FOR THE UK’S PC & TECH COMMUNITY • No. 163 • APRIL 2017
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Consumer A must for buyers in retail, e-tail and independent gaming or audio specialists, planning their range and market strategy for the next 12 months. 11th May 2017 - Twickenham Stadium From Smart Homes to Star Wars, VR to AR, gaming to gadgets, mainstream AV to premium audio, our consumer technology suite promises to be both entertaining and educational. Only Exertis can bring you such a diversity of consumer products from both established and emerging vendors. After all, we’re the UK’s largest multi-format gaming distributor, leaders in Smart Tech distribution and recognised for building brands in the technology gadget, premium audio and creative professional markets. Our experts from all of these areas will be on hand to talk to you about opportunities for your business. Our vendors will be showcasing their products and we’ve some interesting seminars for you to join: A leading smart home brand will overview the UK market and their product strategy for the consumer space A cross-platform gaming expert will present their insight into this ever-growing space A retail analyst will explain the current landscape and how we create a true omni-channel experience Don’t miss out. We’ve a great day in store for you.
and many more!
And if you want the opportunity to diversify your solutions into other technologies, then simply plug in to any of our other specialist areas.
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19 PCR Awards winners See who walked away victorious on the night
Laptops vs tablets vs 2-in-1s Which is king of the mobile space?
29
i-tec On breaking into the UK market and European expansion
31
No. 163 • APRIL 2017 COMPUTER & IT RESELLERS z RETAILERS z SYSTEM BUILDERS z DISTRIBUTORS z VENDORS
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CONTENTS & COMMENT
Follow us @pcr_online
MEET THE TEAM
CONTENTS
COMMENT
REGULARS Jonathan Easton Editor
6 Analysis 11 Appointments
jeaston@nbmedia.com @jonman247
Congrats
12 Events 13 Opinion 32 Reseller profile: Sweethaven Business Solutions
Rob Horgan Deputy Editor
33 Retailer of the month:
rhorgan@nbmedia.com @robbiehorgs
Chips Computers (Chesterfield)
FEATURES 15 The big interview: Gurpreet Purewal Group Sales Manager gpurewal@nbmedia.com
Microsoft’s Robert Epstein 19 PCR Awards 24 PCR Awards winners and nominees 26 PCR Company of the Year 29 Mobile computing
Sarah Goldhawk Account Manager
31 i-tec interview
sgoldhawk@nbmedia.com
CONGRATULATIONS TO all of our nominees and winners at the 2017 PCR Awards. It was my first time at the Awards and it was staggering to see the amount of people there (and the amount of booze they were drinking). I won’t delve too far into the details of the ‘who, what, where’, right now as we’ve got that all covered in these pages, but I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along. The event wouldn’t have been the same without all of you being there. As for PCR this month, we have our mobile computing special as we look at the wide range of devices falling under that bracket and try to figure out where the market is headed. I got the chance to catch up with Microsoft’s Robert Epstein (page 15) who talked me through the phenomenonal success of the 2-in-1 category, what makes the Surface products tick and what goes on to make sure that Windows 10 is ready for whatever is thrown at it.
“The PCR Awards wouldn’t have been the same without all of you being there.”
@sarzgoldhawk
PRODUCTS 37 New products 42 Notebooks and Dan Bennett Designer
accessories 46 Hybrids & 2-in-1s
dbennett@nbmedia.com
48 Tablets and accessories
OUT OF OFFICE Jason Dowie Production Executive jdowie@nbmedia.com
50 PCR Awards after party 53 PCR Awards Hannspree photo booth 54 Team of the month: Hannspree
Andrew Wooden Interactive Entertainment Content Director awooden@nbmedia.com @pcr_online
Editorial: 0207 354 6002 Advertising: 0207 354 6000
Incorporating
NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations
ISSN: 1742-8440 www.pcr-online.biz
From arguably the most established name in tech we move to one that you might not have heard as we speak to Czech etailer i-tec about its ambitions in the UK market on page 33. I’d also like to use this as an opportunity to give a warm welcome to Rob Horgan as PCR’s new Deputy Editor. Rob is a well-travelled journalist having just moved back from working at the Olive Press out on the Costa del Sol. He’s also an avid sportsperson and, as I learnt the other day, played football in the Crystal Palace academy until the age of 17 alongside Victor Moses. If you haven’t had a chance to say hello make sure you drop him a tweet or an email. Jonathan Easton, Editor jeaston@nbmedia.com
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One step back, two steps forward Old favourites, fresh-of-the-shelf ideas and a whole host of robots. Rob Horgan rounds up the trends that everyone was talking about at the 2017 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and predicts what’s next for portable technology… UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN living under a rock (or glued to your phone) then you will have heard that the Mobile World Congress (MWC) has been back in Barcelona. The likes of Motorola, Nokia, LG and BlackBerry came together to show off their latest ideas to knock Apple and Samsung off their lofty perch. The return of the Nokia 3310 claimed most of the headlines, however the Finnish brand (sold to HMD last year after Microsoft had seemingly killed it off) was not alone in trying to live in a more-successful past. Budding mobile-phone photographers were given reason to rejoice as Android competitors fought to ‘outcamera’ one-another. And robots were the order of the day as the Fira Gran Via venue was transformed into something more suited to science fiction. TURNING BACK TIME ‘Classic’ cars have been sought-after since the eighties, ‘vintage’ clothing took over the noughties and
6 | PCR April 2017
now 2017 has given rise to the retro phone. Capitalising on consumers’ never-ending nostalgic sensibilities, the likes of Nokia and BlackBerry have jumped in the Delorean and set the dial to 2000. As much of the market showed off its latest technological innovations, Nokia reintroduced an old friend, its most famous son: the 3310. Given a 21st century facelift, the revived 3310 will feature modern touches including a 2-megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot. True to its first-form, the 3310 delivers 22 hours of talk-time battery life and you can even play snake on it. But Nokia was not the only firm turning back the clock, with BlackBerry also returning to old ways. Despite kicking its own operating system to the curb last year, BlackBerry has reintroduced the QWERTY keyboard, iconic to its success in the mid 2000s. The BlackBerry KeyOne will no doubt be a hit with true diehard fans with the days of BlackBerry’s clipped onto
businessmen’s waistbands not consigned to history yet. If there was ever any doubt, the MWC confirmed that the people’s desire for ‘the good old days’ has officially wormed its way into the mobile phone industry.
“MWC confirmed people’s desire for ‘the good old days’ has officially wormed its way into the mobile phone industry.” Old (it would appear) is the new… well: new. HAPPY SNAPPERS If old is the new, new, then phones are the new cameras. Long gone are the days of carrying both camera and a phone, with all smartphone
manufacturers ramping up the quality of their cameras so that Dave from Derbyshire can wow us all on Instagram. The battle for the top phone camera is fought most fiercely among Android manufacturers looking to stand out from the evergrowing pack. Providing the camera technology for most of its competitors, it is no surprise that Sony is ahead in the mobile specs arms race. Imaging was once again the standout feature on the trio of Xperia handsets announced at the MWC, with the XZ Premium sporting the company’s Motion Eye camera system, delivering top quality video in superslow motion. Chinese smartphone maker Oppo also focussed on its sharpened image quality, showing off its new 5X zoom technology that is set to be rolled out across its devices. Photography was also a driving factor in LG’s decision to switch to a 2:1 aspect ratio, allowing users to shoot and preview square photos at the same time.
BACK TO THE FUTURE While mobile innovators were looking to the past, those in charge of showing off the devices were very much looking forward. One of the major differences between this year’s MWC and previous expos is the way companies showed off their products. Robots, drones, VR systems and AR units were literally everywhere in an event that could have been dreamt up by the producers of Bladerunner while on acid. At Korea Telecom’s stand, two robotic arms played the drums, mixing up the tunes throughout the day. Meanwhile, Japanese firm Softbank (which entered the spotlight in 2016 with its £24 billion acquisition of Cambridge-based chipmaker ARM) drew in the crowd with its human-like robot called Pepper, and Barcelona-based Pal Robotics showed off its humanoid robot assistant. A designated ‘drone zone’ was also set up, with flying robots designed to do everything from delivering goods to surveying crops.
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CMS Distribution hosts first-ever Tech Xpo While PCR hosted its Awards ceremony, CMS Distribuition was putting on its own show. Luckily, Jonathan Easton was in attendance to get an idea of everything that went on…
News Bytes TOSHIBA CALLS IN BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS After missing a earnings deadline for the second consecutive quarter, Toshiba reportedly has called in bankruptcy lawyers. The company is ‘actively considering’ selling off its US nuclear unit Westinghouse in order to raise funds.
COMPTIA NAMES MEMBER OF THE YEAR Tracy Pound, founder and managing director of MaximITy, was recognised as CompTIA Member of the Year at the association’s Annual Member Meeting in Chicago March 21-23. “Tracy is passionate about growing the IT workforce around the world and a valued board member,” said Amy Kardel, chairwoman of the CompTIA Board of Directors and co-founder and chief administrative officer of Clever Ducks. “This award is well deserved.”
FIRSTNET SOLUTIONS ENTERS DATA CENTRE ARENA ON MARCH 8TH you might have found us hollering from the rooftops about the PCR Awards, but in the basement of the very same venue CMS Distribution was hosting a rather tasty channel event of its own, well worth its billing. The inaugural CMS Distribution Tech Xpo brought retailers, such as John Lewis and Amazon, together with a wide range of vendors that were eager to show off their wares. “The event was designed as an opportunity for vendors to present and demonstrate new and existing technology to key retailer and e-tailers, and for customers to explore new technology from multiple vendors they may not have previously met,” said CMS Distribution marketing executive Jennifer Eltringham. In total, 18 vendors exhibited and 42 customers attended. And this was a wide range of vendors that spread across all areas of consumer tech from established names
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like Sandisk, Fitbit and Toshiba, to some looking to make a bigger break into the UK market such as Bluetooth smart button maker Flic. One of the most interesting products I saw at the event was Vi, a pair of bluetooth headphones which boast the claim of housing the ‘first true artificial intelligence personal trainer’. This isn’t just Alexa or Google Assistant rammed into a pair of Harman/Kardon certified headphones though. Instead, it is a bespoke AI engine with thousands of lines of recorded speech – no more robot voice to deal with here. LifeBEAM, the Kickstarter organisation that raised $1,688,179 to create Vi, doesn’t currently sell its product in the UK, but Tech Xpo proved to be a perfect opportunity for the firm to gauge interest from retailers and form relationships with potential buyers. The day itself was split with vendor presentations in the morning, where each
company had a chance to show off what it was about, and pre-arranged 20 minute one-to-one meetings taking place in the afternoon after lunch. Apparently, according to Eltringham, there were 170 of these meetings that went on. Sounds like a smooth –
“We are already thinking about next year’s TechXpo, with new ideas to make it even bigger and better!” Jennifer Eltringham, CMS Distribution not to mention successful – operation to me! While I didn’t have any meetings scheduled for myself, I was happy to be a fly on the wall and catch up with
some vendors when they weren’t busy. I spent a while chatting to Fitbit about its brand new Alta HR and had a hands-on go with the slender fitness tracker. Central to the whole day though was a show-stopping display of synchronised dance from a small army of robots. Ultimately though the most important aspect of an event like this isn’t how a journalist got on playing with some gadgets, but about the relationships that were forged, and that is certainly an area where Tech Xpo succeeded. “We all agree that it was a hugely successful day,” declared Eltringham. “We took our vendors and some of the customers to the PCR Awards in the evening and we couldn’t have been more thrilled to end the event with a win! It was the perfect ending to the day.” “We are already thinking about next year’s TechXpo, with some new ideas to make it even bigger and better!”
Leeds-based IT managed services provider Firstnet Solutions has made a surprise expansion by opening its first data centre. The company hopes this decision will allow it to dramatically increase its capacity and capability by adding colocation, cloud platforms and disaster recovery to its portfolio of services.
BT SPLITS OPENREACH After Ofcom’s instruction in November, BT has begun splitting Openreach off into its own separate company. 32,000 staff will transfer from BT to work directly for Openreach.
VIP JOINS NETWORK GROUP Warrington-based distributor VIP announced a collaboration with Network group as a Preferred Distributor. Rich Marsden, managing director at VIP UK commented: “A collaboration with the Network Group aligns with the VIP UK core value of ‘Delivering Value in Distribution’ by working in partnership for growth.”
