INTRODUCING EXERTIS ENTERPRISE
DISCOVER REMOTE POSSIBILITIES
EXPERIENCE CLOUD CONFIDENCE
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Exertis Enterprise unites the strengths of Hammer and the Enterprise unit of Exertis.
How can augmented reality can Catering for all your needs in the modern, flexible and digital workspace.
Embracing the simplicity of the cloud and making it easier than ever to partner with us.
How Exertis and some of its suppliers are embracing this
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NOVEMBER 2020 BUSINESS ISSUE 21
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE In a new work environment, sustainability will be more important than ever and businesses will be forced to adapt in order to ensure a healthy future for our planet and us.
Top 5 reasons to join the APC Channel Partner Program
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Visability
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And there’s more..speak to an Exertis account manager today! 27UL600 l 27UL850 l 32UK550 l 43UN700
CALL OUR TEAM AT: BASINGSTOKE 01256 707 070 | BURNLEY 01282 776 776
Discover
Sustainable
AI
REMOTE POSSIBILITIES CATERING FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME WITH AI
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CONTENTS Page 05 EXERTIS COMMENT Phil Brown introduces the winter edition of Future Business
Page 06-07 NEWS IN BRIEF A round up of Exertis and Industry News.
Page 10 MARKET STATS UPDATE Our regular look at the current technology trends you should be aware of.
Page 20-21 CUSTOMER BENEFITS OF THE DELL EMC POWERSTORE Exertis partners with dell delivering an innovative new storage platform that’s designed for the data era and meets the demands of remote working.
Page 22-23 HOT PICKS A range of best-selling products designed to make you more margin.
Page 30-33 WORKING TOGETHER FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE How Exertis and some of its suppliers are embracing this.
Page 36-37 THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME WITH AI We report on the latest trends and look at what’s around the corner.
Page 12-13 INTRODUCING EXERTIS ENTERPRISE Exertis Enterprise unites the strengths of Hammer and the Enterprise unit of Exertis.
Page 16-17 DISCOVER REMOTE POSSIBILITIES Catering for all your needs in the modern, flexible and digital workspace.
Page 26-27 EXPERIENCE CLOUD CONFIDENCE We speak to some senior members of the team to find out why the time is right to head into the cloud with Exertis.
Page 40 TOP 10 Top 10 must have accessories.
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WELCOME TO EXERTIS Our round-up of the latest news in 2020 A challenging year hasn’t stopped us continue to make the extraordinary happen. We’ve launched new services, raised awareness, supported frontline workers, and created new partnerships. Starting with big news; in our drive for digital transformation we recently launched Exertis Cloud services platform, a comprehensive full-service Cloud technology proposition designed to meet bespoke reseller needs. Exertis Cloud has market-leading customer service and support, to fill customers with “Cloud Confidence”. We equip them with tools, sales and Microsoft training, Cloud marketing, and more. This year’s theme of ‘mental health for all’ has further developed resources and empowered our own people with the ability to help each other. We’ve trained 26 mental health first aiders to ensure colleagues that are struggling have all the relevant support and continued to raise awareness throughout the business. We are proud of the fantastic work our Operations and Warehouse Teams have put in to support the public sector and crucial frontline workers as they adapt to working remotely.
We like to celebrate our amazing women and some of them have been nominated for the CRN Women in Channel Awards! The nominees include Jamie Brothwell for Role Model of the Year, Lucy Hood as Marketing Person of the Year, and Yoanna Lazarova for the Unsung Hero Award. It’s so refreshing to see these women inspire a new generation that could one day be part of Exertis! We are excited to announce our latest Pro AV partnership with SMART Technologies. SMART Technologies is a maker of interactive displays and software designed specifically for learning and collaboration. SMART will add market-leading AV interactive solutions to help customers adapt to remote working and flexible connectivity. This will bring new customers on board and deliver more solutions and business outcomes.
Editors Phoebe Harper Hannah Middleton Design Alice Himfen Basingstoke Sales: 01256 707 070 Address Ashwood Chineham Business Park Chineham Basingstoke Hampshire RG24 8EH To place an order please call 01256 707 070 between 9am-5.30pm Monday to Friday To buy online visit store.exertis.co.uk
We are proud to be “People Powered”! And we’ve been shortlisted in the ‘Best use of Benefits to Support the Employee Experience’ category at the Employee Benefit Awards. Our initiatives include a complimentary EAP with MetLife and our Early Intervention programme. We’ve also reduced mental health related absence by 20% year on year!
The team has managed to achieve this whilst adhering to social distancing, which has shown incredible professionalism, flexibility and initiative during challenging times.
Publisher Exertis
PHIL BROWN SALES AND COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, BUSINESS
Burnley Reception: 01282 776 776 Address Technology House Magnesium Way Hapton Burnley BB12 7BF To place an order please call 01282 776 776 between 9am-5.30pm Monday to Friday
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NEWS IN BRIEF A summary of the latest news in business
1. EXERTIS PRO AV BRAND GOES GLOBAL Exertis Pro AV brand is expanding across Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia and Asia. The expansion serves as a reminder of Exertis’ ability to provide a growing global network of manufacturer partners with a single, easy-to-access platform to a worldwide market of technology buyers. Pro AV is the largest business unit within the global business, making it the perfect place to launch the new specialist strategy.
2. A SMART PARTNERSHIP Exertis announce partnership with global learning giant SMART
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Technologies. The addition of SMART Technologies, the pioneering maker of interactive displays and software designed specifically for learning and collaboration, to its Pro AV portfolio. SMART’s products target education, business and government sectors, providing simple, intuitive and connected solutions. SMART’s technology allows for the ultimate in productivity, such as interactive board displays, delivering an unparalleled collaborative experience; the ability to turn meeting rooms into connected workspaces for business; and software for training and decision making, connecting people with vital information worldwide.
3. HELP BUILD CLOUD CONFIDENCE Exertis launches its intelligent cloud services platform, a comprehensive full-service cloud technology proposition designed to meet the bespoke needs of resellers with market-leading customer service and support. Exertis Cloud will provide licensing for Microsoft with end-toend delivery, providing comprehensive cloud solutions to equip users with all the tools, resources and support that customers need to unlock the advantages of cloud services.
4. ARE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES CHANGING CYBER SECURITY? IoT devices and emerging technologies are progressively integrating into our lives. This means cyber security is a necessity, much like primitive weapons were necessary to early hominids. Of course, technology’s modern-day reincarnations would be unimaginable to our ancestors. But civilisations progress by reusing the ideas and innovations of their predecessors. And cyber security still serves the same intent as its early incarnations: to safeguard our most fundamental rights and needs against the threat landscape of the day.
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6. EXPANDING OUR PRO AV VENDOR PORTFOLIO Exertis announced a supplier agreement with Mersive Technologies, a leader in wireless content sharing and collaboration solutions. Mersive provides software and cloud services that can transform meetings and education settings by allowing any number of users, on any device, to wirelessly share and manipulate content on displays and seamlessly connect participants using any web conferencing service. 5. EXERTIS PROVIDES £10 MILLION OF CREDIT TO SUPPORT ITS AV CHANNEL Exertis announced a boost for its Pro AV resellers with the release of an additional £10 million of credit. Its Pro AV division has also announced further enhancements to its solutions bundles for home working, huddle spaces, meeting rooms and boardrooms with a choice of video conferencing centred around Exertis’ eco system of collaboration partners and featuring options for Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms or Google Hangout Meet Suites.
