PCR145

FOR THE UK’S PC & TECH COMMUNITY OCTOBER 2015

PROVING YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS!

NORTHAMBER — NOW CELEBRATING

YEARS OF SUPPORTING RETAILERS & RESELLERS

northamber Total Distribution™

Northamber, celebrating 35 years in distribution

Northamber gives you

7 Reasons to Sell Crucial Server Memory Server manufacturers often try to convince IT professionals that they need to use server memory provided by the server maker in order to achieve optimal performance. However, this isn’t grounded in reality.

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2 Since your customers get the same level of performance with either brand, you want them to get the highest level of quality and reliability for the lowest possible cost.

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4 Server manufacturers don’t make memory, they make servers.

5 Crucial is a brand of Micron, compatible with server manufacturer warranties, and 100% tested at the component, module, and functional level.

6 You can quickly and easily sell compatible parts by using the Crucial Selector tool.

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Celebrating over

years

t: 020 8296 7066 w: northamber.com

Northamber is proud to have been supporting resellers & retailers for 35 years ©Northamber 2015 E and O.E. October ‘15.

est. June 1980

northamber Total Distribution™

21 Awards finalists Who’s up for a PCR Women of the Year award this year?

37 Killer conference Our unmissable Boot Camp North conference line-up in full

38 Boost your PR We interview marketing expert Maggie Zaboura for her top PR tips

1 ; OCTOBER 2015 COMPUTER & IT RESELLERS z RETAILERS z SYSTEM BUILDERS z DISTRIBUTORS z VENDORS

WWW.PCR-ONLINE.BIZ

CHANGING THE

CHANNEL PCR’s distribution special explores how the industry is evolving, from big disties getting bigger, to Entatech’s transformation and the switch from traditional box shifting to services…

24

TECH SUPPLIERS are going through a transition, with managed services and recurring revenues becoming the norm.

Resellers are spending differently, causing disties to rethink their business models.

Alongside this, 2015 has seen some huge developments in the sector, with Exertis acquiring Computers Unlimited and expanding across China, and Entatech making big changes to its business. To find out what Enta’s doing now, check out our interview with MD Dave Stevinson on page 26.

Elsewhere in our distribution special issue, we ask resellers what they really think of their suppliers, look at how stock shortages affect the channel and more.

HOW DISTRIBUTION IS EVOLVING – P24 DAVE STEVINSON INTERVIEW – P26 WHAT RESELLERS THINK OF DISTIES – P29 HANDLING STOCK SHORTAGES – P34 DISTRIBUTOR PROFILES – P41

WWW.PCR-ONLINE.BIZ z WWW.TWITTER.COM/PCR_ONLINE z WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PCRMAG

CONTENTS & COMMENT

Follow us @pcr_online

MEET THE TEAM Dominic Sacco Editor

CONTENTS

COMMENT

REGULARS

Move with the times

6 Analysis: Tablet revival

dsacco@nbmedia.com @Dom_Sacco

7 Analysis: IFA 8 Number Crunching 12 Appointments

Laura Barnes Deputy Editor

14 Events

lbarnes@nbmedia.com

17 Opinion

@roradrum

FEATURES 21 Woman of the Year 2015

Jade Burke Staff Writer

finalists

jburke@nbmedia.com

24 The changing distie

@JadeBurke77

market 26 The Big Interview: Dave Stevinson, Entatech

Jennie Lane Sales Manager

29 Distribution survey

jlane@nbmedia.com @jennielane1

34 Stock shortages 37 PCR Boot Camp North 2015

Sarah Goldhawk Account Manager

38 Maggie Zaboura’s PR tips

sgoldhawk@nbmedia.com @sarzgoldhawk

41 Distributor profiles 48 Mystery Shopper: Big Mac special 50 Retailer of the Month

Dan Bennett Designer dbennett@nbmedia.com

PRODUCTS 53 Apple products, accessories and software

Elizabeth Newton Production Executive enewton@nbmedia.com

61 iPad Pro 62 IFA products

OUT OF OFFICE 64 In The Hot Seat: Neil Andrew Wooden Interactive Entertainment Content Director

Spicer, AMD

awooden@nbmedia.com

65 Industry Tweets

@pcr_online

64 From the archive 66 The Last Word: Alex Tatham, Westcoast

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647

Incorporating

NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

ISSN: 1742-8440 www.pcr-online.biz

THE UK tech distribution landscape is drastically different to what it was a few years back.

Electronic software distribution, cloud services and managed print solutions are just three examples of how resellers are buying differently from their suppliers. Read our feature on page 24 for a closer look at the evolving market.

Disties are also going through some massive changes.

Exertis acquired Computers Unlimited earlier this year and has just announced the opening of expanded offices in China.

Tech Data is continuing to place an increased focus on retail customers and is pushing its ESD download offering, while Entatech has undergone some major changes since Dave Stevinson came on board as MD earlier this year. Read our interview with him on page 26.

While the big are getting bigger, resellers’ opinions of their distribution partners haven’t changed much. Three quarters

“Electronic software distribution, cloud and MPS are just three examples of how resellers are buying differently from disties.” are happy with suppliers, and the major frustrations are still pricing and stock issues. Read our survey in full on page 29.

With Intel’s Skylake processors still in short supply, we explore the implications of stock shortages (page 34) and what can be done to minimise them.

The tablet market has been on a bit of a decline for a while now, but with the iPad Pro, Amazon’s budget Fire tablet and Microsoft’s Surface 4 potentially around the corner, these could be just what the industry needs to give the tablet sector a shot in the arm (see our full analysis on page six).

Innovations at IFA also caught my eye in September – see PCR’s pick of products on page 62.

Plus, there are loads of great industry events on the horizon. We have our PCR Women of the Year awards and networking event on October 16th (men are welcome too!) plus the unmissable PCR Boot Camp North conference and expo on November 18th. Ingram Micro and Northamber have their own events in October too, plus the first partners are on board for next year’s PCR Awards (page seven), so pop March 10th 2016 in your diary and we’ll see you there.

We’ve also revamped our regular Store of the Month feature to include etailers, to better reflect the variety of sellers in the market.

If you’d like to be considered for a profile, get in touch using the email below.

Dominic Sacco, Editor dsacco@nbmedia.com

READ THE LATEST STORIES AT

PCR-ONLINE.BIZ ANALYSIS

Can big brands revive the tablet market?

With Amazon releasing its budget £50 tablet, Apple unveiling its brand new iPad Pro and the Surface 4 no doubt around the corner, the tablet market could be back on the up. Jade Burke makes sense of the announcements…

FOLLOWING the tablet boom a few years back, vendors have started to see a decline in sales. But can the big boys breathe new life into the sector, with the budget Amazon Fire tablet, iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface 4?

Amazon has just revamped it entire Fire tablet line with four brand new models, but most notably the new budget Fire tablet may be the most prominent release to date, as the etailer has priced it at a low £49.99.

But, will this lower price point damage the tablet market or help to revitalise it?

Many budget tablets have already previously launched, but as this new edition is from etail giant Amazon, it will no doubt be popular – and put tablets back on the map.

Compared to other models on the market, this price point could certainly cause some aggressive competition between vendors, as no doubt the cheap price will attract many consumers.

Marta Fiorentini, senior European research analyst at IDC, is unsure whether the pricing will make a difference.

“Extremely low prices have been seen, but so far not helped rekindle consumers’ demand and encourage replacements,” she said.

“As penetration is now significant, the opportunity for first time buyers – who are more easily tempted by budget tablets – has reduced.

Wearables, which are available at different price points, are also anticipated to divert some consumers’ Christmas budgets away from tablets.”

With the likes of Apple also set to launch a new edition to its tablet range with the iPad Pro in November, it seems that the tablet market still has the chance to revive itself, despite falling sales figures. It also comes with fresh specs and boasts new features, including a 12.9-inch display,

6 | PCR October 2015

a Smart Keyboard, and a $99 Apple Pen stylus, which may help to inject some excitement into the sector.

Although Amazon’s variant has been designed as a budget-friendly option for consumers, Apple’s offering comes with a premium price starting at around £600.

Geoff Blaber, VP at analyst CCS Insight, believes that the high price could be a hindrance to the market. “A premium priced iPad Pro is unlikely to dramatically impact volumes in a saturated tablet market,” he said.

“But the combination of enterprise partnerships as well as creative apps, plus new accessories, will extend the opportunity for Apple in business.”

Earlier this year analyst IDC reported that the worldwide tablet market had declined by seven per cent year-on-year during Q2 2015, but since then the analyst has found that the market is starting to

“It is definitely good to see some high profile launches around the corner, as that could potentially reinvigorate what was once a key Q4 market.”

Mehryar Hamid, GfK

bounce back, with sales beginning to stabilise.

Distributor VIP Computers has also revealed it will be releasing new Windows and Android tablets under its own Vortex brand.

Rumours have also already started to surface surrounding Microsoft’s potential Surface 4 tablet, which is expected to launch in 2016. No doubt this device will feature some impressive tech, including Windows 10 and maybe Intel’s Skylake chips.

Jeremy Davies, CEO and cofounder of Context, told PCR: “I think Microsoft has a huge potential winner on its hands with Windows 10 and Surface – they do span the gap between keyboard and screen quite nicely.”

Although no concrete details have been confirmed about the new Surface, rumours suggest it may feature Skylake chips, giving it a greater performance boost, while other reports

suggest it will be available in 12-inch and 14-inch forms, which will help it compete alongside the likes of Apple’s larger iPad Pro. Microsoft has also announced a move with Dell, which will begin selling the Surface Pro 3 to its enterprise customers. Historically Microsoft has been known to have a closed-off channel with its Surface devices, and this deal will see the firm reach more customers through Dell.

With this in mind, there is now a strong chance that the tablet market may recover and as more vendors begin to release innovative and improved devices, now could be the time we start to see the market get back on track.

Mehryar Hamid, senior account manager at GfK, concurs: “It is definitely good to see some high profile launches around the corner, as that could potentially reinvigorate what was once a key Q4 market.”

www.pcr-online.biz

READ THE LATEST STORIES AT

PCR-ONLINE.BIZ ANALYSIS

Innovation shines through at IFA IFA 2015 has come to a close, with a whole host of fresh new PC products revealed.

Dubbed ‘one of the most successful IFA shows’, around 245,000 visitors flocked to Berlin to clap eyes on the latest pieces of technology from vendors.

Devices on show included a large selection of laptops, tablets and peripherals.

For example, Lenovo unveiled its first tablet with touchless/gesture technology and a new portfolio of laptops and desktops designed for SMBs. Acer also launched its new buildable Revo PC, which allows users to customise their PC without opening the chassis, using a series of different blocks that can be stacked on top of the base unit. The firm also touted a foldable Aspire R13 notebook.

Toshiba revealed its brand new Satellite Radius computers, including a 4K convertible laptop, while gaming vendor Razer showcased its ‘most precise’ gaming mouse (check out

“Innovation is key to growth and innovative products have been the driving force of IFA for over 90 years.”

Hans-Joachim Kamp, IFA

PCR’s top picks from IFA on page 62).

Product categories such as wearables, action cams and 3D products are helping to grow the consumer electronics market, which according to IFA has expanded by 14 per cent.

Drones have also started to drum up a lot more buzz at the tradeshow, with Chinese company DJI showcasing its entire product range at IFA. Now that the price point for these flying devices is more affordable, companies are

choosing to use them as a camera platform, which is helping to ramp up sales.

This year certainly proved to be a success and no doubt members of the tech industry are already anticipating next year’s event.

Hans-Joachim Kamp, chairman of the supervisory board of consumer and home electronics GmbH (gfu), the organisers of IFA, said: “Innovation is key to growth and innovative products have been the driving force of IFA for over 90 years. As a result, IFA’s contribution to positive developments in the various sectors has been huge. It is an outstanding platform for conducting successful business.”

Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin, added: “IFA is the industry’s global indicator, reflecting trends, the state of the economy and market developments. Our mission is to be the most significant and effective platform for the industry and retail in order to reach the consumer.”

Trade prepares for PCR Awards 2016

News Bytes CHERRY UK OFFICE TO CLOSE Cherry will officially close its Luton office on December 31st this year, with all 14 members of staff at risk of redundancy.

Despite the closure, Cherry is keen to express it will still have a presence in the UK, with Cherry’s parent company ZF Electronics dealing with customers direct.

HP TO CUT JOBS The firm has revealed it will be cutting around 30,000 jobs as it prepares to split into two separate companies.

According to reports, the cuts will save HP £1.76 billion in annual costs. HP had already removed around 55,000 jobs earlier this year.

CROWDFUNDING HELPS 3D PRINT THRIVE Analyst Context has revealed that crowdfunding sites are helping to keep the 3D print market alive.

The number of desktop/ personal 3D printers shipped worldwide in Q2 2015 rose 25 per cent year-on-year.

IS SINGLES DAY THE NEW BLACK FRIDAY? A new promotional shopping event has risen in the form of Singles Day, which takes place on November 11th.

Last year’s event saw around 278 million items sold worldwide, churning out about $9.3 million.

EXERTIS EXPANDS INTO CHINA Exertis has announced the opening of expanded offices at Honglong Century Plaza, Shenzhen, China as part of its strategy to increase the firm’s global presence.

The investment will see the distributor help UK brands build and develop a route to market in China.

ENTATECH SEES WINDOWS 10 GROWTH Entatech says it has seen a fivefold growth in sales of Windows 10, since the OS launched on July 29th.

During Q1 2015, ahead of the launch of Windows 10, the distributor said it saw a 30 per cent decrease in revenues, but says this was “undoubtedly something experienced by all Microsoft distributors”.

After-show Party Host

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PCR October 2015| 7

STATS

Number

crunching

A round-up of the most important stats and facts in the tech channel…

33% Ofcom’s latest Communications Report found a third (33 per cent) of internet users see their smartphones as the most important device for going online, compared to 30 per cent who are sticking with laptops.

(Ofcom)

£33.2m

Lenovo’s pre-tax income for its first quarter ended June 30th 2015 decreased by 80 per cent year-on-year to $52 million (£33.2 million).

(Lenovo)

2,249

Out of 2,249 US workers surveyed, nearly half (45 per cent) revealed that they use at least one Apple device for work purposes.

(Dimensional Research)

1% Printer hardware unit sales across Western Europe’s IT distribution channel remained steady, as sales increased by one per cent year-on-year in Q2 2015.

(Context)

8 | PCR October 2015

18.77% Total PC graphics add-in-board (AIB) shipments during Q2 2015 fell by 18.77 per cent year-on-year.

(Jon Peddie Research)

330m Worldwide smartphone sales recorded the slowest growth rate since 2013 in Q2 2015, with shipments totaling 330 million units.