PCR April 2017 | 7
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Big Brother is watching: vendors react to IPA findings Astonishing figures reveal the thousands of public officials peeping into your internet records. Rob Horgan asks industry experts how the data invasion is impacting the market and what to do to prop up your virtual defences… “IF YOU WANT to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself” – George Orwell, 1984 Now, we haven’t reached Orwellian dystopia just yet, but the fear of the state’s prying eye is as real now (if not more real) as when 1984 hit the bookshelves over 60 years ago. In case you missed it, it has been revealed that at least 20,395 government and public sector employees have access to your ICRs (effectively, all of your internet records). And what’s more is that they can access your data whenever they want, for no real reason at all. (and it is 100 per cent legal by the way). The real number of public prying eyes is likely to be much higher than the number uncovered by Red Robot Media through over 100 Freedom of Information requests (how long they will be around is anyone’s guess). Internet security has never been talked about so extensively. Be it major companies, terrorist organisations or Joe Bloggs sat at his PC, the fear of ‘being hacked’ is felt everywhere. Internet security is big business as everyone wants to stay ahead of the hackers. The cyber-security market – encryption, DLP, UTM, antivirus, antimalware etc. – is set to be worth more than $202 billion by the year 2021, according to research body MarketsAndMarkets. But the threat is no longer just from hacking, oh no. The Investigatory Powers Act, passed on November 17 2016, gave the hundreds of public bodies the freedom to legally snoop as and where they pleased. Notorious whistleblower Edward Snowden described it as ‘the most extreme surveillance in the 8 | PCR April 2017
history of Western democracy’. Renate Samson, the chief executive of Big Brother Watch, said the act ‘has fundamentally changed the face of surveillance in this country’ taking away ‘the right to communicate privately’. Going one step further, Jim Killock, the executive director of Open Rights Group, said that the ‘surveillance law is more suited to a dictatorship than a democracy’. So, what does it mean for us? Should we be worried? And more importantly, how can we protect ourselves? Jarno Niemelä, lead researcher at F-Secure Labs believes accidental leaks (like the one in Finland recently), as well as data ending up in the wrong hands, are the main concerns over the new legislation. He is already seeing a greater demand in people attempting to protect
their online presence in the wake of the law change. “Increasing numbers of people are taking their privacy seriously and doing
“The most extreme surveillance in the history of the Western world.” Edward Snowden
things to protect it,” he said. “In an ideal world there would be no concerns, as police doing criminal investigation can have valid reasons for
accessing the data. But unfortunately our world is far from ideal.” Niemelä recommends digital privacy products featuring virtual private network (VPN) technology, such as F-Secure Freedome. Likewise, David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab expects people to start taking further steps to protect themselves amid growing online security concerns. “The growing concern about privacy might encourage people to take steps to secure their data from prying eyes – for example, encrypting data, choosing messaging services that encrypt data, and preventing tracking in browsers,” he said. “Some internet security products include specific features designed to stop third parties from accessing data. This
includes disk and file encryption, VPNs to mask your IP address when browsing and anonymous browsing. Such features can help to keep out unwanted prying eyes.” It all sounds pretty ominous, right? Well, if us Brits can take courage in anything it is that we are not alone. Spain has introduced its own version of the ‘Snooping law’ (tagged the ‘Gag law’), President Donald Trump (still hard to believe) has spoken openly about introducing greater ‘investigatory’ powers of surveillance in the US and Germany has also recently passed legislation giving the intelligence agencies more surveillance powers. What that all translates into? Plenty of business for internet security providers around the globe… Big Brother would be proud! www.pcr-online.biz
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PEOPLE & EVENTS
Channel appointments PCR: PCR is delighted to announce the appointment of Rob Horgan as our new deputy editor. Rob is joins from The Olive Press newspaper out in the Costa Del Sol where he was news editor across two newspapers and two magazines for just over 18 months. Outside of that, he’s DIMENSION DATA: Dimension Data has appointed Andy Ritchie, as its new sales director for the UK and Ireland. Dimension Data says the appointment signals its intent to grow significantly in the UK and Ireland. For more than 15 years, Ritchie has held sales positions at global COCOON: Smart home security startup Cocoon has appointed former CCO at Tesco and MD of Amazon UK and John Lewis Direct Robin Terrell as its new chairman. Sanjay Parekh, CEO of Cocoon, commented: “I have no doubt that Cocoon will greatly benefit from Robin’s knowledge, experience and TESTPLANT: TestPlant, a world leader in digital service assurance and software test automation, has announced the appointment of Dr. John Bates as its chief executive officer. Dr. Bates was the cofounder, president and CTO of streaming analytics company Apama, and has since held EXERTIS: Exertis has announced the appointment of Kevin Matthews as enterprise sales director. In this newly created role, Matthews will be responsible for driving engagement with VARs and ensuring that sales are maximised with the firm’s enterprise portfolio. He will report to sales and commercial
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EVENTS The UK’s channel calendar is full of important events. Here are some highlights for upcoming dates…
Rob Horgan
written for the Independent, the Sun and the Daily Mail. ”It is great to be part of the team at PCR,” said Rob. “I am excited to get to work on the magazine and delve into the world of everything IT.” We are thrilled to have Rob on board and we look forward to what he has to offer the team going forward.
Andy Ritchie
enterprises, service providers and service integrators such as Cisco, BT Global Services and T-Systems. Ritchie said:“Dimension Data is exceptional at delivering transformational IT services. As our clients look to transform and innovate more rapidly, we’re ideally positioned to help them achieve that.”
Robin Terrell
belief in putting customers first in all we do.” Robin Terrell said: “Throughout my career I’ve seen that putting customers at the heart of your business is critical to success and that’s exactly what Cocoon do. I’m delighted to join them to help get Cocoon on as many retailer’s shelves as we can.”
IP EXPO MANCHESTER
Dr. John Bates
roles as EVP of Corporate Strategy and CTO at Progress Software, and as CTOP of Big Data. “I am thrilled to be joining TestPlant at a time when incredibly disruptive forces are at work, morphing testing into one of the most critical business imperatives,” said Dr. Bates.
DIGITAL TECH AWARDS 2017
Kevin Matthews
director for UK and Ireland, Phil Brown. “I am very much looking forward to the challenge at Exertis, a distributor I know well. I want to ensure that our resellers fully understand and appreciate the breadth of products, solutions and services we can provide in the market,” said Matthews.
INTERNET RETAILING EXPO Hall 9, The NEC Birmingham, Pendigo Way, Birmingham, West Midlands, B40 1NT, United Kingdom APRIL 5TH - 6TH Over 5,000 visitors will have the opportunity to discuss the latest key trends, interact with the new technologies that will be hitting the market in 2017 and connect with people in the channel.
VR WORLD CONGRESS Millenium Square, At-Bristol Science Centre, Anchor Rd, Harbourside, BS1 5DB APRIL 11TH - APRIL 13TH VRWC has become an unmissable occasion: an industry-leading VR conference, expo and matchmaking event now spanning three jam-packed days with a raft of world-class speakers and exhibitors.
THE BRITISH APPROACH TO CYBER SECURITY Central London APRIL 19TH This event will bring together policymakers and key stakeholders to examine the emerging threats. Attendees will consider options to address the vulnerabilities of skill gaps, the implications of the IoT as well as the UK’s Cyber Security Strategy.
Manchester Central, Windmill St, Manchester, M2 3GX APRIL 26TH - APRIL 27TH Now in its 3rd year, IP EXPO Manchester showcases new content and senior-level insights from across the industry, as well as unveiling the latest developments in IT. It covers everything you need to run a successful enterprise or organisation.
Radisson, 301 Argyle St, Glasgow G2 8DL APRIL 27TH The Digital Technology Awards showcase excellence within the industry rewarding the innovation, expertise and ambition of businesses, large and small. The Digital Technology Awards is a great arena for informal networking and attracting key players from across the industry.
PCR April 2017 | 11
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Our promise to you. VIP will always deal with you professionally and courteously | VIP will never leave you with a problem of our own making VIP will always be informative in our communications | VIP will look to support you and grow your business VIP will help educate you about our channel | VIP will always be fair to you Not kept our promise? Please tell us because your feedback will help us to deliver a better service. You can speak directly to our Managing Director, Rich Marsden on 07554 455 439 or rich.marsden@vip-computers.co.uk
OPINION
A tale of two segments Figures suggest that consumer purchases of notebooks are waning while enterprise buys are booming. Context senior analyst MarieChristine Pygott breaks down how the market is shaping up… brainer for things like writing THERE’S NEVER a dull moment in the documents. Meanwhile, at the other mobile computing space. At Context, end of the spectrum, an increasing we’ve spotted new trends emerge in Western Europe on the consumer side, number of consumers want highperformance, well-designed systems influenced by the changing ways to do more demanding tasks like people are using their smartphones. editing videos. There’s also been an And in the corporate sphere, it’s uptick in demand for dedicated business-as-usual for notebooks, gaming notebooks, and systems which are seeing continued strong demand thanks in part to Windows 10 powerful enough to run games – which is driving sales at the high end. migration. In the corporate sphere, notebook Consumers are increasingly using demand has been strong for the past their larger screen smartphones for few quarters and Q4 2016 was no content consumption – that is, writing different – seeing year-on-year sales emails, searching on the web, and growth of 9 per cent. The main using apps where a keyboard isn’t contributing factor required. It’s an easier here has been an option for many than for thin and larger form factors, “In the corporate appetite light products with a being always close to focus on design. hand, and powered on. sphere, it’s We also can’t But that’s had a business-as-usual underplay the impact knock-on effect on for notebooks.” Windows 10 has been 7-inch tablets and consumer detachables Marie-Christine Pygott, having on the with smaller screen Context business mobile computing market sizes. Our data shows over the past few quarters. that slate tablets across Western In December 2016, the Windows 10 European distribution were down by Pro share of all Windows Business 22 per cent year-on-year in the fourth Notebook going through Western quarter of 2016 – following several Europe was 51 per cent, up from 44 quarters of decline. And consumer per cent in November and 31 per cent detachables were down by 18 per in October. cent year-on-year over the same The trend has also been positive for period of time. business detachables. All signs point Clamshell notebooks also declined to this positive business notebook – by 5 per cent year-on-year – over trend continuing as we see increasing the same period. But this category is numbers of organisations across the undergoing change of a different region migrate to the new Microsoft kind, with consistent demand at the operating system. And as for the low end and growing demand at the consumer space, we’ll likely see high end. Why? Because consumers demand continue to focus on entry seem to like having a cheaper laptop level and high-end systems, with in addition to their smartphone, for gaming playing an increasing role in content creation. The bigger screen growth at market’s higher end. and built-in keyboard make this a noMarie-Christine Pygott is a senior analyst at Context on trends in the mobile computing market www.contextworld.com
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Desire vs need in mobile computing Chris Gough, marketing manager at MSI Notebook UK, gives his thoughts on how much branding sways purchasing choices and the role that the vendor can play in consumer education… any mobile device are so personal WHEN TALKING to sales teams at that they can be very emotional and major retailers we often hear a focus more on the product itself similar tale: ‘the customer knows than any previous brand what they want’. In this example the representation. salesman continues: ‘…they wanted So how do we ensure our a certain brand of stylish notebook, customers are satisfied? Simply put, sometimes for work, often for we need to give them what they gaming, I want to sell them an MSI want, not what they think they want Gaming notebook but they have nor what they have been told they already decided what to buy and if I want. This takes time for the seller, try to guide them to get something and multiple products with variations more suited to their needs I could in design and performance. lose the sale.’ Some may say that less is more, This is a frustrating situation – the and that a limited selection of salesperson wants the sale, but they products catered to a wide audience also have a responsibility to give the with focused customer a solution marketing will bring they will be happy better results. In the with and if they’re “We need to give short-term this is not satisfied then accurate, but the long your chance of them what they term future doesn’t return business want, not what look so good when reduces massively customers need to both as a brand and they think they compromise from the as a reseller. want nor what offset. Brand power is Range is still king. clearly as strong as they have been At MSI notebook we ever. People are told they want.” have seen huge choosing mobile Chris Gough, growth since computers based MSI Notebook UK directing our focus on brand and it’s a towards gaming – 70 good thing. The per cent growth in 2015, 60 per cent relationships that people have with in 2016 and we expect the same or a brand will always be important. A better from 2017. Having multiple company that can show its values – options has allowed us to target and back them up in its actions – customers that genuinely need the can win business and grow. product that we are offering to them. The problem for many is the gap So the eternal question should be, between a customer’s desires and is less really more? Are you really needs. That gap is the responsibility avoiding the ‘paradox of choice’ or of the brand and the retailer to fill. only focusing on the immediacy, Customer satisfaction and return rather than building a community of business is one of the more obvious customers with tailored products, cornerstones of building a business each giving their user a unique in any arena, but the experiences that people have with a notebook or experience with no compromise. Chris Gough is a marketing manager for MSI Notebook UK uk.msi.com
PCR April 2017 | 13
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BIG INTERVIEW
Beneath the
Surface Microsoft has been king of the desktop since the beginning of (PC) time, now the firm is ramping up its mobile presence. Jonathan Easton speaks to product manager Robert Epstein about Surface and making Windows work no matter how you use it…
W
hat was the thinking behind Surface and getting into the 2-in-1 space? Surface was all about highlighting the best of what a Windows laptop, 2-in-1, whatever you want to call it, is and can be. It’s really about our ability to engineer great hardware and software, and innovate in that space to show consumers and businesses how we can give them those innovative and productive tools. If you think about what Windows is really there for – to empower people and organisations to achieve more and get more done – we wanted to start bringing real innovation to what had been a staid laptop space year in, year out. In terms of recent development, laptops got a bit thinner and at some point somebody took away the CD
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drive and replaced it with something else. Instead we started to say ‘how do we get more productive?’ Some of that’s in line with Windows’ desire to be the most productive and most personal platform. By which we mean giving people more natural ways of interacting with the device as well. Whether that be touch, or pen, or voice. We’re starting to see people really getting more productive because of all these different technologies. How was Windows 10 made to make sure that all of those experiences are equal? One of the benefits of Windows is the choices it gives customers in terms of their ability to chose from a variety of devices, and a huge range of price points and form factors from lots of different manufacturers. The
engineering that went into the product, I think, is quite remarkable in terms of bringing all that technology to bear and having it work or not according to the hardware. So the system’s got to be able to detect whether it’s pen-enabled, and then bring those pen features to life. Some of the beauty for me in Windows 10 was the continuum and that ability to therefore be the best platform depending on the screen you’re using at the time. So if you’ve got a 2-in-1 device and you’re using it in a traditional laptop mode with a keyboard and mouse, what you get is a traditional Windows desktop. And then as soon as you rip the machine apart and turn it into a tablet it needs to naturally become a tablet operating system that’s designed for fingers and for touch.