7. EXERTIS CONTINUES TO RECRUIT SENIOR TALENT The business welcomes Christer Svärd as the new Managing Director for Exertis Nordics. Christer was previously the CEO of Higab AB, a company that builds, manages and cares for properties in Gothenburg and before that, he served as CEO of Volvo Parts, a global spare parts distributor. “Being able to take charge of Exertis operations in the Nordics, in an exciting industry with a really strong owner, was an attractive prospect that I could not refuse. I have extensive experience in the supply chain and leading businesses with great growth potential which I hope fits very well in to Exertis Nordics,” said Christer Svärd.
8. QIO JOIN FORCES WITH EXERTIS ENTERPRISE Exertis Enterprise has added QiO Technologies to its portfolio in the UK, in a distribution deal which is the first of its kind for the vendor. The deal enables Exertis Enterprise to sell QiO’s AI-infused software Europe-wide. QiO’s products, QiO Foresight Maintenance® and QiO Foresight Energy®, allow each customer to optimise energy consumption and cut their carbon footprint, as well as improve safety and reduce operation costs, through the application of configuration-driven blueprints. Angelo Apa, Global Head of Enterprise Vendor Management said: “At Exertis we are very keen to present solutions which improve sustainability and QiO is a fantastic addition to our portfolio. They have reference customers who are seeing up to 8% savings in the amount of energy used with the financial and carbon benefits this brings.
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ACCELERATE DATA-CENTRIC BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION 2nd Gen G Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors performance, agility and scalability deliver p
ACCELERATE INSIGHTS Experience up to 30x performan AI performance¹ versus prior generation gener with new, performanceperf optimized optimiz processor and platform platfo features that let you y discover more insights, faster. ins
SCALE PERFORMANCE Platform-wide performance improvements with: • Up to 112 processor cores in a 2-socket system • Up to 2x memory bandwidth² versus prior generation
IMPROVE SECURITYY Built-in data protection features helps lps better secure platforms and atforms an data. Provides ovides trusted tru service e delivery and accelerated encryption. erated en
• Up to 3.5x more VMs³ per server (5-year refresh improvement) • Supports revolutionary Intel® Optane™ DC Persistent Memory
Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors. Performance tests, such ch as SYSmark and MobileMark, M are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information on and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products. For more information go to www.intel.com/benchmarks. Performance mance results are based bas on testing as of dates shown in configuration and may not reflect all publicly available security updates. See configuration disclosure for details. No product or component can be absolutely secure. Intel technologies’ ogies’ features and b benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No product can be absolutely secure. Tests document nt performance of components co on a particular test, in specific systems. Differences in hardware, software, or configuration will affect actual performance. Optimization Notice: Intel’s compilers may or may not optimize to the same degree ee for non-Intel micro microprocessors for optimizations that are not unique to Intel microprocessors. These optimizations include SSE2, SSE3, and SSSE3 instruction sets and other optimizations. Intel does not guarantee the availability, functionality, ality, or effectiveness of any optimization on microprocessors not manufactured by Intel. Microprocessor-dependent optimizations in this product are intended for use with Intel microprocessors. Certain optimizations not specific to Intel microarchitecture are reserved for Intel microprocessors. Please refer to the applicable product User and Reference Guides for more information regarding the specific instruction sets covered by this notice. Notice Revision #20110804.. The benchmark resu results may need to be revised as additional testing is conducted. The results depend on the specific platform configurations and workloads utilized in the testing, and may not be applicable to any particular user’s components, nents, computer syste system or workloads. The results are not necessarily representative of other benchmarks and other benchmark results may show greater or lesser impact from mitigations. Intel does not control or audit third-party benchmark hmark data or the web we sites referenced in this document. You should visit the referenced web site and confirm whether referenced data are accurate. 1 Up to 30X AI performance with Intel® Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost) compared to Intel® Xeon® Platinum 8180 processor ssor (July 2017). Test Tested by Intel as of 2/26/2019. Platform: Dragon rock 2 socket Intel® Xeon® Platinum 9282(56 cores per socket), HT ON, turbo ON, Total Memory 768 GB (24 slots/ 32 GB/ 2933 MHz), BIOS: SE5C620.86B.0D.01.0241.112020180249, 12020180249, Centos* Cent 7 Kernel 3.10.0-957.5.1.el7. x86_64, Deep Learning Framework: Intel® Optimization for Caffe* version: https://github.com/intel/caffe d554cbf1, ICC 2019.2.187, MKL DNN version: v0.17 (commit hash: 830a10059a018cd-2634d94195140cf2d8790a75a), 059a018cd-2634d94 model:https://github.com/intel/caffe/blob/master/models/intel_opti-
ACCELERATE PERFORMANCE EXPAND DATASHEETS ELIMINATE BOTTLENECKS When breakthrough storage meets revolutionary memory, performance takes off. Intel® Optane™ SSD DC P4800X.
© Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
mized_models/int8/resnet50_int8_full_conv.prototxt, BS=64, No datalayer DummyData: 3x224x224, 56 instance/2 socket, Datatype: INT8 vs Tested by Intel as of July 11th 2017: 2S Intel® Xeon® Platinum 8180 cpu @ 2.50GHz (28 cores), HT disabled, turbo disabled, scaling governor set to “performance” via intel_pstate driver, 384GB DDR4-2666 ECC RAM. CentOS* Linux release 7.3.1611 (Core), Linux kernel* 3.10.0-514.10.2.el7.x86_64. SSD: Intel® SSD DC S3700 Series (800GB, 2.5in SATA 6Gb/s, 25nm, MLC). Performance measured with: Environment variables: KMP_AFFINITY=’granularity=fine, compact‘, OMP_NUM_THREADS=56, CPU Freq set with cpupower frequency-set -d 2.5G -u 3.8G -g performance. Caffe: (https://github.com/intel/caffe/), revision f96b759f71b2281835f690af267158b82b150b5c. Inference measured with “caffe time --forward_only” command, training measured with “caffe time” command. For “ConvNet” topologies, dummy dataset was used. For other topologies, data was stored on local storage and cached in memory before training. Topology specs fromhttps://github.com/intel/caffe/tree/master/models/intel_optimized_models (ResNet-50),. Intel C++ compiler ver. 17.0.2 20170213, Intel® Math Kernel Library (Intel® MKL) small libraries version 2018.0.20170425. Caffe run with “numactl -l“. 2 Double the memory bandwidth with 12 memory channels per CPU and 24 memory channels per compute module, compared against CLX-SP product family with 6 memory channels per CPU. 3 Up to 3.50X 5-Year Refresh Performance Improvement VM density compared to Intel® Xeon® E5-2600 v6 processor: 1-node, 2x E5-2697 v2 on Canon Pass with 256 GB (16 slots / 16GB / 1600) total memory, ucode 0x42c on RHEL7.6, 7.6, 3.10.0-957.el7.x86_65, 1x Intel 400GB SSD OS Drive, 2x P4500 4TB PCIe*, 2*82599 dual port Ethernet, Virtualization Benchmark, VM kernel 4.19, HT on, Turbo on, score: VM density=74, test by Intel on 1/15/2019. vs. 1-node, 2x 8280 280 on Wolf Pass with 768 GB (24 slots / 32GB / 2666) total memory, ucode 0x2000056 on RHEL7.6, 3.10.0-957. el7.x86_65, 1x Intel 400GB SSD OS Drive, 2x P4500 4TB PCIe*, 2*82599 dual port Ethernet, Virtualization Benchmark, VM kernel 4.19, HT on, Turbo on, score: VM density=21, test by Intel on 1/15/2019. ©Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Optane, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
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CONSUMER TRENDS Driving Demands
By 2024, at least 40% of enterprises will have explicit strategies
OF EMPLOYEES ARE MORE
(Secure Access Service Edge)
SPACE IS ALIGNED TO
to adopt SASE GARTNER
34% OF EMPLOYEES WORKED FROM HOME BEFORE
THE PANDEMIC.
