PCR143 August 2015

FOR THE UK’S PC & TECH COMMUNITY AUGUST 2015

AUGUST 2015

Black FridayTech retailers prepare for a bigger sales day this November

31 Northern lightWe talk to Alex Phillips about the future of Northamber

26 Women of the YearLast chance to nominate your top women in tech for 2015

7

COMPUTER & IT RESELLERS RETAILERS SYSTEM BUILDERS DISTRIBUTORS VENDORS WWW.PCR-ONLINE.BIZ

W W W . P C R - O N L I N E . B I Z W W W . T W I T T E R . C O M / P C R _ O N L I N E W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / P C R M A G

p6

HOW TO SELL IT TO SCHOOLS – P18

EBUYER AND MICROSOFT IN EDUCATION PUSH – P22

WHY TEACHERS ARE TURNING TO GAMING – P24

PC GEAR TO SELL TO STUDENTS – P39

IT GIANT Cisco has injected $1 billion into the UK economy after meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron.

But what does the investment mean for the tech industry, the school system and what long-term implications will it have on business?

PCR takes a closer look at the growth initiatives and how selling IT to teachers is changing in this special back to school issue.

Check out our articles, guides and info on the latest products below…

Firm makes massive investment in UK economy and education as back to school season approaches…

$1billionCISCO PUMPS

INTO UK BUSINESS

CONTENTS & COMMENT

COMMENT

Follow us @pcr_online

CONTENTSREGULARS6 Analysis: Cisco’s $1bn

investment in UK

7 Analysis: Women in Tech

7 Analysis: Retail defi es the

PC slump

8 Number Crunching

12 Appointments

14 Events

16 Opinion

FEATURES18 Selling IT to schools

22 Ebuyer and Microsoft’s

focus on schools

24 Gaming in education

26 The Big Interview:

Northamber

31 Black Friday

32 Interview: Cloud

Telephones

34 Tech giants’ women in

tech initiatives

37 Behind the scenes at 3M

RETAIL47 Dixons Carphone: First

year analysis

48 Mystery Shopper: Harlow

51 Retailer of the Month:

Black Bear Computers

PRODUCTS39 Back to school hardware

and software

44 Monitors

53 Recommended products

OUT OF OFFICE57 In The Hot Seat: Kriss

Akabusi

57 Industry Tweets

58 The Last Word: Acer’s

Yasmin Sidhu

School’s outIT’S THAT time of the year again: every other member of staff is on holiday, the roads are clearer in the morning – oh and the back to school season is upon us.

While the new computer engineering-focused curriculum came into force in 2014, this year the IT channel seems to be making a greater effort on the key selling period.

Lenovo has launched its fi rst PC on a stick in time for the school break, Windows 10 is fi nally here and even the BBC is back in the education market with its micro:bit mini PC, free for 11 and 12-year-old children across the UK.

The industry has moved on since 12 months ago, with companies and consumers wanting more than just hardware; there’s a growing demand for cloud storage, networking and alternative form factors – and schools are no different. Read our IT selling guide on page 18 for a breakdown of categories and advice to help you supply the latest technology to your local school, teachers, parents and students.

As we all know, there’s no slowing down in our market. Things look set to change even more dramatically in the next three to fi ve years. Cisco has invested $1 billion into the UK economy with a focus on the Internet of Things and education initiatives (page six), aiming to close the IT skills gap and help grow businesses. Ebuyer and Microsoft are also backing STEM workshops in schools (page 22), hoping to increase the use of tech by teachers and students. By increasing the number of skilled workers ready for employment, and providing funding to enable growth, this could seriously strengthen the IT channel in the coming years.

Samsung Electronics UK also made a bit of a bold statement in July, saying those companies who fail to adopt smart technology may not be around in ten years’ time. Smart tech includes systems that fi lter out superfl uous information, interactive smart surfaces on walls and tables, tech controlled by hand gestures and teams ‘built on science’ (i.e. employee partnerships based on historical success rather than gut instinct).

There are some big changes happening – it’s well worth making sure your business is a part of them.

Dominic Sacco, [email protected]: 1742-8440

www.pcr-online.biz

“Companies and consumers want more than just hardware; there’s a growing demand for cloud storage, networking and alternative form factors – and schools are no different.”

Editorial: 01992 535646Advertising: 01992 535647

NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

Incorporating

Dan [email protected]

MEET THE TEAM

Elizabeth ParkerProduction [email protected]

Dominic SaccoEditor [email protected]@Dom_Sacco

Laura BarnesDeputy [email protected]@roradrum

Jade BurkeStaff [email protected]@JadeBurke77

Andrew [email protected]@pcr_online

Sarah GoldhawkAccount [email protected]@sarzgoldhawk

Jennie LaneSales [email protected]@jennielane1

ANALYSIS

6 | PCR August 2015 www.pcr-online.biz

PRIME MINISTER David Cameron and senior Cisco execs – including UK and Ireland CEO Phil Smith – met in July to make a landmark announcement that could help drive serious growth in the UK.

A whopping $1 billion (around £650 million) will be invested in various projects over the next three to five years to improve the economy and education systems.

This will include $150 million (£95 million) on venture capital investments in UK Internet of Things (IoT) startups, as well as improvements to Cisco’s British Innovation Gateway initiative which offers advice to entrepreneurs. And importantly, investments in key education and skills initiatives which could help close the IT skills gap.

IT trade association CompTIA has been banging the skills gap drum for a while now, recognising the need for better education and initiatives, in order to give students the skills they need in getting a career in IT.

In recognition of this, Cisco is improving its UK-based Cisco Networking Academy education programme, an IT skills and career building initiative that claims to have helped more than 5.5 million people prepare for the IT workforce since 1997.

Cisco says it’s also making these investments to redress the country’s North-South economic imbalance.

For a company that last year told PCR it expected classrooms to effectively die out, with children connected to the internet and teachers replaced by apps, this is a huge investment for the education sector.

The company is clearly betting on IoT, which it calls

the Internet of Everything, to have a greater influence on schools in the coming years. “The classroom of the future may not even be a room,” Sarah Eccleston, director of enterprise networks and IoT at Cisco UK and Ireland, previously told us. “It can become much more of a remote virtual learning environment where you can use video much more greatly, and everything and everybody can be connected to the internet.”

The announcements come as the UK tech trade prepares for the back to school selling period, following the launch of Windows 10 on July 29th.

When asked what his thoughts are around back to school this year, in light of declining tablet and desktop sales, Dixons Carphone chief executive Sebastian James told PCR: “Tablets is in fairly rapid decline, partly because there’s not much new

technology. But we think Windows 10 will be helpful so we’re expecting a good back to school. It’s a big computing period for us – it’s not gigantic but it’s important, and I think to have that with Windows 10 is helpful.”

It’s not just Cisco investing in education either. Microsoft and Ebuyer are backing The Tablet Academy’s series of STEM workshops for teachers and students across the UK (see page 22 for a closer look). This should increase the aptitude teachers and children have around computers and technology, which again, could mean more jobs and inspiring minds for the UK IT channel in the future.

Beyond education, IoT is set to change how we work and provide new growth opportunities overall, which could in turn help vendors, distributors and resellers grow in the near future. Cisco’s investment will focus on

helping IoT tech within the finance, retail and healthcare industries, as well as smart city development.

Then there’s the growth of Cisco itself in the UK, where it employs up to 7,000 staff. The company wants to expand further, doubling its Central London footprint with a new office before the end of 2015.

All of these investments are part of Cisco’s ‘country digitisation acceleration strategy’ which is focused on long-term partnerships with national leadership, industry and academia to ultimately grow GDP, create new jobs and invest in a sustainable ecosystem across public and private sectors.

Cisco’s investment in education is undoubtedly a good thing whether you’re a distributor, vendor, reseller or services company – and reaffirms the point that the IoT is coming. And it could change everything.

Building blocks: How can $1bn tech fund boost business – and schools?As Cisco pumps $1 billion into the UK economy with an education and skills initiative, and Ebuyer and Microsoft back a series of STEM workshops, Dominic Sacco explores how this could boost trade in the coming years…

Students at St Norbert’s Catholic Primary School get to grips with a construction and 3D engineering task using Lego and Linx tablets

“This investment from Cisco is great news for the UK’s digital economy and is a vote of confidence in our long term economic plan.”

David Cameron

WE WANT to know who you think should be a finalist for this year’s PCR Women of the Year event, taking place on Friday October 16th at Sway Bar in London.

Our aim is to shine the spotlight on some of the most inspirational and influential female execs in the PC and tech industry. And we aren’t just looking for MDs or CEOs either – we want to showcase the full range of roles within the business.

We are taking nominations in four categories: Rising Star (must be under 30), Marketing and PR, Sales and Woman of the Year, the latter of which looks to recognise an outstanding career, achievement, or contribution to the UK tech industry.

You can nominate a colleague, friend or mentor (or yourself) in any of the four

categories – the deadline is August 14th.

Once the nominations are in, we will publish the finalists, and a carefully put together panel will then choose the winners, with the trophies being presented on the day.

Tickets to the award ceremony and networking event are just £59 (plus VAT)

and this will include free drinks and nibbles, as well as the chance to network with other industry members.

Sponsorship opportunities are available – for more information contact [email protected]. To nominate, book tickets or find out more, visit www.pcrwomenoftheyear.com

ANALYSIS

Retailers defy PC slumpMAPLIN and Dixons Carphone posted positive financial results in July, despite analysts reporting worse than expected PC sales so far this year.

PC shipments in EMEA reached 18.6 million units in Q2 – a 15.7 per cent decline from Q2 2014 – and they’re expected to decline 9.5 per cent this year overall across the globe, says Gartner. This would be the steepest PC shipment decline in two years.

However, while Dixons Carphone admitted seeing a dip in tablet and desktop sales, it posted a 21 per cent increase in profit before tax to £381 million during its first year trading as a merged company, with statutory profit reaching £97 million. Maplin also had a strong year

financially. The retailer reported good annual sales growth with total sales up 6.3 per cent to £236 million – its strongest growth since 2008. It also saw annual internet sales growth of 20.6 per cent, with online sales now representing over 10 per cent of Maplin’s total sales.

It was mixed news on the distribution side. Consumer electronics distie Widget

posted its results to March 31st 2015, showing a 129 per cent increase in sales, as well as a rise in net profit.

However, trading at Exertis was behind budget and the prior year, its parent company DCC said in an interim management statement.

“As anticipated, the business in the UK continues to be impacted by the weak tablet market and by reduced

sales of mobile computing and smartphone products of one large supplier,” it said. “The UK business was also impacted by weaker demand and increased competition across a number of product sectors.”

Vendors, meanwhile, are still feeling the sales slump. Intel had a reasonable Q2 financial period, with operating income falling 25 per cent to $2.9 billion, but AMD posted another disappointing set of results, with Q2 revenue dropping 35 per cent year-on-year to $942 million, alongside an operating loss of $137 million.

It said this was primarily due to lower revenue and gross margin driven by lower sales to OEMs, attributable to a weak consumer PC market.

“Our aim is to shine the spotlight on some of the most influential female execs.”

News BytesTOSHIBA CAUGHT IN FINANCIAL SCANDALToshiba’s chief executive and president Hisao Tanaka is resigning from his post, following the news the firm overstated its profits.

An independent panel that was appointed by Toshiba said the firm had overstated its operating profit by 151.8 billion yen (£784.1 million).

FOOTFALL FALLS AS ONLINE SALES RISEUK retail footfall in June was 1.5 per cent lower than it was a year ago, so says the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard.

However, online sales of non-food products in the UK grew 17.6 per cent in June versus a year earlier.

LOGITECH REBRANDSLogitech has become the latest vendor to rebrand, following the likes of Lenovo and Corsair in recent months.

The firm describes this move – which will see its upcoming products launched under a new ‘Logi’ label – as the biggest brand transformation in its history.

PC SHOP FLOODED BY CANNABIS FARMIndie computer store Premier Computers has been flooded due to a cannabis factory above the store.

The Southend-based shop was hit by £12,000 worth of damages in July, due to a leakage from the private flat above the store. Owner Chris Loader said: “The fire brigade found quite a substantial cannabis factory up there.”

WINDOWS 10 ON USBMicrosoft has confirmed it will sell Windows 10 to customers on USB drives.

This news comes as etailer Amazon unveiled online product pages for Windows 10 Home. Plus, Microsoft launched five new ads to promote the launch of the OS, with the help of toddlers.

AMD UNVEILS BUDGET DESKTOP APUAMD has unveiled its latest line of A-Series desktop processors, with the addition of the A8-7670K APU.

The news comes after the first notebooks powered by AMD’s new 6th gen A-series processor (previously named Carrizo) entered the market.

www.pcr-online.biz PCR August 2015| 7

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Last chance to nominate your Women of the Year

2.5 million virtual reality devices are

expected to be sold this year, rising to 24

million in 2018. (CCS Insight)

2.5m

STATS


Number

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

15%Consumer interest in home automation devices has fallen to a level 15 per cent below where it was 12

months ago.(Argus Insights)

The number of hackers using aggressive attack methods like ransomware rose to 113 per cent last year.

(Norton by Symantec)

113%

The worldwide wearable market is expected to grow by 173 per

cent in unit sales this year. (IDC )

More than one in four companies in London’s tech sector employ no

women at board level. (Tech London Advocates)

173%1 in 4

Worldwide hybrid device shipments are set to rise to 70

per cent during 2015.(Gartner)

Sales of large format displays have increased in the UK, with vendor

shipments increasing year-on-year by 41.27 per cent in Q1 2015.

(Context)

2.4%

High Streets and shopping centres have reported a year-on-year decline in footfall in June, falling

2.4 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively.(British Retail Consortium and Springboard)

70%

41.27%

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RECRUITMENT


New faces at Tech DataFresh MD lined up for Maplin Northamber veteran joins Cloud Telephones AMD appoints new UK community manager…

TECH DATA: The distributor has made a number of changes to its workforce this month, with HELEN HARWOOD appointed as pricing and programme manager. In her role she will keep the company’s public sector pricing details up-to-date and available to resellers targeting the education, healthcare, local government sectors and more.

MARK WHITTLE has been named the company’s new Microsoft business manager. In his new role Whittle will be responsible for all aspects of Microsoft sales and supporting partners in driving their Microsoft revenues.

