68
Whether creating vibrant classroom materials, providing supplement learning activities or running the morning attendance report, HP provides the print supplies to keep schools on track... westcoast.co.uk/imprint FOR THE UK’S PC & TECH COMMUNITY • No. 154 • JULY 2016

PCR154-July 2016

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

 

Citation preview

Page 1: PCR154-July 2016

Whether creating vibrant classroom materials, providing supplement learning activities or running the morning attendance report, HP provides the print supplies to keep schools on track...

westcoast.co.uk/imprint

FOR THE UK’S PC & TECH COMMUNITY • No. 154 • JULY 2016

Page 2: PCR154-July 2016

Vibrant colours in the classroom can improve a child’s ability to learn:

Clear blues increase productivity and keep children calm

Yellow heightens concentration levels

Bold reds and oranges may increase IQ by 12 points

Reading comprehension increased 80% in dyslexic children when blue is present

By using Original Supplies from HP, you can be guaranteed colour prints remain bright, vibrated and extremely high quality.

Page 3: PCR154-July 2016

AS SCHOOLS prepare to break up for the summer, IT resellers, retailers, vendors and distributors are ready for the back to school sales rush.

But this year, things are different. The IT skills gap is still a problem for many employers,

meaning the tech supplied to educational establishments will not only help children learn key IT and coding skills, but inspire them to choose a career in our dynamic and exciting industry.

In this issue, PCR takes a closer look at the key back to

school sales period, from the trends, challenges and opportunities facing channel businesses, to the latest products and services schools are looking for, as well as comment and opinion from industry figures.

Read our analysis on page six, comment on page 14, in-depth feature on page 18 and sector guide on page 44.We also ask whether schools should be teching kids howto build and fix PCs overon page 20.

No. 154 • JULY 2016

30 Under 30PCR’s annual list of emerging talent and channel innovators

32 The big interviewKaspersky Lab’s head of UK retail sales David Mole talks security

26 Computex reviewWe ask resellers what they think of all the announcements

23

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

INSPIRING A GENERATIONAs the back to school period approaches, can the channel close the skills gap?

18

Page 4: PCR154-July 2016
Page 5: PCR154-July 2016

CONTENTS & COMMENT

COMMENT

Follow us @pcr_online

CONTENTSREGULARS6 Analysis: Channel

prepares for back to school

7 Analysis: Can tablet sales

return to growth?

8 Analysis: Infosec Europe

10 Number crunching

13 Appointments

13 Events

14 Opinion

17 PCR Trader Trust: Why

Bing banned tech support ads

42 Reseller Profile: Netitude

42 Gaming column: Consoles

eye virtual reality crown

43 Retailer of the Month:

Eclipse Computers

FEATURES18 Making the most of the

back to school period

20 Should schools teach

system building?

23 Computex 2016 review

26 The Big Interview: David

Mole, Kaspersky Lab

30 How HyperX cracked the

gaming market

32 30 Under 30

40 Terra and Synaxon events

PRODUCTS44 Back to School tech

50 Monitors and TVs

55 Recommended products:

Computex Special

OUT OF OFFICE64 In The Hot Seat: Estelle

Johannes, CompTIA

65 Industry Tweets

66 Team of the Month:

Dell’s UK retail team

The next generationBACK TO school is one of the most important sales periods in the IT channel, but this year it feels more significant than usual.

The revised curriculum introduced two years ago brought coding to the classroom, giving resellers new types of products to focus on, from robotics to mini-computers.

At the same time, teachers and pupils continued to adopt more portable computers, from tablets to convertibles. This trend has developed, with fresh demand for smaller form factor PCs, all-in-ones and even higher-powered systems for more creative work. System builder Zoostorm has reported a rise in sales of those systems to schools – you can read more about that in our education analysis on page six, as well as details of additional credit from Tech Data and Dell’s push into Currys/PC World in time for the school break.

Aside from these developments, the IT skills gap is still a real issue. A friend of mine is a specialist software developer, who, after posting an update online saying he was looking for a new job, was inundated with offers from different companies. They were throwing themselves at him and offering all kinds of incentives, simply because there aren’t enough people with specific IT skills available.

The children in school today that are working online, coding and growing up among the digital generation – who will hopefully fill that skills gap in years to come – can really prosper with the right IT infrastructure and setup at their school.

On that note, IT resellers have the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than just another back to school period – they can help provide for and inspire the next generation of IT experts that will shape our channel for decades to come. As well as this, should schools be teaching kids how to actually build and repair PCs? We explore that issue on page 20.

Speaking of talented youngsters, we’ve put together our annual 30 Under 30 list of rising stars in the UK IT channel, over on page 32.

Finally, don’t forget to check out our education opinion pieces on page 14, a more in-depth feature on page 18 and the latest back to school products to stock on page 44.

Dominic Sacco, [email protected]: 1742-8440

www.pcr-online.biz

“Resellers have the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than just another back to school period – they can help inspire the next generation of IT experts.”

Editorial: 01992 515306Advertising: 0207 354 6000

NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

Incorporating

MEET THE TEAM

Jason DowieProduction [email protected]

Dominic SaccoEditor [email protected]@Dom_Sacco

Laura BarnesOnline [email protected]@RoraDrum

Andrew WoodenInteractive Entertainment Content [email protected]@pcr_online

Sarah GoldhawkAccount [email protected]@sarzgoldhawk

Dan [email protected]

Page 6: PCR154-July 2016

ANALYSIS

6 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

IT BUSINESSES are preparing for the annual back to school spending rush, as educational establishments close in July for the summer break.

While this has always been an important selling period in the IT trade calendar, this year it seems even more significant than usual.

Distributor Tech Data is providing more than 4,000 of its customers with additional credit (in excess of £150 million) to help them drive sales growth. It’s also providing extended payment terms to resellers targeting the education sector with audiovisual solutions, as schools upgrade their classrooms and infrastructure during the summer holidays.

The firm revealed that during the months of June and July, 50 per cent or more of orders from education are made up of products sold by Maverick,

Tech Data’s specialist audiovisual business

Andy Gass, MD at Tech Data UK and Ireland, says: “Tech Data puts the customer first and this is a great example how we are doing more to help them grow their business. The extended payment terms will give public sector-focused resellers the chance to maximise their potential in the peak buying period for education.”

Elsewhere, Dell has signed an agreement with Currys/PC World, which will stock the Dell XPS, Inspiron and Alienware ranges in its stores “to bring further choice to customers, particularly in the lead up to the back to school period”.

In addition, system builder Zoostorm says it’s seeing a rise in demand for certain products from schools.

Mark Wallwork, head of B2B at Zoostorm, tells PCR: “A

larger commitment from schools in ICT has led to increased interest in student admission and therefore larger class sizes.

“Larger class sizes demand quieter devices with smaller footprints and improved efficiency. This has led to a dramatic increase in ultra-small form factor systems with solid state drives, allowing suites to have more PCs in the same classroom with less noise and heat but with increased performance.

“It has also breathed new life in to the traditional all-in-one PC systems with their increased power and efficiency, seeing a rise in units ordered year on year.

“The rise in the number of Academies is leading to a more varied curriculum. This is in turn leading to a rise in demand for higher powered systems capable of crunching large amounts of data and

handling design work.”He adds: “There is pressure

on schools to use equipment for much longer than they used to. A few years ago they were happy with a three-year lifecycle but now they are on five-year or even seven-year refresh cycles so they want to see equipment that is built to last and has a warranty to match.

“All in all, the future of IT in education is very exciting. The introduction of VR to the wider masses and the reduction in cost of the equipment, coupled with the commitment from vendors such as Intel to include VR ready CPUs across their stack, makes this a space to watch and get involved. Are virtual classrooms just around the corner? Time will tell.”Read more about the back to school period in our opinion section on page 14 and our feature on page 18.

Channel ready for busy back to school periodTech Data is offering £150m in additional credit, Dell has signed a deal with Currys/PC World and dealers are getting ready for new school demands. Dominic Sacco looks at how the back to school market is still as important as ever…

“The future of IT in education is very exciting. The introduction of VR to the wider masses and the reduction in cost of the equipment makes this a space to watch.”

Mark Wallwork,Zoostorm

READ THE LATEST STORIES ATPCR-ONLINE.BIZ

The likes of Tech Data MD Andy Gass (left) and Dell UK’s Jamil Nathoo (right) are preparing for the back to school rush

Page 7: PCR154-July 2016

THERE’S NO denying that the tablet boom is over, but some analysts expect the sector to see a resurgence in the coming years.

Global tablet shipments are expected to decline in 2016 for the second straight year, dropping 9.6 per cent compared to 2015 volumes, according to IDC.

But after a few more years of decline, IDC expects a ‘slight rebound’ in 2018, driven by detachable tablet growth. The detachable category currently accounts for around 16 per cent of the PC market – and IDC reckons it will jump to almost a third (31 per cent) in 2020. IDC also estimates that more than 100

million slate tablets will ship annually through to 2020.

The main driver for this is the low cost associated with smaller screen slate devices. Slate tablets with screen sizes less than nine inches had an average selling price of $183 in 2015 and IDC expects this to decline to $157 in 2020.

The likes of Dell, Acer and ASUS showcased new detachable devices at the recent Computex show, driving new innovation in the category (see page 23 for retailer reaction and page 55 for our product roundup).

With more vendors focusing on this segment, this has resulted in increased product offerings.

Many traditional PC manufacturers have assumed the detachable category to be a natural extension of the PC market and perhaps assumed it would be theirs to capture, but they are competing with a slew of new manufacturers that have created their market from smartphone and slate tablet growth.

“The detachable tablet segment is also considered by some manufacturers, like Apple, as a way to spur replacement cycles of the existing slate tablet installed base,” says IDC tablets research director Jean Philippe Bouchard. “One reason why the slate tablet market is experiencing a

decline is because end users don’t have a good enough reason to replace them, and that’s why productivity-centric devices like detachable tablets are considered replacement devices for high-end larger slate tablets.”

Ryan Reith, program VP at IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers, adds: “In many emerging markets the only computing device for many will be a mobile device, whether that is a small screen tablet, smartphone, or both. This is the main reason why, despite all the hype that the detachable category receives, we believe cheaper slate tablets fill an important void.”

Can tablet sales returnto growth?

Industry analyst IDC expects a rebound in two years, with detachables set to make up one third of the PC market by 2020. Dominic Sacco explores the state of the challenged tablet category…

ANALYSIS

News BytesMAJORS URGED TO OFFER LIVING WAGEScottish computer repair chain SimplyFixIt is now paying staff the Living Wage.

Scott Wilkinson, the firm’s business development manager said: “We hope to see the tech big boys follow suit. If a company like ours – with eight shops and 35 staff – can do this, it would be heartening to see the likes of Apple and PC World also support the Living Wage.”

RAKUTEN TO CLOSERetail marketplace Rakuten.co.uk has told sellers that it is considering plans to close. Rakuten has started to talk with employees around the closure of both the operation and the Cambridge office, and it anticipates the marketplace will no longer accept new purchases after the end of August 2016.

RECORD TURNOVER AT SENNHEISER The Sennheiser Group has reported record turnover for its fiscal 2015. Total turnover rose by 7.5 per cent to €682.2 million, while profit before taxes was €30.3 million.

MICROSOFT SET TO ACQUIRE LINKEDINMicrosoft has announced it will acquire online business network LinkedIn in a deal worth $26.2 billion. The companies said in a joint statement that LinkedIn ‘will retain its distinct brand, culture and independence’. Jeff Weiner will remain CEO of LinkedIn, reporting to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

DRAM PRICES TO STABILIZEThe DRAM market is in the midst of a long-term slump and the average contract selling price has suffered 19 consecutive months of decline. DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, reports that suppliers are ‘under enormous cost pressure’, but predicts that market demand will pick up in the third quarter.

HYPERX IN HIGH STREET RETAIL PUSHKingston’s PC gaming hardware brand HyperX has partnered with Maplin as part of a new retail strategy. The electronics chain will become the first HyperX peripherals retail partner in the UK, starting in 124 stores.

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016| 7

‘Tough decisions’ ahead as Enta trims categoriesIT DISTRIBUTOR Entatech has cut its product divisions from nine to four as it continues to evolve and adapt.

Its brands will now fall into the following areas: PC Components & Gaming, Systems & Peripherals, Networking & Connected Home, and Retail & Software.

While Enta has announced new distribution partnerships

in recent months, like its deal with software vendor SoftMaker, its long-running partnership with Fujitsu has come to a close. It has also devised a series of campaigns to share its vision with resellers. These will run on its new website at Entaonline.com and through webinars.

“My vision with Entatech is to drastically sharpen the

focus and only compete in areas where we have a significant and demonstrable competence in the eyes of the customer,” said MD Dave Stevinson. “I believe what we don’t do is currently more important than what we are doing – and that will involve some very tough decisions.”

These are the latest developments at Entagroup,

following the launch of its white label cloud service Entacloud, and other divisions such as Entadata.

In February, Enta settled a court case between its former owner’s business Changtel Solutions and HMRC. It also passed ownership to Stevinson Capital Limited - a company fundamentally controlled by Dave Stevinson.

READ THE LATEST STORIES ATPCR-ONLINE.BIZ

Page 8: PCR154-July 2016

INFOSECURITY EUROPE was back for another jam-packed show in London in June, with the three-day event featuring a host of vendors and service providers from across the security sector.

As always, the show offered attendees a chance to learn about the biggest security threats and the latest products and services to combat them.

PCR went along to London’s Olympia to chat to exhibitors about some of the biggest challenges they’re facing in the security industry right now – and what they think the future of the threat landscape looks like.

We noticed that the theme of better educating consumers and businesses about security risks was prominent this year.

“In the past there’s been a lot of talk about the latest threat or exploit, and what was the new defence. But this year there’s a lot more strategic thinking about security,” Blue Coat’s director of security strategy Robert Arandjelovic told PCR. “People are thinking more at a

strategic level and not thinking at a product level anymore. That’s really good to see and it’s definitely the way forward.”

After detailing how people are buying DIY ransomware kits – which means anyone can fill out a few forms, press a button and have their own strain of ransomware – Bitdefender’s senior e-threat analyst Bogdan Botezatu revealed that ransomware hackers are making around $1 billion every six months.

“Now our mission is not just to protect and prevent the infection, but to educate the user about what to do when they fall victim to ransom,” said Botezatu.

“What we’re trying to make people understand is that backups are critical. If your computer has fallen victim to ransomware, you can restore from backup and get all your information back – and you wont’t help the cybercriminals earn their money.

“Ransomware businesses will end when they’re not making enough money. If they become unfeasible they

go away. It’s very simple,” he said.

This echoes the views of Kapsersky’s new head of retail, David Mole.

“We as an organisation – and we as an industry – need to do a better job of educating consumers,” said Mole during this issue’s ‘Big Interview’ on page 26.

“Consumers need to understand what malware is and what phishing is. One of the objectives for us is to turn that terminology into a more consumer friendly thing.”

Back to Infosec 2016, some of the other hot topics were future trends and the Internet of Things. Darktrace’s director of cyber security Philippa Cogswell told PCR that she thinks more vendors should build better security directly into their IoT and connected home products.

“I do think security should be built into things and should be part of the process of designing things. It’s a concern for everybody,” said Cogswell.

“IoT and the connected home is an interesting one.

That’s an area where good built-in security is very important.”

Charles Reed, director of OneLogin, told us that he believes more companies will be moving to cloud-only environments in the near future.

“Over the coming years, we’re going to see companies of all sizes getting rid of their on-premise directory and just going on the cloud,” said Reed.

“Ultimately, where possible, businesses will just buy a cloud service that they don’t have to look after, and just use it as they need it.”

Bitdefender’s Botezatu predicted that in the near future we will see malware move away from computers and start to target medical appliances.

“How would you like your pacemaker to be held at ransom and if you don’t hand over the money, you can’t use it? Or worse, the hackers could misuse it.”

If that terrifying thought doesn’t force you to get clued up on cyber security, we don’t know what will.

ANALYSIS

“Our mission is not just to protect and prevent the infection, but to educate the user about what to do when they fall victim to ransom.”

Bogdan Botezatu,Bitdefender

8 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

READ THE LATEST STORIES ATPCR-ONLINE.BIZ

Infosec Europe 2016 highlights need for greater education in security spaceThe security event at London’s Olympia offered attendees a chance to learn about the biggest threats out there, with this year having a stronger focus on educating customers. Laura Barnes rounds up the key info from the show…

Page 9: PCR154-July 2016
Page 10: PCR154-July 2016

STATS

Number

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

Western European shipments of ultraslim convertibles and detachables rose by 44.7 per cent in Q1 2016.

(IDC)

44.7%

10 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Kaspersky solutions protected almost half a million users and corporate

customers worldwide from crypto-ransomware last year.

(Kaspersky Lab)

By the end of 2016 there will be more than 10 million wearable devices in use in the UK.

(CCS Insight)

10m443,920

Apple is expected to raise the maximum storage capacity of its next iPhone to

256GB, which will likely boost the NAND Flash market.(TrendForce)

256GB

Spend on digital retail marketing is set to

increase from $174 billion in 2015 to $362.1 billion

by 2020.(Juniper Research)

$362bn

PC gaming brand ASUS Republic of Gamers celebrated its 10th anniversary at Computex with a new hardware line-up.

(ASUS)

Microsoft is ‘streamlining’ its smartphone hardware business, which will impact up to 1,850 jobs.

(Microsoft)

1,850

Page 11: PCR154-July 2016

BROTHER SCANNERS

BRINGING PAPER TO LIFE

WHEN YOUR SCANNER IS CONNECTED, EVERYONE IS CONNECTED

Make light work of converting paper documents into digital copies with Brother’s ADS-3600W document scanner.

Networked and wireless ready, the ADS-3600W effortlessly connects multiple users to content for simple sharing at the touch of a button.

* Warranty valid June, July and September 2016. T’s & C’s apply.

Order the ADS-3600W document scanner online now:

“A prize scanning package - its fast and versatile with excellent cloud support, at a price SMBs will love”

Page 12: PCR154-July 2016

Delivering Value in DistributionSales Hotline 0871 622 7500

Our promise to you.

Not kept our promise? Please tell us because your feedback will help us to deliver abetter service. You can speak directly to our Managing Director, Rich Marsden

on 07554 455 439 or [email protected]

VIP will always deal with you professionally and courteously | VIP will never leave you with a problem of our own making VIP will always be informative in our communications | VIP will look to support you and grow your business VIP will help educate you about our channel | VIP will always be fair to you

VIP will always be competitive on price

27” IPS panel with Quad HD

NVIDIA G-SyncTM technology

165Hz refresh rate with 4ms response time

Low input lag mode

HDMI and DisplayPort inputs

4 x USB 3.0, fast charge

PC Gaming & HardwareDistributor Award Winner 2016

TAKING GAMING DISPLAYS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

THE NEW AGON 27” GAMING MONITORS

27” TN panel with Quad HD

144Hz refresh rate with ultra fast 1ms response time

FreeSyncTM technology - adaptive sync compatible

VGA, DVI, HDMI, MHL and DisplayPort inputs

4 x USB 3.0, fast charge

Low input lag mode

AG271QX AG271QG

ARRI

VING

JUL

Y 20

16

Page 13: PCR154-July 2016

PEOPLE & EVENTS

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 13

Ingram’s former UK boss returns

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

5G WORLDOlympia, LondonJUNE 29TH – 30THWith Long Term Evolution (LTE) now deployed in nearly every major market, operators, vendors and consumers are already looking to 5G to help deliver the services expected in 2020 and beyond. 5G World 2016 will bring together telecom operators, solution providers and IoT specialists to help evolve networks.

