Future Business

WHAT YOUR CHOICE OF LAPTOP COULD HINGE ON

PROFESSIONAL AV SOLUTIONS

Computing technology continues to evolve.

See the big picture with Exertis Pro AV Solutions

issue 14.

Power as big as your ideas.

business

Dell Precision Mobile Workstations

FUTURE

THE

Copyright ©Exertis (UK) Ltd 2019

REDEFINING THE DATACENTRE With Intel® Optane™ technology

With an industry-leading combination of high throughout, low latency, high QoS, and high endurance, the Intel® Optane™ SSD DC P4800X provides a new data storage tier that allows you to execute larger datasets faster than ever, while reducing system DRAM to significantly lower datacentre TCO.

Breakthrough Performance IOPS

High Endurance

Predictably Fast Service QoS

Responsive Under Load Low Latency

UP TO

UP TO

UP TO

WRITTEN AT SIMILAR CAPACITY

99% QOS

TIME UNDER WORKLOAD

5-8 X 2.8 X 60 X 40 X FASTER AT LOW MORE TOTAL BYTES BETTER AT FASTER RESPONSE QUEUE DEPTHS

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

15 WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

FUTURE

20 WHAT YOUR CHOICE OF LAPTOP COULD HINGE ON!

03

38 B2B MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES

CONTENTS 05 EXERTIS COMMENT Phil Brown introduces the latest edition of Future Business

06 NEWS IN BRIEF A quick look at what’s happening in the technology market

08 MARKET STATS UPDATE We look at the current technology trends you should be aware of

17 UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF WI-FI AND SECURITY Our combined security and wireless team can ensure your Wi-Fi solutions are backed by robust security

20 WHAT YOUR CHOICE OF LAPTOP COULD HINGE ON! If mmore comfort and better sound seems cool, then check out this innovation

22 HOT PICKS A range of best-selling products designed to make you more margin

26 AI IS DRIVING DEMANDS ON CONNECTIVITY AND STORAGE We highlight the best products to help Public Sector customers keep security up and costs down

10 DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CHANNEL

30 HOW TO MAKE THE MOST FROM MANAGED SERVICES? Tips on what makes a good incentive

32 EXERTIS PRO AV SOLUTIONS

A look at some of the technology trends that are being deployed to progress digital transformation

To provide a real end-to-end-solution requires a team that can fully take advantage of the convergence of AV and IT

15 WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS

38 B2B MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES

FSB take a look at the findings of their new report ‘Supporting Women in Enterprise in the UK

Our top 10 recommended accessory products for business

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

FUTURE

05

Publisher Exertis Editor Nigel Morris

WELCOME FROM EXERTIS Welcome to the latest issue of Future Business.

As you may have read in the trade press, we have now successfully integrated our Stampede business, which we acquired in July, with our own Exertis AV divisions across Europe to form Exertis Pro AV Solutions. With three acquisitions (Medium, Stampede and most recently JAM Industries) of companies that all play a significant role in the audio and video market, no-one can doubt our intention to become the leading player in this market. Indeed, we have extra sales and technical resource, an expanded vendor portfolio, a comprehensive range of value-added services and the ability to provide a complete end-to-end solution with our networking, security and unified communications propositions. This is a great opportunity, whether you are an AV specialist or an IT reseller, to provide some great solutions for any size of company and in any vertical market.

Don’t miss out on what we can offer on page 32.

Many of our customers take advantage of our professional services either in full, as a white label offering, or by choosing what they need to supplement their own resources. Providing a managed service provides recurring revenue and a deeper entanglement with your customers. New technologies are continuing to add impetus for the MSP. We can help you make the most of the opportunity. Find out more on page 30.

One of those new technologies, Artificial Intelligence, is certainly impacting the connectivity and storage requirements in a range of vertical markets. AI is being applied in many areas. We take a look at one of those use cases which is seldom out of the news on page 26. As more data becomes available from more connected devices, it’s imperative that companies have the right

Design Shannon Dow Website store.exertis.co.uk

networking infrastructure and storage capacity to cope. Exertis Hammer specialise in servers, storage and networking solutions and our team is ready to support you with the best way to get your customers prepared.

Digital transformation is, of course, a great opportunity for the channel as it relies on a range of different technologies. It’s a widely used term but fundamentally it enables companies to compete in an increasingly digital economy. We see what it entails, highlight some of the technologies impacting digital transformation and feature some of the use cases on page 10.

Wi-Fi is viewed by many as a utility – a service that should be available to everyone, everywhere. But it can come with risks. Increasingly, we’ve found our wireless resellers asking about security and our security resellers asking about wireless. We’ve combined our wireless and security teams to better serve those requirements, as you can find out on page 17.

When it comes to innovation, we may be somewhat spoiled in our industry. But just when you think not much can change, someone thinks of a better way of doing something as you can discover on page 10.

Finally, don’t forget to take a look at the offers and information from our vendors, our regular market stats feature, our hot picks and must have accessories, and the latest news from Exertis and the industry.

Thanks for your continued support and enjoy the read.

Phil Brown Sales and commercial director, Business

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 Burnley Sales: 01282 776 776 Address: Technology House, Magnesium Way, Hapton, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 7BF To place an order please call 01282 776 776 between 9am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday

THE

06

FUTURE

NEWS IN BRIEF

BUSINESS

EXERTIS PRO AV SOLUTIONS We have now integrated the Stampede business which we acquired in July with our Pro AV division to form Exertis Pro AV Solutions across Europe. This move will provide our customers at Stampede and Exertis with a greater range of resource, products and support.

It’s an exciting opportunity for AV specialists and IT resellers to take advantage of a growing market. Moreover, it puts us in a great position to provide a complete end-to-end solution for our customers as you can discover on page 32 in this issue.

JAM TODAY In September, we announced that DCC Technology had acquired JAM Industries. Tim Griffin our DCC Technology managing director described the acquisition as “the next step in DCC Technology’s strategy to extend our geographic footprint and product range, strengthening our relationship with new and existing suppliers while also broadening our base of customers…”

ORGANISATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

JAM is headquartered in Montreal, Canada with sales and logistics operations across North America, employing around 600 people.

It specialises in three main areas: Musical Instruments, Consumer Electronics and Pro Audio & Lighting.

We recently announced some changes to our UK and Ireland business. Paul Bryan, our UK managing director, will take on the added responsibility of the Irish business supported by Rod McCarthy who becomes head of Ireland for Exertis following John Dunne’s promotion to the new position of chief commercial officer, North America and Gerry O’Keeffe’s move to an expanded international role. In addition, to support Paul, Richard Hinds has been promoted to the newly created position of chief operating officer with responsibility for the finance, purchasing, IT, logistics and customer services functions. Richard was previously group finance director for Exertis UK & I. Both Rod and Richard report to Paul.

We are also pleased to welcome Chris Bale to Exertis in another new role as head of transformation responsible for leading operational and financial best practice across Europe. He will report to Gerry O’Keeffe, Exertis International, managing director.

These appointments reflect the evolution of our business as we continue our strategic ambitions to expand geographically, leverage our capabilities across our territories and ensure we serve more customers with great products, solutions and services.

For more information on these appointments go to: https://www. exertis.co.uk/exertis-news.php

EXERTIS WINS DATACENTRE AWARD Our enterprise team enhanced their growing reputation winning the 2018 CRN Datacentre distributor of the year award. We have 45 highly skilled and experienced individuals holding more than 182 accreditations in that area alone, an excellent vendor line-up and services to match – some of the reasons why we have grown our reseller base and our customers’ revenues significantly in the last twelve months.

Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

VIRTUAL ROADSHOW One of the greatest challenges to industry events is that it can be very difficult for you to get time away from your busy schedule to attend, the location may be too far away, or something last minute arises which means you can no longer attend. Exertis will be launching ‘The Virtual Roadshow’ in February 2019 focused on our computing proposition, featuring attach opportunities in components and accessories. Hosted online, you will be able to navigate through the exhibition, see the latest kit demonstrated and be able to interact with the brand through videoed FAQs and a forum element that will give you all the benefits of an event but from the comfort of your office or home. Look out for more details soon.

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

FUTURE

x7 0 x

THE RANSOM OR THE FINE As reported in Computer Weekly, a survey conducted by Sapio Research has claimed that almost half (47%) of UK IT directors would “definitely” be willing to pay a ransom fee to hackers to avoid reporting a data breach and risking a fine under the new GDPR rules.