“We wanted to start bringing real innovation to what had been a staid laptop space year in, year out.” Robert Epstein, Microsoft
That needs to feel natural and fluid and that’s certainly the big improvement from the previous iterations that customers saw. So when you detach a Windows machine what is the start menu that people are familiar with naturally through animation grows to be full screen, and then when you reverse that it naturally shrinks back. It becomes very intuitive to the user that they’re on the same machine and things are where they expect them to be, and where they expect them to be as Windows users so they can get the best out of that machine. We saw some of that in the beginnings of Windows 8 with the start menu there. Yeah and there was feedback around the jarring of that system. You were either in the desktop or you were in the full start screen. PCR April 2017 | 15
BIG INTERVIEW
I think we listened carefully to customers and gave them that more natural experience with Windows 10. What way are people using Surface devices primarily? Are they using it as a laptop, or are they taking it out and using it more as a tablet? It really is entirely up to the user, their circumstance and the scenario that they’re in. That’s why we’ve got the Surface Pro 4, which is – if you like – the tablet that replaces your laptop, and then the Surface Book that is the laptop that becomes a tablet. The Surface Pro is for users who prefer the feel of a tablet: thin, light easy to use as a tablet. And then if you want to use it as a laptop it clicks in, has a built in kickstand so suddenly it feels like a laptop. Certainly with the improvements around this product, it feels like using any 16 | PCR April 2017
traditional laptop. They’ve done this by increasing the rigidity of the keyboard and the way it attaches to the screen which gives you a slight raise. Now there are some users that wanted to go for an absolute premium keyboard experience, who want a larger touch pad so effectively that is what the Surface Book was about. The other benefit of Surface Book, other than obviously its physically larger form factor, is that it allows us to use the base to put both additional battery and additional graphics performance in some models for people who, whether they’re gamers or designers, really want that here. It feels and looks very much like a traditional laptop with an amazing keyboard and trackpad, and then once you’ve detached it you’ve got a Core i5 or Core i7 device in
something that’s under 8mm thick. It’s really great for people in creative industries who need that performance.
“It feels and looks very much like a traditional laptop with an amazing keyboard and trackpad, and then once you’ve detached it you’ve got a Core i5 or Core i7 device in something that’s under 8mm thick.” Robert Epstein, Microsoft
With the Surface products do you feel that you have an advantage over OEMs because you’re designing the software and hardware in sync with one another? I wouldn’t use the term advantage, I’d say we get to innovate and we’ve got some amazing engineers working on Surface that have come from the Microsoft hardware team and that’s from the organisation that’s been building keyboards and mice for 30 years. If you think about what that hardware team has done with innovation it is to improve user experience. Like the wheel on the mouse: that wasn’t to sell more mice, it was to improve Windows’ productive experience.
With Surface, we get to innovate and create amazing 2-in-1 features and form factors. And as you’ll have seen many other OEMs have created a huge innovation of 2-in-1 devices. Most of the major OEMs have something that looks like a Surface Pro – a tablet with a detachable keyboard – and there are other OEMs, you look at Lenovo and what they’ve done with the Yoga range. All of that means that users get highly productive devices that can be a tablet when you need it to be and a laptop when you need it to be. Where is Microsoft going in the future with mobile computing? There are declines in the traditional tablet market – and even to some extent in the smartphone market – as people have kind of gone ‘this is about as thin as it can get, www.pcr-online.biz
BIG INTERVIEW
with as good a camera as you can get’, so we’re seeing incremental improvements in that space. If anything, the big players in tablets are now starting to push into 2-in-1s following the innovation we’ve had with things like the Surface Pro. I’d like to say that the biggest growth in all device segments is absolutely the 2-in-1. A lot of that has been driven by the innovation of not just Surface, but of the OEM partners as well. If I think of resellers who are supplying a lot of SMBs; as those owner/managers want to mobilise they’re looking to say ‘great, I want to get rid of my old traditional, probably thick and heavy laptop and the tablet device that I’ve been carrying’ because probably they’re on different platforms and different ecosystems and they’re carrying two devices. If they switch to something like a www.pcr-online.biz
Surface Pro 4 then they’ve got a single device in a single ecosystem with all their apps, and data, and it’s the most productive machine. So you’re seeing more businesses gravitate towards 2-in-1s. Do you think that’s the way forward? Yeah, absolutely. And not just in business. Take students as an example. You want to be on campus and into lectures taking notes. OneNote is built into all of these which will follow you across all your devices including Apple and Android phones, so whatever note you take it’s wherever you go. And those Cortana reminders that you set from a lecture or a business meeting where you can say ‘hey Cortana, add get some milk to my Wonderlist’ it’ll pop up, it’ll notify you next time you’re near a supermarket because
“Cortana is how we bring to life the power of our cloud, big data, and artificial intelligence. We’ve made huge innovations there and and you’ll continue to see that get stronger.” Robert Epstein, Microsoft
Cortana knows where all the supermarkets are, and when I walk past it my phone will pop up and Cortana will just remind me that I’ve done that. Now that reminder is set and that follows me around on all my devices. I can do that with the pen on my Surface, but I can do the same thing with voice. It all just happens. I think in terms of creating these great experiences that just help people be more productive on every single device, Windows gives them that. Speaking of Cortana, a big part of other voice assistants is integration with the smart home. Is there any plan to integrate Cortana outside of the computer space and have it connected with devices? We’ve announced an SDK for Cortana that will allow people to effectively integrate
Cortana elsewhere, but there have been no announcements of any Microsoft devices specific to that. Of course, people have in their homes a lot of Windowsbased devices and certainly there’s a lot of innovation that’s come in, in terms of farfield communication. The beauty of a lot of these devices is their mic arrays, which allows you to call ‘Hey Cortana’ from across the room and have that work today based on the PCs that people have in their homes. Cortana is how we bring to life the power of our cloud, big data, and artificial intelligence. We’ve made huge innovations there and huge investment and you’ll continue to see that get stronger and stronger. It’s already on Xbox, it’s on Windows 10 devices, now with an SDK who knows what people will do with it. PCR April 2017 | 17
Address the topics that really matter in 2017
For clients interested in highly targeted niche events aimed at resellers and retailers, PCR is here to help! As a highly regarded information hub for the industry, PCR is perfectly placed to provide guidance on the current challenges and opportunities facing the industry in 2017 with the aim of creating a bespoke event around your products and services. Whether it is a webinar, roundtable or breakfast briefing, bespoke events provide numerous benefits such as: More time for one-on-one networking with key individuals More in-depth discussions on one key topic Less time spent away from the office Targeted audience with similar professional challenges Tailored to suit your needs Establish yourself as a thought leader in your space
HOT TOPICS FOR 2017
EDUCATION
VIRTUAL REALITY
MOBILE COMPUTING
INTERNET OF THINGS
SECURITY
GAMING
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To discuss how a bespoke event can help your business in 2017 contact us today: sgoldhawk@nbmedia.com Sarah Goldhawk +44(0)207 354 6024
PCR AWARDS
Nvidia wins big
After much anticipation and build up, the 2017 PCR Awards were capped off with Nvidia walking away as the biggest winners of the night, taking the gongs for top Components Vendor and the prestigious PCR Company of the Year award. Turn the page to see who else walked away from the Awards as a winner‌
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PCR April 2017 | 19
PCR AWARDS
System Builder: Utopia Computers
Independent Retailer: Chips Computers (Chesterfield)
“To be recognised for the focus of our business by our peers is a phenomenal achievement. It feels very humbling. I’m a bit giddy.” Craig Hume, Utopia Computers
National Retailer: Maplin
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Online Retailer: OverClockers UK
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PCR AWARDS
Corporate VAR: Centerprise International
MSP Specialist: Transputec
SMB Reseller: Sweethaven Business Services
Marketing/PR Agency: Zaboura Communications
Dealer Services Provider: Network Group
“It feels fantastic to be a winner. It’s tantamount to the hard work and effort put in by everyone at Tech Data this year.” Mark Glasspool, Tech Data
Software, Services & Support (Distribution); Hardware Distributor: Tech Data
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Cloud Distributor: Westcoast
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PCR AWARDS
Consumer Electronics Distributor: CMS Distribution
Marketing & PR (Distribution): Ingram Micro
“It’s been a great year, so we’re really really pleased to win. A good year, a good result.” Thomas Hall, Microsoft
Host: Jo Caulfield
Software, Services & Support (Vendor): Microsoft
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PCR AWARDS
Peripherals Vendor: HyperX
Mobile Device & Wearables Vendor: Lenovo
Desktop PC Vendor: Dell Networking Vendor: TP-Link
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PCR April 2017 | 23
PCR AWARDS
Full list of nominees RETAILER:
RESELLER:
DISTRIBUTION:
VENDOR:
System Builder Q Utopia Q Falcon Q Yoyotech Q PC Specialist Q Chillblast
SMB Reseller Q Sweethaven Business Services Q Kingsfield Computer Products Q AML Midlands Q Firstnet Solutions Q Sol Tech IT Q ATG
Software, Services & Support Q Tech Data Q Sigma Software Distribution Q Entatech Q Exertis Q Ingram Micro
Software, Services & Support Q Microsoft Q BullGuard Q Norton (Symantec) Q Nuance Q Kaspersky Lab
Hardware Distributor Q Tech Data Q Terra Computer Q VIP Q Ci Distribution Q Spire Technology Q Westcoast Q Entatech Q Exertis
Peripherals Vendor Q HyperX Q Mad Catz Q Turtle Beach Q Microsoft Q Phillips Q Hannspree Q AOC International Q Sennheiser Q Cherry Q Asus
Indie Retailer Q Chips Computers (Chesterfield) Q iSpecialst Q Imagitec Q 121 Computers Q Black Bear National Retailer Q Maplin Q John Lewis Q PC Pal Q Disking Q Tesco Q Dixons
Corporate VAR Q Centerprise International Q ComputerWorld Systems Q Cisilion Q Keyboard Specialist Q Integrity360 MSP Specialist Q Transputec Q Littlefish Q Black Bear Q Custard Technical Services Q Kogo
Online Retailer Q Overclockers UK Q Hitari Q Amazon Q Ebay Q Ebuyer
CHANNEL SERVICES:
PCR COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2017: Q Nvidia
Dealer Services Provider Q Network Group Q Synaxon UK Q CompTia Q Gekko Q Brigantia
Consumer Electronics Distributor Q CMS Distribution Q Tech Data Q Exertis Q Hama Q Peak Development
Marketing & PR Agency Q Zaboura Communications Q The PR Room Q Pick n Mix PR Q NSPR Q Turtle Entertainment UK
Marketing & PR Q Ingram Micro Q VIP Q Northamber Q Sigma Software Distribution Q Exertis
Headline Partner
Exclusive Entertainment Partner
Distribution Category Partner
Event Partner
24 | PCR April 2017
Cloud Distributor Q Westcoast Q Ingram Micro Q Exertis Q Cloud Distribution Q Terra Cloud
Drinks Reception Partner
After Party Host Partner
Exclusive Photobooth Partner
Red Carpet Partner
Reseller Category Partner
Retail Category Partner
Components Vendor Q Nvidia Q Antec Q be quiet! Q AMD Q Mayhems Solutions Q Cooler Master Q Asus Q Gigabyte Q Intel Desktop PC Vendor Q Dell Q StormForce Q Terra Computer/Wortmann Q Cyberpower UK Q Gigabyte Q Asus Mobile & Wearables Vendor Q Lenovo Q Terra Q Tactus Q MSI Q Acer Q Asus Networking Vendor Q TP-Link Q Qsan Q D-Link Q Synology Q Belkin
Event Partner
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BullGuard was proud to be a Sponsorship Partner for the 2017 PCR Awards and we congratulate all the winners from the evening.