VIRTUAL REALITY FOR GLOBAL BRANDSLondonJUNE 30THVirtual Reality for Global Brands is an event designed to bring together top names in branding, marketing and customer engagement from a range of industries to tackle the biggest questions of how to utilise VR, AR and immersive technology.

MICROSOFT WORLDWIDE PARTNER CONFERENCEToronto, CanadaJULY 10TH – 14THThe Worldwide Partner Conference brings together more than 15,000 attendees from around the globe for a week of networking and learning – all with the goal of increasing partner profi tability and accelerating business growth.

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

FUTUREFEST 2016Tobacco Dock, LondonSEPTEMBER 17TH – 18THFutureFest is a weekend festival of ideas, talks and interactive performances aimed at inspiring people to change the future. The weekend festival will be full of immersive experiences, performances and radical speakers to excite and challenge perceptions of the future.

INGRAM MICRO: The distributor has appointed MATT SANDERSON as country chief executive for the UK and Ireland.

Sanderson previously held this role between 2010 and 2013, before becoming VP and MD at Ingram Micro Australia. He replaces outgoing UK boss BRENT

MCCARTY, who is returning to the US to lead Ingram’s global sales initiative.

“For 40 months, Brent has successfully led a unified strategy across all four business units in a complex market and closed the acquisition of Comms-care,” the distributor said in a statement.

TECH DATA: The supplier has made a number of changes to its consumer electronics product management and retail account management teams.

ROSS TURNER moves across from the PC Systems division to become head of consumer business development and TERESA

JOHNSTON has taken up the role of smart home business development manager (BDM). They join MICHAEL CAIN, BDM for wearables, and A.J. WILES, BDM for print and supplies in the consumer electronics team, under MARK GLASSPOOL, director of consumer product marketing at Tech Data.

CLUB3D: MARCEL VAN STEIJN has replaced GERJAN BLONET as the UK sales executive at graphics card and accessory vendor Club3D.

As well as the UK, he is also responsible for sales in the Netherlands, Belgium and the Nordics.

“I am looking forward to having a sales focus on the UK

territory,” he told PCR. “With USB3.1 Gen2 and Thunderbold3 coming into the market with the USB Type C connector, there will be many questions about compatibility, as well as demand for quality products that are able to support the features that come along with it.”

EXPONENTIAL-E: The cloud provider has grown its channel sales management team with LIAM MONTAGUE and DAVID YATES becoming channel sales team leaders.

Montague will be responsible for expanding and building Exponential-e’s relationships with partners of all sizes, and heading up the

team’s sales strategy. Yates will be leading the development of the channel referral team.

“Exponential-e’s sales academy gave me a unique platform to work with an ambitious team and develop a strong career vision that matches my personal goals,” said Montague.

THE CHANGE ORGANISATION: The distributor has appointed ADRIAN BARNARD as its new CEO.

“I wanted to become a fundamental member of The Change Organisation as it is a great opportunity to work with a first-class firm staffed by first-class people.

“It’s my ambition to increase the sales margins and reshape the sales structure of this superb company to help raise its profile by introducing it to the wider customer-base it deserves,” said Barnard, who founded ICT firms Modern Communications and Prime Networks.

Matt Sanderson

Mark Glasspool

Marcel Van Steijn

Liam and David

Adrian Barnard

Page 14: PCR154-July 2016

MOST MODERN schools are on board with the benefits of technology in education. Studies from the British Education Suppliers Association (BESA) suggest that pupils in England could miss out if schools have inadequate Wi-Fi, parents get peace of mind from being able to stay in touch, and kids can manage the peer-pressure attached to having their very own smartphone.

Technology may bring with it concerns around the ‘dark side’ of the online world, but this is an opportunity for retailers to shine, offering invaluable advice on how to protect schools, parents and their children from digital dangers.

Children have a penchant for being inquisitive and are far more likely to run into trouble online. Alongside antivirus protection, parental controls on a smartphone allow parents to monitor messages, calls, photos and installed apps. Devices can also be remotely located, locked or wiped.

With children now using a home computer for schoolwork, this also needs to be well protected, virus-free and offer parents a degree of control. A security suite can protect against viruses, offer powerful parental controls, a spamfilter and a safe browsing component to prevent families from stumbling across malicious websites.

These are all opportunities for retailers to help educate and inform in areas of digital security that could pose very real problems for modern-

day parents and their children. The UK Government’s National Education Network outlines 10 important steps to protect a school’s network, including:

Ensuring a firewall is in place, as well as filters for malicious and inappropriate content.

Technical protection to detect and prevent malware and malicious code.

Protection against sources such as email attachments, social media and malicious websites.

Control over the use of removable devices such as flash drives that could spread malware. This is another opportunity for retailers to seek opportunities to help.

Security software with identity and social media protection can monitor the use of websites and flag inappropriate content, and with malware protection and tools like safe browsing and a spamfilter, schools can tick many of these boxes in one go.

Tablets used in classrooms can also benefit from parental controls to monitor behaviour and antivirus. Schools can benefit hugely from data backup too – automating backups for children’s work can avoid headaches and simplify scenarios where a tablet may need to be ‘wiped’ to provide a new class with a clean slate.

The digital revolution means there’s even more to do to prepare for a new term, but by providing assistance at each stage, retailers can win valuable customers and help relieve the stress of the school year.

“Children have a penchant for being inquisitive and are far more likely to run into trouble online.”

Steve Hicks,BullGuard

THE RISE of technology has brought power, data, control, order and increased efficiency to commercial organisations both large and small.

Schools and colleges, increasingly subject to the same kind of financial accountability and with considerably more freedom to operate than before, now represent a new opportunity for tech suppliers. One way to take advantage of this is for education market specialists to partner with experts in new technologies.

For those who remember the introduction of the whiteboard, considered a revolutionary event in its time, the current rate of adoption of new technologies in schools must be a matter of wonder. The launch of the iPad in 2010 enabled students and teachers to create unique opportunities for personal learning at every level. Tablets have become a bridge of information and today’s children are born into a world of ‘digital immersion’ through the power of touch, motion and sound. BBC reported in 2014 on a study of new technology use in 671 state and independent schools – almost 70 per cent were regularly using tablets and numbers were predicted to more than double between 2014 and 2016, from 430,000 to 900,000.

As large groups of learners gather the ubiquitous availability of phone, tablets and data loggers, this creates a market for ancillary, storage and

functional products. Companies with a smart, responsive approach to business and an in-depth knowledge of the education sector are reacting to this rapidly growing demand. Gratnells, for example, has applied its expertise in providing storage systems, good order and management of physical space to this area.

Products such as PowerTrays and PowerTrolleys continuously analyse the appetite for power from digital devices, responding with an optimised rate of charge and syncing between them to produce a complete management system,

besides offering secure, efficient storage and availability.

Where the technical skillset of students often surpasses that of the teachers and lecturers, the need for elements of good stewardship and control remain paramount. Product

innovations such as these deliver all the benefits of digital resources while retaining proper accountability for equipment, along with ‘regulated’ access and guaranteed readiness of the devices.

Where insightful marketing can be allied to high quality product development, the education sector is ripe for providers to expand and grow their business, delivering the benefits of the digital revolution to a group of eager and willing users who will become tomorrow’s consumers.

“The iPad enabled students and teachers to create unique opportunities for learning.”

Richard Picking,Gratnells

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

Richard Picking is international marketing director at specialist supplier Gratnells.www.gratnells.com

BullGuard says the rise of technology has done nothing to ease the pressure of the ‘back to school’ period. Head of global sales Steve Hicks advises how to get schools and parents to keep their tech in check…

The education sector offers PC and tech providers a chance to grow and diversify business, says Richard Picking, international marketing director at specialist supplier Gratnells…

Protecting pupils from digital dangers

OPINION

New techadoption is key

14 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Page 15: PCR154-July 2016

OPINION

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 15

CREATING a dependable wireless network to accommodate the exponential growth in devices and applications is vital in education.

Ease of use is important too, as teachers don’t particularly want to have to worry about the wireless network and its technicalities, other than turning it on and knowing it will be reliable for a class of up to 30 pupils. They want a school’s wireless network to run seamlessly, utilised without a second thought, so anything that IT experts can do to make the whole process as seamless as possible is welcomed.

For this reason it is essential for schools to invest in the best network possible. Not only is ‘Bring Your Own Device’ becoming more prevalent in schools, but also the demands and needs of students are now more strenuous on a school’s wireless network, what with homework now often set online, the use of student portals and the ability for students and teachers to connect via the network. This requirement of large amounts of data being shared across the network is reliant on a solid infrastructure at the core, which can cope with the number of devices connecting to it (without impacting the connectivity and speed of the Wi-Fi).

The work D-Link carried out at Canterbury-based Wincheap Foundation Primary School is a good example. Electronic learning has gradually become more embedded within the learning environment, and

as a result, the school now plays host to over 200 connected devices. To manage this sheer volume and traffic, Wincheap upgraded every aspect of its wireless network, resulting in greater speeds that helped to ease congestion and allow more devices to be connected seamlessly.

Meanwhile, in Tower Hamlets, Culloden Primary School required a scalable and future-proof network due to an expanding local population and an increased demand in school places. In similar circumstances to Wincheap, the growing number of devices (including 200 desktops and over 400 laptops) resulted in the school needing a complete overhaul

of its existing wireless network.

Since the school’s network has been upgraded, there have been significant benefits to the children’s learning experience and it has resulted in both staff and pupils being able to access resources far quicker.

Maintaining a reliable and fast network within a school has now become a fundamental factor in creating the optimum learning environment. To ensure this, it’s key to have the correct infrastructure in place when it comes to cabling, switching and access points. With the influence of BYOD in schools set to grow alongside the demand for digital learning, it’s no wonder why it’s essential for schools to implement a robust and reliable network, which presents a major opportunity for dealers.

“The demands and needs of students are now more strenuous on a school’s wireless network.”

Paul Routledge,D-Link

ALTHOUGH teachers, parents, school governing bodies, Ofsted and central Government have all been looking to lead the charge when it comes to e-safety education, as of yet no one party has taken formal ownership of the issue.

Currently, e-safety education remains a grey area in schools. And this lack of clarity around online safety best practice is putting teachers in a tricky situation, both when it comes to meeting the technology and IT guidelines of the new curriculum, and also keeping children safe and secure on these connected devices.

Until a time comes when a unified approach to e-safety education is adopted, it’s important that teachers in the UK take responsibility for installing a culture of online safety education in their classroom. If you’re unsure how to go about doing this, our top tips below are a good place to start.

Educate children about the internet. It sounds simple but educating pupils about the internet is step one in making sure they remain safe when online. Setting simple ground rules about the dangers of clicking on suspicious links, oversharing and talking to strangers online – in the same way that teachers would set boundaries about general behaviour in the classroom – will help pupils with online etiquette.

Become an expert. If a school doesn’t have funding in place to support e-safety training, there are plenty of free resources online to help them and their colleagues make sense of online safety. Get Safe Online and Cyber Street Wise are just a few of the organisations we have been working with to help teachers instill a culture of e-safety education in the classroom.

Change their perception of the online world. Children often struggle to see the implications or severity of their actions online – one example of this is cyber-bullying. It’s important you encourage pupils to

view the online world as an extension of their real world. This means anything they wouldn’t do or say in the real world they shouldn’t be doing online. To help change perceptions, get them to asking themselves the following questions: Would I do or say this

in the school playground? Would I share this information or secret with my friends?

Keep security software up to date. When setting up a classroom, make sure all devices that allow pupils access to the internet – smartphones, tablets and PCs – are equipped with age-appropriate security software and privacy filters. With multiple threats now facing children online, it’s important to adopt the right level of security software.

“The lack of clarity around online safety is putting teachers in a tricky situation.”

Nick Shaw,Norton

Paul Routledge is D-Link’s UK and Ireland country manager.www.dlink.com/uk

Nick Shaw is Norton’s EME vice president of sales and marketing.uk.norton.com

Paul Routledge, D-Link’s UK and Ireland country manager, argues why it’s essential for schools to invest in the best network possible…

The lack of clarity around online safety best practice is putting teachers in a tricky situation, says Nick Shaw, Norton’s EME VP of sales and marketing…

E-safety inthe classroom

The demand for robust networks

Page 16: PCR154-July 2016
Page 17: PCR154-July 2016

IN MAY, Microsoft announced changes to its Bing ad policy, revealing that all third-party tech support adverts are now banned – whether they are from legitimate firms or not.

Microsoft claims that most of the ads for third-party tech support are actually scams. It seems that the percentage is so high, that it is easier to get rid of them all, rather than dealing with each individual case.

The official revision states: “Bing Ads disallows the promotion of third-party online technical support services to consumers because of serious quality issues that can impact end user safety.”

Microsoft has stated that the policy change reflects the firm’s commitment to ‘lead the industry in providing a safer experience for all of our end users, including populations most vulnerable to online scams and other fraud activities’.

Bing has reported that in 2015, it rejected 250 million ads, blocked 50,000 sites and banned 150,000 advertisers.

Out of all those figures, more than 15 million adverts and 25,000 sites were

blocked for third-party tech support scams.

While the firm believes that the blanket ban ‘will provide a safer online experience for advertisers and users alike’, what does this mean for legitimate third-party businesses, to whom online advertising is an important part of their strategy?

Following PCR’s original coverage of the blanket ban, third-party support firm

4CornerNetworks got in touch to express its thoughts on the matter.

“We find the move from Bing idiotic. There are hundreds and thousands of genuine tech support providers ranging from small IT consultancies to multi-vendor and ICT providers,” 4CornerNetworks told PCR.

The firm detailed how its own PPC campaigns were stopped when the ban was

enforced, all of which 4CornerNetworks stresses were 100 per cent genuine and legal adverts.

“The blanket ban highlights utter laziness from Bing to implement its policy sensibly,” said the company.

“Considering Bing Ads are inferior to Google AdWords, they cannot afford to implement this blanket and discriminatory ban. The level of service we provide is exceptional and we have dozens and dozens of happy clients to prove it.

“All this policy will do is force people to become more dependent on Google, thus diluting the Bing brand

in a competitive search marketing field,” concluded 4CornerNetworks.

PCR’s Trader Trust campaign aims to promote fairness in the channel, but while we agree that helping vulnerable technology users avoid the huge amount of tech support scams that plague the internet, is it really fair to tarnish all third-party support firms with the same brush?

If we don’t try to weed out the bad guys and shine a light on the good guys, we may find legitimate businesses moving into other areas of the market, and possibly leaving it all together.

Bing’s blanket ban on third-partytech support ads causes upsetWas it wise for Bing to ban all third-party tech support advertisements, regardless of how legitimate some are? Laura Barnes breaks down the reasons behind the move and why one businesses is calling the decision ‘idiotic’…

The problem with big brand bloatwareAFTER SECURITY researchers discovered vulnerabilities in a number of popular laptops, some are questioning whether vendors should take a look at their self-advertising ‘bloatware’.

Duo Security found that laptops from the likes of HP, Acer, Dell, Asus and Lenovo contained flaws allowing

hackers to hijack and compromise the devices in under 10 minutes.

All the laptops tested came with automatic updaters developed by the manufacturers to update system drivers or the BIOs, as well as bloatware.

The researchers discovered that every single

manufacturer’s updater had security vulnerabilities that could potentially put millions of consumers at risk.

Following the discovery, Lee Munson, security researcher for Comparitech.com, had the following to say about ‘bloatware’ pre-loaded onto commercial PCs and

laptops: “For the most part, vendors install bloatware for one of two reasons – to market their own products and services, or to make money from third parties.

“Whether any of it is useful is a matter of opinion but one thing I would say is that, however annoying and potentially risky it may be, it

helps keep PC manufacturing costs down.

“As for whether vendors should be installing bloatware, I’d say ‘no’ on account of the fact that it can pose a security risk, plus the sheer annoyance of it and the impact it can have on a system’s speed and storage space.”

PCR Trader Trust is a campaign designed to promote fair practices in the channel. Email PCR editor Dominic Sacco [email protected] or online editor Laura Barnes at [email protected] with any stories or data you can share.

READ THE LATEST STORIES ATPCR-ONLINE.BIZ

TRADER TRUST

“All this policy will do is force people to become more dependent on Google.”

4CornerNetworks

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 17

Page 18: PCR154-July 2016

How to get an A+ when

BACK TO SCHOOL

Pupils and students might be starting to sense the long summer

holiday approaching (despite being given precious little clue by the weather), but their schools and colleges are already planning, and buying for the next academic year starting in September.

Education is a huge opportunity for IT vendors, distributors and resellers, given the role that ICT plays in both supporting traditional elements of curriculum learning and the importance of developing digital skillsets for tomorrow’s workforce – Microsoft and Google funded a recent study that determined the UK will need an additional 740,000 workers with digital skills by 2017.

But it’s also a notoriously difficult nut to crack for the IT trade, with procurement and spending controlled by a combination of the educational institutions themselves and local councils, with all the layers of bureaucracy that can entail.

Then you have the macro economic climate in education, with budgets strangled by cuts from central Government.

The key to riding these peaks and troughs is to change approach accordingly. ASUS has recently re-aligned its education product focus and teams to support institutions from the pre-sale stage. Indeed, it returned to the Bett Show this year after a four-year absence to showcase the ruggedised Chromebook C202 – designed specifically for the education market.

“With budgets being cut, devices need to be cost-effective, and so does the ecosystem that goes with them – the software, infrastructure and security,” says Natalie Boon, channel marketing specialist at ASUS UK. “The Cloud has helped

support cost-down IT solutions for schools without compromising on manageability or security. Support post-purchase with on-site warranties also makes a huge difference to device longevity and the cost impact on schools.”

TP-LINK, which has been targeting hard-pressed schools with cost-effective wireless networking solutions, has also sought to adapt its approach in light of more austere budgeting.

“The end of the summer term is really the only time school IT managers and directors have to assess where additions are required and start pricing up options for the new academic year,” explains Andy Woolhead, senior VAR account manager at TP-LINK UK. “Resellers are telling us that education IT managers are incredibly concerned about cost and we have responded by creating a 15 per cent discount for our partners to the end of 2016. We’ve also tried to help by offering free networking

surveys to enable education IT departments get the most out of their budgets.”

Discounting in price sensitive areas is clearly an option that vendors and resellers are exploring to good effect. But gaining insight into how schools and councils actually manage their IT budgets and spending can also be invaluable.

Key Finance has been leasing equipment into schools for 25 years, working closely with both the consultants employed by councils to handle tenders, and on direct deals. As such, it is familiar with the behind the scenes machinations – it’s currently seeking partners in the IT trade to offer educational institutions fully-financed IT equipment solutions.

“The vast majority of schools will look to lease their IT equipment,” says Key Finance chairman John Mounsey. “If the first obstacle encountered by an IT supplier is the school having ‘no budget’, then we can partner with the vendor or reseller to

help broker a deal on terms that suit both sides.

