamically adjusts video clarity and adjusts
www.pcr–online.biz
RETAIL FOCUS MYSTERY SHOPPER
Turn the page for more Mystery Shopper results
>>>
COMET
compression levels to create a continuous high quality video. He also said there was an alternative option, the Slingbox Pro SB200-110 Media Streamer, costing £164.35. This could be ordered online. I thanked the assistant for his time and left. The customer service at John Lewis was good, the assistant was quick and had a friendly manner, but the level of product knowledge was limited. He did suggest an appropriate product, but it was not made with confidence, and SCORE without clear explanation this product could be ignored by customers who haven’t done their research.
7/10
www.pcr–online.biz
PEERING down Comet’s many aisles, I was looking for some assistance as I couldn’t find the electrical section. However this too was proving hard to find. I walked to the checkout where a member of staff was on the phone and a further two staff members were talking with a couple trying to sort out home delivery. After waiting for a couple of minutes the assistant turned around, saw me waiting and walked right past me. He more or less ignored me as he had made eye contact with me; he simply walked straight past to a customer on the shop floor by the cookers. I continued to wait a further five minutes for the suited staff member to finish with his home delivery customers. I was growing increasingly impatient just as the first assistant returned and asked: “Is there something I can help you with?” I asked for his recommendation on media streamers, but he looked a bit blank and said: “You’d probably be better off waiting for my colleague,” he said pointing to the suited man. I told him that I wanted to be able to watch my TV shows away from home. “Oh we do have this,” he said, as he pointed to a Win TV-HVR 900 TV Capture USB Stick costing £54.99. “You do need a laptop or computer in order to use it, though. This one can be used for terrestrial TV as well as freeview channels, or we have a cheaper one for £34.99, which can only be used for channels one to five.” I asked him how it worked and was told that it was really easy, all you needed was a USB port to plug it into – it was quite similar to a dongle. I asked the sales assistant if there was any literature I could take away regarding details on the technology, but was told there wasn’t anything. This was surprising as I expected him to at least print off the specifications but he didn’t offer, he simply said: “I’ll leave you to it” and walked off. Despite the assistant being friendly, he wasn’t knowledgeable on the products and the overall customer service was less than satisfactory. I wasn’t blown away by the product range that Comet offered either, and I walked away feeling that I did not get enough information on the recommended products. However, the TV capture USB stick was a great little device for SCORE half the price of the Slingbox, and if all I wanted was to watch TV away from home this would be perfect.
6/10
November PCR 41
RETAIL FOCUS MYSTERY SHOPPER
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.
PC WORLD
HOUSE OF FRASER
CURRYS
AS I walked up the central aisle, two staff members were dealing with separate customers so I decided to walk through the store and see if I could find what I was looking for on my own. After ten minutes I decided I needed help after all. I found a member of staff who, once I explained my plight to him, pointed me in the direction of a sales assistant who would be able to help with my quest. The assistant asked if I wanted to wirelessly stream information from a PC to a TV. I informed him that I was looking for a device which enabled me to watch TV programmes while away from home. The assistant nodded with enthusiasm and said: “In that case, we have this. It’s called a Slingbox and it enables you to watch TV via a laptop or PC.” The assistant then asked if I would need help installing the device as they offered a service to do this. It looked pretty easy to install; nevertheless, I did ask him for any leaflets or literature I could take with me. The sales assistant provided me with the revelant product information and installation details. I thanked him for his time and left the store. The Slingbox Pro Media Streamer Pro SB200-110 costs £163.95 and is HD ready. It has built-in DVB-T to view Freeview channels and controls recordings via Sky+ service or PVR and connects to 4 AV Source. Overall this was a pleasant experience from the layout of the store to the smartly dressed staff. There was no hard-sell approach, but it was very informative. I was, however, expecting more of a variety from PC SCORE World as the Slingbox was quite expensive due to it being the ‘Pro’ version.
THE electrical section is located in the basement of the store and is quite a small section filled with mostly TVs and DVDs. I noticed a smartly dressed member of staff standing by a computer and so I approached him and explained what I was searching for.
ON entering the store, which was situated on a retail park close to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, I walked around trying to find media streamers, again with no luck. After a few minutes I found an assistant who was willing to help with my search. I explained what I was looking for, but the assistant appeared confused. She admitted she didn’t have much knowledge on this topic and ushered over a colleague who did. He recommended a Philips media streamer costing £500, and said an additional £100 would be needed for extra units. I thought this was expensive and asked whether I would be able to watch TV programmes while away from home, like I could with the Slingbox. The assistant informed me that this was not possible as it was for music only, but added that PC World would be able to help me. He was honest by saying he didn’t know what Slingbox was, but continued to inform me of another device that would allow me to watch TV remotely from my laptop or PC. He showed me a Hauppauge WinTV HVR-900 USB TV stick costing £59.99. The helpful assistant supplied me with a leaflet outlining the product specs. This product enables digital and analogue television to be viewed and recorded from a laptop or PC. It features a scheduler allowing users to programme favourite shows a week in advance so they’re not missed, and lets the user time shift and pause live TV. The overall recommendation was good, but I felt a greater variety was needed. The SCORE assistant was extremely helpful and gave an alternative store to visit when the item in question was not in stock.
9/10
42 PCR November
“It was disappointing that this store did not have what I wanted, but at least I was given advice and recommendations as to where I could go. The service was friendly enough, but it wasn’t the place to go for media streaming devices” The gentleman said: “I’m sorry but we don’t have anything like that in store.” He continued: “You would be better off trying PC World in the retail park not far from here.” I thanked him for the advice and left the store. This was a bit disappointing as House of Fraser did not have what I wanted, but at least I was given advice and recommendations as to where I could go. The service was friendly SCORE enough, but it wasn’t the place to go for media streaming devices.
4/10
8/10
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Hardware PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the hardware market
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
P 47
ULTRA CHEAP LAPTOPS A look at the lower end of the laptop segment, where competition is fierce
p 55
p 58
BFG TECH
GFK ANALYSIS
EU marketing manager Graham Brown talks about BFG’s plans
Carl West examines the reasons behind a 34 per cent drop in mail order hardware sales
CONTACTS
HARDWARE ULTRA CHEAP LAPTOPS
Target Components: 01977 739 300 Interactive Ideas: 020 8805 1000 VIP Computers: 0871 622 7500 Bluepoint: 0844 571 8001
[
Ingram Micro: 0871 973 3000 Novatech: 0871 222 2812
HP COMPAQ 615 SRP: £425
]
Powered by AMD’s 2.2 gigahertz Turion X2 DualCore Mobile Processor mounted on the AMD RS780MN chipset, the HP Compaq 615 also carries 320 gigabytes of storage memory and two gigabytes of DDR2 RAM. It features a Duper Multi DVD drive, and a 15.6inch display powered by an integrated ATI Radeon HD 3200
Micro P: 01282 776 776
Distributor: Bluepoint
Low charge Recent years have seen the inexorable growth of the laptop segment as improving technology and falling prices have ensured continued consumer interest. However, as the recession grinds on, customers are increasingly looking to maximise their value for money. Matt Grainger takes a look at the low-cost laptop segment and outlines some of the products that might meet the needs of the cash conscious consumer… “I think that with the current climate, consumers feel they are in a better position to make tougher demands to ensure they get the maximum value for money” Chris Bloxham, VIP
www.pcr-online.biz
THE GROWING popularity of laptop PCs has been evident for quite some time now. With each passing month, the proportion of laptops sold compared to desktops shows that the consumer market is increasingly seeing these devices as a primary home PC, rather than just an additional purchase. Significant reasons for the sales growth of laptops include a steady decline in retail price in the time preceding the recession and an explosion in computational power, primarily driven by the success of Intel’s Atom processor. With the onset of the recession, IT consumers are placing a greater emphasis on value for money than ever
before. Happily for them there are many devices available that meet their needs at a relatively low price-point. Unfortunately for retailers, the cost of stocking these items is likely to see a steady rise over the coming months. “I think that with the current climate, consumers feel they are in a better position to make tougher demands to ensure they get the maximum value for money,” observes Chris Bloxham, VIP’s notebook product manager. As consumers look to reduce expenditure, it tends to be the high end that suffers and the low end that prospers. However, the appetite for laptops is not solely down to price;
many customers are increasingly aware of the benefits of PC ownership, and the fact is that the laptop device meets the everyday needs of a large proportion of consumers. “The demand for lower priced laptops has increased substantially – the laptop is now considered an alternative to a desktop even for office-based staff,” comments Caroline Spillane, marketing manager at Target Components. “They have also become the musthave, not only for travellers and those on the move, but for university and college students and even school pupils. The applications most commonly required by users are internet
>>>
November PCR 47
HARDWARE ULTRA CHEAP LAPTOPS
[
ACER E-MACHINE EM525 SRP: £392.97
]
e-Machine is Acer’s budget brand and this device features an Intel Celeron M processor, a gigabyte of RAM and an integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with 64MB dedicated RAM, which is capable of handling most internet media and older games Distributor: Target Components
[
HERCULES E-CAFÉ EC-1000W SRP: £328.98
] [
ACER TRAVELMATE 5730 SRP: £399
]
[
ASUS N10JH SRP: £449
]
This device carries an Intel Atom processor, a gigabyte of RAM, and a 250 gigabyte hard drive with 50 gigabytes of online storage available. It has a unique moulded cover design, a ten-inch display, and comes with Windows 7 Starter and an intuitive software suite
The Acer TravelMate 5730 is equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor mounted on either a PM45 or GM45 Mobile Intel Chipset, and can be upgraded to carry four gigabytes of RAM. It can be fitted with ATI’s Mobility Radeon HD 3270 or Nvidia’s GeForce 9300M GS graphics card
The ASUS N10Jh is powered by an Intel Atom processor, which offers energy efficiency and versatile multitasking capabilities, extended battery life and high-speed internet access. It can be equipped with a choice of hard drives ranging from 160 gigabytes to 320 gigabytes
Distributor: Interactive Ideas
Distributor: VIP Computers
Distributor: VIP Computers
>>>
access, emails, word processing and spreadsheets as well as multi-media. All these are ideal applications for laptops and do not require massive computing power.” The market saw a decline in recent retail prices when vendors looked to make shipments despite their products decreasing in value, but this situation couldn’t continue forever as manufacturers began to count the cost of slashed prices. And unfortunately for retailers, customer budgets are not likely to increase significantly in the
foreseeable future, which places them in a very difficult position. The early months of the recession also saw the retail prices of these
collapse of the housing market. The resulting surfeit of components saw manufacturing costs for PCs drop. This led to lower retail prices and meant
“The demand for lower priced laptops has increased substantially – the laptop is now considered an alternative to a desktop even for office-based staff” Caroline Spillane, Target Components devices steadily fall, as Asian component manufacturers ramped up production only to see Western demand rapidly drop off after the
that the IT industry was slower to decline than many other sectors. However, many of the component manufacturers have scaled back
[
ASUS K50IJ SRP: £439
]
The ASUS K50IJ notebook is designed to provide a no-frills computing experience to users on the move. With an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and up to four gigabytes of RAM, it’s capable of handling audio and video entertainment Distributor: VIP Computers, Bluepoint
production in an effort to stabilise prices and to reduce their own costs, which in turn has led to steadily rising prices on the High Street. “Prices were dropping after Christmas and continued to do so until the summer when prices began to rise,” agrees Spillane, although she accredits this rise partially to a trend towards equipping the latest devices with dual core processors. Bluepoint’s senior sales manager, Hyder Badami, has also noted an increase in prices: “Prices haven’t come
>>>
HARDWARE ULTRA CHEAP LAPTOPS
[
XPLORA E16 SRP: £299
]
The Xplora E16 features AMD’s 1.6 gigahertz Athlon 64 TF-20 mobile processor, supported by two GB of DDR2 RAM upgradeable to four GB and a 250 GB hard drive. It carries ATI Mobility Radeon X1200 graphic support and includes Wireless N connectivity Distributor: Novatech
[
ACER TRAVELMATE 5720 SRP: £399
] [
TOSHIBA SATELLITE PRO L300 SRP: £399
][
SAMSUNG R519 SRP: £399
]
[
LENOVO IDEAPAD G550 SRP: £499
]
The TravelMate 5720 sports an Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processor, with ATI Mobility Radeon X2500 GPU. WPA2 data encryption and wi-fi ensures wireless compatibility and security. Its Gigabit Ethernet with Alert Standard Format and Wake-on-LAN support offers secure connection
This device features a two gigahertz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, with 250 gigabytes of storage memory and two gigabytes of DDR2 SDRAM as standard. It can be upgraded to eight gigabytes if necessary. It has a 15.4inch monitor powered by Intel GMA 4500M graphic support
The Samsung R519 is powered by a two gigahertz Intel Pentium T4200 on a Mobile GL40 Express chipset, with three gigabytes of DDR2 SDRAM, 250 gigabytes of storage and carries integrated Intel GMA X4500 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
This device comes with a 15.6-inch display, powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor alongside either an Nvidia GeForce G mobile GPU or Intel’s GMA 4500M integrated graphics. It also offers up to 500 gigabytes of storage and up to eight gigabytes of DDR3 DRAM
Distributor: Micro P
Distributor: Bluepoint, Ingram Micro
Distributor: Micro P
Distributor: Ingram Micro
>>>
down; in fact prices have gone up recently due to increases in the prices for memory, HDD and displays.” These increases in costs are bad news, especially in what has effectively become a buyers market. Increased cost set against a demand for low prices can only have a negative effect on the margins of retailers. Fortunately many vendors have recognised this and have released a slew of products that are stripped down to the bare essentials, with enhanced hardware available as an add-on for retailers. While additional sales can be made from upgrading a customer’s hardware, it doesn’t mean laptops are unable to meet the basic needs of the customer. “There are not as many compromises as would have historically been made,” Bloxham comments.