Tech Data has also announced the appointment

of MATT CHILD, who will take on the role of MD at Tech Data Mobile UK and Ireland. Child joins the company from his previous role as director of trading at Phones 4U.

In addition, HANNAH WEBB has also joined the firm as marketing manager for Tech Data Mobile, following her departure from distributor Westcoast. In her new post, Webb will be working with the mobile team to help promote its range of Windows, Android and iOS devices from its vendors.

Lastly EDDIE FOGG has been appointed as Apple category manager, where he will offer advice and business development support to resellers and retailers.

MAPLIN: The retailer’s current CEO JOHN CLELAND, has revealed he will step down from his role later this year, taking on a non-executive director position within the company.

Cleland will pass his MD role to OLIVER MEAKIN in September, who is currently the MD for Maplin Direct.

DARREN SHAPLAND, chairman at Maplin, said: “The combination of Oliver’s skills alongside the management team that John and Oliver have recruited, plus John’s continued involvement as a non-executive, should add both breadth and capability to the delivery of the next stage of the Maplin plan.”

CLOUD TELEPHONES: Former Northamber director HENRY MATTHEWS has come out of retirement to back VoIP company Cloud Telephones. Matthews worked at Northamber for 30 years and left the firm in 2012. He has since identified telephony as one of the big opportunities in the industry.

Matthews said: “I see a great opportunity – I call it the new world.”

PAUL GIBSON, sales director at Cloud Telephones, commented: “What he’s looking to do is grow our business and move it from being the business as it is to becoming a multi-million pound leading player.”

AMD: The chip maker has revealed that JOE COWELL will be joining its team as UK community manager. Within his new role, Cowell will be responsible for developing and implementing the company’s social activities and engagement in the UK.

Cowell previously worked at PR firm Text100 as PR

executive, where he worked with the likes of Skype, SanDisk and AMD.

Cowell said: “I’m really excited to be joining AMD during such an exciting time, helping to build the already great community it has.”

He has also worked at Zaboura with clients including Jawbone.

Helen Harwood (top) and Mark Whittle (bottom)

John Cleland (left) and Oliver Meakin (right)

Henry Matthews

Joe Cowell

LIZ UPTON, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS,RASPBERRY PI

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF…

MY HUSBAND Eben and I both work at Raspberry Pi, so we come in together on the days we’re both in the offi ce. We live outside Cambridge and have to use the A14 to get into town, so we usually plan on a 10am start to avoid traffi c.

There’s a Commodore 64 on my chair. It wasn’t there yesterday. Stuff like this turns up all the time; there’s an empty 1980s arcade cabinet which I’m getting an intern to modify into a Pi-powered games, video and internet station that we can use to entertain visitors to Pi Towers. We pay our interns the same as our junior engineers; we’ve got some really high-powered kids helping us out this year.

I’m a zero-inbox person; I don’t sleep well if there’s stuff that still needs processing. Overnight about 100 more emails have come in; I have to be really methodical to stay on top of emails. I’m sent press inquiries, support requests, a depressingly large number of begging letters and lots of really lovely stuff from people in the Raspberry Pi

community who want to give us suggestions, or to show us things they’ve built. The best projects end up on our blog, or in The MagPi, the offi cial Raspberry Pi magazine.

I’m a few minutes late for a Skype meeting with some of our editorial team and one of the young people we’re mentoring on the Raspberry Pi Creative Technologists program; we’ve recently set up a publishing arm of the organisation which I’m running alongside our digital comms, and we’re talking about one of the new books we’re working on.

I’ve half an eye on our Twitter account, which I run and I drop into the website comments and forums every hour or so to moderate. Another moderator has fl agged a post from a guy who is complaining that a long-standing commenter has called him a buttcrack in response to his long screed about how Raspberry Pi sucks. Helen Lynn, our social media editor, agrees with me, the guy is a buttcrack. We leave the comment up.

A very large zip fi le has arrived from Disney. I’ve got to judge the fi nal selection of video entries from US high school girls who have entered a competition we’re running in partnership with Disney and Marvel, based around the new Ant Man movie. This is really hard: there are some crazy-good entries.

It’s Friday, so we’ve got an all-hands meeting before the end of the day, then it’s time for us all to go to the pub and commandeer the garden tables.

“There’s a Commodore 64 on my chair. It wasn’t there yesterday. Stuff like this turns up all the time.”

Diary DatesSEPTEMBER 2015IFA SEPTEMBER 4TH – 9TH, BERLINThe annual trade show returns for another year, where attendees will get the chance to view some of the newest consumer electronics and home appliances. Taking place in Berlin, IFA attracts around 1,538 exhibitors every year and attendees from more than 100 countries, providing a meeting place for buyers, retailers and experts from the tech industry.

DREAMHACK LONDON 2015 SEPTEMBER 19TH – 20TH, LONDON Computing festival Dreamhack is making its way to London for the fi rst time this year, at the Copper Box venue. After attracting more than 104,000 visitors across its consumer events in 2014 and more than 15 million unique viewers via its live stream, London is the seventh country Dreamhack has expanded into. There will also be an expo where attendees can view products and solutions on show from various partners. Plus, there will be an eSports area, with teams battling for a cash prize.

OCTOBER 2015PCR WOMEN OF THE YEAR OCTOBER 16TH, LONDONPCR’s Women of the Year awards event returns, celebrating leading women within the IT and tech industry. Several execs will be recognised for their achievements in new award categories including Rising Star, Marketing and PR, Sales and Woman of the Year. Last year, Sarah Shields, Dell’s UK executive director and general manager, was named the fi rst ever PCR Woman of the Year.

NOVEMBER 2015PCR BOOT CAMP NORTHNOVEMBER 11TH, ROYAL ARMOURIES, LEEDS This year welcomes back PCR’s Boot Camp North event, where retailers and resellers are invited to join for free. Designed to cater for IT resellers in the Midlands, Scotland, Wales and the North, once again the event will take place at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. On the day, attendees will be able to sit in on the conference panel sessions and expert briefi ngs, and check out the latest products on show.

EVENT PLANNER

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

TOP: IFA in Germany is fast approaching, providing a key meeting place for the tech industry. ABOVE: Dreamhack makes its debut in London this year


ALTERNATIVE form factors were one of the main highlights for Wortmann’s PC brand Terra during the company’s first UK event. Taking place in Coventry’s iconic Transport Museum in July, resellers arrived to get a glimpse at the range of devices and gadgets on show.

The firm’s cloud services also proved to be a massive talking point throughout the day, with Terra holding its own breakout sessions, teaching resellers how to use the cloud service.

With hopes to crack the UK market, Terra kicked the day off with a variety of product demonstrations from its German team, looking at its mobile devices, PC and workstation products, as well as its storage, cloud and backup services.

One such device that stole the show was Terra’s ruggedised Pad 885, which can be dropped from up to one metre without gaining one graze or scratch. Terra’s UK MD Neil Jensen even went on to show a video of a rugby team putting the device to the test, where players stamped on the screen and literally played the sport with the device.

Other products on show during the day included Terra’s education

range, which featured the robust EDU Pad 1040, which has been designed for students, along with a range of all-in-ones (AIOs), tablets and desktops.

Intel’s UK channel sales manager Matt Birch also made an appearance on the day, where the Internet of Things (IoT) and Intel’s future wireless

connectivity plans were the hot topic of conversation.

The competition also heated up during the day, as resellers got the chance to try out their driving skills with a Formula One racing set, before ending the day with a raffle, where some attendees took home a whole host of goodies.

FIRST UK EVENT A SUCCESS FOR TERRA

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WITH increased competition for getting jobs at the most prestigious and disruptive companies, students are continuously looking to gain a new set of skills.

They are anticipated to drive the economy forward as the first generation of ‘digital natives’. Accustomed to using new technologies in their home life and studies, students are driving this change from within and have identified the importance of being taught the application of technology during their education – such as 3D printing.

Students are demanding a 3D printing curriculum, especially in subjects such as design, science and engineering. This expectation for the use of innovative technologies in the classroom has created a digital transformation of traditional school functions. Mastering this mix of new technology, increased data streams and changing skills for educators is a tough task for schools. There’s a lot at stake, too, because if change is not implemented quickly and correctly, schools can run the risk of becoming obsolete with students going elsewhere.

Luckily, schools are not alone on this journey. Resellers are perfectly positioned to understand the challenges faced by schools, colleges and universities, and guide them through their transformational phase. As a technology reseller or retailer familiar with the education market,

they can take a consultancy-led approach and build trusted relationships with schools to introduce new technology for better educational practices. They can do this by selling, implementing and servicing the latest solutions, both in hardware and software, which will help schools to better adapt to students’ changing needs.

A great example of this is Canon’s work with the St John Bosco College in London, which has a vision to become a school of the future, putting technology at the heart of its learning experience. St John Bosco is currently preparing its move to a new

building in September, which will help to kick-start the realisation of the college’s vision.

The new premises will include an Innovation Suite, which will provide students with access to modern technology, allowing them to carry out enterprise-like

projects. This will also equip them with valuable practical experience for their job after graduation.

Being able to offer such a service is only possible if the school’s back-office runs smoothly, too. St John Bosco uses Canon’s technology to digitise thousands of paper records, from HR documents and exam results, and manage them within the cloud. This makes it easier for staff to retrieve documents for legal compliance, analyse the school’s educational performance and adjust the learning experience where appropriate.

“Students are demanding a 3D printing curriculum.”

Michelle Nicholas,Canon

PROCUREMENT frameworks enable schools and other public sector buyers to purchase anything from tablets and PCs to services like banking and facilities management.

A framework is an agreement with suppliers outlining the terms and conditions on which specific purchases can be made throughout its duration. It’s a legally-compliant route to market, giving purchasers access to goods and services from approved suppliers, who have undergone vetting to ensure they offer best quality and value.

Frameworks are run by Professional Buying Organisations (PBOs), whose role is to buy goods and services or create frameworks, enabling the public sector to save time, money and valuable staff resources. Because PBOs’ frameworks are accessed by a huge number of public sector bodies and offer a vast selection of products and procurement categories, they deliver economies of scale and lower prices for buyers.

Private companies accepted on a framework will not only access this huge market opportunity, they will also open the door to long-term revenues, because frameworks can be in place for anything up to four years. Providers have also made their frameworks simpler to help suppliers. There is less paperwork required when submitting a tender, and e-tendering portals providing automatic notification of

opportunities for private sector suppliers. With SMEs in mind, suppliers only have to agree to meet certain standards such as insurance levels once they have been awarded a position on the framework, cutting down the administrative burden on smaller businesses.

PBOs also support their suppliers with technical advice and feedback on improvements for their future tendering activity. Some PBOs also run bidder days whereby interested suppliers can meet officers running the procurement and ask questions.

So why do schools use these frameworks? Well, if a school’s regular supplier can’t meet its

needs, or they’re spending more than the limits set by the EU, the school needs to run a tender and EU and UK law requires the school to ensure a fair and transparent procurement process. When they use a framework, however, the school’s buyer

doesn’t have to run their own tender – they can buy things as a quick ‘call off’ transaction – because the framework provides a pre-agreed EU-compliant way to do it.

Frameworks aren’t just for big IT companies. Supplier size is irrelevant since the PBO assesses all suppliers and ensures that they meet minimum standards before accepting them onto its framework.

Schools could be looking for safer ways to buy IT supplies in 2015 – and to tighten up EU compliance when they do.

“Companies accepted on a framework will also open the door to long-term revenue.”

Rowena Thomas, ESPO

Michelle Nicholas is European customer marketing manager at Canon.www.canon.co.uk

Rowena Thomas is head of the education category at public sector purchasing organisation ESPO. www.espo.org

Michelle Nicholas, European customer marketing manager at Canon, says schools and teachers must adapt to the digital revolution or risk becoming obsolete…

Selling to schools direct can be a challenge, but public sector frameworks offer IT providers a strong alternative revenue opportunity, says Rowena Thomas, head of education at ESPO…

Schools facetough tech task

OPINION

Frameworks keyto sales growth


OPINION

www.pcr-online.biz PCR August 2015 | 17

STONE GROUP’S roots are entrenched in the education sector, it’s been our lifeblood for the past 25 years. Obviously, the education system is governed by umbrella regulations and standards, including Ofsted, just as other businesses are. However, in our experience, that’s where the similarities usually end. It’s knowing and understanding the subtle differences in attitude and requirement that makes working with the sector so rewarding for our team.

We all know that the education sector is being squeezed for budget. We believe that understanding the extreme stress this can cause teachers and support staff is key, so we don’t push for the right solution to be new, expensive and urgent. We work with them to see what can be done with their existing kit. Can we refurbish it or augment it in the short-term to keep the classroom online, and then look at a more comprehensive solution later? Can we help them establish the ‘one thing’ that will make the biggest difference (such as moving to the cloud, or new Wi-Fi)?

Schools are inspired by other schools – it’s common practice to source a school which has achieved what you would like in terms of ICT, and learn from it. The education sector is happy to share. We support this as part of our consultation process, letting our customers speak to each other and see how we helped.

Particularly in primary education, but increasingly in other areas, the

procurers of IT may not have much technology training, or even much inclination to rely on technology. The right provider should take on that role for them, lead with enthusiasm and understanding and pitch at their level. Speeds and feeds are not the way to elicit excitement in education.

Stone Group has its own recycling plant at our headquarters and we offer our customers a recycling service. Schools, colleges and universities retain large amounts of obsolete equipment. We gently encourage a positive technology cycle and help the education industry comply with the EU data laws. There

are damaging and depressing ways that IT equipment can have serious long-term effects if not disposed of properly, and a school’s own recycling policy is an excellent way to demonstrate to its pupils that it can be done safely with no negative impact on developing countries.

As a multi-product and service vendor with over 4,000 school customers, we get some very specific requests. One may want to purchase 500 tablets from one specific make. One may want to replace their backup facility with the same solution.

We consider it our job to gently challenge such purchasing decisions, especially if, after consultation on the outcomes they’re trying to achieve, we believe there’s a better way forward. We’re not afraid to do this so that the technology empowers both staff and pupils to succeed consistently.

“The right provider should lead with enthusiasm and understanding.”