“Ultimately, we all want schools to be able to spend as much of their budget as possible on the equipment, rather than financing fees, so we have to be competitive. Our role is to help vendors and resellers close deals, while making sure schools get want they need at the best possible rate.”

Key Finance has written leasing deals with educational institutions and councils worth as little as £1,000 all the way up to £20 million and is comfortable doing so due to the nature of the market.

“State schools in particular can be regarded as relatively low risk as they fall under the same budgetary banner as local government – in the unlikely event that a school is unable to pay for IT equipment it has leased, then the council will step in,” explains Mounsey.

In fact, anecdotal evidence suggests there is pressure on schools to use equipment for much longer than they used

As schools and colleges start their summer buying, PCR looks at the key trends in educational IT procurement…

“With budgets being cut, devices need to be cost-effective, and so does the ecosystem that goes with them.”

Natalie Boon,ASUS UK

18 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Left to right: Andy Woolhead, Daniel Hills and John Mounsey

Page 19: PCR154-July 2016

dealing with schools

BACK TO SCHOOL

to, potentially allowing them to spread the cost even more.

“A few years ago schools were happy with a three-year lifecycle, but now they are on five or even seven-year refresh cycles, so they want to see equipment that is built to last and has a warranty to match,” says Mark Wallwork, head of B2B at system builder Zoostorm.

But despite harsh economics, demand is certainly there. As a specialist IT partner within the education sector, Krome Technologies works with numerous different schools, academies, colleges and universities, utilising the most suitable technologies to help overcome common challenges faced by IT teams.

“As is the case across the public sector as a whole, budgets are tighter than ever, but the reliance on technology is ever increasing,” says Daniel Hills, public sector business manager at Krome Technologies. “The adoption

of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) hasn’t been as forthcoming as originally predicted, with many schools deciding it would put unnecessary pressure on both students and parents. All of which means demand is as strong as ever to supply fixed hardware in the classrooms, such as designated PCs and laptops for students.”

In terms of the type of ICT equipment schools are looking for, Zoostorm’s Wallwork says the trend is towards ultra small form factor systems.

“Larger class sizes demand quieter devices with smaller footprints and improved efficiency, leading to a dramatic increase in systems with solid state drives, allowing suites to have more PCs with increased performance,” he adds. “It has also breathed new life in to the traditional All-in-One PC systems, with their increased power and efficiency, seeing a rise in units ordered year-on-year.”

The trend towards smaller devices is also seen elsewhere, with Boon stating that the most in demand ASUS devices are portable and connected, allowing students and teachers to engage in a variety of environments.

“The classroom is no longer the only place to best educate and interact with children, so allowing them to take their learning tools with them further enables productivity and better performance,” she adds.

This trend also applies to software. In fact, reseller Sweethaven cites Microsoft’s Innovative Educator Programme as driving a move towards a teaching model where classes are pupil-led, enabling the teacher to spend more direct time with the children rather than at the front of the classroom. But it’s not just about what Microsoft can provide.

“Use of Office 365 means that pupils can authenticate with the cloud and allow

other programmes to form part of the collaborative network created,” says Martin Byrne, head of tech at Sweethaven Education Services. “The creation of a unified single sign-on system also enables pupils to link in to Google apps via this set up, thus facilitating wider access within a controlled environment.”

Such possibilities mean the teaching staff and students both require training, which presents vendors and resellers with more opportunities to engage with schools.

“Just like with hardware, software like Office 365 should be properly set up and training provided to ensure all are making the most of its potential,” adds Byrne. “This presents a huge opportunity for upselling fixed price migration packages, with the potential for bolt-ons including training, integration with other services and devices – and the creation of a whole virtual learning environment.”

“Schools want to see equipment that is built to last and has a warranty to match.”

Mark Wallwork,Zoostorm

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 19

Page 20: PCR154-July 2016

Who are the PC builders of tomorrow?

BACK TO SCHOOL

OVER THE past few years, schools have been teaching

children computer programming skills as part of a revised curriculum.

While this helps meet a greater need today for coding, app and software development, what about the hands-on engineering skills and the hardware side of IT?

Recent reports suggest young people in Britain have become a ‘lost generation’ who can’t mend gadgets, household appliances, do basic DIY or even garden, because of the disposable ‘quick-fix’ world we live in. But so what? That’s good news for PC repairers, right? For now it is, potentially, but in 20 years’ time who’s going to be fixing PCs and running the break-fix businesses of tomorrow?

Clifford Johnson, the founder of Poole-based independent retailer PCs Made Simple, runs regular Young System Builder workshops which teach parents and children how to make a working PC and put

the parts together. Each workshop pack includes an ESD strap, clip, a full set of tools, a case, motherboard, RAM, CPU and heatsink. After building their PC, participants can buy it for £99 – otherwise it’s stripped down and prepared for the next workshop.

Johnson doesn’t just host these events because he wants to help others – but because he wants to close the IT skills gap and to grow the talent pool for the future.

He tells PCR: “What scares me is both of my youngest two do programming at school, but they never learn about the bare metal.

“We’re going to have two or three generations of people that can program computers like gods, but can’t fix them or build them. There’s a big, big gap in the UK engineering industry.”

Last year, CompTIA’s International Workforce Trends Study found that the gap is negatively affecting staff productivity, customer services, innovation and speed to market.

Graham Hunter, CompTIA’s EME VP of skills certification, says: “The fact that organisations are ever more reliant on technology means that they are having to find an increasing number of IT staff with a vaster range of skills. Ensuring we have diverse and multi-skilled talent coming through our education system is more important than ever.”

In recent years, the UK education system has moved away from the basic ‘IT’ skills of the past – using word processors and spreadsheets – to computer programming, coding and robotics, paving the way for the future. A new coding curriculum came into play back in September 2014, partly to help close the gap between the number of jobs requiring specific skills and the people qualified to fill them.

Mini-computer products like the Raspberry Pi have made strides in education, but again, it’s mainly around coding. As PCR understands it, schools currently don’t have any plans to focus more on engineering or PC hardware.

One primary school teacher explains anonymously: “The curriculum doesn’t focus on making computers, but the skills you need to use them.

“We don’t do anything on the engineering side. There has been talks of this but it hasn’t really happened. With all the focus on English and Maths, the Government isn’t really focused on the practical side – they don’t see the construction side important. They were supposed to do more around design and tech lessons in secondary schools too, but these plans are apparently being squeezed out due to cuts.”

CompTIA’s Hunter adds: “Schools should be teaching students as many IT skills as possible, both engineering and programming focused.

“The more that students learn in the education system, the more prepared they will be to find jobs in a range of professions. Companies can also offer apprenticeships – we should remember not to overlook this important source of talent.”

With reports suggesting young people in Britain form a ‘lost generation’ that can no longer mend gadgets, garden or do DIY, and the Government focusing on computer programming, what does this mean for the next generation of PC builders? Should schools teach children how to put computers together? Dominic Sacco investigates…

“Ensuring we have diverse and multi-skilled talent coming through our education system is more important than ever.”

Graham Hunter, CompTIA

Kids learn robotics at a Tablet Academy workshop backed by Ebuyer and Microsoft, but what about PC parts?

20 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Page 21: PCR154-July 2016
Page 22: PCR154-July 2016
Page 23: PCR154-July 2016

Builds, books and bots

COMPUTEX REVIEW

The Computex 2016 trade show in Taiwan once again impressed with a plethora of new tech, from virtual reality backpacks to ‘magnetic levitation’ fans and even a $599 robot from ASUS. Dominic Sacco asks system integrators, retailers and industry execs what they think about the biggest announcements from this year’s show…

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 23

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR GAMING AND VRVIRTUAL REALITY was one of the core themes from this year’s show in Taipei, of course. AMD announced its Radeon RX 480 GPU built for PC VR experiences; ARM revealed the Cortex-A73 and Mali-G71 VR-ready mobile chips.

MSI even showcased a cool VR PC backpack that aims to solve cabling issues, and impressed further with its VR-ready GT83/GT73 Titan SLI laptops and Vortex desktop.

ASUS stole the show with the ROG Avalon concept – a cube-shaped system that allows the user to easily change the components by sliding out a tray. Then there was Overclockers’ $20,000 OrionX, an extreme gaming rig at the very top of the market.

PC COMPONENT INNOVATIONSINTEL ANNOUNCED the i7 processor Extreme Edition, the company’s most powerful desktop processor ever featuring 10 cores. It also showed off the Xeon processor E3-1500 v5 product family.

AMD unveiled its Zen CPU, which has 8 Cores with 16 threads, and its 7th Generation AMD A-Series mobile Accelerated Processing Units (APUs).

Elsewhere, Corsair showed off a new range of magnetic levitation technology fans, DDR4 memory and the Hydro GFX GeForce GTX 1080 with MSI.

A whole host of new motherboards were also on show.

“VR is a technology that will transform every aspects of our lives, from entertainment and

gaming to training and holding virtual meetings.

“Its potential usage is only just being realised. MSI’s backpack PC is a valiant attempt at bypassing the current problems of being cable tethered to a PC, but we don’t feel it’s particularly elegant.”Ben Miles, Chillblast

“VR is definitely something that we want to bring in. Unfortunately it’s a bit difficult in the UK

[to get the stock]. I think the backpacks could be successful. It’s definitely something we’d want to look at and listen to our customers to see if they’re interested in it.”Maria Malageac, Mesh Computers

“I think bearing in mind the cost, VR is specialist. It’s too much money for people to spend

online and too much of an investment for the nationals to take on board, so I think there’s a gap there for indies. Regarding the backpack, why don’t they make VR wireless? And will it sit on a desk –

can you use that backpack as an everyday computer? It looks fantastic but gimmicky. I think the way forward for VR is wireless.”Richard Alford, Black Bear Computers

“For me, VR was the biggest thing at Computex. I was surprised to

see all the known stands like MSI and ASUS all showing a lot of VR products.

“The backpack is brilliant – what a great idea. It’s great that a lot of new motherboards and components are coming out, but I think the real innovation has been VR. It’s superb – it’s made me excited again.”CK, Yoyotech

“A lot happened in the industry in the run up to Computex: Nvidia launched the

Pascal-based GTX 1080 and Intel launched the Broadwell E, both being significant launches. The regular channel vendors always save something to launch at Computex which is always exciting to see.”Peter Davies, Scan Computers

“To me I think the future of gaming is no longer in components, it’s in solutions – people

want a working product now. Graphics cards and motherboards are starting to look similar. RGB seems to be the USP for upcoming motherboards, which I find a bit bizarre, because I want performance not RGB lights. It’s a gimmick. Specification and value for money will be key in components going forwards.”CK, Yoyotech

“The new products we saw in the confidential Cooler Master area for clients were

impressive, they have some exciting products coming out this year. We were also very impressed by some of the new lifestyle case products from Cryorig, and of course, the GTX 1080-powered virtual reality exhibits at the NVIDIA stand.”Ben Miles, Chillblast

“I love Overclockers for building that PC and showing off what can be done in a flashy way. If

you break it down by component and look how much time they spent putting it together, it’s quite good value for money. It’s a lovely PC.”Craig Hume, Utopia Computers

“There is a big drive for quieter components - we’re looking forwards to the Be Quiet liquid

cooler range coming soon. More people are asking for near silent solutions.” Richard Alford, Black Bear Computers

Page 24: PCR154-July 2016

COMPUTEX REVIEW

24 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

WILL ROBOTS REACH THE MAINSTREAM?ROBOTICS WERE another interesting and emerging theme at Computex 2016. ASUS unveiled its ZenBo robot, which is designed to help users around the home, remind them of appointments, dance and tell children stories. It will be priced at $599 but a launch date has not yet been confirmed.

The president of Taiwan also spoke to ZenBo at the event, while another robot, Pepper, presented the Computex design and innovation awards. But will robots be a hit in the tech retail channel?

MOBILITY AND THE NEW WAVE OF ULTRAPORTABLESNOTEBOOKS AND 2-in-1s are still very much ‘in’ – and vendors reflected that with a host of new product announcements.

Acer revealed two 10-inch 2-in-1 notebooks designed for students and budget-conscious families: the Acer Switch V 10 and Acer Switch One 10. Plus, Dell featured new Inspiron 2-in-1 notebooks, from the 7000 17-inch to the 11 3000 for family users and the more powerful 5000 series.

But ASUS stole the show again with the ZenBook 3 – a sleek new notebook thinner than the Apple MacBook, as well as the Transformer 3 and Transformer 3 Pro which are set to rival Microsoft’s Surface. In addition, the Transformer Mini is a tiny tablet with a keyboard.

”I think it’s a very ambitious thing and we should all say bring it on, because we need to see

some robots in our life, right! I think it’s about time for robots, I like the concept and it needs to come out. I can see myself selling this. It’s all about solutions and experiences for the end user, it’s no longer about a keyboard and mouse, it’s about changing the lifestyle. We’ve been talking about robotics for years, and it will eventually come into play.”CK, Yoyotech

“I think there’s a brilliant opportunity here. Look at Apple – Steve Jobs knew a lot about the

devices he wanted to bring out, but knew it was too early to launch. He waited until he had something of real value. I think this may also be the case with robotics.”Craig Hume, Utopia Computers

“I think it’s a fantastic toy but it’s too limited in its uses. I’d imagine it will only work on a

single storey, so how much use is it actually? It’s fine as a children’s toy or a gimmicky thing in the shop, because it encourages people to talk to you, but for the home I don’t think we’re there yet. It’s basically an iPad that talks to you – why do we need a whole robot doing that?” Richard Alford, Black Bear Computers

“The limit, as usual, was with the quality of the voice recognition. Even with a highly

scripted exhibit, the ZenBo frequently got confused. Until technologies of really reliable voice recognition become available, these kinds of products will be niche, early adopter solutions. The hardware in the ZenBo was fairly impressive however, and we can see it being useful for those with restricted mobility. How it climbs stairs is also a major question for UK households!”Ben Miles, Chillblast

“I wouldn’t say the public is really prepared for something like that at the moment. I’m

not sure if it will be successful or popular just yet. For now I will not be stocking this, but in the future that could change.”Maria Malageac, Mesh Computers

”Those type of products are big in the John Lewis space. From an independent retail

perspective we will get customers coming in looking for a thin ultra-portable computer and we will provide them – as long as they’re available in our channel.”Craig Hume, Utopia Computers

“Exciting new innovative products will be needed and Computex 2016 points to a number

of new developments from reliable vendors such as Acer, ASUS and Dell. Hardware sales will still happen, but the margin will be built from the service wraparound – not the physical products.”Iain Shaw,Brigantia Partners Limited

“The new wave of ultra slim gaming laptop chassis was very impressive – a gaming laptop in an

ultrabook chassis with all-day battery life will be coming to Chillblast’s range very soon.”Ben Miles, Chillblast

Page 25: PCR154-July 2016

COMPUTEX REVIEW

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 25

INDUSTRY TALKS UP IOT AND 5GLOOKING AHEAD to the future, 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) were touted as key areas at Computex.

Intel announced the AnyWAN GRX 750 system-on-a-chip (SoC) family and the 5th Generation 11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi family of products for home gateways. This enables local and cloud-based services, media creation and content sharing for tools including ‘things’ in a person’s home.

Acer also outlined its BeingAware vision powering IoT devices for connected cars, cities and devices (including home appliances).

MODULAR MACHINES AND CUSTOM CASESTHE ‘MAKE it yours’ slogan from Cooler Master has seemingly spread across the industry.

The vendor showed off its MasterCase and MasterConcept 2.0, allowing users to customise their case how they like it. Similarly, Aerocool’s Dream Box modular kit allows users to create a rectangular case, a helicopter themed PC or anything else.

Other innovations included iRocks’ LEGO-compatible keyboard, some crazy custom PC cases including a Ghostbusters-themed chassis, the Blocks modular smartwatch, and Antec’s Trapeze case with RGB lighting underneath the unit.

“5G and the Internet of Things are coming and it is vital that independents

evolve their business models now so they are ready to support the next wave of technological change that is just around the corner. The landscape is going to change faster in the next five years than it has done in the last 25 years.”Iain Shaw,Brigantia Partners Limited

“The IoT is still niche for the average UK consumer at the moment, but we anticipate IT

technology and connectivity will eventually be part of virtually every piece of hardware in your home. Chillblast already offers bespoke IoT solutions for our business customers and we plan to continue to do so.”Ben Miles, Chillblast

“I went to Computex with a clear strategy to further Scan’s development in

varying sectors and it wasn’t a disappointment. VR and IoT were being demonstrated in a number of different ways on many booths. Now we just need to see how we use this technology and advance these areas.”Peter Davies, Scan Computers

“I think it’s just around the corner. What we’ve found up here in the North is most of my clients

aren’t asking for it, but slowly I’m seeing more things come on board, like automated heating and light switches. I think it links to robotics, in five years’ time all of these things are going to start appearing and we’ll see the IoT take off.”Richard Alford, Black Bear Computers

”For system integrators, modular products are fairly impractical, but they really enable

some creative solutions for DIYers, so we applaud this kind of solution. A lot of the modded cases were extremely impressive.”Ben Miles, Chillblast

“We’ve actually offered the MasterCase from Cooler Master for a while now. It’s not

as popular as other more traditional cases, but we offer our customers that choice.”Maria Malageac, Mesh Computers

“It’s niche, it’s like putting your own toppings on at Pizza Hut. Consumers have become so

demanding, the modular stuff is good but it comes with a big price tag. I think this market will always be there, but it’s not going to be everybody’s cup of tea.”CK, Yoyotech

“Modular helps those building PCs from their bedroom. But building PCs is my job! So I won’t be promoting that much here.” Richard Alford, Black Bear Computers

PRODUCT POWERCheck out more in-depth details of our pick of devices from Computex over on page 55.

Page 26: PCR154-July 2016

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Tell us about your background and how you came to

work at Kaspersky.I was at Unilever for six years, during my time there I worked on frozen food, ice cream, washing power and deodorant brands. I really enjoyed working there but eventually I wanted to do something different.

I was on holiday and I got a call asking if I’d like to work for Electronic Arts. I didn’t really know who they were, but at the time I was playing a Tiger Woods video game. I found out that EA owned that brand and decided to pop in and have a chat.

The office was amazing and it seemed like a very exciting industry. It was a fantastic place to work.

Retail sales were big at the time and there wasn’t very much online. The challenge I had after about 12 years at EA was that the market was changing and digital was taking over. So it was time to start looking for a retail-focused role elsewhere.

Kaspersky contacted me and I thought it was a big enough change, yet still revolved around retail and software. There are synergies between the two markets.

How do the two compare?The retail base in the UK is arguably the same. The difference between video games and security software at retail is that 95 per cent of the video games business goes to key retailers – like GAME and Amazon – whereas in the security industry, it’s

much more fragmented. So the business can go to resellers and a wider variety of retailers.

What are some of the main security challenges consumers face?One of the key challenges we have is that we hear about the dangers of cybercrime in the news, but I feel like retail hasn’t quite caught up with the importance of that yet – especially when it comes to protecting mobile devices.

If you go into Tesco, you can buy a PC, a laptop or a peripheral, but you’ll struggle to confidently buy some security software.

If you’re buying a laptop, security should always be part of the purchase, whether it is bundled in or separate.