(Gartner)

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RECRUITMENT

Lenovo’s leader Stuart Carlisle departs Ebuyer z NEC unveils new general manager z Mark Ceraolo heads up Tech Data Azlan’s development team…

LENOVO: Computing vendor Lenovo has revealed that industry veteran ANDY BASS will take on the role of director of SMB and channel for the UK and Ireland.

He brings over 25 years’ experience to the role, having previously worked in the UK and internationally in both distribution and at various vendors, including Toshiba.

Bass will now be responsible for driving EBUYER: Tech etailer Ebuyer’s managing director STUART CARLISLE has left the company, along with the etailer’s head of marketing SUE PICKERING. It is unclear as to why both Carlsile and Pickering actually left the etailer, but rumours suggest Ebuyer let Carlisle go following a ‘disagreement over strategic direction’, saying that he wanted to open bricks and mortar NEC DISPLAYS: NEIL HARTIGAN has been appointed general manager of NEC’s UK and Benelux regions. He succeeds SIMON JACKSON who has moved to the position of senior sales director, strategic and global sales EMEA. Hartigan has contributed to NEC’s business over the past seven years, where he has reinforced the firm’s solutions-led TECH DATA AZLAN: Tech Data’s enterprise arm has revealed that MARK CERAOLO will head up its business development team.

He has been named Azlan’s enterprise server and storage business development manager, and brings more than 17 years of experience to the role, the last eight of which he spent as an IBM business manager within Azlan and ISI Distribution.

12 | PCR October 2015

Andy Bass, Lenovo

Stuart Carlisle

Neil Hartigan, NEC Displays

Mark Ceraolo, Tech Data Azlan

sales of Lenovo PC, tablet, server and storage products across the channel. He is also tasked with driving business partner growth, and expanding Lenovo’s SMB customer base.

Bass said: “Lenovo is a strong brand with bold ambitions for the European market. Following Lenovo’s recent acquisitions it is an exciting time to be joining the business.” stores while his management didn’t.

It is speculated that Ebuyer will now be run by financial director MARK PULLEN, as well as board director ARMANDO SANCHEZ. PCR reached out to Ebuyer for more information on the departures, but a spokesperson insisted that the etailer has “nothing to add over what has already been reported”. approach through his strategic management.

He said: “I am delighted to take this opportunity to support and direct NEC’s operations in the UK and Benelux regions, where our highly professional staff provide excellent support to our customers.

“Our key partners can be confident in this continuity as we continue to serve them and grow the business.”

Ceraolo said: “We have already seen strong growth in both our Lenovo and Dell business.

“With the additional resources and investment now being made, and the extensive reach we have in the reseller channel, I’m very confident that we can build on that foundation and open up many new and exciting opportunities for our partners.”

RACHEL GORDON EUROPEAN MARKETING MANAGER, MAD CATZ

A TYPICAL day tends to start with the usual mundane child-related routine of the school run, before either heading off to the office or more often than not, off-site for meetings, events, filming or a combination of all three.

My job could never be described as dull – every day throws a different curveball in my direction and my day rarely pans out as planned! My role here is to manage all marketing aspects for the UK and often beyond. This can include retail and trade marketing, events, social media management, promotions, product launches, merchandising, digital and partner marketing with a sprinkle of PR support and online management. More recently I am also heavily involved in driving the Mad Catz global sponsorship strategy forward with regards to our players, teams and YouTube partners.

“A huge category for Mad Catz is mobile gaming. As it’s a new category I’m exploring different styles of marketing the range.”

Today sees me begin to build the 2015 promotional calendar for our YouTube team. Mad Catz has quite a substantial portfolio of ‘Tubers’ that span across a variety of territories, game genres, lifestyle demographics and languages, including the likes of WillyRex, Ali-A and the ‘Beast’ himself: KSI. A huge category for Mad Catz over the last 18 months, and will continue as a focus into 2015, is mobile gaming.

As it’s a new category and from a marketing perspective, I’m approaching it from various angles and having to explore different styles of marketing the range. With this in mind, I spend more time now than I would have previously, trawling the Android forums and reading up on the rapid development and evolution of mobile technology.

I usually manage to squeeze lunch in at some point in the early afternoon, but if not I tend to combat the 3.50pm mental lull with a sugar rush (usually a chocolate bar of some description and a cup of tea), before preparing for our US team to start their day. Any conference calls we have scheduled tend to be around this time due to the time difference, so it’s convenient for both offices. Also, across the day (and night) I check our social media channels to ensure all is up to date – and upload regular posts for our incredibly loyal community.

www.pcr-online.biz

EVENT PLANNER

Diary Dates OCTOBER 2015 NORTHAMBER EXPO 2015 OCTOBER 2ND, EPSOM DOWNS RACECOURSE, SURREY The distributor’s annual expo returns once again, where Northamber will also celebrate 35 years in the industry. During the day, attendees will be able to sit in on seminars and workshops, while the doors to the expo will open from 2pm, where product demonstrations from various vendors will be on show. Northamber also invites guests to join its Gala Dinner during the evening, where they will get the chance to network with other attendees.

The UK’s channel calendar is full of important events.

Here are some highlights for upcoming dates…

attendees will be able to get hands on with all sorts of tech and network with members of the industry.

PCR WOMEN OF THE YEAR OCTOBER 16TH, LONDON PCR’s Women of the Year awards event returns, celebrating women within the tech industry. Execs will be recognised for their achievements in categories including Rising Star, Marketing and PR, Sales and Woman of the Year. Last year, Sarah Shields, Dell’s UK executive director and general manager, was named the first ever PCR Woman of the Year.

NOVEMBER 2015 IM ONE 2015

PCR BOOT CAMP NORTH

OCTOBER 15TH, ARENA:MK, MILTON KEYNES Distributor Ingram Micro is inviting its customers to its annual IM One event, where over 500 key tech professionals are expected to attend. Guests will get the chance to hear from business leaders on building partnerships with Ingram, as well as leading tech figureheads. The distributor’s vendor partners will also showcase a range of products on the day, where

NOVEMBER 11TH, ROYAL ARMOURIES, LEEDS This year welcomes back PCR’s Boot Camp North event. Designed to cater for IT resellers in the Midlands, Scotland, Wales and the North, once again the event will take place at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. On the day, attendees will be able to sit in on the conference panel sessions and expert briefings, and check out the latest products and services.

PCR Boot Camp North returns for 2015, and will be held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

Taking place on Wednesday November 18th, tech retailers, resellers, etailers and system builders are all invited to join for free on the day.

Be sure you don’t miss out on the day’s events, where a range of panel sessions and talks will take place during the morning, followed by an expo featuring various vendors and disties showing off their latest products and services, to help you boost your business.

Plus, members of the trade will be able to let their hair down during the after-show drinks reception and get

14 | PCR October 2015

the chance to network with other like-minded individuals.

All delegates who attend will also get the choice of two premium speakers, including either a Veho Azuro sound bar or Philips boom box to take home with them on the day, for free.

So far, VIP Computers, Centerprise, M2M Direct, PXS Distribution and IT service management platform LogicNow have signed up as event partners and will be there on the day showcasing their latest range of products and services.

So what are you waiting for? If you’re a dealer and want to register to attend, visit www. pcrbootcampnorth.com now.

TOP: PCR’s Women of the Year awards returns, celebrating leading women in tech. ABOVE: Boot Camp North will take place at the Royal Armouries.

“All deligates who attend will get a choice of two premium speakers to take home with them on the day, for free.”

www.pcr-online.biz

HU282PPS

28” 4K MONITOR Part of Hannspree’s new series of large display performance monitors, the new HannsG HU282PPS is the first Hannspree monitor to include a 4K resolution. It boasts a massive 28” display and an arsenal of ports including two HDMI, DVI and the new DisplayPort making it ideal for professional graphic applications and stunning multimedia performance.

It also boasts; 3Watt stereo speakers on board, an attractive silver and black modern design and Hannspree’s industry leading 3 year warranty as standard.

a

Company

Call our specialist sales teams North 01282 776776 South 01256 707070 www.exertis.co.uk

OPINION

Take ownership of product safety Discrepancies in product classification are becoming a big challenge for the channel, says Farzad Henareh, European vice president at Stericycle ExpertSolutions…

Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions, IN THE complicated global supply chain, all stakeholders, manufacturers, there are currently over 100,000 medical apps available in the UK app suppliers, disties and regulators must store. Where these remind consumers take ownership of product safety. to take critical medication or monitor It is not unusual to see technology life-threatening conditions, they can companies recalling products for a revolutionise people’s approach to range of reasons, but one of the most health and wellness. challenging to manage is the However, developers must be discrepancies in product classification. aware of the regulations governing Products across all sectors – from them. The Medicines and Healthcare consumer goods to food – are subject Products Regulatory Agency, which is to recalls. At Stericycle responsible for governing medical ExpertSolutions we publish a devices in the UK, and the European quarterly European Recall and Commission, have issued guidance on Notification Index, which for Q2 2015 shows that there has been a seven per whether a healthcare app can be considered a medical device based on cent drop in the number of recalls keywords. Apps that are intended to overall, compared to Q1. However, ‘diagnose’ or ‘monitor’ safety notifications fall under the medical and recalls have category, while actually been on an “New regulations device those that remind upward trend since patients of medical 2003, with 88 per cent demands that all are of them being of us do our bit to appointments considered consumer categorised as a most keep consumers applications. Imagine serious threat. the potential for Regulations play a safe.” confusion and safety considerable role in Farzad Henareh, issues, if apps don’t fit this, because although Stericycle neatly into these two they are a crucial ExpertSolutions categories, and component of product inevitably, the impact of incorrect safety, they are not consistent across classification and a recall on consumers.

Europe, nor are they enforced by one The Government is currently EU agency. It is the responsibility of reviewing the UK’s system for the individual EU member countries to recall of unsafe products under interpret and enforce the ‘CE’ marking consumer champion, Lynn Faulds on required products to indicate Wood, and the classification issue is compliance with safety legislation. sure to be high on the agenda. In the But this is in accordance with national meantime, our evolving product laws and procedures. These differ environment with emerging widely across Europe – what may be technologies and devices, new deemed safe in one country may not regulations and country-specific be in another. requirements, demands that all of us A prime example can be found in have to remain vigilant and do our bit the mobile applications sector. to keep consumers safe.

According to a recent report from the Farzad Henareh is European VP at Stericycle ExpertSolutions, which focuses on managing automotive and consumer products. www.stericycleexpertsolutions.com

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Shops can lead the way with 3D printing Chris Elsworthy, CEO of CEL and creator of the Robox 3D printer, believes the High Street has an important role to play in growing the market for 3D printing…

This is a shame, as the basics of WHEN IT comes to many new 3D printing and additive technologies, you have to see it to manufacturing on a small scale are believe it. much easier to understand than Reading a review of an entirely microprocessors or 3D TVs. new tech product can give you a Moreover, we’ve found that people feel for how it might work, but most love to watch 3D printers in action – people still need to see it work for there’s a reason why all consumer themselves before they really get it.

3D printers on the market include Nintendo understood this when it windows or transparent casing. launched its glasses-free 3D console Some of the best moments for us as in 2011, bringing thousands of trial a company are when we have the units to game shows and High opportunity to bring our Robox 3D Street shops for gamers to try for printer to big tech shows. themselves. The same goes for 4K We have now reached a point UltraHD TVs. You simply can’t where 3D printers on the market are understand what difference those affordable and designed to be extra pixels make unless you can relatively easy to use for the average witness them for yourself. consumer. Most The media does people, however, will its best to explain not invest money in a new technologies “We’ve found technology they do to the general that people love not fully understand, public, but we even if they recognise should to watch 3D its usefulness to their acknowledge that printers in lives. This is a the High Street – particularly key issue and in particular action.” for the makers and electrical retailers – Chris Elsworthy, designers out there, have a role to play CEL who are always in this too. People looking for new want to see how creation tools to create new and something works before they buy it. exciting projects.

Almost every day there’s a news Currently, 3D printers are most story covering an amazing item sought after by makers, engineers, made using a 3D printer, whether DIY enthusiasts, hobbyists and it’s something which can save a life, technology devotees, but I strongly or something which can simply believe that 3D printers will make us laugh. I still find, however, eventually make their way into the that outside of the engineering community, knowledge remains low home. Retailers will see that by showing off 3D printers in-store, about how 3D printing actually they will not only help to draw new works in practice. In many cases, the tech lovers into their shops, they will keen DIYer or amateur maker still also help to introduce the next wave doesn’t understand what happens of makers into the exciting world of inside this new generation of 3D printing. magical boxes.

Chris Elsworthy is CEO of CEL and creator of the Robox 3D printer. Robox is currently stocked in Maplin and CREAT3D. www.cel-robox.com

PCR October 2015 | 17

OPINION

The changing tech landscape Rob Hall MD of PXS Distribution believes users are now more mobile than ever before thanks to cloud computing and faster broadband speeds. But what does this mean for businesses…? notebooks on the train, but now they WITH THE ongoing trend for are able to send and receive email, consumers and businesses to move create documents and work as normal away from annual subscriptions to even when working remotely. end point products, the focus has to Smaller, lighter and more powerful change from a fixed product launch computers mean that when you do once a year to a constant want to get something done, it is not improvement of features and a 12-act drama getting your notebook functionality within products. out. It is more and more acceptable This is clearly demonstrated by that devices no longer have 500GB of the launch of Windows 10 as the storage; files are stored in the cloud. final version of Windows, in addition, Consumers are more willing to trust the fact that Apple OS X has the cloud too. effectively been stuck on OS X 10 It helps that Microsoft and Google for years and new releases have are offering fantastic products which been free of charge. rely heavily on cloud services. Without When you add the cloud-based these key market players, SaaS and Office 365 subscription, which allows cloud storage would users to pay monthly only be used by uber and always have the geeks, like me. latest version, it makes As a geek, I have version numbers “The way forward always liked the idea obsolete. The same is software as a of a fully immersive is true for Adobe gaming or with its Creative service, which is entertainment Cloud offering. experience, but the For consumers, this hard to believe.”

Rob Hall, tech always failed to means that finally, PXS Distribution actually deliver. after decades of Now we have software companies products like Oculus offering various Rift and the tether-free license models, the VR One giving users a real taste of VR. way forward is software as a service, We still have an issue with the games which is hard to believe after the cold and apps playing catchup, but at least reception SaaS originally received. the hardware side of things is getting This once again shows that all ideas are only as good as the market players closer to what it should be.