A further 30% of UK IT leaders said they would “possibly” consider paying the criminals’ ransom if it was lower than the possible penalty for a breach while only one in five (18%) respondents completely ruled out paying off their attackers.

According to CW, the study revealed that small businesses were least likely to consider paying a ransomware demand, with 54% of IT directors at UK companies with fewer than 250 employees ruling out paying their attackers, while just 11% of directors at companies with 500-750 employees said they would opt for this approach.

In another piece of research with UK companies, 35 per cent of respondents maintained that the hackers were more sophisticated than their IT teams, with 21 per cent claiming that they do not have the skills needed within the company to detect cyber breaches accurately in real time, and 27 per cent said poor visibility of entry points was a barrier to resilience.

MORE CLOUD FORECAST DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND MSPS Research from analyst Quocirca indicates that managed print services providers could play a role in unlocking digital transformation in the SMB market. Although often hampered by budget and resource constraints, SMBs are positive about the impact of digitisation.

Overall, 81% of SMBs believe digitising paper-based processes will be important for driving their organisation’s digital transformation by 2025. However, less than 50% of SMBs are using digital workflow solutions such as document capture, mobile data capture or ECM solutions according to The Global Print 2025 Spotlight Report (http://www.print2025.com/reports/SMB-digitisation/). Yet, there is certainly an interest to increase digital workflow adoption, with almost half expecting to expand usage of solutions in these areas.

Quocirca believe that there is a significant opportunity for managed print service (MPS) providers to articulate a clear proposition around integrated paper and digital workflow services and solutions.

According to the latest research from Cloud Industry Forum businesses are, for the first time, spending more on cloud infrastructure than they are on on-premise infrastructure devoting 19% of their IT budgets to cloud infrastructure, just ahead of the 18% spent on on-premise, and by 2022, just 12% of IT budgets will be spent on legacy technology, as cloud usage increases. Their findings reported in Comms Business also revealed that UK-based organisations are keenly aware of the threats and opportunities presented by digital disruption, with over half (55 per cent) expecting their sector to be disrupted within the next two years. Despite broad recognition of the benefits that AI, IoT and Blockchain can deliver to businesses, the research found that only a minority of organisations have adopted them.

SNIPPETS

Both digital transformation (page 10) and MSPs (30) are featured in this issue of Future Business.

WORLDWIDE IT SPENDING TO INCREASE IN 2019 Total worldwide IT spending is predicted to hit £2.9tn in 2019, representing an increase of 3.2 per cent on 2018’s number according to Gartner’s latest forecast. The analyst predicts that enterprise software will witness the largest growth with an 8.3 per cent increase in 2019. Cloud software is expected to see growth of more than 22 per cent, compared to 6 per cent for all other forms of software.

Security and privacy will also remain top of minds to organisations faced with increased cybersecurity issues.

Gartner also believes that vendors will push PC-as-a-Service to compensate for subtle technology differentiation in order to secure recurring revenue streams and to promote bundled service options.

Exertis has added the award-winning range of desktop and departmental scanners, software and services from Kodak Alaris.

We now have four of our professional services team qualified as accessors to carry out security audits. We can offer a packaged service that delivers three accreditations: Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus and IASME Gold at a fixed cost of £1,800.

Exertis Pro AV Solutions has added ClearOne’s Pro audio, video and streaming range to its portfolio

THE

08

FUTURE

BUSINESS

BUSINESS TRENDS DRIVING DEMANDS IN

2018 mobile website traffic

now accounts for 52.2% of all online traffic worldwide

94%

(Statista)

of businesses who

in 2022

implement iot have already seen a return (New gen apps)

european pro av market to reach

pc shipments

totalled

62.1 million

$43 billion units in Q2 2018

(INSTALLATION AND AV TECHNOLOGY EUROPE)

(Gartner)

cyber security in healthcare is to reach an

(GRAND VIEW RESEARCH)

estimated $10.85 billion by 2022 Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

Transform how you work.

DELL 24 MONITOR | P2419H

OPTIMISE YOUR WO R KS PAC E

MAXIMISE PRODUCTIVITY

WORK C O M F O R TA B LY

TRUSTED RELIABILITY

Free up valuable desk space with this 23.8” FHD monitor featuring the smallest monitor base in its class.1 Easily hide away cable clutter with the improved cable management design.

The 3-sided ultrathin bezel delivers a seamless view across multiple monitors, while Easy Arrange in Dell Display Manager software helps you stay organised when multitasking.

Pivot, tilt, swivel and adjust the height of your monitor to your exact preference. Stay focused longer with a flicker-free screen and ComfortView that optimise eye comfort.

Dell monitors — World’s number 1 monitor brand2 Enjoy peace of mind with Dell Premium Panel Exchange, 3 year Advanced Exchange Service3 and optional ProSupport.4

Available at Exertis now 1 Based on Dell internal analysis comparing the area of the monitor base in competitive 23.8” size monitors as of March 2018.

2 Dell monitors are #1 worldwide for 5 consecutive years (2013-2017)! Source: IDC Quarterly PC Monitor Tracker, Q4 2017.

3 Advanced Exchange: Dell will send you a replacement monitor the next business day in most cases, if deemed necessary after phone/online diagnosis. Shipping times may vary by location and for monitors 55” and above. Fee charged for failure to return defective unit.

See dell.com/servicecontracts/global 4 Availability varies, please visit www.dell.com/support for details.

THE

10

FUTURE

BUSINESS

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CHANNEL Digital transformation is a widely used term and there are many definitions as to what it means. Whether it’s just the latest buzzword term or not, it has the potential to affect every industry and every size of company. Companies that are managing the digital transformation process are clearly winning evidenced by some of the so-called disruptors in the marketplace today. Often these disruptors are young digitally-savvy operators that have sprung up and made a huge impact. There are many examples that come to mind: Uber who have transformed the taxi market, Airbnb who have done likewise with hotels, Netflix that essentially killed off the video rental market and of course Amazon, founded only in 1994, who have had a major effect on many markets, particularly retail.

However, it would be wrong to think that digital transformation can only be enjoyed by start-ups. There are great examples of digital transformation in the enterprise sector, too. Digital transformation can be a good opportunity to review and redesign existing processes and procedures. What is evident is that digital transformation is driven by technology and that it should be deployed not just to replicate an existing service in a digital format but to change that service into something more productive, efficient and profitable.

Indeed, in a ZDnet₁ article, it was reported that 62 per cent of 460 executives surveyed by Gartner said they had a management initiative or transformation programe to make their business more digital. Just over half (54 per cent) said that their digital business objective is transformational, while 46 per cent said the objective of the initiative is optimisation. Gartner also found in another study that 66 per cent of companies undertaking digital transformation

expected to generate more revenue from their operations, while 48 per cent predicted that more business would be forthcoming through digital channels. This was supported by the Constellation Research 2017 Digital Transformation Study₂ which stated that 64 per cent of organisations recognised digital transformation as essential to driving profits.

MORE THAN JUST TECHNOLOGY Likewise, it would be wrong to think that digital transformation is just about the best use of technology. In many cases, it requires a change to a company culture in terms of working practices, procedures and mindset requiring employees throughout the organisation to adapt to a new technology rather than just adopting the technology itself.

The Global Centre for Digital Business Transformation₃ says that, “Transformation is fundamentally about change, and organisational change is the foundation of digital business transformation.

Organisational change, related to people, processes, strategies, structures, and competitive dynamics, is where most of the challenges and opportunities reside”. Hence why some start-ups are often better placed and more nimble.

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION There are many technology trends that are being deployed under the digital transformation umbrella. These range from big data to cloud and from IoT to AI and can include:

Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

FUTURE

11

$1.1 trillion spent in 2017. The analyst estimates that 40 per cent of all technology spending will go towards digital transformation with enterprises spending in excess of £2 trillion by 2019. Of course, no one business is the same and investment strategies will differ with some industries focused on core technologies like cloud, big data and analytics, and mobility, whilst others are focused more on IoT, AI and robotics. However, the objective remains the same in terms of remodelling the business to compete in an increasingly digital economy. Meanwhile Gartner’s CIO Agenda suggests digital business will represent an average of 36 per cent of a business’s overall revenue by 2020.

USE CASES ACROSS MANY INDUSTRIES Different businesses have their own reasons for undertaking digital transformation. As mentioned earlier, young companies see it as an opportunity to disrupt existing industries, whilst established companies see it as a viable way to improve the customer experience or increase productivity to stay ahead of their competition. Starbucks provided a mobile app to attract and retain customers through a loyalty scheme. It also introduced a mobile order and pay feature enabling customers to place orders and make payment with the app itself. This eliminated waiting time, provided a secure and convenient payment method and through its reward scheme kept customers engaged.

