PCR155-August-2016 by Future PLC

FOR THE UK’S PC & TECH COMMUNITY • No. 155 • AUGUST 2016

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20 Market snapshot How is the PC and desktop industry currently shaping up?

22 AMD’s VR mission PCR interviews Neil Spicer about AMD’s VRfriendly approach

30 Dixons tour We visit the chain’s innovative new store on Oxford Street

No. 155 • AUGUST 2016 COMPUTER & IT RESELLERS z RETAILERS z SYSTEM BUILDERS z DISTRIBUTORS z VENDORS

WWW.PCR-ONLINE.BIZ

IS UK TECH IN

TROUBLE?

With the Brexit, chip maker ARM being sold to Japan’s SoftBank, and analysts saying the UK is now ‘less attractive’ to foreign workers, PCR looks at what it means for our industry… BRITAIN’S technology industry has fallen into a state of uncertainty following a tumultuous month of big business decisions. In late June, the out vote in the EU referendum came as a shock to many, dividing opinion across the country; some senior IT channel executives reacted favourably to the news, while others were left feeling disappointed or unsure. At the two ends of the spectrum there are those excited by fresh new opportunities, and others that fear a potential recession (or are concerned about the falling value of the pound). Then, in July, Britain’s biggest biggest tech firm and chip maker ARM accepted a £24.3 billion offer from Japanese group SoftBank. The news came after Ingram Micro agreed to be acquired by China’s Tianjin Tianhai Investment Co earlier this year. Elsewhere, there is still an IT skills gap in the UK, with a lack of talent available to fill certain IT roles. And Gartner says that following the Brexit decision, the long-term uncertainty in work status will make the UK ‘less attractive’ to new foreign workers. What does this all mean for the state of the PC and tech channel in the UK? Check out our ARM analysis on page six, our Brexit feature on page 15 and our look at the desktop and PC market on page 20.

WHAT ARM’S BUYOUT MEANS FOR THE TRADE – P6 BREAKING DOWN THE BREXIT - P15 HOW IS THE PC MARKET SHAPING UP? – P20 THE LATEST DESKTOP PCS AND ACCESSORIES – P36

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CONTENTS & COMMENT

MEET THE TEAM Dominic Sacco Editor

CONTENTS

COMMENT

REGULARS

Keep calm & carry on?

06 Analysis: ARM buyout 07 Analysis: Digital Economy

dsacco@nbmedia.com @Dom_Sacco

08 Number crunching 11 Appointments 11 Events 12 Opinion 33 Reseller profile:

Jonathon Easton Deputy Editor

Rockford IT

jeaston@nbmedia.com

33 eSports Industry Awards

@jonman247

34 Retailer of the Month: At Home PC

FEATURES

AH, THE old British adage that always seems to rear its head when times get tough. Everyone reacted differently following the decision to leave the European Union, with some sharing the image of the classic poster on Facebook. I have to admit I’m a bit tired of seeing so many different iterations of it nowadays, but those motivational words seem more relevant than ever regarding the state of UK tech and business. As outlined in our big Brexit feature on page 15, the pound’s initial drop in value against the dollar has already had a serious impact on companies across the channel. Some vendors have raised their prices to deal with the change, with disties and resellers passing the hike on to their customers. One senior distribution source told me they fear the decision to leave the EU may result in a recession later this

15 Brexit break-down

Sarah Goldhawk Account Manager sgoldhawk@nbmedia.com @sarzgoldhawk

20 The state of the desktop and PC market 22 The big interview: AMD

“The pound’s initial drop in value against the dollar has already had a serious impact on companies across the IT channel.”

24 The big interview: NVIDIA 28 PCR Women of the Year 30 Dixons store visit Dan Bennett Designer

32 Context VR data

dbennett@nbmedia.com

PRODUCTS 36 Desktops, all-in-ones and accessories 40 Motherboards and CPUs Jason Dowie Production Executive

43 Alienware Aurora 44 Recommended products

jdowie@nbmedia.com

OUT OF OFFICE 48 In The Hot Seat: AOC/ MMD’s Paul Butler 49 Industry Tweets Andrew Wooden Interactive Entertainment Content Director

50 Team of the Month: Synology’s UK RMA team

awooden@nbmedia.com @pcr_online

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year. This tallies with what Scan Computers’ boss Shelley Raja told PCR earlier this year, when the pound started to waver. In my opinion, his words from February still stand up right now: “Things are very turbulent and exchange issues will affect the revenues at Scan throughout 2016 for sure. Tech buyers are paying more now and will be in the near future.” Another huge announcement was made in July, with Japanese group Softbank agreeing to purchase Britain’s biggest tech firm and smartphone chip manufacturer ARM for £24 billion (see more analysis and reaction on page six). It’s the latest deal which has seen channel firms swallowed up by big foreign investors, including UK etailer Overclockers being bought by German firm Caseking in 2012, and US supplier giant Ingram Micro agreeing to be sold to China’s HNA for around £4 billion earlier this year. Some fear big foreign investors owning large parts of UK plc, while others welcome it. One thing I’ve learnt during my time as a journalist covering the tech market, is that I’m no longer surprised when huge corporations make sudden job cuts (regardless of whether they have headquarters overseas or not). If more investment means more jobs, I’m all for it. I believe firms are only as successful as the people within them. Let’s hope the decisions made over the past month present a bright future for our industry here in the UK – and all of us who make it what it is. Dominic Sacco, Editor dsacco@nbmedia.com

READ THE LATEST STORIES AT

PCR-ONLINE.BIZ ANALYSIS

Will ARM buyout lead to more foreign investment? It’s one of the biggest acquisitions of the year, but what will it mean for the UK tech industry? Jonathan Easton assesses the state of play and gets the views of industry experts and insiders to make sense of the £24 billion deal… CAMBRIDGE-based chip manufacturer ARM is set to be acquired by Japan’s SoftBank for £24.3 billion ($32 billion). Suffice to say, the deal cost SoftBank an ARM and a leg. ARM might not have been a household name before this mega deal but, according to Entatech chairman David Atherton “it deserves a place in history alongside Microsoft and Apple”, and that the company is “almost singlehandedly responsible for the practicality of the modern mobile phone, after the ‘bricks’ of the 1980s.” The group is currently responsible for the chips in 95 per cent of smartphones. Similarly, Westcoast MD Alex Tatham referred to ARM as “one of Britain’s great technology companies”, adding, “I’m sad to see it out of British hands”. GFK’s Carl West said that ARM has been “a jewel in our crown for many years”. This bleary-eyed nostalgia however might be overstated, claimed Jonathan Wagstaff, UK country manager at Context: “I’ve heard lamentations that the UK has lost its last independent tech giant with truly global operations, and that this is an ironic result for a vote on greater international autonomy.” To illustrate what the deal is worth, for £24 billion you could buy LinkedIn ($26.2 billion), Oculus ($2 billion), Nest ($3.2 billion) and still have some pocket change. It is no coincidence that the mammoth offering from SoftBank comes in the wake of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. The deal itself cost the Japanese telecommunications

6 | PCR August 2016

corporation 12 per cent less than it would have a few weeks before. Wagstaff said: “This was the inevitable consequence of plummeting exchange rates and I’m sure we will see more of this happening in the near future.” In a similar vein, David Atherton goes as far as to identify two companies that might be attracting foreign buyers in the near future: ”Hertfordshirebased PowerVR chip designer Imagination Technologies, which dealers will fondly remember as the graphics card brand VideoLogic. Its share price is already up 16 per cent since the ARM news, despite making a huge loss last year.” He also stated that inkjet technology specialist Xaar could present “another possible Brexit bargain for international investors”.

“ARM is one of Britain’s great technology companies – I’m sad to see it out of British hands.” Alex Tatham, Westcoast

Others in the industry are more sceptical, and are unsure about whether this deal is the proverbial domino that sparks a flurry of foreign investment and aqcusitions in UK companies. West added: “With a vibrant tech startup community and still much IP owned by UK companies, there will be more news to come, but I do not feel it will be anywhere near a stampede.” Alex Tatham is quite adamant that this won’t be the start of a ‘Brexodus’ of UK tech. He stated: “Do I think there will be an increased level of foreign purchases of UK tech companies? No, I don’t think so. “I think that people will buy good companies wherever they are and if that’s part of their strategy, then they will look to buy where there’s value and where there is

opportunity to create value.” Looking forward then, it’s unclear what sort of precedent this sets for foreign acquisitions of technology companies in the UK. Jonathan Wagstaff stated: “The new minister of state for digital and culture, Matt Hancock, is welcoming the deal with open arms, although the Government has already delayed a report on digital strategy by six months. “It’s anyone’s guess as to what their position will be if these acquisitions continue.” It remains to be seen just how this deal will shape the future of the UK tech industry, but there is one thing the technology channel can uniformly agree over, according to Wagstaff: “To foreign investors, UK tech is considered desirable and world-class, even if it is becoming an unlikely bargain.”

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PCR-ONLINE.BIZ ANALYSIS

What the Digital Economy Bill means for the UK tech channel The Bill was introduced to Parliament with the promise to improve infrastructure for a digital future. Jonathan Easton explores the Bill and the current political state of technology…

News Bytes THE IT MARKET AGENCY ACQUIRED Sherpa Marketing has announced that it has acquired Bedford-based channel services firm The IT Marketing Agency for an undisclosed sum.

AMAZON HAS BIGGEST DAY EVER July 12th saw the second annual Prime Day, which Amazon says was its best day ever for sales. Amazon said in a statement: “Orders surpassed Prime Day 2015 by more than 60 per cent worldwide.” Amazon also emphasised the importance of small businesses and indie retailers selling via its marketplace.

MICRON AND SEAGATE JOB CUTS

THIS CONSERVATIVE Government’s introduction of snoopers charters and pornography filters has made for interesting reading and intriguing debate over the past few years. Now with the proposed Digital Economy Bill, the Government is looking to introduce more rules and sanctions to protect consumer rights and improve standards for businesses. The Bill was introduced by Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey, who stated: “We want the UK to be a place where technology ceaselessly transforms the economy, society and government. “The measures in the Digital Economy Bill provide the necessary framework to make sure we can remain world leaders.” One of the most radical parts of the Bill, which was first presented in the Queen’s speech to Parliament on May 18th, is a rule which guarantees monetary compensation from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for users – both consumers and

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businesses – in the event of extended service loss. Along with this, the Bill will pave the way for a ‘Broadband Universal Service Obligation’ which aims to ensure that internet speeds are at least 10Mbps in an effort to catch up with Norway, who are currently Europe’s leaders for internet speeds, averaging at 21.3Mbps. The UK is currently 13th in the world for average internet speeds.

equipment more efficiently, and with fewer regulatory hurdles. This would perhaps be of most interest to value added resellers (VARs) who specialise in kitting out offices. The emphasis on ensuring speedy internet as a right for everyone in the country will mean that VARs will have a better platform on which to build IT equipment. The Bill also includes clauses to improve the way

“The Digital Economy Bill provides the necessary framework to make sure we can remain world leaders.” Ed Vaizey, Former Digital Economy Minister Also featured prominently in the Bill is the reformed ‘Electronic Communications Code’ – the legislation underpinning the rollout of digital communications equipment. This will help drive investment in the UK’s digital infrastructure, by giving communication providers the ability to install

government uses data to tailor public services. These clauses look likely to go handin-hand with the aforementioned Snooper’s Charter that new British Prime Minister Theresa May championed while acting as Home Secretary. Some might argue that what the Government frames

as utilising data for the benefit of public services may lead to invasions of privacy. The current political situation in the UK is currently volatile, mostly due to the Brexit (see page 15 for PCR’s full breakdown of how the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will affect the UK tech channel). In early July, Entanet penned an open letter to the new Prime Minister with calls to replace Vaizey with someone “who has the ability to understand the communications industry from a technical perspective”, stating that the incumbent Minister has “not been effective in this position due to a lack of experience”. Days later he was replaced by Matt Hancock. It is apparent that we are in an age where the communication and tech sectors will be vital to the success of any economy going forward. Whether the policies are successful, popular or practical, that this conversation is being had by lawmakers is a good thing for the nation’s economy.

Both Micron and Seagate are preparing to cut a significant amount of jobs. Due to “challenging market conditions”, Micron has laid off 2,400 of its staff. In spite of only marginally disappointing revenue returns in 2015, Seagate has decided to let go of 6,500 of employees.

COMPUTERS UNLIMITED BECOMES EXERTIS Distributor Exertis has announced that Computers Unlimited (CU) has transitioned to become a division of Exertis UK – and has become Exertis Unlimited. Existing contact details for CU remain for Exertis Unlimited.

FUTURE ACQUIRES IMAGINE Future has acquired Imagine Publishing parent Miura for £14.2 million, taking on a number of technology and gaming magazines. This follows the acquisition of Noble House Media in April and Blaze Publishing’s magazines, websites and events in May.

GIGABYTE APPOINTS TARGET COMPONENTS Gigabyte has appointed Target Components as the official distributor for its motherboards in the UK. Target will distribute the full Gigabyte range, adding to its pre-existing deal on the company’s graphics cards and peripherals.

PCR August 2016| 7

STATS

Number

crunching

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

Virtual reality device shipments are estimated to reach nine million this year. (TrendForce)

£35.1m Exertis generated operating profit of £35.1 million during its most recent financial year. (DCC)

£59.99 The price of the new Kindle, which is being stocked by Amazon, Argos, Currys/PC World, John Lewis and Tesco. (Amazon)

UK consumers have spent £3.1 billion on fixing or replacing broken gadgets in the last five years. (TSB Insurance)

7% The European monitor market enjoyed a growth rate of seven per cent in Q1 2016 – the highest for the segment in more than five years. (Context)

8 | PCR August 2016

£3bn

67% Almost three quarters of second-hand hard drives and SSDs sold on eBay and Craigslist in Q1 2016 contained personally identifiable data. (Blancco Technology Group)

The third PCR Women of the Year event will take place on October 14th. Visit www.pcrwomenoftheyear.com for more information. (NewBay Media)

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

Dabs founder joins Entatech ENTATECH: The supplier has appointed dabs.com founder DAVID ATHERTON as its new UK chairman. He will chair the existing board of directors – namely DAVE STEVINSON, ROB DAVIS and COLIN LEE. “After several years out of the game I am delighted to return to the industry, NEWBAY MEDIA: PCR has hired JONATHAN EASTON as its new deputy editor. The experienced journalist moves across from Pro Global Media, where he worked as deputy editor on trade titles such as Global Cement. He replaces long-serving PCR online editor LAURA BARNES, who has been with AVNET: Distributor Avnet has appointed DANNY YEOWELL as director for its technology solutions UK Security and networking business unit. Yeowell will be responsible for accelerating growth and profitability for Avnet along with its partners and suppliers in the area of security and networking. PEAK DEVELOPMENT: MARK HADDLETON has joined Peak Development as its new business development manager for the UK. He joins from Exertis, where he spent more than seven years as retail category manager at the distributor. Prior to that, he held roles Tech Data (which was then TECH DATA: The distributor has named NICK STANCLIFFE as its new HP business development manager (BDM). He joins CHRISTIAN COX and SAM TRINDER on the company’s new-look HP business development team. Stancliffe was previously software BDM at the Tech Data Software team, a role

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EVENTS The UK’s channel calendar is full of important events. Here are some highlights for upcoming dates…

David Atherton

especially to work with such a skilful and trusted colleague as Dave Stevinson,” Atherton said. “Despite a changing technology world, best management, service and delivery principles remain constant, and this is a market I know well and I’m hoping to add value to the Entagroup.”