PRODUCTIVE WHEN THE
THEIR WORKSTYLE. FORRESTER RESEARCH
Two-thirds of large enterprises
NOW, 70%
(5,000+ employees)
OF EMPLOYEES
plan to deploy 5G
WORK FROM HOME
technology by 2021
NEMERTES COMMUNICATIONS
SPICEWORKS
Business adoption of
AI-powered technologies
5G
One in four
is expected to triple by
enterprises
expected to double
recent security incident
2021, while adoption of edge computing is SPICEWORKS
10
68%
(1,000+ employees) are increasing 2020 IT spend due to a SPICEWORKS
APC Edge Computing Enabling Digital Transformation! Edge computing is designed to put applications and data closer to devices — and their users. Meet user expectations by complementing these cloud-based resources — from compute power to storage and applications — in the digital transformation to improve the customer experience, streamline operations, and create new business opportunities. Edge data centres help achieve higher bandwidth, lower latency, regulatory compliance around location, and data privacy.
Where is edge computing used?
Retail
Education
Medical
Manufacturing nufacturing
Speak to an Exertis account manager today!
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NEW ENTERPRISE We’re constantly pushing ourselves to be more innovative In July this year, the Exertis Enterprise business unit joined forces with Exertis Hammer to become one new brand – Exertis Enterprise. We spoke to James Ward, the managing director of Exertis Enterprise, to find out more about Hammer’s history, the value-add ethos that Exertis Enterprise is built upon, and what the future holds for the business. Q: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXERTIS HAMMER AND EXERTIS ENTERPRISE? A: Hammer has almost 30 years of expertise in storage, servers, security and networking. Since becoming a subsidiary of Exertis in 2016, we’ve unveiled Exertis Enterprise, which is a combination of Exertis’s Enterprise business unit and Exertis Hammer. The new brand name reflects our success in bringing a focus on our enterprise specialism to Exertis’s business. Additionally, we’ve incorporated the enterprise networking business unit of Exertis Benelux Go Connect, which features a team of pre-sales, sales and server configuration specialists. This relationship has not only given us access to a wider portfolio of vendors which Exertis Benelux had partnerships with, but our existing portfolio is also available to those colleagues now. Bringing on board this enterprise networking team not only enhances our pan-European status further, but also extends our relationship with Tier 1 vendors in Europe, including regional benefits such as their experience in how to take those products and solutions to market, and knowledge of how to engage
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with a Tier 1 vendor specifically in the Benelux region. This results in a very strong, value-add footing in the market. We have also extended our European training, logistics and warehouse facilities, thanks to our acquisition of the enterprise networking team at Exertis Benelux. They offer next day delivery (on available products) and ensure delivery times to Europe are more efficient. Exertis Enterprise unites the strengths of Hammer and the Enterprise unit of Exertis. Our focus on enterprise and a flexible and innovative ethos is the foundation of our rebranded business.
Exertis Enterprise unites the strengths of Hammer and the Enterprise unit of Exertis. Our focus on enterprise and a flexible and innovative ethos is the foundation of our rebranded business Q: HOW HAS HAMMER’S HISTORY PAVED THE WAY FOR EXERTIS ENTERPRISE’S FOUNDATION? A: The majority of Hammer’s staff remain with the company, and a management team restructure has ensured that key staff are leading the strategy of this new chapter. We are so proud of Hammer’s history and its great success, and we’re delighted to say that Hammer’s ethos and approach, which has remained unchanged for nearly 30 years, provides a solid framework for Exertis Enterprise.
The challenges and opportunities which we face as Exertis Enterprise are exciting and we believe we are armed with the tools to tackle them. We work tirelessly to understand our customers and their needs, and we provide technology that helps them make critical, informed business decisions. Our products and services help customers achieve greater efficiency and success, so they have more time to focus on other objectives. We have always ensured that our customers receive a technical, commercial
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and competitive business advantage, and we always strive to find new ways of adding value. We’re constantly pushing ourselves to be more innovative in the process. We aim to enable customers to differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace, and this gives us a strong foundation in the market.
Our end-to-end range of pre-and post-sales services – including training, marketing, go-to-market strategies, full sales cycle support, solution design, supply, onsite installation and configuration services – mean that every base is covered when it comes to giving customers the upper hand, and business advantage.
Q: WHAT VALUE-ADD BENEFITS CAN EXERTIS ENTERPRISE OFFER THE CHANNEL? A: Our expertise and breadth of offering has expanded thanks to this merger. We now offer pre- and post-sales expertise, configuration capabilities, and proven proficiency in vertical markets.
Our new portfolio enables customers to win a higher proportion of the stack. From storage, server, networking, security, software, components, cloud, connectivity, power, services and much more, our proficiency expands to cover every solution. Plus, our white box and OEM capabilities feature bespoke, optimised server and storage solutions which are tailored to specific requirements.
We have more product, solution and industry experts than ever, and our technology specialists provide a deep understanding of vertical markets, backed by sales and commercial support. Our longstanding vendor and customer relationships allow us to stay at the forefront of market trends, alongside our European local knowledge and reach.
The consolidation of Exertis Hammer and Exertis Enterprise in the market results in an incredibly strong proposition. Our growth and relationship with Exertis, and our parent company, DCC, has been phenomenal. Exertis Hammer had thrived in combining the benefits of having
The challenges and opportunities which we face as Exertis Enterprise are exciting and we believe we are armed with the tools to tackle them DCC’s backing, alongside our aim to drive innovation and customer growth continually and to facilitate unique ways of adding value. This hard work has created a fantastic foundation for Exertis Enterprise to thrive from the outset. Q: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE? A: We are excited to bring even more innovative service provisions to the market. For example, the recent introduction of our internal development programme for our server and storage specialists, the Enterprise University, has created a hugely knowledgeable sales, commercial and pre/ post-sales support team. It’s thanks to this programme’s focus on not just fundamental sales and technical areas, but also markets, applications, use cases, understanding industry challenges and the benefits of our Enterprise storage portfolio, that we can help overcome these challenges and turn them into opportunities. Our network of regional offices, located in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden (serving the Nordic region), The Netherlands and Spain all remain, and we’re focusing on Europe for greater growth. We also look forward to more acquisitions, and to continue developing the breadth, reach and specialisms into as many areas of the Enterprise channel as possible. We aim to help our customers in whatever business challenges they face.
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Ahead of the curve: Shaping the future with foldable technology Introducing the industry’s first foldable, single-screen, multi-function 5G1 Always Connected PC (ACPC). The ThinkPad X1 Fold will forever change the way you work, play, create, and connect from everywhere you go.
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It doesn’t get more revolutionary than this.
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REMOTE POSSIBILITIES The increase in home working has led to a huge demand for video conferencing technology. Exertis is perfectly placed to cater for all your needs in the modern, flexible and digital workspace. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we work for ever – in these unprecedented times, companies have been forced to adapt how they operate to ensure the safety of their employees around the world. For many people, remote working has become the ‘new normal’, which has led to a huge increase in the demand for video conferencing technology.