That’s a big opportunity for the industry and something that Kaspersky should be leading.

Why do you think there is a lack of focus on security?It’s probably consumer misunderstanding or a lack of understanding altogether. So it’s not on the retailers’ radar because it’s not what consumers think about when they buy a laptop or a mobile device.

Most people don’t have protection on their mobile devices and they should.

What are your goals for Kaspersky’s retail team?My role is specifically retail for UK and Ireland and I get the impression that there’s a lot more we could be doing with retailers and resellers.

The future

26 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Laura Barnes catches up with Kaspersky’s consumers, what new tech trends pose the

Page 27: PCR154-July 2016

So one thing I want to do is some positive PR with retailers so we can get internet security higher up on their agendas.

People are buying more devices and there is more crime, but people seem to not be as bothered as they should be about protecting those devices.

How can we make consumers more bothered about security?I think if people were more educated about how much at risk they are, they’d be happier to pay for it. I don’t think we do a great job in the industry of keeping consumers up to date, and I think it’s confusing.

It’s difficult to understand and I don’t think vendors do a great job of informing them about what product is right for them.

Some people have a negative experience with security software because they aren’t educated on what product they need, they then buy the wrong one, and it doesn’t protect them in the way they were expecting.

If they’re educated up front, that might stop that cycle. Vendors and retailers need to get that right.

A lot of effort goes into getting a product from manufacturer to distributor to on the shelf – that’s 90 per cent of the work. But people need to buy it. That’s the last 10 per cent, but that’s the most important bit. If you don’t get that right, the 90 per cent is wasted. If you go onto Amazon and type in ‘internet

security’, 2,500-plus search results come up. How does a consumer decide? We need to overcome some of these challenges.

We as an organisation – and we as an industry – need to do a better job of educating consumers.

What key things should retailers know when selling security to consumers?The offering needs to be made clear to the consumer, and we need to help retailers do that.

Consumers need to understand what malware is, what phishing is etc. One of the objectives for us is to turn that terminology into a more consumer friendly thing.

If they don’t understand it, they’ll buy a product that might not be right for them and we need to make sure they can make an educational purchase and feel confident in that product – and come back next year to buy more.

How can the industry help retailers and end-users?You don’t want to scare consumers, that is probably the worst thing that you could do.

You don’t want them to shy away from security.

We could do with the industry giving some credible stats so everyone can do something positive about the issue of cyber security.

That will help the whole chain, from creating a new product and getting it on retailers’ radars, to helping the consumer choose the right product.

How much are we under threat from cybercriminals?In 1994 there was one new threat every hour. Today, there are 364,000 new unique threats every single day that we capture – and that’s just Kaspersky’s network.

90 per cent of those threats are consumer and small businesses related.

49 per cent of people in the UK have been victim of a cyber attack so it is a massive issue.

What new tech trends will pose the biggest security risks?Mobile is a massive opportunity. People generally believe that their Windows devices are the most at-risk and iOS is a lot more secure.

Well, the reality is that that’s not the case anymore.

Criminals go where the opportunity is. Globally, Apple-device ownership has only just reached 10 per cent. It’s at a tipping point now, where a cybercriminal will think it’s now worthwhile targeting Apple users. That’s why we’ve just launched some products specifically for the iOS system.

A short-term trend is making sure consumers aren’t just educated about Windows devices, but also Mac and mobile.

A longer-term trend is the Internet of Things. Cybercriminals will target homes, not to hack your lighting, but to get into your router so they can then unlock what you’re doing online.

There will be a barrier to

people purchasing all these new IoT products if they see it as a security risk, despite how great the products might be. This is another reason why education is so important.

What’s next for Kaspersky?We will be launching Safe Kids as a standalone product soon. It is currently part of our Total Security package. It helps parents manage what their children are looking at online.

We don’t describe it as a parental controller. The idea is you manage your children’s online usage in a more collaborative way. It tells you where your children are if they have a mobile device.

We will also be working on brand awareness. We’ve done some research and, historically, we’ve struggled with that in the UK, but our brand awareness has grown over the past three years. One of the reasons we think that has happened is due to our exposure at retail.

People have asked me in this role and in previous roles ‘is retail dead’? I always say ‘no, it’s not’. A lot of brands wouldn’t exist if they didn’t have a retail presence.

Our product on the shelf gives us that exposure. Whether the shopper buys it in that store, in another one, or online, we need that brand awareness at retail.

Retail has changed a lot over the years, and some retailers have adapted well to those changes. If they continue to adapt, we will continue to have a product offering at retail.

THE BIG INTERVIEW

of retail software sales

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 27

“People generally believe that their Windows devices are the most at-risk and iOS is a lot more secure, but that’s not the case anymore.”

David Mole,Kaspersky

new head of retail sales David Mole to fi nd out why he thinks the industry should do more to educate retailers and biggest security threats, and why having a boxed product on a shop shelf is still so important to the vendor…

Page 28: PCR154-July 2016
Page 29: PCR154-July 2016
Page 30: PCR154-July 2016

INTERVIEW

MEMORY and storage vendor Kingston Technology has

been in the IT market for almost 30 years now.

The company is well known for its specialism in components. But in the early 2000s, Kingston recognised a growing demand for another area: PC gaming.

Rather than create a small set of products in this space, it decided to

launch an entirely separate brand – and HyperX was born.

Today it is one of the biggest brands in its space, producing RAM, SSDs, USBs and headsets. The business has grown 200 per cent in the past four years, but what’s the secret to its success?

HyperX EMEA business manager Edward Baily explains: “We originally started HyperX back in 2002 because we wanted to offer a different type of DRAM memory to the market, so we

decided to make gaming-themed memory that was a bit more aggressive with a different design.

“It went okay for a few years, though there was one point where we thought about ending the brand. But we kept it going and then about

four years ago we really started to invest in the

eSports scene. And we discovered there was a lot of

potential to expand the brand and grow it further.”

The key, it seems, was

identifying the demand for competitive gaming early on.

“In 2012, when we started to focus on eSports, we saw a significant jump in revenue overall,” Baily adds. “We had a booth at DreamHack Summer 2012 in Sweden. That was the first time we realised the huge potential for eSports and PC gaming.”

HyperX now sponsors 27 professional eSports teams globally including SK Gaming, Team EnVyUs, Cloud 9, TSM and Luminosity. It also supports influencers like YouTubers and streamers, including Mark “Valkia” Purdy and Emily “QueenE” Krumlinde. Overall, it has invested millions of dollars in sponsorship to date.

HyperX’s own YouTube channel now has 330,000 subscribers. A recent video produced by the brand – a gaming house tour of Team EnVyUs – has amassed more than 800,000 views in the space of a few weeks.

“The difference with us compared to a lot of other brands is we don’t just sponsor an eSports team and then that’s it,” Baily says. “We actually work with them and encourage them to do [gaming] boot camps at our head office in California.

“We like to make video content with them, like

house tours and pro gaming tips, so it’s more

of a partnership than just a sponsorship.

We don’t just want to produce a standard product video – we want to produce good content. That’s

why we’ve spent a lot of time and

money investing in the YouTube channel.

People who like our content will hopefully one

day purchase memory or a headset from us in the future.”

CHANNEL STRENGTHKingston has a strong reputation in the IT channel, and HyperX is leveraging this. It has partnerships with Ingram Micro, Tech Data, SIMMS and Entatech, and has recently signed a deal with Maplin as the first HyperX peripherals High Street retail partner in the UK, starting in 124 stores.

“It’s our first step into that High Street retail world as a brand,” Baily comments. “We’re very big online but now we’re focusing onto the retail side as well. We’re having quite a lot of talks with retailers in the UK right now.

“With Kingston and HyperX, we’ve built our excellence on long-term relationships. We really look after our channel partners and deliver quality performance and price.

“The other thing that’s good for our partners right now is peripherals – they can make more money on these kind of products. The headsets and our new products we’re releasing are very interesting for the channel because they’re good margin products.”

HyperX is seeing success with accessories like the Cloud and Cloud II headsets (plus it launched an official Xbox One headset – the CloudX – on June 13th), so will it move into other product areas in the future?

“At the moment we don’t do mice or keyboards, and we’re not saying too much, but we’re investigating other gaming peripheral areas right now,” Baily says. “Watch this space closely over the coming six months – we have some exciting products coming to market and I think a lot of our fans will be very happy with them.”

“We’re very big online but now we’re focusing on the retail side as well. We’re having quite a lot of talks with retailers in the UK right now.”

Edward Baily,Kingston Technology

Over the past four years, Kingston’s HyperX gaming hardware brand has grown its sales by 200 per cent.Dominic Sacco asks EMEA business manager Edward Baily how it’s been so successful in this area…

How Kingston cracked the gaming market

HyperX’s official Xbox One headset, the CloudX

30 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Page 31: PCR154-July 2016
Page 32: PCR154-July 2016

LUKE BAKER, 26PR/MARKETING MANAGER, KUODA LTDIn less than a year, Luke has risen through the ranks to manage the PR team at Kuoda LTD, generating great coverage across a wide variety of platforms for prestigious clients such as Samsung SSD, ZOTAC and Creative Labs.

Luke previously co-owned and operated a Leicester gaming bar called The Speekeasy, which was his fi rst experience with the gaming industry. This experience gave him insight into the many varied and unique ways for gaming-oriented tech brands to gain exposure, which has helped no end in the fi eld of PR.

MATT CLAYDEN, 27TABLET BUYER, TESCOMatt has been instrumental in growing market share across the tablet category over peak and the start of the year. He has led the development and go to market strategy for the Connect brand, Tesco’s own brand Windows tablet proposition. This took a signifi cant share of the Windows tablet market over peak, and continues to be developed.

DARRYL MERKLI, 21MARKETING EXECUTIVE,INGRAM MICRODarryl has been with Ingram Micro for two years and during that short time has managed to introduce some incredibly creative campaigns to help resellers and vendors grow their business.

He has a real ‘can do’ attitude and if it seems something isn’t possible, he’ll go away and fi nd ways the business can do it. This is just one of the reasons he was promoted to his current role of marketing executive so quickly.

KIRSTY ENDFIELD, 29FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, SWIPE RIGHT PRAs a seven-year PR expert in video games, entertainment and tech, Kirsty has a wealth of experience in marketing and outreach strategies, with incredibly strong ties to industry press and media. She has been at the forefront of emerging industries such as eSports, and can create, execute and troubleshoot campaigns spanning from livestreaming to drones. Kirsty’s previous projects include product launches, large-scale community events, and executing strategies. She has worked with some of the biggest names in hardware such as Oculus.

NATALIE BOON, 24CHANNEL MARKETING SPECIALIST, ASUSHaving started working as a marketing and PR intern for technical recruitment company Vertex a few years back, Natalie secured local radio coverage and shortlisted for the eGaming Review – Recruiter Of The Year award in 2013.

She joined ASUS UK in July 2013, taking responsibility for social media, the Student Ambassador program and a myriad of digital and experiential marketing projects. As of September last year, she transitioned to manage channel marketing for ASUS UK.

AARON CULHANE, 29TABLET BUYER, ARGOSOver the past two years, Aaron has demonstrated a consistent passion for the Argos customer – and deep knowledge for the UK tablet market. He is commercially challenging and collaborative in his approach, and has been instrumental in successfully leading a team to launch the Alba and Bush brands within the Argos tablet category.

His approach, knowledge and passion has delivered a consistently strong commercial performance, which, together with a great focus on leading and developing his team, has made Aaron a key member of the commercial team.

Who are the brightest young sparks of the UK IT industry? Once again PCR throws a spotlight on 30 of the most promising rising stars in the channel aged under 30 years old,

from retail buyers to marketers, sales executives and more…

CREAM OF THE CROP

32 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Page 33: PCR154-July 2016

VINCENT JURGENS, 28EMEA MARKETING MANAGER, HYPERXVincent Jurgens’ role involves planning and coordination of sponsorships, booths and surrounding activities at all major gaming tournaments and events like DreamHack, ESL One and IEM. He plans and coordinates HyperX product launches with all marketing departments while aligning with the sales strategy.

He works closely with hardware, software and other complementary partners across EMEA in various ways. Vincent joined Kingston Technology in 2012 as a channel marketing specialist for the Benelux and Baltic region.

CHLOE LARA, 26EMEA DIGITAL MARKETING SPECIALIST, KINGSTONChloe’s role involves the development, planning and organisation of EMEA digital marketing campaigns across 14 EMEA regions, as well as managing Kingston’s digital agency and monitoring digital trends across the European market. Chloe leads on all paid social media activities across the widespread social platforms; another part of her role is to execute PCP campaigns with Amazon’s self service platform Amazon Marketing Services. She also helped to increase sales of the Kingston SSD range with an integral UK partner.

DANNY MASON, 29CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER, MORECOMPUTERS.COMDanny is the backbone of the More Computers customer service team. He started at More nine years ago and has worked his way up to his current position. In that time he’s been instrumental in More Computers winning several customer service satisfaction awards and its Google Certifi ed Shop status.

He also helps the team maintain 100 per cent customer satisfaction on Amazon and 99.9 per cent on eBay. He does all this with a smile (even when the football team he lives for get beaten at Wembley).

THOMAS JENNER, 29TECHNICAL PR AND GAMING MARKETING, ASUSThomas joined ASUS in 2011 to provide overclocking support for the UK’s largest system integrators. Since then, his unbridled enthusiasm has seen him promoted so that he now looks after technical PR and marketing for gaming system products including the Republic of Gamers brand.

Thomas is incredibly passionate, enthusiastic and hard-working.

CHARLOTTE LAMMIN, 25SALES AND MARKETING ADMINISTRATOR, BENQIn Charlotte’s role at BenQ, she supports the sales team and handles marketing across all of its products, from interactive fl at panels to monitors and projectors.

Charlotte has organised key releases for BenQ in the UK market such as the XR3501 curved monitor and BenQ’s recently acquired ZOWIE eSports brand. Charlotte also organises all the events and exhibitions BenQ attends, creates all of the marketing materials for the UK and develops reseller partnerships.

She previously worked with schools and in the photography industry.

TERESA LEESE, 24CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MARKETING, INGRAM MICROTeresa has transformed Ingram Micro’s customer on-boarding engine with a 24-hour smooth and slick process for its channel partners. Peers say that Teresa is a vital member of the UK marketing team.

She’s done an outstanding job, and her hard work and effort has proven a real success in creating a highly professional front end solution. Teresa has delivered outstanding marketing campaigns for vendors including Microsoft with the “Crack the Surface” campaign, which has been shortlisted for several marketing awards.

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 33

JOE GREGORY, 29SALES MANAGER, VEHOJoe joined Veho in 2014 as an account manager for the US market and has quickly built solid customer relationships with distribution partners and major retail partners. In 2015 he added Central America to his region and has built a $1 million business in Mexico, working with all major Mexican retailers – he’s even appeared live on Mexican TV.

Joe now manages the US account team for Veho and is a real asset to the business.

JOE FENNY, 24ESPORTS COMMENTATOR, ESLWell known for his work within the National University Esports League, Joe has been commentating (aka casting) for the UK’s key eSports events since early 2013. He became ESL’s fi rst resident eSports commentator here in UK last year, after freelancing for the company.

Joe has commentated for a wide variety of games since, from League of Legends to Hearthstone, Counter-Strike and more. Today he’s fast becoming one of the key faces within the UK PC gaming scene.

Page 34: PCR154-July 2016

PERFECT FOR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT!Intel Inside®. Powerful Solution Outside.

TERRA LED 2462W

GREENLINE PLUS

• 23.8 inch display

• 1920 x 1080 Pixel (Full-HD) resolution

• 4 ms (Overdrive) response time

• 250 cd/m2 luminosity

• 30.000.000:1 (DCR) contrast

• AMVA panel technology

• view angle: 178/178°

• DVI, HDMI, Displayport

• power consumption: about 18.9 watts,

stby/off: < 0.5 watts

article number.:3031224

TERRA PC-BUSINESS 5000S

with Intel® Core™ i3 Processor

• Intel® Core i3-4170 Processor

(3.7 GHz, 3M Cache)

• Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit

[Downgraded from Windows 10 Pro]

• 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a 120 GB SSD

• DVD±RW burner

• Intel HD Graphics 4400 Dynamic Video

Memory Technology

• 2x PS/2, 4x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, LAN

(RJ-45), 3x Audio I/O, VGA, DVI-D

• TERRA USB mouse and keyboard

• Adobe Reader, McAfee Intel Internet

Security (30 days trial version)

article number.: UK1009522

£239*(5 to 15pcs)

£249* (1 to 4pcs)

£279* (Normally)

exc. VAT

£114.99*

exc. VAT

bezel freedesign display

BRAND NEW:JUBI-PC30 years WORTMANN AG

£233* (16pcs +) exc. VAT

Page 35: PCR154-July 2016

TERRA

ON-SITESERVICE FOR €1+ Every month win a VW Caddy**

www.terracomputer.co.uk

Terra Computer Limited

The Coach House, Powers Court, Russell Street,

Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5QA

* Prices shown are Reseller Purchases Costs exc. VAT. Special Price Valid from Valid from 1st July – 31st August 2016

** Each month during 2016 there will be a prize draw for one VW Caddy. Each qualifying product you purchase is a prize draw ticket for that single month. The prize draw will take place within 30 days of the month end. Wortmann

Promotion Product for the period July until September 2016: TERRA-On-Site-Service for EUR 1.00.The special price is valid for all TERRA PCs for which TERRA On-Site-Service is available. This offer is not for TERRA Servers, TERRA NAS or Firewall products. The standard warranty is 2 or 3 years, depending on the model. Orders must be received, delivered and invoiced until 30th September to be accepted on these special conditions. The

discounted price.

***For customers buying in £GBP the EUR 1.00 will be charged in £GBP using our internal EUR/GBP daily rate.

E&OE . Subject to the terms and conditions of Wortmann AG. Offer valid while stocks last. 2) OEM Version with CD or DVD, partly as a recovery or BIOS Lock. OEM version, only in conjunction with a TERRA computer obtainable. 3) Free trial for 60days. 4) Without medium to hard drive, includes 180day Pattern Update.

Ultrabook,Celeron, Celeron Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the USA and other Countries.

Register as Service Par tner!

CALL: 03333-444 358

+ For all T ERRA PCs

+ For all orders from 1st July until 30th September 2016

+ For the total standard warranty period

+ Extended warranty deals also available at special pricing

THANK

YOU!

Christian ClausService Manager

We are reducing the Price, not the Service Level!

Special Offer covers the full scope of the TERRA-On-Site Service. Want to be TERRA Service Partner? We offer remuneration on an hourly basis, support from UK & Germany and help you increase customer relations & control. Pre-requisites are experienced technicians, flexibility and customer-oriented approach.

Interested? Please get in touchTel. 03333 444 358 or [email protected]

Q3 JULY-SEPTEMBER

***

Page 36: PCR154-July 2016

36 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

MELISSA RAMBRIDGE, 28BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING MANAGER,SWEETHAVEN COMPUTERSWith a six-year background in media production, including stints at the BBC and the FT, Melissa has brought a fresh perspective and out of the box thinking to the IT retail industry over the last seven months. She has introduced a new in-store concept and smart home demo area, helping Sweethaven to win the PCR Independent Retailer of the Year Award. Melissa has also helped launch a new website, and boosted Sweethaven’s support of local talent via apprenticeship schemes and college partnerships.