Jonathan Easton

PCR for almost five years and has now moved across to NewBay Media sister publication MI Pro. “I’m really happy to be joining the PCR team,” Jonathan said. “I look forward to progressing myself professionally and helping to bring PCR forward.”

Danny Yeowell

He joins Avnet from Dimension Data, where he was UK solutions director, responsible for many areas of the company including networking, security, collaboration, data centre and end user computing. Prior to this, he headed up pre-sales and architecture at Logicalis for six years.

FUTUREFEST 2016

Mark Haddleton

trading as Computer 2000) as well as Smithie UK. Haddleton’s new role at Peak will see him take responsibility for all new business relationships within the established strategic accounts team. Haddleton will report to Peak’s UK sales director NIGEL FURMSTON.

PCR WOMEN OF THE YEAR

Nick Stancliffe

which he’d occupied for almost half of his six years with the company. Stancliffe said: “The role represents a great opportunity. “There are so many possibilities with HP business at the present time. We have some excellent tools and a close working partnership with HP.”

INSOMNIA58 Birmingham NEC AUGUST 26TH – 29TH Insomnia is a gaming festival that includes BYOC LAN gaming halls, an exhibition hall featuring UK system builders and vendors, eSports stages and more. This particular event features League Fest – a largescale League of Legends community gathering – for the first time.

IFA 2016 Berlin, Germany SEPTEMBER 2ND – 7TH The IFA show in Berlin is the leading trade show for consumer electronics in Europe. The latest products and innovations are shown off to the trade. IFA offers an overview of the international market and attracts the attention of trade visitors from more than 100 countries.

TARGET OPEN DAY 2016 Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford SEPTEMBER 16TH Following three years at The Village Hotel in Leeds, Target’s 2016 Open Day has moved to larger facilities at The Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford. Managing director Paul Cubbage says the move has been made to help facilitate an extended exhibition and training programme.

Tobacco Dock, London SEPTEMBER 17TH – 18TH FutureFest is a weekend festival of ideas, talks and interactive performances aimed at inspiring people to change the future. The weekend festival will have speakers including technology journalist Kate Russell and games industry veteran Rhianna Pratchett.

Sway Bar, Holborn OCTOBER 14TH For this year’s PCR Women Of The Year event, we recognise inspiring females in the UK tech market and add new awards including ‘Mentor of the Year’. Tickets to the event are just £59 (plus VAT) and this will include free drinks and nibbles. www.pcrwomenoftheyear.com

PCR August 2016 | 11

OPINION

How will Brexit affect the desktop market? GfK senior IT account manager Kit Lewin provides a snapshot of the PC market in the UK, looking at back to school, Brexit and Black Friday…

After a strong overall performance WITH A SLOW first five months of the in 2015, the key value driving the AIO year, it is important to look forward to form factor has struggled across the the second half of 2016 and what this first five months of the year. This form could hold for desk computing. factor is down 10.3 per cent in volume Crucial selling periods around back terms across the year. Despite this, to school and Black Friday offer key the second half of the year offers opportunities for growth within this market. However, following the ‘leave’ hope with the back to school period historically being the key selling vote outcome to the EU referendum, period for this form factor, with 27 per the outlook for the second half of cent of 2015 volume sold within this 2016 is expected to be negatively promotional period. impacted by the result, which will hit Manufacturers and retailers are retail sales in the second half of 2016. expected to provide greater focus on In addition to this, the fluctuations this back to school period, and a that have been seen in the currency successful performance in this period markets, with the pound hitting a 31would help to aid a market recovery year low against the US dollar, are across the year as expected to drive a whole. increased prices for The decline seen in PCs, with the first the AIO form factor impact being felt in “So far, 2016 has has been coupled with the last quarter of been a tough year the strong declines in this year. the traditional desk So far, 2016 has for total sales of and tower side of the been a tough year for PCs in retail market. The form total sales of PCs in factor is down 23.1 per retail channels. channels.” Following the Kit Lewin, cent in volume terms strong growth in the GfK and this steep decline is forecast to continue total market that was throughout the seen in 2015, volumes remainder of the year. across the market as a whole have One positive from this market has been down 5.5 per cent for the yearbeen the rise in average selling prices, to-date (January to May 2016). which are 12.7 per cent higher yearOne category that has struggled in on-year. This trend has been driven by the early part of 2016 is desk increased amounts of premium computing, which has led the decline product being sold in the market, with a 7.4 per cent volume drop yearlargely driven by the buoyant gaming on-year. Despite strong growth in desktops market. The release of some of the newer form factors such virtual reality technology, as well as as mini and micro, which have seen gamers becoming increasingly aware 100 per cent volume growth year-onof the benefits of using high-end desk year, the market is still dominated by PCs over their console rivals, have the desk and tower, as well as all-inbeen major drivers behind the growth one (AIO) form factors that have that has been seen across 2016. pushed the market into decline. Kit Lewin is an IT senior account manager at GfK. For more information on the UK PC market and post-Brexit forecasting, please contact Kit at kit.lewin@gfk.com

12 | PCR August 2016

AV and IT: Evolve or die Ed Cook, CEO of solutions provider AVMI, explains how the booming AV sector is learning lessons from IT – and how it needs to adopt some of IT’s practices or risk being eclipsed… Unified Communications platforms WHILST MOST institutions have sitting on mainstream IT networks. historically viewed AV as a bespoke The growth of digital signage has add-on, things are beginning led to more AV technologies being to change. positioned on IT networks. Demand for collaborative Mainstream IT and telecoms communication solutions has vendors, such as Cisco, Microsoft, pushed AV to the top of Avaya and Mitel have expanded procurement lists and the sector is solutions to address meeting space booming. At the same time, AV is requirements, leading to further under pressure from its bigger IT convergence of AV and IT. cousin, which could eclipse the Crucial to IT departments is sector unless the AV industry adopts scalability and reliability. This is radical change. where the AV sector often comes AV solutions are increasingly including video conferencing (VC) or unstuck. Most AV integrators are used to installing bespoke systems, centrally served digital signage. This but big IT departments prefer has IT vendors and their channels to standardised solutions that they increasingly take control when AV is know will work and deployed. will be supported on This has put networks in the pressure on AV “If AV integrators their same way as their PCs companies and are to thrive, they and servers. presentined a AV sector needs challenge of how to must develop new to The offer standardised, be taken seriously IT-friendly scalable solutions, by IT departments whilst adopting and merge with IT processes.” professional working practices, Ed Cook, purchasing and without being AVMI support processes – in simply absorbed by other words, the same an IT industry that service levels that clients demand is increasingly encroaching. The growing involvement of AV in from their IT service providers. At AVMI, we have developed corporate tech specification also presents challenges for departments modular, standardised catalogues that balance simplicity and responsible for project delivery, flexibility, while offering customers since not all IT departments are a choice between pre-built familiar with facility requirements. ‘catalogues’ and building their Here, the AV industry has a major own catalogue. opportunity to help both parties If AV integrators are to thrive in work together efficiently. the rapidly evolving and converging This shift towards integrated AV AV/IT market they must surely solutions requiring support by IT is develop new, IT-friendly processes. mainly a result of an increasing Evolve or die should be AV’s mantra number of VC systems being in these changing times. integrated into broader IP-based Ed Cook is CEO of AV solutions provider AVMI. To see how AVMI’s designs and services have been applied to Cisco’s Project Workplace, visit www.avmi-cpw.com

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BREXIT ANALYSIS

BREXIT BREAK-DOWN Higher prices. Uncertainty. Growth opportunities. How will the UK’s decision to leave the European Union affect the IT channel on our shores? Dominic Sacco speaks to experts and gets reaction from the trade…

E WAKE up to the morning of unknown. “There are challenging times ahead; we hope we can survive this turmoil. History has been written.” These words from veteran system builder and Yoyotech managing director, CK, perfectly summed up the feeling on the morning of June 24th, after the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU) with a 52 per cent majority. The decision came as a surprise to many and set off a chain of events that will still be felt for months and years to come. The pound’s value fell and hit a 31-year-low against the dollar in early July, reaching $1.279 at one point. British consumer confidence fell to -9, its lowest level in five years according to GfK, while Parliament underwent some drastic personnel changes. Theresa

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May replaced David Cameron as Prime Minister, Nigel Farage quit UKIP and Boris Johnson became Foreign Secretary to name a few. The UK is now set to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which will set in motion the process of leaving the EU, giving the UK two years to negotiate its withdrawal. Until the UK actually leaves the EU, it will continue to abide by EU law. In the meantime, looking at our industry in particular, the biggest change for businesses so far has arguably been the price rises. With the weakening of the pound to the dollar, vendors including Dell, HP, Cisco and Lenovo have informed their channel partners to expect blanket price increases, including around 10 per cent for Dell and HP, and a rumoured 14 per cent from Cisco. Of course, you can

“Any price increases will certainly not be absorbed by resellers, and will instead be passed onto end users.” Dan Todaro, Gekko

expect distributors and resellers to raise their prices to match. Dan Todaro, group MD at field marketing agency Gekko, tells PCR: “One thing for certain is that any price increases will certainly not be absorbed by resellers, and will instead be passed onto end users. “Since the Consumer Price Index recorded pre-Brexit at -1 to a post-Brexit drop of -9, it is clear that Brexit will make trading not only difficult in bricks and mortar retailers, but also a challenge for the entire channel. “The outlook for brands means that it will become harder to sell products at a price which consumers are accustomed to. The harsh reality of Brexit is that consumers will begin to feel the impact on the pound in their pockets. “It’s not just about the exchange rate affecting

components either – as fuel costs increase, so does the cost of transportation, which in any event will impact pricing further. This could, in particular, affect retailers with an omnichannel approach and online resellers which will look to recoup delivery charges.” Due to the price hike, plus falling demand for PCs and the uncertainty around the economy, some big computing vendors are rumoured to be thinking about relocating their London offices elsewhere. Chillblast sales director Ben Miles adds: “The calamitous sterling performance since the Brexit is extremely difficult to manage for any company that buys and holds stock in dollars but sells in sterling, as the UK tech channel essentially does. “Consumers have to expect steep price rises for the foreseeable future.” PCR August 2016 | 15

BREXIT ANALYSIS

Ashley Sterland, The Change Organisation commercial director, believes the price rises can benefit those exporting to Europe. “The weak pound provides the opportunity to offer better prices – while stocks last,” he says. “Now that the decision has been made, at least companies know where they stand, removing a degree of uncertainty and potentially giving them more confidence to press ahead with IT projects that were suspended pending a decision.” Entatech UK chairman David Atherton says the Brexit is not welcome. “It’s something we really didn’t want in the distribution channel,” he comments. “This industry is about high-value goods, bought in US dollars, and distributed at wafer-thin margins in sterling.

16 | PCR August 2016

“Everything is more expensive. That’s a damper on sales to start off with, coupled with the fact that the ‘leave’ vote just keeps the prereferendum uncertainty going. Will there be continued volatility in the currency? When will we leave, what are these ‘new trade deals’ and so on? Resellers may be entirely British concerns, but their corporate clients aren’t, and client uncertainty means delays in buying. “Worse still, some panEuropean end users may decide, for compliance reasons, to move their business to a reseller within the Eurozone, for reasons as simple as all equipment being CE marked, for example.” One senior distribution source, speaking anonymously, fears rising prices may cause a recession. “It will slow market sales

“It’s something we really didn’t want in the distribution channel.” David Atherton, Entatech

down in the UK,” the source comments. “I believe that additional measures will also take place and it will put our economy into a recession. Why? The UK will not have [trade] agreements as good as we previously had, simply because we do not have the buying power. “If we did decide to stay within the single market, then ironically we will still be paying the EU every week for that benefit, however we will still have free movement of people, we will still have to pay the EU yet we will have no voting or control of policy within the EU when it comes to making decisions.” Canalys also believes the UK is in danger of moving into recession, as some businesses and consumers look to reduce risk by delaying spending, and placing a suspension on all

high-value transactions until the situation stabilises. It’s a politically unstable time for the tech market in general. Across the pond, more than 145 technology leaders have signed an open letter to the American people calling on them to oppose Donald Trump, naming him a “disaster for innovation”. Signatories include Apple’s Steve Wozniak, Samsung’s Richard Titus, Qualcomm’s Paul Jacobs and more. POSITIVE OUTLOOK It’s not all doom and gloom. Some channel executives believe the Brexit will bring fresh business opportunities. Seb James, Dixons Carphone CEO, had this to say: “It feels strange and unsettling following the vote but we are the same, our company is the same, and our job is the same: making people happy.

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BREXIT ANALYSIS

Tech executives comment on the Brexit (clockwise from top left): Ajay Sule – Frost & Sullivan, Ashley Sterland – The Change Organisation, Ben Miles – Chillblast, CK – Yoyotech, Claudio Stahnke – Canalys, Clive Murphy – Trojan, Dan Todaro – Gekko, David Atherton – Entatech, David McCorquodale – KPMG, David Scott – Cyberpower, Tudor Aw – KPMG, Seb James – Dixons Carphone, Tim Phillips – Kroll Ontrack, Peter Lewin – Purewal & Partners, Nick Beer – Dynamode, Kamal Hitari – Hitari.co.uk, Isabel Davies – Purewal & Partners, Helen Dickinson – British Retail Consortium.

“And we swept the board at the customer experience awards. Brexit or no Brexit, we will be just fine. “Our view is that, as the strongest player in our market and despite the volatility that is the inevitable consequence of such change, we expect to find opportunities for additional growth and further consolidate our position as the leader in the UK market.” Kamal Hitari, founder of online retailer Hitari, agrees: “Uncertainty creates opportunities. In the short term, there is a small opportunity to increase export due to the currency dropping in value, but either way, it is very early to predict how this will play out.” Nick Beer from Dynamode UK states: “General consumer computing and computing accessory sales will continue to flourish in their home

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market. Future trade deals will need to be worked out, postBrexit, but I firmly believe the EU as a whole welcomes, and will continue to welcome, cooperation in our industry, once this dust has settled.” Exertis, meanwhile, seems nonplussed. Its parent firm, DCC, believes the referendum to leave the EU will not have ‘any material direct impact’ on DCC’s business, as the group has relatively little crossborder trade. “Presently almost 50 per cent of the group’s operating profits are generated outside of the UK, and so the group’s reported operating profit would benefit modestly from favourable translation should sterling remain at current values, or depreciate further,” DCC said in a statement. Clive Murphy, managing director of Trojan, a company that provides multichannel

“General consumer computing and accessory sales will continue to flourish in their home market.” Nick Beer, Dynamode

etail sales and fulfilment, comments: “I feel it will be a bumpy road, but remain optimistic that even with uncertain and difficult times, there will be opportunities. It’s just about realising them.” On the wider tech world, Tudor Aw, head of technology at KPMG UK, says: “The core attributes that make the UK tech sector so strong and attractive remain in place, including an amazing talent base that has a long track record of creativity such as Alan Turing’s first working computer to Tim BernersLee’s World Wide Web. “Tech is a sector that will only increase in importance and works without borders. I therefore continue to see the UK tech sector as one that will not only withstand the immediate challenges of the referendum result, but one that will continue to grow.”