50 PCR November
“Nowadays, entry level notebooks tend to fulfil most basic computing needs, so there aren’t too many features that need to be sacrificed to achieve a low price point.” ENTRY LEVEL COMPUTERS Badami notes that basic functionality shouldn’t be sacrificed. However, some of the more advanced features that we have become accustomed to may not be included. “Compromises would be to choose a laptop with the most basic specs. These include an entry-level CPU like Intel’s Celeron or Sempron, 1GB RAM, a 160GB hard disk drive and forgoing extra features like finger print recognition, Bluetooth, integrated camera and wireless LAN.” The popularity of entry-level PCs is not entirely bad news, since the opportunity for further sales over
time can offer a reliable source of additional margin. “The notebook price trend is pretty important to us from a memory module perspective,” adds Hitesh Kothary, sales and marketing manager at M2M Direct. “From this angle, some of the price pressure put on notebook builders and resellers has come from the sustained increases in memory module pricing. However, this has certainly opened up the value add channel. “Manufacturers are building machines with minimal memory and thus limiting their liability in build cost. Subsequently, resellers are able to sell memory modules as an add-on product and service which allows for more bespoke solutions for the customer and also builds customer loyalty from a customer service
point of view for the value add reseller.” This opportunity for additional sales could prove very important for retailers, and it doesn’t need to be upgraded components. Many of the cheaper laptops available today still have sufficient storage capacity and enough performance to perform a media role, and there are a host of peripherals that can be added to the sale. The key is the most basic edict of sales: know your product. With price being one of the prime factors behind a sale, advise the customer and make sure they know what the laptop is and isn’t capable of, what the limitations are and how they can be improved. This can then open the door for addon sales in a way that top-end devices will never do.
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HARDWARE BFG TECH
Hit the
accelerator After a relatively short amount of time in the UK market, BFG Tech claims to be number one in its category of graphics accelerator vendors. Andrew Wooden talks to European marketing manager Graham Brown about the firm's standing and how the enthusiast market is performing in a recession… When, where and by whom was BFG Tech introduced into the European market? BFG Tech was founded by Scott Herkelman in Chicago in 2003, and first introduced into the European market in 2005/2006 by Paul Davies of Silicon Highway (now head of European sales), Dave Williams of Partners IT (who looks after all our European RMA and logistics) and myself, who oversaw and managed all marketing/PR activities within Europe, which eventually turned into heading up all creative material worldwide. Is the company very different now compared to when it started? BFG has always stood by its core principles, providing Nvidiabased 3D graphics
www.pcr-online.biz
accelerators designed to appeal to the PC enthusiast and hardcore gaming consumer. We decided to expand our portfolio of products within this sector by introducing a full range of high-end power supplies and also to revolutionise the desktop PC with our introduction of Phobos – a high-performance gaming/home theatre system. What would you say is your key differentiator from competitors? We were the first to offer round-theclock free technical support and a true lifetime warranty on all of our graphics cards. BFG was also the first company to offer factory overclocked graphics cards as a standard offering, giving enthusiast consumers an increase in performance right out of the box. With these innovations and an unrivalled level of customer service, BFG quickly rose to be number one in terms of market share in the category, and to this day continues to enjoy a loyal customer base in the PC hardware space. Like the company’s target customers, many of BFG Tech’s employees are gamers and PC enthusiasts, and they strive to provide hardware and marketing that
>>>
November PCR 55
HARDWARE BFG TECH
BFG claims to be the first company to offer round-the-clock support on its graphics cards
>>>
reflects the company’s passion and excitement for the latest technology. Tell us a bit more about Phobos and what you are trying to achieve with it. Phobos is a fusion of every element you could dream of in terms of a desktop computer. Titled as high-performance gaming/home theatre system, we aimed to reset the bar for enthusiast-level PCs by producing a unique seamless case design, innovative touchscreen LCD panel, one-touch overclocking, iPod docking station and a whole lot more. Whether you’re a multimedia professional, hardcore gamer or you just want a state-of-the-art home theatre system, Phobos is the answer. While designing Phobos, all normal traditional aspects of a desktop computer were broken and more importantly needed to be, new cable management was developed to hide the endless clutter of cables and airflow is now being pulled from the top of the case and expelled from the bottom to maximise overall cooling. Last but not least, we introduced a concierge service, whereby we will arrange a appointment to install the machine, at home or in the office, with a secondary six-month maintenance visit. How has the last year been commercially for BFG and what would you estimate your market share to be in the UK? The UK market has always been one
56 PCR November
“With Phobos, titled as a high-perfomance gaming/home theatre system, we aimed to reset the bar for enthusiast-level PCs by producing a unique seamless case design, innovative touchscreen LCD panel, one-touch overclocking, iPod docking station and a whole lot more” Graham Brown, BFG Tech of our main and most successful markets. I would say that we still hold number one position for the enthusiast segment.
How has the graphics card market changed in the last ten years? One of the most important aspects that has changed would be the
If you want a state-of-theart home theatre system, BFG claims Phobos is the answer
perception of the graphics card. We now consider the graphics card to be one of the most vital components within a computer. The CPU versus GPU debate in my mind has always been a grey area in terms of end-user education. Software companies in the past few years have totally changed the way in which they utilise the processing power of a computer by taking advantage of the processing power of the GPU. This factor alone will change the future of the GPU and technological progression. Firms such as Nvidia subscribe to the principle that greater proportionate investment in a GPU as opposed to a CPU is a much more cost effective way of increasing a computer’s performance. Would you agree? I would. Adobe, with its release of the CS4 suite, is a prime example. Would you say it is one of the sectors more resistant to the effects of the recession? I do not feel that any sector can be fully resistant to the effects of the recession, as from one sector to another there will always be some sort of inherent link. What plans do you have for the next year? To continue pushing the boundaries of the enthusiast level products and to maintain providing the best end-user support and service that one company can boast.
www.pcr-online.biz
HARDWARE ANALYSIS
The graph compares the growth of IT mail order with IT resellers over 2009
Mail order IT feels the pinch With a year-on-year decline of 34 per cent, GfK’s Carl West takes a look at IT mail order and resellers over the last 12 months and examines the dramatic challenges they face regarding hardware sales... “When comparing the market share of the two business channels, IT resellers appear to have increased over 2009. This has been down to the drop in ITMO hardware sales as opposed to IT resellers winning more business� Carl West, GfK
58 PCR November
LOOKING at 2009 compared to 2008, the year-to-date volume in IT mail order tells a tale of a decrease in hardware sales of 34 per cent. IT resellers seem to have fought a similar decrease, with a likewise comparison of only eight per cent fall in hardware sales. When examining the sales value for the two business channels over the same periods, IT mail order dropped 26 per cent and IT reseller by only five per cent. At first glance those numbers show drops for both channels compared to the more buoyant first eight months of 2008. When comparing the market share of the two business channels, IT resellers appear to have increased over 2009. This increase has been down to the drop in IT mail order hardware sales as opposed to IT resellers winning more business. The IT reseller channel has shown one month of positive volume growth compared to last year. IT mail order has seen its lowest level of volume
decline in July compared to the same month last year. Desktop and mobile computing combined has seen positive volume growth in seven of the last eight months. IT mail order has seen a dramatic challenge, with decline in volume every month this year compared to 2008. With a drop in server sales and an increase in mobile computing, such as the netbook over 2009, the business channel sales value has also been under significant pressure. A trend with the business channels has shown a shift away from mobile computers and edging increasingly towards desktops, a market that has experienced steep decline in recent months in the total market. However, when segmenting the market into retail and business channels the rate of decline was just 2.3 per cent month-on-month for August 2009. In retail the decline was 13 times more at
30 per cent. A possible explanation is the value for technology that businesses will receive when purchasing a desktop in comparison to the same level of expenditure on a mobile PC. Projectors have been experiencing a rather tough time in recent months. Many businesses are opting not to refresh their old projectors as budgets are under extensive restrictions. Looking in terms of the channel, the picture is mirrored. IT resellers only this month experienced negative volume growth, while previously enjoying positive growth for 15 months straight. However the ITMO has been languishing with six consecutive months of sales decline. Following meetings with ITMO GfK panel members, the general consensus has been that the focus on essential purchases has impacted the buying power of small to medium-size businesses and therefore the sales performance of ITMO companies that supply them.