In November 2019, Microsoft Teams had 20 million daily users, but by the end of April this year, that figure had risen to more than 75 million and is on course to hit 100 million very soon
Prior to the outbreak, video conferencing was a growing market, driven by companies expanding their global business, but also looking to reduce their carbon footprint – since the pandemic, video conferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom have seen a staggering
increase in users. In November 2019, Microsoft Teams had 20 million daily users, but by the end of April this year, that figure had risen to more than 75 million and is on course to hit 100 million very soon.
Organisations want more agile workspaces that allow for more flexible working methods, using video-based technology that enables large percentages of staff to still work remotely 16
SIGNIFICANT Before Covid-19 struck, Exertis had already carried out significant market research into the changing needs of the modern, digital workspace. It found that although there was a steady implementation of “soft conferencing” solutions, most organisations were using some sort of video but faced challenges when it came to getting meetings started, sharing information, the reliability of the technology, productivity and the general user experience. There were also concerns as to whether people would adopt this way of working in the future – then Covid-19 happened, and a lot of these fears were allayed. As the coronavirus crisis took hold, many businesses had to drastically alter the way in which they operate almost overnight, and key workers, such as GPs, were forced to adopt new methods, such as remote consultations by video or over
the phone. This led to a massive increase in sales of one-to-one audio and video enhancement solutions. GROWTH According to statistics from mobile market data provider App Annie, business communication apps saw record levels of growth in March this year. The demand for video conferencing apps surged, with enterprise-focused mobile app downloads reaching 62 million during the week March 14-21 – the highest number ever seen. In the latter stages of lockdown, businesses started to evaluate their workspaces to create safe, secure and operable environments for their employees. As a result of this, there has been an increased demand in Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Room--certified devices. “Huddle rooms” are small conference areas that are equipped with audio, video and display system technology – according to Research and Markets, there are 33.3 million huddle rooms globally, with less than 3 per cent video-enabled, which means there’s a huge potential.
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Organisations want more agile workspaces that allow for more flexible working methods, using video-based technology that enables large percentages of staff to still work remotely. Camera and collaboration devices are now in high demand. As we all adapt to the new normal, more companies who traditionally haven’t used working from home kit will be forced to invest in it. This could lead to more flexible working hours, which, in turn, could mean a much happier, flexible and more productive workforce. PRESSURE Businesses’ budgets are always under pressure, particularly during a recession, so many companies will be looking to drastically cut their operational expenditure (OPEX). A major shift to remote working will mean a need for less office space, which will significantly reduce overheads.
As the coronavirus crisis took hold, many businesses had to drastically alter the way in which they operate almost overnight. This led to a massive increase in sales of one-to-one audio and video enhancement solutions. Exertis is extremely well-positioned to help and enable its customers and their end users to make the most of the opportunities that this new way of working brings with it. We can sell Microsoft Teams licences and are Microsoft Accredited. In addition, we offer a huge portfolio of complementary technologies, including Microsoft Teams Rooms devices, for those
employees who are back in the office, as well as headsets, and webcams for remote workers. In these uncertain times, you can rely on Exertis to work with you to provide all your needs for the changing workplace – both now and in the future.
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Data-centric. Intelligent. Adaptable.
PowerStore A uniquely adaptable infrastructure platform that complements and extends your existing investments. Combining the advantages of cutting-edge storage hardware with the flexibility and simplicity of modern software design.
Powerful. Versatile. Scalable. PowerEdge T640 Meet evolving business needs with the scalable business architecture of the PowerEdge T640. Accelerate demanding workloads and plan for future e growth with cost-effective, in-server expansion. SKU: 10286606
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WE’VE GOT THE POWER! With more employees working from home, businesses have had to rethink their IT systems and technology infrastructures. Exertis has partnered with Dell to demonstrate to customers the benefits of the Dell EMC PowerStore – an innovative new storage platform that’s designed for the data era and can meet the needs of companies whose employees are remote working. Since the Covid-19 lockdown in March this year, working from home has become a way of life for many people. Almost overnight, companies had to adapt how they operate. In the ‘new normal’, it has to be “business as normal”, but remote working brings with it numerous challenges for employers, such as equipping staff with the right tools and technology to do their jobs effectively, and allowing them access to secure, robust and reliable systems that can also meet demands such as the ability to deal with multiple video calls via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. According to recent research by online business publisher Bdaily, during the transition to remote working this year, employees struggled with three principal challenges: VPN (virtual private network) access (38%); wi-fi connectivity and reliability (37%); and video conferencing apps (35%).
US tech giant Dell offers networking and storage solutions that are designed to give businesses and remote workers the support they need, helping them to stay connected and be productive no matter where they are. In fact, more than 65% of Dell’s global team members work in a flexible capacity, so the company has plenty of expertise in this area. THE FUTURE OF STORAGE Earlier this year, Dell unveiled what it describes as “the future of storage” – the Dell EMC PowerStore, which is a smart and adaptable, next-generation, midrange data storage server platform that’s aimed at businesses who are looking for value, flexibility and simplicity, and need to overcome challenges such as managing exponential data growth and digital transformation.
In a UK first, Exertis set up a Dell PowerStore demo zone, where its partners can come and see Dell PowerStore in action, so they can get a better understanding of what it offers 20
It’s also ideally suited to meet the needs of organisations that have suddenly had to switch to mass remote working. Designed for the data era, PowerStore is a modern, game-changing storage system that can help businesses unlock the power of data, regardless of its structure or location, enabling them to adapt and transform their IT without disrupting current operations.
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It can easily be integrated into existing IT frameworks and also has built-in machine learning capabilities.
Dell offers server , networking and storage solutions that are designed to give businesses and remote workers the support they need, helping them to stay connected and be productive no matter where they are
INVESTED Exertis has been working with Dell for 10 years and, over the past 12 months, the Exertis Enterprise division has invested significantly in its Dell EMC storage business. It has more than doubled its dedicated Dell team by adding four specialist storage head with over 70 years’ experience in distribution and Dell technologies. Earlier this year, Exertis UK partnered with Dell for the launch of PowerStore and has played a leading role in supporting channel sales by providing customer demonstrations. In a UK first, Exertis set up a Dell PowerStore demo zone, where its partners can come and see Dell PowerStore in action, so they can get a better understanding of what it offers. This will enable them to sell the technology and its benefits to their customers and, in turn, they can also learn how to set up their own demo zones, so they can showcase the technologies they offer in an environment that’s much more effective than using a video conferencing tool. SECURE At Exertis’s custom solution centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, the company has set up a secure VPN, so partners and their clients can access the equipment remotely. This means that during the Covid-19 crisis, there is no need to physically visit Exertis’s offices, but you and your customers can still have the power of Dell’s PowerStore at your fingertips.
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EXERTIS BUSINESS
HOT
PICKS Top 5 Mobility Products
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2. DELL LATITUDE 5400 This 14-inch mainstream business-class notebook lets you get to work faster than ever thanks to its scalable features, powerful performance and ExpressCharge.
Top Pick
Part Code: 10257620
1. SAMSUNG GALAXY S20 The Galaxy S20 is the most business ready premium Galaxy smartphone. Always ready to work, with the intelligent battery giving you the power to work between multiple apps.