IKEA used augmented reality in a bid to improve the customer shopping experience whilst in-store. The AR application allows customers to try out virtual, true to scale furniture in their physical environment before making a decision to purchase. Renault Group developed an app enabling the manufacturer to keep in contact with the customer throughout the car’s life cycle. It incorporated several elements of digital transformation including business analytics, IoT, artificial intelligence, mobile networking and cloud computing. The app enables vehicle owners to keep their maintenance logs, track and book service appointments, and provides a safety and efficiency dashboard. This highlights how companies are looking to continue engagement with a customer post-sale because it provides valuable additional contact and data.

GETTING IT RIGHT • •

•

• • •

Business Analytics: enabling companies to make decisions and spot trends from the increasing amounts of data generated, thereby providing a competitive edge through the analysis.

Artificial Intelligence: (AI) making it possible for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human-like tasks. Most AI examples such as self-driving cars rely heavily on deep learning and natural language processing. Using these technologies, computers can be trained to accomplish specific tasks by processing large amounts of data and recognising patterns.

IoT: providing a level of digital intelligence to the billions of devices around the world that would otherwise be dumb, enabling them to communicate without human interaction.

These devices and sensors can be as simple as a smart thermostat or as complicated as a smart city.

Augmented reality: providing endless opportunities for training, selling, entertainment 5G: offering constant, high speed connectivity.

Cloud computing: delivering a range of computing services such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics and more over the internet.

Whilst advocates of digital transformation are right to point out that businesses that are slow to digitise are likely to struggle to remain competitive, some digital initiatives generate attractive returns, whilst others don’t. McKinsey₅ point out in their Digital Reinvention report that some companies are investing in the wrong places or investing too much or too little in the right ones - or simply that their returns on digital investments are being competed away or transferred to consumers. This point is echoed by Bain₆ research maintaining that the payoff from digital transformation can be impressively high, but the success rate is regrettably low - just 5% of those companies involved in digital transformation efforts reported that they had achieved or exceeded the expectations they had set for themselves.

However, their research clearly showed that digital leaders in every industry outperform the laggards both in terms of profit and revenue.

Digital transformation remains a hot topic and that is likely to continue. According to McKinsey, on average, industries are less than 40 per cent digitised, despite the relatively deep penetration of these technologies in media, retail, and high tech. With digital transformation relying on a range of different technologies, it should remain a key focus for the channel with plenty of opportunity.

Sources & Acknowledgements ₁https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-digital-transformation-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-technologyis-reshaping/ ₂http://info.constellationr.com ₃https://www.imd.org/uupload/IMD.WebSite/DBT/Digital%20Business%20Transformation%20Framework.pdf

MARKET WORTH

₄ https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS43381817 ₅https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Business%20Functions/McKinsey%20Digital/Our%20Insights/ Digital%20Reinvention%20Unlocking%20the%20how/Digital-Reinvention_Unlocking-the-how.ashx

According to IDC₄, worldwide spending on digital transformation technologies (hardware, software and services) is expected to be nearly $1.3 trillion in 2018, an increase of 16.8 per cent over the

₆https://www.bain.com/insights/orchestrating-a-successful-digital-transformation/

V7 Series

IPS

SEE THE DIFFERENCE HDMI Compatible ZeroFrame bezel Acer VisionCareTM Wide Viewing Angle

Contact your Exertis account manager today for more information

g 970 8th Gen Intel® CoreTM i7 Processor 14” FHD IPS Touchscreen Display Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life*

The award winning Acer Swift 5 now available exclusively from Exertis with Windows 10 Pro © 2018 Acer Inc. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners.

Screens simulated, subject to change; Apps sold separately, availability may vary. April 2018. * Battery life may vary upon usage and other conditions.

Calisto 7200 The speakerphone for small team meeting rooms and big expectations.

Even small meetings deserve big performance.

When your customers need exceptional conferencing performance in a small group conference room, turn to Calisto 7200. With four directional microphones that provide 360˚ coverage and filter out unwanted noise, USB and Bluetooth® connectivity and touchsensitive controls, it’s ready when they are.

• Small form factor still offers a premium conferencing experience.

• Four MEMS-directional microphones provide 360˚ room coverage.

• Connect easily via USB and Bluetooth®.

• Conference call setup is easy with plug-and-play USB. • Bluetooth® clearing function removes previously paired devices.

• Locking mechanism keeps the device stationary in small team meeting rooms.

• Supports Plantronics Manager Pro. • Designed to meet the latest Microsoft “Group Mode” specifications.

ASTOUNDING AUDIO

PREMIUM CONFERENCING

EASY SETUP

INTUITIVE TOUCH-SENSITIVE CONTROLS

Four directional microphones provide 360˚ room coverage

Small form factor still offers a premium conferencing experience

Conference call setup is easy with plug-and-play USB

Simplify call management

Contact your Exertis account manager

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

FUTURE

15

WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

PROVIDING A BOOST TO UK ECONOMY Women-owned businesses now contribute £105 billion to the UK economy each year, according to the findings of a new report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Supporting Women in Enterprise in the UK: The Economic Case.

clearly set out, FSB is calling for new ways to harness more untapped potential. These range from promoting a greater awareness of alternative finance options (women are more likely than men to use a single source of finance); to raising the visibility of role models to encourage more women to set up their own business.

The report found that the economic contribution by women-owned businesses had grown by an estimated 40 per cent in just three years.

There has also been a 26 per cent increase in employment generated by women-owned businesses.

FSB joined forces with Facebook to launch these findings at an event for entrepreneurs looking to boost their digital marketing skills and grow their networks. The launch was in partnership with She Means Business, a Facebook and FSB initiative to bring women entrepreneurs together, allowing them to share experiences and to further their digital and marketing expertise to enhance their business.

Whilst the report findings were largely positive, with 2.9 million people now employed in women-owned businesses, women still aren’t starting businesses at the same rate as men.

Overall, the number of women founders is on the rise, but certain sectors are lagging behind. Diversity in manufacturing and other high growth areas has fallen as a proportion of women-owned firms. By contrast, the research shows that there has been a rise in the proportion of women-owned firms in the care sector where economic growth is lower.

According to FSB, the reasons why careers in engineering and manufacturing aren’t being taken up by as many women must be addressed to ensure these sectors aren’t seen as male-dominated workforces, as they are industries with high economic growth.

Findings from PWC reveal that only 16 per cent of women have had technology suggested to them as a career compared to 33 per cent of men in the UK. FSB and others say that more must be done to encourage young girls and women to take up STEM subjects so they can become the scientists and engineers of tomorrow.

With the economic case for supporting women’s entrepreneurship

Speaking about the campaign, Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook’s VP EMEA said: “We all have a role to play in addressing the diversity imbalances that exist around the world. It’s unacceptable that our culture is still hard-wired against women in leadership roles. Until that changes we need to find ways to get behind the women who want to step forward and lead, to give them the skills and courage to succeed.

“Through our #SheMeansBusiness programme, in partnership with FSB, which empowers thousands of entrepreneurial women by offering them training, tools and practical advice, we discovered that one of the main barriers holding women back is a lack of confidence and digital skills.”

Lina Bourdon, FSB’s Women in Enterprise lead, said: “The Government must now address this untapped potential with a range of suitable measures, such as career advice, role models, and access to business support and finance.”

Find out more at fsb.org.uk/women

RAISE THE BAR ON PERFORMANCE WITH RUCKUS CLOUD WI-FI

SIMPLIFIED WI-FI THAT SCALES Demand for Wi-Fi services continues to skyrocket. That means your customers, WLANs are under increasing pressure from more users, more types of connected devices, and more bandwidthintensive applications. Their WLAN infrastructure needs to keep pace with all of these changes.

But as the Wi-Fi network expands, the strain on IT staff also grows.

Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi takes the complexity out of deploying and managing a distributed Wi-Fi network. It eliminates the need for on-premises controllers, moving Wi-Fi management to the cloud.

Why Ruckus Cloud?

• Low cost of ownership without compromising performance.

• Respond faster to organisational needs.

• Reduce IT overheads.

• Take the complexity out of deploying and managing distributed networks.

• Patented RF technologies to overcome signal degradation, noise and interference for exceptional throughput and coverage.

New to Ruckus?

Try out their Cloud platform for 60 days and get a free 802.11ac AP! Collar your Exertis Account Manager today for more information.