At Gamescom I visited the VR One that support them. booth and was blown away to see a With the rise of cloud-based queue around the stand, with people storage, and ever increasing patiently waiting to test the Trinus VR broadband speeds, consumers and app, which allows PC games to be businesses are making use of these streamed wirelessly to a smartphone services to their benefit. Business in the VR One headset. users are now more mobile and more When it comes to fun, it is amazing productive when mobile. Yes, you to finally see virtual reality gaining always saw people hammering out mainstream traction. documents and spreadsheets on their Rob Hall is MD of PXS Distribution. www.pxsdistribution.co.uk

18 | PCR October 2015

Don’t be afraid to put prices up Smaller IT resellers and independent store owners should place a higher value on their business – and a higher price tag on their services, argues Target Components MD Paul Cubbage… discount. You could get an HP WE SELL to IT specialists who cheaper than a locally assembled typically sell to businesses or the laptop. It was bonkers. It’s like public, but the danger with these buying a Rolls Royce for less than a guys is they don’t value themselves Datsun or whatever. That highly enough. They think that the completely transformed the way only way people will choose them is these guys worked. if they put the price at a really, really From that point onwards, an IT attractive level. retailer still in business is in reality So they don’t price high, they an IT retailer who does lots of don’t value their time, they don’t repairs, they might even do mobile value their expertise. Our advice typically to small IT resellers is to put phone repairs, a bit on eBay or Amazon, business sales and support; your prices up, because you will they might even do some home almost certainly be too low. If you’re support. So they’ve become too high, you’ll realise, but you’ll multifaceted businesses. almost certainly be too low.

You always want a good mix of What you’re actually doing with customers, too. If your prices is giving you’re purely reliant an indication of retail sales, then if how good you are.

“You want a good on the retail market is Say for example you’ve got a mix of customers. flat, you’ve got a as all your business and I’ve If you supplement problem eggs are in one got a business, and basket. If you there’s some retail sales with supplement that with specialism, repairs, you repairs or with knowledge and spread the risk.” business customers, customer care offered as part of it, Paul Cubbage, you spread the risk all wrapped up. If Target Components and have more customers to attract.

I’m better than you, However, you’ve got to be careful but I price at the same amount, I that you don’t do something just should get more business. But if I because you can do it. In business price lower than you, I’m telling you do something because there’s a people I’m worse than you. That’s demand for it. Just because we can what price does – and that’s what do 3DTVs, doesn’t mean everybody retailers get wrong. will want one.

Look at the cataclysmic change of If you’ve got a proposition that 2004. Until then, an independent IT appeals to people, and you can retailer would just have been an IT deliver it, you’ve got a business. And retailer, and they would attract you’ve got the potential for good customers by selling products business. You’ve got to understand cheaper than branded products. the demand and why people want But just like that, it changed. So, something, rather than just create it suddenly, instead of a brand for the sake of it. premium, you’d get a brand Paul Cubbage is MD of Target Components. www.targetcomponents.co.uk

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WOMEN OF THE YEAR

Who are the top women in tech?

PCR’s Women of the Year awards and networking event returns once again this year, with more award categories to celebrate the leading ladies in the UK IT and PC channel. Here Jade Burke reveals this year’s line-up of finalists…

F

ollowing the success of last year’s PCR Woman of the Year awards in October, the event returns with four categories.

Taking place at Sway Bar in London on October 16th, several execs will be recognised for their achievements in various new categories, including Rising

Star, Marketing and PR, Sales, and Woman of the Year, and now the finalists have been announced. A board of eight judges will decide who takes home each of the four accolades on the day, including last year’s winner Sarah Shields from Dell, Nancy Hammervik from event partner CompTIA, and Maggie

Zaboura from headline partner Zaboura Communications.

During the day, guests will also get the chance to network with others from the industry, where a glass of celebratory champagne will be sure to follow.

To book tickets, visit www. pcrwomenoftheyear.com

RISING STAR

Nicola Newland, Client Account Manager, Channel Assist

Chloe Jones, EMEA Customer Engagement, Lenovo

Teresa Leese, Marketing Executive, Ingram Micro

Charlotte Kubler, Senior Social Solutions Consultant, Lithium

Chloe Harris-Williams, Buyer for Windows Computing, John Lewis

Megan Davies, Retail Account Manager, Panda Security

Michelle Cross, PR Account Manager, The PR Room

Kay Benton, Commercial Manager, Buy It Direct

Amy Fiveash, Purchasing Manager, Chillblast

June Deng, Senior Marketing Executive, TP-LINK

Abigail Bowen, Technician, Overclockers UK

MARKETING AND PR

Michelle Jones, VP Channel Marketing EMEAR & APAC, Unify Enterprise Comms

Gemma Telford, Managing Director, The IT Marketing Agency

Rachel Gordon, European Marketing Manager, Mad Catz Europe

Christine Brown, Senior PR Manager, AMD

Maria Jackson, Director of Marketing, Ingram Micro

Linda Hassall, Head of Marketing, Acer

Sarah Dickinson, Head of PR & Internal Communications Europe, Toshiba

Lucy Lincoln, Senior Channel Marketing Manager, BullGuard

Kirsty Prigmore, Marketing Manager, Tech Data

Paula Costa, OEM Channel Marketing Manager, Microsoft

Debbie Fowler, Channel Marketing Manager for EMEA, Kingston Technology

Kim Veerbeek, Director of Channel Marketing EMEA, AVG Business

Kate Cox, Chief Marketing Officer, HEG

Fran Ashcroft, Director, EMEA PR, Intel

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR October 2015 | 21

Headline Partner

Event Partner

WOMEN OF THE YEAR

KEY INFO When: Friday October 16th 11.30am – 3pm Where: Sway Bar, 61-65 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5BZ Who: Men and women from the tech industry are welcome to come along Ticket price: £59 (plus VAT) Buy tickets: www. pcrwomenoftheyear.com

SALES

Stefanie Sears-Black, Head of Memory Business Division, Samsung

Alicia Shepherd, Head of Retail, CMS Computers

Zoe Curtis, PC Components Business Manager, Exertis

Jane Craven, Director of Sales, Sennheiser UK

Nicola Young, Partner Enablement & Capacity Lead, Microsoft

Eleanor Southworth, Managed Accounts Executive, BT Business Direct

Charlotte Shone, Retail Sales Manager, Kaspersky Lab UK

Michelle McGeoch, Senior Sales Manager, Lenovo

Sonia Urdiales, UK Channel Account Manager, Wasp Barcode Technologies

Kelly Hankey, Business Manager - Amazon, Sales, VIP Computers

Elizabeth Gooch, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, EG Solutions

Elsa Chen, CEO, Entanet

Joey Hemingbrough, Director of Business Development, AAG Systems

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Elizabeth King, Distribution Partner Manager, Fujitsu

Nova Smith, Founder, IT Tablet UK

Stephanie Willems, Country Manager UK & Ireland, Belkin

22 | PCR October 2015

Nia Morgan, Business Development Director, Unify

Louise Honeywill, Head of PCD, Northamber

Hollie Whittles, Director, Fraggleworks

Tracy Pound, Managing Director, Maximity

Ann Keefe, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, Kingston Technology

www.pcr-online.biz

DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

DISTIE DEVELOPMENTS With market consolidation, more money in services, and crowdfunding sites offering vendors a fresh route to market, the distribution sector is evolving. Here Jade Burke finds out how its changing and what it means for the industry…

T

ech distribution is as competitive as ever, with the big getting bigger. But the industry is a different beast to what it once was. The market has changed significantly, now that there are various new services such as e-commerce and cloud services, but that isn’t all.

With so many different vendors on the scene, the industry doesn’t look like it will slow anytime soon. Rob Brooks, channel sales manager from Channel Dragons, explains: “To sum it all up, the market is very competitive, disties are a lot more cautious than before.”

Due to this, we’re starting to see more distribution companies merge together, for example most notably Exertis’ parent company DCC acquired distributor Computers Unlimited in a deal worth around £24 million earlier this year. Exertis has announced the opening of expanded offices in China, to increase its global presence and help UK brands develop a route to market in China.

Also, distributor Midwich revealed it has recently acquired Reading-based

24 | PCR October 2015

trade-only display solutions distributor PSCo Group.

This consolidation comes as no surprise in such a competitive market, but soon enough there will be fewer, bigger firms in the industry.

Various new product categories are also making waves in the industry, including cloud services. No longer are boxed products enough to spearhead a distie in an overcrowded market, meaning more and more are looking at new services for their customers.

Brooks concurs: “There is no longer room in the industry for disties to specialise; they need to look at new opportunities and revenue streams to compete in this market, after all this is what the most successful partners are doing.”

Now that more vendors are offering their own cloud services, including the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, HP and Cisco, it is a crucial service disties must consider offering to help resellers compete, and embrace managed services.

Not only are products and consolidation contributing to the changing market, but as

“Disties need to look at new opportunities and revenue streams to compete in this market.”

Rob Brooks, Channel Dragons

more crowdfunding sites emerge, including Kickstarter and Indiegogo, and investment sites like Seedrs, vendors have more options to gain a route into the market themselves.

Alysia Wanczyk from Seedrs tells PCR: “Seedrs is making it possible for anyone to invest in early-stage businesses – not just angel investors and venture capitalists who were traditionally the only kinds of investors able to invest in high-risk (but potentially high return) ventures.

“We are available to make any intros or to help a business, if they’d like.

Otherwise, we try to stay out of their way so that they can grow their business. Having a huge base of investors is a great way to help market and promote a business.”

Although these sites have begun to shake up the market, at the moment some distributors are not worried that they will disrupt the market or effect business on a large scale.

Dave Stevinson, MD of Entatech, adds: “These sites are interesting and allow early stage investment in products, yet so far have made

negligible impact on traditional distribution.

“Distribution is all about managing complexity and adapting resources to enable the reseller partners in partnership with the vendor.”

In addition, Brooks believes that the margins crowdfunding platforms offer start-ups aren’t a detrimental threat to disties. “There is an impact but not necessarily a large one. With retailers sourcing products from China to deliver consumers their own brand product, it is proving more difficult for the crowdfunding start-ups to compete on margin with major retail,” adds Brooks.

Plus, as e-commerce continues to grow in popularity with consumers, more distributors are also taking this on board, offering download services to resellers.

As more similar services and products launch from various firms, it’s more important than ever to offer bespoke services.

It is clear that distributors have an important part to play for vendors and resellers, and to help the latter adapt to emerging challenges. www.pcr-online.biz

THE BIG INTERVIEW

‘WE WANT TO ALTERNATIVE It’s been half a year since experienced channel executive Dave Stevinson took the values to infrastructure and services, including a new white label cloud offering.

W

hat kind of changes have you made to Entatech so far?

There are two changes we’ve made at the top level – one around the culture and the values, with more of a focus on the customer, and secondly, the big one is around infrastructure in terms of systems. We’ve put in a new ERP system, a new analytics platform and a new CRM system.

What’s your vision for Entatech UK going forwards?

We want to be a credible alternative to the big four – Exertis, Ingram Micro, Westcoast and Tech Data – in the eyes of the customers and the vendors.

How will we do this? It will be around the values – we want to have integrity with much more open and honest communication, service – making staff more accountable for their actions, and quality of process.

We want to have a more efficient and costeffective operation.

Fundamentally, one of our mantras is to be easy to do business with. By doing that, we’re empowering and training staff, and have simple processes that are effective, with the right level of technology.

26 | PCR October 2015

Tell us about your vendor mix nowadays – have you made any key changes to your portfolio and your strategy around the product categories you supply?

There have been a few changes. We want to work with the vendors who focus on us and the ones we can focus on; we want to look at where we can compete and where we can serve our customers.

Certain vendors probably don’t fit into our strategic direction, and there are others we don’t work with who do fit in with our strategic direction. There’s always fine-tuning to have the right vendor mix. We’ve moved some of our staff around to focus on vendor acquisition and we’re looking at areas with future profitability for our customer base. We’re not really making changes to top-level categories, it’s just about getting the vendor mix right.

We’re core to our heritage.

How are you streamlining Enta’s business? Are you restructuring or reshuffling it in any way?

Yeah, we’re going through a transformation program, it’s more about focus. We’re aligning our resources behind the appropriate vendors. We want to be the strongest partner viewed through the eyes of our customer.

Have you had many staff leave Enta since the change in strategy?

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

BE A CREDIBLE TO THE BIG FOUR’ reins at Entatech, and during that time he’s made several changes to the distributor’s business, from its Dominic Sacco asks Enta’s new MD how it’s gone and what other developments are on the horizon…

Not that I’m aware of. There have been some replacements we recruited.

Some staff come and go, but there’s no massive changes here. In terms of recruitment, you need to find the people that will help take the company where we want it to go. There are two issues – like I said earlier on, the values and the big change in the infrastructure in our systems that was required, but we also need to get the colleagues who follow our vision, our mission and our values explicitly.

Cloud services are increasing in prominence.

What is Enta doing in this growing area?

Yeah, like everybody, we’ve got a cloud offering. It’s currently very poor and we’re looking to make it better. We estimate in Q1/Q2 2016 we will launch our Enta Cloud, which will enable the IT resellers to have a white label cloud offering, powered by Enta Cloud (www.entacloud. co.uk).

Of course it’s important to the future of the company to have a cloud offering, so it’s something we’ve had from before which we’ve gradually built up over the past few months.

We’ve also launched some new companies under the Enta Group banner.

A few years back Enta launched its Ministry of Gaming initiative, and since then, other distributors have

www.pcr-online.biz

announced ambitious plans in the PC gaming sector. What is your stance on gaming now – is it still a core focus of yours?

Absolutely. It’s part of our heritage and part of our DNA. A lot of staff at Enta are gamers fundamentally, so we’ll still aggressively pursue that sector and we welcome the competition. It’s a growing market and we can’t serve it all ourselves.

How would you say tech distribution is changing?

I suppose the macro trend is consolidation, which has been happening across the market, primarily driven by Exertis.

Obviously as it becomes more consolidated there are less players in the market, but the remaining ones are very strong, meaning the big four are getting stronger and stronger, so there’s less and less choice for resellers.

Some of your rivals like Exertis have been making a lot of acquisitions over the past year. What do you make of this? Do you welcome the extra competition?

It’s natural in any industry, the maturity and consolidation that takes place.

The IT distribution business isn’t the most attractive at all, so people can exit with high multiples.

Scale is all-important, and DCC Group and Exertis recognise that, and they’re doing it.

Whether it will be more competition or less

“One of our mantras is to be easy to do business with. By doing that, we’re empowering and training staff, and have simple processes that are effective.”

Dave Stevinson, Entatech

competition is open to interpretation.

