8 minute read
NEWS AND VIEWS
THE MONTH THAT WAS
Exertis partners with cloud data specialist
Exertis has formed a partnership with specialist cloud data management solutions company, Tiger Technology, allowing reseller partners to deliver a range of hybrid cloud solutions.
Exertis is exclusively offering Tiger Bridge software bundled with Azure cloud services through its cloud platform, giving partners a simplified ordering and billing service.
Tiger Bridge is a software solution that connects on-premises file systems to Azure cloud. It enables organisations to automate data movement to the cloud for backup, archive, multi-site data synchronisation or just to extend local file systems into Azure. It supports all Azure cloud tiers so data can be saved in the lowest-cost tier according to its life cycle.
“We were looking for a product that would support a number of vertical market applications,” explained Angelo Apa, business development director at Exertis Enterprise. “The initial focus was the emerging market for storing CCTV video content in the cloud. This is a core application for Tiger’s products and we were delighted to find they have a full integration with Milestone XProtect as well as supporting a range of other CCTV video management solutions. Tiger’s products are also widely used in media, oil and gas, healthcare, construction and managed services providers, which fits perfectly with our customer profiles.
“Tiger’s software flexibility was an added bonus to this partnership. They have recently announced support for the Seagate Lyve object storage solutions, allowing businesses to tap into the benefits of object storage without having to incur costly upgrades or having to plan for complex migrations and associated downtime. This plays perfectly to Exertis’ position as a leading European Seagate storage provider and will enable us to add value in this area as well.”
ASK Office Supplies acquires rival
ASK Office Supplies Ltd has acquired Office Rulers/Sovereign 2000. This is ASK’s third acquisition in the past five years. Founded in 2004, Office Rulers merged with Sovereign 2000 in 2007 and provides office supplies, industrial and interiors solutions. This acquisition will make ASK Office Supplies one of the largest resellers in West Yorkshire, expanding ASK into new market sectors across Yorkshire and the UK, while offering existing customers a more diverse product range.
ASK Office Supplies has been supplying businesses in the West Yorkshire area, and across the country, since 1987. The firm has grown substantially in this time under the leadership of its longstanding managing director, Greg Colehan, and his team of account managers.
“When the prospect arose of purchasing Office Rulers/Sovereign 2000 it was a fantastic opportunity as I know that Tabby and Naeem Hussain had built a really strong business in categories including consumables and office furniture; this has added new opportunities and growth potential to the ASK Group, moving forward,” said Greg. “I am delighted to welcome the fantastic Office Rulers and Sovereign 2000 into ASK and look forward to continue growth into 2021 and beyond.”
Nemo and Office Club have launched details of the 2022 edition of their full range Workplace Solutions catalogue.
“The team are back in full catalogue production mode. The feedback from members about this year’s publication has been fantastic throughout these challenging times and it remains an essential part of their sales kit,” said Tim Beaumont, managing director. “More than ever, dealers are having to show themselves as a serious player across a much wider range of product categories and the catalogue enables them to do just that.
“For 2022 we will also be continuing with the hugely popular digital version, enabling members to share their catalogue contactless via emails, websites and social media as well as distributing hard copies. Catalogue data is also supplied via Fusion to all webstore solutions, enabling customers to order from dealers across multiple channels, maximising sales opportunities.”
An additional benefit of the 550+ page publication is its unique coding. “The catalogue uses a unique code, which gives members that all-important flexibility as to where to source products from - particularly useful during these increasingly turbulent times,” explained Tim. “It also gives the dealer differentiation and a distinct advantage when it comes to competitors making like-for-like product comparisons.”
VOW appoints new UK operations director
VOW Wholesale has appointed Steve Smith as UK operations director. Steve, who formerly worked for EVO Group, has a record of managing complex operations, including managing multi-site warehouses and large-scale distribution, as well as integrating automated and manual processes to optimise the customer experience. “I’m delighted that Steve is joining the business”, said Adrian Butler, VOW Wholesale’s managing director. “He has a real talent for seeing the finer details and the bigger picture; that only comes from years of experience at the very highest level.” Steve previously worked as national general manager for JB Global, overseeing 300+ employees across multiple sites and handling more than 11,000 individual products with a focus on warehouse efficiency and customer experience. “Steve has great relationships with some of the UK dealers already and really appreciates their needs,” said Adrian. “As a result, he has a unique perspective on the challenges we face together as a sector; more importantly, he sees the many opportunities before us.” Steve added that he is looking forward to joining the team at VOW Wholesale. “I will be looking to build on the work that Martin Weedall has achieved during his time in the role, and to work with resellers, suppliers and our transport team to achieve the levels of service and standards [customers] expect,” he said.