CyberPower agrees that its long-term future should be ‘unaffected’. “I cannot imagine when the dust settles that the EU will want to limit trade with the UK considering how much trading was going on cross borders,” comments business development manager David Scott. He adds: “We have not seen a decline in sales since the vote was cast, so I believe the fact some customers think the prices will go even higher is boosting sales after the referendum, and hopefully once the exchange rate rises again we can carry on as normal.” IT SKILLS AND SPENDING Canalys believes that the effect of the Brexit will lead to a cut of the UK’s IT spending forecast by ten per cent for the year.

PCR August 2016 | 17

BREXIT ANALYSIS

And the rest… Outside of the IT channel, how else will the Brexit change business and tech?

THE LEGAL SPACE Peter Lewin and Isabel Davies from Purewal & Partners LLP tell PCR: “Most of the UK’s laws and regulations are affected in some way by the EU. How many UK laws would require substitution or amendment – and what that would look like – is still up in the air. “There are also other big questions on the horizon too, including possible trade barriers, issues around data laws and tighter European regulation around tech generally, which could all affect how both the UK and other global tech companies do business here.”

THE PC AND VIDEO GAMES MARKET Leading venture capitalists say Brexit will be ‘totally irrelevant’ when it comes to UK games investment. London Venture Partners and Mercia Fund Management say that the digital nature of the games business means that the Brexit result, although unfortunate, will leave video game companies in the UK largely untroubled.

IT SECURITY Over a third of those who work in the IT security industry (38 per cent) fear that leaving the EU will make the UK more vulnerable to cyber attacks, because they will no longer benefit from intelligence sharing with other EU states, according to research conducted by Unified Security Management and crowd-sourced threat intelligence firm AlienVault.

DATA PROTECTION There are concerns around the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and how that will play out now the UK has voted to leave the EU. Tim Philips, MD of Kroll Ontrack, comments: “If the UK becomes part of the EEA and the EU finds the UK’s data protection safeguards to be appropriate, this would make transferring data outside of the UK easier. However, it is likely that businesses will still have to comply with the new requirements to be implemented under the forthcoming GDPR, when transferring data across borders to comply with legal obligations in other countries. “If Britain does not become part of the EEA, the situation is more complicated and it is likely that an arrangement similar to the EU-US Privacy Shield would need to be agreed. This will provide a safe passage for the transfer of data between the UK and other countries in Europe.” Simon Moffatt, EMEA director of advanced customer rngineering at ForgeRock, adds: “It is absolutely within the UK public’s interest to ensure that businesses continue to prepare for the GDPR, not just to enable the movement of and access to EU citizen’s data, but also to ensure that the people they serve have the same right to privacy. In fact, the UK, as a major cyber security nation, can continue to deliver guidance in becoming one of the leading authorities in terms of the security and privacy of personal data.” And, speaking before an audience of over 200 senior managers from across the financial services sector, experts from law firm Simmons & Simmons and Henley Business School agreed that reform of the Data Protection Act 1998 is still on the cards following the UK’s historic vote to leave the EU, although they stopped short of predicting the DPA 1998 would be scrapped altogether.

18 | PCR August 2016

The outlook for 2017 could be even worse, it reckons, with up to a 15 per cent decline as IT budgets are set lower on the prediction of a tough year ahead and ongoing uncertainty. “Trade disruption, political instability, recession, stagflation, talent pool reduction and the collapse of the EU are all potential outcomes that need consideration,” says research analyst Claudio Stahnke. “The UK is taking a big gamble on its future. The unprecedented nature of the move to leave makes the true extent of the outcome an unknown. Though there are a number of different scenarios that could play out, what is certain is that we are only at the very start of defining the UK’s new relationship with the EU.” Gartner, meanwhile, expects global IT spending to be flat in 2016, and expects an ‘erosion in business confidence’ following the Brexit. “The brightest spot in the market could perhaps be an increase in average selling prices, with good sales of high-end gaming PCs and hybrid laptops fuelling this change,” the analyst says in a statement. Elsewhere, there is still an IT skills gap in the UK, with a lack of talent available to fill

certain IT roles. Some say this situation could get worse following the Brexit. Gartner says that the longterm uncertainty in work status will make the UK ‘less attractive’ to potential new foreign workers. “Retaining current non-UK staff and having less access to qualified new hires from abroad will impair UK IT departments,” Gartner says in a statement. Ajay Sule from Frost & Sullivan adds: “By putting a brake on immigration, companies may struggle to find the people they need to drive their businesses forward. In addition, EU citizens working in the hightech sector may feel their careers are best served elsewhere – there’s a real possibility that many will seek opportunities elsewhere in Europe.” RETAIL RESILIENCE How will the Brexit affect tech retailers? Well, the British Retail Consortium and KPMG say that it’s ‘too early’ to assess any Brexit impact on retail sales, while some other experts say it won’t affect e-commerce in particular at all. Helen Dickinson, OBE and chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, states that: “Britain’s retailers remain

open for business. The EU referendum vote has not changed their relentless pursuit of delivering for customers day in, day out or their investment in meeting the needs of fundamental changes in the way people shop, driven by digital and technology. “Despite the fall in the pound, the time it takes for any input price increases to translate into higher shop prices will depend on a combination of factors including further changes in the pound, commodity prices and the challenge for retailers to move pricing given the intensity of competition. So, there won’t be any instant shocks as any changes would take time to feed through.” David McCorquodale, head of retail at KPMG, adds: “While the ramifications from the Brexit vote may well affect consumer confidence, retailers will be hoping the long-promised heatwave and potential stay at home holidays will be enough to drive shoppers back to the high streets over the coming months ahead. “With the referendum fallout still uncertain, retailers will need to make sure all channels are ready and resilient to cope with the impact of a Brexit.”

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ANALYSIS

The desktop dilemma: What next for the PC? PCR explores the current trends in the desktop PC and computing segment, the challenges vendors and dealers face, and what will be driving future growth in this area…

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f you type ‘death of the desktop PC’ into Google and hit ‘enter’, the search engine will retrieve about 1,120,000 results. Go on, have a go right now. Of the 10 articles listed on the first results page (at the time of writing), half are very much of the opinion that the desktop PC is as dead as John Cleese’s parrot in Monty Python’s famous dead parrot sketch. Two articles reckon the desktop PC market is just resting, in the manner of Michael Palin’s resistant shopkeeper, while the remaining three think the jury is still out. Helpfully, Google suggests some related searches, including: ‘are desktop PCs dead’, ‘death of the PC’ and ‘PC sales decline 2016’. Ignoring ‘death of political correctness’, this doesn’t sound good. So is the desktop PC market dead? Of course not, let’s clear that up right now. At a very basic level, there are some tasks that just 20 | PCR August 2016

cannot be replicated on a phone or tablet – serious multi-tasking, high-end gaming, importing and editing industrial volumes of photo and video content, writing and researching this article, you get the picture.

“We are seeing a greater need for ﬂexibility in terms of how devices are managed.” Tom Sykes, Rockford IT Until someone invents software and hardware that can read thoughts, a traditional keyboard and mouse combo is just easier for certain processes. But the desktop PC market is evolving, and that’s a good thing. What’s for certain is

the time when a big box, tower or all-in-one monitor was the focal point of all computing activity in the home or office is long gone. Instead, we are in an era where devices are optimised for different kinds of tasks or physical environments – which we won’t waste words describing here – we’re all three or four screeners now. What’s the current state of play in terms of the raw numbers? The obvious place to start is with the analysts, and IDC’s quarterly updates are as good a bell weather as any. In June, it predicted that worldwide PC shipments will decline by 7.3 per cent in 2016, albeit with progressively smaller declines through 2017, followed by stable volume in 2018. However, growth in 2016 is now expected to be roughly two per cent below its earlier projections, as conditions have been weaker than expected. In Q1 2016, growth came in at -12.5 per cent, just below IDC’s

forecast of -11.3 per cent. It says ‘inhibitors’ such as weak currencies, depressed commodity prices, political uncertainty and delayed projects continue to constrain shipments. The macro trend is that although growth rates for devices such as phones and tablets continue to fall, potentially reducing the competitive pressure on PCs, we have not seen that translate into stronger PC shipments, particularly desktops. The financial pressure on consumers across regions, and the availability of alternatives (such as delaying a PC replacement by using a free Windows 10 upgrade or relying more on other devices) continues to pressure shipments. Ultimately, IDC predicts a -1.8 per cent CAGR for desktop PC shipments by 2020, from 103.3 million units to 94.2 million units. The thing is, those forecasts were made before www.pcr-online.biz

ANALYSIS

TOUCH TECHNOLOGY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Brexit happened and, thinking specifically of the UK technology market, that could change things quite considerably. Gartner was quick to publish a revised IT spending outlook following the UK’s decision to leave the EU and now expects worldwide IT spending to be flat in 2016, totalling $3.41 trillion. This is actually up from last quarter’s forecast of -0.5 per cent growth, mainly due to currency fluctuations. John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner, says: “The current Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast assumes that the UK would not exit the European Union. With the UK’s exit, there will likely be an erosion in business confidence and price increases which will impact UK, Western Europe and worldwide IT spending.” Gartner asserts the leave vote will quickly affect IT spending in the UK and in Europe, while other changes will take longer, predicting that staff may be the largest immediate issue, with the long-term uncertainty in work status making the UK ‘less attractive’ to new foreign workers. As such, retaining current non-UK staff and having less access to qualified new hires from abroad will impair UK IT departments. You can read more about Brexit in our full report on www.pcr-online.biz

page 15. For now, what does the UK channel think of the various futures outlined by the experts above? Clearly, there are separate considerations for the consumer and B2B markets. “The desktop PC market is maturing and has been shrinking for some time,” says Ashley Sterland, Commercial Director at distributor The Change Organisation. “Smaller, more portable and, let’s face it, sexier devices are filling the shoes of a desk-based PC, especially for consumers.

“Smaller, more portable and, let’s face it, sexier devices are ﬁlling the shoes of a desk-based PC.” Ashley Sterland, The Change Organisation Even in the business world, despite PCs being an employee’s main endpoint device, this position is being eroded more by laptops.” Sterland adds that compounding this decline in the corporate world is the fact that businesses aren’t refreshing their PCs as often as they used to, with a typical refresh cycle now five years as opposed to three

years in days of yore. Interestingly - Brexits and pressure from other form factors aside - the longer refresh cycles could be partially down to new software not pushing hardware to its limits, which impacts both consumer and business buyers. For example, if more and more software is being run and processed in the cloud, there isn’t the same pressure to have machines running with the latest and greatest specs. And then you have Microsoft’s evolving approach to Windows. “An operating system upgrade used to be a good excuse to upgrade your hardware, but Windows 8 wasn’t met with much enthusiasm and so many decided to stick with Windows 7, which they knew their current PCs could handle,” says Sterland. “Microsoft is claiming the current version of Windows will be the last, and subsequent improvements will be by means of updates rather than whole OS refreshes, so what will be the next big software ‘event’ that persuades people to upgrade their hardware?” But there are reasons to be cheerful. In addition to the specific tasks that are naturally more suited to desktop machines mentioned earlier, there’s also an increasing trend towards cloud-based

software and apps ‘handing over’ between different devices based on the user’s location. Then the associated considerations that come with that, such as security. “[Desktop computers] are going to have a place for the foreseeable future, but we are seeing an increasing need for flexibility in this area in terms of how devices are managed and controlled,” says Tom Sykes, CEO at managed IT solutions provider Rockford IT. “This brings challenges, especially in securing these devices from malware, threats, reporting and alerting.” Sykes adds that Rockford IT is seeing that there is an evolving hybrid model for desktop PCs, where some apps and browsers are run locally, but with a published or web app deployment of other applications as suits. Ultimately, this means that desktop machines need to be powerful and, in the business arena in particular, have strong management features. Indeed, it’s arguable that perhaps the biggest nearterm boon for desktop machines this year will come from the business sector, which has spent the best part of 12 months evaluating Windows 10. Many analysts think that we’ll start to see large scale deployment of devices with the latest Microsoft OS towards the end of this year. PCR August 2016 | 21

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

Bringing VR to the masses Having launched its 400 Series graphics cards, including the Radeon RX 480, AMD is on a mission to make virtual reality affordable for everyone. Dominic Sacco speaks to EMEA component channel director Neil Spicer about the current state of the PC market, AMD’s upcoming Summit Ridge’ desktop CPU, and what resellers and retailers can do to capitalise on VR…

ith PC shipments falling 10 per cent in 2015, what are your thoughts on the current state of the computing market, and where AMD fits into this? In 2015 the PC market saw more than 270 million units sold, so it is still a very large market and with the evolution in eSports, gaming and the future roadmap of virtual reality, there is a lot more interest from developers to work on the PC. We believe this will help drive PC companies and chip designers to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible for a PC. Not only does that mean working to create high-end enthusiast products, but also to bring a range of products to consumers suitable for a variety of needs and budgets. At AMD we continue to collaborate with industryleading companies like HP to ensure the platforms we bring to market continue to enhance the PC user’s experience. AMD made a loss last year and in Q1 this year. How challenging is the market at the moment – and what are your plans to turn things around? We have strengthened the performance of our computing and graphics

22 | PCR August 2016

business in recent quarters, including re-gaining graphics share. Our go-forward plan is focused on delivering our next wave of great products, which starts with our Polaris architecture–based Radeon RX GPUs and will include our upcoming ‘Summit Ridge’ high-end desktop CPU. How can the Summit Ridge CPU and the Zen architecture help push the computing market forward? We’re not revealing much around Zen at the moment but our revolutionary AM4 desktop processor – codenamed ‘Summit Ridge’ – will feature eight cores and 16 threads, and it will be powered by our brand new x86 ‘Zen’ processor core architecture. The Zen core is designed to scale across multiple markets including high-performance desktops, servers, notebooks and embedded solutions. For the desktop market, the use of a single scalable socket for AM4 that simplifies our desktop product offerings help make AMD technology more accessible to consumers and system builders than ever before. This also permits key essential technology updates such as DDR4 to be available at the same time. The AM4 desktop platform will support both the Bristol

Ridge APU along with the Summit Ridge processors. You also recently announced 7th gen A-Series mobile APUs. How important is the mobile market to AMD? We know that consumers want more for their money – sharper graphics, faster

“Resellers and retailers need to be able to produce affordable systems that are VR capable.” Neil Spicer, AMD performance, and longer battery life. We’ve been working with key OEM partners to develop outstanding platforms that will fully take advantage of the powerful 7th Generation AMD APUs. Being able to offer customers more for their money is what’s important to us, and with the 7th Generation AMD APUs and its 50 per cent improvement in compute performance over the FX part released two years ago, we’re able to power some fantastic systems that will come to market very soon.