Essentially it’s the same competition, because Computers Unlimited will merge into Exertis. Whether it becomes that much stronger or that much weaker will remain to be seen, so from my perspective I welcome it very much. Time will tell.

Bearing in mind most mergers tend to produce negative shareholder value, however all mergers of Exertis have created positive shareholder value. They’re a talented bunch there.

Do you have any plans to make similar acquisitions?

Not in the medium to short term. Not really, no.

What new challenges do you face as a distie in today’s market?

There are so many challenges out there. One of the key challenges for any distributor is to have a cloud offering which works. There’s a lot of hassle along the way in terms of purchasing, provision and managing those services through multilayers. That would probably be the big challenge.

Are there any new opportunities emerging that you can see coming to the fore over the next year or so?

There are tons of product opportunities. I would say the biggest opportunity for us is deeply understanding what our customers require

in the future and making sure we can deliver that.

Technology, products and vendors come and go, it’s about making sure that we have the best infrastructure.

A lot of our competitors are shipping boxes – we’ve got to build up our whole infrastructure from an IT perspective, from a systems side, to ensure our resellers can be powered by Enta going forwards.

We’ve invested so much money on our ERP system and analytics platform to support resellers with our back-end technology. In the old days, distribution was about providing credit and providing reach – now it’s so much more.

How will the tech distribution sector evolve in the future, and how do you anticipate Entatech will change in particular?

There’s going to be further consolidation, that’s for sure.

Boxes will still be shipped, there will be increasing competition from disintermediation.

For us, referring back to our mission statement, we will align our resources behind the appropriate vendors.

We know what our customers want and what our vendors deliver. We can’t work with everybody, there are quite a few people out there who value Entatech, and we’re going to work very closely with them to deliver future products and services that we’ll all require.

PCR October 2015 | 27

DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

73%

arters of resellers Almost three qu r distributor ei say they find th helpful

ARE DISTIES DELIVERING? Distribution is a crucial part of the channel’s supply chain, and with distributors offering a whole suite of services today, resellers and retailers are looking for more than just basic shipping methods. PCR speaks to more than 100 resellers, asking them for their anonymous opinions on what distributors do well, and what they can improve on…

W

ith the tech channel moving fast, the need for a distributor is still a vital chink in the armour for most retailers and resellers in the channel, as they try to keep abreast of trends and growth areas.

Now that there are new product categories, with the likes of wearable technology, smart home devices and cloud services, the need for a trusting and reliable distributor has never been more imperative.

In our survey, we ask 100 anonymous resellers for their views on distributors.

www.pcr-online.biz

The range of stock available from disties is the biggest benefit for retailers, as 29 per cent say they like the fact that there is a broad range of stock on tap from their distie, closely followed by competitive prices, with 16 per cent stating reasonable prices are what they appreciate the most.

In comparison, many of those who took part are disgruntled by how difficult it is to contact some distributors, and have asked for better communication and sales support from account managers.

But it is not all bad news, the fact that

more retailers are using their distributor as a one-stop shop will be music to suppliers ears, with 11 per cent revealing this was the most valuable characteristic of their distributor.

Overall, it seems distributors have been performing well over the last year, as 73 per cent of respondents tell PCR that they are satisfied with how helpful their current distributor is.

Let’s find out what else the industry’s resellers feel disties are excelling at, as well as what they could try to improve upon.

15%

would sellers say they 15 per cent of re communication like to see better ributors from their dist

PCR October 2015 | 29

DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

WHAT FRUSTRATES YOU THE MOST ABOUT DISTRIBUTORS? 29 PER CENT of resellers note that overpriced goods are their biggest bugbear.

This is closely followed by issues with stock shortages and a lack of specific vendors available from their distributor.

Some of the other frustrations that resellers have with distributors include issues with stock (15 per cent), contact (10 per cent) and delivery (10 per cent).

Account managers can be another frustrating aspect when working with a distie, with five per cent of resellers stating that they would like to see improvements with managers.

Another reseller comments: “One of the frustrating things is when account management goes wrong. That can take a while to resolve, sometimes that’s happened in the past and that’s the only point of contact.”

Other resellers revealed that locating disties online often proved troublesome, while a couple said they were unhappy that their disties may have lied to them.

e the main Delivery issues ar r cent of pe 10 r concern fo resellers

Pricing/High costs................ 29%

10%

29%

Stock issues .......................... 15% Nothing ................................ 11% Contact issues ...................... 10% Delivery issues ..................... 10%

15%

Sales support ......................... 6% Problems with returns........... 6% Account managers................. 5% Other....................................... 4% Broken promises .................... 2% Doesn’t use disties................. 2%

WHAT IS THE MAIN BENEFIT OF USING A DISTRIBUTOR? STOCK IS the main reason resellers choose to work with a distributor, with 29 per cent revealing to PCR that the level of stock disties have and the wide range of vendors is a major benefit.

One reseller tells PCR: “Distributors offer quality products, which are officially sourced.”

In addition, another adds that the fact their supplier offers discounts on volumes is another benefit.

Interestingly, advice and support is the main reason 15 per cent of resellers have distie partners, with resellers appreciating the time given to them by their account managers.

One anonymous reseller says: “A one stop shop is ideal, and distributors stock most of the manufacturers we use.”

It seems this reseller wasn’t the only one who enjoyed picking up all their goods from one single distie, as 11 per cent labelled their distie a one-stop shop for tech products.

Other benefits for resellers include getting credit and the distie having a strong reputation.

10%

29% resellers Over a quarter of ong stock str at th y surveyed sa benefit of using levels is the main a distributor

29% 16%

Stock levels ................................................................................................... 29% Pricing............................................................................................................ 16% Advice and support ..................................................................................... 15% Other.............................................................................................................. 14% One-stop-shop/reliability ............................................................................ 11% None ................................................................................................................ 9% Quick delivery/speed ..................................................................................... 6%

30 | PCR October 2015

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DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO FIVE, HOW HELPFUL WOULD YOU SAY YOUR MAIN DISTRIBUTOR IS? IT’S CLEAR to see that a lot of resellers (36 per cent) believe that their current distributor is very helpful.

Speaking to the different resellers, 37 per cent indicate that their distributors are somewhat helpful, while 20 per cent are unsure of how helpful their current suppliers are.

Although the majority of those who took part in the survey reveal that they are satisfied with the service given, six per cent of respondents are not very happy with their service, while just one per cent are not happy at all.

5 VERY................................... 36% 4 SOMEWHAT ....................... 37%

36%

20%

2 NOT VERY ............................ 6% 1 NOT AT ALL ......................... 1%

37%

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF FROM DISTRIBUTORS? THE ANSWERS to this question are similar to what we heard in the previous questions.

It seems more competitive pricing is something resellers are looking for, with 39 per cent of respondents saying that this was an issue. One explains: “We would like to see better pricing for SMEs to compete with online.”

Another adds: “I’d like to see a larger drop in sales prices and more help for indie stores.”

Other resellers are also looking for improved support and communication between their supplier, as one tells PCR: “Disties need to get more involved in what the local market conditions are. It’s very hard for smaller companies to compete with multinationals. There needs to be a next level, something needs to change. But all distribution is doing much better than it previously did.”

16 per cent of resellers suggested other options, including better feedback on ETAs, cohesion across departments, more marketing material, loyalty cards, more facilities and incentives, and having more visits from representatives.

32 | PCR October 2015

3 NOT SURE .......................... 20%

11% sellers are 11 per cent of re utor as a ib using their distr r goods fo op sh one-stop

39% 15% Better prices ......................... 39% Other..................................... 16% Communication/support .... 15% More stock ............................ 15% Nothing .................................. 7% Better account mangers ........ 4% Physical presence .................. 3% Training days ......................... 1%

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DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

Supply& Demand With reports suggesting the new Intel Skylake CPUs will continue to be in short supply until the end of November, PCR explores why the channel is hit by stock shortages like this, the effect it has on resellers and what brands can do to keep shortages to a minimum…

I

N OUR INDUSTRY there’s perhaps nothing more frustrating than having massive demand for a product or service that’s in short supply.

But for various reasons, sometimes vendors, distributors and resellers just don’t have enough to go around.

“Stock shortages are always a perennial problem for manufacturers trying to match the demand with the supply equilibrium,” says Entatech MD Dave Stevinson.

“It’s an opportunity for all distributors to increase their holdings so the resellers do not suffer lost sales.”

In this day and age of nextday delivery, global launches and sophisticated e-commerce technology, customers have never had it so good. They expect the world – but they certainly don’t expect to have to wait.

Unfortunately, that’s what a lot of resellers, system builders and customers have had to do regarding Intel’s new 6th gen Core processors (aka Skylake) of late.

Several resellers complained of the shortage to PCR back in August, with one senior distribution source now saying the CPUs will likely be in short supply until 34 | PCR October 2015

the end of November, particularly the high-end i76700K CPU. The situation is similar to what Nvidia experienced last year, with its 970 and 980 graphics cards in short supply towards the end of 2014, due to high demand.

Chillblast’s sales director Ben Miles tells PCR: “[Skylake is] the worst shortage we’ve ever seen. I have less than 50 per cent of what I need – and it’s likely due to yield issues.”

A CCL Computers spokesperson adds: “We got a healthy allocation but can’t get a firm date for more. Any orders we take, we can fulfill – but once stock runs out we can’t. It doesn’t fill our customers with confidence.”

When life feeds you lemons, make lemonade – so they say – and some firms are taking this approach when dealing with stock problems.

For example, Overclockers UK offered customers an older X99 6-Core system for £50 less than an equivalent i7 Skylake system, in a bid to promote older, similar stock.

Miodrag Relic, business development director for Caseking group (which owns Overclockers), explains: “In the first week of this promotion, we sold as many CPUs that we usually sell in a month - all X99 processors.

We were the only ones in the UK who promoted it like that and it looks like we were correct. By putting emphasis on X99 as well as Skylake, we haven’t experienced as much of an issue.”

So why do we get stock shortages in the first place?

Intel says in this instance it’s because of high demand and ‘short term supply limitations in some areas’, with more CPUs due to hit the market, but that’s not always the case.

Some vendors have said it’s likely because Intel wants to clear older Broadwell stock before pumping more Skylake CPUs into the channel, but PCR’s distribution source believes a lack of materials (silicon) is preventing Intel from producing as many Skylake chips as it would like to.

Of course, poor forecasting and long production/delivery times can also cause some products to be in short supply, particularly if they’re being manufactured in the Far East.

On the other hand, some will argue that brands like to suggest there are stock shortages – usually around an upcoming product – to drum up consumer demand. Earlier this year, Apple said the Apple Watch had sold of the first

“Skylake is the worst shortage we’ve ever seen. I have less than 50 per cent of what I need.”

Ben Miles, Chillblast

batch of pre-orders, but it wasn’t clear how much inventory Apple had, with some reports suggesting the watch hadn’t sold as well as planned.

Again, in September Apple said that the iPhone 6S Plus was selling out, before it had even gone on sale, with stock shortages reported.

Whatever the reason, serious stock shortages affect the entire supply chain. But aside from having to deal with frustrated customers, shortages can also push up prices, with etailers engaging in price wars.

On the flipside, an item that performs better than expected is always a nice bonus.

Cooler Master tells PCR that early sales of its Master Case PC customisable tower were “incredible”. A spokesperson says: “We forecast and it’s important not to bring too many units in, but at the moment we don’t have enough for demand – it’s been much better than we anticipated.”

Through better forecasting, stock shortages can be minimised. But what can be done to prevent them?

“A distribution product manager must work closely with the vendor to anticipate the run-rates and mitigate against demand spikes,” advises Enta’s Stevinson. www.pcr-online.biz

BOOT CAMP NORTH

Look who’s talking Executives from across the supply chain set to share their insights at PCR Boot Camp North on November 18th O Check out the full list of talks and topics on the day here

NOT A DEALER? THEN BECOME A PARTNER p North 2015 Exhibit at PCR Boot Cam t of and get your wares in fron more For s. ller rese UK of hundreds e Lan nie Jen tact information con m or via jlane@nbmedia.co 01992 535647.

DEALER IS RE TRATION NOW OPEN 2015 caters PCR Boot Camp North land, and Eng of th Nor the for firms in dealers and it’s completely free for So what system builders to attend. want to you If for? are you waiting w. register to attend, visit ww pcrbootcampnorth. com

T

HE SPEAKER line-up for the PCR Boot Camp North 2015 conference stream has been confirmed, with top industry execs set to cover issues impacting tech dealers today.

“The conference will inform, educate and inspire on topics.”

The conference programme runs during the morning of the event – on November 18th at the Royal Armouries in Leeds – and comprises a mix of keynote talks and panel sessions that will inform, educate and inspire on topics directly relevant to technology dealers.

It will be followed in the afternoon by an expo, during which dealers will be able to do business with vendors and distributors – and network with members of the industry.

Make sure you sign up to PCR Boot Camp North 2015 at pcrbootcampnorth.com

www.pcr-online.biz

TECH YOU SHOULD BE SELLING IN 2016 Q Carl West, Supply Chain Director, GfK

PANEL SESSION: A PC GAMING REVOLUTION?

ANALYST GFK will run through the hottest product categories and the goods that retailers and resellers should consider stocking for Christmas and the New Year. West will also give a detailed look at how the UK tech market has changed this year, the state of the economy and also what trends are expected to emerge in the future.

Confirmed panellists: Q CK, MD, YoYoTech Q Paul Butler, UK and Ireland Regional Sales Director, AOC/MMD Q Steve Ling, Overclockers UK

PANEL SESSION: DISTRIBUTORS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

A PANEL of experts discuss the latest and emerging developments in gaming hardware, other sales avenues that retailers, resellers and system builders can explore, as well as the technologies and trends they should be mindful of in the future, from the likes of virtual reality to 8K and more.

Confirmed panellists: Q Alex Tatham, MD, Westcoast Q Richard Marsden, Director, VIP Q Darren Perks, Sales Manager, Entatech SENIOR TECH distribution executives gather to answer your questions and discuss the shifting PC market, how the industry has changed as well as the latest challenges and opportunities for your business.

Send your questions in now to dsacco@nbmedia.com.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

DISRUPT OR BE DISRUPTED: OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE SECOND WAVE OF CLOUD ADOPTION Q Jo Laking, UKI Cloud Leader, Cisco Systems WITH A second wave of cloud adoption on the rise, can your business afford not to embrace changes in this area? Jo Laking will take a closer look at this ever-growing category, how cloud computing is evolving and the new raft of revenue opportunities for resellers.