Congratulations With BullGuard everyone’s a winner As well as Award-winning Internet Security products, BullGuard resellers also benefit from our unique Partner Advantage scheme: • High box margins • 25% revenue share • 24/7 Partner and customer support • Dedicated channel sales team
Find out more about the benefits of BullGuard partnership sign up today at www.bullguard.com/advantage
PCR AWARDS
Company of the Year PCR rounds out the 2017 Awards by looking at our decision to give the biggest prize of the night to Nvidia…
N
VIDIA IS PCR’s Company of the Year. An award which, in our minds, is fully deserved for lots of reasons that we could go on about all day, but we’ll try to contain ourselves. There are a few factors which come into consideration when we’re deciding on the Company of the Year which can be roughly broken down into the following: contribution to the sector, innovation, growth and financial success. Nvidia, it’s fair to say, meets all of the above and then some. In terms of the company’s contribution to IT, its GeForce GTX 10 Series graphics cards – specifically when it launched the GTX 1080 last May – has seen Nvidia revolutionise what consumer PCs are capable of. Almost coming hand-in-hand with the retail launches of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, the GTX 10 Series made virtual reality a
26 | PCR April 2017
possibility for a countless amount of users for whom the idea would have been fantasy the year prior. Not only that, but the company also launched the GeForce GTX 10 Series for notebooks as well, which perform almost to the standard of their desktop counterparts. Gaming on a
“The company’s performance has been nothing short of stunning.” notebook has always been a compromise, but Nvidia has done the most out of anyone in recent memory to level out the playing field. But that’s only half the story. For all of the progress made in consumer PCs, Nvidia
also spent the last 12 months shaking up just about every other space it was involved in – and that is reflected in its fiscal statement for the past year. The company had a hugely successful 2016 that saw it grow 38 per cent, hitting a record high of $6.91 billion across all of its segments in what NASDAQ referred to as ‘staggering growth’ as the company’s performance has been ‘nothing short of stunning’. And there’s so much more we could talk about here from the introduction of the company’s Pascal architecture and its work with artificial intelligence, to its automotive ambitions and continual growth in servers. For all of that and much more than we could fit in here, Nvidia is PCR’s Company of the Year for 2017 and everyone there deserves the congratulations of everyone in the Channel.
WORDS WITH NVIDIA’S AIC SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER EMEAI CHRIS POMROY How does it feel to be a PCR Awards winner? It feels amazing. It is fantastic to be recognised for one award, but to win two is brilliant. To receive recognition from the Channel for producing the biggest driver behind PC gaming this year – with the GeForce GTX – is a really prestigious award that we are happy to receive. What did you think of the awards night? The Awards is a fantastic event. It is one of the only events that we attend as a team every year. That is because it holds so much value to us, in terms of engaging with all of our partners, distributors and retailers. It is just a great place to be to share ideas and new thoughts.
Do events such as the PCR awards help bring the industry together? Yes, I would definitely agree with that, if I look at events like this to bring the industry together. A few years ago there were many of these types of event and now there is PCR. PCR is by far and away the most credible awards event; it is the one event that all the chief executives and all the top achievers want to drive towards, want to attend and of course, want to win an award at. The PCR Awards is the one event that we book a table or two at and we are inundated with people wanting a place on our table, so that alone proves that it is an excellent event with a great reputation.
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MOBILE COMPUTING
Form and functionality The mobile computing space is made up of three main form factors: laptops, tablets and 2-in-1s. Jonathan Easton asks the channel where the market is headed, and what type of device is leading the way…
1
0 YEARS AGO the mobile computing space was, perhaps more than any other in computing and tech, drastically different from what we have today. In 2007, a 15-inch MacBook Pro weighed 2.4 Kg – the lightest of its size on the market – had a whopping 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and cost £1,599 (£2,035.93 with inflation). In 2017, a 15-inch MacBook Pro weighs 1.83 Kg, has 16GB of DDR3 RAM, a 2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, and costs £2,349.00. But there’s more to the mobile space in 2017 than just some beefed up specs and increased prices. Apple effectively kickstarted the tablet trend in 2010 with the original iPad, and shortly after the entire market was flooded with tablets. Then in 2013, thanks to the innovations brought by Windows 8’s touch-friendly interface, we saw an everincreasing array of portable computers that share characteristics of both the laptop and the tablet: the 2-in-1. With its next operating system, Microsoft wanted to rock the boat further. “We wanted to start bringing real innovation to what had been a staid laptop space year in year out,” says product design manager Robert Epstein at the firm (read the full interview on page 15). The introduction of Windows 10 brought with it a further focus on the utilisation of different input methods. As a result, 2-in-1s have grown, while both laptops and tablets have become old hat. “Lack of innovative features in new models are not offering compelling reasons for consumers to renew their device,” says Daniel Gonçalves, senior research analyst at IDC.
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IDC predicts that the ‘slate’ tablet’s market share will shrink by 6.5 per cent by 2021, with traditional notebook growth slowing to 0.7 per cent. The big winner is the 2-in-1 which is set to grow by a huge 21.2 per cent. “I believe that ultimately, 2-in-1’s will become the norm,” comments More Computers’ Danny Mason. “Low-end tablets will still be manufactured, serious gamers will still prefer to play on laptops/desktops (which there will always be a market for) although for the ‘Average Joe’, a 2-in-1 would be more suitable and the ideal option.” News of the tablet’s demise may be premature however, says Westoast client director Paul Hamilton. “I think there is still tablet demand. Within certain vertical markets we still experience demand for a tablet experience, this is generally led by solution applications.” But what are the features that consumers look for in a mobile computing device?
“2-in-1s will become the norm.” Danny Mason, More Computers
“Consumers today are looking for a balance between functionality and design,” says Hamilton. “We are seeing a trend to increased spend as consumers become more design conscious while requiring a loaded configuration.” Slimline design and portability, more so than power and performance, seem to be the key aspects that shoppers are looking at, says Gfk account manager Amy Cooper. “Consumers appear to be purchasing for agility.” Ultimately though, a big concern is making sure that this small device can do what users want without any tradeoffs, and that’s what we’re getting to with 2-in-1s. “Detachables and Convertibles nowadays can as be as powerful as traditional clamshell notebooks and can replace them without any feature being compromised,” says Gonçalves. You can therefore start to see a picture of the mobile computing space going
forward start to form: the tablet being more of a secondary device, largely replaced by bigger smartphones, and the 2-in-1 being the go-to for the majority of mobile users. But what of the notebook? What the traditional laptop can do that the tablet and the 2-in-1 can’t is performance computing, and that is where these devices are growing. “We have seen over 40 per cent volume and value growth in Gaming Notebooks,” notes Cooper. This can, in a big way, be put down to Nvidia’s introduction of its latest GPUs which “for the first time offer equal performance whether running in a desktop or mobile environment”, as Tech Data group marketing director Andy Dow puts it. “This means they are now truly accepted as an enthusiast’s option. We are seeing huge adoption,” Dow adds This is really where the notebook is unique from its tablet and 2-in-1 counterparts. Not only will it inherently be more capable due to its uncompromising size, but a notebook will have a full keyboard – an aspect which many 2-in-1s still struggle with. This may therefore mean that the notebook becomes more niche, but the majority of the vendors making them – save for Apple – have also made inroads to the 2-in-1 space. Cooper succinctly surmises: “Gaming and 2-in-1 devices are key opportunities leading the profitability pathway.” It’ll be interesting to see if the mobile space evolves as predicted, but regardless of whether it is the tablet, the 2-in-1, the laptop or a new form factor leading the way in five or 10 years, the future certainly looks mobile and it’s where the money lies.
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INTERVIEW
Breaking into the market PCR speaks to i-tec CEO Franz Kubaschek about the company’s decision to expand into the UK, its history of enhancing productivity and connectivity through its product portfolio and where the firm is heading next…
T
ell us a bit about the history of i-tec and its story. Our company was established almost two decades ago, during the dawn of mobile technology – notebooks, PDAs and digital photography. At the time, mobile tech was expensive, albeit somewhat lacking in user-friendly features. Our mission from the outset has been to change this, to make our customers’ lives easier and more productive, enhancing the user experience through connectivity. It started with helping people get online, but in recent years our focus has evolved into helping users run more applications, save more data, work faster, smarter, and more efficiently. Our mission remains the same to the present day. Mobility is one of the most topical and important trends in the IT world. The vast majority of people are connected 24/7, whether it be with friends, relatives, colleagues or loved ones, or everyone at the same time. At i-tec, we work hard to make connectivity easy. Our products and solutions allow different – and often incompatible devices – to get connected. Not only do we get these devices connected, but we also use our knowhow and experience to get the absolute maximum out of the technology. Who are your primary customers? Our customer base varies – accountants, office workers, tradesmen, students; we help even the most demanding tech users to connect their devices and get them working seamlessly together at the same time.
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What was behind the decision to expand into the UK market? The UK market is technologically advanced, probably the most advanced in Europe, with a huge number of mobile tech users. This demographic fits very well with our product offering, and our mission of getting people to get connected, using i-tec products. UK users know what they want – a top quality product at a competitive price – and we are confident that we have the product range to meet and exceed expectations. Tell us about the kinds of products you sell. We produce a wide range of docking stations, allowing mobile tech users to connect external peripherals and gadgets to notebooks, PCs and smartphones. We connect processing power to external data storage, backups, displays, and cameras, in addition to cloudenabled storage and datasharing platforms. We also produce a wide variety of hub devices, allowing the connection of many more devices to their primary equipment, as well as products to support the safe storage and sharing of data. Which sort of products are the most successful and popular from i-tec? Currently, products with Thundedock2 interface are very strong, although USB-C is becoming more popular, as its appeal to the mass market grows. In the near future we envisage Thunderbolt3 becoming a much more prominent player, which will allow users to connect almost everything to anything – it’s a game changer.
What’s next for the company? Do you plan on expanding further into more countries? Product roadmap? We have exciting plans! Our focus in 2017 is the UK, and in 2018 we plan to enter the US market. As the i-tec brand is already quite well-established in EMEA and APAC, entering these markets will give us a truly global footprint. In terms of our solution portfolio and a roadmap, we have set bold and challenging targets for ourselves. We plan to expand our broad portfolio of connectivity products with smart, cloud enabled storage devices, allowing users to share valuable data across the globe, in an easy and featurepacked way, without compromising security.