3. SAMSUNG GALAXY A40 Featuring Knox Configure allowing you to configure you mobile fleet straight out-ofthe-box. 4 years security and maintenance releases. Part Code: S10259254
Top 5 New Products 1
Top Pick 1. KONFTEL CC200 A whole video system in a compact collaboration camera. IP based with the ability to add Apps. Part Code: 10300450 1030
2. SAMSUNG BIZTV (55BET-H) Business TV from Samsung brings together Samsung’s expertise in commercial signage displays with its advanced TV technology to give users the ideal solution for customer communication with impactful visuals. Part Code: 10296983
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3. LOGITECH TAP Logitech Tap touch controller delivers calendar integration, touch-to-join, instant content sharing, and always-on readiness for Microsoft Teams and Zoom Room deployments Part Code: 10302342
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For more information on all our Hot Picks, don’t hesitate to get in touch: store.exertis.co.uk
Top 5 Business Products 1
Top Pick 1. EPSON EB-L510U Versatile entry-level laser projector with 5,000-lumen WUXGA performance, ideal for replacing existing lamp-based projectors. Part Code: t00102 10831
Basingstoke 01256 707 070 Harlow 01279 822 800 2. FUJITSU LIFEBOOK U7310 Based on the 10th generation Intel® Core™ processor is a slim, light and stylish ultra-mobile notebook for business professionals. With its 13.3inch screen, light weight of 1.17 kg, Intel® Thunderbolt™ ports, it provides excellent mobility and portability.
4. NOKIA 1.3 Large 5.7 HD+ display to see it all, low light imaging so you can snap pictures after sundown and all day battery to keep you charged for longer Part Code: 1082681
5.ORBI WHOLE HOME TRI-BAND MESH WIFI 6 SYSTEM Orbi™ WiFi 6 is a Tri-Band WiFi System built with the latest and fastest WiFi 6 technology to provide the ultimate smart home experience with WiFi coverage and connection capacity beyond belief.
3. ASUS CHROMEBOOK FLIP C436FA-E10087 It’s the ultra-light, ultra-compact, and ultrapowerful Chromebook. Take in the details of its precision-crafted magnesium-alloy chassis, and be awed by the might of its powerful Intel® processor. Its versatility is unparalleled, allowing you to use it in laptop, tent, stand, or tablet mode for work and play. 4. SAMSUNG GALAXY XCOVER PRO The Galaxy XCover Pro oozes in style and performance, combing both rugged capabilities and premium style, making it the ideal product for remote working no matter what industry they operate in.
4. SATELLITE PRO C50 The dynabook 15’’ Satellite Pro C50 offers premium design, fully-loaded features and seamless performance at a remarkably low price.
5. APC ECOSTRUXURE Ecostruxure™ IT revolutionises how IT and DC professionals monitor and manage their critical IT infrastructure onpremise, in the cloud, and at the edge. Bundles available up to 1500 devices
Part Code: S10281376
5. SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB ACTIVE PRO 2 A rugged tablet designed to stand up to realworld challenges and maximize productivity. Devices that are resistant to water, dust and short drops, ensuring you stay connected no matter what your day throws at you. Part Code: S10180855
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Same game. Different performance. Help your customers raise their game with 97% availability. We design, test, build and service our machines. So, you can sell hardware that businesses can rely on.
Same upkeep. Different downtime. Speed up services and upgrades. The service hatches and changeable batteries on LIFEBOOK U7 notebooks get devices back in the hands of users fast.
PC-as-a-service
Give your workplace devices the as-a-service treatment and free yourself from the burden of managing PC deployments across your business. Our unique PCaaS is fully customisable, it’s your choice. You can select from 1 to all of the services. Book a free workshop and tell us about your people, we will then recommend the devices and you choose the services you require, from deployment through to support. After three years we will refresh your devices – securely recycling the old devices. All for one monthly payment. Whether you have 50 or 5,000 seats, Fujitsu PC as a Service (PCaaS) is hardware that’s less, well, hard to deal with.
FOC 5 year warr warranty on LIFEBOOK E5 and U7 Notebo Notebooks
Same connections. Different cost. All the ports they need, built in. Ready to use, wherever they are. Make it easy for your customers to plug in peripherals directly. And cut the cost of dongles.
Warranty Promotion FOC 5 year warranty on the LIFEBOOK E5 and U7 Series. Promotion ends 1st October 2020. Contact Ollie.Knox@exertis.co.uk for more information.
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EXPERIENCE CLOUD CONFIDENCE Exertis UK has been developing its cloud business and portfolio, so it can become the cloud distributor of choice and offer its partners the best possible services and value. We speak to some senior members of the team to find out why the time is right to head into the cloud with Exertis…
In addition, we will be providing solutions combining hardware with software e.g. Microsoft Teams Rooms and PC as a service. Q: HOW IS EXERTIS CLOUD DIFFERENT FROM OTHER DISTRIBUTORS?
RIK HUBBARD, CLOUD SERVICES DIRECTOR
Q: WHY HAS EXERTIS CLOUD LAUNCHED? A: The growth of the public cloud is one of the biggest trends transforming the way companies and individuals do business. Exertis, as a leading IT distributor, is uniquely placed to provide custom solutions to ensure that our partners make the most of this opportunity. Q: WHAT WILL EXERTIS CLOUD BE OFFERING? A: Exertis is excited to be working in partnership with Microsoft to bring their modern workplace and cloud infrastructure solutions to our partners. We will also be offering a variety of migration, security and firewall software from existing partners including Kaspersky, Sonicwall, Kemp, Carbonite and Quest.
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A: Simply put, we care about our partners. We will be on hand to support our partners with all aspects of their cloud business – from presales and sales enablement through to streamlined operations – making all facets of delivering cloud services as simple and enjoyable as possible. On top of this we have industry-leading digital marketing capabilities to further transform our partners’ businesses. Q: WHY SHOULD RESELLERS PARTNER WITH EXERTIS TO DRIVE THEIR CLOUD BUSINESS? A: We want to work with partners to help them grow and take their cloud businesses to the next level. No two partners operate in the same way – they all have something that makes them unique and with that in mind, we don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach.
Through our dedicated Cloud Success Managers, each partner will have a tailored service that supports them to achieve their business goals. Q: HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL CHANGE EXERTIS MOVING FORWARD? A: Our focus on the partnership model moves Exertis towards a value-added service position, where we truly focus on customer needs. Building a team of cloud experts is critical, as this will help our partners to fully capitalise on the cloud opportunities for their customers. Q: WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CLOUD COMPUTING? A: Using the cloud as part of your IT strategy brings a lot of benefits. Whether it is helping your employees to work more productively from anywhere while keeping company data secure, being able to scale your computing requirements dynamically to match your workloads, or providing back-up / storage / disaster recovery capability, cloud computing is the answer.
The partners who get their cloud business strategy right and can take the burden of change away from the end user will flourish in the coming years
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Simplicity is key to a successful partnership – we’re stripping away the complicated jargon, embracing the simplicity of the cloud and making it easier than ever to partner with us the simplicity of cloud and making it easier than ever to partner with us. Most importantly is the end-to-end support we offer our partners throughout their cloud journey. We provide every partner with a dedicated Cloud Success Manager as a singular point of contact, who will be a continuous method of support as resellers grow their cloud business.
