Author: Nick Farrell

Israel Checkpoint

Israel cyber security powerhouse Check Point has inked a deal with the Software King of the World, Microsoft, to supercharge its Infinity AI Copilot service with the Azure OpenAI service.

For those who came in late, Check Point’s Infinity AI Copilot is an automation service that the company hopes will redefine security administration. If it works, it promises to significantly reduce incident response times and bolster protection against cyber threats, setting a new standard in the industry.

The company claims it can harness the power of artificial intelligence; this innovative solution tackles routine and complex security tasks with lightning speed, freeing up precious time for security teams to focus on staying one step ahead of cyber villains. Read more…

UK-based security startup Goldilock has adopted a channel-only approach to drive its business forward.

The company, renowned for its physical network isolation service, is banking on an indirect strategy to unlock access to a broader customer base and expand its market reach.

At the heart of Goldilock’s range is a revolutionary appliance that swiftly isolates and secures systems, effectively halting breaches in their tracks. The National Cyber Security Centre’s NCSC For Startups programme, in collaboration with Plexal, and support from the Ministry of Defence’s Defence and Security Accelerator support the startup. Read more…

Softcat is purring over an 11 per cent gross profit leap to £196.5 million, and its gross invoiced income has clawed up a four per cent increase to £1.263 billion in its half-yearly financial fiasco up to 31 January 2024.

Operating profits have pounced up 5.8 per cent to £66.7 million, and Softcat’s saying it’s more than they’d hoped for.

However, the reseller’s revenue has tumbled by eight per cent – a bit of déjà vu from last October when they reported a similar 8.6 percent drop.

The bigwigs at Softcat reckon it’s all down to hardware sales hitting the skids, which make up a hefty chunk of the revenue pie, while software and some services get a trim under IFRS15. Read more…

TD SYNNEX has announced a staggering revenue of £12 billion and a net income of £147 million in its fiscal first quarter, defying market expectations.

Despite revenues hitting the forecasted range between £12 billion and £12.5 billion, they are a 6.7 per cent dip from last year’s figures.

The distie dropped a bombshell with a new £1.7 billion share repurchase programme that’s got the cocaine nose jobs of Wall Street all excited.

CEO Rich Hume said: “We generated strong results in our fiscal first quarter, driven by our expansive portfolio and an improving IT demand environment. This resulted in record margins, EPS at the upper end of our expectations, healthy free cash flow and robust capital returned to shareholders.” Read more…

Avaya and Zoom have just inked a partnership deal that would see Avaya join Zoom Workplace, the AI whizz-kid of collaboration platforms.

It will mean rolling meetings, chit-chats, and doodles into one sleek package.

Avaya’s CEO Alan Masarek said: “By partnering with Zoom, we can deliver on the promise of ‘innovation without disruption’ for Avaya customers, providing added value to enterprises through world-class collaboration experiences within the Avaya platform.”

Zoom’s Eric Yuan said: “Customers and partners like Avaya continue to look to Zoom to power their collaboration needs because of its speed of innovation and because it just works. We are excited to deliver that same experience to the thousands of Avaya customers who will benefit from a simple yet powerful way to collaborate.” Read more…

IBM has announced its EMEA geography winners of its 2024 IBM Partner Plus Awards, celebrating IBM partners who advance businesses, reshape industries, and create positive impact through partnership.

A company spokesman said: “We are thrilled with the number of incredible stories submitted from EMEA partners who continue to demonstrate innovative ways to help clients capitalize on the game-changing potential of hybrid cloud and AI. The winners in each category showcase how working together to build, service, and sell with IBM technology can deliver tangible results and drive transformative change for clients.”

The EMEA geography winners of this regional round in the IBM Partner Plus Awards for each category include:

AI for Business in EMEA – Reinventing the way business gets done.

Agile Business Process UK Limited

Modernisation in EMEA – Unlocking innovation through infrastructure.

any.cloud A/S

Digital Defence in EMEA – Building more secure businesses.

SmarterProcess

Automation in EMEA – Increasing performance through automation.

HABBER TEC SL

Digital Labour in EMEA – Unlocking the power of data.

Visito AS

Sustainability in EMEA – Turning sustainability ambition into action.

ERNST & YOUNG LLP

The EMEA geography winners have also been named finalists for the global awards in each category. The winners will be announced at IBM Partner Plus Day during Think 2024 on May 20, 2024.

Partners self-nominated for the IBM Partner Plus Awards, and entries were judged based on Expertise, Partnership, Impact, and Innovation. Winners were selected across six categories in five geographies: APAC, EMEA, Japan, Latin America and North America. For more information on the IBM Partner Plus Awards, including a list of all geography award recipients, visit here.