“The UK market is the most technologically advanced in Europe” Franz Kubaschek, i-tec
end-user to get the maximum out of their solution, but also provide the reseller with great cross-selling opportunities, not to mention a solid overall gross margin. Last but not least, the accessories sector is somewhat ‘niche’ for many brands. This can result in an inferior level of end-user support when compared to the core offer. For i-tec however, the satisfaction of our customers and resellers is our absolute top priority, which means hassle-free and profitable repeat business, for our resellers, every time.
What makes i-tec popular with resellers? Although we already have a significant international presence, it’s been important for us to carefully control how we manage, develop, sell, and of course support our customers. We have worked hard to avoid multi-layer organisational structures, and it is our intention to remain a highly efficient and flexible organisation. All of these factors help us to offer a top quality and feature-packed product at – very important for our resellers – a market competitive price point. All of that means the reseller, regardless of if they are an e-tailer or large project integrator, often gain the equivalent, or even higher, gross margin contribution from i-tec products, than from the major ‘high ticket value’ SKU. We know that the channel is highly competitive. Our essential but complementary products not only help the
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RESELLER PROFILE
RESELLER PROFILE: SWEETHAVEN BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Jonathan Easton catches up with PCR Award-winning reseller Paul Rambridge to find out what puts Sweethaven Business Solutions ahead of the crowd and where the firm is going in the future… Congratulations on winning in the 2017 PCR Awards. Sweethaven is honoured and incredibly pleased to have won a PCR Award for the past two years. With this award and our Toast of Surrey Award, for our work with apprentices, we managed to get some great exposure for the company. Tell us about the journey the company went through to establish itself. We have worked very hard to become the best in business support (including our education services) with a number of forward moves. Investment has formed an important aspect with industry consultants to help guide us, a new data centre for our increased cloud presence, a new PSA platform for better support and management of accounts (Connectwise), and planned external and internal refurbishment and establishment of a visual story of our solutions. People are our major investment and indeed an important aspect of support. We have increased our numbers in line with additional customers, we have introduced a new rest area for staff leisure and informal meetings – a complete flat with kitchen and shower etc – and continued investment in training and apprenticeships. With security being a big focus this year we have also invested in IASME training for key staff. Due to this we have not lost a business client for many years and our client base is increasing
heavily in our datacentre as we increase the amount of customers moving to a complete cloud based solution for their business as they become comfortable with such solutions.
nicely. We have also looked at promotion and exposure through events like the Bett Show and local event sponsorship like the Reigate Run. In line with our security focus, we presented to a global audience at SH Law offices in London. We feel that our company culture of ‘caring’ for both customers and staff underpins genuine success. We are celebrating our 40th birthday this year. What sort of services do you offer? We offer a complete outsourced IT solution, including installation of the infrastructure like cabling and cabinets through to providing and provisioning kit and then managed desktop and network support with 24 hour monitoring and fix services. We also offer co managed solutions with our PSA platform to allow us to work with international firms on a collaborative basis for UK and Europe support. We embrace the cloud with our datacentre and after analysing the customer needs offer the best of breed or complete cloud based solutions. There is also Hardware, and Software, as a Service (HaaS and SaaS) for those who like an agile IT solution that can grow with their needs and includes everything with just a simple cost per user per month. We are called upon for specialist projects like that for Shaw Trust where we devised a solution for them to be able to test specialist software for disabled people across multi platforms.
“Our company culture of caring for both customers and staff underpins genuine success.” Paul Rambridge, Sweethaven Business Solutions
Sweethaven Business Solutions is a business support provider based in Reigate, Surrey. Sweethavenb2b.co.uk
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Who is the average Sweethaven Business Solutions client, and what are they looking for? We don’t have average clients! Typically our business services clients grow in size as they are able to concentrate on their work while we provide the platform for them to excel. Our stronger sector is from 10 to 500 users. Our clients are looking for a company that cares and that they can trust that enables their company to concentrate on their business and as such they are appreciative of the consultative and tailored nature of our solutions. How much of your business is dedicated to the cloud? 18 per cent of our current trade is attributable to cloud-based solutions which have typically been hybrid solutions. We have invested
Tell us about the differences between being a retailer and reseller. How do the two compare from a business perspective and in terms of the day-to-day operations? How they complement each other is interesting in line with our demand for excellent customer service. A short period in retail for our Business IT support staff has many benefits for their customer interaction and underlining the personable approach alongside the understanding they need to fix the customer before the problem! They also see what people are using at home, some of the problems and frustrations and how this relates to business use and even future direction. Retail on the other hand is moving away from straight transactional for us as we head towards our business model and have introduced Total Support for home users, consultative visits for Connected Home, and ‘build benches’ for enthusiasts and the gaming market. There is a VR demo suite which businesses can also use to take to customers and look at all the possibilities this opens up. Our total market exposure for our staff is a great journey for them, and we believe helps add an extra level of support for our professional customers. It helps us differentiate ourselves from being ‘just another support company’!
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RETAILER OF THE MONTH
FACT FILE Year established: Callout 2005 – Store 2013 Number of outlets: 1 Number of staff: 2 Contact address: 13 Heywood Street, Brimington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S431DB Telephone: 01246200214 Email: sales@WeFixAnyComputer.com
Chips Computers
Website: www.chipspc.co.uk
Jonathan Easton speaks to the PCR Award-winning Independent Retailer of the Year’s boss Phillip Griffiths to get his reactions and find out what the company does differently to put this two-man Chesterfield IT shop on the map… Congratulations on winning the PCR Award for Best Independent Retailer. How does it feel? It feels amazing to win, especially with all the amazing stores out there. We have been named as a finalist for three years in a row as well as winning other local and national awards, but winning this one has left us speechless. It’s the best award a company like ours can win. It will spur us on and help us achieve other goals we have for the business. For those readers who don’t know who you are, tell us a bit about Chips’ story and how it got to where it is today? Chips Computers is a husband and wife Team. The company started in 2005 with callout as the only service, and we opened our retail store based in Chesterfield in 2013. From our first PC, we decided that we would do everything in our power to ensure that our www.pcr-online.biz
PCs are built to a higher standard than any of our competitors, and we would look after our customers with more care than any other PC builder could. Today, we’ve carried on that concept by producing elite, custom-built PCs backed up with over 30 years of knowledge, experience, service and support. Our customer service has always been the core value of our company and this has seen customers from all over the UK continue to return to Chips. We also specialise in helping people with disabilities and helping the local community. How has the retail landscape changed for you since you started up as a callout service in 2005? In 2005 most households only had one desktop computer and laptops were just becoming the in-thing. Since then households have multiple computer devices
from desktop computers and laptops, to tablets and smartphones. The computer industry evolves faster than most industries do, and this means your company has to evolve as well. People no longer want a computer just to do homework, they want a
“Winning has left us speechless. It’s the best award a company like ours can win.” Phillip Griffiths Chips Computers
computer that can control their life, and can connect and interact with other devices. What sort of products and services do you offer? We offer a callout service that includes residential users and micro business that are
normally left out by most other companies. In the store, we offer a range of products including gaming peripherals, laptops, and our bespoke custom-built computers that we design in store with the customer, such as our awardwinning Millennium Falcon PC. We give customers 306 trillion combinations in a very easy to use system. Some of the other services we offer are repairs (including screens sockets windows reinstall, virus removal and so on), website design, company logo design and company intro videos. One other service we offer that is growing by around 20 per cent a month is maintenance contracts for home users. This is where the customer will pay a set amount every month to cover all their labour charges (instore, remote, phone and callout), and has options for security, online backup and 24-hour monitoring. We can tailor the contract to the
person, and this allows us to fill the customer with confidence that their computer will get fixed without unexpected costs. What is your plan for the next 12 months? Over the next month we will have set up and supplied a free Wi-Fi zone in the area that we are based that will cover the high street area. This is totally funded by ourselves and won’t cost users a penny. We feel giving back to the people and area in which you are based is a must. It helps with customer relationships by showing them that we are here to help. We also will be expanding on the maintenance contracts for residential customers and to micro businesses that often get overlooked or get charged a huge premium just because they are a business. We have other projects that we have planned as well but you will have to wait and see what they are. PCR April 2017 | 33
Recommended Dedicated monthly product coverage
The latest tech Editorial planner
AMD boasts that the 1800X has Intel’s i7-6900K beat by about 10 per cent in multithreaded workloads
The top-of-the-line Ryzen 7 1800X has a base clock of 3.6GHz, and boosts to 4GHz
AMD Ryzes up from the ashes USING A phrase like ‘game changer’ is a bit of a faux pas, but AMD sure is having a crack at validating it with the high-end Ryzen Summit Ridge CPUs which are significantly cheaper than Intel’s equivalent chips. At the very top, the Ryzen 1800X will cost $499 (£499) while the comparatively specced Intel Core i7-6900K sits at $1,100 (£1,050). Further down the Ryzen 1700X is $399 (£399), which AMD is putting up against the $450 Core i7-6800K, and the $329 (£329) Ryzen 1700 against the $350 Core i77700K. Along with US pricing we also got a look at the speeds of the chips. The 1800X has a
base clock of 3.6GHz, boosting to 4GHz; the 1700X is 3.4GHz and 3.8GHz, and the 1700 is 3.0GHz and 3.7GHz. The lower-end part has a TDP of 65W and comes bundled with a ‘Wraith Spire’ cooler, while the top two parts have a TDP of 95W and come with no bundled goodies. The company first previewed Ryzen in December, and it boasted that the 1800X chip would beat Intel’s i7-6900K by about 10 per cent in multithreaded workloads, and with its 90W TDP (the Intel processor clocks in at 140W). We await benchmarking tests from third-parties, but Intel looks as though it has a tough fight
on its hands from a chip that sits at half its price. Intel has for a long time dominated the processor space without much real competition. If AMD’s new chips perform to the level that the company claims, then we could be in for a really interesting few years, not just to see which processors are more popular with enthusiasts and system builders, but also which will find themselves at the heart of mass-produced PCs being put out by OEMs. The only potential downside to these Ryzen chips though, is that AMD is not providing support for Windows 7, opting to make them require Windows 10.
“If AMD’s new chips perform to the level that the company claims, then we could be in for a really interesting few years.”
This might not be so much of an issue given the adoption rate of Microsoft’s latest operating system, but Intel came under some flack for its decision to drop Windows 7 from its 7th generation Core processors, and AMD could have garnered further favour with users had it provided Windows 7 support. Regardless of this minor gripe, AMD seems to be on to a winning formula with its Ryzen chips and has launched the ball back into Intel’s court with the question of what it will do next. Expect to see price cuts from Intel, and potentially new, more powerful chips as it looks to counter AMD’s disruptive cheap technology.
Contact: AMD | http://amd.com/uk | Price: 1800X - £499, 1700X - £399, 1700 - £329 | Out: Q2
www.pcr-online.biz
PCR April 2017 | 37
RECOMMENDED
The triumphant return of the dumb phone TECH STORIES that make it into the mainstream are normally because of something super high-tech with millions of dollars poured into development and marketing. Think the iPhone reveal, or the launch of the Nintendo Wii (11 years later and I still find the name ridiculous). The latest gadget that has everyone talking though is the opposite of high-tech: the revived Nokia 3310. 126 million Nokia 3310s have been sold since it launched in September 2000, and now Nokia-branded phone maker HMD is reviving the iconic mobile phone with a few tweaks to make it ready for 2017. These modern touches include a stunning 2-megapixel camera, microUSB charging port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and even a microSD card slot.
“ It still has the lo-fi charm of its retro predecessor.”
Don’t worry, it still has the lo-fi charm of its retro predecessor with a 240x320 display, a tactile keyboard keyboard, an FM radio, and a
whopping 16MB of storage. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Nokia brick phone if it didn’t have an outrageously huge battery and the new 3310
delivers in a big way with a 1200mAh battery to put the Apples and Samsungs of the world to shame. The company claims that the battery can
deliver a talk time of up to 22 hours and a standby time of up to 31 days. You can even play Snake on it. What more could you want?