HELEN WORKMAN, HEAD OF CLOUD MARKETING
Q: WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND? A: My experience comes from a reseller background. I’m excited to now join the distribution market, and bring a customer perspective to the Exertis business. Q: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO GET EXERTIS CLOUD TO STAND OUT IN THE MARKET? A: We’ve spent a lot of time perfecting our cloud services model. We have built our cloud offering around three key pillars – confidence, simplicity and support. We want to help resellers and their sales teams feel confident to approach their customers about cloud computing. We are doing this by providing sales enablement training and business consultancy sessions. Simplicity is also key to a successful partnership – we’re stripping away the complicated jargon, embracing
Q: WHY DO YOU THINK CLOUD TECHNOLOGY WILL BENEFIT TECHNOLOGY RESELLERS/ PARTNERS? A: Resellers no longer want to be known as a ‘box shifter’, be it tin or software. The appetite for random and incremental revenue spikes is no longer considered an attractive business model. In this current climate, resellers benefit more from ongoing and predictable revenue. Cloud technology offers a better subscription-based model, so resellers have ongoing secured income. Cloud also means resellers can form more of a partnership with their customers, rather than something purely transactional. Managed services open new doors of opportunities for resellers. Q: HOW DOES CLOUD TECHNOLOGY BENEFIT BUSINESSES? A: End-users are demanding more than ever from resellers, especially as we are quickly moving into a remote way of working. Businesses are being forced to adapt by finding new ways to collaborate and thrive from a remote environment. It is cost-efficient as they only pay for what they use, and it frees up their IT resource because of the automated updates and security checks.
Q: WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE KEY OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CLOUD SPACE? ARE THERE ANY EXCITING TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY YOU WOULD HIGHLIGHT? A: 2020 has forced businesses to reevaluate their working environment. A lot of companies are moving the majority of their workforce, if not all of them, to flexible working. I expect that, as businesses start their budgeting, we will see an even bigger demand for cloudbased environments in 2021. So, the cloud technology market is only going to get bigger. I’d expect 90% of businesses to be operating in some sort of cloud environment within the next few years. Q: WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO CLOUD ADOPTION IN THE MARKETPLACE? A: The biggest challenges are businesses’ understanding of cloud solutions, and reseller employees not feeling confident engaging with customers about cloud computing. That’s why our message is built around enabling cloud confidence. We are offering sales training, consultancy sessions and ongoing support to make sure every Exertis Cloud partner is confident engaging with and recommending the best cloud solutions for their end-users. End-users may also be hesitant to migrate to a cloud environment because of data security. However, cloud security solutions mitigate any cyber security risks by defending against sophisticated phishing and malware attacks.
EXPLORE TODAY!
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Why Enterprises need SD-WAN in their digital transformations We’re living in a fast-moving digital world. Organisations in every industry are embarking on digital transformation journeys to keep up with customer demand and be more data driven. Before diving into digital transformation, enterprises need to understand potential challenges, including a change in data traffic patterns, the move to the cloud, and security. The landscape of the industry is changing, driven by trends such as cloud, mobile, big data, and social. Data is exploding as a result of the rapidly growing number of connected devices and a large amount of information created by individuals. As more business processes are digitized
Data is exploding as a result of the rapidly growing number of connected devices and a large amount of information created by individuals. and new applications are introduced, the volume of data is rising, creating more complex network challenges. Different data sources require different sets of quality of service (QoS) policies for latency, packet loss, and throughput, to ensure optimal performance. Wide area networks (WANs) experience the burden of transmitting data traffic as they are used for connecting global sites to the cloud infrastructure. Traditional WANs are costly to operate and constrained. A solution is needed that helps customers embark on their digital transformation. Software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) help enterprises address these specific challenges, enabling their digital journeys to continue. Many organisations plan to move to
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the cloud, with a large percentage of them intending to adopt a hybrid or multi-cloud strategy. The next-generation SD-WAN platform needs to support the application migration from an enterprise data centre to a dynamic hybrid cloud or multi-cloud environment. Transformation has been happening in the data centres with technologies such as virtualisation, containers, and cloud. Enterprise data centres are virtualised and software-defined; workloads are spreading across the hybrid cloud to multi-cloud. The WAN is the connection in the middle between data centres, branches, and clouds. It connects all users and things to applications and data. Organisations must redefine and transform the WAN, just as they have done with data centres, to support increased activity in branches. While agility, simplicity, scalability, and security are top customer IT goals, what
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organisations want to focus on is their business, not IT. With digital transformation, organisations can stay competitive and drive revenue growth. SD-WAN is a new way of building the WAN. SD-WAN applies the same softwaredefined principles in data centre networking to the enterprise WAN, achieving the same benefits. WAN circuits, as well as the WANfacing customer premises equipment (CPEs) in remote sites, are the physical resources to be virtualised. SD-WAN creates logical virtualisation building a network overlay on top of the WAN circuits and underlying physical resources.
VMware SD-WAN™ by VeloCloud® helps solve the edge challenges, including: SIMPLIFIED WAN MANAGEMENT • Zero-touch deployments • Simplified operations • One-click service insertion ASSURED APPLICATION PERFORMANCE • Transport independent performance • Simple application prioritisation policies MANAGED ON-RAMP TO THE CLOUD • Direct cloud access with SD-WAN overlay performance & automation • Visibility and policy control to cloud
The WAN is the connection in the middle between data centres, branches, and clouds. It connectsall users and things to applications and data. Are you interested in accelerating your Vmware partnership? Retain an extra 20% on all Vmware business? Ringfence your deals from competition through deal reg? Speak to cillian.bass@Exertis.com today.
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W WORKING TOGETHER FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE SU How Exe Exertis and some of its suppliers are embracing this. In a new work en environment, sustainability will be more important than ever aand businesses will be force forced to adapt in order to ensur ensure a healthy future for our planet and us. We look at how Exertis and some of its suppliers are embracing environmentally-friendly and socially responsible business practices. Before coronavirus struck, sustainability was one of the big issues dominating the headlines, with climate change pressure group Extinction Rebellion protesting on the streets of London, teenage environmental activist Greta Thunbe Thunberg and US president Donald Trump engag engaging in a Twitter spat, and Sir David Atten Attenborough urging us to wake up to the p plight of plastic pollution in the world’s world oceans.
Almost 80% of consumers say that they a are changing their purchase preferences and behaviour based pref on brands and retailers’ social responsibility, or environmental impact 30
Now, in the wake of Covid-19, sustainability is arguably more important than ever, making us much more concerned about the future of our planet, and demonstrating how dependent we are on a safe and healthy environment. It is vital that the major steps that companies took to address their sustainability and tackle social responsibility in a pre-coronavirus world are not put on
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In 2019, 92% of the electricity used in Samsung sites in the U.S., Europe, and China was generated using renewable energy – the company says it’s on track to reach 100% by the end of this year. IMPACT Almost 80% of consumers say that they are changing their purchase preferences and behaviour based on brands and retailers’ social responsibility, or environmental impact. Fifty three per cent of consumers overall and 57% in the 18-24 age group have switched to lesser-known brands because they were sustainable. More than half of consumers – 52% – say that they share an emotional connection with products or organisations that they perceive as sustainable.
the backburner as we adapt to life in the ‘new normal.’ In late 2018, a study by Accenture on corporate sustainability found that 62% of UK consumers prefer to buy from companies that are reducing their use of plastics and two thirds want greater transparency in how companies source their materials.
Earlier this year, the Capgemini Research Institute published a report called Consumer Products and Retail: How sustainability is fundamentally changing consumer preferences, which showed that Covid-19 has increased consumer awareness and a commitment to buying sustainably – sustainability concerns are now influencing consumer behaviour among more than half the population.