ANGUS SHAW, 22SALES MANAGER, BRIGANTIA PARTNERS LIMITEDAt the age of 19, Angus Shaw joined Brigantia Partners as a business development executive in the London offi ce when Brigantia was a trading division of Techgate plc. He now leads a team of fi ve at the now independent Brigantia Partners Limited. Based in Ripon, North Yorkshire and working under Brigantia’s sales director, Angus and his team are driving signifi cant month-on-month recurring revenue sales growth and helping Brigantia partner resellers and MSPs to grow their businesses.

ALEX WALL, 25MARKETING EXECUTIVE, BT SHOP & BT BUSINESS DIRECTAlex joined in mid-2015 as an acquisition marketing executive to manage the dabs, BT Shop and BT Business Direct affi liate campaigns. Since then, his role has evolved to include running all affi liate programmes, tackling SEO, introducing rich content, bespoke copy and blog pages. On top of that, Alex has been running social media outlets as well as working collaboratively with colleagues across BT Business and BT Consumer on new initiatives. He’s also worked with vendors directly on social giveaways as well as content creation.

KATIE PINNOCK, 24UK MARKETING SPECIALIST,COOLER MASTERHaving joined Aria Technology in 2013 as a sales account manager, Katie was promoted to purchasing manager in less than a year. Shortly after this move into purchasing, she found her love for the industry and went on to become commercial manager, helping Aria Technology and its sister company Gladiator Computers grow to where they are today. In May this year, Katie moved over to Cooler Master to fi ll the role of UK marketing specialist. She is now working hard to help Cooler Master showcase its new direction and products.

BEN BAGG, 23SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER, TERRA COMPUTER LTDBen joined Terra Computer Ltd a little over two years ago. In that time he has become the top salesman within a team that has doubled its revenue annually. Ben has been instrumental in building the Terra brand within the UK and his hard work and drive has contributed to the current success of the offi ce. Alongside helping customers bring to market their Terra products, Ben has also created a successful eSports Team known as CAZ eSports, which he still runs today and works towards growing the UK gaming scene.

VICKY SIDDALL, 28BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, NETWORK GROUP/TTGVicky joined Network Group’s member distributor Technology To Go (TTG) in April 2015 and immediately made a positive impact.

After coming on board, she gave herself the target of doubling TTG’s turnover and achieved this in a short amount of time. She also increased member satisfaction threefold. Vicky is friendly, approachable and totally reliable. She has set herself further targets to continue growing the business to become a distributor in its own right and for Vicky be the fi rst point of contact.

CONNOR PERRY, 23MARKETING EXECUTIVE, KEY VENDORS, INGRAM MICROConnor came to Ingram Micro in February 2015 to work in the Ingram Micro Mobility division, looking after key vendors such as Apple, Blackberry and Microsoft. When this was integrated into the technology solutions division, Connor assumed full responsibility of Ingram Micro UK’s complete suite of mobility vendors and has recently assumed responsibility for the full Microsoft and Apple portfolio.

Connor is a constant source of innovation and creativity in the marketing team, always searching for new and improved ways to provide a great service.

DANNY NOURSE, 24LAPTOP BUYER, TESCODanny is new to the laptop category, having previously delivered great commercial success on the TV boxes category, developing some market leading propositions with brands such as Amazon and Google.

Since moving onto laptops, he has secured some market-leading deals which have been instrumental in growing the Tesco laptop business, and has been building strong relationships with suppliers.

Page 37: PCR154-July 2016

www.peak-uk.com01489 796 979 [email protected]

with Peak[PARTNER] The most experienced SanDisk Distributor in the UK and Europe.

Call us, email us, or find out more online

Ultra-Compact, ideal forcarrying coursework

Effortlesly share andtransfer files

Protect projects withSecureAccessTM software1

Cruzer BladeTM

SDCZ50C-008G-B46T

8GB Colour Triple PackSRP £10.99 Out Now.

Cruzer BladeTM

SDCZ50-008G-B46T

8GB Colour Triple PackSRP £10.99 Out Now.

Cruzer BladeTM

SDCZ50C-016G-B35BE

16GB Blue Single PackSRP £5.99 Out Now.

Cruzer BladeTM

SDCZ50C-064G-B35PE

64GB Pink Single PackSRP £18.99 Out Now.

TRIPLEPACK

VALUE

TRIPLEPACK

VALUEUP TO64GB

UP TO64GB

© 2016 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cruzer Blade and SanDisk SecureAccess are trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates, registered in the United States and other countries.1Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X v10.5+ (software download required for Mac).

Page 38: PCR154-July 2016

38 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

CHLOÉ HARRIS-WILLIAMS, 28TABLETS AND COMPUTING BUYER, JOHN LEWISChloé heads the key tablets and computing buying team at John Lewis, where she has been for three and a half years, following roles at Tesco and BestBuy.

She has led her team to record market share results, driven by her relentless pursuit of delivering the leading targeted customer proposition in the UK.

JOE COWELL, 24NORTHERN EUROPE PR & COMMUNITY MANAGER, AMDJoe manages the development and execution of various PR and community management strategies and tactics for AMD across Northern Europe, including the UK.

Joe previously worked at Text 100, where he worked with AMD to increase its brand and performance within the UK. He has also had experience working at Zaboura Communications, Dennis Publishing, Hope&Glory PR, Frank PR and W Communications.

EDWARD BAILY, 27EMEA BUSINESS MANAGER, HYPERXEdward’s role involves launching all HyperX DRAM and peripheral products into the EMEA channel, as well as managing the EMEA HyperX etail promotions, alongside monitoring competition and reporting on trends in the European gaming market.

Edward visits top EMEA etail and retail customers on a regular basis, updating them on current market trends and roadmap. Alongside this he visits gaming events across Europe such as the DreamHack series, Gamescom and the Intel Extreme Masters fi nals. Read our interview with Edward on page 30.

DANNY YOUNG, 26 CONTENT AND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER, EBUYER.COMAfter joining Ebuyer.com in 2013 as features editor, Danny moved to the content and social manager role after a year at the tech retailer. Working with manufacturers, agencies and press outlets, he manages Ebuyer.com’s media presence as well as on-site content, from blogs to video and social. One media publication said: “Danny is always happy to help and is super quick at responding to our requests. He’s a joy to work with.”

PAUL YUNG, 29UK OPERATIONS AND PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, HANNSPREEPaul has been an invaluable team member at Hannspree UK for four years. Having proven himself as a technical genius, he has been rightly promoted on numerous occasions. Aside from his day-to-day duties in logistic and exhibition management, Paul is now involved with market research and the testing and evaluation of new products before they go to market. Paul is also the fi rst point of call for urgent product and technical support enquiries. He excels at ensuring that Hannspree’s customers receive the highest standard of service at all times.

DHARA KOTHARI, 27UK MARKETING MANAGER, D-LINKDhara joined D-Link in 2014, following a two-year stint as marketing manager for QBS Software, a role which saw her manage marketing campaigns and budgets for Tier 1 software vendors with measurable return on investment.

Her current role at D-Link involves planning, implementing and managing internal and external marketing, with a two-tier channel model. She works with various partners, including retail, e-tail, IT resellers, system installers and distributors.

ANDY WELSH, 28EVENTS MANAGER,OVERCLOCKERS UKAndy joined Overclockers UK in 2013 working as a graphic designer and video producer. Since then, Andy has gone through the ranks and now looks after the multiple events that Overclockers UK attends throughout the UK market. Andy has been responsible for the execution of multiple Insomnia LAN gaming events.

“With a skilled background in graphic design, Andy has shown some of the most talented design work seen in the IT industry,” said one colleague.

JOE WEBSTER, 28DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNT MANAGER, TP-LINKJoe’s career to date has taken him from one end of the supply chain to the other, from a customer-facing role at Comet to a product manager for Lenovo and Fujitsu at Ingram Micro.

During his time at distribution, Joe was responsible for £8 million turnover a month and building meaningful relationships with manufacturers, VARs and retailers. He’s now at TP-LINK and has proven to be a valuable asset to the team, growing the unmanaged piece nine per cent year-on-year in a declining market.

Page 39: PCR154-July 2016

©Northamber 2016 E and O.E. Prices appear as trade and exclude VAT & delivery. July ‘16.

Totalmarketing™ Totalfi nance™Totaltraining™Totallogistics™ Totalconfi g™ Total Distribution™

northamber

Dedicated Product Specialists

Full Product Portfolio Available

Market Leading Commercial Terms

Confi guration Centre

Installation & Deployment Services

Celebratingover

years

Genee SmartClassroom SolutionsGenee’s complete classroom solution integrates software and hardware to provide teachers with everything they require to invigorate their classrooms and empower their students.

NORTHAMBER BRINGS YOU

SOFTWARE

REGISTRAR

MOUNT SOLUTIONS

AUDIENCE RESPONSE

VISUALISERS

INTERACTIVE TOUCHSCREENS (55”-84”)

MAGIC TABLE

TABLETS

MINI PCs

with a comprehensive range of interactive software solutions that bring classrooms to life, allowing students and teachers to collaborate interactively.

Capture video

and stillimages.

42” interactive display screen embedded into a sleek and contemporary coffee table design.

Instant feedback or answer questions posed by the teacher.

Windows & Android models available.

Including mobile stands.

A simple-to-use sign-in solution with photo capture and visitor label printing.

Genee products operate seamlessly with each other and with common devices, such as tablets and smartphones, enabling schools to invest in a complete presentation system or merely the components they need.

Call the Northamber AV team on 020 8296 7080 for more on Genee classroom solutions

northamber

t: 020 8296 7066 | w: northamber.com @NorthamberPlc

www.linkedin.com/company/northamber

Summer 2016

Focus onEducationPRIMARY & SECONDARY SCHOOL EDITIONCase Studies Tech GuideTotal Solutions

SEE INSIDE FOR NEWOFFERINGS FROM...

Allied Telesis, Genee World,

iboss and Samsung

FrontCover.indd 2

EDUCATION BROCHUREAVAILABLE NOW!NEW

Call to request your copy or visitwww.northamber.com/education

Page 40: PCR154-July 2016

Synaxon recognises winning partners

Terra shows off new systems

Lenovo Connects with partners

CHANNEL EVENTS

DEALER SERVICES group Synaxon awarded its top partners and

members at its recent National Conference in Nottingham.

The Vendor of the Year award went to Hewlett Packard Enterprise, while Sage picked up Services & Support Partner of the Year, and Ingram Micro was awarded Distribution Partner of the Year.

Turning its attention to its reseller members, Matrix IT was named Online Trader of the Year, PC Utilities was TrustATec Partner of the Year, and the coveted Synaxon Partner of the Year award went to Bates IT.

Finally, the Special Recognition Award went to Bear IT.

“This award is presented to the member who has embraced the Synaxon philosophy,” Synaxon said in a statement. “This year we were

proud to award it to one of our founding members, Bear IT, with the award received by Mark Lambert.”

Elsewhere at Synaxon’s National Member Conference, the group signed up more members to its TrustATec services network, bringing the total up to 48.

Derek Jones (pictured), managing director of Synaxon UK, said: “The conference this year was by far our best ever, not only in terms of attendance, but the quality and depth of the interactions between members and suppliers.

“More of our members are making use of more of our services and reaping the benefits. As a result, our supplier partners are seeing close engagement and support and in turn, increasing their support for the members.”

GROWING PC vendor Terra/Wortmann AG held its second annual

UK reseller event at the Coventry Transport Museum in June, and presented an impressive new line-up of products to delegates.

The most interesting new device from the event was arguably the Terra 360-15 convertible, boasting a 15-inch touch-screen, standing 20mm high and weighing 2.19kg. Designed to stand up against the bigger more established PC vendors on the market, the 360-15 boasts an affordable £799 price tag and launches later this year.

While Terra isn’t yet a force in the UK PC market, or as big as the likes of HP, Dell or Lenovo, it’s well-established in its home country of Germany and is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Many resellers PCR spoke to at the event said they are Terra

partners because of the solid support and margins that the vendor offers them.

But seeing the 15.6-inch convertible up close and personal, it’s clear that this brand is not just about being a cheaper alternative – it’s getting aggressive with the big boys. It’s an impressive-looking bit of kit – and packs a punch too, featuring an NVIDIA GeForce GT940M, 2GB graphics, 256GB SSD and an

Intel Core i5-6200U powering Windows 10.

Other devices presented included the 1775 and 1549 gaming systems, a 4K gaming notebook, rugged tablets and small form factor desktops. Terra also spoke about its server business, the Terra Slim PC and Terra Cloud.

Exhibitors included Brigantia, Synaxon and CompTIA, while the likes of Intel and CompTIA also gave

talks. There was also a virtual reality demo area for resellers to test out the technology.

Terra Computer UK’s Neil Jensen revealed how the firm now has 14,000 reseller partners and its UK business is doubling its revenues each year, while Thomas Knicker spoke about how Terra wants to ‘fight against the A-brands’ in the market. It’s certainly offering the channel a strong alternative.

PC GIANT Lenovo opened doors to its business partners and

end users at an event in London in June, sharing insights into the company’s channel strategy, initiatives and product roadmap.

Around 300 delegates attended the two-day Lenovo Connect event in East London, hosted by Lenovo’s UK and Ireland general manager John Harber and SMB and B2B channel director Andrew Bass, in collaboration with Microsoft and Intel.

Sessions outlined Lenovo’s business strategy, opportunities for growth and the company’s ambition to increase market share over the next 12 months, especially within the SMB space.

In addition, a product zone gave partners access to the latest devices.

Andy Bass said: “Lenovo is 100 per cent focused its business partners. Lenovo Connect is our opportunity to deepen our relationship and showcase the programmes we’re launching over the year which will enable them to drive greater growth within their businesses.

“Lenovo retains a leading position in the laptop and PC space, but our ambition for the year ahead is to focus on the 2-in-1 space, as this is currently where we are seeing the biggest opportunity.”

“Lenovo is 100 per cent focused on business partners.”

Andy Bass,Lenovo

40 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Page 41: PCR154-July 2016
Page 42: PCR154-July 2016

FOR MONTHS we’ve spoken about the opportunities for PC dealers and retailers around virtual reality, but another challenger wants to take the VR throne.

Sony took an aggressive stance towards virtual reality at the E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles in June, announcing its own PS4 VR headset will launch on October 13th priced at £349.

This is almost half the price of the PC-compatible Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets, and unlike those, the PlayStation VR headset doesn’t need an expensive high-end PC to work. It only

requires a £300 PlayStation 4 console.

As well as this, Sony says that 50 VR games will be available between the PS4 headset’s launch and the end of 2016, including some very impressive games such as Star Trek: Bridge Crew and Resident Evil 7. The latter is so scary and immersive it has literally made some players physically sick. Thankfully, it has the option for players to switch between VR and 2D mode at the touch of a button, and is just what that ageing game franchise needs.

My point is, we’ve been thinking the likes of Oculus

Rift and HTC Vive will do wonders for PC hardware sales and other IT services (such as supplying VR units to schools and businesses) for some time now, but Sony has showed it has the potential to snatch the rug from under those devices. It’s much more affordable and has a strong and lengthy line-up of actual games – the content that will ultimately drive sales of VR headset devices. It’s certainly one to watch and to have a think about.

Elsewhere at E3, Microsoft announced a new ‘Play Anywhere’ program, whereby players who buy a game from

the Windows Store or Xbox Store will be able to play it on both the PC and Xbox One.

Titles included in this program include Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Crackdown 3, Halo Wars 2, Sea of Thieves and more. Microsoft also announced a smaller Xbox One S machine, as well as a 4K Project Scorpio console (Sony has a 4K PlayStation Neo console in the works too). Other top games at E3 included a new Quake, Battlefield 1, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Titanfall 2 and Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

AMD and Alienware showed off devices at E3 too.

RESELLER PROFILE / OPINION

“We’ve been thinking the Rift and Vive will do wonders for PC hardware sales, but Sony has the potential to snatch the rug from under them.”

AS A PROVIDER of managed IT services, Netitude has been supplying SMEs in the South West of the UK for 15 years.

It has customers in a range of industries including architects, charities, defence, education, finance, hospitality and more, providing products, support and services from the likes of Apple, Dell, HP and Microsoft.

It also employs trained IT technicians as well as its own cabling, Wi-Fi and A/V specialists to install devices.

Netitude recently received a number of accolades, including being listed in the MSPmentor 501 list of the best managed service and IT providers. The list is compiled using data like annual revenue growth, revenue per employee, managed services on offer and more.

“We are really happy we are on this list,” Netitude

founder and director Adam Harling said. “It’s a validation of all the hard work the Netitude team have put in over the years to grow the company and provide a

world beating service.” Netitude has also attained

the CompTIA Managed Services Trustmark, an award that acknowledges that the highest standards of IT

service provision are being upheld by the company.

In addition, Netitude has been one of the first to gain the UK Government’s new Cyber Essentials accreditation for security excellence.

It has also made the news in the South West for its levels of growth.

“We know we are doing this right because we are growing so fast and offering complete installation and support service packages for customers,” Harling added.

“The knock on effect is that we are giving South West businesses the tools to keep them going in the right direction. Our job is making sure our clients are online and secure, all the time.

“This ranking we have achieved will safeguard our reputation as a world-class supplier in our industry.”www.netitude.co.uk

RESELLER PROFILE: NETITUDE

In this month’s PC gaming column, PCR editor Dominic Sacco takes a look at the big announcements from the E3 video games trade show in Los Angeles…

42 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

The Frome-based IT firm has been named one of the top managed

service providers – and it’s received the CompTIA Managed

Services Trustmark. Director Adam Harling talks about the

company’s recent achievements…

Consoles can challenge PCs in VR space – E3 analysis

“The ranking we have achieved will safeguard our reputation as a world-class supplier in our industry.”

Adam Harling, Netitude

Page 43: PCR154-July 2016

Eclipse Computers

RETAILER OF THE MONTH

Tell us about Eclipse’s background…Eclipse was established in 1996. We’re the biggest independent retailer in the Coventry area. We have a 20,000 sq ft warehouse where we offer lots of stock of items: cases, monitors, printers and so on. We have a large retail showroom which displays the vast majority of our hardware, plus displays for computers, monitors, laptops, graphics cards and hard drives.

What kind of products and services do you offer?We do everything from building a £300 computer to a £3,000 gaming rig or many thousands of pounds of gaming equipment. We build them to the customer’s specifications. We also offer

repairs for laptops, tablets, mobile phones and PCs.

Tell us about the Eclipse Arena.We refitted it to make it a separate entity so people can come and go as they please and it doesn’t interrupt the retail showroom.

Recently a charity asked us if they could use the arena. We had a group of about 40 disabled people come in. They thoroughly loved it. We have about 20 to 25 machines in there and each one was taken up by a young child, with adults and carers playing as well. It was a great event.

Tell us about your involvement with eSports and sponsoring UK team Choke Gaming?

Most of my forte is with Eclipse itself. Choke Gaming MD Tom Villiers and the other guys upstairs deal with eSports and Choke. The publicity we’ve got in

sponsoring Choke has been absolutely immense. We’re going all over the country, we add different parts of Europe to the arena on certain days and play League of Legends games. It’s been really good.