Looking at AMD’s latest graphics cards, the Radeon RX 480 GPU has a $199 starting price point in the US. What was the thinking behind that and can it expand the TAM (total addressable market) for virtual reality? Currently there are only about 13 million PCs in the world that are VR capable. We decided to bring new technology to the market that could lower the cost of the VR PC to the point that everybody could afford a VR capable system. The Radeon RX 480 brings the VR-capable GPU cost from $300 to $400 down to $199, which is gamechanging. We are also pleased now be supporting for DirectX 12 with LiquidVR, allowing the CPU requirement for a VR ready system to be reduced, helping to lower the total system cost. How is virtual reality changing the industry? How can resellers and retailers capitalise on this new and exciting growth area? VR is going to be a really disruptive and transformative technology that will change every aspect of our lives. Everything from gaming to video to real estate and travel, they are all going to be changed. You will no longer just be the spectator but you

will actually be a part of the action. For instance, companies will be able to produce virtual health and safety training videos for their staff. Content like this can help businesses reduce risk involved in employee training while maintaining the experience and lessons that can be learned from it. Resellers and retailers need to be able to identify the many different users of VR, not just the gamers, and be able to produce a range of affordable systems that are VR capable. Whether it’s selling upgrades to PCs, headsets or content, the actual go-tomarket plans are still not firm for the channel. As we see the cost of entry become lower, through new lower priced graphic solutions and eventually the headsets dropping in price over time, the adoption and TAM for VR can become even larger. With this opens new opportunities in addition to graphics cards and PCs. You also have the Radeon RX 460 and 470. What kind of an impact do you hope the AMD 400-Series will have on the market? There are hundreds of millions of gamers that are using outdated technology. We wanted to change that and bring enthusiast level

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

performance to a much more mainstream price. We have just released our premium VR graphics card, the Radeon RX 480, at a starting price of SEP $199 in the US. Joining the RX family will be the newly announced RX 470 graphics card that delivers power efficient HD gaming, and the Radeon RX 460, a cool and efficient solution for the ultimate eSports experience.

final of League of Legends saw 36 million unique viewers tune in and watch. To put that into perspective, the men’s final at Wimbledon in 2015 drew in only 9.2 million unique viewers. We’re now seeing the expansion of eSports from online to mainstream media with Sky broadcasting a

Speaking of eSports, AMD has made inroads into that growing sector. Tell us about your strategy here, which teams you support and what your plans are within eSports? eSports in an incredibly exciting opportunity for us and we currently sponsor two world-class eSport teams. In January this year we announced our sponsorship of Fnatic’s EU League of Legends team. In May, we announced our sponsorship of Evil Geniuses’ DOTA 2 team. We believe that eSports pros need the best hardware available and need to be able to rely on it. Our Radeon graphics cards and A8 and A10 APUs offer outstanding reliability and world-class performance for eSports. In 2015 there were 112 major eSports events with a global eSports audience of 226 million gamers. The LCS

“In 2015 there were 112 major eSports events with a global eSports audience of 226 million.”

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What do you think the future holds for the future of tech and computing? How will the IT channel change further? There has never been a more exciting time in the 15 years I have worked in tech. We have seen the evolution of graphical horsepower over the years driving incredible advancements in gaming. We are now in a new generation where things like VR and AR (augmented reality) play a huge part if the future of tech. This is continuing to drive software and hardware engineers at AMD to build world-class products.

Neil Spicer, AMD Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament on Sky 2 back in March. This is an important audience for, us as the average eSports viewer skews towards consumers that are major spenders on hardware, games and digital media subscriptions.

PCR August 2016 | 23

INTERVIEW

Perfect 10

NVIDIA’s latest 10-series GeForce graphics cards have been making waves in the PC components sector this year, including the 1080, 1070 and the recently launched 1060. Dominic Sacco asks NVIDIA’s EMEAI GeForce sales director Richard Lee about the ﬁrm’s latest Pascal architecture and what NVIDIA partners can expect in the future…

Richard Lee, Nvidia’s EMEAI GeForce sales director

he mid-range 6GB GeForce 1060 is faster than the 980, which launched as a high-end card in 2014. How have you managed to achieve this in just over a year? Our revolutionary new Pascal architecture. We haven’t just seen a reduction to the latest 16nm FinFET manufacturing process, but also massive new architecture improvements coupled with better memory compression. All of these advancements are the result of over $2 billion investment in R&D and the very brightest engineering minds tirelessly working to shape the future of GPUs; Pascal is not only super-fast, but ultra-efficient, cool and quiet. What is your long-term vision and plan for the 10 series? Can you hint at what’s coming next? Well, unfortunately we can’t talk about what’s coming but we recently launched the GeForce GTX 1060 which means there are ideal options from the high-end hardware enthusiast with the GeForce GTX 1080, through to the

24 | PCR August 2016

simply superb high end price performance of the GTX 1070 and now the GTX 1060. Our partners are creating an incredible array of different custom versions of the graphics cards, with huge warranty covered overclocks or super quiet coolers. We are hugely excited for what’s coming next so stay tuned for that. How is virtual reality changing the industry? What is NVIDIA doing in this space that resellers and system integrators should be aware of? VR is a great new pillar for industry growth and we are very excited about it. We’ve been working with developers and publishers for a long time and our VRWorks tools have been adopted across the industry. The two leading development engines – Unreal and Unity – both work seamlessly with VRWorks and we’ve also worked closely with Oculus, HTC, Valve and other HMD manufacturers and key ecosystem creators to offer the very best hardware base available in the industry.

In the UK channel we have a full system integrator program with our GeForce GTX ‘VR Ready’ badge. This has enabled incredible VR Ready PCs across every price point, making it easy for consumers to ensure they are purchasing a PC that will play VR titles beautifully and as the developer intended.

“VR is a great new pillar for industry growth and we are very excited about it.” Richard Lee, NVIDIA

What did you think of the announcements at Computex this year, specifically the MSI VR backpack and the ASUS Zenbo robot? How will products like that affect the market and how much of an opportunity is robotics for

NVIDIA and its Jetson chip? Innovation and creativity is great for our industry and it is ideal for the consumer to have this kind of choice. I don’t think there’s ever been such a great breadth of products in technology and it is very exciting for us to see what will come next. Our embedded business has been going from strength to strength – as seen by our latest results – and we’re firmly established with a variety of companies in the robotic space. The tablet market has dipped in recent years. Are you concerned by this? Or has it not really affected sales of the Shield? Let’s not forget that Shield isn’t just a tablet but a family of devices, our latest being the Shield Android TV settop box. Recently we saw the Shield ATV strongly featured in the Amazon Prime Day event and its consistent updates have firmly won its place as the most powerful set-top device available. The Shield Tablet has been named the best Android

tablet by a variety of publications and GeForce Now is the premier cloud gaming service. We can’t wait to tell you more about where Shield is going next. Tell us about NVIDIA’s developments in the mobile computing space – how important is the laptop market to you? Vitally important. Many people are making the move to a laptop as their primary PC and we at NVIDIA are committed to making this as flawless as possible, by providing the same technological leadership on notebooks as we do on the desktop side. We had great success with our Maxwell architecture, with nearly all discrete GPU notebook designs being based on NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, and we are very excited to see how this part of the market develops. Imagine the impact of an architecture like Pascal... What’s been your most popular product category of 2016 so far, in terms of UK

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INTERVIEW

sales? What’s performing well for you right now? Well, for 2016, I think it is clear that the GeForce GTX 10 series has been the most popular – with the launch of GTX 1080, GTX 1070 and GTX 1060, the channel has a great choice across price points and of course there is more to come in the future. With PC shipments falling 10 per cent in 2015, what are your thoughts on the current state of the computing market, and where NVIDIA fits into this? Whereas overall PC shipments have indeed fallen slightly, the gaming and enthusiast market has never been stronger. This can be seen in the continued success of PC gaming – there are over 60 million active Steam users, more than both Xbox Live or PlayStation Network and these gamers don’t just play any one type of game: FPS, RTS, turn-based strategy, racing, simulation, indie and more. PC gaming really is the home of innovation. NVIDIA had record revenues in 2015 and we have been growing consistently,

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not just in gaming with GeForce GTX, but across all of our business units in varied fields such as Deep Learning, Autonomous Computing and Computer Aided Design. NVIDIA posted record revenues in 2015. Is this a peak, or are you expecting to generate even more throughout 2016? The market we’re in is so exciting due to the constant innovation and the potential for growth that it offers. VR really is the ‘buzzword’ for 2016; for NVIDIA that means that we need to give gamers the best possible experience by providing more and more GPU power in order to hit fantastic frame rates and unrivalled quality. We recently launched the GeForce GTX 1060 that was lauded as an incredible VR gaming solution. With how many column inches VR has been getting, people would be forgiven for thinking that’s where all innovation is, but we mustn’t forget other areas of gaming. Esports has simply outstripped all expectations of reach.

You now have stadiums that are more accustomed to football supports being packed out with people eager to see the latest DOTA 2 or League of Legends teams Professional gamers demand the highest frame rates and GeForce GTX delivers a seamless experience, together with our GeForce Experience suite, to automatically give games

“Esports has simply outstripped all expectations of reach.” Richard Lee, NVIDIA

optimised settings for the very best experience on your PC. Of course, we shouldn’t forget the advancement of graphics in triple-A games. Play a game like Mirror’s Edge Catalyst and then go and play the original Mirror’s Edge and it becomes an eye-

opening experience, seeing exactly how far we have come as an industry. There are many gamers out there who have been enjoying games on GPUs such as the GeForce GTX 560 and GTX 660 that will now be looking to upgrade to the latest Pascal power. Speaking of eSports, NVIDIA has dabbled in this sector with ESL and Vainglory sponsorships, but doesn’t have its own team. Tell us about your strategy here, what are your thoughts on this sector and what your plans are within eSports? We are strongly invested in eSports and want to ensure that everyone, regardless of the team they support, know that their games play best on NVIDIA. A multitude of teams not only game on our GeForce GTX GPUs but also use our G SYNC-powered monitors. On the software side, use of NVIDIA ShadowPlay is becoming crucial in studying replays and honing skills. Our partnership with ESL is very strong and we look forward to many more

competitive gaming tournaments in the future. Your close rival AMD has been vocal and critical towards NVIDIA over the years, but Roy Taylor recently said AMD’s new just focus “is just about AMD”. Have you noticed a shift in your rival’s strategy? And will you miss the verbal sparring? We’ve always concentrated on ourselves and that will never change. We are focused on creating the very best technologies for the PC and building the world’s most advanced GPU architectures. Pascal has been a result of massive R&D and we’re fully focused on 10-Series and our associated technologies. What’s next for NVIDIA, in terms of your product roadmap and anything else you’re focusing on over the next few years? Pascal is our current focus, which we’ve already announced will be followed by our next generation architecture: Volta. I can’t say anything else for now.

PCR August 2016 | 25

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PCR WOMEN OF THE YEAR

Key info What: PCR Women of the Year awards and networking event When: October 14th, 11.30am to 3pm Where: Sway Bar, London Tickets: £59 plus VAT More info: www.pcrwomenoftheyear.com

From left to right: Rachel Gordon, Abbey Bowen, Nova Smith and Michelle McGeoch

Who are the

Top Women in tech? With the third annual PCR Women of the Year networking and awards ceremony just a few months away, PCR lists all you need to know about this year’s event, from new categories to ticketing info and why the industry attends…

HE SEARCH for the top women in the UK PC and tech industry is once again underway for 2016. Our aim is to shine a spotlight on some of the most inspirational and influential female execs in the UK channel. We aren’t just looking for managing directors or CEOs – we want to showcase the full range of roles within the business, from marketers to sales executives and rising stars.

28 | PCR August 2016

A carefully put together panel will choose the winners from the nominations, with the trophies being presented on the day. Taking place on October 14th 2016 at Sway Bar, Holborn, PCR Women of the Year’s goal is to make sure the trail-blazing female leaders of the industry are recognised for their achievements. This year will see us bestowing awards on six welldeserved winners. Following the 2015 event, we have

“PCR Women of the Year’s goal is to recognise the industry’s trailblazing female leaders.”

introduced some brand new categories. This year we have a stronger focus on the inspiration that people can have on those starting out in the industry, with the introduction of the ‘Mentor of the Year’ award. The event isn’t just for women, of course, men are welcome too. This is a networking event as much as it is an awards bash. The 10 judges for the event include Dell’s Sarah Shields,

CompTIA’s Nancy Hammervik and Mad Catz’ Rachel Gordon. For the full list head to the Women of the Year website. Tickets to the event are £59 (plus VAT) and will include drinks and nibbles. Book your tickets from www.pcrwomen oftheyear.com now to avoid disappointment. Limited sponsorship opportunities are available – for more information contact Sarah Goldhawk on 0207 35 46000 or email sgoldhawk@ nbmedia.com. www.pcr-online.biz

PCR WOMEN OF THE YEAR

The Awards THERE ARE six categories for this year’s event, with a new ‘Business Mentor’ award and PR and marketing split into two separate categories.

Q PR POWERHOUSE Getting breaking stories into the press, knowing all the right journos, and explaining to the world the ethos and mission of a tech company in a clear and engaging way are all in a day’s work for the winner of this award.

Q CREATIVE MARKETEER Recognising successful, creative and original marketing campaigns over the past 12 months.

Q RISING STAR The future leaders of the industry are starting out now – this award highlights the young guns starting their careers in tech with a bang.

Q SALES BRILLIANCE Smashing targets and taking names – the winner of this award will be able to demonstrate 12 months of spectacular sales success.

Q BUSINESS MENTOR

Previous winners

Encouraging a younger generation as they start their career in tech lies at the heart of the awards – this awards shines a light on a real standout story of mentoring.

Rising Star, 2015: Abigail Bowen, Overclockers UK Marketing and PR, 2015: Rachel Gordon, Mad Catz

Q PCR WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Sales, 2015: Michelle McGeoch, Lenovo

The biggest award of the event, PCR Woman of the Year looks to recognise an outstanding career, achievement, or contribution to the UK tech industry.