DEDICATED Responsible businesses have an obligation to promote sustainable practices. Exertis is always looking for new ways to become me tainable an environmentally-friendly and sustainable company. rt of a In its Basingstoke office, as part desk bins recycling initiative, all under-desk he office. The have been removed from the ling bins in place, company now has recycling with the correct guidance nce for staff to recycle correctly.
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All hazardous waste produced is disposed of correctly to protect the environment. Also, all plastic bottles have been removed from the canteen and vending machines. The marketing team based in Basingstoke is responsible for sending out the quarterly Future Business and Future Entertainment magazines. Previously, these were packaged individually in plastic wrapping, but they are now in potato starch polywrap, which is 100% compostable and has compost EN 13432 certification.
Lenovo has announced new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets. It is looking at how it can achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050 reduce 250 million tons of GHG emissions by the end of 2020. Samsung has also taken major steps to transitioning to a circular economy, which prioritises the use of sustainable materials and minimises waste. In particular, disposable materials such as plastic and vinyl are gradually being replaced in packaging with sustainable resources, like paper. Samsung plans to replace all paper used in packaging for its Consumer Electronics and IT and Mobile Communications products with sustainably-sourced paper. Since 2012, it has worked with the Carbon Trust to certify the carbon footprint of its flagship Galaxy smartphones. Between 2009 and 2018, more than 220,000 tons of recycled plastics have been used in the manufacturing of Samsung products. The company is aiming to increase this figure to 500,000 tons by 2030 and collect 7.5 million tons of discarded products.
SAMSUNG Exertis’s suppliers are making great efforts to address sustainability and improve their social responsibility. In June this year, Samsung Electronics published a 136-page sustainability report called A Journey Towards A Sustainable Future, in which it shared its economic, social and environmental progress with its stakeholders.
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The report highlighted how, in 2019, 92% of the electricity used in Samsung sites in the U.S., Europe, and China was generated using renewable energy – the company says it’s on track to reach 100% by the end of this year. From 2009 to 2018, Samsung’s use of high-efficiency products saw the company reduce its accumulated greenhouse gas emissions by 243.1 million tons. This is equivalent to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 1.5 billion households’ refrigerator usage over the span of an entire year. The company’s target is to
LENOVO In September of this year, China-based laptop manufacturer Lenovo announced new greenhouse gas emissions targets as part of its latest Environmental, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) report. The business has committed to halving emissions related to its operations, including energy purchased for electricity, heat, steam and cooling, by 2030. It is also
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looking at how it can achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050. “We’re incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made so far in reducing our impact on the environment through conscious effort, as well as investments across our operations,” said Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing. “We, and other global companies like us, need to act promptly as the world is needing real environmental action. As a result, we are going further than ever before to set ambitious future targets so that we can build a better future where smarter technology continues to empower everyone, everywhere.”
DELL Also in the IT sector, US tech giant Dell has been focusing on reducing the impact of its product packaging on the environment and increasing the amount of sustainable materials it uses. According to some estimates, there are more than five trillion pieces of plastic in the oceans – that’s equivalent to five grocery bags full of plastic stacked upon every foot of every nation’s coastline around the world. Eight million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year. Dell wants to help break this cycle by keeping plastics in the economy and out of the ocean, so, in 2017, it created the first commercial-scale, global, oceanbound plastics supply chain.
The company processed plastics collected from beaches, waterways and coastal areas and used them as part of a new packaging system for its XPS 13 2-in-1 laptop globally. As part of the manufacturing process, the ocean-bound plastics (25%) are refined and mixed with recycled HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene) plastics (75%) such as bottles and food storage containers, and then moulded into recyclable packaging trays for Dell XPS laptops. The initial aim of the pilot project was to keep 16,000 pounds of plastics out of the ocean.
US tech giant Dell has been focusing on reducing the impact of its product packaging on the environment and increasing the amount of sustainable materials it uses
TARGUS Targus is on a mission to recycle more plastic bottles than any other laptop cases and bags manufacturer. To achieve this, it has re-examined the materials it uses, as well as its supply chains, and, as a result, it has created the new EcoSmart collection of products. A plastic bottle will take 450 years to degrade in landfill – 26 plastic bottles are diverted and recycled to make every Targus us Cypress EcoSmart Hero backpack, from the bag lining to the stylish body and fabric bric trim. This is good news for the planet net and great news for your customers. The future may be uncertain, n, but we can be sure that sustainability bility will have an even bigger role to play in a postcoronavirus world.
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RESPONSIVENESS THAT KEEPS UP Big ideas wait for no one. The latest Intel® Core™ processors have the power and real-time responsiveness to help bring your ideas to life on time.
ADAPTABILITY FOR ANY BUILD Build your PC the way you want to. Intel® Core™ processors give you the freedom to customize úðöó äâñâãêíêõêæô êïäíöåêïè İæùêãíæ ôöññðóõ çðó multiple GPUs and NVMe SSDs.
THERMAL TECH THAT STAYS COOL Push your creativity — and your system — further. Intel® Core™ processors are built with thermal technology to help keep your PC cool, even under the most demanding workloads.
THE POWER TO MASTER MULTITASKING Power through even the most computeintensive tasks. Intel® Core™ processors deliver higher performance, improving rendering times on optimized applications.
WHAT KIND OF CREATOR ARE YOU? No two creators are alike. From inspiration to execution, there’s uniqueness in everything you do. However you ccreate, eate, there’s t e e s an a Intel® tel processor p ocesso that t at can ca help elp you do it. t THE HOBBYIST
THE MOONLIGHTER
THE PRO
You’re at the top of your creative game and known for it. You need a PC that keeps your creativity — and nd ñóðå ñó ðåöäõê ðå õ ÷êõú İðøêïè è
CAPABILITIES 2D PHOTO EDITING T & ILLUSTRATION ST EAMI STR A NG V VIDE O & AUDI DIO O ED EDITIN TING 3D GRAPH G RAPHICS ICS & DESIGN DE SIGN
For more complete information about performance and benchmark results, visit intel.com/benchmarks.
NOTE NO TEBO BOOK OK
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INTEL CORE PROCESSORS CAN BRING YOUR IDEAS TO LIFE ®
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AS POWERFUL AS YOUR IMAGINATION ÐÕÛÌÓą ×ÙÖÊÌÚÚÖÙ° POWERED PCs BUILT FOR CREATORS
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SMART THINKING The shape of things to come... Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are already revolutionising how some businesses operate, but we’re only scratching the surface. We report on the latest trends and look at what’s around the corner. AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been a buzzword in tech for the past few years – both in the world of consumer electronics, such as smart speakers and other connected devices for the home, and the business enterprise sector.
Machine learning has become more prevalent due to the availability of vast amounts of data and much more affordable computing power Broadly speaking, AI is defined as the autonomous behaviour of software or machines that have a human-like ability to make decisions and to improve over time by learning from experience. AI can be used to automate business processes, gain insight through data analysis and engage with customers and employees. Writing for US business website Forbes at the start of this year, enterprise tech expert and author Bernard Marr said AI will increasingly be used to monitor and refine business processes – he predicts that software-based robots will take on the repetitive but necessary work that we carry out on computers: “Filling in forms,
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generating reports and diagrams and producing documentation and instructions are all tasks that can be automated by machines that watch what we do and learn to do it for us in a quicker and more streamlined manner.” Marr also highlights how AI will really come into its own as data becomes more accurate and available, citing the example of how simulations have advanced to the stage where car manufacturers and others working on the development of autonomous vehicles can gain thousands of hours of driving data without vehicles even leaving the lab. This, he says, can lead to huge reductions in cost, as well as increases in the quality of data that can be gathered. ACCURATE Thanks to machine learning tools from London-based AI lab DeepMind, Google Maps is able to provide even more information to its users, such as accurate traffic predictions and estimated times of arrival.