Do you sell to the corporate sector? At the moment our main focus is on consumers. We don’t have a business model set up for the corporate sector yet, but we do have a few accounts where people will keep coming to us for new hardware. That’s something we’ll look into.

What are your thoughts on the current state of the system build sector?It’s a bit static at the moment, things seem to have slowed down lately in terms of upgrades. I think people are thinking of buying new PCs instead. There’s been nothing in the way of new memory, motherboards, processors and graphics cards, other than the new NVIDIA 1080.

What are you most looking forward to this year? I think a nice new Intel motherboard/processor combination, and obviously new AMD graphics cards will give the customer more choice. Offering customers more power for their money is what we try to aim for.

What are the challenges of competing with other etailers/system builders?Competition is very challenging. Our new website launched a couple of weeks ago, it’s been completely redesigned and rebuilt from the ground upwards. We’ve been listening to the customers and having their input – we’re now offering a much better customer-focused module.

“Offering customers more power for their money is what we aim for.”

Lee Greatrex,Eclipse Computers

As the biggest independent PC retailer in the Coventry area, Eclipse Computers has built up a solid reputation amongst gamers – and has also recently renovated its LAN gaming arena. Dominic Sacco interviews general manager Lee Greatrex about the business and the challenges it faces in today’s system build market…

Year established: 1996 Number of Stores: 1

Number of staff: Over 20 full and part-time members

Address: Eclipse House, 106 Saint Nicholas Street, Coventry, CV1 4BT

Contact: 08444 723 723 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.eclipsecomputers.com

FACT FILE

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 43

Page 44: PCR154-July 2016

SECTOR GUIDE

The end of July is fast approaching and schools will soon be breaking up for the summer. With the back to school season almost upon us, PCR groups together useful IT solutions for providers to sell to schools, parents and pupils…

Top of the class

The PowerTrays come in two sizes – a shallow tray and an extra deep version – which can each store 10 tablets. The trays continuously analyse the appetite for power from devices such as phones, tablets and data loggers.

Specs: Charge time two to four hours, stores up to 10 tablets.

SRP: From £250 to £379

GRATNELLS POWERTRAY

Distributor: Gratnells

The PowerTrolley can adapt to house either three tiers of shallow trays, charging 30 devices, or two tiers of extra deep trays charging 20 units at once. The PowerTrolley features lockable castors and optional handles.

Specs: Available in five colours, can house two or three tiers of trays.

SRP: £250

GRATNELLS POWERTROLLEY

Distributor: Gratnells

The best selling cost effective Delta Tower from Zoostorm leads the classroom. It’s a traditional tower that provides the freedom and space to upgrade with ease.

Specs: 1TB HDD with 8GB memory and Microsoft Windows 10 Home.

SRP: £299.99 (Pentium G4400),£549.99 (Core i7)

ZOOSTORM DELTATOWER PC BLACK

Distributor: VIP Computers

The smallest, quietest and most powerful Zoostorm solution for education is the Delta Micro. It delivers exceptional classroom performance and addresses the need for smaller quieter devices.

Specs: Intel Core i3 (or i5 6400) CPU, 128GB SSD with 4GB memory and Windows 10 Home.

SRP: £349.99 (Core i3), £419.99 (Core i5 6400)

ZOOSTORM DELTA MICRO

Distributor: VIP Computers

Designed with space saving in mind, the ultra small Delta Elite from Zoostorm offers improved paint durability and scratch resistance, with an optional lockable rear cable cover and stand.

Specs: Intel Core i3 (or i5 6400) CPU, 1TB HDD with 4GB memory and Windows 10 Pro.

SRP: £379.99 (Pentium G4400), £449.99 (Core i7)

ZOOSTORM DELTA ELITE

Distributor: VIP Computers

The SanDisk Cruzer Blade USB Flash Drive makes it easy to back up, transfer and share your files. Available in 8GB triple packs or individually in capacities up to 128GB, this USB drive lets you carry your files wherever you go.

Specs: 8GB triple pack

SRP: £10.99

SANDISK CRUZERBLADE TRIPLE PACK

Distributor: Peak Development

Children are getting their first smartphone at increasingly younger ages, driven by a combination of peer pressure and a parent’s desire to keep in touch.

Specs: One-year subscription/three devices (premium version).

SRP: Free or £16.95 for the premium version

BULLGUARDMOBILE SECURITY

Distributors: Spire Technology, Target Components, Exertis

For no-nonsense security that just works, BullGuard has it covered with Internet Security. Keeping a home computer safe and free from malware should be a first priority for parents.

Specs: One-year subscription/three PC license.

SRP: £49.95

BULLGUARDINTERNET SECURITY

Distributors: Spire Technology, Target Components, Exertis

44 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Page 45: PCR154-July 2016

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 45

SECTOR GUIDE

The AOC 75 Series features numerous monitors sure to match every classroom need. Particularly, the IPS models are interesting for the education segment, boasting high-quality IPS panels and fantastic viewing angles (178° / 178°). At 21.5-inch, the AOC I2275PWQU is the smallest IPS monitor available in the series.

Specs: 4ms response time, 21.5” and 24” screen sizes.

SRP: £119.99 (21.5”), £141.99 (24”)

AOC 75 SERIES

Distributor: Exertis, VIP Computers

Maximise your shelf space and make choosing a case easy for your customer with Universal Cases from Targus, designed to fit 90 per cent of tablets. Featuring a multi-fit stretchy, shock-absorbing silicone system which grips the device on all four corners and secures it safely inside. The patented 360-degree rotating design offers hands-free portrait and landscape viewing.

Specs: Hands-free rotating stand, USA Military-Spec drop tested (protects device from 1.2m drops).

SRP: £19.99 – £34.99

TARGUS UNIVERSAL TABLET CASES

Distributor: Tech Data

Whether you dabble in design or have existing expertise, you can express your creativity by using the intuitive graphic design, illustration, page layout, web graphics and photo-editing features. Create eye-catching projects with a variety of content, including professionally-designed templates, high-quality photos and clipart.

Specs: Installs up to three copies per household.

SRP: £99.95

CORELDRAW HOME & STUDENT SUITE X7

Distributors: Exertis, Computers Unlimited, Ingram Micro, Douglas Stewart

Make sure your Wi-Fi network is top of the class when kids go back to school this year by introducing an Edimax EW-7438RPN N300 Mini Wi-Fi Range Extender to your network. This device extends the Wi-Fi signal so kids can benefit from using a designated homework room which has internet access.

Specs: Speeds of up to 300Mbps, compatible with all brands of routers.

SRP: £14.99

EDIMAX WI-FI RANGE EXTENDER

Distributor: Exertis

The SenseVision USB 3.0 Dual Display Docking Station is a verstatile universal docking station which allows you to expand the outputs of your laptop or ultrabook, so it can be used as a traditional desktop PC. Featuring the advanced DisplayLink DL-3900 chip inside, the USB 3.0 Dual Display Docking Station enables the use of two external High Definition monitors via the HDMI and DVI-I output.

Specs: Supports dual external monitors via HDMI, Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X and Android and Linux in Beta.

SRP: £89.75

CLUB3D UNIVERSAL DOCKING STATION

Distributor: Target Components

The LittleBits STEAM Student Set is a toolbox of acclaimed electronic blocks, designed with educators to engage students in powerful STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) learning through invention. The set comes with comprehensive lessons, curricular connections, implementation strategies and helpful tips, while a mobile app provides thousands of more ideas.

Specs: 72-page student invention guide included, set includes 19 blocks and 45 accessories.

SRP: £224.99 (ex VAT)

LITTLEBITS STEAM STUDENT SET

Distributor: Computers Unlimited

OSMO is an award-winning educational iPad accessory, allowing children to enjoy learning while interacting with others and the digitally connected game pieces. The core system – which works with any iPad – is the base for a growing range of games, including Words, Numbers, Tangram, Newton, Masterpiece and Coding. OSMO is used in classrooms in 42 countries around the world.

Specs: Works with any iPad, no Wi-Fi or battery required, free OSMO apps available.

SRP: From £58.32 (ex VAT)

OSMO

Distributor: Computers Unlimited

This is a high performance, compact 5Gps card read/writer which reads all current and several future memory card formats, including MicroSD, SDHC and SDXC amongst others. Stylish and compact with a metal finish, it’s ideal for almost any digital application.

Specs: Up to ten times the speed of USB2 products.

SRP: £16.99

5GPS CARD READER

Distributor: Dynamode

Page 46: PCR154-July 2016

SECTOR GUIDE

Office 365 Home and Personal is subscription-based software designed to help you and your household get things done from nearly anywhere on your favourite devices. Get the installed applications you know and trust – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access.

Specs: One-year subscription, OneDrive cloud storage (1TB Personal, 5TB Home), 1 PC/Mac and 1 tablet (Personal), 5 PCs/Macs and 5 tablets (Home).

SRP: £59.99 (Personal), £79.99 (Home)

OFFICE 365

Distributor: Westcoast

The Lexmark MS415dn printer combines a powerful CPU/256 MB of memory, 2.4-inch colour display, eco-conscious features and output at 38 pages per minute.

Specs: 256MB of memory, 2.4” colour display, 38 pages per minute.

SRP: £250 ex VAT

LEXMARK A4 MONO PRINTER

Distributor: Westcoast

Get trusted processing power from an Intel Celeron processor that quickly launches apps, allows fast web browsing and efficiently manages battery power.

Specs: Intel Celeron N2840, 4GB RAM, 16GB eMMC, 11.6”, 1366x768 HD resolution, Chrome OS.

SRP: £221

HP CHROMEBOOK 11 G4

Distributor: Westcoast

The HP X2 210 detachable PC lets you go beyond notebook and tablet functions with write, share and watch modes that are ideal in the classroom.

Specs: Intel Atom x5 CPU, 10.1” screen, 1280x800 resolution, 4GB RAM, 64GB HDD, Windows 10 Pro 64.

SRP: £302

HP X2 210DETACHABLE PC

Distributor: Westcoast

The Fujitsu Stylistic R726, with a 12.5-inch anti-glare display, transforms into a full performance and productivity notebook by simply attaching the slim magnetic keyboard. Its magnesium-aluminium housing delivers durability, presenting in tablet mode or notebook mode on desks, offering a great alternative to traditional PCs.

Specs: 12.5”, anti-glare, magnetic keyboard.

SRP: From £649

FUJITSU STYLISTIC TABLET

Distributor: Entatech

Microsoft Office 2016 is designed to help you create and organise faster with time-saving features, a new modern look and built-in collaboration tools. Plus, you can save your documents in the cloud on OneDrive and access them from anywhere.

Specs: Updated versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.

SRP: £119.99

OFFICE HOME & STUDENT 2016

Distributor: Entatech

SoftMaker Home & Business for Windows is the blazing fast, easy-to-use alternative to Microsoft Office. Seamlessly compatible with Microsoft Office 97-2016, users can complete their day-to-day office and school work with TextMaker Word Processing, the PlanMaker Spreadsheet program and Presentations 2016 program.

Specs: Compatible with Microsoft Office 97-2016.

SRP: £29.99

SOFTMAKER OFFICE HOME & BUSINESS 2016

Distributor: Entatech

Compact, reliable and specially designed to suit smaller classroom spaces, the HL-3140CW creates professional-looking colour documents and prints directly from mobile devices. Wireless technology means saving and sharing resources is easy.

Specs: Up to 18ppm mono and colour print speed, up to 2400x600dpi print resolution.

SRP: £174

BROTHER HL-3140CW

Distributor: Ingram Micro

46| PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Page 47: PCR154-July 2016

SECTOR GUIDE

CONTACT

CMS Distribution ........ 0208 960 6000

Computers Unlimited . 0208 358 5858

Douglas Stewart ..........01252 612806

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

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

Dynamode [email protected]

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

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

Inspired Technology ...01227 271120

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

Peak Development ..... 01489 796 979

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

Gratnells ...................... 0800 169 6854

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

Target Components.... 01977 739 300

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

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

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 47

Fast and reliable, the DCP-9015CDW brings all-in-one colour print, copy and scan performance to the classroom. Create documents before sharing them using the machine’s comprehensive connectivity options.

Specs: 9.3cm touch screen, 18ppm print speed, two-sided print.

SRP: £226.80

BROTHER ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER

Distributor: Ingram Micro

The Flip TP200’s robust and remarkable 360-degree, multi-gear metal hinge gives you the freedom to organise your life the way you want.

Specs: 11.6” 1366x768 display, N3050 CPU, 2GB RAM, 32GB SSD.

SRP: £229.99

ASUS VIVOBOOK FLIP

Distributor: Exertis

The Triumph Board offers all the benefits of traditional interactive touchscreens as well as new features, like Ultra HD and Full HD resolution, an embedded Android board and integration with Triumph Cloud.

Specs: PC6A: Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB RAM, PC7A: Intel CoreTM i7 processor and 8GB RAM.

SRP: Varies

TRIUMPH BOARD

Distributor: Inspired Technology

With speeds of up to 1.2 Gbps, this EAP 320 access point from TP-LINK provides a practical solution for hard-pressed schools looking to strengthen their Wi-Fi network.

Specs: Wi-Fi with MIMO and TurboQAM, plus airtime, fairness, beamforming and band steering technologies.

SRP: Around £170

TP-LINK ACCESS POINT

Distributors: CMS Distribution, Entatech, Exertis, Spire Technology, Tech Data

This basic laptop bag measures 15.6-inches in size, and boasts durable coating quality. It also comes bundled with an optical mouse with a USB 2.0 cable.

Specs: 15.6” case in black, USB optical mouse.

SRP: £11.99

APPROX CARRY CASE & MOUSE BUNDLE

Distributor: Spire Technology

Norton Security Deluxe provides protection for the multi-device, on-the-go way you live today. IT gives you the ability to protect your identity and financial data from viruses, scams and online threats.

Specs: Protects up to three devices.

SRP: £39.99

NORTON SECURITY DELUXE 3 DEVICE

Distributors: Exertis, Ingram Micro, Tech Data

The APPSP21M is a compact speaker set with subwoofer. It’s designed for those who want to enjoy their music with style. Its sleek, slim design offers a modern touch to your computer and is ideal for both PC and laptop.

Specs: 10W RMS, white.

SRP: £10.99

APPROX 2.1 MULTIMEDIA MINI SPEAKERS

Distributor: Spire Technology

The new Approx automatic power adapter with its unique design allows you to charge all kinds of notebooks up to 90W. It has nine pins included, making it a compatible with most available brands.

Specs: 18.5-20V, 8 Adapters, Auto Select.

SRP: £20.99

APPROX UNIVERSAL 90W LAPTOP PSU

Distributor: Spire Technology

Page 48: PCR154-July 2016

Go largeAvailable now from Tech Data!

LaserJet Enterprise 700 M775 Series

M775dn • M775f

Get standout Ledger/A3 colour, robust scanning features,

A3 Colour Multifunction Printers

LaserJet Enterprise

Wireless Direct

Get standout Ledger/A3 colour, robust scanning

LaserJet Enterprise M750 Series

M750dn • M750xh

colour documents on a

The HP Color LaserJet M855

organisation access

colour printing with

A3 Colour Single-Function Printers

Page 49: PCR154-July 2016

Contact the Print & Supplies team today:Email: print&[email protected] Call: 01256 864200

AuthorisedDistributor

techdata.co.uk

Manage your business, not printers

LaserJet Enterprise M725 series

M725dn • M725f

with sharp A3 printing.

LaserJet Enterprise

series

colour printing with professional

LaserJet Enterprise 700 M712 Series

M712dn • M712xh

white printing up to

Handle big print jobs

handling options.

A3 Mono Multifunction Printers

A3 Mono Single-Function Printers

Page 50: PCR154-July 2016

SECTOR GUIDE

From general home and office use to schools, leisure facilities and the public sector, monitors are of course an essential part of the IT service offering. PCR rounds up some of the latest displays on the market…

Picture perfect

Samsung says the 5 Series Flat FHD Smart TVs provide a breathtaking and immersive viewing experience. There’s full HD picture quality plus Wide Colour Enhancer technology and Digital Clean View technology.

Specs: 32” 40” 49” and 50” screen sizes, 1920x1080 resolution, built-in wireless LAN.

SRP: £295.55

SAMSUNG K5500 5 SERIES FLAT FHD SMART TV

Distributor: Tech Data

The KU6400 Crystal Colour UHD TV with 1500 PQI delivers amazing picture quality and superior colour, according to Samsung. Watch your favourite movies and shows come alive with impressively bright and vivid images.

Specs: 40” 49” and 55” screen sizes, 3840x2160 resolution, UHD crystal colour.

SRP: From £619.95

SAMSUNG KU6400 6 SERIES SMART TV

Distributor: Tech Data

The Samsung KU6000 6 Series deluxe delivers stunning Ultra HD with UHD Dimming Technology, boasting seven times more colour adjustment points than conventional LED TVs. It also has Wi-Fi direct, and cloud based gaming.

Specs: 40” 50” 55” and 60” screen sizes, 3840×2160 resolution, UHD resolution.

SRP: £599

SAMSUNG KU6000 6 SERIES FLAT 4K SMART TV

Distributor: Tech Data

This K6300 Smart Curved TV from Samsung features a full HD 1920x1080 pixel resolution and LED technology. The slimline curved design aims to make it look bigger than 40 inches while ensuring a great viewing angle.

Specs: 40” 49” and 55” screen sizes, 1920x1080 resolution, curved screen.

SRP: £749

SAMSUNG K6300 SMART CURVED TV

Distributor: Tech Data

The AOC 75 Series comprises a new line-up of energy-efficient 16:9 widescreen monitors, which include VGA, DV, and (with the exception of the E975SWA) HDMI inputs. Higher models also include DisplayPort and USB 3.0.

Specs: 16:9 widescreen, 18.5” to 27” screen sizes, max QHD resolution 2560x1440 (Q2775PQU model).

SRP: £59.99 to £309.99

AOC 75 SERIES

Distributors: Exertis, VIP Computers

The AOC M2060PWDA2, M2060SWDA2 and M2060PWQ are 19.5-inch, 16:9 widescreen monitors with Full HD resolution (1920x1080) and a 60Hz refresh rate. Each model has a response time of 5ms.

Specs: 16:9 widescreen, 19.5”, 60Hz refresh rate, 1920x1080 resolution.

SRP: From £72.99

AOC 19.5” WIDESCREEN MONITORS

Distributors: Exertis, VIP Computers

The Philips E7 line caters to the needs of style conscious users by providing an exciting range of monitors with an ultra-narrow bezel. The range boast extra-wide viewing angles, 5ms response time and diverse inputs.

Specs: 23.6” and 27” screen sizes, 5ms response time, VGA, DVI, MHL-HDMI inputs.

SRP: £139.99 (23.6”), £199.99 (27”)

PHILIPS MONITORS

Distributors: Entatech, Exertis

Equipped with stereo speakers, this 19.5-inch display comes with Philips SmartContrast technology for the best possible digital imagery. It also has powerful sound with 2x2 watt RMS speakers.

Specs: 19.5”, LED, 2x2 watt.

SRP: £72.27

PHILIPS TFT 19.5” BLACK GLOSS DISPLAY

Distributor: Entatech

50 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Page 51: PCR154-July 2016

Delivering Value in DistributionSales Hotline 0871 622 7500

Our promise to you.