www.pcr-online.biz
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Software PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the software market
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
p 63
DOWNLOADABLE PC GAMES We examine the rise of video game downloads and how it might affect the future of bricks and mortar retail, as well as high-end PC vendors
p 69
NEW RELEASES A round-up of some of the latest PC titles, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Ghostbusters, Assassins Creed 2, and Football Manager 2010
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SOFTWARE DOWNLOADABLE PC GAMES
Cutting out the middle man More and more games are being made available through direct download rather than box copy – and it is changing the face of the games industry. The way in which this retail model pans out and affects the PC games sector could have serious effects on every business involved in the lucrative high-end gaming PC segment. Andrew Wooden investigates… “Increased connectivity is changing the way people consume entertainment with growing trend to purchase, play and interact in games online” EA spokesperson
www.pcr-online.biz
THE RISING popularity of downloadable games – which are purchased as a file through a website or portal rather than buying a physical disk through retail – has become something of a contentious debate in the video games industry. The argument is that if more people are downloading games through online portals, then less people are visiting retail stores, thus causing problems for the traditional channel. In the PC games sphere, downloadable titles and content have always been a bit ahead of their console brethren – PC gamers were used to downloading patches and additional levels before Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo ever really invested in the idea for consoles. Portals like Steam are now serious players in PC games retail. This could have an impact on why
there is comparatively little shelf space given over to PC titles in video games stores, despite the significant role they play in the industry. Even if you don’t stock them, PC games still have an important role to play in hardware sales. Since the proliferation of low cost netbooks, which are generally only used for basic functions, the high-end enthusiast market has become more important for margin on hardware than ever before, and it is generally driven by a niche of hardcore gamers. This trend is certainly on the rise, however the concern for PC retailers should be how much it is affecting the games market, which is tied into highend hardware sales. Put simply, if lower spec, ‘casual’ games are playing a larger role in the market – which is often the case as they are easy to
Football Manager 2010 is just one of a growing number of titles available through a download portal
>>> November PCR 63
SOFTWARE DOWNLOADABLE PC GAMES
>>>
download and run on more machines – will that reduce the demand for margin rich, high-spec gaming rigs? Miles Jacobson, studio director at Sports Interactive (which develops the Football Manager series) thinks it’s just about choice. “Downloading games is on the rise for the indie games scene for sure, for those titles that struggle to get retail space or even publisher deals. They’re also very useful for getting into markets where it’s difficult to organise a distribution channel. Personally, I don’t see how any route to consumers can be seen as negative. At the end of the day, as developers we make games to entertain people. The more people we can get our games out to the better. Retailers and ESD’s are all very different, and each offers a different level or type of service to their customers. Different people like different shopping experiences.” If you do stock games, the prospect of a rapidly increasing direct to consumer model probably makes you worry for the future of this revenue stream. It seems logical that if one model is on the rise, the other will be taking a hit somewhere. This is certainly a concern for pure video games stores. However, some see the online boost as a stimulant to the overall industry, which will bring subsequent benefits. “Increased connectivity is changing the way people consume entertainment with a growing trend to purchase, play and interact in games online,” an EA spokesperson told us. “Advancements in technology, pervasiveness of high speed access and consumer demand will bring new models for how games come to market in the online space. That’s a growing opportunity for the industry, however we expect the packaged goods business to remain for many years to come.” Games are one of those sectors where even if you’re not involved commercially, they will affect your
64 PCR November
Miles Jacobson, studio director, Sports Interactive
“Personally, I don’t see how any route to consumers can be seen as a negative. The more people we can get our games out to the better” Miles Jacobsen, Sports Interactive profits by proxy. As such, if there is an increased trend towards downloadable titles, there’s an argument for increased collaboration between the PC and video games industries in order to make the most out of the crossover, since they rely on each other to some extent. “There’s quite a lot of collaboration already, but there’s always room for more,” adds Jacobson. “Our game isn’t the most high-end, although we do support many future technologies, which has brought us recognition by many in the industry including Intel – something we are very proud of. Personally, I’d love to see a PC, laptop or Mac on the market for us to recommend to consumers, or keyboards that come with pre-mapped shortcuts. Who knows what will happen in the future!”
Steam (above) has it’s origins as a form of DRM, but has grown to become one of the most popular games download portals, featuring titles such as No Mercy and Empire: Total War
www.pcr-online.biz
SOFTWARE DOWNLOADABLE PC GAMES
>>>
download and run on more machines – will that reduce the demand for margin rich, high-spec gaming rigs? Miles Jacobson, studio director at Sports Interactive (which develops the Football Manager series) thinks it’s just about choice. “Downloading games is on the rise for the indie games scene for sure, for those titles that struggle to get retail space or even publisher deals. They’re also very useful for getting into markets where it’s difficult to organise a distribution channel. Personally, I don’t see how any route to consumers can be seen as negative. At the end of the day, as developers we make games to entertain people. The more people we can get our games out to the better. Retailers and ESD’s are all very different, and each offers a different level or type of service to their customers. Different people like different shopping experiences.” If you do stock games, the prospect of a rapidly increasing direct to consumer model probably makes you worry for the future of this revenue stream. It seems logical that if one model is on the rise, the other will be taking a hit somewhere. This is certainly a concern for pure video games stores. However, some see the online boost as a stimulant to the overall industry, which will bring subsequent benefits. “Increased connectivity is changing the way people consume entertainment with a growing trend to purchase, play and interact in games online,” an EA spokesperson told us. “Advancements in technology, pervasiveness of high speed access and consumer demand will bring new models for how games come to market in the online space. That’s a growing opportunity for the industry, however we expect the packaged goods business to remain for many years to come.” Games are one of those sectors where even if you’re not involved commercially, they will affect your
64 PCR November
Miles Jacobson, studio director, Sports Interactive
“Personally, I don’t see how any route to consumers can be seen as a negative. The more people we can get our games out to the better” Miles Jacobsen, Sports Interactive profits by proxy. As such, if there is an increased trend towards downloadable titles, there’s an argument for increased collaboration between the PC and video games industries in order to make the most out of the crossover, since they rely on each other to some extent. “There’s quite a lot of collaboration already, but there’s always room for more,” adds Jacobson. “Our game isn’t the most high-end, although we do support many future technologies, which has brought us recognition by many in the industry including Intel – something we are very proud of. Personally, I’d love to see a PC, laptop or Mac on the market for us to recommend to consumers, or keyboards that come with pre-mapped shortcuts. Who knows what will happen in the future!”
Steam (above) has it’s origins as a form of DRM, but has grown to become one of the most popular games download portals, featuring titles such as Left4Dead and Empire: Total War
www.pcr-online.biz
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2009
SOFTWARE PC GAMES
New Releases PCR looks at the games set to hit the consumer market over the coming months and selects the best...
GAME OF THE MONTH CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 Publisher: Activison Blizzard Centresoft: 0121 625 3388 Available: November 10th Price: £39.99 TIPPED BY many to become the bestselling game in the UK this Christmas, this latest addition to the Call of Duty world returns to the modern arena. The series certainly has form in outselling the competition – the last of the series set in a modern arena became the most popular first-person shooter of
TITLE
all time. This followup continues the story immediately left off by the first, depicting another potentially worldshattering catastrophe for players to shoot their way out of. Featuring a night vision mode (some versions come with their own realistic looking goggles, angering the tabloids), and a new SpecOps mode, the game is expected to prove hugely popular due to the franchise’s strength in both single player campaign and multi-player arenas. This one is bound to sell bucket loads.
GENRE
PUBLISHER
TELEPHONE
DISTRIBUTOR
DATE
Dungeon Lord – The Orb and the Oracle
RPG
JoWood
01273 202 220
Lace
October 30 2009
Flight Deck 6
Simulation
First Class Simulations
01869 338833
Open
October 30 2009
Football Manager 2010
Simulation
Sega
0121 625 3388
Centresoft
October 30 2009
FPS 3
FPS
City Interactive
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
October 30 2009
Fritz 12 Chess
Chess
Excalibur Publishing
01869 338833
Open
October 30 2009
Horrid Henry
Mini-games
Asylum Entertainment
0203 176 0417
South Peak
October 30 2009
League Of Leagues
Sports
THQ
0121 506 9585
Advantage
October 30 2009
Rage Of The Dead
Action
City Interactive
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
October 30 2009
Terrorist Takedown 3
FPS
City Interactive
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
October 30 2009
X3 Gold
Action
Deep Silver
0870 027 0985
Koch
October 30 2009
Art Of Murder: Cards Of Destiny
Mystery
City Interactive
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
November 6 2009
Dragon Age: Origins
RPG
EA
0121 625 3388
Centresoft
November 6 2009
Frankenstein
Casual
Mastertronic
0845 234 4242
Open
November 6 2009
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Action
Atari
0121 506 9585
Advantage
November 6 2009
Hollywood: The Director's Cut
Casual
Mastertronic
0845 234 4242
Open
November 6 2009
Planet 51
Action/Adventure
Sega
0121 625 3388
Centresoft
November 6 2009
Secrets Of The Vatican: The Holy Lance
Casual
Mastertronic
0845 234 4242
Open
November 6 2009
Treasure Seekers 1 & 2
Casual
Mastertronic
0845 234 4242
Open
November 6 2009
World Of Zoo
Simulation
THQ
0121 506 9585
Advantage
November 6 2009
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
FPS
Activision Blizzard
0121 625 3388
Centresoft
November 10 2009
Fly The Boeing Fleet
Simulation
First Class Simulations
01869 338833
Open
November 13 2009
Assassin's Creed 2
Action
Ubisoft
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
November 20 2009
Discover Arabia
Simulation
First Class Simulations
01869 338833
Open
November 20 2009
Discover Europe
Simulation
First Class Simulations
01869 338833
Open
November 20 2009
Dubai Airport: Gateway To The World
Simulation
First Class Simulations
01869 338833
Open
November 20 2009
SAW: The Game
Survival Horror
Konami
0208 987 5706
Open
November 20 2009
Sherlock Holmes Vs Jack The Ripper
Adventure
Ubisoft
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
November 20 2009
The Sims 3: World Adventures
Simulation
EA
0121 625 3388
Centresoft
November 20 2009
Brain College: 3 Days Zoo Mystery
Casual
City Interactive
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
November
Crazy Machines Ultimate Edition
Compilation
Kalypso Media
0121 506 9585
Advantage
November
Grand Ages Rome: Gold Edition
Strategy
Kalypso Media
0121 506 9585
Advantage
November
Multiplayer Shooter
FPS
City Interactive
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
November
The Saboteur
Action
EA
0121 625 3388
Centresoft
December 8 2009
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
Action
Ubisoft
0845 362 7769
Trilogy
December
*ABC-certified distribution 102,010 Jan-Dec 05
ON THE RADAR
Ghostbusters: The Video Game Publisher: Atari Contact: 0121 625 3388
Football Manager 2010 Publisher: Sega Contact: 0121 625 3388
Assassin’s Creed 2 Publisher: Ubisoft Contact: 0845 362 7769
Consumer
Electronics PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the consumer electronic market
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P 73
NOVELTY GADGETS We take a look at some of the more fun products on the market, which make for perfect stocking fillers
p 80
PRODUCT FOCUS An overview of Garmin’s Nuvi 1690, the first device from the vendor to include nuLink online support
www.pcr-online.biz
November PCR 71
CONTACTS
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS NOVELTY GADGETS
CCI Distribution: 01423 704700 EntaTech: 0333 101 1000 Gem Distribution: 01279 822 822
[
Interactive Ideas: 0208 805 1000 Misco: 0800 038 8880
Lego MP3 Player and Digital Camera Distributor: Interactive Ideas SRP: £49.99 and £59.99
]
The MP3 player has 2GB of internal memory and a full-colour display. The 3 mega-pixel camera has an built-in flash, colour 1.5-inch LCD screen, digital zoom and holds up to 80 photos. Children can build onto both devices, integrating them into their Lego creations
Target Components: 01977 739 295
A novel idea As the holiday season approaches, many consumers will be looking to get their loved ones something a bit different this Christmas. Nicky Trup finds out what the industry thinks about the prospects of the novelty gadget sector and looks at some of the products on the market… “Christmas has historically been a time when consumers are happy to spend on novelty gadgets for gifts and I don’t see that changing anytime soon” Yen Tru, Interactive Ideas
www.pcr-online.biz
IT IS often said that Christmas seems to come earlier each year and, with many UK retailers expecting shoppers to loosen their purse strings this festive season after a tough couple of years, it can’t come soon enough. While birthdays are usually reserved for personal and meaningful gifts, Christmas presents are often allowed to be more frivolous, making novelty products an attractive prospect in the electronics sector. “Christmas has historically been a time when consumers are happy to spend on novelty gadgets for gifts and I
don’t see that changing anytime soon,” says Yen Tru, a marketing executive at Interactive Ideas. “Our customers are all looking forward to this peak period as confidence starts to grow in the market again.” Target Components marketing manager Caroline Spillane puts the popularity of novelty electronics down to two factors: “They are often considered the ideal present for ‘the guy who has everything’, as well as generally not being expensive.” With such a wide variety of devices available, from wacky mice to
USB-powered executive toys, these gadgets make great stocking-fillers. But, according to EntaTech sales executive Stuart Dick, they are not only a hit at Christmas. “With regards to the remote control products that we sell, there is a peak in the summer months to coincide with the school summer holidays,” he says, adding that toys such as helicopters and speedboats are the most popular among school children. Please turn the page for more key products
>>>
November PCR 73
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS NOVELTY GADGETS
[
[ [
Mole in a Hole Distributor: Gem SRP: £14.99
Mouse Speakers Distributor: Gem SRP: £19.99
Satzuma’s 9.5cm-tall mouse-shaped speakers use a USB input, so they don’t require an audio jack. The stereo speakers have an inbuilt amplifier, so no batteries are needed
]
However, Dick acknowledges that the sector has been hit by the recession: “Obviously the current economic climate has affected sales of products that are primarily an impulse buy, such as remote control gadgets.” By contrast, CCI’s category manager Cliff Cheetham takes the opposite view: “The cheaper impulse-buy products
74 PCR November
Saitek’s USB hub has four high-speed ports and an alternating five-colour LED. It is compatible with all USB devices and comes in nine different colours, plus two additional pattern designs
]
]
[
This miniature version of the classic ‘whack-a-mole’ arcade game is USB or battery powered. Each round is 30 seconds or one minute long, with the speed increasing as the game progresses. It also features an LCD scoreboard and six interactive sounds
>>>
Mini UFO USB Hub Distributor: EntaTech SRP: £9.99
“I’m forecasting a strong Q4, but I’m also expecting consumers to be more selective than usual. The right products will still sell well, but products that sit more at the periphery of the market could struggle” Cliff Cheetham, CCI seem to have retained the levels of business, while the more expensive products have certainly been impacted.