Contact: HMD | http://hmdglobal.com | Price: €49 | Out: Q2
Panasonic’s rough ‘n’ tumble 2-in-1 PANASONIC’S TOUGHBOOK family of rugged laptops has seen its latest entry with the CF-33 – the world’s first 3:2 aspect ratio, 2-in-1 detachable laptop. The company says that the device’s 12-inch display brings ‘unrivalled flexibility and performance for mobile business computing’. Its target audience though are people working in police, emergency services, government agencies and maintenance workers among others.
The CF-33 actually comes in two models: the CF-33 2-in-1 (tablet with keyboard dock), and the CF-33 Tablet (tablet only). Both have a dual-touch, QHD screen, run Windows 10 Pro with a 7th generation Intel Core processor and a 256GB SSD. Pricing isn’t for the faint hearted at £2,627 (+VAT) for the 2-in-1, and £2,213 (+VAT) for the tablet only model, but what you get is an ultradurable device that is optimal for users who need something they can safely use outdoors.
Contact: Panasonic | http://panasonic.com | Price: £2,627 (2-in-1), £2,213 (tablet only) | Out: Q2
38 | PCR April 2017
Phillips is ahead of the curve PHILLIPS HAS been putting out some stellar monitors for years, and now the company is bringing out a new curved display which hopes to bring curved monitors further into the mainstream. The 278E8QJAB’s curvature radius of 1800mm is extremely small, meaning that the experience of using the display is incredibly immersive as it increases the perception of depth and reduces picture distortion. Combined with Adaptive-Sync technology, it
provides a smooth viewing experience with no tearing or motion blur. The most important thing with a monitor though is the colour range, and the new display has the widest colour gamut available – 130 per cent, sRGB (104 per cent NTSC). This is opposed to the typical 99 per cent sRGB (72 per cent NTSC). What this all means is that the range of colours that users can perceive on the screen is much wider, and users can rely on accurate colour reproduction.
Contact: Phillips | http://phillips.com | Price: £239 | Out: Now
www.pcr-online.biz
RECOMMENDED
Record-setting writing MEMORY CARDS aren’t generally the most exciting thing in the world, but Sony has released one of note with the SF-G series of SD cards which are the world’s fastest. These cards, which are available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB variations, boast record writing speeds of up to 299 MB/s, which Sony says is primarily geared towards high-end DSLR users who will be shooting 4K quality video, and taking photos in bursts.
This is all down to an algorithm developed by Sony to prevent loss of speed in data writing even after repeated burst shooting. The company also emphasises the reliability of the card, saying that it is X-ray proof, waterproof, temperature resistant and shock-proof. This could well be an essential purchase for professional photographers and enthusiasts along with people transferring a lot of data.
“These cards, which are available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB variations, boast record writing speeds of up to 299 MB/s.”
Contact: Sony | http://sony.co.uk | Price: TBC | Out: TBC
Samsung’s stylish stylus
Vive add-ons
WHILE WE saw oodles of new gizmos and gadgets at CES 2017, a quiet show stealer for many was what was on display at the HTC Vive booth – namely the Vive Tracker and Vive Deluxe Audio Strap. Now we have prices and release dates for both. The Vive Tracker, which can be attached to real-world objects that designers have programmed into a game or application, will be released in two stages: March 27th for developer purchase, and later in the year for general consumers. The
company hopes that the tracker will open up the VR space and says that it has already received 2,300 applications for the first 1,000 trackers. And this isn’t just for gaming; HTC Vive says that 60 per cent of applications that will use the Vive Tracker will be nongaming – ranging from education and enterprise, to training and wellness. The other first party peripheral for the VR headset that was announced at the show was the Deluxe Audio Strap which combines integrated audio with new comfort features, in an effort to
Contact: HTC Vive | vive.com/uk | Price: £99 (each) | Out: Q2 2017
www.pcr-online.biz
ensure users are more comfortable during long sessions. The Deluxe Audio Strap will be bundled all Business Edition (BE) sales going forward. As far as general consumers go, the strap will go on sale through pre-order on May 2nd with an expected delivery date of some point later in the year. Both the Vive Tracker and Deluxe Audio Strap will be available for £99.99, which, don’t forget, will sit on top of the Vive’s already considerably pricey RRP of £759.
WHETHER IT’S because of its sci-fi looks, or its awkward charging, something didn’t quite click for us with the Apple Pencil. At Mobile World Congress (read our report on page 6), Samsung took to the stage and, among other things, showcased its own version of the high-end stylus in partnership with German pencil maker Staedtler. What we got was the Noris digital; a black and green coloured stylus that looks like the classic Staedtler pencil. In fact, they’ve been so meticulous with the design of it that the Noris digital weighs exactly the same as its graphiteequipped cousin. We don’t have specifics on the Noris digital such as availability or pricing, but this item was particularly popular at the show and should prove equally so when it comes to market for Samsung device users.
Contact: Samsung http://samsung.co.uk Price: TBC | Out: TBC
PCR April 2017 | 39
RECOMMENDED
Sony has the Touch A YEAR ago at the 2016 Mobile World Congress, Sony first revealed its Xperiabranded projector concept, and at this year’s MWC the company has revealed a name, details of what it is, and a price. The Xperia Touch, as Sony is calling it, is part smart speaker, part projector and part virtual Android Tablet. Its unique gimmick is that you can interact with whatever it projects, thanks to onboard cameras. While this might not be all that useful when using the projector for watching video, it effectively means that (using Android) you can turn any wall into a giant digital whiteboard up to 80-inches,
though the 1366 x 768 resolution isn’t the sharpest in the world. The Touch can also display on tables, and in this orientation the 10-point touch sensitivity means you can do everything from simulate playing a piano to simultaneously working with teammates on projects. Other than touch input, the device also has a 13-megapixel camera for conference calls, voice interaction with Google Assistant and a built-in battery that lasts around about one hour. This all sounds great, but the biggest stumbling block is the price: €1,599. That’s a lot
“You can turn any wall into a giant digital whiteboard.”
of money for a projector which has a low resolution and that you could argue is a bit gimmicky. While it does effectively roll three devices into one, the price may be tough for some users to get over.
However, in a business or education setting the Xperia Touch could be right at home. Ever been awkwardly kicked out of a meeting room half way through a presentation because the room’s booked? Equally, particularly high-tech
learning institutions could do some interesting things with the Touch. It might take a while to find its place in the market – especially at its high price – but the Xperia Touch is worth keeping an eye on.
Contact: Sony | http://sony.co.uk | Price: €1,599 | Out: TBC
Adding control to your Gear
Lenovo puts it in the mixer 2-IN-1 TABLETS are a really great versatile option, if they fit your budget. We have seen some compelling options from the likes of Dell, Microsoft and HP but they are on the higher end of the pricing spectrum. With its latest 2-in-1, Lenovo is attempting to present a stylish and affordable alternative to Chromebooks. The Miix 320 has a 10.1-inch full HD display, up to 4GB of RAM and up to
128GB of storage, all for the low price of $199 (around £160). With an Intel Atom X5 powering the device, this tablet isn’t going to show up towards the high-end of benchmarking tests, but you really can’t say a bad word about it given the value for money. As with last year’s model, Lenovo is offering LTE support with certain models and up to an impressive 10 hours of battery life.
Contact: Lenovo | http://Lenovo.co.uk | Price: $199 | Out: April
40 | PCR April 2017
SAMSUNG BROUGHT out (and then had to put on the back-burner) an updated Gear VR virtual reality headset last year for the now-recalled Galaxy Note 7. But now the firm has introduced a very similar looking headset, only this one comes with a nifty controller which was at the fore of Samsung’s announcement. The controller is designed specifically for one-hand use, and features a touchpad for in-app gestures and a trigger. Oculus, which designed the headset with Samsung, says that over 70 titles optimised for the Gear VR controller are in development, and all existing content should work fine as this is effectively an advanced version of the touchpad built into the headset.
A physical controller has definitely been missing from the Gear VR, especially considering Google’s Daydream which came with a controller out of the gate. Unfortunately Samsung hasn’t yet announced pricing or availability for the Gear VR with Controller, but we’d expect it to be around the same price point as the £69.99 Daydream View.
Contact: Samsung | http://samsung.co.uk | Price: TBC | Out: TBC
www.pcr-online.biz
RECOMMENDED
BlackBerry resurrects the smartphone keyboard
Huawei’s fitness focus HAVING SEEN the official launch of Android Wear 2.0 and the launch of Google’s own smartwatches made by LG, other Android Wear partners are starting to launch their new models with the first being Huawei’s refresh of its Watch from 2015. The new watch comes in two iterations: the Huawei Watch 2 and the Huawei Watch 2 Classic. Both have new features including LTE (for the Watch 2), GPS, heart rate sensors and NFC for Android Pay. The only
difference between the two is that the Watch 2 is made of plastic to support its LTE connectivity, while the Watch 2 Classic has a metal chassis. Huawei has set Watch 2 out with more of a fitness focus, with a new sensor that will continuously track heart rates. Both come loaded with Huawei’s Fit programme that personalises a training regime based on goals and prior performance statistics.
Contact: Huawei | http://Huawei.com/uk | Price: €329 | Out: April
THE LAST time we heard from BlackBerry, the Canadian smartphone pioneer had licensed out its branding and naming to TCL and there were rumblings of a device codenamed ‘Mercury’.§ Now we have the final version of ‘Mercury’ in the intriguing BlackBerry KeyOne. The phone itself is an attractive device made entirely of aluminium, with a 4.5-inch, 1620 x 1080 LCD display, a 12 megapixel camera and a Snapdragon 625 processor. However, the real reason the KeyOne has got people talking is the
physical keyboard that sits below the screen. This isn’t just the keyboard that was in your old BlackBerry from a decade ago though, it’s touchsensitive and has a whole load of neat tricks such as using it to scroll without touching the screen, and a fingerprint sensor on the space bar. It’s also got a large 3,505mAh battery and a big focus on security with commitments to issuing Google’s monthly security patches. If you’ve been missing a physical keyboard on your phone, the KeyOne might just be the device that the doctor ordered.
Contact: BlackBerry | blackberry.com | Price: $549 | Out: April
Editorial Planner
A look at the biggest features coming up in PCR over the next few months...
May 2017
June 2017
July 2017
THE SUPPLY CHAIN
THE INTERNET OF THINGS
EDUCATION
This month PCR turns its eye to how products get to market. From vendors to distributors to retailers, we will examine what makes the channel tick.
The Internet of Things is one of the hottest areas in tech and next month sees PCR have a look at what all the fuss is about.
This month we look ahead to the ‘back to school’ period and pick apart how best to sell IT equipment to schools.
Elsewhere we feature our annual 30 under 30 list of the biggest movers and shakers who are making a name for themselves in the industry.
We will also be looking ahead to Computex with a full preview of the event.
Elsewhere in this issue, we review Computex and reflect on 2017 at its half-way point.
Advertising Deadline
Advertising Deadline
Advertising Deadline
April 13th
May 16th
June 14th
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PCR April 2017 | 41
SECTOR GUIDE
Form and functionality in your lap While they might not have the buzz of the 2-in-1 or a tablet, but notebooks still have plenty to offer. PCR picks out some laptops and some accessories that stand out…
MICROSOFT ARC TOUCH BLUETOOTH MOUSE
MASTER NOTEPAL MAKER
HP RENEW 14-AY020NA INTEL PENTIUM N3710
HP ELITEBOOK X360 1030 G2
Distributor: Exertis, Westcoast
Distributor: Exertis, Scan Entatech
Distributor: Target
Distributor: Westcoast
The Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse takes the award-winning design of the Arc Touch Mouse and adds Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology. It offers a clutterfree and reliable experience that works from up to 30 feet away.
MasterNotepal Series is modular, allowing you to build a desktop fortress of USB devices, strip it down into a thin aluminum surface for the couch, or a rubber-sleeved USB hub that props your laptop up at the café.
This 15-AY020NA with quad-core Pentium processor boasts 1TB storage, 4GB RAM, on-board Intel HD graphics, HDMI & USB3.0 connections, stereo speakers and a 15.6-inch screen.
With 360 degrees of versatility across five modes, unmatched security, and up to 16 hours and 30 minutes of battery life, the thin and light HP EliteBook x360 1030 is the perfect PC for highly mobile professionals.
Specs: Compatible with the following operating systems: Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / RT 8.1 / RT 8.
Specs: 1.27kg, 27.24dBA, ergonomic 8-degree tilt, compatible with laptops and tablets up to 17-inches.