Woman of the Year, 2015: Nova Smith, IT Tablet UK Woman of the Year, 2014: Sarah Shields, Dell UK

What people are saying about the awards “

“It was fantastic to return to the awards last year after receiving my own Woman of the Year Award in 2014, and the level of talent being recognised at the event demonstrates the importance of awards like these. It is an honour to recognise and celebrate female success in business and I look forward to seeing these awards thrive going forward.” Sarah Shields, Dell UK

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“I feel very privileged to have won. I also could not believe the messages of support and encouragement I got following the award, many from people I had lost contact with over the years. The event was a really positive experience, everyone was so supportive of everyone else and it was a great networking opportunity. It is so important that women are celebrated in the PC industry as it’s still a largely male-dominated sector and we know that having diversity, including gender diversity, is key to an organisation’s success.” Michelle McGeoch, Lenovo

“The decision to put a brand behind the Woman of the Year Awards proved to be a good one. The venue provided a luxurious backdrop to a hugely beneficial networking opportunity, and an industry spectacle that held its own, as a serious long term player.” Jon Atherton, Centerprise

“I think the recognition has really made a difference to my outlook on everything; in business I’m a lot more confident. I feel like I’m in a bigger league, it’s given me kudos. I really enjoyed the event, and all the people there were really friendly. It was very natural, the correct amount of time and informal – which made the networking easier. I think it was just right.” Nova Smith, IT Tablet PC

“The event is a great celebration for anyone in the industry regardless of whether they are female or not. I enjoyed networking with some fabulous ladies as well as catching up with a few peers and excolleagues. It is very apparent that the event isn’t necessarily to put a spotlight on the fact that we were women in a maleorientated industry, but rather to celebrate and pay tribute to a select group for their hard work, tenacity and conviction which can’t be seen as a bad thing from anybody’s perspective.” Rachel Gordon, Mad Catz

“It’s wonderful to celebrate women who are successful and encourage them to have careers, but it’s a really important strategic business reason for our industry. The skills gap has an impact on your business. There’s a loss of productivity, job satisfaction and customer satisfaction. So bringing women into this market is going to help solve a lot of these business issues.” Nancy Hammervik, CompTIA

PCR August 2016 | 29

BEHIND THE SCENES

Streets

Ahead Dixons Carphone has opened a new 6,000sq ft ﬂagship store on London’s Oxford Street, complete with its own ‘coffee shop’, virtual queuing system, in-store Wi-Fi and an LED video wall. Dominic Sacco visits the new outlet to ﬁnd out why it’s being called Dixons’ most innovative store yet…

IXONS CARPHONE has taken great strides in improving its High Street store design over the past few years. The retail chain opened its ‘Store of the Future’ at Bluewater three years ago, testing new ideas, plus it opened concept Dixons Travel shops at airports, boasting digital merchandising tables with ‘floating screens’ across themed areas. Let’s not forget its Gaming Bunker in London, which lets consumers get hands-on with the latest PC gaming accessories, systems and software. Now it’s opened what it’s calling its ‘most innovative and digitally connected’ flagship store at 94-98 Oxford Street. It’s part of Dixons Carphone’s three-in-one store strategy, which sees the Currys, PC World and Carphone Warehouse brands grouped together in each

30 | PCR August 2016

outlet. Earlier this year, the business invested £50 million into this revamp and announced 134 UK and Ireland store closures as part of the initiative. The shop boasts a number of innovations, from a socalled ‘virtual queuing system’, to 50 square metres of video walls and even a place where customers can grab a coffee. Dixons says its new flagship shop is a model for its future High Street three-in-one stores, with successful elements being rolled out to the wider estate. The outlet has been designed with commuters, visitors to London and busy shoppers in mind. The retailer says the new flagship shop ‘combines convenience, curated products and the connected world’, and offers ‘a range of premium products with a focus on convenient take away items’.

“It is the most up to date expression of what Dixons Carphone stands for as a company: technology, connectivity, service, knowledge and the widest, yet most relevant, range of products,” the company said in a statement.

“The shop boasts a so-called ‘virtual queuing system’, and even a place where customers can grab a coffee.”

STORE TOUR So Dixons Carphone can certainly talk the talk. But how is the store in person? I checked it out myself to see what all of the fuss is about. From the outside, the shop looks a lot smaller than I expected. The window displays are attractive, with a mix of video content and a selection of products on display to lure passers by. Stepping into the store, it’s still not as large as I thought it might look. But Dixons has managed 6,000 square feet of retail space effectively, packing in different products and categories rather smartly.

As you enter, you’re first greeted by a selection of Apple Macs and Macbooks in the centre of the store, with a dedicated Carphone Warehouse area on the righthand side. There’s a selection of smartphones on the wall here, plus there’s a seating area for customers to discuss plans and solutions with staff. On that note, I have to commend the staff – there are 65 employees in this store alone, and the abundance of helpers means customers will always have someone to assist them. Before I introduce myself to the manager, I ask for some general assistance with buying a laptop, and am impressed with the level of knowledge and helpful attitude from the gentleman I speak to. Walking further down the store, there are wearables, laptops and other gadgets dotted about, with the poor www.pcr-online.biz

BEHIND THE SCENES

DIXONS’ BOSS SHARES HIS VISION… SEB JAMES, group chief executive at Dixons Carphone, shares his thoughts on the new Oxford Street store. “I’m very excited to be opening our new Oxford Street store, which brings together our latest thinking in Currys, PC World and Carphone Warehouse on the High Street,” he says. “Oxford Street is one of the most iconic shopping destinations in the world and it seems apt that we are launching a flagship store here. We have designed a real destination store that’s full of innovation and technology firsts that I’m sure our customers will love. “The retail environment continues to evolve and we know that our customers are incredibly discerning,

old printer section shoved right at the back of the store towards the left (not far from the counter, which runs across the width of the store). The cash desk is 10m long and features 16 screens above it, based around the virtual queue system, which I’ll come onto in a moment. Upstairs, there’s a Nespresso shop-in-shop, manned four days a week, where customers can browse the latest coffee machines – and enjoy a coffee on the house. I ask the store manager whether he expects customers will exploit this service, and he tells me that if they ask for a coffee, he’s not going to say no. It’s designed for customers to have a coffee while they wait and decide on a purchase. I’ve often said in the past that Dixons doesn’t really have a direct competitor on the High Street, and that this dominance has allowed it to www.pcr-online.biz

experiment more with instore innovations and place a greater focus on customer service. That’s also the case here. The retail chain has obviously borrowed some ideas from Apple – and that’s certainly no bad thing. VIRTUAL QUEUING SYSTEM Another new innovation is this virtual queuing system. It’s essentially a more advanced click-and-collect service. Customers can place an order online, or in-store, and if the shop is particularly busy at that moment, they can arrange to return in an hour or so, walk in and jump right to the front of the queue to collect their item. Store staff are equipped with smart watches that notify them when a collection is due, along with the customer’s name, so they can greet them personally when the shoppers come to collect their new gadgets.

“There are 65 employees in this store alone... customers will always have someone to assist them.”

Speaking of smart customer data, O2 Smart Steps tech creates a ‘heat map’ of customer in-store flow and browse points, and provides customer demographic information. There’s also O2 Wi-Fi in-store, allowing customers to go online. That’s a bold move, what with ‘showrooming’ commonplace at High Street retail today. Staff also have multifunctional tablets, to assist customers with any service such as running demos, price checking and store management. Elsewhere, there are TVs and speakers on show upstairs, as well as a Dyson store-in-store which specifically focuses on ‘easy to carry’ goods targetting shoppers on foot. At the back there’s Dixons’ first combined consultation space for PC World Business and Knowhow. Above the stairs sits an impressive digital feature wall,

so we need to provide an exciting, engaging and connected shopping experience combined with competitive pricing and excellent service. “We hope our customers will agree that Oxford Street provides all that and more – and we look forward to helping them in store.”

boasting the biggest in-store screen on Oxford Street, with 50 square metres of LED screens and 4K content promoting different products. There aren’t many white goods in here, but that makes sense, given the Central London location. The only thing that’s missing is a dedicated gaming section. What with the enormous growth in this area and within eSports, and considering Oxford Street is full of young, affluent people, some of whom form part of the gamer demographic, I believe Dixons Carphone has missed a trick here. As the UK’s High Street tech leader, it has the opportunity to really capitalise on this area and could be doing more. Overall I’m left impressed. This is a tremendous-looking store, with great customer service and some innovations that may become the norm at High Street retail in the future. PCR August 2016 | 31

ANALYSIS

Is VR about to hit the big time? The industry has a relatively clear idea of who the big players are in virtual reality hardware, but the big question now is will VR be a hit with consumers? And who’s buying? Jonathan Easton analyses Context’s recent VR findings…

irtual Reality (VR) has been a niche in the upper echelons of the PC gaming community for a few years, but new data suggests that the industry is ready to make the jump from it being a novelty to a serious contender in mainstream consumer technology. A survey carried out by Context’s Virtual Reality Research Group has found

“Consumers are beginning to be enticed by virtual reality, as it moves away from the gaming world.” Adam Simon, Context

that consumers are much more interested in VR. “They are beginning to be enticed by virtual reality, as it moves away from the gaming world,” Adam Simon, global managing director at Context, tells PCR. With the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR having already been released, and PlayStation VR launching

before the end of the year, 2016 is, to quote Context’s UK and Ireland country manager Jonathan Wagstaff, “the year of democratised VR”. CONSUMER AWARENESS While almost three-quarters of the general public have heard about VR, there is a great disparity between gamers and the general public when it comes to just how much they have been exposed to the technology. 80 per cent of gamers say that they have heard lots about VR, which, given how much of this year’s E3 was dedicated to VR, is a statistic easy to believe. By contrast, only 10 per cent of the general public claim to have heard a lot about VR. 40 per cent of the general public who have only heard a few things about VR. These signs indicate that more can be done by retailers, resellers and vendors to make consumers more aware of the technology. “We found that three quarters of the public has heard of VR to some degree,” Simon adds. “With an increase in general awareness, the opportunity is there for retailers to capitalise on.”

How much do people know about VR? Also, opportunities to experience something some consumers would never do in real life (such as sky diving), and immersing themselves in a film, are two other popular reasons for using VR.

WHAT CONSUMERS WANT OUT OF VR Context’s Adam Simon explains: “What can I do to motivate someone to put the headset on or to buy it?” To this point, the primary focus in the communication of VR has been gaming, but

Context’s survey reveals that the unifying potential area that excites both gamers and members of the public is sports. 62.3 per cent of gamers and 61.7 per cent of the general public say that viewing sports through virtual reality excites them.

PURCHASING VR There are three main aspects that consumers are looking for in their virtual reality purchases, Simon says. “People are looking for the demonstration, they’re looking for the expert advice and the post-sales support,” he says. This is reflected in the data that shows demo opportunities, price point, expert advice and post-sales support as key factors. As for where people intend to buy VR hardware, Simon adds: “This is the category for retailers to lose. We hope in the next few months, retailers will have the opportunity to demo the equipment. This is going to be the way in which people really start adopting.”

Where will consumers be purchasing their headsets and accessories from?

Consumers are turning to specialist tech retailers for VR

32 | PCR August 2016

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RESELLER PROFILE / OPINION

RESELLER PROFILE: ROCKFORD IT The Rockford board of directors (from left to right): Jason Macmanus, Tom Sykes and Grant Thomas

After starting up 15 years ago, Rockford IT has become a fast-growing reseller – and was recently named WatchGuard Partner of the Year. Dominic Sacco asks CEO Tom Sykes about the business and his thoughts on the Brexit…

Tell us about Rockford IT and its background. I started Rockford IT 15 years ago and it is now a rapidly growing managed IT solutions and services company, employing nearly 40 people. We have our own data centres on site and have customers throughout the UK, including household names like The Scout Association and large businesses like Opus Energy, and many SMEs in a variety of sectors.

What products and services do you specialise in? We present our services under five banners: Connect IT (internet connectivity, VoiP unified communication solutions and wireless), Host IT (virtual or colocation in our own data centres), Managed IT (support, monitoring and projects), Secure IT (services such as penetration testing and WatchGuard firewalls, Kaspersky EndPoint Security and more), as well as Recover IT (backup and DR solutions). Who is your typical customer? Our typical customer is an SME – often with a number of locations. These include accountants, dental practices, hotels, schools, solicitors, veterinary practices and more. Between 10 and 100 computer users is

our typical size, but we do have some customers who have up to 500 seats. You’ve recently been awarded WatchGuard Partner of the Year. What does it mean to have won? It means a lot. We have been a WatchGuard partner since 2005 and last year we were the first partner – and one of only two now – to be awarded Platinum partner status by the vendor. We have a lot of expertise in our technical and sales teams and we also deliver a lot of added value to our customers too. We strongly believe that when set up correctly, a WatchGuard solution offers our customers the very best internet security solution and

a real depth of defense to modern threats. I think this explains why WatchGuard has recognised us in this way and our organisations support each other so well. What are your thoughts on the Brexit and what this means for your business? We are watching carefully at the moment. We have carried out an analysis of where our key suppliers operate and in what currency. We have also assessed from where our customers operate, in terms of different countries and in which verticals, along with assessing our risks. Currently, we are comfortable. In terms of what an exit from the EU means for Rockford IT operationally, my personal view is very little.

Rockford IT is a security consultancy based in Telford. www.rockford-it.co.uk

Get closer to the eSports industry In this month’s PC gaming column, PCR editor Dominic Sacco previews NewBay Media’s inaugural eSports Industry Awards set to take place in London this November… I’VE OFTEN said that eSports – or competitive gaming – has become its own beast, an entity almost separate to the gaming and PC industries. Nowadays most PC vendors and big retailers are aware and involved with eSports, whether they’re sponsoring the top teams or producing video content for consumers online. But for many established businesses in our market, from giant vendors like HP to retailers like Ebuyer, it can’t be easy to suddenly become an expert in eSports, or to meet the right faces and teams within that growing industry.

www.pcr-online.biz

That’s why PCR’s publisher NewBay Media has launched the first eSports Industry Awards. Taking place at The Brewery in London on November 21st, the eSports Industry Awards is dedicated to recognising the international eSports business, showcasing top class performance and innovation from the players, teams, media, hardware providers, games, event sponsors and personalities within the scene. Hosted by games industry commentator and presenter Julia Hardy and the Gadget Show’s Jason Bradbury, over

“eSports – or competitive gaming – has become its own beast.”