Q Anna Cheng, UK Tech & Enterprise PR Manager, Intel ANNA CHENG will be exploring the biggest trends affecting the market, diversity in tech and the direction the computing industry is set to take in the future. She will also look back on important developments from the recent Intel Developer Forum and how the firm is even fighting cancer with cloud technology.

More details on the event, including conference timings, can be found at www.pcrbootcampnorth.com

PCR October 2015 | 37

INTERVIEW

Cutting through the noise There are more companies than ever trying to create buzz in today’s tech landscape, but there are also plenty of new and engaging ways to reach customers. PR expert Maggie Zaboura, founder and CEO of Zaboura Communications – headline partner of the PCR Women of the Year Awards 2015 – tells Jade Burke how businesses can get themselves heard…

H

ow can tech brands cut through the noise and make themselves known nowadays?

The landscape of PR and communications has changed so dramatically in the last 10 years. It could be perceived that through social platforms it is now more possible than ever for brands and companies to take charge of their own communications and circumvent the ‘middle man’ by publishing directly to their target market.

But having a plan that communicates directly with customers and consumers should be managed very carefully and strategically.

There are so many tools available to make yourself heard nowadays. The most important thing is to figure out what you want to say and how you want to say it – that is more challenging. Get that right first.

Aside from the standard channels such as media releases and social media, platforms like Outbrain can also be quite useful.

It’s all well and good if you’re an established vendor with a big marketing budget, but how can the smaller brands and PC stores promote themselves?

Marketing will always take either time or money. So if a company doesn’t have the money, it will still need to allocate time and creativity.

Social media is free to use but must be managed well and consistently – it takes a lot of work to really get right.

The main thing to consider is: who is your customer?

Where will you find them?

How do you communicate with them? What influences them? These elements will help create and direct your marketing campaign.

38 | PCR October 2015

Depending on the product, it could be anything from creating your own YouTube channel or starting a blog, to leveraging paid content platforms or PPC/CPC advertising.

It’s always worth investing in help from the experts – just to get the strategy right first.

Then you can go ahead and execute the strategy yourself.

How does Zaboura differ from other tech marketing and PR agencies?

Interestingly, when I started Zaboura we were quite disruptive in our approach.

Although it may sound arrogant, the market is gradually waking up and starting to change for the better and coming round to our way of thinking!

Our approach was that we would be transparent, accountable and not charge by the hour. This was unheard of in PR when I first started Zaboura.

We are here if anyone needs any guidance or advice on comms and marketing. We

females there will be – whatever the industry.

have off the shelf solutions for smaller businesses and can easily facilitate communications plans.

What are your thoughts on women in tech and the fact that Microsoft, Intel and Apple are outlining new diversity initiatives?

I believe diversity drives innovation and creativity. I hate focusing only on the topic of women in tech, but unfortunately they are still marginalised in the workforce in pay and in opportunities.

On the positive side, the fact that large organisations like Salesforce are launching events like the Dreamforce Women’s Leadership Summit shows that more is being done. This can only be a positive thing.

It is important for ANY organisation that has women in its executive teams to encourage and support mentoring and education programs for the younger female generation. The more role models there are, the more aspirational

“The main thing to consider is: who is your customer? Where will you find them? How do you communicate with them? What influences them?”

Maggie Zaboura, Zaboura Communications

You’ve been in the tech industry for 25 years. How has it changed in that time and how will it to evolve in the future?

I’m pleased to say that the tech industry has changed completely. I have been involved in technology my whole working life and this is the most exciting time in tech.

My early years were dedicated to selling bits and bytes in a heavily maledominated industry. Now, technology permeates all aspects of our lives and the adoption of technology is totally mainstream. Knowing and using technology to make life better, easier, quicker and cheaper is really exciting and very powerful.

Home automation, car automation, biotech, health and medicine, as well as communication, is moving rapidly. Bringing the world closer and bringing a better life to the disadvantaged are areas of interest to me. www.pcr-online.biz

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DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

DELVING INTO

DISTRIBUTION With many tech distributors on the market, it can be difficult for resellers to pinpoint the best supplier for their needs. Jade Burke rounds up some of the disties and looks at the products and services they’re offering customers…

AVNET

ASH DISTRIBUTION

Contact: 01344 662 000 ats-uk@avnet.com

Contact: 0191 418 3188 ashdistribution.co.uk

Ash Distribution is proud to have been supplying the IT trade sector nationwide since 1997.

The company has developed a broad range of customers including small to large PC retail outlets, networking companies and PC distributors.

Its extensive range of over 1,300 products from more than 60 manufacturers covers everything from hardware products through to

accessories and consumables featuring brands such as Gembird, BullGuard, JetPlay, ASRock, TP-LINK, Kingston, Philips, Microsoft and Sumvision to name but a few.

Ash Distribution says it is becoming increasingly recognised as the preferred-one-stop shop for its customers.

Avnet serves customers and suppliers in America, Asia, Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

With years of experience stretching back to 1921, Avnet has teams of sales, technical and marketing experts in various technology areas, including software, computer components and services.

Its customers include system builders, system integrators, service

CASEKING

CENTERPRISE

Contact: 01782 444488 caseking.co.uk

Contact: 01256 378071 centerprise.co.uk

Founded in Berlin in 2003, Caseking has grown to become a leading supplier of products for PC enthusiasts across Europe.

Caseking has built a reputation as experts in chassis, modding, cooling, PC tuning and gaming. The distributor works closely with vendors on product design, marketing and channel management. The company says it can only be satisfied when its

www.pcr-online.biz

customers are completely satisfied.

For this reason, Caseking has invested in expanding its product portfolio, but also in a massive expansion of storage facilities, up to date logistics and offices in The Netherlands, France and Poland.

Centerprise Distribution was originally created 20 years ago, as a division of Centerprise International, the Basingstokebased IT solutions provider.

The division specialises in the distribution of ruggedised hardware and has grown since its conception.

A strong partnership with Panasonic has contributed to this success, making Centerprise Distribution one of the largest UK

providers and value-added resellers.

The company says its position as an advisor to its customers is made possible by the choice offered through its IT portfolio.

distributors of Panasonic Toughbooks and Toughpads.

Centerprise Distribution also supplies a range of rugged hardware, with various specifications, to IT resellers across the UK.

PCR October 2015 | 41

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Call our specialist sales team 01279 822 822 exertis.co.uk/home exertis.co.uk/home/store

DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

CMS DISTRIBUTION

COMPUTERS UNLIMITED

Contact: 01423 704 700 cmsdistribution.com

Contact: 020 83 58 58 58 unlimited.com

CMS Distribution says it is the largest independent value-added distributor in the UK and Ireland today, and provides business and consumer solutions for each of its various customers.

With more than 60 vendors within its portfolio, CMS offers a wide range of tech categories from hardware to software. The company works with various vendors, including Crucial, D-Link, Gigabyte,

Piper, SanDisk and Synology.

In late 2013, CMS Distribution acquired UK enterprise software distributor Interactive Ideas.

Computers Unlimited (CU) says it is Europe’s number one distributor specialising in products and accessories for everything Apple, the digital home and creative professionals.

Its portfolio includes products from over 70 leading manufacturers, such as Adobe, Epson, Griffin, Incipio, LocknCharge, MakerBot, Microsoft, Nemetschek, Parrot, Philips, Sonos and Wacom.

CU’s exclusive offerings also include

DIREKTEK

ENTATECH

Contact: 01494 471100 direktek.co.uk

Contact: 0333 101 1000 entaonline.com

Since its formation in 1991, DirekTek Ltd. says it has become Britain’s leading distributor of consumer electronics and digital imaging products, working with brands such as Canon, Sennheiser, Samsung and Sony.

It says that it’s the essential business partner for any company planning to enter or grow their marketshare in this dynamic sector.

DirekTek stocks a comprehensive

product portfolio, and offers an extensive product range with bespoke bundles including a wide spread of accessories. There’s also a home delivery service available.

Celebrating over 25 years in business, Entatech is one of the UK’s leading distributors of hardware, peripherals, systems and software.

Enta currently partners with over 90 manufacturers, including Microsoft, Intel and Fujitsu, and boasts a portfolio of over 10,000 products. The firm also holds UK exclusivity with a number of vendors including Power Color, ZOTAC, Fractal Design and Swann.

EXERTIS

INGRAM MICRO

Contact: 01256 707070 (Exertis IT), 01279 822822 (Exertis Home) exertis.com

Contact: 0871 973 3940 uk.ingrammicro.com

Exertis is one of Europe’s largest and fastest growing technology distribution and specialist service providers.

It has partnered with 350 global technology brands and over 22,850 resellers and retailers across Europe.

In its most recent financial year to March 31st 2015, Exertis had a turnover of £2.4 billion. The company’s scale, knowledge and

www.pcr-online.biz

experience in the technology sector and complete end-to-end product portfolio, enables it to deliver solutions and services for its partners, across supply chain services, sales and distribution, marketing, PR and digital services.

The company’s UK operations have been established for over 20 years since opening in 1991, with its head office in Milton Keynes.

There are also offices in Maidenhead and at the purpose built 244,000sq ft distribution centre in Crick, Northamptonshire.

Ingram Micro employs over 400 associates providing over 10,000 resellers, working with the leading IT vendors, including Cisco, HP,

three in-house developed brands, all available globally. Founded in 1985, CU is headquartered in London, with operations in Paris and Barcelona.

In May, it became part of the Exertis distribution family.

Entatech operates from two offices – it’s headquarters in Telford, Shropshire, and its dedicated sales office in Chessington.

Microsoft, Motorola and Nokia to name a few, with more than 40,000 product lines complemented by comprehensive value added services.

PCR October 2015 | 43

DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

M2M DIRECT

MENTOR DISTRIBUTION

Contact: 0208 676 6067 M2M-direct.co.uk

M2M was founded in 1998 as a specialist memory and storage distributor working directly with world-class manufacturers and suppliers such as Samsung SemiConductor and Samsung Electronics, Micron Electronics (Crucial Technology and Lexar) and SK Hynix.

The distributor also boasts a compressive product line, including memory modules, portable media,

Contact: 01462 814000 mentor-distribution.com solid state drives, hard drives, optical drives, processors, graphics cards, flash memory drives and enterprise server products.

Since 1991, Mentor Distribution has been a trade-only distributor of IT and AV equipment.

The company stocks various manufacturers’ products, including NEC, Iiyama, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, ASUS, Chief, 3M, PresTop, Humanscale, Quanta, AG Neovo and Lumio.

In recent years, the firm has expanded into manufacturing its own touchscreens and fully integrated privacy monitors.

MIDWICH

NORTHAMBER

Contact: 01379 649 200 midwich.com

Contact: 0208 296 7066 northamber.com

With over 35 years of industry expertise supplying solutions to the document solutions, IT industry, AV and security market, Midwich says it is constantly riding the wave of new technology and innovation.

The company’s knowledge, passion and systems are geared towards helping customers with whatever project they are working on. Midwich also says it understands customers, their

Northamber is the UK’s longest established independent trade-only distributor in the UK, founded 35 years ago.

Today, Northamber is AIM listed and has over £22 million in net assets, with no debt and is one of the largest IT trade disties, with over 5,500 actively trading resellers.

It has a custom-built 20,000 sq ft head office in Chessington, which is home to over 60 sales and support staff, backed by customer-focused purchasing, credit service,

projects and goals – and wants to hear how best it can help you.

PEAK DEVELOPMENT

SPIRE TECHNOLOGY

Contact: 01489 796979 peak-uk.com

Contact: 01202 828444 www.spire.co.uk

Peak Development has been established for over 20 years with a trusted reputation in the distribution of high quality accessories.

The distributor deals with a focused range of vendors from global brands such as SanDisk, Sony and Sennheiser, to niche brands like wearables specialist Lifetrak and its value range from Bitmore.

“What really makes us different?

We work hard to give our retailers

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every opportunity to make the most of each of our brands,” Peak says in a statement.

“We don’t deal with hundreds and hundreds of vendors, so each brand gets real focus and each customer gets to deal with a genuine brand specialist.”

Established in 1990, Spire Technology Ltd has seen steady growth in the field of trade-only computer distribution.

The firm says its unrivalled commitment to the UK IT channel and focus on its customers’ needs has made it one of the UK’s leading distributors of computer components, peripherals and consumer electronic products.

Spire’s portfolio currently stands at more than 1,500 products from

Mentor Distribution also offers additional services such as logo printing and spraying bezels to its customers’ requirements.

commercial web, product management and marketing teams.

It also has a £6.5 million 100,000 sq ft warehouse, logistics and technology centre in Weybridge.

98.8 per cent of orders are delivered the next working day.

It offers access to marketing materials such as e-shots and catalogues, flexible credit, third party logistics and warehousing, pre- and post-sales support and end user technical support.

over 30 vendors including ASUS, TPLINK, BullGuard, BeQuiet! and Cougar to name a few.

Spire says in a statement: “With this mix of quality, reliability and price, Spire Technology should be your one-stop shop for all your IT needs.”

PCR October 2015 | 45

DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

PXS DISTRIBUTION

SMITHIE Contact: 01256 844028 smithieuk.com

Contact: 0844 879 4212 pxsdistribution.co.uk

PXS Distribution is a value added distributor that has seen significant growth as a key security provider to its resellers.

The firm says it adds value by actively engaging with its reseller channel, through direct communications by its trained and motivated sales team.

The distributor acts as a key channel supplier of ESD products via its newly launched Reseller

Portal, which includes renewal revenue on the full range of security products offered. PXS says this means resellers are no longer bound to a single security vendor, giving consumers greater choice in the market.

TARGET COMPONENTS

Contact: 01256 788 000 techdata.co.uk

Plus, the company also offers a dedicated business advice website called ShopTalk, which offers business advice, blogs and articles, discussion topics, useful links and a forum to share best practice.

VIP COMPUTERS

46 | PCR October 2015

Tech Data says it offers its customers specialist support in key areas of the market, underpinned by exceptional product choice with more than 30,000 stock items from over 150 manufacturers available for next-day delivery.

Its vendor portfolio covers a wide range of technology across AV, components, consumer electronics, enterprise, mobile, networking, PC systems, print, software and supplies.

The firm says businesses rely on Tech Data and its collection of specialists to provide sales and technical advice – and to deliver the products they need to meet their customers’ requirements.

WESTCOAST Contact: 0118 912 6000 westcoast.co.uk

Contact: 0871 622 7500 vip-computers.com/uk/

Based in Warrington, VIP is one of the UK’s largest independent distributors of PC components, gaming peripherals and IT products.

The company says is has been at the heart of the IT distribution channel for 25 years, and its company motto of ‘Delivering Value in Distribution’ emphasises its focus on adding value across each and every stage of the order process.