Not kept our promise? Please tell us because your feedback will help us to deliver abetter service. You can speak directly to our Managing Director, Rich Marsden

on 07554 455 439 or rich marsden@vip-computers co uk

VIP will always deal with you professionally and courteously | VIP will never leave you with a problem of our own makingVIP will always be informative in our communications | VIP will look to support you and grow your business

VIP will help educate you about our channel | VIP will always be fair to youVIP will always be competitive on price

PC Gaming & HardwareDistributor Award Winner 2016

Intel® Pentium® G4400 processor Windows® 10 Home 1TB HDD with 8GB memory Zoostorm keyboard & mouse included

DELTA TOWER PC BLACK Intel® Core™ i5 6400 processor Windows® 10 Home 128GB SSD with 8GB DDR4 memory VESA stand compatible - sold separately

DELTA MICRO ULTRA SMALL FORM FACTOR SYSTEM

ORDER CODE: 113202

CALL FOR PRICING

GREAT FOR EDUCATION

CALL FOR PRICING CALL FOR PRICINGORDER CODE: 113193ORDER CODE: 113189

Introducing the Zoostorm Delta PC range, built to deliver the best in technology for education and meet the rigorous demands of the classroom. Manufactured in the UK, the Delta range comes with over 15 years’ experience in delivering cost-eff ective solutions for education, along with quality customer care and support.

In stock & available off the shelfNext day delivery Made in the UK

Intel® Core™ i3 6100 processor Windows® 10 Home 128GB SSD with 4GB DDR4 memory VESA stand compatible - sold separately

DELTA MICRO ULTRA SMALL FORM FACTOR SYSTEM

Page 52: PCR154-July 2016

SECTOR GUIDE

52 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

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

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

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

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

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

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

Target Components.... 01977 739 300

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

This black LED backlit monitor boasts Full HD 1080p and a 5ms fast response time with VGA and DVI HDCP inputs, plus built-in stereo speakers. Multi-video modes are available for multi-application use.

Specs: 1080p, 5ms response time, VESA mountable.

SRP: £95.90

HANNSG 23.6” FULL HD LED DISPLAY

Distributor: Entatech

The ProLite E2483HS is a 24-inch Full HD LED-backlit monitor with 1920x1080p resolution. Featuring a 2ms response time and impressive contrast ratio, the ProLite ensures clear and vibrant picture quality.

Specs: 24”, >5 000 000 : 1 Advanced Contrast Ratio, 1920x1080p resolution.

SRP: £117.52

IIYAMA PROLITE BLACK FULL HD LED DISPLAY

Distributor: Entatech

A perfect choice for education, government, business and healthcare, the HannsG HP247HGB is a protected, economical display offering a complete package of performance, features, design and support.

Specs: 23.6”, 16:9, 1920x1080, 1000:1, VGA, DVI, HDMI.

SRP: £119

HANNSG HARD GLASS MONITOR

Distributors: Exertis, Entatech, Ingram Micro, Midwich

HannsG’s HP246PJB offers practicality with a smart and flexible four-in-one stand. Designed to ensure personal comfort, this solution is especially useful in environments where monitors are often shared by multiple users.

Specs: LED, 1920x1200, 16:10, 1000:1, VGA, DVI, Display Port.

SRP: £119

HANNSG 24” ERGONOMIC MONITOR

Distributors: Exertis, Entatech, Ingram Micro, Midwich

The DisplayPort 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 UHD Adapter from Club3D lets you connect your DisplayPort 1.2-enabled gaming PC or notebook to an HDMI 2.0 enabled device.

Specs: Data rate up to 6Gbps per TMDS channel, 3D video support up to 1080p at120Hz.

SRP: £26.81 (MiniDisplayPort is £26.93)

DISPLAYPORT1.2 TO HDMI2.0 ACTIVE ADAPTER

Distributor: Target Components

The HannsG HT225HPB boasts industry leading 10-point touch performance, IPS display technology and a triple input interface including DisplayPort for versatile connectivity. It also has a smart, adjustable stand.

Specs: 1920x1080, 16:9, 1000:1, VGA, HDMI, Display Port.

SRP: £189

HANNSG 21.5” TOUCH SCREEN MONITOR

Distributors: Exertis, Entatech, Ingram Micro, Midwich

The Club 3D Premium High Speed HDMI 2.0 4K60Hz UHD cable enables the connection of your HDMI 2.0 supported gaming PC or laptop to an ultra high definition monitor.

Specs: Supports UHDTV resolutions up to 3840x2160p at 60Hz, supports AMD, NVIDIA and Intel Graphics.

SRP: £9.16

CLUB3D HDMI 2.0 CABLE

Distributor: Target Components

The Club 3D USB 3.1 Type-C to HDMI 2.0 UHD Adapter is the easiest solution for connecting your USB 3.1 Type-C source device to an HDMI 2.0 enabled monitor, TV or projector.

Specs: Compliant to HDMI 2.0 for up to an 18Gbps data rate, supports UHD resolutions up to 3840x2160p.

SRP: £28.12

USB3.1 TYPE-C TO HDMI2.0 ACTIVE ADAPTER

Distributor: Target Components

Page 53: PCR154-July 2016

hannspree.co.uk Experts in Display

start it

th

HANNspree is a leading manufacturer of high-end touch screen mo-nitors using the latest 10 points P-Cap Technology which guarantees accurate, smooth and stable touch control.

Touch Monitors

HANNspree off ers a complete portfolio of monitors. Each of our monitors is carefully crafted to deliver a  perfect harmony of design, performance and practicality, and our comprehensive range enables you to select the right monitor for your individual requirements, no matter how specifi c they may be.

Monitor Range

Dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n * ensures that all students in a class-room are able to get on the Internet at once. Front and rear-facing ca-meras encourage creative learning possibilities, and Bluetooth 4.0 al-lows the convenient use of wireless accessories. (* on selected models)

Sharing ideas and learning together is fun and easy with our Tablet- PC´s

HANNspree UK

Hard glass

Extra pro

tection

Longer li

fe

Page 54: PCR154-July 2016

Information and Order Hotline...

Tel: 01279 401550w w w. g r a t n e l l s . c o m

Power up your sales with GratnellsPowerTray and PowerTrolley

StoreDesigned to fi t existing furniture, this range off ers added value in a complete package. Tablets, EPOS, handhelds and data loggers are stored easily and securely in either shallow or deep trays.

ChargeIntelligent charging delivers a diff erential, optimum rate to each device for the fastest, complete recharge. Your customers are ready for business.

SyncUp to 10 devices can be easily synced at one time using the integrated USB input port. Compatible with 1000s of USB devices.

SecureThe Gratnells PowerTrolley has the smallest footprint on the market and stores up to three PowerTrays in a secure, lockable unit delivering the power to charge up to 30 devices at once.

The PowerTrays come in two sizes – a shallow tray and an extra deep version, and can each store 10 tablets.

The PowerTrolley can adapt to house either 3 tiers of shallow trays, charging 30 devices at any one time or 2 tiers of extra deep trays, charging 20 units.

PowerPink

PowerBlue

WhiteFrame

PowerYellow

Silver

Page 55: PCR154-July 2016

RecommendedDedicated monthly product coverage

ASUS MADE sure it was centre of attention at Computex with a raft of mobile product announcements that encompassed gaming laptops, smartphones and home robots.

Yep, that’s right, ASUS has developed a robot for the home and it’s called Zenbo. Company chairman Jonney Shih described it as a companion that humans had dreamed of owning for ‘decades’: “One that is smart, dear to our hearts, and always at our disposal. Our ambition is to enable robotic computing for every household.”

There’s no word on availability or pricing yet, but developers can sign up to a programme and get to work on Zenbo apps and content.

The more down to earth ASUS products unveiled at the show were led by the ZenFone 3 family, featuring ZenFone 3 Deluxe, the firm’s new flagship smartphone; ZenFone 3, a feature-rich mid-range smartphone; and ZenFone 3 Ultra, which packs a 6.8-inch Full HD display.

Also announced were the ZenBook 3, a lightweight notebook with an aluminium design, along with the Transformer 3 and the

Transformer 3 Pro, which ASUS is aiming at those looking for mobility, convenience and expandability.

Finally, ASUS got gamer pulses racing with the G31 and GX800 compact gaming desktop and gaming laptop, respectively, in celebration of its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand’s 10th anniversary.

The ROG G31 Edition 10 sports a compact, 20-liter chassis, one-click CPU overclocking and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU with 2-way SLI for 4K UHD gaming, as well as an ESS audio DAC and amplifier headphone jack.

ASUS describes the ROG GX800 as ‘the most powerful gaming laptop in the world’, driven by an NVIDIA SLI GPU and Intel K-series CPUs, with two 330W power supplies. It also offers an upgraded liquid-cooled docking station to enable extreme overclocking of the CPU, GPU and DRAM.

The GX800 also features a mechanical keyboard – called MechTAG (Mechanical Tactile Advanced Gaming), which is illuminated by multicolour (RGB) LEDs with key-level customisation and anti-ghosting measures across the whole keyboard.

The latest tech Editorial planner

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 55

“ASUS got gamer pulses racing with the G31 and GX800 compact gaming desktop and laptop.”

Contact: ASUS | www.asus.com | Price: £899.99/£1399.99 (Transformer 3 Pro T303UA), £899.99 (ZenBook Flip UX360UA), £829.99 (ZenBook Flip UX560UA), £999.99 (ZenBook Flip UX560UQ), £699.99 (ZenBook Flip UX360CA) £599.99/£799.99 (ZenBook 3 UX310UA/UX330UA) | Out: Now (GX800, G31) August (Transformer 3 Pro T303UA, ZenBook UX560UA, ZenBook Flip UX560UQ, ZenBook Flip UX360CA, ZenBook 3 UX310UA/UX330UA), September (ZenBook Flip UX360UA)

ASUS wows at Computex 2016 with gaming, phones and robots

The ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the firm’s new flagship smartphone

The ZenBook 3 is a lightweight notebook with an aluminium design

Page 56: PCR154-July 2016

SO VIRTUAL Reality is the future of home entertainment, offering a completely immersive experience that takes you off to new worlds for wild adventures and an unrivalled game play experience. Until you trip over all the cables and crack your head on the corner of a PC.

Painful stuff, but a misfortune that the folks at MSI are hoping to save us from in the form of their nifty VR Backpack. That’s right, a backpack that also doubles as a high spec PC (Intel Core i7 processor/GeForce GTX 980 GPU) so that all those pesky cables run straight to the VR headset on your head instead of trailing all round the living room floor.

The VR Backpack is likely to be available later this year, although MSI has yet to confirm a release date or a

price point. What is does do is take the trend for wearable technology to its logical conclusion – who needs smartwatches when you can just take a whole PC with you?

Back in the here and now, MSI has announced the availability of its AEGIS and AEGIS X ‘barebone’ gaming desktop PCs, which it says deliver an ‘ultra-aggressive and compact design that conceals a plethora of

cutting-edge components. Under the hood of the AEGIS ($399.99) is a proprietary B150 motherboard and CPU Cooler that can support an Intel 6th Gen processor, while the VR-ready AEGIS X ($499.99) comes with a Z170 motherboard capable of handling an Intel K-series processor.

What’s more, the AEGIS uses MSI’s Mystic Light design, which allows gamers to personalise it with 16 million colours in different modes, Audio Boost 3 and Nahimic 2.0 Audio Enhancer for HD sound, as well as USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C connectors.

The Aegis X is also equipped with Killer Shield, a 15KV protection against power surges, as well as Killer DoubleShot Pro to play and stream games minimised lag.

MSI’s VR Backpack carries more than your lunch

DELL WAS out in force at Computex and took the opportunity to unveil a new line of Inspiron 2-in-1s targeted at students heading back to school, aspiring entrepreneurs and families seeking an affordable product.

The company claims the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 is the world’s First 17 Inch 2-in-1, with a 6th Gen Intel Core processor, a 360-degree hinge enabling four viewing modes, FHD resolution, backlit keyboard and infrared camera that works with Windows Hello. There’s also Waves MaxxAudio Pro audio and 802.11ac wireless. It’s available now starting at £999.

The Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1, meanwhile, is aimed squarely at the family and back to school market, with

HD resolution (1366x768), USB 3.0 port and Micro SD media card reader. It’s being made available from selected UK retailers.

The Inspiron 5000 13 and 15 inch 2-in-1s laptops are centred around a wide-angle FHD resolution display. The 13-inch-2-in-1’s compact size and light weight make it ideal for everyday travel, and the 15-inch-2-in-1 has 40 per cent more screen room than the 13-inch, making it well suited to working on multiple projects or enjoying movies with friends and family. The 13 and 15 inch devices are available now at £499 and £699, respectively.

Finally, the new 15 and 17-inch Inspiron 5000 Series laptops offer an array of processor options for fast, responsive performance and are aimed at people and

families for entertainment. For scalability and storage, an optical DVD drive and

optional Blu-ray writer may be added for backing up photos, videos and data. The 15-inch

and 17-inch devices will be available in the UK later this year.

RECOMMENDED

56 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

Contact: Dell | www.dell.co.uk | Price: £999 (7000 2-in-1), £499 & £699 (13 & 15 5000 2-in-1s), £TBC (11 3000 2-in-1, 15 & 17 5000 Series) | Out: Now (7000 2-in1, 13 & 15 5000 2-in-1s), TBC (11 3000 2-in-1, 15 & 17 5000 Series)

“MSI’s backpack doubles up as a high spec PC with Intel Core i7 and a GeForce GTX 980 GPU.”

Dell inspires with its Inspiron 2-in1s“The new Inspiron 2-in-1 line is aimed at students and families.”

The Inspiron 7000 has a 360-degree hinge

Contact: MSI | www.msi.com | Price: VR Backpack £TBC to $399.99 (AEGIS) and $499.99 (AEGIS X) | Out: TBC (VR Backpack) and Out Now (AEGIS, AEGIS X)

Page 57: PCR154-July 2016

Contact: AMD | www.amd.com/en-gb | Price: From $199 | Out Now

THE RACE to offer affordable, mass-market VR graphics solutions is well and truly on, with providers queueing up to offers the solutions that will get the technology into

people’s living rooms. Accordingly, AMD has rocked up with the Radeon RX 480, which starts at $199 for a 4GB unit and delivers performance that the firm says is on a par with $500 products. It’s available from June 29th and a lot is expected. indeed, AMD

expects that affordable PC VR enabled by Polaris architecture-based graphics cards will drive a wide range of VR-ready devices, providing a catalyst for the expansion

of the addressable market to an estimated 100 million consumers over the next 10 years.

Big numbers, for sure. But the Radeon RX 480 isn’t

the only piece of hardware to emerge from AMD in the last month. Its newly-announced 7th Generation AMD A-Series Processor line-up is an important

product line for the company, designed to help provide powerful productivity and entertainment performance with maximum mobility.

Previously codenamed ‘Bristol Ridge’ and ‘Stoney Ridge’, the 7th Generation AMD FX, A-Series, and E-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) show major improvements in performance compared to the previous generation, including claimed double-digit gains in gaming, video rendering and file compression performance.

As ever, OEM partnerships and support is key – AMD accelerated the availability of the new processors to support new notebook designs, with Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo already offering hardware, with more devices to be announced throughout 2016.

AMD Radeon 480 targeting affordable VR

COOLER MASTER used Computex to unveil a significantly expanded product line-up, led by the MasterCase and MasterBox. A full range of sizes has now been launched, complemented by a growing ecosystem of swappable MasterAccessories and MakerMade Accessories that can be used to both customise the exterior and adjust the interior layout. The second version of Cooler Master’s innovation platform, MasterConcept 2.0, has made strides towards a completely modular case that has no defined form or function other than that created by its user. The MasterBox line, a trimmer case featuring internal expandability and layout flexibility, has also expanded with a mini-tower and new mid-tower colours.

Meanwhile, the MasterAir Series of CPU air coolers and the MasterGel Series of thermal pastes now all feature full product portfolios ranging from entry-level up through the Pro and Maker iterations for increasing quality and

customisation. The liquid cooling segment has also launched its first member, the MasterLiquid Pro 120 and 240 AIO coolers, featuring a

unique pump design for various user preferences. And the MasterFan Series has spun off its MasterFan Pro, a collection of three blade designs with adjustable fan speed profiles for varying component and case cooling needs. All CPU coolers include the MasterGel Pro or MasterGel Maker, depending on the segment.

Finally, the MasterWatt Series was charged by the flagship MasterWatt Maker 1200 and will now expand into a full line of MasterWatt PSUs for varying levels of control and power requirements. The series incorporates custom changes to the circuit design, heatsink and fan to reduce heat waste, strengthen reliability and extend life expectancy. These have now become available from the MasterWatt upwards.

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 57

RECOMMENDED

Contact: Cooler Master | www.coolermaster.co.uk

“AMD says its $199 Radeon RX 480 delivers performance on a par with $500 products.”

“Cooler Master unveiled a significantly expanded product line at Computex.”

Cooler Master boxing clever

Page 58: PCR154-July 2016

Talk to theSpecialist

Images are not representative of the actual product - Trade Only - While Stocks Last - All prices exclude VAT and Delivery

@www

www.direktek.co.uk [email protected] 01494 471100Home and Next Day Delivery

Visit our brand new partner portal!www.direktek.co.uk

Back to School with

Single Arm Monitor Desk Mount Dual Arm Monitor Desk Mount

Max VESA Max Weight Tilt/Swivel

100x100 15kg 360º swivel15º tilt

13-27”Monitors

19-27”Monitors

PB094 PB096

Max VESA Max Weight Tilt/Swivel

100x100 8kg 45º tilt360º rotation

£16.75 £25.00

The crystal clear audio solutionKönig headphones and headsets meet the wishes of the

real music lover. They all are selected and created with

great care to ensure wearing comfort and bright and rich

sound. The headsets have the possibility to make hands-

free phone calls thanks to the built-in microphone.

0116 253 03 25check our websitewww.nedis.co.uk/pcr

Page 59: PCR154-July 2016

RECOMMENDED

Contact: Intel | www.intel.com | Price: Variable | Out Now

INTEL LAUNCHED its Core i7 Extreme Edition family of processors at Computex and it’s fair to say the company is quite excited about the product line. In fact, the firm’s connected home boss Gregory Bryant said in a blog post that he couldn’t remember the last time he was so excited by a product launch.

There’s no doubt that anything with the word ‘Extreme’ in its title is sure to set pulses racing. Intel boasts that the range offers up to 10 cores of ‘mind-blowing performance’. It’s designed not just for multi-tasking, but also for what it calls mega-tasking.

Hyperbole aside, the numbers speak for themselves and there’s no questioning the raw power on offer here. Gamers are the clear target market – Intel

talks up the Core i7’s ability to support the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive VR platforms with ‘enough room to spare’.

And with Intel’s new Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0, applications are steered to the highest-performing core, giving single-threaded

experiences a huge performance boost.

Certainly, with 40 PCIe lanes connected directly into the CPU, gamers have a variety of options at their

fingertips to expand their system’s capabilities with the SSD 750 Series of high-performance solid state drives, multiple discrete GFX cards and Thunderbolt 3.