600 of the industry’s leading figures will gather to celebrate achievements and network with each other – and the event will be livestreamed to the world on the night. A full list of the categories and info can be found on the website over at www.esports industryawards.com, but some awards include Broadcaster of the Year, eSports Player of the Year, Commercial Partner of the Year and Best Live Event. The longlist will be constructed through public nominations, and a judging panel consisting of respected

professionals from a cross section of the eSports industry including ex-players. Media and broadcasters will then determine the overall winners in each of the 18 categories. Sponsors for the eSports Industry Awards already include Gfinity, NowTV and Twitch. Nominations have now closed and some initial finalists have been revealed. If you want to get closer to the market, why not consider booking a table and being a part of the action? I hope to see you there. esportsindustryawards.com

PCR August 2016 | 33

RETAILER OF THE MONTH

FACT FILE Established: 2004 Stores: 1 Staff: 5 Address: 16 Port Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 7AJ Contact: 01228 514444

At Home PC

Email: info@athomepc.co.uk Website: www.athomepc.co.uk

With the help of his wife, former DJ Paul Gordon has gone from making £8 during his first day with his Carlisle-based business to generating half a million pounds in turnover. He’s also been able to access funding from big vendors like Acer and Lenovo. Dominic Sacco asks him how he’s made At Home PC a success over the past 12 years… Tell us about At Home PC’s background… When I turned 40, I had a midlife crisis! I was sick of working for people, and I’ve always been into gadgets, so I started fixing people’s computers at home. My wife at the time cared for the elderly and used to do a night shift. She kept coming home and tripping over computers in the hallway, so at one point she said: “Right! You’ll have to do something about this.” We picked up a council unit – our first little shop – in 2004. There were quite a lot of computer fairs in Carlisle at the time, where they’d be selling dodgy versions of Windows and DVDs and that kind of stuff. So we thought we’d set up a shop and do it honestly. We got a loan and secured a unit, then we set up the workshop in the back. It was just me and my mrs, who decided to give up the elderly care. We turned over £8 on our first day. In the 34 | PCR August 2016

second week we sold our first system, which was £800. We turned over about £108,000 in first year from a standing start. I’ve been a club DJ in the Carlisle area for about 30 years and an awful lot knew me from when they went clubbing. We ran that shop for seven years and in the final year we were hitting around £300,000 or so in annual turnover. Our new shop is actually 50ft away from the old shop. It was our five-year anniversary in this shop – and 12 years in total – last August. Why did you move to your current shop? It became empty, and I kept thinking how nice it was and how it had room for expansion. When we moved in, it was just the right time – Currys/PC World in Carlisle was closed for three months as it was moving. We were doing about £25,000 a month in our old shop, but when we moved in

here we were pulling in £60,000. We’ve got 1,700sq ft of space, we’ve got a large workshop, a green wall that Acer gave us £4,000 to do and more. Some indies don’t work that closely with big vendors…

“Sometimes we’ve saved 25 or 30 per cent by buying the odd thing from Amazon.” Paul Gordon, At Home PC We knocked on a few doors, we used to sell a lot of Acer kit so we asked them for some money. We also have a green Acer van. Also, ASUS gave us a couple of grand towards setting up

too, so we put some ASUS stuff up, and Samsung gave us about £1,000 as well. Lenovo supported us with our business bench too. So we just knocked on doors and asked – I’m quite persistent. The idea was to sell more of their gear. We’ve asked vendors for more money since and haven’t got anything out of them! There’s no money now – it’s dried up.

used to sell laptops for £400 a pop, now they’re £250. We’re now doing about £450,000 to £480,000 in annual turnover. We’re going to put in some nice gaming desks. We have a HTC Vive as well so people can play on that too. In addition, we are also doing assisted building here, so people who are going to build their first gaming machine can come in and build it with us.

What kind of products and services do you offer? We set up At Home PC for a reason – to look after the home customer who was neglected. And it worked. Today, we look after 20 local authority schools and local businesses come to us too, because they trust us. We have SMBs and schools coming to us for 20 or 30 PCs. We’re also Apple certified so we can fix Macs as well. We hit £560,000 in our first year in our new shop. It’s a bit of a step back because we

What are your thoughts on PC pricing? I’ve been looking at where I buy from – Exertis is our main distributor. We use Ebuyer B2B, we use Westcoast and have direct accounts with some vendors like Crucial. For one particular SSD, I could buy it for £55 from distribution, £53 from a vendor direct, or £47 from Amazon Prime. Sometimes we’ve saved 25 or 30 per cent by buying the odd thing from Amazon. It can be quite ridiculous. www.pcr-online.biz

Friday October 14th | Sway Bar, London 2016 Sponsors Include:

The search for our top women in the UK PC and tech industry is once again underway! Shining the spotlight on the most inspiration and influential female execs across the PC & tech industry

THE 2016 CATEGORIES: | PR POWERHOUSE | CREATIVE MARKETEER | RISING STAR | | SALES BRILLIANCE | BUSINESS MENTOR | | PCR WOMAN OF THE YEAR | For more information please visit: www.pcrwomenoftheyear.com To attend the event on Friday October 14th at Sway Bar, London, or for more information contact Emine Partalci on epartalci@nbmedia.com or call +44 (0)207 354 6044 If you are interested in sponsoring PCR Women of the Year 2016, please contact Sarah Goldhawk on sgoldhawk@nbmedia.com or call +44 (0)207 354 6000.

SECTOR GUIDE

Desktop delight Global sales of PCs may be down around ten per cent year-on-year, but desktops still remain the bread and butter of many resellers and retailers in the IT channel. PCR highlights some of the latest and greatest desktop PCs and accessories…

HP PRODESK 400 G3 SMALL FORM FACTOR

HANNSPREE ‘PC ON A STICK’ & MONITOR

HP PROONE 400 G2 ALL-IN-ONE

DYNAMODE SSD/HDD EXPANSION CHASSIS

Distributor: Westcoast

Contact: Hannspree

Distributor: Westcoast

Distributor: Exertis

Give your business the strong foundation it needs for growth with the affordable and reliable HP ProDesk 400 MT. Designed with essential security and manageability features, it helps keep your business growing.

Hannspree has combined its PC on a Stick with the latest addition to its HT225 HannsG touch-screen monitor series, to create a flexible, modern allin-one computing solution.

Easy to deploy, sleek, and feature-rich, the HP ProOne 400 20-inch All-in-One PC features business-class collaboration, manageability and security features.

Dynamode has launched SSD/HDD integral expansion chassis for 2.5-inch form factor storage devices. The SSDHD-USB3.0 mounts via the 3.5-inch FDU bay, while the SSD-HDD2.5 fits a 3.5inch drive bay.

Specs: Intel Core i5 6500, Intel HD Graphics 530, 4GB RAM, 256 GB SSD Windows 10 Home 64-bit

Specs: 21.5” monitor, portable PC on a Stick

Specs: Intel Core i5 6500T, Intel HD Graphics 530, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Windows 10 Home 64-bit

Specs: For 2.5” form factor storage devices, to fit via a 3.5-inch drive bay

SRP: £408 ex VAT

SRP: £249

SRP: £480 ex VAT

SRP: £14.99 ex VAT (SSD-HD-USB3.0), £17.99 ex VAT (SSD-HDD2.5)

HP 280 G2 MICROTOWER

HP 260 G2 DESKTOP MINI

ASUS TRAVELAIR N 1TB

HP ELITEONE 800 ALL-IN-ONE

Distributor: Westcoast

Distributors: Exertis, Spire Technology, VIP Computers, Tech Data

Distributor: Westcoast

Take on your work with the HP 280 MT desktop PC. Get the computing power you need for your business while minimising the total cost of ownership.

The fully functional HP 260 Desktop Mini PC delivers the benefit of space saving design that can grow with your business and is equipped with the essential tools you need at an affordable price.

With 1TB of storage and its own built-in Wi-Fi network, the Travelair N lets you carry more than 500 movies or thousands of photos, songs, and files with you wherever you go, and access them wireless with your device.

Trust your mission-critical projects to an all-in-one PC that’s built to handle the demands of virtually any business environment. Power your workday with a secure, enterprise-class PC that’s easy to manage, reliable and stylish.

Specs: Intel Core i5 6500, Intel HD Graphics 530, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Windows 10 Pro

Specs: Intel Core i3 6100U, 4GB DDR4 RAM, 256 GB SSD, Windows 10 Pro

Specs: 802.11n Wi-Fi and One-Touch NFC, 1TB, eight-hour battery life, USB 3.0

Specs: Intel Core i5 4590S, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 23” Monitor, 1920x1080 Full HD, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

SRP: £360 ex VAT

SRP: £354 ex VAT

SRP: £114.99

SRP: £462 ex VAT

36 | PCR August 2016

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SECTOR GUIDE

TARGET INTEL I5 PRE-BUILT PC

LOGITECH’S C925E WEBCAM

ASROCK NUC-SIZED BEEBOX

QPAD DX-20 MOUSE

Distributor: Target Components

Distributors: Tech Data, Ingram Micro, Exertis

Distributor: Target Components

Distributor: Entatech

The Target Intel i5 4460 3.2GHz Quad core 8GB Ram 1TB HDD DVDRW comes in a stylish Bitfenix Nova tower case with Windows 10 64bit Home preinstalled. It’s designed to fit perfectly in any home or office with its tower case and streamline look. It also has multiple outputs (three monitors) and, of course, the ability to upgrade the components.

This webcam is designed to enhance the everyday face-to-face video experience, with a professional quality audio and HD camera that works seamlessly from any desktop. The camera offers full 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second, allowing for true-tolife, high definition video calls that facilitate a vivid and lifelike impression. Set up is straightforward too.

The design concept of ASRock Beebox originated from one of the most common insects – bees. By squeezing a cutting edge Intel N3000 Series SoC powered motherboard and other peripherals into a compact chassis, Beebox is small, fast, hard working just like a bee, all but the distracting buzzing noise. A home theatre system for your living room, that’s also quiet enough for your bedroom.

QPAD’s DX-20 is the first new mouse shape from QPAD in seven years. It’s a multi-surface mouse and features RGB LEDs on the scroll wheel, logo and base of the mouse. With an improved design inspired by the Microsoft Intellimouse 1.1, the new DX-20’s sensor features game-critical zero-mouse acceleration, precisely matching 1:1 movement between your mouse and the movement on the screen.

Specs: Intel i5 4460 3.2GHz Quad core 8GB Ram 1TB HDD with Windows 10 pre-installed

Specs: HD 1080p video calling at 30 frames-per-second (up to 1920 x 1080 pixels), 78 degree field of view

Specs: USB Type-C, 802.11ac WiFi, 4K support, two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort

Specs: Optical sensor 3500CPI, 3.6MPS, braided 2m cable, ARM Cortex M3 processor, RGB led 16.7m colours

SRP: £549.99

SRP: £99

SRP: £199.99

SRP: £59.99

CREATIVE SOUND BLASTERX G5

LENOVO C40 ALL-IN-ONE

APPROX LAPTOP BACKPACK & MOUSE SET

APPROX LAPTOP COOLER STAND

Distributor: Entatech

Distributor: Target Components

Distributor: Meroncourt

The G5 is a high performance external sound card with Creative’s SB-Axx1 multi-core chipset for hardware accelerated audio. It delivers superior gaming audio performance in a tiny form-factor. This virtual 7.1 24-bit/192kHz, 120dB USB Digital Audio Converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier delivers a gaming audio experience – whether it is for your PC or for your gaming console.

Intel HD graphics support, stereo speakers and HDMI output offer crisp visuals and high quality sound for a full, satisfying home entertainment experience. The C40 includes a integrated optical drive, CyberLink PowerDVD multimedia player and CyberLink Power2Go disc burner, integrated stereo speakers and more. It takes up less room than a traditional tower, but boasts a big screen.

The APPNBBUNDLES4 includes a basic backpack for laptops up to 15.6 inches, with a durable coating, plus an optical mouse with a USB 2.0 cable. The laptop bag includes resistant interior and zippers, padding of top quality fabrics and metallic handles, and top finishes and materials to maximise durability.

Use your laptop or notebook comfortably with this lightweight stand and cooling fan. It has an exclusive design with two LEDs, boasts quiet operation and is suitable for laptops up to 15.6 inches.

Specs: Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)120dB (DAC), Optical In and Out: 1 x 3.5mm jack

Specs: Varies

Specs: Mouse and back combo, USB 2.0 mouse cable, fits laptops up to 15.6”

Specs: Consumption of 0.5W, fan speed 750-1500 RPM, two USB ports

SRP: £129.99

SRP: £449.99

SRP: £17.99

SRP: £9.99

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR August 2016 | 37

SECTOR GUIDE

ZOOSTORM DELTA TOWER DESKTOP PC

PHILIPS 247E6QDAD MONITOR

ZOOSTORM ORIGIN DESKTOP PC

HAMA DESKTOP INDUCTION CHARGER

Distributor: VIP Computers

Distributors: Entatech, Tech Data, Exertis, Midwich

Distributor: VIP Computers

Distributor: Hama

The best-selling cost effective Delta Tower from Zoostorm is a traditional tower that provides the freedom and space to upgrade. With this PC on your desk, you can be sure it will deliver consistent reliability and efficiency.

Wrapped in a sleek design, the 24-inch Philips 247E6QDAD is equipped with an IPS-ADS display that not only gives users extra-wide viewing angles (178/178) but also crisp and vivid images. It features a Full HD widescreen resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and supports 1080p signals from various sources. Philips SmartContrast technology automatically controls the backlight intensity and contrast.

The Zoostorm Origin range of home desktop PCs deliver powerful, reliable performance ideal for everyday computing. A stylish, brushed grey tower provides versatility with the ability to upgrade.

Powered via USB, the Hama Induction Charger can be used to wirelessly charge any compatible smartphone or device simply by resting it on the surface, eliminating any unnecessary cable clutter. An accessible source of power on the desktop, charging immediately commences when the device is placed on the plate and ceases when it is removed, with a non-slip rubber coating.

Specs: Intel Celeron 1037U processor, 1TB HDD with 4GB DDR3 memory, no operating system

Specs: 24”, 1920x1080, 178/178 extrawide viewing angles

Specs: Intel Core i5 6400 processor, 2TB HDD, 128GB SSD with 16GB DDR4 memory, Windows 10 Home

Specs: USB-powered, compatible with smartphones and other devices

SRP: £149.99

SRP: £124.99

SRP: £499.99

SRP: £24.99

STORMFORCE HURRICANE GAMING PC

FRESH ‘N REBEL ROCKBOX CUBE

STORMFORCE TORNADO GAMING PC

HAMA TABLET DESKTOP STAND

Distributor: VIP Computers

Distributor: Hama

Distributor: VIP Computers

Distributor: Hama

Turbocharge your gaming experience with the award winning StormForce Hurricane VR-ready gaming PC. Designed to deliver the ultimate gaming experience that will satisfy even the most hardcore gamers out of the box, a StormForce Hurricane PC delivers stunning visuals, ultra-fast response times and crystal clear audio.

Petite but powerful, the Rockbox Cube Fabriq Edition connects wirelessly to any computer, tablet or Bluetoothenabled device for up to eight hours of audio playback on a single one-hour charge. Bring the party to your desktop with powerful 3W output and customtuned drivers coupled with a contemporary, eye-catching design.

This StormForce Tornado gaming PC is an entry-level gaming system, developed to deliver reliable performance, faster load times, better system responsiveness and the ability to easily handle data-intensive games.

Allowing optimal positioning of a tablet PC around the desktop or office for typing, conference calls or viewing media content, the adjustable Hama Multifunctional Stand can be used in both vertical and horizontal orientations with screen sizes from 7-inch to 10.1-inch.

Specs: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, Intel Core i7 6700 processor, 2TB HDD, 256GB SSD with 16GB DDR4 memory

Specs: 59 x 59 x 59 mm, Bluetooth 4.0, 500 mAh rechargeable battery, 3W output power

Specs: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 graphics, Intel Core i5 6400 CPU, 1TB HDD, 128GB SSD, 16GB DDR4 memory

Specs: Clamping range from 15.7cm to 26.5cm, maximum load capacity 1 kg

SRP: £999.99

SRP: £24.99

SRP: £699.99

SRP: £24.99

38 | PCR August 2016

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SECTOR GUIDE

ASROCK DESKMINI 110 BAREBONE PC

ASUS EXTERNAL SLIMLINE DVD RE-WRITER

AOC U2879VF MONITOR

Distributor: Spire Technology

Distributors: VIP Computers, Exertis, Tech Data, Bosse Computers

Compared to T-series CPU models, the DeskMini 110 uses 65W CPUs and is still smaller than other HTPCs, bringing up to 23 per cent more performance. It’s also the world’s first Mini-STX build that supports standard Intel box fans.