Steve Norman, Stone Group

IN AN industry that is defined as much by tight margins as fierce competition, it can sometimes feel like a slog trying to increase profit. One of the tricks lies in spotting the right opportunity rather than being swept along by vendor clout. For astute and independent resellers, the opportunities are clearly there during the back to school period.

Today’s kids are the true digital generation. When they’re born they are probably no more than a few feet away from a smartphone and are often armed with tablets no later than the age of five. Most primary schools today also have a strong tech focus, all of which means going digital becomes second nature at a very early age. At this time of life kids also become susceptible to peer pressure. Nothing will get a child more eager to start socialising online than if their friends are doing it.

Parental anxiety over stranger danger and what the kids are up to has also transferred to the online realm. Of course there’s the danger of malware lurking on websites, pop-up ads and in emails, but parental concern tends to also focus on social media sites and especially cyber bullying.

This is a good starting point for resellers to engage with parents about the compelling need for good security software. Bullying online, for instance, is a real danger.

When they’re younger, this can be through networks like Club Penguin

and Moshi Monsters. But as children grow and move onto more ‘mature’ social networks like Facebook, online bullying can be disturbing, damaging and just plain nasty.

It’s worth pointing out helpful websites such as Get Safe Online to parents, which does a sterling job of outlining the dangers as well as offering further contacts such as The Internet Watch Foundation.

Plus, BullGuard has prepared the free downloadable document ‘A Parents’ Guide to Protecting Children Online’, which details key concerns from a survey of 2,000 UK parents and includes tips and advice on keeping children safe online.

Printed copies are available on request.

This can set you up to talk about what parents should be looking for in good security software. In terms of malware, behavioural-based virus detection is an absolute must as it identifies and stops new forms of malware

before they become common knowledge. This will stop kids inadvertently infecting their devices.

Also, BullGuard’s social media protection provides parents with an online dashboard so they can keep a discreet eye on the children. It notices who is ‘friending’ who, enabling a parent to spot potential abusers or suspicious characters. It also monitors accounts rather than a single PC. Parents should be made aware of such products; for resellers it’s a great opportunity to boost sales during a key selling period.

“Parental anxiety over stranger danger has transferred to the online realm.

Steve Hicks, BullGuard

Steve Norman is commercial director at Stone Group.www.stonegroup.co.uk

Steve Hicks is BullGuard’s head of global sales.www.bullguard.com

With the education sector’s budget being squeezed, it’s important for those who sell to schools to understand how they differ from other businesses. Steve Norman, commercial director at Stone Group, explains…

BullGuard’s head of global sales,Steve Hicks, discusses the opportunities around selling security software to parents during the lucrative back to school period…

Schools vs SMBs: What to consider

Security software selling tips

BACK TO SCHOOL


IT’S THAT time of the year again, the back-to-school season is upon us and

teachers and schools are starting to look for more exciting pieces of tech and software to help enrich their students’ time in lessons.

The market is rife with all sorts of gadgetry and services to sell, making it a key selling period that shouldn’t be ignored. Schools are looking to expand their tech offering, while tablets are becoming commonplace in many lessons, with 71 per cent of primary and 76 per cent of secondary schools in the UK making use of tablets in the classroom, according to the educational suppliers trade body BESA.

With various schools also incorporating gaming, the use of 3D printers, coding and engineering, schools are taking new tech seriously. Jon Silvera, founder and MD of Fuze Technologies, tells PCR: “I certainly would not be surprised to see the curriculum changing even further in the next coming years and for programming to become even more high profile.”

There are plenty of product and service categories for resellers to tap into, from Wi-Fi to cloud storage and many more.

With the back-to-school season returning, now is the time to consider supplying different products and services to schools, students and parents. Here Jade Burke looks at the key areas retailers and resellers should be tapping into…

How to sell I

“I would not be surprised to see the curriculum changing even further.”

John Silvera, Fuze Technologies

HARDWARE

SOFTWARE

PHYSICAL devices are still one of the main fi xtures across classrooms today, from the traditional tower to the modern tablet, making hardware one of the most important areas to invest in.

Now schools are also using more interactive whiteboards to create interest in lessons, which is proving to be a successful form of teaching with kids.

Danny Boylan, public sector manager at BT Business, says: “Schools need technology to support learning in a specifi c subject area and for me the use of interactive whiteboards can really help support this.

“Different schools have different levels of funding but we are seeing more and more schools embrace this technology which ultimately makes learning more fun for the students and the teachers.”

Similarly, John Marsh, director of audio and lighting company Avonics, believes that immersive solutions are on the up: “The majority of enquiries for interactive and immersive solutions tends to come from

recommendation, that being said they are few and far between.”

But in addition to these devices, peripherals are also a great add-on to offer schools, from mice and keyboards to cabling, while of course monitors are key. 3D printers and robot arms also offer schools more exciting hardware.

GIVING KIDS access to software to create their own website or produce videos is more relvant these days, with more and more children showing an understating of a range of in-depth programs.

Currently there is an abundance of software programs out there, from Offi ce 365 to communication software ParentMail, which can all be sold directly to schools. John Marsh, director of Avonics, believes that word of mouth is the best selling tool any retailer can use: “Word of mouth recommendations are an extremely strong marketing tool and this should be priority.

“The only tip is to do a good job and as a result word gets around. Schools talk to each other and tend to fi nd out if another school has something that they think they should have.”

And let’s not forget the importance of security software, as keeping children safe online is more critical than ever these days, with more malware and security hacks happening on a constant basis.

With software available from a range of vendors, there are also alternative security protections resellers can offer schools, from mobile security to identity protection, to help ensure schools are covered no matter what the issue is.

“Schools need tech to support learning.”

Danny Boylan,BT Business

BACK TO SCHOOL


T to schools NETWORKING

KEEPING A school connected is a crucial part of ensuring lessons continue to take place during the school day. This opens up a wide range of devices and services that can be sold, from the likes of routers to actual repair and maintenance services.

By offering networking products, resellers can also offer set-up and installation services as a bundle option for schools, which will help to create a trusted relationship and no doubt entice them back to you when they look for other products and services.

Ebuyer’s head of B2B sales, Phil Bates, explains: “The applications for technology in schools is different to the rest of the market, so listening to the customer can stop them investing in the wrong hardware and save them money in the long term, and often in the short term as well.”

However, not every school has the budget to splash out on such maintenance services, and

many carry out the work in-house, so it is worth considering offering the service as an add-on once a school has purchased a device from you.

Richard Wells, national schools and LGEM+ sales manager from reseller Danwood, adds: ”As

schools move towards the classroom of the future, it’s critical to consider how to reduce costs, increase effi ciency and modernise processes as well.”

In addition, resellers can also team up with companies such as the Tablet Academy who Ebuyer has partnered with, which can provide pre-purchase advice, to help schools choose the correct devices and train teachers to use the tech.

WITH SO many pieces of equipment, from textbooks, computers, schooling DVDs to even calculators, keeping track of it all can be diffi cult. Asset tracking allows schools to keep a record of what they have, where it is, who actually has it, what it is worth and whether it is being looked after.

By offering such a service you can offer piece of mind

for schools, which also helps to keep the lessons in order, for example when a teacher is trying to track down a pupil’s PE kit.

Ben Booth-Jones, channel account manager at Wasp Barcode Technologies, explains: “By simply assigning a unique number and base location to an asset you can then track it easily using either our

dedicated mobile computer hardware, or our apps.

“Major benefi ts include email reminders for PAT testing or routine maintenance, fast and accurate audit process, one click reporting, fund/budget tracking and depreciation, as well as a checkout feature with email reminders for return dates.”

This will also give teachers the opportunity to share laptops and tablets with students, and to track where they are and how many are being used during the day at school.

AFTER A new computing curriculum launched last year, putting a bigger emphasis on coding in schools, there has been an uptake on coding in many lessons. For example, the new curriculum states that it wants to ‘ensure that all pupils can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science’.

Thanks to this new curriculum, teachers need access to a range of new devices to ensure kids can pick up the skills to code –and there are plenty to choose from.

Jon Silvera, founder and MD of Fuze Technologies, says: “Programming is no longer a career choice for the geeks as it is behind the scenes of just about every

interest area available, from games to music and the army to fashion – there are programming roles available in every subject.”

He also points out how benefi cial it is for resellers to work with local schools, since both are local businesses looking to support one

another. He adds: “There is a clear gap in the market which is where we sit with the FUZE programming device. The FUZE specifi cally targets the ground between simple coding environments like Scratch and the more complex ones like Python and Java.”

INVENTORY TRACKING

CODING

“Major benefi ts include email reminders.”

Ben Booth-Jones,Wasp

“It’s critical to consider how to reduce costs.”

Richard Wells,Danwood

BACK TO SCHOOL


NO DOUBT schools get through an abundance of paper on a daily basis, with students printing essays and coursework for their lessons. With some schools having more than 1,000 students, it can be diffi cult to keep track of the inventory, making managed print services an ideal solution to offer.

This in turn will create a regular source of income for resellers, with schools paying a monthly fee for the service rather than a one-off price. For example, Stone Group’s Steve Norman, previously told PCR: “A good managed

service in education should make sense to the school because it makes a difference to lessons, makes education more effective and school no less of a secure environment to work and study in.”

In addition, resellers can offer a free trial to help entice schools and allow them to get to grips with the service, which could help lead to a sale.

However, Richard Wells, national schools and LGEM+ sales manager from Danwood believes it is critical to understand the school

environment that you are selling to: “In the case of print and document management, for example, this means a solution that will integrate with existing

software and systems, provide necessary security, with the on-going support that schools need to make sure their solutions remain effi cient and cost effective.”

SCHOOLS ARE no doubt used to having the trusty tower for IT services, but there are now a whole host of different form factors out

there, from mini PCs and tablets to PCs on a stick.

Kids are familiar with devices such as tablets already, having been

brought up in the era of such tech, which means schools can consider taking on smaller form factors. For example, Eben Upton,

founder and CEO of Raspberry Pi, says: “Small form factor PCs benefi t schools primarily through cost savings. Some platforms, like Raspberry Pi, bring other advantages to the table, including the ability to interface directly with external hardware and a level of portability, allowing a student to move machines between home and school.”

In addition, notebooks and tablets are likely to feature heavily in the classroom of the future alongside the likes of virtual reality devices and educational games, while more interactive learning will become commonplace as more and more kids become tech savvy.

“As we discover more about how children learn, beyond kinaesthetic, or visual understanding, there will undoubtedly be more of a focus on tailoring lessons to each child’s abilities. This

may mean a move away from the traditional forms of teaching, towards more interactive methods like using tablets and games,” concludes John Marsh, director of Avonics.

MANAGED PRINT SERVICES

THE CLOUD is still a relatively new area for schools, but some are starting to see the benefi ts of these types of services. By offering cloud storage, each school’s programs can be stored and deployed across various connected computers, while software and data can be stored in servers.

Thus, this will allow schools to spread out their costs through subscriptions, rather then replenishing stock on a constant basis.

Plus, the use of cloud storage allows students to take their work home with them, whilst also being able to access materials from teachers via a virtual learning environment.

“With collaborative tools such as Microsoft One Note and Yammer using cloud based services such as One Drive, the students can work as teams both at school and at home,” adds Phil Bates, Ebuyer’s head of B2B sales.

“Once the device becomes personal and doesn’t stay at

a school inside a cabinet,the opportunities for learning increase exponentially and the school environment mimics the work environment much more closely.”

By offering cloud storage, there are also opportunities to teach schools how to utilise these services and make the most of them, which can also lead to further revenue prospects in the future, for example by holding tuition lessons.

CLOUD STORAGE

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“Small PCs benefi t schools through savings.”

Eben Upton, Raspberry Pi

“It’s effi cient and cost effective.”

Richard Wells,Danwood

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What do teachers want from tech?

BACK TO SCHOOL

THE SCHOOL gym is abuzz with activity as children work on a

variety of tech-based tasks. One group is using a PC to

move a robot arm, while another is building a bridge from Lego to create a stop motion animation. Others are programming with Microsoft Linx tablets to form 2D shapes accurately using angles, move a character around a 3D puzzle room and more.

At the far end of the room there’s a mock crime scene complete with police tape, a pretend bullet hole and an outline of a body drawn in chalk, with children able to take evidence from QR codes and analyse data on tablets.

It’s the work of the Tablet Academy, a group of current and former teachers who visit schools in the UK and six other countries to help them use technology in lessons – with Ebuyer and Microsoft backing the workshops.

Louise Yarnell, headteacher at St Norbert’s Catholic Primary School, tells PCR: “We’re trying to make learning as fun and practical as possible for our children. We’re giving them the opportunity to have that curiosity of real life opportunities and investigations with time to solve problems and be critical in their thinking. And they can apply this to life positions in engineering, in computing, and in mathematical terms – the skills they’re developing actually have a place in the world.”

While the new curriculum came into play last year with a focus on computer coding and engineering, with St Norbert’s adapting well to the changes, Tablet Academy MD Mark Yorke says not all teachers across the UK are comfortable with new tech.

“The biggest gap in the industry at the moment is a lot of schools are investing in IT, but they haven’t invested

in CPD (Continuing Professional Development) training for their staff,” he adds. “So new technologies are introduced into lessons like tablets, but teachers are just using them for browsing the web because they haven’t been given training in how to utilise them in a different way such as Augmented Reality (AR) or QR codes.”

So why are the likes of Ebuyer and Microsoft getting involved with all of this, providing sponsorship and Linx tablets? “It’s about getting the school to realise the potential of having technology,’” explains Ebuyer’s head of business sales Phil Bates. “If we can educate the school on what the benefit is and how cheaply they can get the equipment… that’s where Microsoft comes in.

“Schools budget for iPads, then realise that actually they can have three or four times as much kit for the same price, if they go down the Microsoft route. The IT manager can look after Linx tablets

remotely, whereas iPads aren’t suitable for schools.

“We try to show teachers what’s available so they can make the right choice. It’s about us engaging closer with our customers and understanding what they need, rather than just selling them cheap kit.”

Ebuyer has a solutions team that sells to some 3,000 schools directly, and the etailer estimates around 55 to 70 per cent of its business comes from B2B sales. Its sponsorship of the Tablet Academy program is for about half a year, covering a host of workshops in different schools and costing around £70,000 (which Ebuyer says comes from different sources, including Microsoft). Bates

says it’s part of a long-term plan: “It’s a trust thing, it’s a brand-building thing, it’s a respect thing in the industry – that’s why we’re doing it.”