“I’m forecasting a strong Q4 with the run up to Christmas, but I’m also expecting consumers to be more
Wifi Detector Keyring Distributor: Target Components SRP: £6 This compact key-ring device lets you know if a wireless internet connection is available at your current location. The user presses the button and the three LEDs show how strong the signal is
]
selective than usual. The right products will still sell well, but products that sit more at the periphery of the market could struggle.” The ‘right products’, according to Cheetham, are often the ones that cash in on an existing fan base. “Anything that follows a popular theme with a new feature or USP would be ideal,” he says.
>>>
www.pcr-online.biz
For more information contact your Gem account manager on 01279 822822, or visit www.gem.co.uk
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS NOVELTY GADGETS
[
[
Photo Mouse Distributor: Interactive Ideas SRP: £12.72
Spotter Webcam Distributor: Interactive Ideas SRP: £35.91
Cyber Snipa’s telescope-shaped webcam has a detachable seven to 18 times zoom lens and is mounted on a sturdy adjustable tripod. The device, which plugs in via USB, features an external button for taking still pictures
]
Users can display an image of their choice in the photo mouse, which is then lit by an integral white spotlight when the device is plugged in. A template is provided for cutting pictures into the right shape
>>>
“I certainly think the new iPod Nano is a great example of this – the new video function has certainly revitalised the appeal of what was becoming a slightly mundane product.” Dick believes that, like many mainstream electronics, the current trend with novelty gadgets is that smaller is better: “Palm-sized fun seems
www.pcr-online.biz
]
to be all the rage,” he comments, adding that radio-controlled toys in particular “are now widely available to fit in the palm of your hand”. Because there is such a broad spectrum of novelty products available, it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. This means distributors all need their own strategies for selecting a winner.
[
Santa Claus MP3 Player Distributor: Target Components SRP: £18
[
Diamante Mouse Distributor: Gem SRP: £11.99
]
This Christmas-themed MP3 player has a 2GB capacity and a Li-ion rechargeable battery
]
This bejewelled mouse, which is PC and Mac compatible, features 800dpi sensitivity and a scroll wheel
“It’s important to pick the products that can offer more to the consumer, have a different angle and are innovative enough to stand out in what can be a crowded market,” Tru says. While choosing products that stand out from the crowd can be a good strategy, Cheetham says CCI is often wary of gadgets that are too quirky: “We tend not to go for the really unusual
gadgets as you have to be fairly intimate with some of the niche markets to be confident of selling the product consistently. While we are a specialist distributor we still sell to the mainstream IT channel. “We’ve had slightly unusual products that just failed to perform when the benefits weren’t perceived by end users and resellers. It’s
>>>
November PCR 77
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS NOVELTY GADGETS
[
SingStand iPod Karaoke System Distributor: CCI Distribution SRP: £69.99
]
The Memorex SingStand is designed for use with iPod and iPhone, but is compatible with any MP3 device with a headphone jack. The stand enables users to sing along to any track and apply voice control and echo effects. It also comes equipped with dual microphone inputs for duet performances and can be connected to musical instruments
[
Photo Alarm Clock Distributor: Misco SRP: £44.99
[
]
This new alarm clock from HANNspree combines an alarm clock, a photo viewer, a music player and FM tuner. It comes in a black gloss finish, with customisable wallpaper options including a calendar mode. The extra large buttons mean it can also be used by children
>>>
always difficult to predict what trend is going to be the next big thing,” he adds. “I have occasionally regretted not taking on a product which later became massive, but I keep those details to myself.” Some might consider novelty goods a risky item to stock anyway, but distributors say there are benefits and good margins to be had, both in the
78 PCR November
Digital Photo Keychain Distributor: CCI Distribution SRP: £10.95
]
This Sweex keyring works in the same way as a digital photo frame, with a 1.5-inch screen that displays a slideshow of your picture in intervals of up to two minutes. It has an internal memory of 1MB – roughly 59 images – and has an built-in rechargeable battery
“We can provide our customers with the opportunity to capitalise on the gift market at peak times and offer something different to talk about and show in store” Stuart Dick, Entatech run up to Christmas and at other times of the year. Cheetham comments: “If you can identify a new trend, the opportunity to
bring onboard a significant amount of business quickly is very attractive and can add a good slice of profit to the bottom line without a lot of the hassles
associated with developing a new product line from scratch and with no end user pull.” Dick adds: “We can provide our customers with the opportunity to capitalise on the gift market at peak times and offer something different to talk about and show in store.” With all that in mind, are you going to stock anything novel this Christmas?
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Peripherals & Accessories
Win a Fiat 500 or one of 25 European City Breaks
Give your customers the chance to win the latest in chic motoring, a brand new Fiat 500! Consumers who buy either the Memorex iWakeUp or MiniMove iPod accessories can register to win a great range of prizes, including 25x European City breaks and the first prize of a Fiat 500.
miniMove
iWakeUp
iPod Speaker
Clock Radio for iPod
Fashionable and functional Memorex miniMove Portable Boombox for iPod lets you listen to and share your music in style. It plays and charges your iPod devices with docking compatibility and includes a digital FM radio with wireless remote. The integrated handle makes toting your tunes trouble-free. Memorex miniMove has the option of using AC/DC power operation or ‘AA’ batteries when you’re on the go. Now you can carry all your music with designer flair in pink, teal, and black!
Start the day off right with the iWakeUp™ Clock Radio for iPod. It features 2.75 inch speakers, providing great quality sound in a compact and sleek design that integrates perfectly with any décor. Its dual alarm settings make it the ideal solution for those sharing the same room, but not the same schedule. The option to wake up to iPod, radio, or buzzer makes this clock radio truly versatile.
• Powers and charges your iPod devices with docking capability • Digital FM radio with station presets • Backlit LCD display • Connect non-docking iPod devices, CD players, and other MP3 players CCI part no. 32749 (Black),
• Powers and charges your iPod devices with docking capability • Dual alarm function, wake to your iPod, radio, or alarm
FROM
£33.5
32750 (Pink), 32751 (Teal)
• Digital AM/FM radio
1*
• Connect non-docking iPod devices, CD players, and other MP3 players • Battery backup function CCI part no. 32748
FROM
£33
*
.64
These products are both fully compatible with all iPod products including the latest generation of Nano, Video and Classic. The iPhone is also supported in ‘airport mode’ (the iPhone will automatically detect this and offer the option when connected).
IN THE BOX Universal adapters for use with iPod AC power adapter Wireless remote control
CONNECTIVITY 30-pin dock connector Line-in jack Headphone jack
*All pricing is per unit, ex.VAT & based on volume. Pricing is correct at the time of print and is subject to change at any time without notice.
Visit ccidistribution.co.uk for real time stock availability and pricing.
Optical • Storage • Back-up & Archive • Audio/Visual • Connectivity • Peripherals & Accessories and much more...
Call Head Office 01423 704700, Southern Office 01264 326440 or visit
PRODUCT FOCUS
Be part of the Home Access programme Find out how to become an approved supplier Home Access is the government programme which will help to ensure that more children in state-maintained education in England have access to technology at home to support learning. The programme will provide both encouragement and funding to over 270,000 households by March 2011. For national roll out of the Home Access programme, Becta is seeking to accredit a number of suppliers for the provision of packages for this initiative. A package will consist of a core offering including a user device, internet connectivity and support that can meet pre-defined standards for technical compliance and performance. This is an exciting opportunity for suppliers as learners being provided with funding will only be able to buy compliant packages from approved suppliers. This is the second tranche of accreditation activity and is the final planned opportunity for suppliers to participate. The register for potential suppliers is now open, so if you’d like to be involved now is the time to act. The closing date for the submission of applications is 7 December 2009. This is an important programme and a great opportunity.
NUVI 1690
Wireless satnav connects drivers Nuvi 1690 can tap in to online resources and location-based social networking system GARMIN’S NUVI 1690 GPS most fuel-efficient way of getting to a personal navigation device features an particular destination, saving both integrated wireless connectivity money and the environment. module that provides users with a With this variety of features, plethora of online resources through Garmin claims its new device offers the Garmin NuLink service. the most comprehensive range of Using NuLink, services available on “Garmin claims its any personal consumers can access a range of new device offers navigation system. online services such “The 1690 takes the most as Google’s local navigation to a whole comprehensive search, traffic new level, breaking range of services of the boundaries updates, weather any personal forecasts, fuel prices, between the services speed camera navigation system” the web offers and locations, telephone navigation in-car,” said listings and Ciao, Garmin’s locationDan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president based social networking system. of worldwide sales. The device also contains an “Our customers want and need integrated quick search function, accurate, up-to-the-minute which allows users to search the local information that they can access area by categories such as food, quickly and without hassle. And best accommodation or fuel. of all, the Nuvi 1690 includes one In addition to the standard year of Garmin NuLink out-of-thenavigation features, the device also box, eliminating any hesitation that carries ecoRoute, a type of route customers might have about paying planning software that calculates the for online services,” he added.