Away from games, Intel says the Extreme Edition also facilitates the editing of video in native 4K – plus, with up to 10 cores and 20 threads of performance,

it’s possible to work on virtually every aspect of a project simultaneously. We reckon it’ll also open Word docs faster than you can possibly imagine.

Intel takes Core i7 to extremes

THIS ONE’S not for the faint hearted or, in fact, anyone on a budget in the real world – Overclockers UK has revealed (or should it be conjured in the depths of Mordor?) a monster of a gaming desktop PC called the OrionX.

The spec sounds like something from a sci-fi movie – it’s a water-cooled system that is in fact two PCs in one box. The first packs a 10-core Intel Core i7-6950X processor, three Nvidia GTX 980 Ti graphics cards and an ASUS Rampage 5 10th Anniversary X99.

The second is an ITX-based system with an overclocked Intel Core i7-6700K running at 4.8GHz. To say you’ll feel a disturbance in The Force each time it’s switched on would be an understatement.

The idea is that the more powerful primary unit handles all the heavy lifting, such as VR and graphics rendering, while the companion allows the user to surf the internet and use Word, so there is method to the madness. We’re not quite sure how anyone playing a VR game would be able to polish their spreadsheets at the same time, but we’d like to see.

The whole thing is the brainchild of Overclockers’ system builder extraordinaire Ian “8pack” Parry. But all that power comes at a price (and some serious liquid cooling tech), circa £16,000 if rumours are to be believed. There’s no release date yet, but we’re promised that it’s ‘coming soon’ on the Overclockers site, so stay tuned.

Contact: Overclockers UK | www.overclockers.co.uk | Price: £TBC | Out: Coming Soon

“With 40 PCle lanes connected directly to the CPU, gamers have a variety of options at their fingertips.”

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 59

Overclockers creates a monster

Page 60: PCR154-July 2016

ACER USED Computex to announce two ultra-affordable 2-in-1 notebooks in the form of the Switch V 10 and Switch One 10.

Both models feature Windows 10 and quad-core Intel Atom processors, with the Switch V 10 is available with a variety of metal covers, a USB Type-C port, high-

resolution video output and easy charging.

The Switch One 10 comes with a dark grey brushed-metal cover, and offers 2-in-1 Windows 10 functionality.

The Switch V 10 will be available in EMEA in September at a price to be

confirmed, while the Switch One 10 will be available in EMEA in July starting at €249.

As usual, exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region.

Meanwhile, Acer has also expanded its enterprise offering with the new TravelMate Notebooks range, comprising 14-inch and 15.6-inch models for small and medium sized businesses – a burgeoning market that can be very price sensitive.

Both models are feature-rich, including 6th Generation Intel Core processors, NVIDIA GeForce 940M discrete graphics, up to 32GB DDR4 system memory and ship with Windows 10 Pro. They also include HD1 backlit LED displays, an optional backlit keyboard, while a DVD/CD-RW drive can be included for software installation and storage backups.

The TravelMate P2 series will be available in EMEA in August starting at €429. Again, exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region.

RECOMMENDED

60 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

“Acer’s new 2-in-1s feature Windows 10 and quad-core Intel Atom processors.”

Acer switches on affordable notebooks

Contact: WISO | www.thewiso.com | Price: £49.99 | Out Now

SMART HOME. Check. Smart watch. Check. Smart, um, whistle? Not so much. Well, not yet anyway, because Astrotek is about to unleash what it’s calling the world’s first Bluetooth smart whistle, the WISO.

In a nutshell, the Computex Award-winning WISO is a combination of traditional whistle, Bluetooth technology and mobile app. When activated, it not only emits a loud alarm to alert the unknown people nearby that something bad is happening, but

also commands emergency calls, sends SOS messages and emails to loved ones about the wearer’s location.

It’s targeted at females and allows users to hang it on the bag or on their key chain, rather than being a wristband or jewellery. It allows SOS messages to be sent at a blow or a press of button. Discreet location info on a map will be included in the SMS/email and location information will be updated approximately every three minutes.

Contact: Corsair | www.corsair.com | Price: TBC | Out: 3Q 2016

WHAT CORSAIR doesn’t know about cooling can be written on the back of a fan cover and its new Magnetic Levitation fans are the latest addition to its huge portfolio, as showcased at Computex.

The Corsair ML PRO and ML PRO LED fans both use the company’s patented magnetic levitation technology which, rather than being something David Copperfield might use in one of his tricks, is actually a new kind of magnetic bearing

configuration that ultimately generates more performance and less noise.

That’s made possible partly due to a very wide 2000 rpm range of speed, the difference with the ML PRO LED fans being extra illumination that sees the entire fan glow when in use. We’ve seen them in action and we have to say they look pretty cool – sure to appeal to gamers everywhere.

Both fan models will launch in 3Q 2016, though pricing and availability has yet to be finalised.

Contact: Acer | www.acer.co.uk | Price: TBC (Switch V10), €249 (Switch One 10), €429 (TravelMate P2) | Out: July (Switch One 10), August (TravelMate P2), September (Switch V10)

See Corsair’smagic Magnetic Levitation fans

Stay safe with the WISO Smart Whistle

Page 61: PCR154-July 2016

It’s the world’s smallest 13-inch laptop, but that’s only the beginning. With the latest Intel® Core™ processors, Windows 10, a virtually

For more information please call your Ingram Micro Account Manager on 0871 973 3000 or visit www.uk-new.ingrammicro.com

A laptop that erases borders, starting with the display.

Page 62: PCR154-July 2016

www.techandlearning.uk

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

From the publisher of Installation, AV Technology and SCN.

• Quarterly print magazine• Dedicated website• Weekly newslett ers• Custom email campaigns• Roundtables• Webinars

Gurpreet Purewal +44 (0) 20 7354 [email protected]

Heather McLean+44 (0) 7986 473 [email protected]

For further information on subscribing, advertising or submitting content for Tech&Learning UK, please contact:

Sales: Editorial:

New online platforms:• Dedicated website

• Weekly digest newslett er• Theme of the Month newslett er

Sign up at www.techandlearning.uk

Tech&Learning UKaudience includes:

• Business managers• ICT managers / technicians

• Head teachers / deans• Heads of department / faculty

• AV resellers and integrators

Page 63: PCR154-July 2016

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 63

RECOMMENDED

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

August 2016 DESKTOP SPECIAL PCR takes a closer look at the traditional tower market and looks at how the computing sector is evolving.

We’ll also be celebrating and highlighting the top technology PR managers and press officers in the UK industry.

Advertising Deadline July 14th

September 2016PC GAMING SPECIAL We take a look at the state of the UK’s PC gaming sector, speak to system builders and list the latest accessories, components and cases available to stock.

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

Advertising Deadline August 12th

October 2016 DISTRIBUTION SPECIAL The tech distribution space is continuing to evolve and consolidate, but what are the challenges for suppliers and what does the future hold?

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

Advertising Deadline September 14th

Contact: TPV | www.pos-tpv.com | Price: TBC

GAMA, TPV’s POS system, won in the computer systems category at the Computex Awards.

The device is certainly eyecatching, inspired as it is by the ancient Greek letter GAMMA and with twin displays for both the retailer and the customer to look at.

TVP described GAMA is a POS ‘total solution’ that represents a new way of thinking for the modern retail industry. Among its functionality is

inventory management, interactive advertisement, a scanner, payment and a receipt printer.

The firms says that by providing shop owners with streamlined inventory control and shoppers with fast checkout and accurate product information, GAMA has the potential to change relations among cashiers, consumers and POS systems and, ultimately, boost the profit of future retail business. What’s not to like?

Upping the GAMA in POS systems

Contact: Flux Technologies | www.flux3dp.com | Price: £699 | Out: Pre-Order Now

FLUX TECHNOLOGIES’ Delta 3D printer won big at the Computex Awards, snatching first place in the smart technology/wearable apps and products category.

It’s the Swiss Army Knife of 3D printing, combining, um, 3D printing, 3D scanning and laser engraving in one machine. Flux Technologies is pitching it as a desktop solution for budding creatives.

The Flux Delta is wirelessly connected, so can be accessed from remote locations, while its various interchangeable modules and materials make it much easier to bring designs to life.

Flux Technologies also provides the companion Flux Studio software, which its says simplifies the process of 3D slicing, hardware control and system configuration.

The system is available to pre-order now from $669 and is the kind of

product that will help bring the concept of 3D printing – so long the domain of specialist pros – to the masses.

Flux reveals Swiss Army Knife of 3D printing

Page 64: PCR154-July 2016

OUT OF OFFICE

64 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

IN THE

HOTSEAT

Estelle Johannes, CompTIA

CompTIA’s director of UK member communities Estelle Johannes talks about her pet hates, guilty pleasures and where she sees herself in the next five years…

What are your hobbies? Running after my two-year-old son and around the park twice a week. What are your tipples of choice?At work we drink lots of tea and flat whites. I’m South African, so outside of work I appreciate a good red or white wine. Just not rose – never rose!

How competitive are you (inside and outside of work)? Fiercely competitive. Do you have any pet hates? Someone tapping on their desk, clicking a pen or saying goodbye five times on the phone before they hang up. What’s your dream car? A FIAT 500. What are your guilty pleasures? Watching Orange Is the New Black. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? We are looking to expand our reach into EMEA so hopefully I can be a remote worker in sunny Spain. What’s going to be the next big thing in tech? A reliable source said holograms and also harnessing the opportunities that will arise from the Internet of Things. Would you like to nominate anyone for a future ‘In the hot seat’? Kris Nagamootoo, senior manager, Membership, CompTIA.

BROTHER’S UK distribution team have kayaked across the River Thames to raise money for Cancer Research UK.A team of seven volunteers (from left to right: Charlotte Gillooley David Goodman, Jeremy Bedford, Lesley

Howe, Kate Falkingham, Steve Malone from H20adventures and Shammi Mistry) took on the challenge of kayaking the entire length of the non-tidal River Thames.

The task took five days to complete as the team journeyed 135 miles from Cricklade in Wiltshire to Teddington Lock in Greater London.

They have raised more than £6,400 in donations so far. The endeavour marks the start of a wider charity initiative, organised and funded by Brother, involving eight UK distributors, including Midwich, Exertis, JGBM, VOW, Exertis Supplies, UFP, BETA and Northamber.www.justgiving.com/teams/kayakthethames2016

A GAMING team from online retailer Ebuyer.com has broken the Guinness World Record for continuous play of a console game, with a 51-hour gaming marathon.

The team, Sumonix Bears, contested over 51 hours of continuous gameplay on the Microsoft Xbox game Halo 5: Guardians, against online opponents.

Stephen James and Adam Vjestica, part of the Sumonix Bears team, spent three days fighting in the online multiplayer game, to beat the previous record of 50 hours and four minutes. Chris Pang and Rhys Wood withdrew from the marathon at 21 and 24 hours respectively. They were all allowed a ten minutes break for every four hours of gameplay.

The record attempt was streamed live on the Ebuyer Twitch channel and the team raised over £1,382 for gaming charity SpecialEffect.www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Sumonix-Bears-halo

BROTHER CONQUERS THE THAMES

EBUYER.COM BREAKS GAMINGWORLD RECORD

Page 65: PCR154-July 2016

OUT OF OFFICE

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

Craig Hume, Utopia Computers@CraigHume_ Well said @CK_Kohli! I’ve seen their terms first hand...totally agree and I hope more follow your bold stance! RT @PCR_Online @YOYOtech1 reveals why it doesn’t deal with Amazon anymore

Rich Marsden, VIP Computers@Rich_VIPCom@CraigHume_ @CK_Kohli you see the terms then do not supply Craig which is wise if it does not suit your business, if it does then supply

Craig Hume, Utopia Computers @CraigHume_ @Rich_VIPCom @CK_Kohli that was what I done Rich. I could see that it was going to put too much risk on the table.

YOYOTech @YOYOtech1 @CraigHume_ @Rich_VIPCom @CK_Kohli issue here is not terms but when they suggest “goods not received” and you supply POD still refuse to pay

Rich Marsden, VIP Computers @Rich_VIPCom @CraigHume_ @CK_Kohli infrastructure here is key, you will get badly burnt if you play a game your business is not set up for, use a Disty!!

Tim Hawes, Granite Computers@timhawes83 @amazon What’s this I read in @pcr_online about you owing money to local disties such as @Smithie_UK & other UK disties too? Shame on you!

Adam Simon, Context @adamcontext Great to see debate following @jonathancontext input to #pcrbootcamp. Big strength of indies is proximity and trust

Gemma Telford, The IT Marketing Agency@gemmaitmarketng Great to see some of my fave men in the channel in this month’s @pcr_online - speaking at the #pcrbootcamp @tubblog @CraigHume_ @Carl_GB :)

OKI Europe @OKI_Europe_Ltd .@PCR_online explores why #MPS could be the future of #print – have you considered it?

www.pcr-online.biz PCR July 2016 | 65

FORGET competition from Google and Apple, or the criticism of journalists – Microsoft has roused the ire of former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe and TV presenter Richard Madeley.

They have both been caught by the so-called Windows 10 ‘updategate’, which has seen some users complain about their PCs apparently upgrading to the operating system without their permission.

Madeley tweeted: “Have been refusing Windows 10 upgrade for months but bastards just did it anyway and f***** up my settings. Grrrrrr...”

Ooh-er. Widdecombe added in her column for the Express: “I see my colleague Richard Madeley was caught by the intrusiveness of Microsoft’s new Windows 10.

“So was a friend of mine who switched on her computer and then went to make a cup of tea. When

she came back the upgrade, which she did not want or ask for, was in full swing and she couldn’t use the computer that evening.

“Fortunately I was warned that when the window pops up there remains only a few minutes’ grace before it loads anyway, so I have had to alter my morning routine to thwart it.

“I stand over the thing until assured the wretched pop-up has gone away. We should be able to sue for lost working hours, mental stress and trespass.

“Yes, trespass. What else would you call it if an unauthorised person entered your home and ransacked your files? Instead, the giant reigns supreme and can do what it likes, up with which we have to put until a rival comes along with better ethics.”

You tell ‘em, Ann.

TERRA UK director Neil Jensen left the recent Computex trade show in Taiwain inspired.

So inspired, in fact, that he produced his own piece of art in a coffee shop in Taipei around the show’s virtual reality presence. It’s titled ‘Its Virtually Wednesday’ and is being auctioned off for a Multiple Sclerosis charity, in honour of Jensen’s grandmother who passed away from this illness 25 years ago.

The piece of art drew bids from several industry executives, including David Tulip and Sam Kazerounian. At the time of writing the highest bid was £165, with the auction ending on July 1st.

“I haven’t done art since high school, but didn’t let that hold me back. I am certainly no Monet or Paul Oz,” Jensen admitted, “but had great fun creating this and simply chillaxed.”

MICROSOFT FACES THE WRATH OF ANN WIDDECOMBE AND RICHARD MADELEY

TERRA’S ART ATTACK

Page 66: PCR154-July 2016

OUT OF OFFICE

PCR is published 12 times a year by NewBay Media - Saxon House, 6a St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA. Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648.

© NewBay Media 2016All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of PCR are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. Printed by Pensord.

SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90.

The international cost applies per subscription and covers airmail dispatch of 12 issues.

To order your subscription via Visa, MasterCard, Amex Switch or Delta contact: [email protected] call 01580 883848. Alternatively visit our websitewww.pcr-online.biz

Editorial: 01992 515306 Advertising: 0207 354 6000 Website: www.pcr-online.biz Twitter: @pcr_online

66 | PCR July 2016 www.pcr-online.biz

READ THE LATEST

STORIESAT

PCR-ONLINE.BIZ

Who’s in your team?Jamil Nathoo, Richard Hughes, Faye Andrews, Steve Gater, Amit Sudra and Neil Ivory (see below right for full job titles).

What’s been your biggest successes of the past 12 months?Over the past year we’re really proud to see our products back on retailers’ shelves after a three-year hiatus and therefore into the hands of more consumers. Customers view our end user and gaming products as highly desirable, so it’s great that our retail partners are able to help meet this demand.

What’s the best part of working in your team?The Dell retail team is an important and strategic part of the UK and global Dell business. We have a long-term vision for Dell in the UK retail space and each member of the team is both key to achieving success in this market – and empowered to take the actions necessary to get us there.

What’s the hardest part of working in the tech industry?Technology never stands still. This makes it both an exciting and challenging environment. Products and business models need to evolve to meet modern requirements and the ever changing needs of consumers. And we all know that consumers interact with brands very differently compared with just a few years ago. With the proliferation of peer-to-peer recommendations, they now have a much deeper understanding of a product’s worth, how it works and its strengths and weaknesses, all of which can then be

shared at a touch of a button via social channels for the world to see. Therefore, we are well aware of how important it is to have a great product.

What are you working on right now? It’s an extremely exciting time at Dell right now. We are about to roll out our consumer advertising campaign on TV and beyond in the lead up to the back to school season. The aim is to put Dell products in the hands of as many consumers as possible and to do this we need to ensure products are on shelves, retailers are well-trained and that there is sufficient demand for our products. The next few months are going to be tremendously exciting, so watch this space.

What’s the funniest or most memorable memory of working in your team?We are lucky to have part of our team based in Hyderabad, India. On one of

our regular trips to the local office, the leadership team was invited to play in a cricket match against the local office team for charity. Let’s just say that the UK leadership team lacked a little in quality. The good news is that we raised a good amount of money for one of the local charities we support there.

What are your thoughts on the UK tech retail space right now, and your recent partnership with Currys/PC World?Retail technology is an exciting space to be in right now. There are many different areas to work in and major players such as Currys/PC World to partner with. We are currently receiving a lot of consumer interest across the UK market and our global demand for products is reflected in meeting the needs of consumers, especially in the PC market, which is still a vibrant one.

Who makes the best cuppa?It really depends on who you ask, but

in my opinion Neil Ivory – he has the magic touch when it comes to making a proper English brew.

In our Team of the Month section, we highlight some of the important faces from across the industry who perhaps aren’t always in the public eye. This month,

we chat to Dell’s UK retail team...

Dell UK retail team (from left to right)

A: Jamil Nathoo – general manager, consumer and small business

B: Richard Hughes – director, retail

C: Faye Andrews – manager, marketing, retail

D: Steve Gater – director, marketing, consumer & small business

E: Amit Sudra – account executive, retail

F: Neil Ivory – retail account executive, retail

A E FB CD

Page 67: PCR154-July 2016

3 ways to spot the fakes…

Original HP Supplies are proven to be more reliable than non-original alternatives. Cheap ink and toner cartridges can compromise a printer’s performance, leaving streaked, blotchy or faded prints. Only Original HP Supplies deliver unmatched quality from the most professional looking prints.

1. Scan the code – locate the HPsecurity seal and use a QR scanner appto check. Alternatively use the HPSureSupply app

2. Inspect the label – 3 signs the cartridgehas been tampered with; the lines in thepattern do not match, label is coloured ratherthan transparent or the text changes to show‘seal is void’

3. Check online – visit hp.com/go/ok and enter theserial number from the security label

Page 68: PCR154-July 2016

Why choose Westcoast for

your HP Original Supplies?

Be assured to receive 100% genuine supplies

Largest UK distributor with a supplies stock holding

available for next day delivery

99% picking accuracy across our warehouse

A value add proposition designed to help grow print business

0118 912 6000 @Westcoast_Sup [email protected]