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

FUTURE

17

UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF WI-FI AND SECURITY Wi-Fi is no longer a nice to have, it’s a must. In today’s always on, connected world, customers, guests, employees expect to have wireless access. Free, fast, reliable and secure. Indeed, surveys show that it can make a real difference to business and decisionmaking. Accenture reported that 64 per cent of consumers choose a restaurant based on wi-fi capability. Ji-Wire₁ maintained that almost half of shoppers say that availability of in-store wi-fi influences their decisions on where to shop. Hotel guests see free wi-fi as the number one amenity beating a comfortable bed or a free breakfast₂. And so on. What’s clear is that by offering free internet access, customers get what they want, and businesses gain with a further opportunity to engage with the customer.

Even for business, it’s rare to find an organisation running exclusively on a wired network. Employees expect at least both. Hence why wireless networking has grown in scope and complexity with companies needing to support BYOD, visitor access and a growing number of connected devices. Its importance is reflected in the Wi-Fi alliance₃ estimate that, in the UK alone, it contributes $54 billion in economic value today, $71 billion by 2023.

Whist no-one disputes the value Wi-Fi brings, it should be backed by a robust security posture - protecting both business and customers from inappropriate use, malware, man-in-the-middle and phishing attacks when connected to a network. Mitigating the risks through secure authentication, encryption and content filtering can save companies from costly mistakes.

At Exertis, we have brought together the expertise of our security and wireless teams, reflecting the market and the increasing demand from our resellers for a joined-up solution to wireless security. With the Wi-Fi market expected to grow from $5.96bn last year to $15.6bn by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 21.2% during the forecast period (MarketsandMarkets)₄, resellers need a distributor that can help them take advantage of the opportunity. The proliferation of mobile devices and rapidly growing adoption of BYOD and IoT within enterprises are some of the major factors expected to drive the growth of the Wi-Fi market. In addition, growth verticals such as sports and leisure will also rely more on Wi-Fi to engage with their customers both in and away from the facilities. Businesses in this vertical often have to deal with large crowds but by maximising revenue-generating opportunities, Wi-Fi services offer a huge advantage.

MANAGED SERVICES Naturally, deployment of a wireless solution requires proper planning and design. Our pre-sales team can work with resellers that need additional expertise to ensure you can deploy the right solution, first time. Our post sales services can help you to monitor, manage and measure effectiveness, so that you can spot any issues before they become a problem. In addition, a simple monthly subscription can help some customers pay for the solution. For MSPs, managed WiFi and security can be a recurring revenue stream for a service that customers can’t afford to be without. Moreover, you can decide how much of these services you would like to add to your offering or Exertis can provide a full white label service. The benefits include: improved security and compliance; timely firmware and software updates; faster troubleshooting; proper hardware upgrades and WLAN planning; monitoring of network peripherals such as routers, ports, access points etc; and better visibility and management of your customer’s network.

We deliver all services with fully qualified engineers and support staff and from our own ISO27001 certified, 24/7/365, Technical Assistance Centre (TAC).

With our combined vendor portfolio, we can provide you with wireless solutions from Ruckus – recognised for their high performance WiFi solutions for a wide range of vertical markets including: SMBs, enterprises, education, retail, hospitality, public venues and smart cities.

Ruckus provides both on-premise and cloud solutions, delivering faster, easier and more stable Wi-Fi to customers. In addition, we can support Ruckus with guest on-boarding solutions from Air Angel and Mi-Wi-Fi that can help monetise the deployment of a Wi-Fi solution. We can also provide the latest in firewall technology from market-leading SonicWall with its Advanced Threat Protection service that evaluates suspicious looking files before they enter the network. Furthermore, we have a comprehensive security portfolio from endpoint to perimeter to remote access. So, whatever your requirement, come and speak to our Wi-Fi and Security team on 01256 707070 or 01782 648200 Sources and Acknowledgements: ₁https://www.ninthdecimal.com/insights-research/ ₂https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2015/04/85427/secret-travel-behavior-hyatt-survey ₃https://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/wi-fi-global-economic-value-reaches-196trillion-in-2018 ₄https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wi-fi-market-worth-1560-billion-usdby-2022-677737333.html

Unleash your creative vision The world’s smallest 13”, 14” and 15” laptops* Everything in the elegant new ZenBook series is designed to empower your creativity. Enjoy the breathtaking new frameless NanoEdge display, appreciate the tremendous power of the up to 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processor and high performance NVIDIA discrete graphics, marvel at the unique ErgoLift hinge and exclusive NumberPad touchpad, and admire the timeless beauty of the ultracompact design. ZenBook is waiting: are you ready to unleash your creative vision?

Intel® Core™ i7 processor Contact your account manager for more information

Intel’s Intel’s most most powerful powerful processor processor forfor what’s what’s coming coming ® ® ™ ™ Core Core i7 i7 processor processor Powered Powered byby Intel Intel Found Found atat www.asus.com/Laptops/ZenBook-Home/ www.asus.com/Laptops/ZenBook-Home/ Intel, Intel, the the IntelIntel Logo, Logo, IntelIntel Inside, Inside, IntelIntel Core, Core, andand Core Core Inside Inside are are trademarks trademarks of Intel of Intel Corporation Corporation or its or subsidiaries its subsidiaries in the in the U.S.U.S. and/or and/or other other countries. countries.

THE

20

FUTURE

BUSINESS

WHAT YOUR CHOICE OF LAPTOP COULD

HINGE ON! Everything moves fast in the technology industry and the laptop is no exception. Even over the last five years, the specifications have evolved considerably. Form and function have changed at an incredible pace, design and ergonomics have improved, performance has increased, and the traditional “clamshell” approach has evolved into ultra-thin and light 2 in 1 PCs that suit our mobile society and the demands of all types of users.

Compact enough to carry around, yet versatile enough to run the most demanding applications, a laptop still has advantages over the ubiquitous smartphone and tablet for some activities. Nowadays, many laptops are 2-in-1, hybrid devices that transform from clamshell mode to tablet. With 2-in-1 detachables, the screens can be separated entirely from the keyboard whilst the 2-in-1 convertibles have hinges that bend back 360 degrees rotating the keyboard out of the way behind the screen. These offer some additional flexibility to share the display in stand mode and have the screen showing up front, kioskstyle. Alternatively, you can prop it up on its leading edges in tent mode.

Detachables will offer a superior tablet experience, so that will suit those who have more uses for a slate device and prefer the touchbased experience. Removing the keyboard saves weight and space, making it ideal for use whilst travelling. Many removable keyboards can also bend and fold to become kickstands or protective covers.

ERGOLIFT IS COOL, COMFORTABLE AND SOUNDS GREAT By and large, the stable bottom of a clamshell provides a better typing platform than the flimsier panel of a detachable keyboard case. However, if you didn’t think that hinges matter that much when it comes to convertibles, think again. There is now another consideration when it comes to this feature. ASUS has introduced its innovative ErgoLift hinge. Apparently, the ASUS Design Centre’s Ergonomics team carefully studied user habits and considered ISO standards that determine that the ideal typing angles rest between 5 and 12 degrees. After extensive testing, ASUS determined that a 5.5-degree delivers the best combination of benefits. The ErgoLift hinge tilts the ZenBook S’s keyboard at a gentle 5.5-degree angle,

helping to reduce discomfort during extended typing sessions. The ErgoLift also secures the display at any angle, ensuring an optimal view of the screen. When closed, the lift feature is completely invisible.

But that’s not all, the ErgoLift hinge also lends a helping hand to keep the ZenBook S cool to the touch by creating additional space between the laptop and the surface below. It takes in cool air through this extra space and expels warm air via the hinge area. For maximum sustained performance, ZenBook S uses an uprated cooling system incorporating state-of-the-art components, including an innovative liquid-crystal-polymer fan impeller with 71 blades — an increase of 40 per cent over previous designs — housed in an advanced 3D-curved aerodynamic shroud that can move 13.4 per cent more air than before. With this cooling system, it runs up to 5°C cooler than previous ZenBook models, even with the new and powerful 8th generation quad-core Intel processor!

Finally, according to ASUS, the ErgoLift hinge helps to deliver a premium and immersive audio experience, certified by audio experts Harmon Kardon®, delivering cleaner sound and improved bass response thanks to the angled bottom-firing speakers and a smart amplifier that automatically identifies the maximum possible volume to ensure top-notch sound quality over a long life of operation. With the speakers located at the upper area of the laptop’s base, the raised height creates a chamber for the audio to be channelled outwards and upwards.