NEWS REPORT
Re-writing the educational rule book
A college in Liverpool is at the forefront of a learning revolution having launched a multi-million-pound blueprint to transform the dynamics of education - with the help of a Lancashirebased IT services and support specialist.
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chool classroom layouts have been largely unchanged for a century, with generations of children sitting facing the teacher at the front of the class who taught from a blackboard or, more recently, interactive whiteboard.
But Hugh Baird College in Bootle is seeking to ‘re-write the education rule book’ by using technology as part of a groundbreaking vision to create more compelling, inviting and engaging lessons for the more than 5,000 students on some 300 courses who attend.
The concept involves creating collaboration walls with giant touchscreen displays, handheld mobile devices and more flexible room layouts where the traditional teacher isn’t always stood at the front of the class. It’s being hailed as a game-changer.
The multi-party ‘team effort’ includes support from IT specialist Blue Orange, which plays a leading role installing the high-quality displays from electronics giant Sharp.
“In many ways classroom layouts haven’t changed in over a century,” said facilities and technical services manager at Hugh Baird College, John Billington. “In my opinion this is a groundbreaking vision of education for the future, which is destined to be followed by other learning establishments too.
“One of the first areas we moved forward was the collaboration walls – finished in specialist paint to transform them into whiteboards which can be wiped down. It was brought in as a trial at first and quickly made a great impact. The entire wall was rebuilt, an inspirational message was included and they enable students to stand up and collaborate on projects together. This proved you just need a pen and the right people to work together to achieve great things – in the right learning environment.”
PURPOSE-BUILT SITE
An initial £500,000 investment spanning 15 rooms is planned to be just the start. The college has about 250 rooms and is prioritising and rolling out the programme on a step-by-step basis. Eventually it plans to move to a purpose-built more cost-effective site.
Blue Orange has installed 65- and 75-inch Sharp touchscreens in a series of refurbished classrooms.
“The screens are used as interactive touchscreens, which are complemented by the writing walls,” said Blue Orange director Darren Hanley. “The screens are all network connected to enable many web-based applications that further bring education to life. We’ve installed over 100 screens on site over the years, but this latest project was even more special. The initial 15 screens are being followed by another 13.”
John added that the look and feel of the rooms is crucial. “The students adore the collaboration walls and the use of mobile devices particularly,” he said. “Blue Orange is a growing, very flexible and amenable company. They are helping us achieve our goals. We like the robust nature of the Sharp screens as well as their exceptional clarity and quality of image. They came out on top after a very comprehensive tender. Overall everyone is delighted by the project. Learning is best when people work together. We’re almost re-writing the education rulebook!”
VOW Wholesale’s premier incentive, Whiteout, is back.
After what has been a difficult 18 months for the industry, and as we begin to return to some sort of normality, VOW Wholesale wants to provide its valued customers with the chance to win a place on a luxury, no-expensespared trip to Meribél, France.
The incentive commenced on 1st July and will run until 24th December 2021. All customers need to do to win is drive sales of the supporting brands throughout the incentive period. Not only will there be a chance to win a place on the amazing Whiteout trip, but customers also have the opportunity to win monthly prizes for every supporting brand!
Supporting brands for Whiteout 2022 are: ACCO Brands, Tork, BIC, Newell Brands, Canon, Fellowes, Henkel, Q-Connect Toners, Jiffy, Avery, Safescan, Nescafé, Bong, Pukka Pad and Brother.
VOW Wholesale customers will be able to keep track of their progress throughout the incentive via the bespoke website www.vowventureincentive.com. Updated bi-weekly, customers will be able to view their targets and current performance as well as other information about the incentive and supporting brands.
Click here to watch our promotional video. If you would like more information about this incentive, please get in touch with your VOW Wholesale account contact.
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