The ASUS SDRW-08D2S-U LITE is an external slim DVD writer capable of 8x speeds. It has a stylish and portable design – a lattice-like appearance of the drive is inspired by diamonds, making the product unique from each angle. Additional features include USB 2.0 and the E-Green Engine for optical storage.

The 28-inch screen comes in a 16:9 format with 4K UHD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), yielding a pixel density of 157 ppi (pixels per inch), thus producing crisp and detailed images. The monitor boasts a 10-bit Deep Colour RGB display panel that offers excellent colour accuracy and has a 1ms response time.

Specs: Mini STX, 1151 (H110), DDR4 SO-DIMM, M.2, VGA, HDMI, DP, No RAM, HDD or O/S

Specs: USB 2.0, 24x CD read and write speeds, 8x DVD read and write speeds, 142x142x20mm

Specs: 28”, 16:9, 3840x2160, 157ppi

SRP: £129

SRP: £25.10

SRP: £279.99

AOC U3277PQU MONITOR

ACER ASPIRE Z1-612

DELL INSPIRON 24 5000 SERIES

Distributors: VIP Computers, Exertis, Tech Data, Bosse Computers

Contact: Acer

Distributor: Exertis

Thanks to advanced IPS panel technology and a 4K UHD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), the 32-inch AOC U3277PQU produces fine images with wide viewing angles. Users will benefit from accurate colour reproduction (100 per cent sRGB, one billion colours).

An Aspire Z1 all-in-one has everything you need, including DVD drives and 10-point multi-touch screens, but has a very small footprint so it frees up much more desk space than a typical desktop PC. It is built into a panel that is 30 mm thin, and delivers a user-friendly and smooth computing experience.

The Inspiron is a powerful 24-inch all-in-one desktop with rich multimedia features, plus Intel processors, Full HD and built-in performance speakers.

Specs: 3840x2160, 32”, one billion colours, 4K

Specs: Windows 10, Intel Celeron Processor J1900, 4GB memory, 1TB hard drive, built-in WiFi

Specs: 6th Gen Intel Core i5 processors, up to 8GB DDR3L memory support

SRP: £699

SRP: Around £300

SRP: From £629

CONTACT Acer: .............................www.acer.com

Exertis: ..................01256 707 070 (IT)

Ingram Micro:.............. 0871 973 3000

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

Bosse Computers: ....... 0161 877 0833

Hama:........................... 0333 123 4262

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

Target Components:... 01977 739 300

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

Hannspree: 0871 8880850 / uksales@

Midwich: .......................01379 649200

VIP Computers: ........... 0871 622 7500

Exertis: ............01279 822 822 (Home)

eu.hannspree.com

Spire Technology: ........01202 828444

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

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR August 2016 | 39

SECTOR GUIDE

Hit the motherload With an ever-growing community of PC gamers and rise of virtual reality gaming, consumers are looking to powerful PCs – and the motherboard is of course one of the most vital parts of a build. PCR looks at some of the options...

GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-GAMING G7

GIGABYTE GA-X99-DESIGNARE

COOLER MASTER HYPER 212X

COOLER MASTER HYPER TX3I

Distributors: Target Components, Entatech

Distributors: Bosse Computers, Exertis Micro-P, Target Components, Entatech

The Gigabyte GA-Z170X Ultra Gaming provides users with the customisation and performance, coupled with speed and power. The GA-Z170X is Intel Thunderbolt 3 Certified and supported by 6th generation Intel Core processors.

The Gigabyte GA-X99 supports the Intel Core i7 6950 processor (Extreme Edition) and Intel Turbo Boost Mac Technology 3.0. Ambient surround LED allows users to set the board to match their style.

The Hyper 212X includes a PWM controlled fan and provides 9 dBA low noise with a maximum of 27.2 dBA.

Designed for Intel only, the Cooler Master Hyper TX3i contains direct contact heat pipes with a base that is engineered to minimize CPU contact gaps.

Specs: Intel Z170 Express Chipset, Core i7, i5, i3 Pentium Celeron, 4 x DDR4 DIMM sockets, up to 64 GB of memory

Specs: Intel X99 Express Chipset, Core i7, 8 x DDR4 DIMM sockets, up to 128 GB of system memory

Specs: Dimensions 120 x 79 x 158 mm, Fan Speed 600-1,700 RPM ± 10%

Specs: Dimensions 90 x 79 x 136 mm, Fan Speed 800-2,200 RPM ± 10%

SRP: : Various

SRP: £389.99

SRP: £33.99

SRP: £22.99

COOLER MASTER SEIDON 120V

ASROCK FATAL1TY Z170 PROFESSIONAL GAMING

ASUS ROG RAMPAGE V EDITION 10

ASUS N3150I-C

Distributors: Bosse Computers, Exertis Micro-P, Target Components, Entatech

Distributor: Target Components

Distributors: Spire Technology, Tech Data, Exertis

Distributor: Spire Technology

Factory filled with coolant, then sealed and pressure tested, this requires zero maintenance for years. A highly optimized pump and water block guarantees the best water flow and system performance.

The ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Professional Gaming i7 features extra large aluminum alloy heat sinks that effectively take away heat from the MOSFET and chipset, so that the whole system may perform more stable.

The ASUS ROG Rampage V Edition 10 is the flagship X99 motherboard for Socket 2011-v3 processors. This ROG 10th Anniversary product leaves nothing out.

The ASUS N3150I-C is a mini-ITX motherboard for Intel N3050 SoC CPUs, with a quiet fanless design. The N3150I-C is specifically designed with DIY builds in mind so it is purposefully easy to use and customise.

Specs: Dimension (LxWxH) 62 x 62 x 36.4 mm Fan Speed 600-2400 RPM ± 10%

Specs: Intel Z170 Express Chipset, 6th Generation Intel Core Processors, DDR4 3866+

Specs: Intel X99 Chipset, Core i7, DDR4 3333MHz

Specs: Celeron Quad-Core N3150, 2 x U-DIMM, DDR3 1600/1066 MHz

SRP: £44.99

SRP: £199.99

SRP: £509.95

SRP: £83.31

40 | PCR August 2016

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SECTOR GUIDE

ASUS STRIX X99 GAMING

INTEL CORE I7-6700K

INTEL CORE I7 EXTREME EDITION CPU

INTEL CORE I5-6600K

Distributors: Spire Technology, Tech Data, Exertis

Distributors: Arrow, Avnet, Hammer, Ingram Micro, Rutronik, Tech Data

Distributors: Target Components

The ASUS STRIX X99 Gaming is the latest motherboard for Socket 2011-v3 CPUs, including the new ‘Broadwell-E’ Core i7 processors. The latest storage and connectivity technologies are also supported.

The unlocked Intel Core i5-6600k and i7-6700k processors features Intel Turbo Boost Technology which gives you an automatic burst of speed whenever you need it.

With the beefed up version of its Core i7, Intel has built a processer designed to comfortably support VR along with facilitating the editing of video in native 4K and anything else you want to throw at it.

The i5 6600K is the flagship processor of the Skylake-S line-up that features increased performance. The CPU is also overclocking enabled.

Specs: Core i7, DDR4 up to 128GB

Specs: Four cores, DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600, up to 64gb, Up to 4.2GHz

Specs: Up to 10 cores, up to DDR3 1866, up to 3.7GHz

Specs: Four cores, DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600, up to 3.9GHz

SRP: £273.80

SRP: £300 - £330

SRP: Various

SRP: £189.99

INTEL CORE I3-6100

AMD ATHALON X4 860K

AMD WRAITH COOLER

AMD KAVERI A10 7850K BLACK EDITION

Distributors: Arrow, Avnet, Hammer, Ingram Micro, Rutronik, Tech Data

Distributor: Avnet, VIP

Distributor: Target Components

Intel’s new fast, feature-packed processor family with built-in security is ready to take user productivity, creativity and 3D gaming to the next level.

The new Athlon X4 880K boasts a 4.2 GHz maximum turbo frequency and an unlocked clock multiplier7. Paired with the new 125W AMD Thermal Solution, the processor delivers high multi-core performance to users.

Featuring near-silent 39dbA operation, the AMD Wraith Cooler has less than one-tenth the noise of its predecessor. The Wraith Cooler is bundled exclusively with current CPUs such as the A10-7890K or the FX-8370.

Unlock your system’s full potential with revolutionary HSA architecture — the new standard in processor design — enabling the CPU and GPU to work in perfect harmony and blaze through compute tasks in Ultra HD resolution.

Specs: 2 Cores, DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600, 3.7Ghz

Specs: Four cores, 4.2 GHz

Specs: Dimensions 107 x 119 x 82mm, up to 39dB(A)

Specs: 3.7GHz Quad Core FM2+ Socket Processor

SRP: Around £100

SRP: £59.99

SRP: Various

SRP: £99.99

CONTACT Arrow: .......................... 0127 945 5005

Exertis: ............01279 822 822 (Home)

Rutronik:...................... 01204 602 200

Avnet: .......................... 01977 282 360

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

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

Bosse Computers: ....... 0161 877 0833

Hammer: ...................... 0125 684 1000

Target Components:... 01977 739 300

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

Ingram Micro:.............. 0870 849 0225

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

www.pcr-online.biz

VIP Computers: ........... 0871 622 7500

PCR August 2016 | 41

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Recommended Dedicated monthly product coverage

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The Aurora’s triad design has removable side-panels

Alienware’s new beast boasts overclockable memory with Kingston Fury X running at 2400MHz

The Aurora includes the latest NVIDIA GeForce cards

Alienware’s impressive Aurora E3 GENERATED a huge amount of column inches this year, with coverage of nextgen consoles hogging the limelight. But beyond the hype around Project Scorpio, there were many exciting products unveiled for PC gamers. Alienware was, unsurprisingly, front and centre, rolling out a new line of VR-optimised hardware under the Aurora moniker. Despite a smaller footprint than the previous Aurora, the

new unit (pictured) packs more dedicated graphics and overclocking potential, including the latest generation NVIDIA GeForce cards, for 4K gaming (or even up to 12K gaming as a dualgraphics capable desktop). Performance improvements also include the latest Intel CPUs – available with liquid cooling, and overclockable memory with Kingston Fury X running at 2400 MHz. The Aurora also includes Alienware’s first chassis with

tool-less access for easy swapping of GPUs and as many as three of the five potential storage drives. But that wasn’t all from the gaming specialist at E3, with a new Alpha compact desktop and Area-51 desktop also being unveiled. The Alpha comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 GPU with 4GB of GDDR5 memory for what Alienware claims is over 60 per cent higher GPU performance than the previous generation.

It’s also configurable with a new AMD Radeon graphics option and is now compatible with the Alienware Graphics Amplifier to push performance to handle VR and 4K gaming. Many of the same updates can be found on the new version of the Alienware Steam Machine too. Meanwhile, the Alienware Area-51 desktop is now equipped with the new Intel Core i7 CPUs encompassing 6-10 core options, as well as

NVIDIA’s latest GeForce graphics technology (Pascal). The triad design supports up to three full-length doublewide graphics cards, removable side-panels, convenient access to ports and carrying handles, as well as an optimised thermal management system. Finally, the Alienware 13 OLED notebook (first previewed at CES in January) offers an OLED touchscreen display designed in partnership with Samsung.

Contact: www.dell.co.uk | Price: £TBC (Aurora), from £549 (Alpha), from £1,279 (Area-51), from £979 (Alienware 13) | Out: Now

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR August 2016 | 43

RECOMMENDED

You can now print out Facebook with HP WITH ALL the hype around 3D printing it’s easy to forget that good old-fashioned 2D printing – you know, on paper – is very much alive, well and still innovating. Wireless printing has been around for a long time, not only to help rid our homes and offices of wires, but also to enable people to print out documents they’ll never read or use from their phones and tablets too. Then you have the various ‘smart’ iterations of hardware, with the automatic ordering of ink via nifty subscription plans. Market leader HP’s latest innovation is all about size, however, in the form of its latest all-in-one printer, the DeskJet 3720, which the firm claims is the smallest in its class. It’s HP Instant Ink-ready and, as you would expect, supports printing from a smartphone or tablet, with

the entire package presented in a fetching ‘Electric Blue’ colour scheme to brighten even the dullest home office. In a nod to budding photographers, users can print, share and design custom photos from

“HP is claiming that the DeskJet 3720 is the smallest in its class.”

Facebook, Instagram and Flickr – or directly from a phone’s camera roll – with the free HP Social Media Snapshots application. The DeskJet 3720 is also bundled with 4x5 sticky photo

paper for the Social Media Snapshots app. Plus, with HP Printbot, Facebook Messenger users can print content straight from a conversation. In addition to easily printing

photos and documents, Printbot allows users to add printers, print from the printer’s history and order replacement supplies. Coming back to the

discussion of size, we are very interested to see just how small the printer industry can go – presumably no smaller than the width of an A4 sheet of paper.

Contact: HP UK | www.hp.co.uk | Price: £54.99 | Out: Available now

Gratnells supercharges device storage for schools WE’VE ALL been there – you pick up your tablet to watch the football while Coronation Street is on the TV only to find that it has five per cent battery life left, with the nearest charger nowhere near your sofa. Now imagine that same scenario, only with a teacher discovering a classroom’s 30 tablets have no charge, just before taking a double maths lesson. Not ideal. Luckily, the chaps at Gratnells have a nifty solution to the problem in the form of a new product range designed to store, charge and sync up to 30 USB devices at ultra fast speed. Its PowerTrays come in two sizes – a shallow tray and an extra deep version, and can each store 10 tablets. Gratnells’ PowerTrolley meanwhile can adapt to house either three tiers of

shallow trays, charging 30 devices at any one time, or two tiers of extra deep trays, charging 20 units. The deeper trays also feature a lid to

protect all of the charging tablets on the inside. It can be used as a standalone unit or on wheels and transportable from class to class.

Gratnells has been providing classroom storage for 40 years, and says these new products take its robust and colourful tray/trolley

combinations – which are compatible with standard school and office furniture – into the digital age. The average charge time from zero to 100 per cent is between two and four hours. In addition, the PowerTray has an integral fan and air vents to cool gadgets. The PowerTrolley is specially designed to securely store and charge devices using the new PowerTrays and has features such as lockable castors and optional handles. To maintain security, complete units are lockable. PowerTrays are available in white and come in two alternative heights, while PowerTrolleys offer five contemporary colours to complement or contrast with décor. Both are futureproofed, universal and firmware updatable to be compatible with changes in technology.

Contact: Gratnells | www.gratnells.com | Price: £250-£379 (PowerTray), £250 (PowerTrolley) | Out: Available now

44 | PCR August 2016

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RECOMMENDED

Terra convertible hopes to rival the Yoga PC VENDOR Terra/Wortmann AG held its second annual UK reseller event at the end of June at the Coventry Transport Museum, and presented an impressive new line-up of products.