Of course, making a decision based on hinges may seem slightly bizarre when more important features like screen size, CPUs, RAM, storage drives, graphics cards, ports and battery life spring to mind, but it’s indicative of how the laptop market has matured and changes to form factor, design and specification are difficult to achieve.

However, with key manufacturers like Dell, Lenovo, Razer, ASUS and more set to be at CES 2019, there’s bound to be a host of new laptops unveiled. Whether, their focus will be on new technologies like AI, machine learning and voice technologies or the simple hinge remains to be seen.

Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

Hard at work The Tab Active2 is dust and water resistant, so it can stand up to challenging work environments.

Durability Its rugged, anti-shock design means it can withstand the effects of being dropped up to 1.2m, tested on a flat surface when encased in its protective cover*. Plus, with IP68 water, dust resistance**, and the ability to stand up to extreme temperatures from -20° to 60°, it is ready to take on any type of challenging work environment.

Productivity Stay productive wherever your work takes you with innovative features such as the S Pen and Multi-Window that help you work more efficiently.

Security Protect business data with defence-grade Knox mobile security and super-secure biometric scanning, including fingerprint scanning and facial recognition.

Usability Remove everyday frustrations from challenging business settings with features such as Wet Mode and Glove Mode.

Available at Exertis *Drop test results meet MIL STD 810G standard **Resistant to dust and up to 1.5 metres of freshwater for up to 30 minutes (IP68).

THE

FUTURE

EXERTIS BUSINESS

22

BUSINESS

HOT PICKS ASUS MB16AC ZENSCREEN

TOP 5 MOBILITY PRODUCTS

ASUS ZenScreen Go MB16Ac is designed to keep you productive, wherever you are.

It’s the world’s first portable monitor with a hybrid-signal solution, which means that it only needs a single USB connector cable to be fully compatible with almost any laptop.

1 D-LINK INDUSTRIAL LTE CAT4 VPN ROUTER WITH EXTERNAL ANTENNAS

Part Code S10222108

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S4

The D-Link DWM-312 4G LTE M2M Router is an easy to deploy, high-performance 3G/4G Router designed for connectivity where you need it most.

Featuring a stunning sAMOLED display providing the brightness, precision and clarity business users need. The 10.5” screen lets users and their team see and do more, for an enhanced on-the-go experience.

Part Code S10196198

Part Code S10212724

1

TOP NEW PRODUCTS PHILIPS 24” B LINE 241B7QUPBEB MONITOR WITH USB-C DOCK The Philips B-line monitor with USB-C connector allows simple notebook docking via one cable for fast data and video to full HD IPS display, and even notebook charging.

Part Code S10183364

RUCKUS R730 802.11AX AP Bridge the multi-gig performance gap and efficiently manage 1K+ client connections with increased capacity, improved coverage and throughput in ultra-high density environments.

D-LINK NUCLIAS The complete cloudmanaged networking solution from D-Link for small to medium-sized organisations with one or more sites.

Please speak to your Exertis Account Manager

Part code S10231479

Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

1

FUTURE

23

TOP 5 BEST-SELLING BUSINESS PRODUCTS

CTOUCH LASER NOVA 65 INCH UHD INTERACTIVE DISPLAY The Laser Nova is a stateof-the-art touch screen specifically designed to prepare students for the world of tomorrow. A digital touchscreen that combines futureproof interactive technology with the greatest ease of use. For teachers and students alike.

Part Code PLAHW251

LG 55UH5C Display Ultra HD content with a divided content layout system that allows you to show 2 split images on a single screen. With various ways in which content can be delivered, commercial messaging can be communicated to target audiences easily and effectively.

Part Code LG55UH5C

SONY XZ3 Escape from the everyday into your world of entertainment with the Xperia XZ3.

Experience an HDR OLED display, stereo speakers and Dynamic Vibration System at your fingertips in a stunningly slim and borderless design.

ACER SWIFT 5 PRO Size, shape, and style: the triple “s” combo that makes the Swift 5 Pro the champion of portable computing. Knock out your daily computing needs with powerful tech features that keep you active and on the move.

Part Code S10219152

HUAWEI MATE 20 LITE The stunning visuals of the 6.3” FHD+ (2340 x 1080) FullView Display immerse you in moments of magic, while the sleek symmetrical rear cover rests comfortably in the palm of your hand. Plus, Adaptive AIdriven connectivity cleverly adjusts to your environment to keep you in touch.

Part Code S10205421, S10205422

5

Part Code S10214194

ASUS ZENBOOK UX433

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 9

The new ZenBook UX433 is the world’s smallest 14inch laptop loaded with state of the art technology, including the ErgoLift hinge, NumberPad touchpad and NanoEdge frameless display

Setting a new standard, with a minimum of 128GB internal memory and an impressive 512GB internal capacity available. Plus, the 4000mAh battery is designed to let you go further.

Part Code S10225585

Part Code S10212720 (Black 128GB)

5

D-LINK 28-PORT GIGABIT SMART POE SWITCH The D-Link DGS-1210 Series Smart Managed Switches are the latest generation of switches to provide increased Power over Ethernet (PoE) output, a range of physical interface types, multiple management interfaces, and advanced Layer 2 features.

With all of these features combined, the DGS-1210 Series helps provide a costefficient and flexible solution for expanding any business network.

SAMSUNG HG400EE470 Tired of Wi-Fi ‘dead zones’?

Enhance the experience of guests with Samsung’s HE470 Hospitality Display. With new opportunities to supply guests with engaging and informative content, hospitality displays can foster a differentiated and memorable in-room experience.

Part Code SAMHG40EE470SKXXU

Part Code LEN80S2000SUK

5

The ultimate workgroup performers are here Recommend Brother’s range today Brother, helping you deliver greater productivity and efficiency through print & scan technology to your customers.

Scanners

PDS-5000

ADS-2700W

•

•

• •

Professional desktop scanner Up to 120ipm 100 sheet automatic document feeder

• •

Wireless Desktop Scanner Touchscreen display Up to 70ipm

Part code: S10175430

Part code: BROPDS5000Z1

X-Series

MFC-J6945DW

MFC-J6947DW

• • •

• • •

A3 all-in-one Touchscreen display Up to 20ppm

Part code: S10229653

A3 all-in-one Touchscreen display Up to 22ppm

Part code: S10229654

For your latest pricing and promotions please contact your account manager today

Fast. Tough. Reliable. Our workgroup printers deliver high-quality output for highvolume workloads, at the highest speeds.

Mono Laser HL-L6400DWT

DCP-L5500DN

• • •

• • •

Wireless Up to 50 ppm 520 sheet paper input expandable up to 2,650 sheets

Print, scan and copy Touchscreen display Up to 42ppm

Part code: BRODCPL5500DN

Part code: BROHLL6400DW

Colour Laser

DCP-L8410CDW

HL-L8260CDW

• • •

• • •

Print, scan and copy Touchscreen display Up to 31ppm

Part code: S10154366

Wireless Up to 31ppm Paper input of up to 300 sheets

Part code: S10154362

THE

26

FUTURE

BUSINESS

AI IS DRIVING DEMANDS ON CONNECTIVITY AND STORAGE. One of the biggest drivers that will ultimately provide the use case for integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into storage will be drivers — car drivers. According to an article in Enterprise Storage Forum1, today’s high-end cars (without autonomous features) have anywhere between 64 and 200 GB of storage — mostly for maps and infotainment functions. In tomorrow’s autonomous vehicles, we might see more than 1 TB of storage, and this will not just be for the drive function.

These switched-on, tuned-in, connected cars will be in constant dialogue with other vehicles, traffic systems and a myriad of other machines in the world of the Internet of Things. They will deliver safe driving; collision-free, smooth transportation with no delays and altogether a hassle free-way to travel. After all, 94 per cent of car crashes are caused by human error2.

Driverless-car dissenters base their views on the need for computers to have been programmed in order to make decisions within defined parameters and for a series of pre-determined scenarios. Abdicating responsibility for controlling a car to a computer with the possibility of technical malfunctions and cyberattacks could be genuine concerns.

Proponents however argue that with AI and ML, computers can match and even surpass the skills of humans. Out goes the need for humans to conceive every possible scenario, in comes the

ability for the machines to learn and reason for themselves, in super-fast time and based on masses of real-time data that they and other connected machines collect and share.

Most of the technology needed for autonomous driving not only currently exists but is already installed on the majority of newer cars – cruise control, parking sensors and cameras to assist with reversing, emergency braking, anti-skid correction and automatic clutches. So, cars can already control speed, change gear, steer, react to a sudden change in conditions and monitor external obstacles.