Specs: 1.6GHz, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 15.6inch screen
Specs: Intel Core i7-7600U Processor, 13.3-inch FHD Touch screen, 16 GB DDR4-2133 SDRAM 512 GB SSD
SRP: £69.99
SRP: £59.99
SRP: £289.00
SRP: £2,455
HP ELITEBOOK 840 G4 NOTEBOOK PC
LENOVO THINKPAD X1 CARBON 20FB
LENOVO THINKPAD T460
RIVACASE 7560 CANVAS BACKPACK
Distributor: Westcoast
Distributor: Westcoast
Distributor: Westcoast
Distributor: Meroncourt
Enterprise-class features, and comprehensive security, and a refined collaboration experience handle even the most demanding tasks with streamlined efficiency.
A carbon fiber roll cage with reinforcement makes the X1 Carbon Ultrabook ultralight and highly portable. Stay unplugged all day, but when needed, boost your battery up to 80 per cent capacity in just 35 minutes.
Thinner and lighter than previous generations, the Thinkpad T460 also has added features for robust business productivity. The T460 features customisable storage possibilities, immersive audio, and all-day battery life.
This stylish urban backpack is manufactured of high-quality water resistant material giving it a lightweight feel but at the same time giving extra protection to its contents with the thickened sides.
Specs: 7th Generation Intel Core i77500U processor,14-inch LED-backlit screen, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD
Specs: Intel Core i5 6200U, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, 14-inch IPS 1920 x 1080
Specs: Intel Core i5 6200U Processor, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, 14-inch IPS 1920 x 1080
Specs: Laptop storage compartment, Tablet storage compartment, Water resistant, Lightweight
SRP: £1,280.81
SRP: £1,483.20
SRP: £1,009.20
SRP: £34.99
42 | PCR April 2017
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New online platforms: • Dedicated website • Weekly digest newsletter • Theme of the Month newsletter Sign up at www.techandlearning.uk
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Editorial:
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SECTOR GUIDE
WENGER BAHN 16-INCH LAPTOP BACKPACK
MSI PL60 7RD
MSI GE62 7RE APACHE PRO
MSI GE72 VR 7RF APACHE PRO
Distributor: CMS Distribution
Distributor: Exertis, Tech Data, VIP
Distributor: Exertis, Tech Data, VIP
Distributor: Exertis, Tech Data, VIP
This backpack has a padded 16-inch laptop compartment and a dedicated 10-inch tablet/eReader pocket with anti-scratch lining. It has an essentials organiser along with quilted padding in all electronics pockets.
The PL60 7RD is a professional notebook that brings the power of a gaming GPU, striking a balance between power and performance.
The GE62 7RE (Apache Pro) is a gaming notebook with an emphasis on powerful performance and tough build quality.
The GE72 VR 7RF (Apache Pro) is the bigger brother to the GE62, packing more RAM memory and the more powerful GeForce GTX 1060 graphics.
Specs: 33w x 48h x 17d cm, 1.14kg
Specs: 7th generation Intel Core i5 CPU (i5-7200U), GeForce GTX 1050, 2GB DDR5 RAM
Specs: 7th generation Intel Core i7 CPU (i7-7700HQ), GeForce GTX 1050Ti, 4GB DDR5 RAM
Specs: 7th generation Intel Core i7 CPU (i7-7700HQ), GeForce GTX 1060, 8GB DDR4 RAM
SRP: £69.99
SRP: £899.00
SRP: £1,199.00
SRP: £1,399.00
MSI GP62 7RD LEOPARD
MSI GT73 VR 7RE TITAN
C31FLATDOCKPD USB-C DOCKING STATION
U3METALDOCKUK USB 3.0 DOCKING STATION
Distributor: Exertis, Tech Data, VIP
Distributor: Exertis, Tech Data, VIP
Distributor: Ingram Micro, Northamber
Distributor: Ingram Micro, Northamber
The GP62 7RD Leopard is from the GP range of MSI Notebooks, focusing on performance and reliability with a powerful no-fuss chassis to give an excellent price to performance ratio.
The GT73 combines the latest 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and GeForce 10 series graphics to provide unparalleled performance.
For customers looking to quickly and easily connect a keyboard, mouse, external HD, monitor, printer, headphones, modem, another monitor, etc. to a Windows-based notebook or ultrabook. Compatible with Windows 8.0 and later.
Enhance your workstation by connecting your peripherals to your notebook, tablet or smartphone, via USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 interface. Data rate transfer up to 10 Gbps. Supports ultra HD 4K and stereo sound.
Specs: 7th generation Intel Core i5 CPU (i5-7300HQ), GeForce GTX 1050, 8GB DDR4 RAM
Specs: 7th generation Intel Core i7 CPU (i5-7820HK), GeForce GTX 1070, 16GB DDR4 RAM
Specs: 1x DVI-I, 1x HDMI or Display, Full HD+ 2560x1600 px, Gigabit Ethernet, 3x USB 3.0
Specs: Specs: 1x HDMI 4K Ultra HD, 1x SD Card Reader, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB-C
SRP: £999.00
SRP: £2,399.00
SRP: £59.99
SRP: £89.99
CONTACT
CMS Distribution ........ 0208 962 2500
Target Components.. 0208 296 7066
Entatech ...................... 0333 101 1000
Tech Data .................... 0125 678 8134
Exertis .......................... 0208 200 8282
Westcoast .................... 0118 912 6000
Ingram Micro............... 0371 973 3000
VIP ................................ 0192 528 6900
Meroncourt ................. 0146 268 0060
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PCR April 2017 | 45
SECTOR GUIDE
2 for the price of 1 Want the functionality of a laptop combined with the flexibility of a tablet? Well look no further as PCR picks out some of the hottest 2-in-1s proving that versatility really is better than one-dimensional products…
LENOVO RETHINK GOLD RECERTIFIED MIIX 300
HP ELITE X3
HP PRO X2 612 G2
LENOVO MIIX 510
Distributor: Target Components
Distributor: Westcoast
Distributor: Westcoast
Distributor: Westcoast
This MIIX 300 convertible can be used as a laptop or a tablet. It comes armed with an Intel Atom 1.33GHz processor, 10.1-inch touchscreen, 2GB RAM, 32GB EMMC, on-board HD graphics, HDMI, micro USB, webcam and Bluetooth.
Access the people, apps and data you care about without the burden of switching devices. The world’s first built-for-business 3-in-1 device, the HP Elite x3 combines PC power with premium smartphone capabilities and can dock to work big.
The HP Pro x2 612 G2 strikes a balance of mobility, durability and security in a device designed to last. Ideal for mobile professionals and optimised for managed IT environments, this PC extends productivity outside the office.
Work or play – you decide. The 12.2-inch Lenovo Miix 510 is the 2-in-1 PC that adapts to every moment. With its sleek design, watchband hinges, and high performance, you can rely on the Miix 510 to power you through any situation.
Specs: Intel Core Atom Z3735F processor, 10.1-inch touch display, 2GB RAM, 32GB SSD
Specs: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 5.96-inch QHD touch display, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD
Specs: Intel Core i5 Processor, 12.5-inch FHD touch display, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD
Specs: Intel Core i5 6200U Processor, 12.2-inch FHD touch display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
SRP: £145.00
SRP: £757.20
SRP: £TBC
SRP: £888.00
TOSHIBA PORTÉGÉ X20W-D
ACER ASPIRE R14
LENOVO YOGA 900
LENOVO YOGA 700
Distributor: Westcoast, Tech Data, Ingram Micro, Exertis
Distributor: Exertis
Distributor: Westcoast
Distributor: Westcoast
The Portégé X20W-D is the world’s thinnest, 2-in-1 to utilise full power 7th generation Intel Core processors. The hybrid has 360-degree hinges allowing it to transform from a high-powered laptop into an incredibly versatile tablet.
Acer’s Aspire Series offers a diverse range of notebooks with graphics and communication tools to maximize your digital entertainment. Complete your daily tasks whether you’re at home or on the go.
Recognisably different with its premium watchband hinge, this thin, light, and powerful 2-in-1 delivers the performance you need to work and play in any mode: laptop, stand, tent, or tablet.
At just 1.1 kg, this 11-inch multimode laptop is one of the lightest convertibles in the world. Featuring four ways to do almost anything – laptop, stand, tent, and tablet it comes complete with vibrant display and SSD storage.
Specs: 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 12.5-inch FHD touch display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Specs: Intel Core i3-6100U processor, 14-inch FHD touch display, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD
Specs: Intel Core i5-6260U processor, 13.3-inch QHD+ touch display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Specs: Intel Core m3-7Y30 processor, 11.6-inch FHD touch display, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD
SRP: £1,399.00
SRP: £579.59
SRP: £1,049.99
SRP: £599.99
46 | PCR April 2017
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SECTOR GUIDE
LENOVO YOGA BOOK
DELL XPS 13 2-IN-1
MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK I7
DELL INSPIRON 17 7000
Distributor: Westcoast
Distributor: Ingram Micro
Distributor: Exertis, Westcoast
Distributor: Ingram Micro
The Lenovo Yoga Book, is a 2-in-1 like no other. Make notes or sketches using a stylus with real ink. Thin, light, and stylish, Yoga Book sets your imagination free – anytime, anywhere.
The world’s smallest 13-inch 2-in-1 with InfinityEdge display for virtually borderless viewing with optional UltraSharp QHD+.
Surface Book is built to run all the professional-grade software you need for engineering, design and everything in-between. Intel Core processors with an optional NVIDIA GeForce dGPU give unmatched graphics performance.
The powerful 17-inch 2-in-1 Dell Inspiron defines upscale, with vast screen space, discrete graphics capability and a brushed aluminum design.
Specs: Intel Atom x5-Z8550 processor, 10.1-inch FHD touch display, 4GB RAM, S4GB SSD
Specs: 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 13-inch QHD+ InfinityEdge display, 4GB RAM, 128B SDD
Specs: 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 13.5-inch PixelSense touch display, 8GB RAM, 256B HDD
Specs: 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 17-inch FHD touch display, 12GB RAM, 1TB HDD
SRP: £449.99
SRP: £1,349.00
SRP: £1,999.00
SRP: £899.00
ACER SWITCH ALPHA 12
ACER CHROMEBOOK R11
HP ELITE X2 1012 G1
ASUS TRANSFORMER MINI (T102HA-D4-GR)
Distributor: Exertis
Distributor: Exertis
Distributor: Exertis
Distributor: Exertis, Tech Data
With its 12-inch HD display, latchless magnetic keyboard, and Intel processor, the Aspire Switch 12 can be everything from the workhorse you need when facing a tough deadline, to your most immersive and intimate media player.
The Chromebook R11’s stylish touchscreen rotates 360 degrees and you can configure it as a stand-up display, or a tent-shaped display that you can be placed on narrow ledges.
Experience beauty and power that goes beyond expectations with the HP Elite x2 1012. It’s a tested-tough 2-in-1 with precision-crafted keyboards, and a thin and light powerhouse designed to the exacting standards of the enterprise.
The ultra-thin, feather-light, 10-inch ASUS Transformer Mini weighs less than 1.7 lbs with up to 11 hours of battery life. Transformer Mini comes with pen, keyboard, and fingerprint reader all included.
Specs: Intel Core i3-6100 dual-core processor, 12-inch LED touch display, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD
Specs: Intel Celeron N3150 Quad-Core Processor, 11.6-inch LED touch display, 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD
Specs: Intel Core m5-6Y54 processor, 12-inch FHD touch display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Specs: Intel Quad-Core Atom Z8350 Processor, 10.1-inch glossy touch display, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD
SRP: £649.99
SRP: £249.99
SRP: £1,279.00
SRP: £1,699.00
Entatech: .................... 0333 101 1000
CONTACT
Exertis: ........................ 0208 200 8282
Tech Data: ................. 0125 678 8134
Ingram Micro:............ 0371 973 3000
Westcoast: .................. 0118 912 6000
Target Components:... 0208 296 7066
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PCR April 2017 | 47
SECTOR GUIDE
Put it on the tab Apple might have popularised the form factor, but there’s much more to tablets than the iPad. PCR picks a variety of tablets and accessories that should suit all budgets…
HANNSPAD 101 HERCULES
HANNSPAD 11.6 POSEIDON
HANNSPAD 133 TITAN 2
SAMSUNG T3
Distributor: Entatech, Exertis, Tech Data
Distributor: Entatech, Exertis, Tech Data
Distributor: Entatech, Exertis, Tech Data
Distributor: M2M Direct
The HANNSpad 101 Hercules features a 10.1-inch touch screen and Quad Core power. Android 5.1, HDMI, and front and rear cameras are included as standard in this budget friendly option.