As well as this workshop, St Norbert’s school is also starting a ‘Digital Leaders’ initiative next year, which lets year five and six pupils train to become a digital leader, before leading clubs and passing on information to other classes and schools. It’s a reminder that this entire tech push is for the benefit of children’s education.

IT subject leader India Whyles explains: “With today’s workshop, the children are experiencing using technology in different ways. Children are the digital natives of the world – they aren’t afraid to have a go. It’s easy for adults to think: ‘Well, they need to know this. We’ve got targets and the curriculum to follow.’ But sometimes children are the creative light behind it and having that inspirational leadership from children is really important.”

Ebuyer and Microsoft are investing in a series of workshops designed to help students and teachers use technology in lessons. Dominic Sacco visits St Norbert’s Catholic Primary School in Lincolnshire to see the lessons in action…

“Children are the digital natives of the world – they aren’t afraid to have a go.”

India Whyles,St Norbert’s Catholic

Primary School


From left to right: Ebuyer’s Phil Bates, St Norbert’s Louise Yarnell and India Whyles, and the Tablet Academy’s Mark Yorke

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Playground gamesBACK TO SCHOOL

Computer games have often been misassociated with

violence and lazy behaviour, but now some schools are starting to integrate games into their lessons to encourage learning in school.

For example, one such game that is now a fixture in some schools is the sandbox construction game Minecraft, owned by Microsoft, which sees players break and place blocks. As part of a tech project in Northern Ireland, the game will also be made available to every post-primary school, to help inspire creative writing and engross pupils in city planning.

A Microsoft spokesperson tells PCR: “One of the key things we’re hearing from teachers and seeing in the industry is how effective it is when young people learn through having fun. That can happen in a variety of different ways, including through gaming, from the youngest to the more advanced students.”

For some kids, writing and spelling can be quite a chore, while others may struggle concentrating on topics in schools. English teacher Simon Baddeley from the Freeston Academy school, says Minecraft can combat this.

He says: “My job as an English teacher is to find a way to motivate my learners so that they are willing to disregard the work feeling and want to write something.

“I need to significantly camouflage the learning so that the ‘work’ is hidden and doesn’t feel like a chore.”

While games such as Minecraft have made their way into schools, Skoolbo is a learning company that has developed an educational game to aid reading and maths in schools. This lets

students create an avatar in a 3D world.

Having launched in September 2014, Skoolbo is free for schools, teachers, parents and children to use, and it’s now in over 4,700 schools across the UK.

“Children love games and learn best when they’re happy and engaged,” adds Colin Brown, chief operating officer at Skoolbo.

“Games in schools provide the opportunity to embed key literacy and numeracy skills in a fun and efficient way, freeing teachers to focus on the application of skills and higher order thinking with their students.”

But will the introduction of games replace the idea of traditional schoolwork, taking away the formal environment most children are used to, or will it continue to assist with children’s learning?

Shane Hill, founder of Skoolbo, believes it will

undoubtedly benefit schools: “The opportunities the technology opens up are just astounding, and in terms of learning, it can be of tremendous assistance.

“You’ll never replace school, of course you won’t, but you can enhance what they do and keep children motivated and ensure they don’t slip between the cracks,” explains Hill.

Similarly, some schools are also looking to gamify the process of learning, using technology and new ways to help increase a student’s interest in a subject they may not find as exciting as others. This process of gamification is picking up and is something that Baddeley thinks more schools should take on.

He explains: “Above all, gamers are free to ‘fail’. By failing they learn, they research and they grow. If a gamer can’t proceed, they experiment, they search for

answers, they ask peers for advice and they act on what they find. Isn’t this what we want from our learners?”

But what about wearables and virtual reality sets, could these eventually find a place in schools now that gaming is increasing?

It seems possible since big vendors such as Microsoft are dabbling in the virtual reality sector with its up and coming HoloLens.

Students may be able to work within a 3D world using games such as Minecraft on tablets, rather than working from a traditional monitor screen, which could open up many more opportunities for learning in lessons.

Baddeley explains: “Hololens was unveiled and showcased by the Mojang team at the E3 trade show recently and represents a massive innovation in the possibilities of using Minecraft in education.

“For me the absolute dream team of technology in the classroom would be for every student to use a Surface Pro 3 tablet with MinecraftEdu running on each one and using OneNote as a collaboration tool.”

Now that some games are no longer banned from schools, but are being pushed to promote learning and boost confidence in lessons, it seems there is no end to the benefits of the likes of Skoolbo and Minecraft.

“A game such as Minecraft is particularly powerful as it encourages students of all abilities to take control of their own challenges, work together and persevere to achieve specific, and often amazing goals, and to continue their learning beyond the classroom,” the Microsoft spokesperson comments.

Years ago the only place you’d have found a video game in a school would’ve been the teacher’s confiscation drawer. But now Minecraft has made its way into lessons, so are teachers starting to see any benefits? Jade Burke finds out…

“Children love games and learn best when they’re happy and engaged.”

Colin Brown,Skoolbo

Games including Minecraft and Skoolbo are now available in many schools


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THE BIG INTERVIEW


It’s been a year and a half since you joined Northamber as director

of strategy. How do you feel it’s gone since then? It’s been really good. Northamber has a strong brand in the market – it’s been great doing a lot more events and working more closely with people like PCR than we have done historically. Doing PCR Boot Camp North last year and Boot Camp this year, it’s been good to go out and see customers, and talk to people we know from before about what we’re doing differently. We have a great team with some great partners.

What changes have you made and are continuingto make?We’re more flexible and we like being flexible. By and large we have to be flexible to move with the times. There’s a lot of really positive things happening at Northamber and have happened in the last year and a half that we’re really proud to shout about. We’ve won several industry awards so it’s great to get some recognition. We’ve also had some pretty huge signings in terms of vendors like Samsung, which is great, but we’re still growing with partners like 3M, so it’s a good balance of working with our long-term partners and newer ones.

Last year you told us you wanted to turn things around at Northamber. It’s encouraging to see an overall 18.1 per cent sales increase to £35.7 million during the second half of 2014, as well as a pre-tax loss of £292,000 during the period – less than half of the £690,000 loss Northamber made during the same period last year.

Alex Phillips joined Northamber in December 2013

Northamber made a smaller loss during 2014 as it transitions from a traditional broadliner to ‘value-add narrowlining’ – working with fewer brands. The distie says it’s now more fl exible and is signing new deals with the likes of Samsung. Dominic Sacco catches up with the fi rm’s director of strategy Alex Phillips to fi nd out more…

On the straight

THE BIG INTERVIEW


So there are signs of progress – are you on track?I can’t comment on the most recent six months yet, but for the six months you mentioned, the reasons why we’ve seen strong growth is we’ve got a clear message in terms of what we’re offering to the market, we’re engaging more with partners, both channel and media partners like yourselves. We’re doing things like our own Tech Expo trade show and we’re doing that again this year. We’ve recruited more BDMs (business development managers) and field sales people. We’re building on our relationships to make sure we have a single vision and drive forwards.

How has your ‘narrow-line’ approach been received, which has seen you partner with fewer vendors than before, but across a variety of categories?It’s been really strong. I think resellers like the fact they can call us and know we understand the products. If we’re listing the brand, then they can call us and have the same quality of discussion they would expect to have with the manufacturer – something other disties with a diluted focus can’t offer.

But because we still have the multiple categories, we can offer a joined up solution to resellers, and help them avoid multiple delivery and admin charges. It takes time for a reseller to deal with multiple distibutors because they’ve got to go across and set up credit lines, figure out payables and figure out where their goods are. With us they can come to us and have the in-depth knowledge of a specialist but the breadth and one place to go, with real-time order tracking.

What other changes are you making to the business

compared to how it was two years ago? It’s been around building on our strengths, so looking at the categories we’re strong in, and making sure we’re putting the right people and the right brands in them. So things like TFT monitors, we’ve been strong in that for the past couple of decades, but now we’re looking at what’s the right product.

So, yes there is the commodity low end product which still moves boxes in terms of volume, but if you look at it, the TFT market is growing because more people are paying for added features. We’re looking at how we can work with more brands to fill out the portfolio; in TFT we have a great range from Acer, Viewsonic and Samsung that allows us to offer a complete solution for all price points with all the features.

Are there any other new product categories you’re looking at?We’ve seen a lot of success with AV products over the last couple of months. At PCR Boot Camp we were the only distie who were showing curved monitors, but also we’re the only IT distie with Yamaha. So we’re looking at how we can build other AV decisions around that. We’ve also signed with InFocus over the past 12 months, which is a leading projector brand. As we look to work very closely with schools, we’re constantly making sure our AV portfolio is in line with that.

Talking of schools, the back to school period is upon us, followed by Black Friday in November and then peak. How important are these sales periods to you?I think there are certain traditional sales cycles, so things like public sector budget burn, which didn’t

happen as much this year as it previously has, and has broken some of the cyclicality. But Black Friday is definitely a huge event now that we see across our retail partners.

In the education space, I think there’s still that seasonality to a degree, but it needs to be when the kids are out of school to go and do the installs. There will always be that element of seasonality for the bigger deals, but things that are easy to install can be more flexible.

Some reports suggest wearables are going to be big in the B2B space. What do you think?We like to focus on the end user experience and really understand that. Buzzwords are great but what does it mean in terms of the end user? Why would they want to use it? I think wearables are great and have done well, but it comes down to what’s the end user experience. If we could find the product that has the right end user experience, add value and in B2B make their job easier to do or make their life easier, then by all means we’ll jump on that, but we don’t want to just jump on it without understanding where the market is.

Desktop and tablet sales are down, with the market turning to all-in-ones and laptops. What are your thoughts on the state of the hardware market?There is a little uncertainty with Windows 10 coming out. With that and the refresh cycle, I think there probably is an impact. Saying that, there are still certain verticals that will always take a desktop and laptop, so it’s been a blend.

Some distributors have been frustrated about the lack of an opportunity to

sell a Windows 10 licence, as it’s a free upgrade for many users. Have you?Well, in the industry we always want to make sure everyone has a chance to capitalise on sales opportunities and help support the channel in doing it. But it is what it is.

Former Northamber director Henry Matthews recently criticised traditional tech distribution, saying that broadliners aren’t nimble enough in today’s market. What’s your reaction to this?I think if you look at where we’ve gone with our narrow-line approach, we agree with that sentiment [that broadline distribution may not be as nimble]. I wouldn’t phrase it quite the way he did, but we agree that with the more value-add categories, you need people in place to focus on them. And that’s where we’ve seen so much recent success – having the right people focusing on where you can add value.

But I think the distribution market is evolving. If you look at a lot of the distributors, there’s a move towards value-add. I think we’re uniquely placed as we’re offering a breadth of reseller, but are able to have the right size so we can focus on growing.

What’s next for Northamber?We’ve got some aggressive targets for next year and we’re pretty confident. We’re looking at other categories we can go in and we can use our strength in terms of customer base, logistics and availability of sales people. Things like AV and security are all areas we’re looking at and are excited about, whereas with traditional things there are always opportunities to add value.

“If we’re selling a brand, the reseller can call us and have the same quality of discussion they would expect to have with the manufacturer – something other disties with a diluted focus can’t offer.”

Alex Phillips,Northamber

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Back in blackFEATURE

B lack Friday is gradually becoming a well-known day for most retailers,

and has started to become one of the largest events for knockdown goods and deals.

The annual date has been a part of the US for years, having begun in the 60s as a post-Thanksgiving shopping day. But now the sales day, which falls on November 27th this year, is becoming a massive annual event for retailers, distributors and vendors across the UK.

Last year many retailers reported soaring sales, with Ebuyer.com receiving an order every second, while John Lewis sold a tablet every second. Now retailers are preparing even earlier to ensure they can provide customers with the goods they are after.

Stuart Carlisle, MD of Ebuyer.com, previously told PCR: “We’ve invested a lot of cash on infrastructure and it’s definitely paid off. We’re prepared for the next three to five years and we’ve got a lot more to come as well.

“I’m really proud of the guys – it was something we’d geared up for this year and we knew we were on for a good Christmas.”

The UK market is also beginning to take Black Friday much more seriously as more retailers and distributors are starting to see the benefits of offering discounted products. “It’s so successful for these retailers, and I think what you’ll find now is a greater emphasis on that period, as there’s a lot to get right. It requires a lot of planning and resource,” says Adam Gay, retail director at Tech Data.

In addition, distributor Caseking also welcomes Black Friday, as senior account manager Lee Williamson,

explains: “The main benefits of Black Friday for Caseking is that we can push new key lines that have arrived in the market, to gain more visibility to help our resellers promote and offer special offers.”

Other tech firms are also looking to pull customers in over the course of the year, rather than just on Black Friday. Alex Ebeid, Lenovo’s UK and Ireland consumer director, adds: “The real thing for the industry to is to really ensure that it’s not just pulling forward or changing the shape of when people purchase through discounting, and making sure

over the year we’re all giving our customers the better experiences for the year, not just on the discounted products, and giving them a reason to buy outside of those as well.”

Lenovo is also ensuring it works closely with retailers, so that they are well stocked up before the promotional period hits.

Even though the sales day did bring a lot of custom to the tech industry, there were some drawbacks. As Black Friday kicked off in November retailers saw a hike in sales, but soon enough they saw a dip as consumers tightened

their belts for the upcoming Christmas season and started buying later as a result. “If you look at last year, Black Friday probably had a big percentage of strong sales in November, then there was a four or five-week lull, then leading up to Christmas it kicked off again,” says Gay.

“Our role within that whole piece is also about understanding the pressures around it such as deliveries – courier networks not being able to manage the demand and so on. It’s about trying to streamline that process and make it as smooth as possible during the period.”

Companies are now also trying to ensure that they do not pull forward demand for just one day of the year, which could be detrimental to the last weeks leading up to Christmas and the New Year. “I think that’s the challenge for the market and for manufacturers and for retailers, how do we help stimulate the market outside of those promotional peaks, be it through other promotions or trade-ins, having to find a way of keeping demand over a length of time rather than just one week,” adds Ebeid.

While retailers may have seen a dip in sales after Black Friday, others like Tesco witnessed a mad rush of shoppers during the sales day, where consumers were caught fighting on video trying to get hold of Blaukpunkt TVs.

