Author: Nick Farrell

Restore buys Apple recycler The Bookyard

Posted on March 10, 2021 by - News

Recycling specialist Restore has made its second acquisition of the year.

A couple of months after the firm moved to pick up Runcorn-based Computer Disposals, Restore has snapped up Liverpool-based Apple recycling and spare parts specialist The Bookyard.

The Bookyard is a 15-year-old business that focuses on Apple recycling and parts, and runs a couple of e-commerce sites – www.mac2cash.com and www.click4mac.com – which give it countrywide coverage.

The Bookyard was expected to generate revenues of approximately £1.2 million a year and no one is saying how much Restore paid for the company.

Ingram Micro Cloud signs new agreement with AWS

Posted on March 10, 2021 by - News

Ingram Micro Cloud has announced a new global Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with AWS.

The big idea of this multi-year, joint investment is geared towards accelerating the growth of AWS Partners worldwide through Ingram Micro Cloud.

During the multi-year, global agreement, Ingram  and AWS will accelerate initiatives to increase reach and footprint in existing geographic markets and expand into new geographic markets across EMEA, LATAM, and ASEAN countries. 

McAfee flogs its enterprise business to Symphony

Posted on March 9, 2021 by - News

McAfee is flogging its enterprise business to a consortium led by Symphony Technology Group (STG) for $4 billion.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2021, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

Once complete, the enterprise business will be rebranded, while McAfee will move forward focusing solely on delivering personal security for consumers under the existing brand name, the firm said.

McAfee CEO Peter Leav said that STG was the right partner to continue strengthening our Enterprise business, and this outcome is a testament to the business’ industry-leading solutions and most notably to the outstanding contributions of our employees.

Tollring appoints Bannister as Global Head of Sales

Posted on March 9, 2021 by - News

Tollring has enhanced its senior management team with the appointment of Andy Bannister as Global Head of Sales.

Bannister will lead the sales strategy across the entire Tollring portfolio of analytics, call recording and fraud management solutions, developing relationships with existing partners and new service providers across the globe.

Tollring CEO Tony Martino said that Bannister brings with him extensive industry knowledge and a wealth of experience in business communications and cloud services, having previously worked in global sales roles for Atos, Mitel and Cisco BroadSoft.

Martino said he had known Bannister since his time at Mitel where he was instrumental in helping to secure its ongoing partnership and the delivery of its business analytics across Mitel’s UCaaS portfolio.

Widen improves partnership with Showpad

Posted on March 9, 2021 by - News

Digital asset management (DAM) and product information management (PIM) company Widen has improved its partnership with global sales enablement leader, Showpad.

The partnership is aimed at providing both existing and new customers with the ultimate customer experience, allowing businesses to access their digital assets, all from within Showpad’s sales enablement platform.

Widen and Showpad have had a working relationship since 2018, and now they want to work closer to enable customers to digitally transform, as well as create better business outcomes and equip sales teams with on-brand content and product knowledge.

The plan is to synced automatically from Widen into Showpad, meaning administrators don’t have to spend time managing and maintaining both systems. This helps align marketing and sales teams with the latest digital content.

Security outfit Synack distributes through Ignition

Posted on March 8, 2021 by - News

Security outfit Synack announced a distribution partnership with Ignition Technology.

The agreement enables more organisations throughout the UK, Ireland, Nordics and BeNeLux to use the talents of the Synack Red Team, a vetted community of skilled ethical hackers, who work with Synack’s proprietary technology to hunt for critical software vulnerabilities.

Ignition Technology Chief Strategy Officer Sean Remnant said that cyberthreats were becoming more complex and persistent at a time when organisations face an unprecedented skills gap and lack the in-house talent to keep their systems safe.

“Synack addresses these challenges with its combination of continuous penetration testing by elite ethical hackers and artificial intelligence. Its testing platform has been designed with stringent controls and privacy safeguards to ensure our partners’ security offerings are even more robust and protect end-users”, he said.

Devices will be everywhere by 2030

Posted on March 8, 2021 by - News

The device-to-person ratio will exceed 20 to one by 2030 as the world enters the era of hyperconnectivity and catapults organisations’ digital transformation according to a new report.

According to Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Future of Connected Living, the number of connected devices globally is projected to increase from 30.4 billion in 2020 to 200 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.7 percent.

The convergence of connected cities, homes, and workplaces will result in ubiquitous connectivity and the emergence of new product applications, business models, technologies, platforms, and services.

CyberGRX brings partner programme to UK

Posted on March 8, 2021 by - News

CyberGRX is bringing its partner programme to the UK to help its channel scale efficiently and meet demand.

CyberGRX’s Global Partner Programme will come in the form of a four-tiered channel programme that incentivises partners based on their level of commitment to CyberGRX. Resellers, systems integrators, consultancies, MSSPs and distributors can all receive a guaranteed margin structure which is not only lucrative for their own business but helps drive a predictable revenue stream.