In the medical industry, AI can be used to revolutionise the discovery and development of new drugs. According to the magazine Harvard Business Review, which, in 2018, carried out a survey of 250 executives who were familiar with their companies’ use of cognitive technology, three-quarters of them believed that AI would substantially transform their businesses within three years. “In businesses, AI is often used to make predictions on future events. Examples of this include forecasting demand for inventory management, presenting insights and expectations on customer behaviour, or monitoring financial transactions for fraud by identifying those that appeal unusual,” says Simon Forrest, principal analyst at Futuresource Consulting. He adds: “AI has become the buzzword topic of the day, but it isn’t necessarily required for every business problem: ‘AI is the answer; now what’s the question?’ often the issue here! However, the insights
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derived from machine learning should translate into more efficient business operations, or faster decision making, leading to a competitive advantage.” VALUABLE Data is becoming companies’ most valuable asset – knowing how to use it effectively, thanks to big data analysis and AI, can give a business the upper hand over its competitors. Deep data insight and machine learning require huge volumes of information analysis and processing power. “Machine learning has become more prevalent due to the availability of vast amounts of data and much more affordable computing power,” says Forrest. “The basic requirement is for businesses to have large data sets for training the machine-learnt algorithms that emerge as neural networks, alongside the specific language and terminology for that business or industry. These tailor the model to develop AI solutions for a particular business or task. “Monitoring the accuracy of the results then enables a feedback loop which can be used to improve the machine learning over time, with the AI then making better and more accurate decisions.” POWER By using solutions provided by specialist companies like Supermicro, NVIDIA, AMD and DDN, businesses can equip themselves with the right tools to power their AI technologies. These infrastructures can also incorporate technologies that have the ability
Data is becoming companies’ most most valuable asset – knowing how to o use it effectively, thanks to big data analysis lysis ly and AI, can give a business the upper er hand over its competitors to optimise data storage based on machine learning and run it at its most efficient. NGC-Ready systems, such as those from Supermicro, are tested and validated for the performance of deep learning frameworks, machine learning and inference algorithms. This means that enterprise IT can deploy the systems knowing that their users can develop and implement state-of-the-art AI software from NVIDIA NGC. Supermicro provides NVIDIA NGC software installation as an additional service. Enterprise-grade support for hardware and the operating system is available to help system administrators minimise system downtime, giving users the confidence to support AI workloads. NVIDIA’s Volta-driven computing platform provides modern data centres with the power to accelerate machine learning, deep data insight and high-performance computing workloads. Intelligent applications that respond with human-like reflexes require an enormous amount of computer processing power. AMD’s main contributions to ML and DL systems come from delivering highperformance compute with an open ecosystem for software development. ML and DL applications rely on computer hardware that can support the highest processing capabilities (speed, capacity, and organization) to simultaneously manage complex data sets from multiple input streams. The performance of AMD hardware and associated software also offer great benefits to the process of developing and testing for ML and DL systems. Today, a computing platform built with the latest AMD
technologies AMD EPYC™ CPUs can develop and test a new intelligent application in days or weeks, a process that used to take years. AMD’s platform can efficiently host more directly attached GPUs, and feed these GPUs with the fastest networking speeds, offering up to 400Mbit per second per server. Other high profile branded dual-socket platforms support fewer directly attached I/O devices, at half the speed. DEVELOPING Looking ahead, there’s no doubt that AI will be playing a much bigger r0le in our lives – both at home and in the workplace. Says Futuresource’s Forrest: “Companies such as Baidu and Google are developing deep neural networks that can generate entirely synthetic human voices that are almost impossible to distinguish from genuine human speech. Their networks “learn” the unique subtleties in the cadence, accent, pronunciation and pitch to create astonishingly accurate recreations of human voices. Clearly, businesses could utilise this type of technology to completely automate call centres, automatically make restaurant reservations or take hotel room bookings.” He adds: “As AI and machine learning develops, it will harness the increased processing performance available and improvements in neural network architectures to become capable of performing larger, more complex tasks. “Indeed, there’s an interesting intersection likely to occur this decade, where quantum computing and AI converge to deliver extraordinary levels of computer performance and entirely redefine what is possible.”
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Give your workforce the support they need.
Precision 7550 mobile workstation
Precision 7750 mobile workstation
Max performance. Superior scalability. PRECISION 7550, 7750 & PRECISION 7920 TOWER
To create the extraordinary, unlock the power and performance of Dell Precision workstations. For over 20 years, our broad customisable portfolio has enabled generations of world-class designers and award-winning creators to see their visions come to life.
Dell UltraSharp 32 8K Monitor - UP3218K
Looking for more options? CONTACT YOUR EXERTIS ACCOUNT MANAGER TODAY.
Precision 7920 Tower
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MUST HAVE
THE TOP TEN! Accessories 1. SCREENBEAM 1100 ScreenBeam 1100 allows users to wirelessly connect their device to a display without the need for dongles or apps
2. OVERLAND TANDBERG RDX The RDX QuikStor media-based removable storage system offers rugged, reliable and convenient storage for backup, archive, data interchange and disaster recovery
Part Code: 10279765 Part Code: TAN8782RDX
3. PEERLESS SF650P Versatile and easy to install flat wall mount for 39” to 75” panels Part Code: 10007569
4. CHIEF LPAUB This mobile AV cart incorporates rounded edges and sleek features to give the cart a softer professional feel for corporate and classroom environment. Part Code: 10264996
5. TRIPP LITE 6-OUTLET SURGE PROTECTOR Safeguards home/office electronics against spikes and line noise.
6. TARGUS EXECUTIVE 15.6’’ LAPTOP ROLLING CASE Stylish rolling case with telescoping handle designed to fit laptops with up to 15.6’’ screen, plus storage space for other office essentials Part Code: TBR003EU
7. DELL WD19 130W DOCKING STATION Boost your PC’s power on the world’s most powerful and first modular USB-C dock with a future-ready design. Part Code: 210-ARJG
9. LENOVO THINKSMART VIEW Unlock the workday’s full potential - Unleash your PC’s ultimate productivity. ThinkSmart View is a collaborative smart device that works from an individual’s workspace, tackling administrative tasks that waste a PC’s resources. Part Code: ZA690010GB
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8. NEW - LENOVO THINKVISION M14T Connect Better, Work Easier. Experience work on-the-go with this intuitive USB-C monitor Boost your productivity with the USB-C, touch and auto-rotation enabled portable ThinkVision M14t Monitor, designed for the on-the-go users.
10. CHERRY DW 9000 SLIM The CHERRY DW 9000 SLIM rechargeable desktop set stands out due to its innovative functions, excellent workmanship and stylish design.
UHD 4K Monitors LG UHD 4K monitors allows ws you to enjoy clarity and resolution of full HD. ďŹ ne details four times the resolution
More Details, Advanced Creativity Ultra HD 4K IPS display offers both a larger workspace w and more accurate, detailed visual sual exp expression. pression. Contact your Exertis Account unt Manager Ma anager today. 27UL600 l 27UL850 l 32UK550 l 43UN700