With any new promotional period there will of course be teething problems, but now that retailers have seen just how popular Black Friday has become, and the potential it has to grow even further, this year they should be much more prepared for the excitement that will follow.

Following the frenzy that many witnessed during last year’s Black Friday sales day where some customers brawled over goods, Jade Burke looks at how it’s shaping up this year and why the UK market is taking it more seriously…

“We’re prepared for the next three to five years and we’ve got a lot more to come.”

Stuart Carlisle,Ebuyer.com

Last year John Lewis sold a tablet every minute during Black Friday


The death of the telephone

INTERVIEW

Henry you’ve just joined the firm as chairman and have

invested a ‘significant’ sum into Cloud Telephones. What’s your vision?Henry Matthews: I see a great opportunity – I call it the new world. Technology is changing. Things are changing from analogue to digital. Five years ago we didn’t have smartphones on this scale – look at where we are today.

It’s no different with what’s happening with telephony. That is going to change dramatically; your life will change with telephony in the next four to five years. If you think about it, you used to have the old dial-up telephone, and then digital, now it’s voice over IP technology, which is more cost-effective.John Carter: All the companies that are selling traditional phone systems are making a fortune out of traditional pence per minute calls. But we reckon it could save companies 30 to 40 per cent just by switching to hosted VoIP. All you need is a telephone line or fibre coming to the premises.

Why did telecoms provider DMSL create the Cloud Telephones brand, and why should IT resellers care about the shifting telephony sector?John Carter: DMSL has been a BT partner for 14 years now. About three or four years ago, partners were saying: “Yeah we like this but we want to add telephony onto it.” But with BT you couldn’t. So we said we needed to do this under a different brand: Cloud Telephones. We’ve run that for about two years and it’s been growing and growing. The IT resellers are now moving over into this ‘plug

your phone into your server’ type approach, due to a lack of profit from a PC and a screen. It’s become more of a service model.

Tell us more about this business model – what kind of margins can resellers expect to make?Paul Gibson: It’s a monthly rental model. An end user business would pay anything from £12 to £15 per seat for hosted voice over IP (VoIP), and for that you get a full enterprise switchboard with all the facilities.

From a reseller point of view, what you get is a recurring income for the life of the customer. Don’t worry about billing it, sourcing the supplies or all the technology. We’ll do that – we’re a virtual distributor.

In terms of margins, we do a 50/50 split. If a product costs £200 and the reseller sells it for £400, there’s £200 worth of margin which we split 50/50, so there’s £100 for the

reseller and £100 for us. If you look at margins on hardware – two, three, four or five per cent – and compare it to this… for example, say you’re earning £1,000 per commission per month on recurring services, that’s £12,000 worth of contracted income coming in each year. There is really good pound note margin opportunity.

When will we get to the point where a business or home doesn’t have a traditional phone line?Paul Gibson: The tipping point is expected to be 2018, when the sales of IP telephony will outsell traditional phone systems. And by 2025, BT has forecast it will withdraw and no longer supply ISDN lines. It will just be fibre and through IP or through Wi-Fi.

Telephone numbers will go. So if you’re a business buying a telephone system now, the forecast end of life is only ten years away. And this is the

great opportunity for IT resellers to take the message to their customers: Why would you buy an outdated phone system? It’s like buying a black and white TV when you know colour TVs are also around.

What if I’m a business and want to use voice over IP but keep my existing landline number?Paul Gibson: You can attach a number. For example, I can twin my phone so I get office calls put through to my mobile. So now, anywhere in the world where I’ve got 3G, 4G or preferably Wi-Fi, I can actually make an office call through my office switchboard from my mobile and it’s not going to cost me. Also, if a small business based elsewhere wants to attract clients in North London, because it’s not tied to the local exchange, we can give them a North London number. So in a way, local numbers are going to die.

In 2018, IP telephony is predicted to outsell traditional phone systems, and by 2025, BT reckons it will no longer supply ISDN lines at all. So what opportunity does hosted voice over IP (VoIP) present to IT resellers? Dominic Sacco asks Cloud Telephones sales director Paul Gibson, chairman Henry Matthews and MD John Carter to find out…

“There is a really good pound note margin opportunity. From a reseller point of view, what you get is a recurring income for the life of the customer.”

Paul Gibson, Cloud Telephones

From left to right: Sales director Paul Gibson, chairman Henry Matthews and MD John Carter


Gender equality and staff diversity is still a talking point for many

companies in the industry, and it seems to be an issue that isn’t budging.

With men holding on to the top spot, working in the majority of management positions today, big tech companies are starting to recognise this as a problem and have started to roll out their own initiatives to entice more women into tech.

Prime Minister David Cameron has even called for firms to reveal whether they are paying men more than women, threatening to name and shame the firms that are.

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) says that 27 per cent of digital workers in the UK are female, but thanks to the likes of Intel, Apple, Microsoft, Dell and CompTIA, this percentage could increase.

Chip maker Intel has pumped approximately $125 million into its Intel Capital Diversity Fund, with an intent to fully represent women and underrepresented minorities in its US workforce by 2020.

“We are proud to take a leading role toward broader participation in technology entrepreneurship and employment,” says Lisa M. Lambert, MD and VP of Intel Capital.

Anna Cheng, UK enterprise and technical PR manager for Intel, adds: “We will focus on ways to increase the number of qualified candidates in the pipeline for hiring, improve opportunities across the board for girls and women, and prevent the harassment and bullying that has characterised some of the recent gaming controversy.”

Apple boss Tim Cook also revealed plans to create a more diverse workforce in the future, while Microsoft has launched its own Women in Tech initiative in India last year, with the hope to get more women in tech. Also, Dell has its own Women’s Entrepreneur Network, which aims to connect women with networks, sources of capital, knowledge and technology.

Meanwhile, CompTIA is planning on expanding its own Dream IT initiative, bringing its series of school

visits and talks from the US to the UK this October.

But can initiatives like these, really make a difference?

Gemma Telford, MD at the IT Marketing Agency, says: “I think it’s great to see Intel’s Capital initiative to extend diversity in the workplace. As we know, the technology sector is still very much male-dominated and there are a number of initiatives now that are starting to address this.”

On the other hand, will throwing money into schemes actually bring more women into the IT field, or will it deter them from pursuing a career in tech?

Sarah Shields, sales executive director and general manager for Dell UK, and PCR Woman of the Year 2014, comments: “It’s more than just putting the money into the programmes, it’s a mind-set – not change but acceptance.

“Diversity is about thought, and by having a diverse leadership team and a diverse employee base you get that wider scope of thought.”

In comparison, some companies haven’t noticed a gender divide within their

workforce, as VIP Computer’s director Rich Marsden concurs: “We don’t have a male-dominated office, I wouldn’t say we’re “even Stevens” but 40 per cent of our workforce is female.”

Telford makes the point that it’s not just the big firms which need to think about diversity. She continues: “It’s great that the multinationals are launching initiatives to drive diversity as they have real power. But the massive majority of businesses are small, so my question is what can we all be doing to ensure diversity in our businesses?”

Perhaps now that larger companies have taken note and begun to lead the way with these initiatives, the future may eventually lead to a more diverse industry, as Cheng says: “We believe that women and under-represented minorities should play a central role in the development of technology.”PCR’s Women of the Year awards and networking event returns this year. Tickets can be purchased from www.pcrwomenoftheyear.com

Diversitydrive

FEATURE

“We believe that women should play a central role in the development of technology.”

Anna Cheng,Intel


Intel has invested $125 million into its diversity fund with plans to encourage more women into the IT sector, plus other tech giants like Apple and Microsoft have new initiatives too. Jade Burke asks: Will they make a difference?

GO LED

PHOENIX

TORINO

BEHIND THE SCENES

WHEN YOU see the 3M logo, what do you think of? We’ll

be honest – for me it was just post-it notes and privacy filters. That was up until my visit to the firm’s impressive new UK head office in Bracknell, however, which opened in September 2014.

While there’s solid demand for these products (resellers can make between 20 to 40 margin points on sales of privacy filters on average), 3M has some 60,000 products in total, leaving me puzzled as to what they could be.

After stepping into 3M’s Innovation Centre, I’m greeted by a set of circular reflective panels in a large, dark room. I step forward and the panels light up in a flourish of different colours. Walk around them and take a look from a different angle, and the colours change completely. It’s a type of special reflective sheeting used on objects like road signs. As I walk around the room, other lights switch on,

highlighting different products and areas. There’s a screen on the right playing an intro video to 3M’s business.

I learn that it operates in 70 countries, generated just shy of $31.8 billion in worldwide sales during its most recent financial year (with $1billion coming from the UK) and has some 8,500 researchers. It’s also conscious of the environment, having prevented nearly four billion pounds of pollutants since 1975 through completion of more than 11,800 Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) projects.

There are several pillars and tables highlighting all manner of inventions. To name a few there’s a film solution that increases the battery life of electronic devices, an ACCR overhead conductor used by the likes of Scottish Power to double the capacity of an existing line, dental spray and a Paint Preparation System, which eliminates the need for car paint sprayers to use traditional mixing pots. There’s even a type of

concrete that can float. After being led into a room resembling a small science lab, I’m encouraged to pour 3M’s Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid (also known as ‘dry water’) onto some lit candles. As I move to tip the fluid from the test tube onto the candles, they are put out immediately before a single drop touches them, just from the vapour.

This fluid is also used across the world to submerge datacentres and keep them cool, clean electronic devices, protect Benjamin Franklin’s library and even preserve a 24ft squid displayed in a tank at Washington’s museum of natural history.

All these innovations are reflective of 3M’s ‘15 per cent rule’, which allows staff to spend 15 per cent of their working time on their own projects. This encourages staff to take time out to come up with new ideas and products which could in turn become one of 3M’s fully mass produced goods.

So what other products are there? After 3M was founded in 1902, it went on to sell sandpaper, surgical tape, shatter-resistant window protection and more. It even made the synthetic rubber used to create astronaut Neil Armstrong’s boots, which left a footprint on the moon’s lunar dust.

In terms of tech products, today 3M has goods ranging from screen privacy filters to ergonomics such as special mice, as well as headsets and even passport scanners.

Finally, I’m shown around a mock retail store which displays a holographic store assistant, as well as a variety of 3M’s better known brands sold in shops, including its Post-it notes, Scotch tape, Command picture hanging strips and more.

I leave the building feeling a little dumbfounded. At the start of the day I was asking myself what else 3M actually works on, but now I’m left wondering: is there anything it doesn’t make?

“After being led into a room resembling a science lab, I’m encouraged to pour 3M’s Novec Fire Protection Fluid onto some candles.”


PCR takes a tour of the

The average person comes into contact with a 3M product 17 times a day, as the company has manufactured over 60,000. But other than its well-known post-it notes and screen privacy filters, what other products does 3M have – and what does its business focus on? Dominic Sacco explores 3M’s Innovation Centre to find out more…

3M Innovation Centre

3M was founded in 1902, first selling sandpaper before moving on to a variety of products

Above: 3M has over 60,000 products, including the humble post-it note

The search for our top women in the UK PC and tech industry is once again underwayOur aim is to shine the spotlight on some of the most inspirational and influential

female execs in the PC tech industry. And we aren’t just looking for Managing Directors or CEOs either – we want to showcase the full range of roles within the business.

To attend the event on Friday October 16th at Sway bar, London, or for moreinformation contact Andrew Wooden on [email protected]

For sponsorship opportunities, talk to Jennie Lane at [email protected]

RISING STAR | MARKETING & PR | SALES | WOMAN OF THE YEAR

VOTE NOW @ www.pcrwomenoftheyear.com

Headline Partner

SECTOR GUIDE

With the summer holidays in full swing, students will be preparing to return to schools and universities in September – looking for the newest tech. Jade Burke picks out some essential school goodies…

Back to school hardware and software

Metal handles have been incorporated into this laptop carry case, while the thick padding helps to protect devices inside. It features a range of compartments as well as an organiser inside for storing accessories.

Specs: Designed for 15.6-ich laptops, thick padding, organiser for accessories.

SRP: £16.24

APPROX LAPTOP CARRY CASE WITH METAL HANDLES

Distributor: Spire Technology

Powered by a Raspberry Pi, the Fuze provides students with a coding platform. The Fuze helps to shield the Pi, protecting it from electronic shorting, static and physical damage. Plus a range of ports are included to help pair the Fuze up to other devices.

Specs: Sheet aluminium casing, six USB ports, built-in analogue support.

SRP: £69.99

FUZE

Distributors: Tech Data, Kondor

With a patented magnetic closure, this case can help iPads withstand drops and knocks in the classroom. It features reinforced corners and a back panel to help protect the device. In addition, the durable and water resistant polyurethane cover helps to safeguard devices from spills.

Specs: Auto on/off cover, designed for iPads, durable and water resistant.

SRP: From £44.95

STM DUX IPAD CASE

Distributor: Computers Unlimited

With performance speeds up to ten times faster than standard 2.0 devices, users can transfer media between devices quickly, for example, a movie can be transferred in less than 40 seconds. The low profile drive boasts SanDisk SecureAccess, which creates a password protected private folder.

Specs: Up to 130MB/s read speeds, capacities of up to 128GB, SecureAccess private folder.

SRP: £30.99

SANDISK ULTRA FIT USB 3.0 FLASH DRIVE (64GB)

Distributor: Peak Development

Soft-padded ear cups help to block out external noise with these headphones, while the microphone can also be adjusted to the user’s preference. Enriched bass and treble help to provide surround sound, which can be altered with the in-line volume control.

Specs: Ambient noise blocking, rare-earth speaker drivers, in-line volume control, microphone.

SRP: £15

DYNAMODE EDUCATIONAL STEREO HEADPHONES

Distributor: Dynamode

This mini PC stick is the size of a flash drive and comes equipped with a quad-core processor power Intel Atom Bay Trail-CR Z3735F. Up to 2GB RAM is also available along with integrated HD graphics. The Modecom FreePC also runs on Windows 8.1 and features two USB 2.0 ports.

Specs: Support for built-in microSD card, eco-friendly, internal 16GB flash disk, Intel Atom processor, Windows 8.1.