Perhaps the only missing element is the ability for vehicles to be able to ‘talk’ to each other and to traffic monitor and control systems. Those trials are happening now. According to Gartner, by 2020, 250 million cars3 will be connected with each other and the infrastructure around them through various V2X (vehicle-to-everything communication) systems. As the amount of information being fed into IVI (in-vehicle infotainment) units or telematics systems grows, vehicles will be able to capture and share not only internal system status and location data but also the changes in surroundings, all in real time. Autonomous vehicles are being fitted with cameras, sensors and communication systems to enable the vehicle to generate massive amounts of data which, when applied with AI, enables the vehicle to see, hear, think and make decisions just like human drivers do.

Automated driving - using connected computers - is part and

Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

FUTURE

27

parcel of the Internet of Things; IoT is still in its relative infancy, but not for long. It’s about to come of age and the IoT is part and parcel of the wider AI and ML revolution.

Gartner₄ has predicted that AI will be one of the major trends which will shape future technologies. Autonomous things will be enabled by a variety of technologies particularly IoT, AI and ML. Increasingly, some of the largest companies in the world are investing in these technologies. Use cases range from business chatbots to the more complex systems such as self-driving cars. Whilst the sophistication of the intelligence varies, all autonomous things will incorporate some form of AI to automate or augment processes or human actions. Whatever the usage, they all have one thing in common – the requirement to process, analyse and serve massive amounts of data fast. Data that needs to be stored in an easy-to-retrieve way.

The olution to becoming AI-ready is to have the networks as well as the storage capacity. And that’s where specialists in servers, storage and networking solutions come into their own, distributors such as Exertis Hammer. There have been dramatic improvements in storage and connectivity. Everything is faster and more powerful meaning functions can now be performed that were not possible 10 years ago.

“AI, ML, IoT may be buzz phrases, but they are major innovations that will impact every sector,” said Exertis Hammer’s Tom Cox. “While they are all data heavy, the key aspect is the ability to retrieve information instantly.”

That’s why connectivity is key. As a recent article in CIO₈ pointed out AI and ML require a better network “Extreme volumes of data must be collected and processed in real time. Networks built as recently as 10 years ago weren’t required to collect, route, and process this vast amount of data at real-time speeds.

Typical networks contained a web of hardware and cabling, a one-size-fits-all offering of bandwidth and throughput, which was far too cumbersome to handle today’s AI and machine learning applications. Not surprisingly, modern networking is based on a very different design. Innovations in softwaredefined technologies allow for scale-out infrastructures that can be added incrementally to meet business needs.”

At the heart of AI lies analytics. “AI is high performance computing. It can go from GPU to GPU (graphics processing unit) without going through a CPU. Everything is HPC based,” said Exertis Hammer’s Tom Cox. “It’s high performance servers and high-end workstations. Nvidia has made dramatic inroads with AI utilising mv links within video.” Nvidia recently launched its latest GPU, the Turing₅, drawing on its market-leading development in AI chips, 3D rendering and fluid modelling and Supermicro has just introduced an AI optimised GPU server. The hardware is keeping up with the AI revolution.

Bhushan Desam, Lenovo’s global AI business leader, quoted in Computer Weekly₆, agrees that the driver of AI will be HPC. Its characteristics such as InfiniBand high-speed networking and GPU-based processing power will enable enterprises to make sense of data in hours, not weeks – so making AI of real commercial value.

Furthermore, according to Shiladitya Chaterji, an AI analyst at MarketsAndMarkets, AI and ML are influencing data storage in many different ways. With enterprises moving towards cloud storage and fewer dedicated storage arrays, dynamic storage software with integrated deep learning algorithms can help an organisation to gain more storage capacity, at a 60 percent to 70 percent reduction in cost. In addition, AI and ML are helping to accelerate the potential benefits that can be derived from software-defined storage as well as adding yet more impetus to the use of Flash Arrays as an affordable storage solution. Martin Booth, director of marketing, automotive solutions at Western Digital maintained in Enterprise Storage Forum₁ that “Intelligent assistants in the car, advanced voice and gesture recognition, caching software updates and buffering infotainment to reduce

peak network bandwidth utilisation will all be driving factors of why more storage will be required locally.”

Of course, autonomous cars are just one of the drivers for AI, but they demonstrate the opportunity. According to MarketsandMarkets₉, the market is expected to reach $190.61bn by 2025 from $21.46bn in 2018, at a CAGR of 36.62% during the forecast period. The market growth is mainly driven by factors such as the increasing adoption of cloud-based applications and services, growing big data, and increasing demand for intelligent virtual assistants.

Time will tell as to whether AI is as disruptive to daily life as many predict. In the meantime, resellers can rely on Exertis to be informative, unbiased and at the forefront of market changes as well as providing a great range of technology solutions.

Sources & Acknowledgements: ₁http://www.enterprisestorageforum.com/storage-management/top-10-ai-and-machinelearning-data-storage-trends.html ₂ https://blog.lawinfo.com/2017/09/06/human-error-causes-94-percent-of-car-accidents/ ₃https://www.computerworld.com/article/3083426/car-tech/heres-how-ai-is-about-tomake-your-car-really-smart.html ₄ https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trendsfor-2019/ ₅ https://www.alphr.com/technology/1009793/nvidia-turing-gpus-series-11-graphics-cards ₆https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252439705/AI-is-renewing-interest-in-highperformance-computing ₇https://www.fiserv.com/blog/the-point/short-trip-from-analytics-artificial-intelligenceblog.aspx?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_ campaign=Blog ₈https://www.cio.com/article/3310059/leadership-management/artificial-intelligence-andmachine-learning-require-a-better-network.html ₉https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/artif icial-intelligencemarket-74851580.html

# 1 D I ST R I B U TO R F O R H U AW E I M O B I L E Not only are Exertis the largest distributor for Huawei mobile, we are also the only distributor offering products across the Huawei portfolio; phones, tablets, wearables and matebooks into B2B and Consumer.

We are perfectly placed to support you in selling Huawei. With our new DaaS proposition, we offer hassle-free device lifecycle management including sourcing and customisation, repair and refurbishment, trade in, leasing and finance solutions.

CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT MANAGER TO FIND OUT MORE.

THE

30

FUTURE

BUSINESS

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST FROM MANAGED SERVICES Over the last few years many Value Added Resellers (VARs) have transitioned their business to take advantage of the opportunity to deliver managed services. Faced with declining margins on product, fierce competition and commoditisation of core services, the need to move to providing higher value services with better margin that can generate new sources of recurring revenue to both existing and new customers was seen by many as a complementary path to grow their business.

Outsourcing requires a huge degree of trust from customers who are demanding more complex IT systems in today’s digital economy. No matter what size of company if mission critical systems fail, it will have a negative effect on their business. Many have strict industry compliance and regulatory needs which adds to the burden.

To maximise the opportunity, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) need to understand the customer’s business and their needs. Not all customers require the same level of support or indeed place the same value on it. Indeed, many small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) will not have a specific budget for maintaining their IT infrastructure.

Many SMBs still only opt for break-fix and responsive engagement, buying IT products and particularly services only when they need them. However, they also present an opportunity to get closer to the customer and become their trusted advisor. Customer intimacy breeds opportunity to add more services and is one of the greatest benefits of becoming an MSP. Indeed, the more entanglement the MSP has with the customer and the more knowledge that is subsequently attained, the more likelihood it is to increase the recurring revenue from the account. For example, if the MSP offers a service such as network monitoring, it might well be possible to expand that service into backup services. A flexible and modular service offering will make it easier to expand the services and increase the success rate in converting ad hoc customers into a monthly fixed fee contract. For this reason, most MSPs offer a broad range of value-added services to meet a wide variety of needs including monitoring of IP-enabled devices,

data backup and disaster recovery, enterprise-class endpoint security, auditing and compliance, data storage, performance reporting and much more.

MONITORING PERFORMANCE Of course, MSPs can also make use of remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools to improve operational efficiency and the productivity of valuable technical engineers by reducing the number of on-site visits, minimising non-urgent calls and speeding up response times. Any number of IT processes can be automated through an RMM platform, including updating patches, resetting passwords, running defrags, deploying applications, managing assets, updating client device software, self-healing (i.e., the automatic correction of common IT issues), and checking networks and devices for regulatory compliance. The more tasks that can be automated, the greater the efficiency and productivity of the MSP. Detailed reporting on monitoring and performance provides valuable feedback for the customer as well as justifying the requirement for the service. With many functions carried out remotely or proactively, some issues or interventions may go unnoticed by the customer. Reports on back-ups, patching, server status, disk usage and summaries on tickets raised and closed, and the like help to maintain an on-going dialogue and are influential in maintaining and even elevating customer satisfaction. They can also stimulate conversations that can lead to new business, demonstrating the need for upgrades or new and better solutions that have come onto the market. In addition, field service management software enables MSPs to collect and assess large amounts of data across their client base.