VIP’s portfolio is packed with a wide

has become one of the largest storage distributors in the UK and Europe.

TECH DATA

Contact: 01977 739 300 targetcomponents.co.uk

Since Target’s launch in 1998, the company says it has developed supplier relationships ranging from the world’s leading technology brands to direct factory relationships in the Far East and elsewhere, and established a worldwide supply network.

The distributor has a wide and varied range of over 10,000 product lines, from cables and laptop parts to servers and networking products.

Established in April 2003, Smithie UK operates in Basingstoke, where its 20,000sq ft on-site warehouse, logistics, sales and RMA facility is based.

The company has around 25 employees, who have helped to grow the company’s client base.

Smithie says it is proud to be a brand-dedicated distributor, purely selling the latest and best products available in the market, and says it

range vendors including AMD, AOC, ASUS, BenQ, Corsair, EVGA, Gigabyte, Intel, MSI, Nvidia, Palit, Razer and Sapphire, amongst others.

The firm also says that it is one of the UK’s leading PC gaming hardware distributors with some of the best known gaming hardware brands amongst its line-up.

Westcoast Limited was founded in 1984 and says its core value is its passion for the industry and customers that it services within it.

The company also says it prides itself on delivering the best possible results for all of its stakeholders, including customers, vendors, shareholders, employees, environment, community and industry. Through the hard work and dedication of all at Westcoast,

the distributor says it’s consistently ranked in the Sunday Times Top track list of 100 largest privately owned UK companies.

Westcoast has also been ranked tenth in a list of the fastest growing private companies in Europe according to Europe 500.

www.pcr-online.biz

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‘Yes!’

MYSTERY SHOPPER

PCR’s big Mac challenge For our Apple special, this month we tasked our mystery shopper with finding an 11-inch MacBook Air online, with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB HDD. The catch? It must cost the same or less than from Apple direct (£749). Here’s how they got on…

8/10 AMAZON WITH AMAZON being possibly the most popular online retailer at the moment, I thought this would be a great place to start my search.

While I was pleased to see that there were a few options for an 11-inch MacBook Air, I had to dismiss half of them after finding out that they were used instead of brand new. There was only one product sold by Amazon itself that was new but, unfortunately, it was a higher spec than what I was looking for. After dismissing a few more that were 48 | PCR October 2015

listed slightly higher than Apple’s £749 price tag, I found one MacBook Air with the right specs and in new condition in the marketplace section.

It was £604 – quite a saving. As well as this, it was sold by GB Buddy, which had a 97 per cent positive rating plus free delivery. But it took a while to find.

As with all Amazon purchases, it was incredibly easy to buy the product through its 1-click ordering system. It was also eligible for free delivery.

“This was a particularly tricky mystery shop.

There is a lot less scope for competitive pricing when it comes to Apple products.”

9/10 JOHN LEWIS IT WAS very easy to find what I was looking for using the search bar at the top of the John Lewis website. I was happy to find that the retailer had the right device with my required specs for the same price as Apple.

While there wasn’t quite the saving that there was from Amazon, there was an awful lot of specs and information on the product for me to sift through.

The John Lewis website is clean and very easy to navigate, my only issues with it is the odd zoom function,

which gets a bit annoying after a while. Unlike most sites, where the zoomed image appears over the current one, this one pops up over other parts of the page...

Despite that, I had a lot of buying and delivery options to chose from. I could Click and Collect from John Lewis or Waitrose the next day for free, or wait five working days for free standard UK delivery.

There was even an option to collect my MacBook from a local shop for just £3.50 – something a lot of other etailers don’t offer. www.pcr-online.biz

MYSTERY SHOPPER

STAR STORE

10/10

9/10 PC WORLD

ARGOS I MANAGED to find an 11-inch MacBook Air with the right specs for £749, and also with free delivery.

As well as all the usual specs and product details, the Argos website made a point of drawing my attention to a number of special offers, which seemed to be tailormade to work with the particular laptop that I was planning to purchase.

These offers ranged from £20 gift vouchers if ordered before a certain date, to getting money off software packages such

antivirus software or Microsoft Office 365.

Argos also clearly displayed its customer support options on the page, which was a nice touch. When clicked, the customer support page opened in a new window, which meant I didn’t lose my page.

With options to buy or reserve from a store, as well as getting the product delivered for free straight to my door within two days, it was very hard to find a fault with Argos’ e-commerce offering.

THE HOMEPAGE of PC World’s website was full of offers and deals. There was even a MacBook Pro on there.

Although this wasn’t the model I was after, I clicked on it anyway, hoping that I would be able to easily find my way to my desired product.

I was right. I found the model I was looking for in the related products section.

I was a little put off by the pop up windows asking for my feedback before I even had a chance to spend much time on the site, but after

closing them, I found that not only did the MacBook Air match Apple’s £749 price tag, but there was also a 10 per cent cashback offer – reducing the price to £674.

After having to close another pop-up asking if I wanted to live chat with someone, I was pleased to see that I could get the MacBook delivered for free (and I could also choose to collect it from a local store within an hour).

While the price was very good at PC World, I did feel that I was a bit bombarded with pop-up windows.

SUMMARY

7/10 LAPTOPS DIRECT IN WHAT was proving to be a very successful mystery shop, I once again managed to find an 11-inch MacBook Air with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB hard drive. This time it was available for a very reasonable price of £694.97.

Of all the websites I visited during this mystery shop, Laptops Direct definitely had the most product information available.

There was also an abundance of images as well as package deals, tech specs, extras, customer reviews and a Q&A section. www.pcr-online.biz

7/10 EBUYER.COM

Once I clicked through to buy the product, Laptops Direct sneakily added on a set up and system check for £30. Luckily I noticed it just in time before buying the MacBook Air. Laptops Direct was also the only website I visited that charged for delivery, with the cheapest being £4.96 for standard delivery, which I was told would take up to five working days. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a free delivery option, unlike the other websites featured in this mystery shop.

WHILE EBUYER.com is probably the best looking website that I visited, it took me a little longer to find the product I was after.

Once I managed to find a MacBook Air, I failed to find one with the right specs.

There were none with 128GB HDDs. My only choice was one with 254GB, which had a price tag of £906.35. It had free delivery though.

Aside from the fact that Ebuyer didn’t have the exact product that I was after, it did provide free delivery and displayed a

wide range of specs and product information.

One nice touch I noticed was that as you scroll down the page, there is a banner at the top of the page displaying the product you are currently looking at, how long you have left to buy it to get next day delivery, and a very big ‘add to basket’ button.

These are all very nice touches which I felt encouraged me to complete my order without feeling like I’m being pressured into purchasing something.

THIS WAS a particularly tricky mystery shopper. Not because I couldn’t find the product I was after, but because there is a lot less scope for competitive pricing when it comes to buying a specific product from Apple.

Saying that, I did still manage to find some good offers, especially from PC World, which had it for £674, and Amazon, which offered up a MacBook Air for a very impressive £604.

Although Ebuyer.com was the best looking website, unfortunately it was the only site that I couldn’t actually find an 11-inch MacBook Air with the right specs.

I have to give Laptops Direct a special mention for the sheer volume of additional specs and product information it had.

While PC World and John Lewis both had great delivery options, my star store this month has to be Argos.

Not only did Argos have the right product at the right price, but it also had some really great add on offers and bundles, as well as handy options when it came to asking for help – without being too invasive.

PCR October 2015 | 49

RETAILER OF THE MONTH

FACT FILE Year established: 2001 Number of staff: 50 Address: Ingouville House, Ingouville Place, St. Helier, Jersey, JE2 4DE Telephone: 020 3659 2720 Email: customerservice@ cartridgepeople.com

Cartridge People

Website: www.cartridgepeople.com

After teaming up with Epson, Cartridge People is looking to offer more OEM products. Jade Burke chats to spokesperson Andy Cartman, joint MD of distribution and storage services firm H2eCommerce, about the etailer…

Tell us how the business began...

It was established in 2001 and the founders identified a gap in the market, having recognised a need for cheaper alternatives to OEM inks.

What products and services does Cartridge People offer?

Cartridge People is the largest retailer by unit volume of printer consumables in the UK. It also sells printers, stationery, PC accessories and has introduced a range of LED light bulbs.

Tell us a bit about the firm’s deal with Epson...

Epson is looking to grow its sales online and could take advantage of the growth of e-commerce, because it has seen sales through the traditional retail outlets falling. Epson is looking to take advantage and maximise digital marketing techniques that the online retailers have in their armoury.

For example, Cartridge People knows every single 50 | PCR October 2015

person who buys from them.

They know what printer they have got and so they are able to actually personalise offers to individual customers.

There’s an appetite to move into working with an online retailer from Epson’s point of view – they were looking to grow their online sales and Cartridge People had the digital marketing expertise to help them do that.

How will the Epson shop benefit the business?

It has given Cartridge People the opportunity to move into growing OEM sales. The market is quite volatile and whilst some people are looking for low price alternatives, there is another group of people who will only ever buy OEM products, so you have got to have a broad spectrum of products to maximise your sales.

What are your top-selling products?

Top selling products in terms of ink cartridges would be the

HP364 and HP301. But Epson is the retailer’s first launch into selling printers in a large way, and they have seen a good start to printer sales.

Cartridge People was predominantly only a consumable-based business, but working with Epson has

“Mobile printing will be the next big thing in the industry.”

Andy Cartman, H2eCommerce

helped them get their message across to customers.

According to Context, printer hardware in the UK has declined by 11 per cent.

Have you noticed this?

Interestingly enough, what Cartridge People has seen, having just moved into the printer market, is a good

growth. I think we’re seeing a slight switch to different types of printers, with things like mobile printers.

What are your thoughts on 3D printing? Do you think it will eventually become more mainstream?

My personal opinion is that, as an individual, I can’t really see the practical application. And so I don’t think you’re going to see them in everybody’s homes. Where I think you will see them is in every single classroom in the UK, because of all the different subjects you can apply 3D printing to.

I see it as a fantastic growth industry but not necessarily for domestic use.

What do you think will be the next big thing in the print industry?

I think mobile printing will be the next big thing in the industry. People want to be able to print on the move.

How has etail benefited you? Do you have any plans

to open physical stores?

There’s greater profitability in etail because you haven’t got the physical stores, which are a drain on resources in terms of rent, rates and staffing. This means the website is your shop window, so providing you’re giving good service, have good prices and good quality products – you’re going to benefit.

What does the future hold for the company?

Cartridge People is looking to expand and work with more OEM brands, having seen the success of the collaboration with Epson. But the big thing is that the retailer believes over the next year or two, as the austerity cuts continue to hit, it will look to work with schools, local councils and authorities to help them save money.

The retailer believes that it can work with them and help reduce their print costs. If that then gives them money for other resources, then everybody is a winner. www.pcr-online.biz

Available now!

N E X T I S N OW BIGGER

a

Company

Call our specialist sales teams North (Altham) 01282 776776 North (Stoke) 01782 648300 South (Basingstoke) 01256 707070 www.exertis.co.uk

SECTOR GUIDE

Apple accessories Apple is as popular as ever, and now that the firm has unveiled new hardware, now is the time to stock up on the accessories for the vendor’s whole range of products. Jade Burke looks at what’s on the market from the tech giant…

IPAD AIR 2

TRUST UNIVERSAL 10-INCH TABLET STAND

MANFROTTO KLYP CASE

Distributors: Westcoast, Tech Data

Distributor: Entatech

Distributor: Manfrotto Distribution

3.1 million pixels are packed into the iPad’s 9.7-inch display, which boasts a resolution of 2048x1536. It runs on an A8X chip that delivers better CPU and graphics performance, while the 64-bit processor delivers faster speeds. Plus it also features Touch ID technology, providing users with more security.

Designed for 10-inch tablets, this device can prop up either an iPad or an iPad 2, plus it also has an automatic size adjustment for easier mounting.

Users can also place their tablet in a horizontal or vertical position, while the solid construction helps to protect devices.

Designed to provide protection for either an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, the Monfrotto case also comes with a small kickstand to prop devices up. Users can also connect it to any supported camera with the tripod adapter, while the six interchangeable lenses included allow users to take photos with various effects.

Specs: iSight camera, iOS 8 operating system, 6.1mm thick, 9.7-inch display, up to 10 hour battery life.

Specs: For 10-inch sized tablets, automatic size adjustment, foldable design.

Specs: LED light, kickstand, surface mount technology, interchangeable lenses.

SRP: Varies

SRP: £24.99

SRP: From £24.95

STM DUX FOR MACBOOK

SCOSCHE SPORT EARBUDS

11500MAH POWER BANK

Distributor: Computers Unlimited

Distributor: Entatech

Distributors: Spire Technology, Exertis, Northamber, Meroncourt

The Dux case features reinforced corners and a translucent design, while the polycarbonate and rubberised TBU bracket provides protection for MacBooks. It also comes with textured rubber feet to help keep the device in place on smooth services.

Using bend-to-fit ear clips and adjustable pivoting drives, these earbuds fit around the user’s ears. The IPX4 rating means the earbuds are both splash-proof and dust-proof, plus they provide 1mm high-efficiency dynamic drivers to support full-range sounds.

A 11,500mAh advanced-chemistry battery is included with this power bank, as well as dual USB ports so up to two devices can be charged at the same time. The charger also boasts a LED light status, so users know how much power is left in the bank.

Specs: Available for 11-inch and 13-inch MacBooks, translucent design, open hinge.

Specs: Dual earpiece, 11mm speaker driver, tapIT controls, reinforced strain relief cable.

Specs: Integral MicroUSB charging port, compatible with iPhone and iPod devices, over-charge and short circuit protection.

SRP: £49.99

SRP: £22.51

SRP: £55 excluding VAT

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR October 2015 | 53

WHITE PAPERS | ANALYSIS | REPORTS | CASE STUDIES | BRIEFINGS | TUTORIALS AND MORE

IT Channel Expert – your new portal for resources and opinions from the tech industry

The PCR team has launched IT Channel Expert – a website providing you with the latest white papers, case studies, research, reports, opinions and advice from the IT channel.

Whether you’re a services provider looking for advice on how to grow your business, or a tech reseller researching the pros and cons of selling cloud – IT Channel Expert has a comprehensive library of material on subjects ranging from market data and people management to remote working and security.

Need help preparing for that important meeting?

Planning to pitch your brilliant idea to the boss? Ironing out all the finer details of your new business strategy?

IT Channel Expert has got you covered. Registering is free and gives you access to all downloadable content on the site, so you can have your preferred resources to hand whenever you need them.