The big idea is that partners will take advantage of many growths or business development programmes such as joint marketing campaigns, market development funds, internal comp neutrality, easy deal registration, co-selling, sales incentives, and many others.

 Partners will initially can take advantage of training from CyberGRX on risk management so that they understand the TPCRM components that create an effective risk management strategy to protect businesses. The programme will then guide partners through the sales process and provide a guaranteed margin on every sale allowing for a more predictable revenue stream.

Sapphire Systems buys InCloud

Posted on March 5, 2021 by - News

Sapphire has announced it has acquired SAP Business ByDesign partner InCloud Solutions.

The move is to strengthen Sapphire’s  ERP offering and accelerate growth. The company said that the move will expand its Business ByDesign expertise, as well as help consolidate its position as a top SAP partner.

InCloud Solutions offers a portfolio of SAP aligned products that will enable Sapphire to strengthen its ByDesign capabilities, as well as benefit from its team of skilled employees.

The deal is Sapphire’s third this year and follows the recent acquisitions of ITOM Solution and Pioneer B1.

Dell opens RISE channel programme in EMEA

Posted on March 5, 2021 by - News

Dell has launched its RISE channel programme for partners across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The big idea is to make life simpler for partners, particularly those that operate across multiple countries in EMEA and increase the rewards for top sellers.

RISE will have four partner levels – ignite, boost, advanced and elite – and is aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) partners be more competitive and provide them with a clear path to level up rewards.

Those rewards are given out on a per-box basis through Dell’s distributors and can be tallied up and then redeemed at the end of each quarter. Ignite and boost partners will get e-vouchers and advanced and elite can get credit notes at their distributor.

Comtec launches new training programme

Posted on March 4, 2021 by - News

IT solutions provider Comtec Enterprises has launched the Comtec Training Academy, a five-stage training programme that will see Comtec’s engineers train employees to become efficient engineers in three-to-six months.

Comtec Enterprises CEO  Nick Claxson said: “By delivering this intensive training programme we are ensuring that all Comtec employees have a base level understanding of core technology and vendor fundamentals, and can therefore provide a consistent service to our clients. With this model for creating knowledgeable, experienced engineers in a short time frame, we can encourage applicants from all backgrounds and education levels to enrol with us and find a lasting, rewarding career.”

Trainees enrolled in the Comtec training academy will receive a personalised training plan including video training, one-to-one mentoring, and practice test training to ensure they are equipped for certification tests. Key books, online resources and any other learning materials will also be provided to support their training.

DPR teams up with Six Degrees

Posted on March 4, 2021 by - News

Banking software provider, DPR, has announced its latest technical partnership with Six Degrees as it continues to expand its Microsoft Azure integration.

The new partnership adds additional strength to DPR’s existing Azure hosting and managed services. It uses Six Degrees’ cloud pedigree, security capabilities and track record in working with the financial services sector to provide DPR clients with performance, agility, security and cost benefits across the DPR applications.

DPR said it is committed to improving client experience and ensuring its clients remain at the forefront of the banking sector. The group claims it has invested heavily in developing its technologies and expanding its Azure offering, including becoming a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), to deliver Origination and Servicing of Mortgages, Savings and Loans as a fully managed service.

Ultima buys Just After Midnight

Posted on March 4, 2021 by - News

Automation and infrastructure service provider, Ultima Business Solutions, has acquired the cloudy Just After Midnight, a global cloud services provider.

Just After Midnight will form a new cloud and application services division within Ultima and will continue to scale its support for brands and their digital agencies.

Just After Midnight brings with it a global 24/7 support and services capability located in London, Australia, Singapore, and the USA.

SoftwareONE snaps up ITPC

Posted on March 3, 2021 by - News

Cloudy software outfit SoftwareONE has acquired SAP outfit ITPC

For those not in the know, ITPC is an SAP specialist for S/4HANA transformations, public cloud migrations and related managed services offerings, including monitoring, maintenance and support.

Founded in 2006 and helps customers with updating, migrating, modernizing and operating SAP ERP solutions. It has around 50 experienced consultants, ITPC assists customers with S/4HANA adoption on public cloud hyperscale platforms, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google cloud (GCP), as well as managed services.

ITPC Group currently serves businesses mainly in the DACH region. Following the transaction, ITPC will be fully integrated into SoftwareONE’s global SAP practice and European operations.

Node4 gets new backer for expansion

Posted on March 3, 2021 by - News

Cloudy MSP Node4 has a new equity backer to help in its expansion plans.

Providence Equity Partners, an equity firm that specialises in the media, communications, education, software and services industries and no one is saying how much cash is involved.

Over the past five years, Node4 has achieved strong organic growth through significant new customer wins and the provision of a broader range of information and communications solutions to its existing clients. During this period, significant investment has been made in people, systems, skills and the product portfolio, which has positioned Node4 to capitalise on the opportunity for cloud-led digital transformation growth.