This can help to detect a repeated pattern in equipment failure and help to resolve a potential problem before it becomes an issue.

Many of these services are delivered via a Network Operations Centre (NOC) or Technical Assistance Centre (TAC) where monitoring and

Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

FUTURE

31

insights that would take humans far longer to analyse. In addition, virtual assistants/chatbots can also be deployed to help customers with submission and updates on support tickets. This can free up time for the service desk, eliminating admin tasks. As AI becomes more mature, the efficiency and cost savings are reason enough for a managed service provider to want to incorporate machine learning capabilities into their operations but as customers’ technology needs become more complex, increased automation through AI can provide a competitive advantage by adding value and increasing customer satisfaction.

Keeping pace with technology can be equally difficult for technicians and engineers. Augmented reality could help engineers that might lack certain skills or need additional help to fix a problem on-site by guiding them through the repair. It’s an emerging technology which could be of great interest to MSPs. Resellers that have become MSPs have already experienced considerable change to their business models. As technology evolves, they will need to ensure that new technology trends become integrated into their own operation and enable them to add even more value to their service.

EXERTIS MONITOR: HELPING RESELLERS WITH THEIR SERVICE PROPOSITION Exertis can provide a vendor agnostic service capable of monitoring your customer’s critical IT infrastructure. From our TAC, we utilise industry leading monitoring systems and emerging new vendors to provide a clear picture on device availability, performance and security.

control or network management is carried out with help desk support services. Problems can be identified and resolved at the NOC/TAC or escalated to engineers to carry out on-site maintenance.

Whilst some MSPs have the facilities to offer all of these services, the professional services provided by Exertis are often used by resellers as a full white label service or as a back-up to a service provider.

Exertis provides a full range of professional services which resellers can white label, designed to equip resellers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to service and support their own customers. These include straightforward ‘break-fix’ through to a 24/7/365 complete managed service that also provides proactive, vendor agnostic monitor and incident response services. Exertis, uniquely, delivers all services with fully qualified engineers and support staff and from our own ISO27001 certified, Technical Assistance Centre (TAC)

NEW AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ALSO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS Many industries are using IoT devices and sensors that can alert engineers to possible problems and subsequently avoid breakdown of equipment. Predictive maintenance is becoming more and more important. With real time monitoring and analysis of machine data, field service engineers can intervene and prevent failures and reduce costs caused by downtime.

With the increase in data that is achieved through monitoring, artificial intelligence can help sift through the data and provide valuable

Any IP enabled device can be included in this service with availability monitoring as a minimum. Devices allowing SNMP or CLI access can benefit from additional features. With certain types of device, we can provide more detailed metrics, some of which are highlighted below: • Switches – availability, performance (Memory, CPU), hardware health and configuration changes. Some manufacturers can also be monitored and reported on for known firmware vulnerabilities and configuration compliance against standards such as PCI or ISO. • Server – availability, performance (Memory, CPU, Disk, Processes), asset inventory including software, drivers and updates, application specific monitoring and future growth forecasts.

• Hypervisors – the benefits of Server monitoring above, with the additional monitoring of resource allocation and usage.

Specific configuration and performance recommendations to get the most out of your existing virtual infrastructure.

• Storage – availability, performance (Memory, CPU, Disk), capacity and latency monitoring and IOPS monitoring and reporting.

• UPS – availability via management interfaces, battery level and load monitoring All services are delivered from our TAC, with all staff completing BPSS checks prior to gaining access to monitoring customers’ systems or data.

Connectivity for services is primarily achieved through an IPSec VPN to our endpoint addresses and, depending on the service requirements, this will generally be sufficient for all service components.

For further information on Exertis Monitor or our other professional services, call 01256 707070.

THE

32

FUTURE

BUSINESS

PUTTING

THE PRO INTO EXERTIS PRO AV

SOLUTIONS Recently, we announced that we have rebranded our AV division to Exertis Pro AV Solutions. Our brand name reflects some of the changes that have taken place both at Exertis and in the AV market over the last few years.

First let’s take a look at what’s happened at Exertis. Our investment in resource in our AV division has been clearly evident with three key acquisitions that have added to an already established Exertis AV team. Medium, Stampede and most recently JAM Industries have all demonstrated our commitment to the AV market. Each one has added a layer of value, expertise, technical support and new products from a growing list of vendors that enables us to provide even better solutions for our customers.

So, what can you expect from Exertis Pro AV Solutions. Certainly, we’ve a lot more to offer. In terms of resource, we now have a seventy strong AV team based at our centre of excellence facility in Reading and at our National Distribution Centre in Burnley. Our southern location includes a full demo suite of the new range of C-TOUCH products and will shortly provide a demonstration suite that our vendors and resellers can use to host events. We have: restructured our sales teams to provide more focus and dedication for our resellers including a new international sales unit; added more business development managers to help you grow your business;

maintained a highly experienced and accredited technical support team; increased the number of specialists to support our LED and emerging technologies business and established a new solutions team which demonstrates our breadth and depth of vendors, categories and products.

Ian Aitken – Pro AV Director Jody Hutchings – Director of Sales Steve Robertson – Head of AV Sales Greg Bennett – Head of AV Solutions Ian Neale – General Manager Chris Carus – Team Manager, AV Sales North Lee Prior - Senior Marketing Manager

Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

THE

To buy online: store.exertis.co.uk

For many of our resellers, you will be familiar with your own account manager or other key people in the new combined business – some of which are highlighted in this article.

With the acquisition of Stampede, we have boosted an already strong vendor line-up with some significant additions: · · · · · · ·

LED- Lighthouse and Christie.

LFD- Christie, Hitachi and Vivitek.

Projection- Christie, Hitachi.

ILFD- Hitachi, Vivitek, Spektron and TAP-IT. Video conferencing- PTZ Optics, Vidyo, HuddleCam HD and Altia.

Brackets and accessories- Vogels, Mustang.

Audio - Hamilton Buhl and Revolution Acoustics

In addition, Exertis Pro AV Solutions recently announced the addition of ClearOne’s Pro audio, video and streaming range to our portfolio.

Taking into account the differing requirements of end user vertical markets, Exertis Pro AV Solutions has worked with our key vendor partners to understand the most effective combinations of products for the most frequently needed solutions and created a series of entry level packages to fulfil the requirements. These packages are a starting point and are fully customisable to take into account the specific needs of your project. These include solution areas ranging from digital signage and video wall control to audio, collaboration and emerging technologies like drones.

Additionally, we also have opportunities to provide solutions for the Pro Audio and Lighting market through JAM which has forty years’ experience in this sector and is focused on growing this category over a wide range of professional entertainment, business, education and communication applications.

But that’s not all. To provide a real end-to-end-solution requires a team that can fully take advantage of the convergence of AV and IT. Audio and video components, whether in the home or in a commercial environment, are no longer just standalone devices. They are invariably connected to one another, to the internet and reside on a network. For businesses, there’s an increasing need for their AV and IT requirements to be integrated. This requires expertise on a much wider front than just one technology. Indeed, it can feature many aspects of IT from networking and security to unified communications and mobile networking. To ensure that customers benefit from the savings and ease of maintenance that this convergence can bring requires an infrastructure that can handle both AV and IT traffic securely and efficiently. This can be a challenge for an IT department that needs to deploy and maintain a shared infrastructure. Hence the need for a distributor that can support both the IT reseller looking to provide an AV solution or an AV specialist with an IT requirement that may sit outside of their comfort zone. Exertis is unique in that we can provide the resource and support from our specialist IT and AV teams to complement any shortfall in resource or expertise. That is the true value add that can ensure that any of our resellers can provide a complete end-to-end solution for their customers.

Services in terms of pre-sales technical support, project design and sales consultancy, deployment and management, are a key part of what we can offer resellers. Our services can be white labelled and include straightforward ‘break-fix’ through to a 24/7/365 complete managed service that also provides proactive, vendor agnostic monitor and incident response services. Exertis, uniquely, delivers all services with fully qualified engineers and support staff and from our own Technical Assistance Centre (TAC). These resources are available as and when you need them. We also offer training for your end customers through Instrui who specialise in areas such as collaboration, interactive touch, video conferencing, digital signage and access control. By partnering with Instrui, we can ensure that our resellers have the opportunity to provide your customers with training that leverages their investment of equipment. In addition, we can offer a range of logistical, finance and supply chain services.