For more information and to register visit www.becta.org.uk/homeaccess
[ 80 PCR November
Distributor: Direct Contact Number: 023 8052 4000 SRP: £349.99
] www.pcr-online.biz
82 PCR November
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To advertise on these pages please call Carly Bailey: 01992 535647 carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk November PCR 83
MARKETPLACE NEWS
Dealer group signs up Intec as distributor Integra members will have access to various hardware, services and maintenance “Members will have access to an experienced team of staff to help with regular orders and more complex projects” Dave Wellington, Integra
HARDWARE distributor Intec Microsystems has landed a distribution deal with Integra Office Solutions, the UK’s largest IT and office supplies dealer group. “We were impressed by Intec’s proven track record and its commitment to providing not only an aggressive pricing structure but also comprehensive IT solutions,” said Dave Wellington, Integra’s IT channel manager. “Members will have access to an experienced team of staff to help with regular
orders and more complex multi-site projects,” he added. Intec distributes both branded and discounted hardware from vendors including HP, Lenovo, Nortel and Cisco, as well as providing various IT services and maintenance. The company boasts over one million pounds worth of hardware stocked at its UK distribution centres and an additional £50 million of discounted products available on a next day basis. Intec, which has nine offices around the UK,
provides products and services to customers across Europe. Founded in 2003, the firm achieved a turnover of £4 million in its first year and is on target to achieve a turnover of £21 million by December this year. Intec’s founder and managing director, Dean Leather, said: “The team at Intec Microsystems is looking forward to building a solid relationship with Integra and its members, not only in providing aggressive prices but also by offering an outstanding level of customer service.”
Scandinavian peripherals vendor signs up EntaTech
Enta has become SteelSeries’ second major distributor of its gaming peripherals
Distribution deal is part of SteelSeries’ new push into UK market STEELSERIES has signed up EntaTech as a UK distributor in a bid to become the country’s number one gaming peripherals brand. As part of its push into the UK market, SteelSeries appointed a new UK sales manager, Chris Elt, who is responsible for signing EntaTech as the company’s second major distributor. Elt described SteelSeries as ‘a solid brand’ with ‘huge
84 PCR November
potential in the UK’. The Danish vendor has seen significant success across Scandinavia and also boasts a considerable market share across Asia, North America and wider European markets. “We’ve seen substantial growth in the UK professional gaming arena,” said Steen Ronholt, SteelSeries’ vice president of sales. “We know the SteelSeries brand already has a strong UK audience
“Our experience in the enthusiast arena and SteelSeries’ dedication to gaming is the right combination for a successful and healthy relationship” John Atherton, Enta
thanks to the close-knit online gaming community, however until now there have been few places to purchase. With EntaTech as our new distributing partner, we are really able to tackle the UK market.” “The SteelSeries appointment has been a great acquisition, with many of our loyal resellers benefiting from the quality and margin opportunities that it offers,” said Enta’s commercial vice
president, Jon Atherton. “Our experience in the enthusiast arena and SteelSeries’ dedication to gaming is certainly the right combination for a successful and healthy relationship, the competition better watch out.” SteelSeries’ entire product range is now available from distributors, with the recently announced XAI mouse and the second edition of its Siberia headset launching in October.
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NEWS MARKETPLACE
NewsBytes LOGITECH REVEALS NEW GAMING KEYBOARD Logitech has unveiled its G110 gaming keyboard, which contains a host of game-friendly features such as LED backlit keys, designed for use in darkened rooms. Users have the option of assigning certain keys to be lit in blue or red, allowing for a more intuitive set-up. The device also features up to 36 programmable keys, a 3.5mm audio socket and USB port.
PROMARK SEEKS RESELLERS FOR KRAUN PERIPHERALS Promark Trading is now distributing Kraun computer accessories and peripherals in the UK, after showcasing the Italian vendor’s range at Channel Expo. Promark said it received a positive response to Kraun’s novelty items at the trade show and is now looking for resellers to stock and sell the range.
Integra’s IT channel manager, Dave Wellington
AUK branches into software market ANDREWS UK is moving into software publishing and distribution as part of an organisational re-jig by company founder and CEO Paul Andrews. Following the decision to ‘wind down’ Entain8 – a media business cofounded by Andrews – AUK will now focus on publishing, selling and distributing various products including games, software, audio books and music CDs. Andrews’ games development company, Alten8, will continue to create games, but has shifted some of its publishing business to AUK. AUK was founded in 2000 and has until now primarily focused on
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web-based projects. Its emphasis will now initially be on PC, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii products, with forthcoming titles due to be announced over the coming months. “We are in discussions for the sale and distribution of software and games for several third parties, however I cannot confirm any of them as yet,” Andrews said. “We also intend to actually publish console games ourselves in the near future. By this I mean as soon as possible in 2010.” “I am very excited about what we are doing over at AUK – it is the culmination of years of work coming together,” he added.
NEW WINZIP DESIGNED TO WORK WITH W7 The new Winzip 14 has been released, and is available in three editions: Standard, Pro and Backup. The software has been designed to complement Windows 7 features, while the Backup version allows users to automatically back-up important data files and upload back-ups to an off-site server or burn them to CD or DVD. NEW THECUS DEVICE IS ‘WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL NAS UNIT’ Thecus Technology has launched the N7700PRO network-attached storage device, the follow up product to its award-winning N7700. The new device features an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and 4GB of high-speed memory, which Thecus claims makes it the most powerful NAS unit available. By adding a PCI-e 10GB Ethernet adapter to the N7700PRO’s PCI-e slot, it can reach data transfer speeds of over 300MB/s.
NEW HIS GRAPHICS CARDS GO ON THE MARKET HIS has launched the Direct X11 range of affordable, powerful PC gaming graphics cards. The Radeon HD 5770 and HD 5750 are both equipped with ultra-high bandwidth GDDR5, meaning they are designed for demanding DX11 games at HD resolutions and high settings.
BRIGANTIA TO STOCK SANDBERG PERIPHERALS Buying group Brigantia has signed up to stock products from Danish specialist accessories vendor Sandberg. After more than a decade in the Scandinavian market, the deal represents Sandberg’s effort to break in to the UK. The range includes peripherals such as keyboards, mice, headsets, and network products.
AVANQUEST GETS READY SET FOR WINDOWS 7 Avanquest Software is taking part in Microsoft’s ‘Ready Set 7’ campaign, working with the software giant to make a number of its products Windows 7 compatible. The range will highlight the operating system’s new features, with titles including AutoSave Essentials 3, Digital Picture Frame, Mobile PhoneTools v6 and Perfect Image.
SANDISK EXPANDS MP3 PLAYER RANGE WITH NEW DEVICE Memory card manufacturer SanDisk has launched its latest MP3 player, the Sansa Clip+. The device comes in a variety of capacities from 2GB to 8GB, with a colour choice of red, black or blue. It also features a microSD memory card slot, allowing consumers to listen to additional songs without using up the device’s inbuilt memory, while the rechargeable lithium-ion battery boasts a life of up to 15 hours.
November PCR 85
MARKETPLACE INDIE PROFILE/EVENTS
INDIE PROFILE This month Roger Humm talks to brothers John and Mark Reay of Mega PCs...
FACT BOX Year established: 2001
MEGA PCs opened for business at its premises on Fowler Street, South Shields, in March 2001. The founders and owners are brothers John and Mark Reay. Mark previously worked as a qualified butcher while John worked in a school, but they decided to give up their jobs to start a business in the computer industry – something they had both dreamed of for years. “We are both genuine computer enthusiasts with 30 years’ experience between us,” John said. “Rather than high pressure sales, we sell the products that we believe in.” Mega PCs is slightly off the beaten track, but it has established itself as a reliable, friendly business with loyal regular customers who have made the business a success. While the town of South Shields itself has suffered during the current
Number of outlets: 1 Number of staff 3 Regular vendor lines AMD, Cables Direct, Epson, Intel, Microsoft, Netgear
credit crunch with several shops closing, Mega PCs has continued to keep its head well above water, despite substantial competition in the area. Mark believes this all comes down to the personal touch. “My brother and I believe this is through our personal service, loyalty to our customers and the aftercare provided – we are always available to give support, listen and meet the customer’s requirements,” he said. Mega PCs covers all aspects of the computer industry, from OEM system
building, PC and laptop repairs, right through to networking and software maintenance. According to John and Mark, the secrets to their success include maintaining strong working relationships, putting in plenty of hard work and providing exceptional and consistent customer care. The brothers say they like to keep good relationships with their day-to-day customers, as well as the numerous businesses that they provide support to in South Shields.
Contact name and address – John and Mark Reay, 106 Fowler Street, South Shields, Tyne & Wear. NE33 1PZ Telephone: 0191 422 3185 Email: john@megapcs.co.uk Website: www.megapcs.co.uk Roger Humm is Head of Membership Relations at Brigantia Computer Experts – roger.humm@brigantia.com
DIARY DATES 2009 The UK’s channel calendar is full of important events. Here are some upcoming highlights…
NOVEMBER 2009 BLACKBERRY EMEA ALLIANCE SUMMIT, NOVEMBER 25TH - 27TH ROME CAVALIERI, ITALY The event will provide BlackBerry partners with an update on the latest information, tools and resources that are available to them. The summit will also be the setting of the BlackBerry EMEA Innovation Awards ceremony.
PCR AWARDS
STATE OF THE BROADBAND NATION, NOVEMBER 26TH CONNAUGHT HOUSE, LONDON This seminar day will explore the potential impact of the government’s 2MB minimum broadband on next generation access. Antony Walker, chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group,
will give a keynote address, with representatives from ISPs including Virgin Media and BT also confirmed to speak.
JANUARY 2010 CES, JANUARY 7TH - 10TH 2010 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER, USA The US’s premiere gadget show returns to Las Vegas, providing the ideal opportunity to get a sneak peek at what consumers will be buying in 2010. As always, some of technology’s biggest names can be expected to make keynote speeches and unveil major products.
CEBIT, MARCH 2ND - 6TH 2010 DEUTSCHE MESSE CONVENTION CENTER, GERMANY CeBit, one of the world’s largest IT
trade fairs, will be showcasing leading technology from around the globe. With products ranging from telecommunications equipment, IT infrastructure and mobile consumer devices, this year’s event should prove to be as wide-reaching and exciting as ever.
MARCH 2010 PCR AWARDS MARCH 25TH 2010 ROYAL GARDEN HOTEL, KENSINGTON The third annual PCR Awards is set to be the social event of the year for anyone involved in the PC retail sector, and a well deserved celebration for the nominees. For information or booking details and sponsorship opportunities, contact Katie Rawlings on +44 (0) 1992 535 647 or email Katie.Rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk.
If you would like to promote your event, please contact: andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk CES 86 PCR November
This information is believed to be correct, but potential visitors should confirm details with show organisers before making arrangements to attend
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BRIGANTIA MARKETPLACE
Umbrella trade body This month Brigantia’s Iain Shaw examines the industry’s trade bodies and wonders whether they’d be better off joining together...
CONTACT IAIN SHAW info@brigantia.com 0870 160 3215 www.brigantia.com Iain invites opinions from PCR readers and will respond though this column
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THE debate within the Brigantia members’ Forum continued in September, with a discussion about the need for an externally governed registration process for not only member businesses, but also for individual engineers. A first Brigantia Council meeting took place at Doncaster in October, where members put forward their ideas and the Brigantia management was sent away to investigate matters further before reporting back to a second Brigantia Council meeting, which is to be held in November. As an interim measure, the Brigantia management announced that it will be introducing a training partner to assist members in accessing suitable CompTIA qualifications for engineers. Brigantia intends to use the selfaccreditation system contained within the members’ login area of the Brigantia portal to collect better information on qualifications of individual engineers so as to build a stronger picture of the existing skill-
base of Brigantia member businesses around the United Kingdom. The concept of a Council of Registered Computer Experts (CORCE) was discussed and further investigation decided upon, since CompTIA stated it wished to remain in a neutral position while it evaluates where it is heading long-term.