The HANNSpad 11.6 Poseidon features a 11.6-inch touch screen with IPS display technology, and Quad Core power delivering seamless everyday mobile, computing and entertainment.
Hannspree’s HANNSpad 133 Titan 2 is a powerful mobile solution with a generous 13-inch Full HD display, boasting highly responsive 10 point fingertip control and picture perfect IPS technology.
Light, shock-proof and barely bigger than a business card the Samsung T3 is one of the fastest external SSD’s on the market with blazingly fast read/write speeds of 450mb/sec. Comes with a three year warranty.
Specs: 10.1-inch IPS LED 1280x800, ARM Cortex A53 1.3GHz Quad Core, Android 5.1, 1GB DDR3, 16GB storage
Specs: 11.6-inch IPS LED, 1366x768, ARM Cortex A53 1.3GHz Quad Core, Android 6.0, 2GB DDR3 / 16GB storage
Specs: 13.3-inch IPS LED, 1920x1080, ARM Cortex A53 1.5GHz OCTA Core, Android 5.1, 2GB DDR3 / 16GB storage
Specs: Compatible with USB 3.1 (Gen. 1, 5Gbps) 3.0, 2.0, Capacity- 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, up to 450MB/sec, 51g
SRP: £99.00
SRP: £149.00
SRP: £199.00
SRP: From £99
HAMA DESIGN LINE CHARGING/SYNC CABLES
MERONCOURT KURIO POCKET FAMILY TABLET
APPROX USB 2.0 DNI-E AND CARD READER
LMS DATA POCKET POWERBANK CHARGER
Distributor: Hama
Distributor: Meroncourt
Distributor: Meroncourt
Distributor: Meroncourt
Hama Design Line charging accessories are sure to bring a splash of colour to any tablet. Available in three colours, the twin 3.4 A USB in-car chargers and lightning and micro USB cables provide a reliable source of power on the go.
The Ultimate Android Pocket Tablet for children is preloaded with games, educational activities, ebooks and multimedia apps; as well as access to Google Play and Kurio Store for more options. Suitable for children over four.
This Approx card reader allows you to read electronic documents and smart cards. Designed to meet the most demanding technical and functional requirementit offers maximum performance in transactions.
Forget your existing, low capacity Power Bank, the PBK is the real deal. By offering a large, 11500mAh battery you can not only charge devices quicker, but also charge larger devices such as iPad, Nexus and other platforms.
Specs: Cables: Lightning or microUSB connection, 1m; Car Charger: 3400mA, 17W
Specs: 3.97-inch 800 X 480 capacitive touch screen, dual core 1GHz, 8GB, 1GB DDRIII
Specs: Compatible Cards: X Memory, Micro SD, SD/MMC, MS/MS PRO, MS DUO/MS PRO DUO, CF and SIM
Specs: 11500mAh Li-ion Battery, Dual USB Ports, 5v DC, 1A & 2A
SRP: £12.99-£19.99
SRP: £79.99
SRP: £12.99
SRP: £29.99
48 | PCR April 2017
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SECTOR GUIDE
SPEEDLINK PIVOT LUME LASER TOUCHSCREEN PEN
RIVACASE 3009 FOR 11.6 INCH TABLETS
TWELVE SOUTH COMPASS 2 FOR IPAD/IPAD MINI
TWELVE SOUTH PARCSLOPE
Distributor: Meroncourt
Distributor: Meroncourt
Distributor: CMS Distribution
Distributor: CMS Distribution
Get straight to the point, whether you’re using the touchscreen or delivering a presentation: the Laser Touchscreen Pen is the ideal input device for capacitivescreen smartphones and tablet PCs.
Made of high quality Polyurethane leather and microfiber (soft velour) to protect and clean the screen. The inner material is in place to optimise screen protection.
Compass 2 is a clever, multi-use stand optimized to work with iPad Pro 9.7inch and all generations of iPad Air and iPad mini. This compact stand serves as a stable easel that holds your iPad in portrait or wide-screen mode.
ParcSlope is a new kind of hybrid stand that elevates your MacBook screen higher while keeping your keyboard tilted on the desk for more comfortable typing.
Specs: Suitable for capacitive touch screens, integrated laser pointer (red), 12cm
Specs: 199 x 310 x 22 mm
Specs: Closed: 180 x 29.6 x 12.7 mm, 232 g
Specs: 7.1 x 21.1 x 24.3 cm, 0.91 kg
SRP: £9.99
SRP: £21.99
SRP: £1,199.00
SRP: £44.99
LINX 12V32 / 12V64
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB E
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S2
MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 4
Distributor: Exertis
Distributor: CPC
Distributor: CPC
Distributor: Exertis, Westcoast
At home or on the road, in the office or at meetings, the Linx 12V32 and 12V64 Windows Tablet keeps you entertained while you stay productive. Powered by a quad-core Intel Atom x5 processor, the 12.2 HD display delivers real quality.
Portable at just 8.5mm thick and weighing 490g, the Galaxy Tab E combines sleek design with incredible practicality. Its unique, non-slip fabricstyle rear casing provides you with a secure and comfortable grip.
Enjoy greater flexibility than ever before with the Galaxy Tab S2. Remarkably slim and ultra-lightweight, use this device to take your ebooks, photos, videos and work-related files with you wherever you need to go.
Surface Pro 4 is ultrathin, fast and versatile. With 6th Generation Intel Core processors and up to 1TB of storage, it’s built to run professional-grade software.
Specs: 12.2-inch LCD Display, Intel Atom x5-Z8300 (Cherry Trail), Quad Core, 64 Bit Processor, 2MP Front / 5MP camera
Specs: 9.6-inch touchscreen, 1.3GHz Quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 0.49kg
Specs: 8-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 8 core processor, 3GB RAM, 0.26kg
Specs: 12.3-inch PixelSense display, 6th generation Intel Core m3 processor, 128GB storage, 4GB RAM, 0.77kg
SRP: £299.00 – £329
SRP: £162.00
SRP: £342.00
SRP: £749.00
CONTACT
www.pcr-online.biz
CMS Distribution: ...... 0208 962 2500
Exertis: ........................ 0208 200 8282
Target Components:.. 01977 739 300
CPC: ............................. 0344 788 0088
M2M Direct: .................. 0208 676 606
Tech Data: .................. 0125 678 8134
Entatech: .................... 0333 101 1000
Meroncourt: .............. 01462 680 060
Westcoast: .................. 0118 912 6000
PCR April 2017 | 49
OUT OF OFFICE
SOCIAL MEDIA REACTIONS AND CELEBRATIONS WITH A CHANGE of location to the very heart of Central London, the 2017 PCR Awards were the biggest yet with a comparable level of drinking to boot. Don’t worry if you can’t remember what happened on the night,
50 | PCR April 2017
here are a few choice snaps from social media and the after party that may jog your memory. The awards on the night were supported by Entatech as Headline partner, Exertis as After party sponsor, CI Distribution as Entertainment sponsor, Hanns G
as Photo Booth sponsor (turn the page to see the chaos from there), CMS Distribution as Retailer Category sponsor, BullGuard as Reseller Category sponsor, AOC as Distribution Category sponsor and Nvidia and Smithie as event partners.
www.pcr-online.biz
OUT OF OFFICE
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PCR April 2017 | 51
TOGETHER DIGITAL – PRINT – EVENTS GAMING – MUSIC – AV – PRO AUDIO – CONSUMER ELECTRONICS VIDEO & BROADCAST – EDUCATION
Global
www.newbaymedia.com LONDON – NEW YORK
OUT OF OFFICE
HANNSPREE PHOTO BOOTH ALL IT takes is a few inflatable toys, a couple comedy wigs, a camera and a ton of booze, and IT execs will flock to take photos of themselves doing silly things…
Exclusive Photobooth Partner
Exclusive Photobooth Partner
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PCR April 2017 | 53
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, we speak to…
Hannspree
Who’s in your team? Martin Kent, territory manager, Maria Jackson, sales manager, Amy Jolic, sales manager, Simon Smith, operations manager, Scott Walker operations and tech support, Kerri Chard, PR/Marketing representative. What have been your biggest successes of the past 12 months? The development of our Touch display business. By utilising the strengths of our parent company (Hannstar) one of the world’s largest manufacturers of Touch panels we have been able to capitalise on manufacturing flexibility to introduce our solutions into into the Project Sector of the Vending, Kiosk,
Betting and Gaming industries. We have also enjoyed increased market share within the Mid / Higher end Tablet sector. What’s the funniest or most memorable moment of working in your team? We are an evenly matched male to female work force. There is constant light hearted banter within the team, most of which involves us telling the women to pipe down when they rant about their woes. I must also add that Troy Denney scoring against Man Utd in full view of our Hannspree marketing boards while we sponsored Watford Football
club was a fantastic moment for the team and the company. What’s the best part of working in your team? Team spirit and togetherness. We have a real family atmosphere which working for Hannspree a joy. Also, enjoying the flexibility of a smaller organisation and autonomy of the decision making. What’s the hardest part of working in the tech industry? Price competition, exchange rate volatility, cultural differences and major brands ‘dumping’ commodity products!
What is the team working on at the moment? We are continually increasing our share of Channel business within the B2B and Public Sector, and working on projects with our channel customers. We are also highly involved in new external Project markets which we are engaging with our Touch products and manufacturing prowess. What are your thoughts on the current state of the UK tech retail space right now? The Hannspree strategy is actually less involved in the retail sector nowadays and more focused on B2B and bespoke integration in line with our manufacturing capabilities. Thanks to the synergy with our parent company, we can add more value to our customers and ourselves in these sectors. Who makes the best cuppa? The Costa lady.
Editorial: 0207 354 6002 Advertising: 0207 354 6000 Website: www.pcr-online.biz Twitter: @pcr_online PCR is published 12 times a year by NewBay Media - The Emerson Building, 4th Floor, 4-8 Emerson Street, London. SE1 9DU © NewBay Media 2017 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.
54 | PCR April 2017
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Mobile Come and hear from industry experts who will be evaluating trends, shattering perceptions and looking at the future of the mobile industry. 11th May 2017 - Twickenham Stadium Are you on the lookout for new B2B market opportunities, innovative solutions and insights on the latest devices and trends to grace the mobile industry? If you answered yes to any of these then the mobile technology suite at our plug in event is not to be missed! As the UK’s #1 distributor for mobile, we’ve built a reputation for value added product supply and services, for having the most knowledgeable teams in the industry and for spotting trends in the market for our customers to exploit. If you want to find out what’s in store for the industry, then our GfK seminar will look at the topics and trends shaping the market in 2017 and beyond. Their insight could well help shape your business. Looking for areas of growth and opportunity? B2B could well be your opportunity. Mobiles are increasingly being used in business, fueled by the trends of BYOD and the need for companies to cut costs. We have two different seminars that outline why Android is a good fit for enterprise deployment. We will also be marking the return of Nokia, with an exclusive look at their new Android powered phones.
and many more!
And if you want the opportunity to diversify your solutions into other technologies, then simply plug in to any of our other specialist areas.
For more information and to register visit:
exertis.co.uk/plugin
Join us at the channel technology event of the year! 11th May 2017 - Twickenham Stadium Want to discover the latest solutions and hear from industry experts specialising in your areas of interest? You can! Interested in diversifying into other technology markets that could grow your business? That’s fine too! At “Plug in to Exertis” we’ve got technology covered. It’s what we do best, distributing a technology range from consumer to enterprise with market leading vendors and teams of skilled professionals dedicated to providing expertise and support for our partners. So whether you’re a new or existing customer, this is the channel event for you!
WHAT TO EXPECT: 80+ of our leading vendors showcasing their products and solutions Technology suites with seminars on key topics from industry experts Keynotes from our UK MD Paul Bryan and rugby legend Will Greenwood on Winning in Business An evening pitch side reception with drinks and canapés
Register today:
exertis.co.uk/plugin