SRP: £129.99

MODECOM FREEPC

Distributor: PXS Distribution



SECTOR GUIDE

Users can enhance images quickly with popular brushes using Pro X7, including Paint Brush, Airbrush and retouching brushes. Users can also instantly create a photo object by using text or a shape to clip a photo, plus a redesigned materials palette and colour picker are now available.

This 300Mbps nano router provides users with video streaming, online gaming and calls for Skype. With its pocket size, the device can be taken with users on the go, plus it is powered via a micro USB port by an external adapter or by USB connection to a computer. The router also comes with multiple operation modes, including client and repeater.

Specs: RAW editing, 64-bit power, compatible with Windows 8/8.1, 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP.

Specs: Micro USB port, 300Mbps wireless data rates.

SRP: £56.99SRP: From £16.99

COREL PAINTSHOP PRO X7

TP-LINK TL-WR802N-L1 NANO ROUTER

Distributor: ExertisDistributors: Exertis, Tech Data, Spire Technology

This software detects when you are working, playing or watching movies and prevents apps from popping up or slowing down a system. Bitdefender also offers file encryption by locking up confidential files in a secured vault. In addition, the Bitdefender Safebox securely stores photos and videos.

Specs: Parental control, file encryption, antiphishing, personal data filter.

SRP: £59.99

BITDEFENDER TOTAL SECURITY 2015


This LED optical tracking mouse comes with a DPI range of up to 1,000 and features a three-button design with a scroll wheel. It is compatible with both Windows, Mac, Linux and Pi devices, and features Plug and Play connectivity.

Specs: LED mouse, 1,000 DPI range, Plug and Play compatible.

SRP: £3

LMS DATA OPTICAL USB 3-BUTTON MOUSE


With support for all media types, including video, audio and photographic content, PowerDVD provides users with video on PCs, mobile devices and the cloud. TrueTheatre technology and smart buffering alogrithms provide a visual experience, while TrueTheater Colour analyses footage and optimises hues and vibrancy.

Specs: TrueTheatre Sound technology, 4K playback, DVD and Blu-ray playback.

SRP: £64.99

CYBERLINK POWERDVD 15 ULTRA

Distributor: Exertis

Parental controls allow adults to keep an eye on their child’s Facebook profile, while any risky social activities can be flagged, including links to any inappropriate websites. Sensitive information, including bank accounts, passwords and credit card numbers, are also protected.

Specs: Compatible with PC, Mac, Android, iPhone and iPad, yearly subscription, three user protection.

SRP: £34.95

BULLGUARD IDENTITY PROTECTION

Distributors: Spire Technology, Target Components, Exertis, Ingram Micro

Powered by a dual-core Intel Celeron processor, the Zotac helps to deliver daily tasks such as web browsing, checking emails and productivity tasks. It comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics for smooth HD video playback as well as Intel Quick Sync Video technology. It also supports a range of memory cards, including SDHC cards and memory sticks.

Specs: Intel Celeron processor, 2MB cache memory, Intel HD Graphics.

SRP: £99.99

ZOTAC ZBOX BAREBONE PC

Distributor: Entatech

By using their voice, users can surf the web and browse through etail stores. Dragon also allows users to speak out loud to Microsoft Word, as well as edit and format memos or to-do lists.

Specs: Compatible with Windows 7, 8/8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012.

SRP: £79.99

NUANCE DRAGON NATURALLY SPEAKING


SECTOR GUIDE

This USB drive allows users to store photos, movies, music and personal data. The compact design allows the device to fit in pockets, plus it is also compatible with Windows, Vista, Windows 7 and 8 and Mac devices. SanDisk also creates the USB drive in capcities of up to 128GB.

This kids tablet provides access to the Google Play store, while parents can also set age appropriate filters thanks to the KurioGenius Parental Controls. A quad-core processor powers the device, while 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage is also included. In addition, a range of apps come pre-installed.

Specs: Black and white colour option, small form factor.

Specs: Seven-inch screen, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity, Android 5.0, micro USB and micro HDMI ports.

SRP: £6.99SRP: £99.99

SANDISK 16GB CRUZER BLADE FLASH DRIVE

KURIO TAB 2

Distributor: Peak DevelopmentDistributor: KDUK

Students can build their own website with the Incomedia’s five step procedure. Available in either Compact or Evolution versions, both feature a gallery of ready-to-use graphics as well as options to import video content and additional images.

Specs: Graphic templates, ecommerce, web-hosting, video imports, compatible with Windows 7, 8, Vista and XP.

SRP: From £29.99

INCOMEDIA WEBSITE X5


Images can be projected with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a XGA resolution. The projector delivers 3,000 lumens brightness and features a contrast ratio of 2300:1, while its range of ports, including HDMI and VGA, allow it to connect up to various devices. In addition, it features a 10W speaker and a RJ-45 network port.

Specs: 5000h lamp life, XGA resolution, 2.5kg, 1.1x zoom lens, HDMI input, 720p video footage.

SRP: £242.11

CANON LV-X300 DLP PROJECTOR

Distributor: Beta Distribution

Kurio’s range of tablets includes the Pocket four-inch Trade, seven-inch Tab Trade and the 10-inch XL Tab Trade. Each comes with the ability to set up to eight different user profiles, which can all have different parental filters installed. Plus, adults can set time management controls as well as a list of approved apps.

Specs: Website filtering, educational games, Kurio Motion, different user profiles, parental filters.

SRP: From £59

KURIO CHILD SAFE ANDROID TABLETS

Distributor: DirekTek

BullGuard Premium Protection combines Internet Security and Identity Protection, as well as providing advanced parental controls to allow users to take complete control. Flexible social media protection is also included, which allows users to monitor Facebook profiles. Plus, an extended 25GB of secure online backup is also included.

Specs: Three PC license, yearly subscription, 25GB of extra online backup, parental controls.

SRP: £69.95

BULLGUARD PREMIUM PROTECTION

Distributors: Spire Technology, Target Components, Exertis, Ingram Micro

The latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher and Access are all available with Office 365 Personal, as well as 1TB of storage. 60 minutes of Skype calls are also included each month, with calls to over 40 countries.

Specs: Office for PC or Mac, plus on tablet and smartphone, 1TB of storage, one subscription with upgrades.

SRP: £59.99

MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 PERSONAL

Distributor: VIP Computers

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This printer comes with five individual inks, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity and smartphone printing. Two fully integrated paper trays are also included, with Auto Duplex and Direct Disc Print features. It has a maximum photo print speed of up to 21 seconds and has a print resolution of 9600x2400 dpi.

Specs: Wireless connectivity, five individual inks, 6.60kg

SRP: £39.10

CANON PIXMA INKJET PRINTER



SECTOR GUIDE

Avnet ........................... 01344 662 000

Beta Distribution ........ 020 7531 2828

Computers Unlimited 020 82 00 82 82

DirekTek .......................01494 471100

Dynamode ................... 0845 375 2023

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

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

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

Hammer ........................01256 841000

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

KDUK.............................01727 827194

Kondor ..........................01425 284000

Microtronica (Arrow) .. 020 7786 3400

Midwich ....................... 01379 649 200

Peak Development ......01489 796979

PXS Distribution ......... 0844 879 4199

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

Target Components.... 01977 739 300

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

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

Monitors can be attached to this Philips base, which also features a SmartErgoBase and Thin Client SmartConnect for expandability. Monitors can also be tilted, swiveled and rotated.

Specs: Eco-friendly, Citrix ready, mic and audio ports, 2.0 USB ports.

SRP: From £269

PHILIPS CLOUD MONITOR BASE

Distributors: Entatech, Midwich, Tech Data

Packed with three buttons, this mouse has a DPI resolution of up to 1,000. It is also Plug and Play compatible and has a frame rate of 3,000 FPS, plus it comes equipped with a long cable so users are not restricted in terms of space.

Specs: 1,000 DPI, USB connection, ambidextrous, Plug and Play compatible.

SRP: £2.32

APPROX APPOMLITE OPTICAL MOUSE


Powered by an Intel Core i3-5010U processor, students can surf the web and download data quickly. Users can install their own operating system of choice, plus it also packs Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.

This two-in-one tablet boasts a detachable keyboard as well as 32GB internal memory. Users also have access to programmes including Word and Excel, along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Specs: Barebone PC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, Intel Core i3 processor, small form factor.

Specs: Quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8.9-inch screen, micro USB and HDMI ports.

SRP: From £226 SRP: £199.99

INTEL NUC5I3RYK KURIO SMART

Distributors: Hammer, Microtronica, Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Avnet

Distributor: KDUK

The JTouch combines precise touchscreen technology with an LCD display to show presentations and content in classrooms. At 65 inches wide, content is displayed with an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Specs: HDMI, USB and VGA ports, VESA mount capable. LCD screen, touchscreen, built-in speakers.

SRP: £1,900

INFOCUS JTOUCH LCD DISPLAY


Ready-to-use templates in Word and PowerPoint provide students with visual effects and media-editing features. Plus, OneNote is available to help students keep organised with files and notes.

Specs: 15GB online storage with OneDrive, Excel, Word and PowerPoint templates, OneNote for note taking.

SRP: £72.50

MICROSOFT OFFICE HOME AND STUDENT


This screen protector boasts fingerprint rejection technology, along with nanotechnology and touch sensitivity. It is also scratch resistant with ballistic protection from drops.

Specs: Nanotechnology glass, scratch resistant, compatible with Apple LG, Samsung and Google devices.

SRP: From £3.20

LMS DATA TEMPERED SCREEN PROTECTOR


With tough and thick padding, laptops are well protected inside this carry case. The case has been designed for 15.6-inch sized laptops and comes with an organiser for accessories.

Specs: Durable material, thick padding, adjustable handle, for 15.6-inch laptops.

SRP: £6.79

APPROX LAPTOP CARRY CASE


CONTACT


SECTOR GUIDE

As vendors begin to create new types of monitors for consumers, from curved variants and different LED displays, now is the time to stock up on such devices. Here Jade Burke picks her best from the crop of new monitors…

Dashing displays

Advanced AH-IPS panels have been incorporated into this display from Philips, as well as Flicker-Free technology. It also features a SmartErgoBase, which allows the monitor to tilt and swivel.

Specs: Four USB 2.0 ports, built-in stereo speakers, DisplayPort connection, PowerSensor.

SRP: £159

PHILIPS LED BACKLIT LCD MONITOR


Featuring a 4K resolution of 3840x2160, this display from Iiyama provides an area with four times more information and work space than a Full HD screen. It also boasts PIP and PBP features.

Specs: 10-bit colour processing, Flicker-Free technology, built-in speakers, 4K video quality.

SRP: £307 excluding VAT

IIYAMA B2888UHSU-B1

Distributor: Mentor Distribution

Featuring a dynamic ratio of 12M:I, footage is shown in Ultra High Dynamic contrast, plus its LED backlight provides clearer images with no light leakage. It also comes with a 2ms GTG response time to help limit any ghosting.

Specs: 21.5-inch screen size, 1920x1080 resolution, 16.7 million display colours, built-in speakers.

SRP: £89.99 excluding VAT

BENQ 21.5” GL2250HM MULTIMEDIA MONITOR


AMD FreeSync technology comes embedded in Acer’s monitor as well as support for AMD’s Radeon R-Series GPU, which helps to eliminate tearing. It comes with a response time of 1ms and an edge-to-edge 27-inch display.

Specs: HDMI 2.0 port, two 2W speakers, Acer EyeProtect technology, flicker-less technology, AMD FreeSync.

SRP: £399.99

ACER XG270HU MONITOR WITH FREESYNC


A semi-transparent blue finish design has been incorporated into this monitor, which features a slim narrow bezel and a T-shaped stand. Samsung’s edition also delivers 178 degree views and boasts Flicker-Free technology.

Specs: Eco Saving Plus, 4ms response time, 21.5-inch display, 1920x1080 resolution, PLS panel.

SRP: £149

LS22E391HS 21.5” FULL HD MONITOR

Contact: Samsung

Users can view content across this 32-inch 4K Ultra HD screen, with a resolution of 3840x2160. It features 1,074 billion colours and Flicker-Free technology, as well as a pair of built-in stereo speakers.

Specs: USB 3.0 ports, 10-bit colours, SmartErgoBase, 4K UHD resolution.

SRP: £799

PHILIPS 4K ULTRA HD LCD DISPLAY


Energy-saving LED backlighting and high contrast ratios help to deliver clear images, while the height-adjustable stand tilts, swivels and pivots for additional views. It also comes with an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Specs: Plug and Play, height adjustment, built-in speakers, LED backlighting, HDCP compatible.

SRP: £139

AOC E2460PDA

Distributors: Tech Data, Exertis, VIP Computers

Content is displayed across the ProLite’s 25-inch LED screen, which features IPS panel technology. It offers wide viewing angles with 178/178 degrees along with a fast response time of 5ms.

Specs: 25-inch display, 16.7 million colours, Full HD 1080p, LED backlight.


IIYAMA XU2590HS-B1



SECTOR GUIDE

CONTACTEntatech ...................... 0333 101 1000

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

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

Mentor Distribution ....01462 814000

Midwich ....................... 01379 649 200

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

Samsung ...................... 0330 726 7864

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

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


This monitor from AOC features a Quad HD resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, providing users with four times the resolution of an HD display. It packs 16.7 million colours into its display and has an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Specs: Built-in 3W speakers, height adjustment, Quad HD resolution, Plug and Play.

SRP: £299

AOC Q2577PWQ

Distributors: Tech Data, Exertis, VIP Computers

With a large 24-inch screen, users can watch content with LED backlighting, which helps to deliver clearer videos. In addiiton, it comes with Flicker-Free technology to eliminate flickering.

Specs: Multimedia Interface, 24-inch screen, 16:9 aspect ratio, Senseye and Flicker-Free technology.

SRP: £115.99 excluding VAT

BENQ 24” GL2450HM LED MULTIMEDIA MONITOR


The Philips AH-IPS LED display features 2560x1440 pixels and helps to avoid eye fatigue thanks to its Flicker-Free technology. It boasts edge-to-edge glass and a narrow boarder as well as SmartImage presets.

Specs: USB 3.0 and HDMI ports, built-in stereo speakers, DisplayPort connection, SmartEergoBase.

SRP: £329

PHILIPS 258B6QJ


This 27-inch display comes with a borderless design with a Full HD resolution. It features a 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio while the dual PC and HDMI input connectors allow users to pair the monitor with other devices.