“If approached, Brigantia is happy to discuss anything that would benefit our members and would support a unified democratic trade body” I will report back here in December on further developments and those who want to follow the debate more closely are invited to become members of Brigantia so as to access our popular members’ forum.
After reading last month’s edition of PCR, I would like to respond to Keith Warburton’s invitation to open discussions with the TCA by suggesting that perhaps the TCA and other UK channel trade bodies should be talking to and possibly looking to merge into CompTIA, as it appears well funded, with the backing of major channel players at the highest level. I would add that, if approached, Brigantia is happy to discuss anything that would benefit our members and would support a unified democratic ethical trade body should one emerge. CompTIA appears to have a clear non-commercial focus, along with a highly ethical approach that allows it to stand apart. I would hope that should a need for CORCE be established, that it would work closely with CompTIA or even act as the register itself should this function fit within its future development plans. Brigantia, as a commercially focused organisation, is not the proper conduit for a registration body, but we can act as a driving force to encourage compliance – it makes sense as we develop the Computer Experts national brand identity further. It would be wonderful if it were possible to have an ethical umbrella trade body for the channel in the UK that within it had clearly focused member forums for vendors, distributors, service providers, indies, buying groups, multiples and etailers on a strictly non-commercial basis. In much the same way the TCA has absorbed both the PCA and MTA, perhaps CompTIA could take the TCA, ITACS and NASCR under its wing. Who knows what the future could hold? Next month I intend to take a look at how using a reputable diagnostic tool can save indies time and money in the long run and I’ll also report back on further developments within the ongoing externally governed registration process debate.
November PCR 87
MARKETPLACE PC NEWS
Setting
standards The president of the Technology Channels Association, Keith Warburton, examines how establishing standards can help grow associations... BY the time this issue hits your desk, I think it’s quite significant that our new CEO, Adam Harris, will have three other columnists in the last issue put together our new membership of PCR were singing much the same benefits package, and you’ll probably tune, expressing interest in an have read about some of the very ‘externally governed registration process exciting things we are doing. It’s all very not only for businesses but also for well us, and any other trade association, individual engineers’ and ‘now is the doing all the ‘worthy’ stuff we must do time for a standard to be created and to look after the best interests of tested’. But nobody is quite sure just members and markets, but I’m afraid what the standards should be and how that isn’t what grows trade associations they should be set, judged, tested and (unless there is a clear threat to indeed paid for. I was somewhat business, in which case lots of amused because in the same issue I also enterprises suddenly realise that they referred to some standards, now really should enacted in law, that “It’s all very well join their trade the association has association). The been involved in over looking for bottom line is the years. I’d be vendors to provide that in order to interested to find out training, but demonstrate a how many professional clear benefit we independent resellers development is a have to show who also assemble clear advantages, machines do so in business cost” preferably conformance with Keith Warburton, TCA financial current advantages, set against which the standards/legislation? And if they membership subscription, whatever you struggle to do what’s required by law, are paying, is a mere bagatelle. what hope is there for them signing up So then, that’s what I hope you will for a voluntary ‘standards’ exam? have read about somewhere. You might Especially if they have to pay for it, also have read about Mike Scott of because anything worthwhile has a cost. Medea joining the TCA board as an It’s all very well looking for vendors to elected director. We really do have a provide training, but professional fantastic group of people representing development is a business cost. our members, all of them with The Technology Channels seemingly boundless energy; not only Association is developing rapidly on are they running their own successful several fronts and I am delighted to say enterprises, they are committing that we have been working on some sometimes substantial amounts of their issues to do with skills and training, own time and resources to the benefit and I hope you will be able to read of their fellow members of the about that in the next issue of PCR association. as well.
Adam Harris
Mike Scott
Keith Warburton is the president of The Technology Channels Association, email: keith.warburton@tcauk.org.
88 PCR November
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MAC NEWS MARKETPLACE
Keep taking the
tablets… Robert Peckham, Mac focused TCA director, talks about the rumours behind Apple’s new computer development... THE APPLE channel might be on the computers, including the iPhone – verge of its biggest computer development unexpectedly revealed in an interview product launch since the iMac. with the Wall Street Journal that it had Yes, I’m talking about the Apple been retained by Apple to manufacture a tablet, which we’ve all been waiting to see major new notebook product, but this for almost three years. Except this time it statement was later retracted. looks like it’s actually coming. Many rumours suggest that the device We all held our breaths when Steve will be an oversized iPhone or a Jobs took the stage in San Francisco this touchscreen sub-notebook running full year on September 7th to launch the new Mac OS X. And there are some great iPods. We thought it had to be for photos out there – just type Apple Tablet something more into Google to see “Have no doubt that than a new the variants. version of What will it be Apple will make sure this iTunes, right? called? Speculation device revolutionises the says ‘iPad’ could be But we got an sub-notebook and tablet the final name, iPod that records video, a markets in the same way although MacPad new Touch, and as the iPhone dominates and MacBook coloured Touch have been the smartphone market” mentioned. Apple Shuffles – not Robert Peckham, TCA really what we renewed its were expecting. copyright on the So what’s known so far? Well, it’s name iBook earlier this year, which certain that Apple has ordered millions of makes perfect sense if the device is going OLED displays from Sharp that measure to have eBook capabilities against 10.7 inches diagonally. What isn’t Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader. confirmed is whether these are The question is when? In June, the Wall touchscreen. Balda – the German company Street Journal said we’d see the device in that produced the iPhone’s touchscreen time for Christmas, but since the keynote technology – is keeping very quiet. last month, this launch date appears to Apple has invested heavily in the latest have slipped to next year. Apparently ARM Core9x processors – set to be the Apple has pencilled in an event for the new engine for high-performance subMoscone Centre on January 19th 2010, notebooks, but Intel also has a new but is yet to be confirmed. Apple has generation of sub-notebook processors traditionally launched significant products ready to ship. Certainly ARM’s latest in January – both the MacBook Air and processor should be powerful enough to AppleTV were launched in January 2008. run OS X, as indeed will the Intels. When it appears, Apple will no doubt Last April, a senior executive from ensure this device revolutionises the Foxconn – the giant Chinese technology sub–notebook/ tablet markets in the same company that assembles many of Apple’s way as the iPhone dominates smartphones.
Robert Peckham is a director of The Technology Channels Association. email: robert.peckham@tcauk.org.
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The TCA is 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
November PCR 89
ITACS NEWS
INDEPENDENT TRADE ASSOCIATION OF COMPUTING SPECIALISTS YOU CAN CONTACT ITACS ON 08445 763 760 OR VISIT WWW.ITACS.ORG.UK
Supermarket sweep ITACS chairman Matthew Woolley examines why supermarkets get cheap prices when indies can’t, and suggests rewarding loyal retailers... INDIES should not fear the supermarkets too much – comparing us to a butcher or baker doesn’t really work because a leg of lamb doesn’t need a repair and a loaf of bread doesn’t need a reinstall. Our customers require upgrades, repairs, and technical assistance on a regular basis. This requires skilled staff who are expensive to train and difficult to retain. The supermarkets aren’t interested in such services at the moment, because they erode the profit margins on the ‘pound per square foot, per
profit margin. Another cause is a vendor deciding to make a short-term loss on a limited number of items in order to build their brand and image. Often, though, it is end of the line stock. Vendors who are struggling to shift stock place end of line (EOL) products onto supermarket shelves at or below cost price to release capital and build their brand. But vendors need to be careful with these practices, because consumers grumble when there is no stock and current retailers may become angry when they are denied access to the
“Often vendors who are struggling to shift stock place end of line products onto supermarket shelves at or below cost price to release capital and build their brand. But vendors need to be careful; retailers may become angry when denied access to the preferential pricing” minute’ revenue models. Therefore, it is our services that are the key to our future survival and we must ensure that our service revenues are both profitable and substantial. We have all seen crazy prices at the supermarket, so it is important to know where many of these prices come from. Sometimes a vendor creates a special production run for just one chain and the specification is lowered to meet a price point and
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preferential pricing. Worst of all, it destroys relationships and creates a false price point in the eye of the consumer, making it much harder for the vendors to sell new products at a profitable price in the future. EOL is an opportunity which must not be wasted. A phone call or email builds relationships and allocating limited stocks at preferential pricing is a great way to reward the smaller and more loyal retailers.
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MARKETPLACE
NASCR NEWS
The VAT man NASCR committee member Geoff Carr looks at the challenges brought to us by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs...
“If the recession is biting and you are only just breaking even, you will still have a VAT bill to pay, which could send you into the red”
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPECIALIST COMPUTER RETAILERS YOU CAN CONTACT NASCR ON 08456 440715 OR VISIT WWW.NASCR.ORG
VAT, for most of us, is one of those unpleasant facts of life that we can’t avoid. Very simply, you pay Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs the difference between a percentage you have added onto your sales and the percentage you’ve already paid to your suppliers. In theory, this gives the Government a proportion of your gross profit – which would be okay if it really was the case. The problem comes when you realise that two major business costs have no VAT element to offset against. These are the wages bill and the building cost (whether rent or mortgage). As far as your VAT return is concerned, these costs don’t exist. So, if the recession is biting and you are only just breaking even, you will still have a VAT bill to pay, which could send you into the red. In other words, it isn’t a tax on profits at all. The worst hit are small businesses around the VAT threshold that are just ticking over – which unfortunately might include some PCR readers at the present time. To solve this issue, the challenge is being able to shout loud enough to be heard in Westminster. There are changes coming to VAT legislation which you need to be aware of. Firstly, on January 1st 2010 we go back to the 17.5 per cent VAT rate. And if you do business with other countries there are a number of changes you may need to prepare for. In that case you should visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/. One of the biggest changes for most of us will be in having to file VAT returns online and make payments electronically. This will affect all returns covering accounting periods beginning on or after April 1st 2010. Apparently, a major benefit of this is additional time to pay any VAT due and file your returns (seven days actually). If you didn’t know about it already, I hope this has been useful.
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MARKETPLACE
Acer aims for the future Vendor unveils a range of products that make the most of the latest technologies ACER HAS revealed a slew of products designed to make it a front-runner in a wide range of new market segments. These include the world’s first Android high-definition smartphone, 3D display technology and a new multitouch interface. Acer’s new smartphone series, called Liquid, includes two world firsts. It is the first mobile phone to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and is the first high-definition phone to utilise Google’s Android operating system. The key features of the device are its high-definition Wide VGA touchscreen, which offers a standard resolution for application developers to work with, and its Snapdragon CPU, which utilises high-speed processing and internet access to significantly reduce idletime.
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It also offers improved power management, a simplified user interface, an integrated camera with geo-tagging and smart integration of social networking data. Acer’s 3D CineReal Technology offers users a cinematic 3D experience without the need for a specialised graphics card. The display has been coated with a 3D film that clings to the panel, enabling the LCD to recreate 3D visuals in co-operation with the TriDef 3D Experience software. The TriDef software includes a media player that plays back images and video in 3D, and Ignition software, which is able to convert games and applications that support DirectX 9 and above. The final mention goes to Acer’s TouchPortal interface, which has been created ahead of Microsoft’s Windows
7, which will bring touch support to a broader segment of the consumer market than ever before. The interface has been designed to help users make the most of their touchscreen and offers a number of features such as TouchMedia Share, which lets users manage, edit and send their photos from a range of social networking websites. TouchMemo lets the user create and send their own form of finger-written post-it notes; TouchFriends integrates friend lists from Flickr and Facebook and provides notices of updates, while TouchMusic allows users to organise, manage and listen to their favourite music through a touch interface.