Partners eligible to self-nominate for the awards are part of IBM’s Partner Plus program, which is designed to help deepen partners’ technical expertise, accelerate time to market, and win with clients using AI and hybrid cloud.

VMware is beefing up its game across Europe, chucking nine new spots into its distribution deal with TD SYNNEX – Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, and Turkey,

This means TD SYNNEX’s mates can get their paws on all the subscription goodies VMware’s dishing out. And get this: They’re throwing in some extra treats like boot camps, webinars, and all sorts of stuff to get the partners up to speed on the latest cloud and virtualisation tricks. Read more…

Software King of the World Microsoft has announced that it will suspend its cloud services for Russian companies by the end of March 2024.

This decision comes as a direct response to the economic sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russian-owned companies in December 2023, amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The suspension, which was initially set to commence on March 20, has been delayed following discussions with Softline, a key IT platform and Microsoft customer. Vole has emphasised that this action is not politically motivated but is a commitment to adhering to international trade laws and regulations. Read more…

Channel-first cloud and disaster recovery specialist VirtualDCS has launched the world’s most comprehensive Azure backup service, protecting over 250 configurable items within an established Microsoft 365 estate.

Known as CloudCover Guardian for Azure, the new service is part of VirtualDCS’s CloudCover 365 solution and offers complete Microsoft 365 backup and recovery.

Additionally, VirtualDCS has introduced a unique ‘Clean Room’ service for organisations and users requiring system restoration in a sterile and isolated environment following a Ransomware attack. Read more…

According to IDC’s Worldwide AI and Generative AI Spending Guide, the European AI and genAI market is set to soar to a £36 billion in 2024, with a staggering compound annual growth rate of 33.7 per cent over the 2022-2027 forecast period.

The number crunchers at IDC said that Europe’s slice of the global AI pie is about one-fifth, and though GenAI only made up 9.6 per cent of Europe’s total AI market last year, it’s on a rapid rise.

IDC’s crystal ball predicts that genAI spending will outpace the rest of the AI market by more than threefold, meaning genAI will account for over a quarter of the total European AI market by 2027.

When it comes to tech segments, software is king in 2024, with a market value that’s more than the combined worth of hardware and services. Read more…

OVHcloud’s looking for some savvy partners to provide microservices to spice up it offers.

The company wants folks who can bring something extra to the table with their IaaS and Kubernetes management game.

The company is picking up on what customers are after, especially since many of them don’t have the know-how in-house. They’re eager to team up with partners who can fill that gap.

OVHcloud partner programmes boss David Devine said that as the cloud scene gets more mature, loads of mid-sized businesses are wondering how they can use cloud-native tech to push their business forward. Read more…

TD SYNNEX will offer Cisco Refresh-certified remanufactured equipment throughout Europe, supporting partners as they adopti cost-effective circular IT procurement strategies.

The company is now directly stocking Cisco Refresh items in its logistics centres, which are prepared for immediate dispatch to partners.

TD SYNNEX insists this initiative aims to shorten delivery times and enhance product availability transparency, aiding partners in integrating a broader array of eco-friendly solutions into their Cisco market offerings. This move coincides with a surge in demand for environmental sustainability in IT procurement. Read more…

Europe’s cloud infrastructure services providers (CISPE) are up in arms over Broadcom’s move to scrap license terms for key virtualisation software.

The body said it’s pandemonium as public sector bodies, big European firms, and the little guys – SMEs and startups – are tizzy over the nasty new contract terms and eye-watering price hikes.

CISPE is demanding, at the very least, a time-out on Broadcom’s contract endings and a get-out clause from Broadcom’s iron-clad multi-year deals as soon as a decent alternative pops up.

There is a concern that without VMware’s magic, some CISPE members will go belly-up.

Some are so hooked on VMware’s tech that it’s 75 per cent of their bread and butter. If this licensing kerfuffle isn’t sorted, we’re discussing a full-blown online service shutdown, including life-saving medical accounts. Read more…

Computacenter has announced promising results for the financial year 2023.

The company said its gross invoiced income (GII) exceeded £10 billion, marking an increase of 11.4 per cent compared to the previous year. Additionally, there was a 10.2 per cent rise in gross profit and adjusted earnings per share (EPS).

These gains were attributed to advancements in technology sourcing and services.

The gross profit saw a 10.2 per cent uplift, while the profit before tax rose by 5.4 per cent, indicative of heightened strategic investments. Read more…

IT distributor Ingram Micro is gearing up for a smashing new IPO.

Word on the street is that they’ve got the money maestros at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley cooking up a juicy £6.5 billion deal that could pop as early as April.

This is not Ingram’s first rodeo. The California giant, which took a step back from the Wall Street limelight in 2021 after a hefty £5.8 billion buyout by Platinum Equity, flirted with an IPO last September but didn’t go through with it. Read more…