FUTURE

33

Indeed, with Exertis Supply Chain Services, we have enabled our AV resellers to look beyond their perceived trading limits and expand into new territories. Large organisations aren’t constrained by geography and look for a company that can facilitate a European or global rollout by consolidating, supplying and delivering materials as and when required.

With Exertis Pro AV Solutions, you have an unbeatable combination of an expanding vendor and product portfolio, professional services, technical expertise and the ability to purchase from a distributor that can provide an end-to-end solution from one source. Our aim is to be your go-to-distributor for AV solutions by adding value to your business.

• • • • • • •

Any lamp delivered anytime, time after time Lamps for over 9,000 front projectors/rear projection TV models Widest range of lamps in stock and ready for shipment Separate credit line just for lamps Award-winning website for quick and easy purchase Drop shipment and customised packing slips Recycling and “Buy Back” facility

WI-FI SECURITY MADE SMARTER

Indoor Security Camera

Indoor / Outdoor Smart Security Camera

Outdoor Security Camera

POWERED 1080P FULL HD VIDEO CAMERA WITH 2-WAY AUDIO

WIRELESS 1080P FULL HD VIDEO CAMERA IS 100% WIRE-FREE & RECHARGEABLE

POWERED 1080P FULL HD VIDEO CAMERA FOR THE OUTDOORS

SWWHD-INDCAM-UK

SWWHD-INTCAM-UK

SWWHD-OUTCAM-UK

Powered

Indoor Only

2-Way Audio

Rechargeable Battery

100% Wire-free

Weatherproof

Powered

Weatherproof

Has Ethernet Port

Fewer False Triggers More Efficient Recording Reliable Push Notifications

CONTACT YOUR EXERTIS ACCOUNT MANAGER TODAY FOR MORE DETAILS

HP S-Print office printers Delivering a business print solution that provides both simplicity and productivity ML-6515ND Laser Printer

Part code: S10182707

M4580FX Mono Laser MFP

Part code: S10187708

Call today to ďŹ nd out more

ProXpress SL-C4060FX Colour Laser MFP

Part code: S10182691

EXPAND productivity with peripherals Don’t forget essential Dell peripheral products, available at Exertis. Explore the extensive range and attach to your order today to increase productivity.

DOCKS

Dell® Dock with 130W AC adapter - UK

Dell® USB 3.0 Ultra HD Triple Video Docking Station

Ensure a reliable connection and crisp display

Expand the capabilities of your portable PC

Part code: S10169359

Part code: DELL452BBOO

CABLES

Dell速 Adapter USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet (PXE)

Dell速 DA200 Adapter USB-C

For faster streaming and network connectivity

Replace the need for multiple adaptors

Part code: S10169398

Part code: DELL470ABRY

BAGS

Dell速 Urban Briefcase 15

Dell速 Urban Backpack 15

Be prepared for wherever your day takes you

Transport your device safely and stylishly

Part code: S10170432

Part code: S10179271

FUTURE

B2B MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES

THE

38

1

BUSINESS

ATEN CRASH CART ADAPTER KIT

The Laptop USB KVM Console Crash Cart Adapter IT Kit is highly recommended for on-the-go IT professionals who need connection flexibility and high mobility.

Part Code: S10211159

2

KENSINGTON SMARTFIT LAPTOP RISER WITH QI

Combining comfort and convenience, the Laptop Riser blends 20 years of ergonomic expertise with the latest in reliable wireless charging technology.

RRP: £109.99 Part Code: KENK52784WW

3

CYGNETT 20,000MAH USB-C POWER BANK

With a 63W total output, and a 45W USB-C port, the ChargeUp Pro can now support charging the latest USB-C laptops, smartphones, tablets and gaming devices.

4

OMNICHARGE POWER STATION

Provide accessible, portable power in any space. The fully-managed, self-service Omnicharge Power Station makes it easy for users to access portable power for all of their devices. It is both a convenient user service and an infrastructural cost saving.

RRP: £119.95 Colour: Black Part Code: CY2220PBCHE

RRP: £39.99 Contact your account manager

5

6

SAMSUNG DEX CABLE

DeX Cable is now all users need to use Samsung Dex. Simply plug the HDMI adapter to one end and the Type C USB to either the Galaxy Note9 or Galaxy Tab S4 and they’re ready to go.

RRP: £30 Part Code: S10218753

7

LIFECHAT LX-3000

The next level of Headset Chat, game, or listen to music, do it right—in full immersion. Sit back with the LifeChat LX-3000 and enjoy the quality digital sound, made even better with total-comfort leatherette ear pads RRP: £24.99 Part Code: MSJUG-00014

SCULPT COMFORT MOUSE

The ultimate Windows mouse. The blue, customisable Windows touch tab on Sculpt Comfort Mouse revolutionises the relationship between hardware and software, providing quick and easy access to the Start Menu, Cortana (availability may vary), OneNote, Task View or virtual desktops.

8

ARC TOUCH MOUSE

The travel companion for your Windows 10 PC. Slim, light and ready to travel, Microsoft Arc Mouse is designed to conform to hands – and snaps flat to fit easily in a bag.

RRP: £79.99 Part Code: MSELG-00002

RRP: £34.99 Part Code: MSH3S-00001

9

DS-VW775-QR 60” BLACK FLAT PANEL WALL MOUNT

Peerless-AV’s DS-VW775 Supreme Full Service Video Wall Mount raises the bar of excellence with an enhanced feature set centred on ease of install and display alignment. With the addition of tool-less lateral micro-adjustment, the Supreme offers 1.5” of fine tune adjustment on each of the X, Y and Z axes.

10

RDX QUIKSTATION 4

The Tandberg Data RDX® QuikStation™ 4 is an iSCSI networkattached removable disk array designed to provide a flexible platform for data protection and off-site disaster recovery for physical or virtual SMB and SME environments as well as Hybrid-Cloud applications.

Part Code: TAN8922-RDX

Basingstoke: 01256 707 070 | Burnley: 01282 776 776 | store.exertis.co.uk

Leading With Innovation For nearly 60 years, Plantronics has been a pioneer in audio innovation. Their commitment to helping people communicate more easily and more clearly is the essence of who they are, and it’s never been more necessary than it is right now. To lead the way, we have transformed their lineup.

They continue to produce the high-quality, reliable headsets they’re known for. But their business has expanded to include analytical solutions, such as Software-as-a-Service and intelligent acoustic management, that help businesses transform to stay ahead of change.

These innovative, adaptive technologies work in conjunction with the Plantronics Partner Program so you can drive your customers’ success with clear communications, distraction-free environments and productivity insights. The partner program also drives your success by fostering increased revenue and profits, deeper, longerlasting customer relationships and recurring revenue streams.

Join us in leading the way to transformation.

Fuel your success yoursuccess success FuelFuel your

UNIVERSITY Learn how to solve your customers’ communication challenges and increase your sales with high-quality eLearning

REWARDS Earn points for qualifying sales and through special quarterly sales promotions to redeem from an extensive catalogue of desirable merchandise and gift cards

MARKETING DEVELOPMENT FUNDS Get up to 100% funding for the co-marketing activities that drive sales

PARTNER COMMUNICATIONS Stay up-to-date on new products, business opportunities and Plantronics pro

DEAL REGISTRATION Close deals more easily and increase margins significantly, while protecting your sales pipeline (in participating regions)

PLANTRONICS PARTNER PORTAL Tap into all the program benefits at any time, with 24/7 online access and technical support.

Apply for the program at Plantronics.com/partners

Fully investedpartners partners can expect to grow:* FullyFully invested expect invested partners cancan expect to grow:*to grow:

3X 3X faster faster

Drive your sales Drive your Drive yoursales sales

Over three years,the the program is proven to Over Over three years, program is proven three years, the program is proven to grow Plantronics Partner revenue by:** to grow Partner by: grow Plantronics Plantronics Partner revenue revenue by:**

OWN YOUR EDGE WHEREVER YOU NEED IT. Vertiv brings you closer to your data with complete Edge solutions to ensure reduced latency, increased bandwidth and optimal performance to run your critical applications within your IT infrastructure. #OwnYourEdge

www.VertivCo.com/OwnYourEdge_EMEA

Š 2018 Vertiv Co. All rights reserved. Vertiv and the Vertiv logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vertiv Co.