“Acer’s new smartphone series, Liquid, is the first to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and is the first high-definition phone to utilise Google’s Android operating system”
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MARKETPLACE
Exspect’s Drop ‘n’ Charge range is designed to help gamers recharge their consoles quicker and easier
Exspect brings extra life to wireless gamers EXSPECT has launched a range of high-tech recharge modules that utilise radio frequency (RF) wireless battery charge technology. The range, called Drop ‘n’ Charge, involves two parts – a charge pack that replaces standard batteries inside the device and the Drop ‘n’ Charge pad,
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which can beam power to the charge pack without the user having to open their device or remove silicon skins. The Drop ‘n’ Charge range eliminates the need to buy and replace regular batteries, which can be costly in the long term. For individuals who want to know the minute their device is
fully charged, the pad comes with LED indicators to illustrate the charge status of the mechanism by either a red or green glow. Mike Sanderson, head of development at Exspect, said: “Wireless controllers have really enhanced the gaming experience, so it comes as little
surprise that gamers frequently find themselves running out of power. “With our Drop ‘n’ Charge range gamers can now quickly and easily recharge their controllers, while reducing their energy consumption. At the same time, this saves the user money on purchasing batteries.”
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MARKETPLACE SJ SOFTWARE COMPANY PROFILE
Expanding the niche Operating in a highly specialised vertical market, SJ Software has demonstrated that a niche environment doesn’t have to limit growth. Matt Grainger talks to managing director Sean Jennings about the company, its business and strategies...
CONTACT Phone: 01282 865500 Web: www.sjsoftware.co.uk Email: sean@sjsoftware.co.uk
After years of working with Sage accountancy programs, SJ Software was invited to become one of its distributors in 1994 and is now the UK’s largest supplier of Sage products
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SJ SOFTWARE was founded in 1985 and is a family-run business that has its origins as a cost management consultancy firm, working with small to medium enterprises across a wide range of segments. Over time, the company increasingly worked with Sage accountancy software, with the direct accountant role taking a back seat. This arrangement proved beneficial not just to SJ Software, but also to Sage itself, and in 1994 the growing firm was invited to become a Sage distributor. SJ Software is now the UK’s largest dedicated Sage distributor, offering a wide range of solutions in addition to supplying Sage software. Even so, it has never lost its roots as a consultancy firm or its wide range of contacts across multiple industries. It’s these core values that have proved invaluable to the company during the economic downturn. “We’re all in a recession, so like many others we’re looking to increase our profile in the marketplace, but for us the goal is to reinforce our position as the leading Sage distributor in the UK,” states Sean Jennings, founder and managing director of SJ Software. “In terms of what we’re doing, predominantly we’re trying to get more trade resellers to buy from us. One of the things we’ve been doing is tying up relations with the vertical software providers, and we’re now particularly strong in the ‘cash and carry’ sector. We’ve recently started working with one of the leading companies in this segment, STL Technology Solutions.” The network aspect of the industry is something that Jennings is keen to emphasise, and SJ Software actively maintains its high profile in the Sage segment and is always ready to do business. This has helped generate a steady stream of sales for the company, even at a time when business infrastructure spending is down. “At the end of the day, we have to go out and bang the drum if the demand isn’t there, so we’re very active – whether on Google or through trade – you just have to keep moving the products and keep people on board,” adds Jennings.
The core offering of SJ Software is that while it is not the only approved distributor of Sage software, it is the only company to dedicate itself to the product and offers a range of training and consultancy solutions to support its partners. “On the consultancy side, we have a thriving white label Sage consultancy offering for the trade community,” continues Jennings. “Essentially, what we do is speak to their customers for them, offering consultancy and advice on a white label basis. “Over the years, we’ve had loads and loads of what we call ‘Sage casual dealers’ referred to us. With time, they’ve grown away from Sage, so they’ve come to us and we’re able to handle the technical side of the system for them, and offer technical sales advice. We’re filling a gap for them. If they don’t want to keep up-to-date with the changes or training required to efficiently use Sage, we do it for them.
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SJ SOFTWARE COMPANY PROFILE MARKETPLACE
Keeping it in the family, Sean Jennings and James Jennings (centre) of SJ Software
“We’re all in a recession, so like many others we’re looking to increase our profile in the marketplace, but our goal is to reinforce our position as the leading Sage distributor in the UK” Sean Jennings, SJ Software
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“This is what sets us apart from traditional distributors. We’re the only UK company to be that specialised.” The training aspect of the business is now handled by SJ Startup. When PCR last spoke with Jennings, in April 2008, this division of the company had just been initiated. SJ Startup offers direct training to businesses, allowing them to handle their own technical support and advice and has grown in a healthy part of the SJ Software family. “It’s established now and we’re doing a fair amount of business on the Sage training courses,” explains Jennings. “Due to the white label of the business, we actually keep the two component companies separate. If we’re directly training somebody’s staff, then it’s SJ Startup and where we’re supporting one of our partners, it’s as SJ Software. “This is definitely a strategy that will continue; it means that our white label partners are one hundred per cent
white label and it works out better for business as there are pricing differences between the two strategies, depending on what kind of solutions we are offering. It’s a system that works well for us and our partners.” Until recent months, the company has dealt primarily with Sage 50, which is the entry-level product of the Sage range, aimed at the small to medium enterprise level. However, as demand for larger scale versions of the software rises, SJ Software has found its connections within the Sage community to be extremely useful. “We’re looking to expand into all Sage software markets, work with several Sage 200, 500 and 1000 business partners, and facilitate the top-end Sage offerings to the trade,” explains Jennings. “What this means is that if we get an inquiry from one of our trade partners, whether for Sage 200, 500 or 1000, I’ll then talk to one of our
partners in the Sage fraternity and get some prices and try and do business that way, essentially bringing more products to our customer base through our business network.” Although SJ Software’s connections within the Sage community are extensive, they are not the sole route to expansion for the company. While the company has grown into a highly successful niche business, its success illustrates that niche operation doesn’t necessarily limit scope for expansion. “The niche market’s where we want to be,” says Jennings. “We’ve a wide range of product offerings, and we’ve developed a dynamic interface that works between front-end software and Sage 50 and Sage 200. We’ve just done a job with Printing.com, a premium franchiser with 300 franchisees. This is the first such move and is exactly the kind of market that we’re moving into now, offering specialist solutions to non-traditional partners. “If you’re working with a franchiser that has specialist front-end software, we can help with that. You can do the business and we can provide a dynamic interface solution, as well as offering Sage software and consultancy. “You’ve got the service and the training as well, a full range of services that we can provide through our own infrastructure or by working with one of our Sage partners. This is what makes the world go round.” It’s clear that SJ Software has made the most of its prominent position in a highly specialised vertical niche. The contacts that have always been one of its core strengths remain one of its core strengths today, and its familiarity with Sage products enables it to make the most of any situation. “We’re the largest Sage distributor in the UK, dealing with Sage 50, which represents the SME segment, but we’re now in a position to help small businesses make their way up the ladder and provide the Sage infrastructure to do so,” concludes Jennings. “It’s all about developing relationships, as you can’t do everything yourself. That’s how you expand and widen your footprint in the Sage market.”
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MARKETPLACE
HOW LONG DO YOU SPEND ON THE PHONE SOURCING AND PRICING STOCK? Brigantia Group members all have unlimited access to BRIGANTIA PARTFINDER at no extra charge. PARTFINDER shows BRIGANTIA preferential prices and stock levels across 15 suppliers saving not only money but time too! PARTFINDER can search by description, part codes and supplier; it even has a few more subtle search tools to allow you to refine the results from our more than 100,000 SKUs listed.
PARTFINDER IS ONLY ONE OF MANY REASONS WHY BRIGANTIA HAS AROUND UK 1,000 INDIE MEMBERS.
MEMBERSHIP OF BRIGANTIA STARTS FROM £60+VAT PER YEAR* (*In this example £125+VAT joining fee is due upon signing in addition to the annual membership fee).
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MARKETPLACE
EuroTech brings Disney peripherals to the UK market Licensed accessories feature Mickey Mouse, Hannah Montana and High School Musical EUROTECH IS now stocking a range of PC peripherals and accessories featuring a variety of Disney characters. In a move that is likely geared towards the Christmas market, the company is offering a wide range of branded peripherals including optical mice, mouse pads, speakers, webcams, keyboards and laptop skins and sleeves. Available characters are retro and modern versions of Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Cars, Dinsey Princess, Hannah Montana, High School Musical and the Nightmare before Christmas, with Toy Story expected to join the range in 2010.
“After their success in Europe we’re delighted to bring the Disney range of computer accessories to the UK,” EuroTech’s managing director Simon Leech said. “The Disney characters are instantly recognisable and loved by both children and adults. The growing popularity of social networking, internet and gaming and mean that children of all ages have access to computers everyday and these peripherals are a great way to brighten up that space. The products are affordable, simple to use and make ideal gifts for anyone who has a PC.”
“Children of all ages have access to computers everyday and these peripherals are a great way to brighten up that space” Simon Leech, EuroTech
P55-GD80 P55-GD65 P55-CD53 Avaliable from
www.spire.co.uk Tel: 01202 828444
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MARKETPLACE
HANNspree presents the latest ST television The 32-inch ST321 uses the firm’s ‘X-Contrast’ and ‘X-Celerate’ technologies to improve image quality CONSUMER electronics vendor HANNspree has unveiled the latest addition to its ST range of high definition TVs. The ST321 has a 32-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution screen and features HANNspree’s ‘X-Contrast’ and ‘XCelerate’ visual technologies, designed to improve the fluidity of dynamic images, sharpen images and eliminate motion blur. The TV also offers multiple aspect ratios including fulland wide-screen, panorama and zoom. According to HANNspree, the ST321’s ten watt audio system delivers high quality sound with minimum noise or distortion. The system also boasts customisable audio settings, including standard, music, movie and speech.
“The ST321’s ten watt audio system delivers high quality sound with minimum noise or distortion. The system also boasts customisable audio settings, including standard, music, movie and speech” The TV features a range of connectivity options including four HDMI inputs for devices such as Blu-Ray players, games consoles and digital VCRs. Component, composite, S-video and two scart inputs mean more traditional devices are still compatible. The ST321 can also be hooked up to a PC via VGA connectivity, allowing it to double up as a monitor.
It has a sleek design featuring a reflective back bezel, the new TV is ultrathin – and suitable for wall mounting. The 25-inch ST251 and 28-inch ST281 models were launched earlier this year.
The Place to Start Learning Sage Introducing SJ Sage 50 On-Line. Sage Training for the Trade. Sage Workbooks, Self Study or Full Tutorial leading to the Sage Certificate of Competence.
Official Sage Training Courses at trade prices.