Head over to www.itchannelexpert.com/register to SIGN UP FREE today

SECTOR GUIDE

POWER CASE 3,200MAH FOR IPHONE 6

TARGUS ROTATING HARD SHELL KEYBOARD CASE

SYNC AND CHARGE DATA CABLE

Distributor: Exertis

Distributor: Tech Data

Distributor: Exertis

An integrated 3,200mAh SBS provides iPhone 6 users with power, while the pull tab allows users to write and watch videos in the position stand. Plus, an LED charging light tells users how much power is left.

Designed for iPad Air 2 devices, this case can turn an iPad into a laptop with a full-size Qwerty keyboard.

Using Bluetooth, consumers can pair an iPad with the case, while the pivoting swivel offers flexible viewing and screen-sharing options.

This comes with a lightning cable that allows users to connect devices featuring Apple’s new connector to the USB port of a computer or notebook. It also boasts an LED lighting system, which informs users of the charging status.

Specs: Lightning connector, stand function, 3,200mAh charging current.

Specs: Bluetooth connectivity, deigned for iPad Air 2 devices, full-size Qwerty keyboard.

Specs: Compatible with devices supporting Lightning port, 70cm in length, LED charging status.

SRP: £44.99

SRP: £89.99

SRP: £23.99

TRANSCEND JETDRIVE LITE

PORT DESIGNS MANILLE IPAD AIR CASE

KANDEX SYDNEE USB CHARGING STATION

Distributor: Westcoast

Distributor: Northamber

Distributor: Tech Data

These JetDrive cards have been designed for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro devices, and provide users with additional space. The cards have been built with MLC flash and can achieve read speeds of up to 95MB/s and write speeds of up to 60MB/s. Plus, each card comes with a free download of Transcend’s exclusive JetDrive Toolbox software.

This portfolio closes with a leather flap that keeps it secured at all times, plus the hard shell frame ensures iPads are protected and kept in place. Several video positions are also available, allowing users to watch videos in different situations.

Users can charge up to four iPads or iOS devices simultaneously with this Kandex charging station.

The individual USB port pumps out 2.1 amps of power for quick charging, while one cord powers the whole device.

Specs: MLC flash technology, resistant to water, dust and shock, compatible with MacBook Pro and Air devices.

Specs: Leather finish, designed for iPad Air devices, adjustable viewing angle.

Specs: Compatible with iPads, iPhones and iPods, smart charge feature detects which device is being charged, built-in short circuit protection.

SRP: From £31

SRP: £34.99

SRP: £129.99

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR October 2015 | 55

SECTOR GUIDE

SCENTED CANDY CRUSH CASES FOR IPHONE 6

LIFEPROOF NÜÜD FOR IPHONE 6 PLUS

PORT DESIGNS TAIPEI IPAD AIR CASE

ABBYY FINEREADER FOR MAC

Distributor: Peak Development

Distributor: Tech Data

Distributor: Northamber

Distributor: Binary Distribution

Designed for iPhone 6 smartphones, these official Candy Crush scented cases come in a variety of scents, including lemon, mango, strawberry and apple.

Made from silicone, the cases are also available in a range of bright colours, plus it also comes with shock absorbing technology to help protect smartphones.

Featuring screenless technology, nüüd protects the iPhone 6 from drops, dirt and dunks while opening the touchscreen to direct touch. It can be submerged in two metres of water for up to one hour and has met military standards for drop and shock protection.

This portfolio integrates protective corners designed to protect an iPad Air. The flap closure helps to guarantee proper closure, while the case also boasts a typing position, along with several video positions for when users wish to view content.

Users can transfer paper documents, PDFs and digital photos of text into editable and searchable files with ABBYY FineReader Pro. The software allows users to edit, search, share, archive and copy information from documents for reuse and quotation.

Specs: Scented silicone cases, official Candy Crush product, also available for iPhone 5/5S.

Specs: Water tested, designed for iPhone 6 Plus, volume buttons, Touch ID, headphone jack.

Specs: Sleeping mode, flap closure, protective corners, adjustable viewing angle.

Specs: OCR quality, text recognition, document formatting reconstruction.

SRP: £14.99

SRP: £79.95

SRP: £34.99

SRP: £79

BITMORE CHARGE AND SYNC CABLE

MY ISTICK LIGHTNING USB STICK 32GB/64GB

TRANSCEND STOREJET FOR MAC SSD

DICOTA BOOK CASE

Distributor: Peak Development

Distributor: Entatech

Distributor: Westcoast

Distributor: Northamber

Users can charge Apple devices with Bitmore’s Charge and Sync cable, which has four flip-out connectors stowed inside. It packs a USB, MicroUSB, Apple Lightning and Apple 32 pin to help provide juice to any device. To use, plug the USB device into a USB socket and plug one of the other connectors into your device.

Developed with a USB 2.0 connector on one side and an Apple Lightning connector on the other, iStick allows users to connect to iOS devices and computers. Available in either 32GB or 64GB capacities, users can transfer data easily between different devices, plus iStick also comes with a free app to help transfer files.

This SJM500 portable SSD comes equipped with Thunderbolt technology and SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interfaces. It can withstand five times greater shock than other drives, providing data protection, while a Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 cable are also included.

The Book Case from Dicota boasts Apple wake and sleep functions, which helps to provide long lasting battery life. Users can also create alternative viewing positions with the case, by folding the front flap to form a triangle.

In addition, the case features openings for all ports and controls, as well as the camera and speakers.

Specs: Multi-tool style charging cable, four connectors, compatible with all Apple devices.

Specs: Supports MP3, jpg, gif and tiff, USB 2.0, Apple Lightning cable, available in 32BG and 64GB capacities.

Specs: Thunderbolt cable, USB 3.0 cable, metallic design, shock resistant.

Specs: Designed for iPad Air devices, Apple wake/sleep function, synthetic leather, 25.4cm in size.

SRP: : £9.99

SRP: From £79.99

SRP: From £190

SRP: £25.99

56 | PCR October 2015

www.pcr-online.biz

cherry.de

PURE PRECISION PURE SPEED PURE DESIGN A puristic keyboard without compromises.

For people without compromises: CHERRY MX BOARD 6.0

Innovating the world‘s best keyboards …

YOUR SUPPLY SOURCES:

PCR BOOT CAMP NORTH IS BACK

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11TH 2015 THE ROYAL ARMORIES, LEEDS PCR Boot Camp North– the conference, expo and networking party for tech retailers and resellers – is returning to Leeds on Wednesday November 11th, after a hugely successful debut event last year.

As ever, dealers get in completely free. Each delegate is given a complimentary gift bag to take home worth nearly £100. There’s a full day of conferences, networking and exhibition time, as well as lunch and dinner and a free bar at the after party.

For exhibitors, it’s a fantastic opportunity to get in front of retailers and resellers, network and grow business.

For more information on the event contact Andrew Wooden on awooden@nbmedia.com For partnership opportunities talk to Jennie Lane on jlane@nbmedia.com or 01992 545647

SECTOR GUIDE

ENERPLEX JUMPR SLATE 5K-L

SANDISK CONNECT WIRELESS STICK

MACBOOK PRO

MANFROTTO DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Distributor: Peak Development

Distributor: CMS Distribution

Distributors: Westcoast, Tech Data

Distributor: Manfrotto Distribution

This 5,100mAh power bank boasts an Apple Lightning cable for convenient power on the go, plus it can also fit into a jacket pocket or clip into a binder of a folder. The Slate can also be charged directly from the mains.

Users can wirelessly access media or transfer files, stream HD videos and music, and share photos and videos to and from a mobile device with this wireless stick from SanDisk.

Available in either 13-inch or 15-inch variants, a Force Touch trackpad, which detects how much pressure is being applied, is included. Both devices can deliver up to 10 hours of battery life and run on OS X Yosemite.

Digital Director works by connecting a Canon or Nikon DSLR camera and an iPad Air or Air 2 to help capture images and shoot videos. It comes with a cable that allows users to control their camera remotely using their Apple device.

Specs: Rubberised and durable design, binder cut outs for storage, 5,100mAh power bank.

Specs: Compatible with 802.11n wireless network, 64GB and 128GB versions support exFAT file system.

Specs: Dual-core and quad-core Intel processors, PCIe-based flash storage, Retina display.

Specs: Digital Director app, 10-metre cable, Apple certified.

SRP: £49.99

SRP: From £19.99

SRP: Varies

SRP: £399.95

LMS DATA SOLAR POWERED CHARGER

3M EASY-ON PRIVACY FILTERS

IWALK RECHARGEABLE POWER CASE

SCREEN PROTECTOR FOR IPHONE 6

Distributors: Spire Technology, Exertis, Northamber, Meroncourt

Distributor: Tech Data

Distributor: Entatech

Distributor: Exertis

This charger provides fast solar charging thanks to its highperformance photovoltaic (PV) panels, which work alongside a 5,000mAh advanced-chemistry battery.

3M’s Easy-On Privacy Filters allow users to view their Apple device in public without the fear of revealing any confidential information. Bubble-free application also allows the privacy filter to be reapplied numerous times.

Designed for iPhone 6 smartphones, this case has been military drop certified, ensuring it is protected from knocks and drops. It boasts a 2,400mAh Li-Polymer battery and allows users to sync data through the Micro USB cable.

Thanks to this protector’s metal coating, the case acts like a mirror when a smartphone is not illuminated. In addition, the case protects the screen from any knocks and bumps.

Specs: Integral USB port, integral Micro USB charging port, 5,000mAh advanced-chemistry battery.

Specs: Bubble-free application, microlouver technology, anti-glare filters.

Specs: Anti-slip features, rubberised grips, 2,400mAh Li-Polymer battery.

Specs: Mirror effect case, resistant and anti-shock, designed for iPhone 6.

SRP: £65 excluding VAT

SRP: £34.99

SRP: £49.99

SRP: £14.99

CONTACT

Entatech ........................................ 0333 101 1000

Northamber .................................. 020 8296 7066

Exertis (HOME) .............................. 01279 822 822

Peak Development ........................ 01489 796979

Binary Distribution ........................ 01844 239483

Exertis (IT) ...................................... 01256 707070

Spire Technology .......................... 01202 828 444

CMS Distribution .......................... 020 8960 6000

Manfrotto Distribution ................. 01530 566090

Tech Data ...................................... 01256 788 000

Computers Unlimited ..................020 82 00 82 82

Meroncourt ................................... 01462 680060

Westcoast ...................................... 0118 912 6000

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR October 2015 | 59

Headline Partner

The search for our top women in the UK PC and tech industry is once again underway Our aim is to shine the spotlight on some of the most inspirational and influential female execs in the PC tech industry. And we arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just looking for Managing Directors or CEOs either â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we want to showcase the full range of roles within the business.

RISING STAR | MARKETING & PR | SALES | WOMAN OF THE YEAR VOTE NOW @ www.pcrwomenoftheyear.com To attend the event on Friday October 16th at Sway bar, London, or for more information contact Andrew Wooden on awooden@nbmedia.com For sponsorship opportunities, talk to Jennie Lane at jlane@nbmedia.com

Recommended Dedicated monthly product coverage

The latest tech Editorial planner

12.9-inch Retina display The iPad Pro uses a new Apple Pen stylus and Smart Keyboard

An A9X processor running iOS 9 provides almost double the CPU performance of the iPad Air 2

Apple iPad goes Pro APPLE has revealed a swanky new iPad for businesses and professionals.

The iPad Pro boasts a 12.9-inch 5.6 million-pixel Retina display powered by the new A9X, Apple’s thirdgeneration chip with 64-bit architecture, giving it nearly double the CPU performance of the iPad Air 2.

It’s also capable of running 4K video.

Most notably, the iPad Pro comes with a portable Surface-style Smart Keyboard, which includes a stand and

connects to the tablet via a new Smart Connector. It also uses the Apple Pencil – a new type of stylus which features Multi-Touch technology, making it sensitive to tilt and pressure, letting the user create a range of brush strokes and effects.

Weighing in at 713g and measuring 6.9mm thin, the iPad Pro sports the sleek and slim profile that Apple products are well known for. There are four high-fidelity speakers built into its

unibody, boasting three times the acoustic output of the older iPad Air. The new tablet also uses Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 9, which lets users run two apps at once via Multitasking, plus there’s Siri and Spotlight search, helping the user get around the interface more quickly.

Other features include an iSight camera, allowing users to shoot timelapse videos in 1080p HD, and a frontfacing FaceTime HD camera.

“iPad Pro is the most advanced and powerful iPad we have ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior VP of worldwide marketing. “Its A9X chip beats most portable PCs in both CPU and graphics tasks, but is thin and light enough to hold all day.”

Apple has also released the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, boasting 4K video, 3D Touch and a 12MP camera, as well as teasing a revamped Apple TV product.

Contact: Tech Data (01256 788 000), Ingram Micro (0871 973 3000), Westcoast (0118 912 6000) | Prices: TBC | Out: November

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR October 2015 | 61

RECOMMENDED

Touchless ASUS stays cool tablet technology LENOVO has announced the new YOGA Tab 3 at IFA in Berlin, with the 8-inch and 10-inch series cameras enabled with gesture controls.

They’re the first Lenovo tablets on the market to be integrated with Crunchfish Touchless A3D gesture tech, letting users take photos from a distance of up to four metres by simply raising their hand to activate the 8MP rotating camera, plus it also comes with LTE support.

“The agreement with Crunchfish allows us to take the camera application to the next level by offering gesture controlled features

such as photo capturing. The YOGA Tab 3, 8-inch and 10-inch are designed for creative use and it is very exciting to be able to offer such an innovative user experience to our users,” said Johnson Zhu, director of tablet product planning at Lenovo.

Lenovo also presented the new ideacentre Y700 and Y900, the ideapad Y700, thinner and lighter ThinkPad Yoga 260 and 460 convertibles, as well as faster ThinkCentre desktops. The new range of devices includes the ThinkPad E Series, the updated Lenovo M, B and E line of laptops and S series desktops including all-in-ones.

Contact: Lenovo | 020 3014 0783 | Price: TBC | Out: October 2015

Acer’s build-your-own PC THE NEW Revo Build Series (M1-601) Mini PC takes a modular approach to allow consumers to customise their computer without opening up the chassis.

Blocks with different features can be easily stacked on top of the base unit, like toy building blocks. They are connected through pogo pins with magnetic alignment so that there’s no hassle with wires when swapping out modules. The Blocks can also work independently or with other PCs. The Revo Build M1-601 desktop is packaged in a one-litre chassis with a 125x125 mm footprint.

Blocks such as the 500GB/1TB swappable Portable Hard Drive will be available at launch, while a Wireless Power Bank for wireless charging, an Audio Block with speakers and microphones, and

other expansion Blocks will be rolled out gradually.