Specs: LED backlight, 1920x1080 Full HD resolution, built-in speakers.


AG NEOVO FM-27


The 70-inch LCD-panel features Full HD resolution and black levels to provide ergonomic viewing. It boasts two HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI and VGA connections, with a native resolution of 1920x1080.

Specs: Landscape orientation, LED backlight, 70-inch display, 8ms response time, 1920x1080 resolution.

SRP: £2,916 excluding VAT

NEC E705


HannsG’s monitor comes with a screen size of 21.5-inches that provides users with an ultra-wide viewing angle of 178/178. It boasts a 1920x1080 WUXGA resolution and plays footage in Full HD 1080p.

Specs: 1920x1080 resolution, Full HD 1080p videos, LED backlight.

SRP: £70.50

HANNSG 21.5” ULTRA WIDE VIEWING MONITOR


An LED backlight is included with this budget monitor, which plays video in Full HD 1080p. The 23.6-inch display comes with a response time of 5ms, which helps to provide less ghosting, as well as low power consumption.

Specs: Active contract of 50,000,000:1, 23.6-inch screen, Full HD 1080p video.

SRP: £81

HANNS G 23.6” IPS MONITOR


Users can watch content displayed across this monitor’s 27-ich curved screen, which features an aspect ratio of 16:9. It boasts a response time of 4ms and a resolution of 1920x1080, plus it has a gaming mode.

Specs: LED backlight, curved display, 99 per cent peak luminance ratio.

SRP: £249

27” SD590C CURVED FULL HD LED MONITOR

Distributor: Northamber

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

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Retail Only


DIXONS CARPHONE – ONE YEAR ONDeputy group CEO Andrew Harrison (left) and group CEO Sebastian James (right) addressed the media as Dixons Carphone published its first financial results since merging, for the 13 months ending May 2nd 2015. Here are some of the highlights:

Profit before tax rose 21 per cent to £381 million Group like-for-like revenue increased six per cent Non-core operations in Europe disposed of Opened 244 Carphone Warehouse stores in Currys/PC World outlets 40,000 people are now employed by the group in 14 countries, with some 3,000 storesDixons will open its first US store with Sprint in August, with

20 expected to open by late NovemberThe group will move its head office to Acton this October,

with the existing Hemel site to close

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKESIT SEEMS like only yesterday PCR was writing pieces around the merger of Dixons and Carphone Warehouse.

But it’s been one year since the pair came together to form Dixons Carphone – on August 7th 2014 to be precise. So what effect has this had on the market?

Well, at the time, I wrote that without having a couple of major competitors on the High Street alongside it, the group would probably go on to monopolise UK bricks and mortar tech retail. And looking at its financial results over the past 12 months, it would seem that’s becoming the case. While I welcome the success of Dixons Carphone, I feel the lack of competition is detrimental to our industry.

Ebuyer and Overclockers have huffed and puffed about opening stores – but not made a move yet. In the

meantime, Dixons has been bringing hundreds of Carphone Warehouse stores to its Currys/PC World shops. Now it’s opening US stores with Sprint from August.

CEO Sebastian James said: “I think we’re building something that has the entrepreneurial flair of Carphone Warehouse coupled with the commercial oomph of the Dixons Retail group.”

However, James did admit it still has a long way to go on service.

If this is something it can really get right, then other PC retailers should have another look at their core business model – because Dixons is not going away.

On the contrary, I’m sure it will only get bigger, and competing with it in the next five years is going to be harder than ever.

Dominic Sacco, [email protected]

“Competing with Dixons in the next five years is going to be harder.”

Mystery ShopperRetailer of the Month

RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD

PCR takes soundings from its Retail Advisory Board on the biggest issues in the industry. The current members are:

Phil Browes,HMV

Craig Hume,Utopia Computers

Phylip Morgan,Network Group

Jason Eccles,SimplyFixIT

James Gorbold,Scan Computers

Steve Ling,Overclockers UK

John Church, Shop Direct

Jonpaul Warren, Ebuyer.com

David Chorlton,Maplin

William Jones,John Lewis

CK,YoYoTech

Vladimir Kuznetsov,DinoPC

Jat Mann,PC Pal

Steven Lightfoot,Pudsey Computers

Ben Miles,Chillblast

Estelle Johannes,CompTIA

Juliet Ward,Argos

Mike Barron,Synaxon

Gavin Holder,GHI Computers

Iain Shaw,Brigantia

Chris Innes,Micro Plus

Duncan Rutherford,Dabs.com

MYSTERY SHOPPER

With its shopping centre and retail park, Harlow has a host of tech stores to browse. This month, our Mystery Shopper is tasked with locating a £300 laptop for the back to school period…

ARGOS

AS I entered Argos I thought I would try and find a budget-friendly laptop using the store’s catalogues, but I was eager to get the opinion of one of the assistants.

Once the lady behind the till was free, I asked her for some help, to which I was promptly asked if I needed a disk drive. I told her it wasn’t necessary but that it would be useful.

After tapping away at her till she told me that the Toshiba C50-B-13N, down from £269.99 to £249.99 would be ideal for a student,

and that I could get an Office 365 and McAfee bundle thrown in for an extra £50.

My friendly helper then explained that I could take out an Argos card to distribute the price over 12 months, and that I could also get back-up cover for £6.49 a month. She went on to tell me how beneficial the cover was and that she even uses it herself on her range of devices at home.

Before wishing me a happy day, I headed out of the store in search of a wider variety of notebooks.

CURRYS/PC WORLD

THE RETAIL outlet in Harlow had been merged into both Currys and PC World, with a Carphone Warehouse section, which set the bar high for me. I went in thinking there would be a great selection of laptops on offer and I wasn’t disappointed, with devices from Apple, HP, ASUS, Acer and Toshiba all on show.

While I was browsing the range, a gentleman came over and asked if I needed any help, saying another assistant would be over to help out shortly. The wait turned out to be a much

longer one, but after about 10 minutes or so another man strolled over.

He asked me what I needed the device for and what my budget was, and suggested I try the HP 15-G259SA notebook, as it had 500GB of storage. In addition he explained that Office 365 was available as a bundle for an extra £100, taking the price up to £369.99 – a little over my budget.

After explaining why this option was best thanks to its variety of specs, he left me to have a think.

7/10

Harlow

8/10


MYSTERY SHOPPER

ALL IN all, Harlow turned out to be a success for a low-cost laptop, albeit Maplin was slightly disappointing. I was surprised the outlet carried no devices in-store and that my helper couldn’t find a better selection online.

I was impressed by the great selection on offer in Currys/PC World, but I found that the sluggish response from the customer service team was a bit of a hindrance to my visit. In addition, I found that the staff in Staples were not very keen to assist with my query, as I had to ask one of the assistants for help before anyone bothered to approach me.

As an indie store, PC Fix had a great range available and the fact that everything was competitively priced was a bonus. Plus, Argos’ friendly customer service made my time spent in the store a pleasure, while the assistant’s knowledge and attention to detail also impressed.

But this week CeX certainly proved itself as a worthy contender. Although the store didn’t have a huge selection of laptops, it certainly made up for that on service – a worthy winner this month.

SUMMARY

STAPLES

I HAVE never normally considered Staples as a hub for computers, but the laptop selection stood out like a sore thumb, right in front of the entrance where the likes of Toshiba, Acer and ASUS decorated the counters.

Having walked around the range for a few minutes, I still hadn’t been approached by an assistant, so I decided to ask for some help.

After my helper walked over, he asked what I was looking for and told me that the HP I5-R101NA notebook for £269 or the Acer Aspire

ES1-512 notebook priced at £229 would be perfect for my needs.

I was pleased to hear that the assistant also had knowledge regarding the processors and told me that the Celeron processor with the Acer device would provide me with enough storage and power.

But with no mention of Office 365, I prompted him to see if this was available. Thankfully it was in a bundle with a price tag of £50. With no pressure to buy, I was then left to have a think.

MAPLIN

KNOWN FOR its abundance of electrical goods, I was excited to enter Maplin, but this feeling was short-lived.

As I entered I could see a variety of tech goods around, from cables to speakers, and I was immediately greeted by one of the staff members with a warm smile.

Once I told him that I was after a budget-friendly laptop, I was informed that the store carried no such products.

After a short pause with no alternative suggestions, I asked if they had any online. My helper did reveal that

there was stock online and invited me over to a kiosk where we could browse the selection.

He bought up the store’s website and virtually escorted me to the laptop selection, but sadly all that my helper could find was a gaming laptop from PC Specialist, which was priced at £679.99, and an addition from Acer with an 11-inch screen.

I think his spirits were slightly dampened by the selection, and suggested I try Staples or Currys. So off I went to search somewhere else.

5/10

PC FIX

WALKING PAST this indie store, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I noticed a wall decorated with all sorts of laptops, so I decided to give it a go.

Another customer was already being tended to, so I had to wait a while to get some service. But out of nowhere, another staff member popped up behind me asking if I needed help.

He informed me that each of the laptops had been reconditioned, came with Windows 7 and all ran perfectly. He guided me

through the majority of his selection, which included Acer, Sony and Toshiba, but he suggested I try out the Sony Vaio VGN FW21L for £259.99 or the Compact Presario for £299.99. I was also then offered a free installation of Office 365 with each device, should I choose to purchase one.

However, while these devices were reasonably cheap, I felt the price was a little steep for a re-conditioned laptop and decided to have a think about the decision.

CEX

ALTHOUGH THIS store perhaps isn’t known for its plethora of laptops, I found the service top notch.

The store was buzzing with life as I entered, with customers nosing through the tech gadgets and DVDs on offer. I had a browse of the second-hand laptops in the shop window and approached one of the store members for some guidance.

Sticking to my budget, he went on to show me a Samsung NP91553G laptop for £205 and a slightly pricier Dell E6520 for £280. It was

clear my helper knew his stuff, as he talked me through the hard drive and RAM availability, but told me that I would need to buy Office.

He also advised that I shouldn’t splash out on certain devices or something that costs over £300 as a student, and I found his honesty of great value during my time in the store.

After sizing up my options, he told me that I should consider looking elsewhere to make sure I pick the right device, and I left the store with a smile on my face.

9/10

STARSTORE

7/10

7/10


For more information on the event contact Andrew Wooden on [email protected]

For partnership opportunities talk to Jennie Lane on [email protected] or 01992 545647

PCR BOOT CAMP NORTH IS BACK

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11TH 2015THE ROYAL ARMORIES, LEEDS

PCR Boot Camp North– the conference, expo and networking party for tech retailers and resellers – is returning to Leeds on Wednesday November

11th, after a hugely successful debut event last year.

As ever, dealers get in completely free. Each delegate is given a complimentary gift bag to take home worth nearly £100. There’s a full day

of conferences, networking and exhibition time, as well as lunch and dinner and a free bar at the after party.

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

Black Bear Computers

RETAILER OF THE MONTH

How did the business start? It started from the back room of the original owner’s house, just down the road from where we’re based now, back in 1997.

What products and services do you offer? We sell all ranges of laptops and desktops, including our own PC builds and gaming PCs. We also sell components, accessories and peripherals. We offer a repair and upgrade service on site, as well as installation and some training and support.

You changed the name of your store last year – how has that helped?We changed our name as there was another company called Black Box Network. We’ve had a rebrand and it has allowed us to make some changes, but we have actually found some negatives as well as positives.

I think it’s allowed customers to see us as the new brand and show that

we’re moving forward, however, some people have seen it as some large national company buying out Black Box Computers. But I think it’s definitely made people more aware of the fact we’re here.

What are some of your top selling products? That’s a good question; I would say probably the best sellers are the cheaper laptops. Although, we’re really starting to see a shift towards gaming, so I would say if the trend carries on, then that’s going to be overtaken by the gaming PCs.

Do you think PC gaming could overtake consoles? I do actually, yes. I think the problem people are seeing with consoles is the fact that if you buy a PlayStation 3 for example, then they bring out the next game and you’ve got to have a PlayStation 4 – and there’s nothing you can do. Whereas, with PC gaming that never happens, as the basic machine has no end date on

it. I think that’s the problem with consoles.

How much work do you do with schools? We used to do a lot of work with schools and our school budget has since changed, so we’ve pulled back a little bit. But we have gone back into that market where we do a lot

of what I call box shifting, where we supply the goods without support for some secondary schools.

Are there any new sectors you’re looking into? We have been looking at

branching out with more gaming peripherals, including headphones and speakers. We have also been looking at home automation and I think that’s definitely starting to grow. We do a lot with IP cameras and we have started to see those go into businesses, but also into homes, where people are looking to have something to protect their home.

You recently spoke at PCR Boot Camp. What was it like for you to be on stage and sharing your thoughts with other retailers? It was very interesting. Our business has been through quite a few changes, and I did find it very reassuring to see the other panellists and the people in the audience agreeing with the things we were saying. I think sometimes in the IT industry you sit with your little circle and you don’t really see what’s going on in the rest of the country, or think you’re the only one having a hard

time when things are tough. So I think that was very interesting, and I was pleased to be able to share some of the things that we have done that were quite positive within the company.

What advice would you give new businesses starting out in the industry? I think that you shouldn’t try to walk before you can run. I think you definitely have to give very high levels of customer service. That’s more important than anything; a lot of businesses look at price and I think you will not win at the end of the day on price.

What does the future hold for Black Bear Computers? We are looking at launching a new online website called Black Bear Gaming. We’re going to do a lot more online sales and build that up.

We will include our own gaming builds and we’ll probably have MSI laptops, as well as a small choice of different peripherals.

Year established: 1997

Number of outlets: 1

Number of staff: 12

Contact name and address:2 Norfolk Street, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 2BW

Telephone: 01524 389300

Email:[email protected]

Website:www.blackbearcomputers.co.uk

FACT FILE

“We have been looking at home automation and I think that’s definitely starting to grow.”

Richard Alford,Black Bear Computers

Jade Burke speaks to Richard Alford, MD of Black Bear Computers, who discusses the firm’s humble beginnings, the impact of its rebrand and the retailer’s plans to branch out into gaming with its own dedicated site…


RecommendedDedicated monthly product coverage

ACER HAS bolstered its line-up of curved monitors, with two new additions to its range. The Acer XR341CK (pictured above), which went on sale in June, and the Acer XZ350CU, which went on sale in July, both come with an aspect ratio of 21:9.