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Web: www.SJstartup.co.uk
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MARKETPLACE
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Roccat expands its peripherals portfolio The German vendor introduces two new products to the UK accessories sector ROCCAT HAS unveiled two new products to be introduced to the PC accessories market – the Sota granular mouse pad and the Kova performance mouse, each designed specifically for gaming use. The Sota mouse pad is a compact product that combines the properties of both hard and soft surfaces in one package. Its granular surface reduces the contact between the pad and the mouse, which makes it feel a lot lighter. The soft backing provides comfort and a good grip for the user. Meanwhile, a metal film has been inserted between the two soft layers, giving the pad a high level of reflectivity for optical and laser devices.
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The Roccat Kova precision gaming mouse operates with optical sensor technology that allows the user to adjust its resolution from 400 through to 3200 dpi, and hardware-based configuration, meaning that the device requires no drivers to be installed. The device is compatible with both Windows and Mac computers. The Kova features a futuristic design with a V-shaped ergonomic fit, Griptech side areas with a nonslip stabilisation surface and a customisable light system that can be set to a variety of colours or it can cycle through them all. The Sota granular mouse pad and the Kova performance gaming mouse are both available in the UK through Meroncourt.
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MARKETPLACE
Netgear launches Linux router Network solutions provider targets the open source market and third party applications with new line Xx
NETGEAR HAS unveiled its RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router, which it says offers an open source platform for developers and enthusiasts with new partner applications. As well as offering wireless-N connectivity with GB ethernet ports and ReadyShare USB storage access, it has also been designed to serve as a high performance Linux platform that supports a broad range of applications, put together by development partners and the dedicated open source community, (such as companies like BigFoot Networks, Leaf Networks, Paragon Software and Sputnik). The device includes support for a range of open source firmware,
including DD-WRT, OpenWRT and Tomato, which is intended to attract a wider range of third party applications. Customers will be able to download this firmware online at www.myopenrouter.com. “The debut of our open source RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router is significant, as it is the first full-featured Wireless-N Linux router to combine wide-ranging capabilities, features, infrastructure and a community to enable application development,” stated Netgear’s senior product line manager for advanced wireless, Som Pal Choudhury. “Feedback and ideas from our open source community have been key in developing this powerful platform.”
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MARKETPLACE
Wacom launches second generation Bamboo Multi-touch pen tablets can be used to perform everyday tasks on PC and Mac TABLET manufacturer Wacom is cashing in on the recent release of Windows 7 – the first operating system designed to support ‘multi-touch’ – by bringing out the second generation Bamboo tablet. Wacom claims the device, which is both PC and Mac compatible, is the first interactive tablet to combine multi-touch functionality with pen tablet technology in a single product. This multi-touch technology senses input from more than one finger at a time, meaning that users can choose from a variety of touch options to perform tasks. Tapping on the digital pad will select an icon, open a menu or start an application. Using two fingers,
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users can rotate or zoom in and out of images, flip through photo albums and scroll through websites and documents. The pressure-sensitive pen can be used for tasks that need a more precise input as well. Other devices in the range include Bamboo Craft and Bamboo Fun, which also combine pen and multi-touch inputs. They are designed specifically for creative consumers, enabling them to produce authenticlooking paintings and drawings and retouch digital photographs. The range is completed by Bamboo Touch and Bamboo Pen, which each allow a single input mode.
“The multi-touch technology senses input from more than one finger at a time, meaning that users can choose from a variety of touch options to perform tasks, such as flipping through photo albums and scrolling through websites”
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MARKETPLACE RECOMMENDED
DELL ADAMO DELL MAY not emanate the instant cool that comes with each new Apple launch, but it’s doing its best to change that. Months of drip-fed information, brief hands-on previews and a luxurious website have whipped up expectation, and now it’s here we can confidently say the Adamo has been worth the wait. It comes in silver or black, with lush monikers – the Adamo Peral and Onyx – and its dimensions are to die for: it’s impossibly slim at just 18mm and weighs 1.8kg, so it could become a permanent companion on your travels. The chassis is peppered with impressive details: dozens of tiny pinpricks sit at the rear if the machine, ostensibly to provide ventilation, but one of them lights up when the laptop is on and pulses when it’s in sleep mode. If you’re after a stunning machine that’s been designed from the ground up to make a statement, few will outdo the Adamo – a blissful
“If you’re after a stunning machine that’s been designed from the ground up to make a statement, few will outdo the Adamo”
marriage of superb ergonomics and striking design. It may not be as instantly cool as its Apple equivalent, but Dell has proven that it’s eminently capable of coming up with a laptop that’s every bit as stylish and desirable. While the Dell Adamo may not pack the punch of the Sony Z31, for example, given its vastly lower price it’s a far more realistic purchase for most consumers.
[
URL: www.dell.com SRP: £1,329
]
The Adamo is a trendy addition to Dell’s line – it’s stylish and slimline
APPLE FINAL CUT STUDIO 3
WHILE MOST people choose their operating system first and applications second, anyone considering spending £695 (excl. VAT) on video editing software is likely to specify their hardware to meets the needs of the software. As with any video editing application, Final Cut Studio requires serious hardware and, fortunately, the Mac Pro range delivers it. Final Cut Studio comprises six parts. Final Cut Pro 7 handles non-linear editing duties and Motion 4 is a compositing tool. Soundtrack Pro 3 is a multitrack audio editor, Color 1.5 performs sophisticated colour grading, and Compressor 3.5 is a video-encoding utility. DVD Studio Pro 4 handles DVD authoring, and remains largely unchanged since 2005. It’s hard to criticise its DVD-authoring prowess, but the lack of comprehensive Blu-ray authoring in Final Cut Studio is worrying. It does however offer remarkable value. Adobe Premiere Pro costs around
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£600 (excl. VAT) and it only covers editing, encoding and disc authoring. That said, Final Cut Studio also has CS4 to compete with. It’s more expensive at £1,500, but has nine heavyweight applications. However, professional applications are often chosen on merit rather than
value. In this context, Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro are mostly interchangeable, but for us Final Cut Pro’s superior preview performance is enough to clinch it. Switching operating systems is a big upheaval, but this software makes a convincing argument for doing so.
[
URL: www.apple.com SRP: £799 (£249 for upgrade)
]
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OUT OF OFFICE
THE IT CROWD
THIS MONTH: RPC climbs every mountain and Kaspersky befriends China TALL ORDER FOR HANSPREE The US National Basketball Association is currently travelling the globe as part of a drive to bring international fans closer to the game and grow the sport through a record number of international events. On Oct. 6th the NBA came to London, and Hannspree, sponsor of the NBA European tour and NBA JamVan, attended the London leg of the tour at the 02 arena to see the Chicago Bulls take on the Utah Jazz team. To the right, Hannspree’s Simon Wren can be seen with former Utah Jazz player John Amaechi, who is a whopping 6ft 10in tall!
Above: the match took place at the O2 arena between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. Hawk-eyed readers will be able to spot the Hannspree branding
Left: The team gets ready to start their journey, which culminated at the summit of Pen-Y-Ghent mountain (below)
AIMING HIGH IT sales specialists Retail Profiling Consultants raised over ÂŁ1,100 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service - more than twice their initial target. The seven-strong team took on the gruelling Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge as part of their annual charity fundraiser.
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CHINESE SECURITY The co-founder and CEO of Kaspersky Labs, Eugene Kaspersky received the National Friendship of China Award for his outstanding contribution to the information security industry. He received the award from Chinese vice-premier Zhang Dejiang.
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OUT OF OFFICE
Send your pictures to: andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk
A WOMAN’S TOUCH
Former Microsoft professional evangelist Eileen Brown, now at Amastra, has been chosen to manage audience experience and keynotes at Microsoft’s Tech.Ed Europe event, in order to present a female perspective to the technical world.
WHO’S THE BOSS? Dealer group Integra Office Solutions and one of its members, Penkeths, have been celebrating after scooping wins at the BOSS (British Office Supplies and Services) industry awards. Integra won the Catalogue of the Year award, while Penkeths received the Dealer Excellence award in the £5m+ category.
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A day in theanaglierfe il Sales M Adam Gay, Reta G Technologies AV UK and Ireland,
“My days are hectic, but also extremely interesting and fulfilling. I’m looking forward to what the next few months bring” HAVING JUST been appointed retail sales manager for AVG, I am still new to the role. For two months I have been establishing the availability of AVG’s products at retail, building new relationships, and fostering partnerships. Each morning, I am usually woken by my one year old at 6.30am, but this means I can start the day earlier and get more done. While our head office is in Newark, I actually work from home in Romsey. As a home worker, I don’t have a commute into the office, which is a blessing. I generally spend the morning checking my emails from partners and retailers. I organise new business meetings and introduce the products to key buyers, so I’ll usually spend a couple of hours liaising with these contacts. As I am tasked with improving the retail presence of AVG’s security software , this is a quite a large part of my day. The channel is a core focus for us at AVG and my afternoons are usually spent ensuring all my customers, such as Maplin and DSGi, have the relevant stocks at their distribution centres. If we can offer an efficient service to our customers, they can offer a good service to theirs. My main focus at the moment is ensuring everyone is briefed on AVG 9. The launch was a success in the UK and we are fully committed to keeping the momentum going. Finally, I also collaborate with our retailers to ensure we develop suitable promotions for them and their customers. While I have only been a member of the AVG family for just over two months, I hit the ground running. My days are hectic, but also extremely interesting and fulfilling. I’m looking forward to what the next few months bring.
November PCR 109
OUT OF OFFICE
In the
HOT SEAT This month, CoolIT senior applications specialist Barry Reicker tells us about himself...
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Quote
UNQUOTE “Apple remains a great competitor. But that’s part of what makes it fun. Apple does do good work and takes pride in invention and innovation, but our engineers want to beat their engineers, and when we do we feel pretty good, and when we don’t (he sits back and shrugs) – you know – we don’t...” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer causes jaws to drop by praising Apple in an interview with The Times “Facebook is not our competition. We’re very focused on a different space... The engagement with our users wasn’t there. One of the things we’re focused on is relentlessly improving the user experience.” MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta concedes defeat in the race to become the number one social networking site, and announces that the firm will focus on music sharing
Describe yourself in three words. Optimistic, motivated, resourceful. How do you relax away from work? Fishing, band, Muay Thai, gaming What’s your favourite game/book/film/album Game: Counterstrike Book: The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be, by Farley Mowat Film: The Usual Suspects Album: Pearl Jam – VS What was your first computer? Commodore 64. What’s your best memory from working in the industry? This year we began introducing CoolIT as an international brand. In doing so, we brought on a team of reps from the UK who are now like brothers. In our first week of making the rounds together we did about 2,500 KM of driving together and I learned more than I will ever need to know about how to use a round-about properly! Who’s the funniest person you’ve ever met? My mom. She is out of control funny. What did you want to do when you were younger? When I was in grade one, I specifically remember wanting to be an archaeologist. When were the ‘good old days’? I grew up in a really rural area of New Brunswick. The good ol’ days for me were biking for days on end with a six speed bike that was stuck in third gear, looking for new places to go fishing and swimming. 110 PCR November
“Apple remains a great competitor. But that’s part of what makes it fun. Our engineers want to beat their engineers” “Our adversaries operate as a true ecosystem that thrives through inter-dependence and constant adaptation. Because information moves everywhere, the problem must be solved across the infrastructure.” RSA president Art Coviello calls for a greater degree of integration between security vendors in the face of rising malware activity and sophistication “We are still like kids amazed by our success. We are delighted and amazed, surprised and we want to get better still, there’s alot of hard work to do. There are so many highlights, but especially the growth of the Mac and the iPhone.” Apple Europe vice-president Pascal Cagni gives a refreshingly open response to The Telegraph, when asked about his company’s recent financial results that smashed all predictions
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