The base unit comes with an Intel Pentium or Celeron processor, with integrated Intel HD graphics, while the system memory of up to 8GB DDR4 RAM can be upgraded by loosening one screw.

Contact: Acer | 0371 760 1020 | Price: From £199.99 | Out: Mid-October

62 | PCR October 2015

THE ROG GX700 is the world’s first water-cooled gaming laptop and was shown off for the first time at IFA 2015.

ASUS says the laptop delivers stable, super-fast performance, and like the G752, the GX700 features the new ROG colour scheme.

It is powered by a 6th-generation Intel K-SKU processor (which can be

overclocked), with the latest Nvidia graphics processing unit for better gaming. Gamers can enjoy 4K/UHD on the 17-inch 4K/UHD in-plane switching (IPS) display.

ASUS also showed off the VivoStick PC on a stick, the RT-AC5300 Wi-Fi router, Zen AiO S 4K all-in-one PC and the ZenPad eight-inch tablet.

Contact: ASUS | www.asus.com | Price: TBC | Out: Q1 2016

World’s first 12.5” 4K convertible TOSHIBA lifted the lid on its Radius 12 notebook at IFA 2015, which it’s billing as the world’s first 12.5-inch Ultra HD 4K convertible.

The device boasts five different modes for alternative viewing, Windows 10 functionality and Intel 6th gen Core processors up to i7, as well as a high speed SSD of up to 512GB and 8GB RAM. The Radius 12 measures 15.4mm thin and weighs 1.32kg, with a battery life of eight hours. Its display has Chrome Tune for Toshiba software, which allows the user to select the best colour space for the content they’re viewing. It also features a high brightness 350 NIT screen for usage in outdoor scenarios and IPS technology for wide-angled

viewing, as well as Corning Gorilla Glass NBT reinforcement for added protection from knocks.

Built-in Harman Kardon speakers help to provide crisp audio, while Bluetooth Link lets users playback music from another device through the Radius 12 wirelessly.

Contact: Toshiba | 01392 889 384 | Price: TBC | Out: Q4 2015 www.pcr-online.biz

RECOMMENDED

WD’s fastest Razer gets external drive precise WD HAS introduced the My Book Pro storage device, providing professionals and enthusiasts with up to 435MB/s transfer rates on WD’s fastest external storage solution to date.

With capacity options including 6TB, 8TB, 10TB and 12TB, the power of two 7,200 RPM WD drives with Intel’s Thunderbolt 2 technology and a hot-swappable hardware RAID controller, the My Book Pro device lets users transfer large files much more quickly.

“The My Book Pro device has been designed from the ground up for the creative professional workflow. We’ve been able to take the newest, highest capacity 6TB 7,200 RPM drives on the market and marry them with leading technologies to deliver a product

you can leverage from the moment you connect it,” said Sven Rathjen, VP of marketing for WD’s content solutions business.

“It really is designed to perform under the most demanding environments.”

DESIGNED from the ground up for mobile gamers, the new Razer Orochi notebook gaming mouse is Razer’s most precise yet.

It features the latest in sensor and battery technology to give gamers pinpoint accuracy and more than double the playing time in wireless mode.

Complementing this overhaul, Razer has also added Chroma lighting, dual mode connectivity and a completely reengineered shell with a metal top. At the heart of the new Orochi is a 4G,

8,200 DPI laser sensor – the highest DPI sensor ever designed into a mobile gaming mouse.

The result is precise tracking and movement speeds of up to 210 inches per second with 50G acceleration.

Bluetooth Low Energy technology gives the mouse more than double the battery life of its predecessor, with over 60 hours of continuous gaming use, or seven months of normal use, from a single charge. It is ideal for wireless notebook use with a polling rate of 125 Hz, which increases to 1,000 Hz when used in wired mode.

Contact: VIP Computers | 0871 622 7500 | Price: £64.99 | Out: October

Contact: WD | www.wdc.com | Price: $599 to $999 | Out: Now

Editorial Planner

A look at the biggest features coming up in PCR over the next few months...

2015

YEAR IN REVIEW

NOVEMBER 2015

DECEMBER 2015

PCR BOOT CAMP NORTH PREVIEW REVIEW OF THE YEAR AND 2016 PREDICTIONS

JANUARY 2016 CLOUD FOCUS

We gear up for another big date in the trade calendar, looking at the exhibitors and conference line-up for Boot Camp North. We also review the 2015 PCR Women of the Year Awards.

We look back on the key industry trends of 2015 and ask the experts what’s around the corner. We also list distributor Christmas opening hours.

Cloud computing is still on the increase – to celebrate we inspect the market including the current service offerings. In addition, PCR previews CES and publishes its latest list of top 50 tech execs.

Sector Guides: Security software, security hardware/CCTV, health and fitness tech.

Sector Guides: Desktops and all-in-ones, motherboards, processors and office equipment.

Sector Guides: Storage – HDDs and SSDs, cloud storage and software, smartphones and accessories.

Advertising Deadline

Advertising Deadline

Advertising Deadline

October 15th

November 16th

December 10th

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR October 2015 | 63

OUT OF OFFICE

IN THE

HOT SEAT Neil Spicer, AMD AMD’s EMEA senior sales manager Neil Spicer reveals his favourite place to visit and how he was able to work with industry icons during his career…

What’s your most embarrassing or funniest moment in the industry?

There have been some really fun times over the years, most of which are not printable! I do have some great memories of when the entire UK industry used to converge on CeBit every year and somehow all meet in the Irish pub. Some of the best deals of my early career were negotiated at 1am over a drink or ten!

What are your hobbies?

I have got into long distance endurance events over the last year, doing two marathons and some 70.3 Ironman triathlons.

Next year I have the full Ironman triathlon so that will be the focus for now. On top of that I coach my son’s under seven football team.

What was your fist job?

My first job in the IT industry was in 1999, working for a system builder called Compusys. I was working as a sales manager and learned a great deal from some industry icons like Sam Kazerounian.

Do you have pet hates?

Double negatives. ‘I ain’t got nothing…’ well that means you’ve got something!

What’s the best place you’ve visited?

I am fortunate to travel a lot of the world with AMD, in particular I enjoy spending time in Austin and Hong Kong. Due to extensive travel, my favourite place to visit is home!

What’s going to be the next big thing in tech?

Virtual Reality (VR). We are running various demonstrations around Europe at the moment to allow people to experience the magic of VR for the first time. When you watch people’s body language, expressions and listen to the screams, it’s brilliant. I saw a cool concept recently where you’re able to simulate flying through a city, strapped into what looks like a bird, with wind in your face and the smell of the sea – it was truly incredible.

What’s the toughest decision you have ever made?

Any decision that can have an effect on someone else should be considered one.

Would you like to nominate anyone for our next ‘In the hot seat’?

I would like to nominate Richard Marsden, Sales Director at VIP. When I first joined ATI in 2001 he was one of my first customers and we still work closely together today.

64 | PCR October 2015

SCAN AND PINEAPPLE: PIZZA PALAVER SCAN MANAGED to turn its stand into a pizzeria this year at Multiplay Insomnia, and arguably drummed up the most buzz on the day. Handing out pizzas on the day turned into a food frenzy, with kids scrambling on top of each other to get a piece.

But these pizzas came with a price, as attendees were asked to pull the silliest facial expression or perform their best impression for a chance to scoff a slice.

We’re not sure if Scan expected the demand it witnessed on the day though, after strewn bits of ham and pepperoni were left scattered across the floor. This pizza stunt certainly proved to be very popular on the day, and we’re sure those who got in on the action went home with a full belly.

GIGABYTE’S GENEROUS OFFERING During the latest Insomnia 55 Gaming Festival, gaming vendor Gigabyte was able to raise £2,417 for local Coventry charity Zoe’s Place.

The charity is a baby hospice which provides respite and endof-life care to babies and infants aged from birth to five years old, suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

Gamers gathered together to take part in the raffle, held during the Multiplay Insomnia 55 LAN event at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, where attendees got the chance to get their hands on AMD CPUs, AOC monitors, HyperX memory and SDDs. The raffle took place across two days, with one lucky winner announced each day.

FROM THE ARCHIVE PC Retail No 2: November 2003 PC WORLD opens its first new concept megastore and highlights home networking as one of the key business drivers for the market… Universal Laser Systems introduces a printer that uses a 25W laser which can etch and cut various materials… Research firm Pew Internet claims that 25 per cent of people are using email less because of junk mail or spam… Nvidia releases the GeForce FX 5700, FX 5700 Ultra and FX 5950… Distributor Northamber bolsters its portfolio with ViewSonic… According to printer manufacturer Epson, in the future the printer will be a multimedia device that can connect to a number of appliances…

Plus: Data recovery firm Kroll Ontrack releases a report stating consumers are getting more careless with their PCs… Jo Lernout, a former director of the speech recognition specialists Lernout and Hauspie, has invented a robotic guinea pig called Gupi… www.pcr-online.biz

OUT OF OFFICE

RETAILER IRN-BRUS-UP INTEREST

140 CHARACTERS OF NEWS AND VIEWS What the industry’s been tweeting about this month…

Rich Marsden, VIP Computers @Rich_VIPCom Good to have @pcr_online at VIP House today, enjoyed talking all things gaming with @ Dom_Sacco & @roradrum #VIPCom #Gaming Anna Cheng, Intel @starhawke13 Congrats to my manager, @frannyapples on being a WOTY finalist at @pcr_online

AFTER DISPLAYING an ‘IrnBru’ water-cooled PC in its window, Edinburgh-based retailer The PC Doctor has received global recognition.

Shop owner John Lawson is responsible for the invention,

known as the Och Aye Mac, which features a 750ml glass bottle of orange liquid.

Lawson tells PCR: “We wanted to get people interested in computers by having it in the shop window

It came from…

STAR WARS has always been a loved movie franchise in Japan, and now with the impending worldwide release of the next movie

and show other ways to keep computers cool.”

The water used isn’t actually the fizzy juice, but instead a liquid dyed to emulate the orange glow associated with Irn-Bru.

JAPAN later this year, Amanda Imp has designed an interactive Bluetooth snow globe.

And with Christmas just around the corner, these

glass flurries seem a fitting present.

Each globe works with a smartphone or tablet and creates a snow dance according to the music that is being played. Three versions are currently available featuring Darth Vader, C-3PO and R2-D2 or Stormtroopers, but they don’t come cheap at $274 (£176) a pop.

CROWDFUNDING CORNER DEVELOPED IN the 1860s, typewriters have long since been replaced by computers, but Qwerkytoys are bringing them back in to form of the Qwerkywriter – a tablet keyboard that mimics the retro device.

The Qwerkywriter features mechanical switches and can pair with tablets, smartphones and PCs wirelessly using Bluetooth.

This keyboard even comes with the familiar ‘Return Bar’ that all

www.pcr-online.biz

Tim Cook, Apple (before the iPad Pro reveal) @tim_cook Just a few hours to go here in SF! We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on.

Exertis IT @ExertisIT Congrats to our Zoe Curtis for being announced as a Finalist in the @pcr_online Women of the Year Awards 2015!

Satya Nadella, Microsoft @satyanadella .@tmyerson & I decided to upgrade our #ALSIceBucketChallenge from @ TeamGleason. #WindowsInsiders you’re up next!

David McQuarrie, Lenovo @mcquarried @murraya85 @chloe_jones @pcr_online @ lenovo Congratulations Chloe and Michelle!!

Awesome to see you recognised among this esteemed group!

Synology UK & Nordic @SynologyUK Thanks to everyone who came to #Synology2016 Launch Event in London today. We have also now reached 2,000 followers! Thanks for the support!

IFA_Berlin @IFA_Berlin Thank you all for a fantastic show! See you at IFA 2016, September 2-7 HP Official News @hpnews “My goal is in the very near future, when you hear of 3D printing, you only think about one company: HP Inc” – Dion Weisler $HPQ

typewriters used, however this one functions as an ‘Enter’ key, which can also be programmed to remember up to five characters.

An integrated tablet stand is also included, so users can tune in to watch their own silent movie if they really wish to keep in character.

Synaxon UK @SynaxonUK Nice article on #Itretailer of the month for @ SynaxonUK member @jrlinton in September @pcr_online magazine.

PCR October 2015 | 65

THE LAST WORD

How to survive change in the channel What does a VAR or MSP have to do in today’s changing channel to remain relevant? Westcoast’s UK and Ireland MD Alex Tatham looks at how the market is evolving and how resellers can ensure they don’t get left behind…

“HANDS UP, who would start a traditional product reseller if they had the resources?”

I was struck by that question posed by Gartner to a conference of 300 resellers.

Not one hand went up in the room. This conference wasn’t last month – it was four years ago. I can assure you that the answer would be no different today, and yet I have failed to see Westcoast customers changing their business models dramatically – nor have I seen enormous amounts of companies winding themselves up in the past four years. So what IS actually happening?

distributors has multiplied – and made more efficient by their channel engagement. This has allowed resellers to offer a broader range of services.

If this isn’t resonating with you, let me give you some ideas: 1. You must be clued up enough in cloud computing to talk to existing end users about their journey to the cloud.

2. You must be more efficient – make sure you are electronically engaged with your key distribution partners. Product margin is NOT going up, so your costs for this aspect of your business must be reduced.

3. Partner with other resellers

“Darwinism is as true in the IT channel as it is on the Galapagos Islands. Get fitter – as your survival will depend upon it.”

Alex Tatham, Westcoast Firstly, product supply has had plenty of business and still has. However, the market is diminishing and the end users are also different. The channel has improved its efficiency and relevance as its value has improved. And vendors have recognised the model’s success by moving their direct business to indirect – just look at Dell which had to go private to execute on this policy.

Secondly, traditional VARs are used to selling services, hence end users trust those incumbent resellers that were able to help them move to the cloud in some way. This means existing VARs are in a better shape to service an end user (as long as they are progressive).

Finally, the range of services offered by vendors and

and distributors to enhance your offer and range of services.

4. Talk to your customers’ senior decision makers. If your only relationship exists in the IT department of your end user, your likelihood of retaining that customer is reduced.

There are many ways to be relevant in today’s IT channel, but your biggest challenge in the future will be billing your customer. Reach out to your distributors and ask them how they can help.

Darwinism is as true in the IT channel as it is on the Galapagos Islands. Get fitter – as your survival will depend upon it.

Alex Tatham will be speaking at PCR Boot Camp North. To attend for free, visit pcrbootcampnorth.com

Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 Website: www.pcr-online.biz Twitter: @pcr_online PCR is published 12 times a year by NewBay Media - Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA. Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648. © NewBay Media 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of PCR are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. Printed by Pensord.

66 | PCR October 2015

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