The XR341CK features a 34-inch screen size, with FreeSync technology and a refresh rate of 75Hz, while the 35-inch XZ350CU boasts

UltraWide FHD Adaptive Sync technology and a refresh rate of 144Hz.

The curved screen puts every corner of the display at the same distance from the viewer’s eyes, plus the 21:9 ratio provides users with a 178 degree viewing angle with a 3440x1440 resolution.

Supporting 100 per cent of the sRGB colour gamut, the selection of curved displays deliver an accurate colour

reproduction that may be needed by designers and photographers for precise colour matching.

In addition, the monitors feature an aluminium base and a ZeroFrame design to provide viewers with a maximum viewing area, while the stand of course helps to keep the device upright.

Linda Hassall, head of marketing for Acer UK, said: “We are leading the market

with our line-up of curved 21:9 aspect monitors.

“The addition of two more in our curved screen line-up demonstrates our commitment to high-end hardware for hardcore gamers, home entertainment enthusiasts and professionals who want the ultimate in visual performance.”

Two built-in DTS sound speakers with up to 9W of power are included with both

monitors, as well as HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort connection ports. Four USB 3.0 ports are also included, which can be found along the back of the screen.

EyeProtect technology also comes embedded within each monitor, boasting a blue light filter, flicker-less, low dimming and comfyview tech to help reduce eye fatigue and strains while viewing content or gaming.

Contact: Tech Data (01256 788 000), Exertis Home (01279 822 822), Exertis IT (01256 707070) | Price: XR341CK: From £899.99, XZ350CU: £699.99

The curved monitor sports a 3440x1440 resolution

A range of ports can be found, including HDMI and DisplayPorts

An aluminum base supports the display


The latest tech Editorial planner

Acer arches forwards

RECOMMENDED


Contact: Exertis Home, (01279 822 822), Exertis IT (01256 707070), Tech Data, (01256 788 000), VIP Computers (0871 622 7500) | Price: G2460PF: £229, G2770PF: £279

Contact: M2m Distribution (01702 872 835), Smithie (01256 844028), Exertis Home (01279 822 822), Exertis IT (01256 707070), | Price: 850 EVO: £636.99, 850 PRO: £749.99

Contact: CMS Distribution (020 8960 6000), Beta Distribution (020 7531 2828), Ingram Micro (0871 973 3000), Tech Data (01256 788 000) | RS18016xs+: £4,398, RX1216sas: £1,992

Contact: Exertis Home (01279 822 822), Exertis IT (01256 707070), Centresoft (0121 625 3388) | Price: Rock Candy mouse: £14.99, Rock Candy keyboard: £29.99

PERIPHERAL vendor PDP has unveiled two new devices from its Rock Candy range, including a wireless mouse and keyboard. The mouse comes with a HD optical tracking cursor, which gives users control on most surfaces.

It also boasts 2.4GHz wireless technology with a 30ft range and a USB micro receiver.

In addition, Rock Candy has launched a wireless keyboard that is also water

resistant. Thanks to its 2.4 GHz wireless technology, users can also use the keyboard with a wireless range of up to 30ft.

The mouse and keyboard are compatible with Windows and Mac devices and also come equipped with Plug and Play installation. In addition, each device is available in a range of colours, including red, pink, blue, green, yellow and purple.

SAMSUNG has expanded its range of Solid Sate Drives (SSDs) with the addition of the 2TB 850 PRO and 850 EVO.

The new devices remain in the same 7mm form factor, but instead come with Samsung’s advanced chip solutions, including 128 individual 32-layer 128Gb 3D Vertical NAND (V-NAND) flash chips, an upgraded high-performance MHX controller that supports 2TB capacity and four 20nm-class process technology-based 4Gb LPDDR3 DRAM chips.

The vendor has also guaranteed a 10-year lifecycle for the 2TB 850 PRO, while the 2TB EVO is expected to last for up to five years.

Un-Soo Kim, senior VP of the branded product marketing and

memory business at Samsung, said: “The release of the 2TB SSD is a strong driver into the era of multi-terabyte SSD solutions.

“We will continue to expand our ultra-high performance and large density SSD product portfolio and provide a new computing experience to users around the globe.”

NAS VENDOR Synology has unveiled its RS18016xs+ RackStation (pictured), its largest ever NAS, and an Expansion Unit RX12216sas, which can store over a petabyte of data using 8TB Hard Disk Drives (HDDs).

When connected to the RX1216sas, the NAS can house up to 1,440TB of storage, plus it can also support the Btrfs file system, bringing advanced storage technologies to

meet the management needs of modern businesses. Plus, it can simplify data management, optimise virtualisation environments and comes with 8GB RAM.

The NAS includes two PCIe 3.0 x8 slots, allowing installation for two dual-port 100GbE network cards, as well as delivering fast performance speeds at over 3,900MBs throughput and 348,000 sequential IOPS.

Rock Candy’ssweet duo

AOC ups its game

EVOlutionary SSDs

Synology launches largest ever NAS

TWO NEW budget gaming monitors from AOC have arrived, supporting AMD’s FreeSync technology. The G2460PF (pictured) and G2770PF help to deliver zero tearing and stuttering, whilst maintaining frame rates and input speed at maximum level.

Using FreeSync, the GPU is also able to update the monitor simultaneously when sending a new image across to the display.

Both monitors come with a refresh rate of 144Hz and a response time of

1ms, which also help to reduce blurring when users are gaming.

In addition, AOC has integrated i-Care technology, which helps to reduce eye strain and fatigue whilst also delivering in-depth images with the dynamic contrast ratio of 80M:1.

Other specs include a Kensington Security Lock that keeps the monitor safe, for example at LAN parties, as well as tilt adjustment capabilities, plus each monitor will be available in September.

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DUBBED THE ‘world’s most responsive performance keyboard’ for enthusiasts, this is one of Cherry’s latest accessories on the market.

The MX Board 6.0 combines the latest RealKey-technology for analogue signal processing with MX-switches. Thanks to the analogue signal path, all buttons are connected to the controller, meaning there is no need for digital scanning of the switching points. Designed for situations where response time is

important, the MX Board transmits signals to a PC in less than a millisecond, plus RealKey-technology allows full N-key rollover with reliable anti-ghosting.

It comes with a lifespan of over 50 million operations and each switch is also equipped with a red LED light, while the laser-engraved keycaps are illuminated when in use.

In addition, players can also make long-term use more comfortable with the added rubberised palm rest.

DESIGNED FOR usage in the home and on the go, Lenovo has unveiled its own Compute Stick dubbed the ideacentre Stick 300.

Powered by an Intel Atom processor, 2GB of memory, 32GB of storage and Plug and Play technology, the device can transform any HDMI compatible TV or monitor into a Windows-based PC.

Plus, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functionalities are also included, while an upgrade to Windows 10 will also be available once the operating system launches on July 29th.

Jun Ouyang, VP and general manager for worldwide desktop and visuals at Lenovo, said: “Our goal with the ideacentre Stick 300 is to give users a sense of freedom.”

Cherry gets techy Lenovo launchesbudget compute stick

Editorial Planner A look at the biggest features coming up in PCR…

OCTOBER 2015 DISTRIBUTOR SPECIAL PCR finds out what resellers and retailers really think of the distributors within the channel. We also compile a list of distributors’ profiles for retailers, featuring contact and stock details.

Sector Guides: Apple accessories (Mac/iPhone/iPad), Apple software.

Advertising Deadline September 16th

SEPTEMBER 2015 GAMING SPECIAL PCR takes a look at the state of the PC gaming market and explores how retailers can make more money from the ever-growing sector.

Sector Guides: Gaming accessories and headsets, gaming hardware, desktop cooling and cases, games/download cards.

Advertising Deadline August 17th

NOVEMBER 2015 SECURITY SPECIAL We take a look back on our PCR Women of the Year awards, and prepare for our upcoming Boot Camp North event. We also review the state of the security market this month.

Sector Guides: Security software, security hardware (CCTV), health and fi tness tech.

Advertising Deadline October 15th

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SMART


OUT OF OFFICE

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

Tim Griffin, Dell@TimGAtDell Big day re-launching #Dell@Retail - looking forward to seeing our products on the shelves come September. Standing room only today @ event!

Tim Cook, Apple@tim_cook Enjoy Apple Pay, U.K.! Now live in over 250,000 locations including the London underground

AMD_UK @AMD_UK Stop the press! DreamHack will make its UK debut this year! Would you go? @DreamHack @DreamHackOpen

Sebastian James, Dixons Carphone@DCSebJ Terrific first year and great results from the Dixons Carphone team. Thank you!

Amazon.co.uk @AmazonUK #HappyPrimeDay Deals + #London #PrimeNow #OneHourDelivery = BLISS.

Carl West, GfK @Carl_GB @pcr_online as we have shown #webrooming on the increase. Purchase journey showing convenience over loyalty. Be the expert show the passion

Craig Hume, Utopia Computers@CraigHume@pcr_online Fitted @nest into my home last week. Awesome product. Tactile and intelligent. Utopia loves smart home tech :)

M2M Direct @M2M_Direct M2M Direct retweeted PCR OnlinePowerbanks no.3 on the top tech gadgets this Summer. Charge your Smartphone up to 3x with TSST #smart #affordable

Kaspersky UK @kasperskyuk .@pcr_online - Women of the Year 2015 adds new categories and judging panel

Tech Data UK @TechDataUK #iPhone6 is now available at Tech Data UK


THE REMIX Mini claims to be the world’s first ‘true’ Android PC.

Powered by the Remix OS, the tiny PC is priced at $30 (£19). It allows users to work with the Android app ecosystem as well as access PC features such as a taskbar and multiple window multi-tasking.

It’s eco-friendly, too, using just 10 watts to power the desktop. The Remix Mini is also powered by a 64-bit chipset and promises to

deliver up to 20 to 30 per cent better performance than its 32-bit rivals.

The mini PC is being offered with either 1GB RAM

and 8GB storage, or 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. It has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in investment on Kickstarter.

CROWDFUNDING CORNER

IN THE

HOT SEAT Kriss Akabusi MBE

PCR talks to the MBE, former athlete and gold medal winner at the 2015 Synaxon conference, where he gave a motivational talk to members and partners…What was your first computer or earliest memory around technology?I can’t remember the name of my first computer, but what I remember is, when you booted it up, the screen turned yellow. And it took ages to warm up. It would go from yellow and slowly to blue. Then it would come up with MS DOS. And then the computer would go ‘clack clack clack clack clack’!

I remember my first experience on the club intranet was in 1984 at the Olympic Games. And I was amazed that I could log on in LA and communicate with London through the computer. It was the first intranet we had. It was incredible. I was talking to the British team.

And in fact, when I joined… what am I talking about? When I joined the army in 1975 we had massive great big mainframe computers. They were connected to tape relay machines and fax machines, so you could send a fax and telexes via a computer. They were great big massive things, as big as vehicles.

Apple or Microsoft?Microsoft all day. No no no! What am I talking about? Apple all the time. Apple all the time.

What is your current computer?I’ve got a Mac, I’ve got a Macbook Pro. It’s fantastic. What’s good about this one – see this? (he pulls out a Macbook out of his bag) I carry this with me all the time. It’s a small little thing, my whole world is on here. It’s just

fantastic – and the battery lasts for ages. I don’t take cables around with me anymore – I just use this. You can’t beat a Mac.

Nowadays you’re a motivational speaker. How hard is that considering a lot of people are motivated mainly by money?Zuckerberg wasn’t motivated by money – he was motivated by the connection of Facebook. Jobs wasn’t motivated by money – he was motivated by perfection. He looked at the stuff out there and thought: “I can do better than this. I can offer better than this.” And he did. Money is a byproduct of your passion, purpose and the decisions that you make.

What one piece of advice would you give to PC retailers or resellers looking to improve their business?The saying, ‘the past is for reference, not for residence’ is really important.

Every single moment you’re making decisions and they all determine your destiny. Where I am today is a result of all the decisions I’ve made yesterday. You can’t blame anybody else. All the decisions I made got me to where I am today – and tomorrow may require different decisions. It’s just about awareness.

You never stand still; you’re either moving forwards or going backwards. Rather make a decision and get it wrong or make no decision at all. You can’t sweat over every decision going forward.

THE LAST WORD

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Yasmin Sidhu, sales manager for public sector, education and SMB at Acer UK, explains how classrooms are gradually evolving with technology and why two-in-one devices are increasing in popularity among teachers…

WHILE IT clearly makes an invaluable contribution to education, for it to lead to a sustained change and innovation in teaching and learning, it has to be embedded in educational approaches.

Our approach to the teaching sector is to be as flexible as possible. Both in terms of the actual solutions we develop, but also in our response to the way the classroom-based learning continues to evolve.

Students today may often be more tech savvy than their teacher, so we’re conscious to keep both the students’ and the teaching staff’s requirements in

mind as they interact in these new environments.

The shift from rote learning to collaborative learning means that any device needs to be able to access content and apps reliably. And in settings where each learner has their own device, it is also important for the teacher to be able to supervise the classroom, interact with their students individually or in groups.

Having a management tool, like our Acer Classroom Manager, allows the teacher to set the pace and keep control. Such tools save time by launching applications or websites simultaneously on all classroom PCs beforehand, keeping a record of attendance, monitoring student progress,

and testing students for their understanding.

Many schools and colleges have decided to adopt a multi-platform environment with a combination of Windows, Chrome and iOS – and we don’t see that approach changing in the near future. Our role as a hardware vendor responding to these often complex infrastructures inside schools is to provide a range of Windows and Chrome-based solutions that are innovative and available at an affordable price.

Chromebooks continue to be a popular choice for all learning environments, primary and

secondary schools as well as in further and higher education, as the ease of use and faster connectivity mean lessons can get underway quickly.

Tablets continue to be popular too. However, recently we are starting to see schools opt for newer, more flexible form factors such as the Acer Aspire Switch 10 Windows-based two-in-one, as they can be used more easily in the classroom environment for both content creation and consumption.

However, in terms of the device of choice, flexibility is key. Each learning environment is different and our approach is to help each school find a bespoke solution that worksfor them.

Why flexibility in schools is key

“Students today may often be more tech savvy than their teacher.”

Yasmin Sidhu,Acer

Documents

PCR143 August 2015