“This brand is not just about being a cheap alternative – it wants to sit at the top table.”

The most interesting new device from the event was arguably the Terra 360-15 convertible, boasting a 15inch touch-screen, standing 20mm high and weighing only 2.19kg. Designed to stand up against more established PC

vendors on the market, the 360-15 boasts an affordable £799 price tag and launches later this year. But seeing the 15.6-inch convertible up close and

personal, it’s clear that this brand is not just about being a cheap alternative – it wants to sit at the top table. It’s an impressive-looking bit of kit and packs a punch, boasting

an NVIDIA GeForce GT940M, 2GB graphics, 256GB SSD and an Intel Core i5-6200U powering Windows 10. Other devices presented at the Coventry event included

the 1775 and 1549 gaming systems, a 4K gaming notebook, rugged tablets and small form factor desktops. Terra also spoke about its server business at the event, the Terra Slim PC and Terra Cloud. And, while Terra isn’t yet a force in the UK PC market, or as big as the likes of HP, Dell or Lenovo, it is wellestablished in its home country of Germany and is enjoying its 30th anniversary in a very customer friendly way. To celebrate, the company began offering the option to upgrade from standard warranty to on-site service for €1 on desktop PCs, from July 1st. For Terra service partners, Terra will send a repair kit to their office or end user address, along with £50 per hour for time on-site and 45p per mile to or from the destination for handling the on-site service.

Contact: Terra UK | www.wortmann.de | Price: from around £849 | Out: Available now

The best gaming mouse in the house? configured MOBA profiles for maximum in-game efficiency. What’s more, a 5G true 16,000 DPI laser sensor ensures that movements across any display setup register precisely, whether it is a multi-monitor battle station or a 4K screen.

EVEN THE most advanced PC games would be but nothing without the humble mouse with which the user can conduct the on-screen action. But not just any old mouse, of course. PC gamers are a discerning bunch, requiring ergonomic designs and the

ruggedness to survive thousands of button clicks per session. Step forward Germany’s Razer, which has been tailoring digital rodents for the hardcore market for quite some time and has designed a brand new Naga-branded

device, with titles such as League of Legends, DOTA 2 and Heroes of the Storm firmly in mind. The Razer Naga Hex V2 buffs it to an ‘OP’ level, with a seven-button mechanical thumb wheel optimised for MOBA gaming and pre-

“A 5G true 16,000 DPI laser sensor ensures that movements register precisely.” Razer says its latest gaming mouse will help MOBA gamers achieve a better balance between keyboard and mouse commands, allowing them to react better to different

situations, with the careful placement of its extra buttons providing accuracy without the worry of miss-clicking. It also sports Razer Chroma technology, which unlocks customisable lighting features that can be synced across devices – gamers can pick and choose from 16.8 million colors and a variety of effects. Custom settings can be created on the Razer Synapse software platform before being shared with other Razer software users via the Razer Chroma Workshop. The Naga Hex V2 follows Razer’s initial foray into mice designed specifically for MOBA players. Indeed, Razer’s interest in advancing gaming and catering for everyone has led to the company making mice specifically designed for MMO, mobile, ambidextrous and even left-handed gameplay.

Contact: Razer / VIP Computers | www.razerzone.com | www.vip-computers.com | Price: £69.99 | Out: Available now www.pcr-online.biz

PCR August 2016 | 45

RECOMMENDED

AOC syncs up with NVIDIA AOC HAS unveiled the AG271QG, an NVIDIA G-SYNC edition of its AGON premium gaming monitor, complete with a 27-inch IPS panel and QHD resolution, all running at 165Hz. With native 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, AOC says the display delivers extremely fast images without motion blur, screen tearing and display stutter. This is thanks to the built-in NVIDIA G-SYNC technology, which synchronizes display refresh rates with those of the graphics card. AOC has also equipped the AGON AG271QG with IPS panel technology (AHVA) to ensure on-screen colours are as vivid as they are entertaining. But it’s not just about what’s onscreen when it comes to gaming –

Corsair lights up its RAM offering

players love their custom set ups too. The adjustable stand AOC Ergo Dial features height-adjustment with a scale for its users to remember their preferred setting. Gamers can also fine-tune the comfort settings by adjusting the tilt of the AG271QG and using the swivel adjustment when needed.

Contact: AOC | www.aoc-europe.com | Price: £639 | Available now

CORSAIR HAS caused a stir amongst RAM addicts with its new Vengeance LED series of performance DDR4 memory. In fact, you can’t miss it thanks to an LED-lit top bar and aggressively styled, industrial-looking aluminium design. But it’s not just about good looks. The Vengence LED is tailored towards overclocking and optimised for maximum performance on the latest Intel X99 and 100 series motherboards. The Vengeance LED series is available in red and white LED variants, alongside stellar performance at frequencies up to 4,333MHz. Each module is built using a tenlayer PCB for better signaling and uses carefully screened ICs. The

signature aluminum heat spreader ensures rapid heat dissipation to ensure stable performance and each kit is fully XMP 2.0 compatible, allowing users to instantly set their memory to its specified speed and achieve the best performance and stability. The result is an aesthetic designed to complement a wide variety of mid and high-end motherboards, graphics cards, plus Corsair’s full range of cases, liquid CPU coolers, fans and power supplies.

Contact: www.corsair.com | Price: From £99.99 | Available now

Editorial Planner

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

September 2016

October 2016

November 2016

PC GAMING SPECIAL

DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL

SECURITY SPECIAL

We take a look at the state of the UK’s PC gaming sector, speak to system builders and list the latest accessories, components and cases available to stock.

The tech distribution space is continuing to evolve and consolidate, but what are the challenges for suppliers and what does the future hold?

We turn our attention to the ever evolving world of tech security and look at industry trends and challenges.

We also preview the 2016 PCR Women of the Year event and review the IFA trade show.

Also featured is a review of the 2016 PCR Women of the Year event and a preview of PCR Boot Camp North.

Advertising Deadline

August 12th

September 14th

October 12th

Elsewhere in this issue, we preview this year’s IFA trade show set to take place in Berlin.

46 | PCR August 2016

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From the publisher of Installation, AV Technology and SCN.

From primary through to higher education, Tech&Learning UK engages with those responsible for AV & IT technology throughout the UK education sector. Tech&Learning UK reaches 16,000 decision makers and inﬂuencers in the UK and provides manufacturers and service providers with the perfect marketing platform for targeting this growing market. • • • • • •

Quarterly print magazine Dedicated website Weekly newsletters Custom email campaigns Roundtables Webinars

New online platforms: • Dedicated website • Weekly digest newsletter • Theme of the Month newsletter Sign up at www.techandlearning.uk

Tech&Learning UK audience includes: • Business managers • ICT managers / technicians • Head teachers / deans • Heads of department / faculty • AV resellers and integrators

www.techandlearning.uk For further information on subscribing, advertising or submitting content for Tech&Learning UK, please contact: Sales:

Editorial:

Gurpreet Purewal +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 gpurewal@nbmedia.com

Heather McLean +44 (0) 7986 473 520 heather@mclean-media.com

OUT OF OFFICE

IN THE

HOT SEAT IS POKÉMON GO-ING TO MAKE RETAILERS AND SCREEN REPAIRERS A LOT OF MONEY?

Paul Butler, AOC AOC and MMD regional sales director Paul Butler tells us how he started out in the technology industry, being addicted to Game of Thrones and playing the trumpet… What was your fist job? I was a technician apprenticeship with GEC General Signal Limited. I spent four years there cutting my teeth on all business aspects and engineering.

THE POKÉMON GO augmented reality smartphone game has become a true phenomenon unlike anything else (save for those few months where everyone and their dog was playing Candy Crush). It has led some people to rent themselves out as chauffeurs-for-hire, leave work to go on a worldwide Pokémon adventure and even secretly exercise. People have suffered broken bones and busted affairs in their efforts to become Pokémasters but with customers wandering around all day with their phones out will it also lead to broken screens, busted batteries and huge profits? While it may look like a good portion of any given crowd are stumbling around like the walking dead, they might actually become one of the best markets to aim at. The app, which isn’t for the faint of charge, has seen Carphone Warehouse grow its

powerbank sales by 60 per cent since its UK launch in July. So players are turning to external batteries to keep playing for hours and hours and gather more juice to fuel their quest. Likewise, there could be little worse for avid Pokémon catchers than falling foul of a missed step or a clumsy swipe, and witnessing their smartphone’s screen crack like the hatching of a newborn Pokémon. Luckily, in both situations, panicked players should only be a Pokéball’s throw away from their local Pokémart or Pokémon Centre to pick up a battery or get a repair. And all this can only be good for business, even if it means that you have to deal with people wandering outside your shop for hours on end. Why not encourage Pokémasters to catch some Pokémon in your store at the same time?

What’s your favourite TV show? Game of Thrones (yes, I am an addict). Do you have any phobias? None I have been aware of. Do you play any instruments? I used to play the trumpet but that was a long time ago. I don’t play any currently. Am I too old to relearn? If I do, it will have to be the guitar. If you could go back in time what would you do? Put my money in Apple shares. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Running a business – preferably my own. What’s going to be the next big thing in tech? Smart devices are a wonder and integration is the key. Everything is getting smaller and faster. Development of Graphene will have the next biggest impact on tech.

48 | PCR August 2016

WHAT A BAUMER CASEY BAUMER. You might recognise this name if you have ever used one of Google’s apps like Docs or Slides and chosen a preset template. But as it turns out, Casey Baumer is a real person – and she’s not too happy. A little over two years ago, Baumer discovered that she shared a name with Google’s randomly generated name and shortly thereafter realised she was receiving countless messages from strangers asking if, how and why she had hacked their Google account.

Writing a desperate plea on Facebook, she attempted to reach out for anyone who worked for Google, to help save her from her Dostoyevsky-esque nightmare. Luckily for Baumer, her cry has been heard – and Google is now in the process of updating its template names. Let’s hope that Google look ups its next dummy name before deciding to use it. If only the technology giant had a way to search for things online…

www.pcr-online.biz

OUT OF OFFICE

CHARITY CORNER: SPIRE WALKS IN SHAKESPEARE’S STEPS, NG RAISES £6,000

140 CHARACTERS OF NEWS AND VIEWS What the industry’s been tweeting about this month… Charlie LeRoo, Big Top PR @CharlieLeRoo Dead excited about judging the @pcr_online Women of the Year Awards again alongside the fabulous @lisafosteruk ow.ly/pATP302lPl7 Natalie Boon, ASUS @natalieannboon Thanks @pcr_online for including me in your 30 Under 30 list this year! Made my Monday! #tech #excellence pic.twitter.com/ DzfL7kGVcW

THIS MONTH, distributor Spire Technology’s JonMichael Lindsey is celebrating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death by walking 146 miles in Shakespeare’s footsteps to raise funds for charity. He’s an ambassador for the Autism All Stars Foundation, and BullGuard is supporting the walk, too. You can support Michael at http://uk. virginmoneygiving.com/jmlstage2stage

Elsewhere, dealer collective Network Group has raised £6,861.93 for Marie Curie. Vendors and members donated at Network Group’s recent Gala event. “As you can imagine we are very proud of our members and vendors for being so generous on the evening and it would be great to say a public thank you to everyone involved,” Network Group’s B2C director Craig Hume told PCR.

WORLD’S FIRST VR PORN EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO OVERCROWDING VIRTUAL reality is still a much-hyped technology, and is even making waves in the porn industry. So much so, that it’s bringing parts of Japan to a standstill. The world’s first adult VR festival took place in Japan, but was cut short by authorities due to overcrowding concerns and fears of rioting. One Japanese reporter said, according to VR Talk: “The event didn’t start until 2pm, so I went there in high spirits an hour before then, but the city was already overflowing with people. There were so

many that it was almost impossible to keep the situation under control. “While waiting for my friends, I couldn’t help but think that if they couldn’t control the mass of people, a riot or something similar could happen. The 20 lucky guys closest to the building were let in by the staff. I’m sure there was a line inside the building that rivaled the one outside.” Is 2016 actually happening, or are we living in a strange alternate dimension?

Danny Young, Ebuyer @EbuyerDanny 30 under 30 in tech award for 2nd year running! Thanks @pcr_online & @ NewBayMedia. Woop! Joe Cowell, AMD @JoeWritesStuff Incredibly proud to be one of @pcr_online’s 30 Under 30! Edward Baily , HyperX @EdwardBaily @pcr_online thanks for the nomination #30under30 Ben Bagg, Terra @benbagg I have been named one of the 30 under 30 @ pcr_online Rising Stars :) Very proud day :) Bill Grimsey @BillGrimsey 7 hours ago Gov must implement Town Centre initiative & not rely on retail. Brexit & wet start to summer impact sharpest footfall decline since 2014 Mark McAndrew, Charity Engine @markmcan Thanks to #brexit crash, last UK tech giant (ARM) now being sold to Japanese bank for bargain of the century. This is nothing to celebrate Mike Butcher, Tech Crunch @mikebutcher Brexit vote > £ slumps > International acquirers circle > Tories say “UK open for biz!” Massive sell-off more like... Brian Trevaskiss, More From @BrianTrevaskiss Amazon sales yesterday: 90,000 TVs, 2M toys, 200,000 headphones, 14,000 Lenovo Laptops. Would it kill them to pay some tax? @pcr_ online

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR August 2016 | 49

OUT OF OFFICE

In our Team of the Month section, we highlight some of the important faces from across the industry who perhaps aren’t always in the public eye. This month, PCR chats to Synology UK’s returns team…

Synology Synology’s RMA team (from left to right) A: Keith King – senior RMA specialist

A B

B: Ed Covell – RMA specialist

C: Lewis Stephenson – RMA specialist

Who’s in your team? Lewis Stephenson, supreme RMA leader (or senior RMA specialist if you want the real answer), Keith King, RMA specialist and Ed Covell, also an RMA specialist. What’s been your biggest successes of the past 12 months? All team members have now passed the relevant exam and earned their fork lift driving licences, which is a real bonus as we have some very high racking! Ed has joined the team and we now perform in-house diagnostic

testing on faulty xs and xs+ models, however it turns out that less than two per cent are actually faulty.

individual parts for those units that we are able to replace – that’s a lot of product names and codes!

What’s the best part of working in your team? Daily visits from [Synology marketing manager] Joanne Plummer, and Keith’s musical choices. Seriously though, everyone gets on, works hard and pulls together as a team.

What are you working on right now? We are currently updating our testing area to make way for some new models coming out in the next few months.

What’s the hardest part of working in the tech industry? Learning all the different units and

What’s the funniest or most memorable memory of working in your team? Lewis and his ‘driving’ – he managed

to tilt a fully stacked pallet over midair. The rest of the team managed to save everything though. Needless to say, the DVLA don’t trust Lewis with a real driving licence. What are your thoughts on the current state of the UK tech retail space right now? It’s a good time to buy! Who makes the best cuppa? Ed, without a doubt… or is that because he is the only one who offers?

Editorial: 0203 871 7373 Advertising: 0207 354 6000 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. © NewBay Media 2016 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.

50 | PCR August 2016

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