Author: Nick Farrell

Cyber crime damage to reach $27 billion by 2025.

Posted on April 28, 2020 by - News

Damages caused by cybercrime are expected to reach more than $27 billion by 2025.

Throughout the last six years, cybercrime damages increased by an average of 37,44 percent per year. Atlas VPN expects that in 2020, financial losses growth caused by hacker attacks will exceed the six year average due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lockdowns might act as a catalyst for the biggest hacker attack outbreak to date. People are stuck at home, surfing the web, and working remotely. Meaning, the pool for potential cybercrime victims has never been larger.

Commvault and NetApp partner on new data protection platform

Posted on April 27, 2020 by - News

Cloud data specialist Commvault has announced the launch of NetApp Scale-out Data Protection (SDP). It says it is designed to provide expanded rapid recovery support for critical data across NetApp’s hybrid-enabled systems.

The pair say that the move is the latest development in a partnership that has lasted for over 20 years, providing 1,200 customers with  data protection through Commvault Complete Backup and Recovery and NetApp’s range of on-premises and cloud storage solutions.

Powered by Commvault Complete Backup and Recovery, the thing uses  the NetApp portfolio to provide people with snapshot management, backup and disaster recovery functionality.

Dell shows compassion to the Channel

Posted on April 27, 2020 by - News

Dell has announced a payment flexibility plan, making zero percent interest rates, and up to 180-day payment deferral, and $9 billion in financing available to partners.

The tech giant says the initiative has been designed to help partners fulfil their technology needs and ease financial pressure during the current period of uncertainty.

Available through Dell Financial Services, the program includes all new offers across Dell Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG), Dell Client Solutions Group (CSG) and the Channel.

Computacenter furloughs a tenth of workers

Posted on April 27, 2020 by - News

Computacenter has furloughed one in ten workers including engineers, project managers and consultants.

Computacenter said it had been off its feet as businesses reacted to COVID-19 by asking staff to work from home, even before the UK government imposed a lockdown on 23 March.

“There has been a marked difference in need from customer to customer dependent on which sector their business is in. There has been a surge in demand from many of our customers to enable business continuity particularly around home working and network resilience.

Blue Prism’s former CEO joins ScaleUp Group

Posted on April 24, 2020 by - News

Alastair Bathgate has joined ScaleUp Group after he steps down as Blue Prism CEO on 30 April.

Bathgate founded and led Blue Prism from a two person startup in 2001 through to a successful 2016 IPO with a market cap that grew from £48 million to more than £1 Billion. Blue Prism created a brand new enterprise software product category that became known as Robotic Process Automation with a $multi-billion ecosystem of technical and distribution partnerships and a global reach across 130 countries and 70 industry sectors.

Kodak Alaris holds virtual partner summit

Posted on April 24, 2020 by - News

Kodak Alaris saw more than 200 partners online when it conducted its  first virtual Partner Summit this week.

The global info capture specialist had planned on holding its annual partner conference for the EMEA region in Vienna from April 21 – 23, but in light of the current COVID-19 crisis, decided to make it a virtual event.

Alaris President & General Manager Don Lofstrom (pictured) confirmed that despite the challenges presented by the current global pandemic, Kodak Alaris’ performance in the financial year ended March 31 was strong overall. In his address to partners, he provided an update on the impact of COVID-19 on the business and the marketplace over the past four months, as well as steps Kodak Alaris has taken to minimise disruption to its customers.

Netsweeper signs up with Sigma

Posted on April 24, 2020 by - News

Threat detection, productivity enhancement, and HR policy enforcement software maker Netsweeper has signed a distribution partnership with Sigma Software Distribution. The partnership will see Sigma working to build channel-led sales of Netsweeper’s security products across EMEA.

Netsweeper has a suite of products to enhance productivity of remote workers, cyber security, enforce internet use policies, and solve BYOD challenges.

Tech Data expands configuration centre

Posted on April 23, 2020 by - News

Tech Data has boosted the size of its Midlands configuration centre so it can configure up to 10,000 units a month.

The outfit uses the site to build customised servers and desktops for channel partners, with its electrostatic discharge room the only one in the UK to hold Cisco Level 6 accreditation.

Tech Data UK endpoint solutions operations director at Kevin Wragg said: “The configuration centre at Magna is probably one of our best-kept secrets.It’s a state-of-the-art facility and with expanded capacity we can now provide services of the highest quality on even the very largest orders – whether they are for advanced servers, special notebook configurations, or simple desktops with some additional memory or disk.”

HPE offers partners finance

Posted on April 23, 2020 by - News

Former maker of expensive printer ink, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has launched a finance scheme to help vendors through the COVID-19 pandemic.

HPE said its initiatives will “relieve financial pressure on HPE partners and assist with business continuity planning”.

The vendor has suspended the revenue threshold for resellers to maintain their partner programme status, while payment terms will be increased from 60 to 90 days.

Distributors will benefit from a “significant reduction” or suspension in strategic development initiative targets.

Nutanix provides partners with financial assistance

Posted on April 23, 2020 by - News

Cloudy Nutanix has announced a Special Financial Assistance Programme (NSFAP) to demonstrate its commitment to support partners worldwide during their coronavirus woes.

NSFAP will provide participating partners with extended payment terms to give them increased financial flexibility for their businesses. Additionally, Nutanix enables enhanced financing options for customers through Nutanix Financial Solutions (NFS).

Nutanix Executive Vice President, Worldwide Sales Chris Kaddaras said: “We recognise the immense pressure businesses face today and we are happy to be able to offer immediate support to our partners by alleviating cash flow concerns and increasing financing flexibility,”

Cato Networks gets its first pan-European distributor

Posted on April 22, 2020 by - News

Software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) outfit Cato Networks has signed on its first pan-European distributor.

This was a few weeks after the outfit was given $77 million in its largest funding round so far at the start of April.

The firm made it clear that the broad plan was to use those funds to continue to build on the momentum the business enjoyed last year, with a 220 percent increase in bookings, and the solid start it had made to 2020.

Part of that strategy involved investing more in the channel, and Cato has appointed Nuvias as its first pan-European distributor.

Block Solutions snaps up Connect IP

Posted on April 22, 2020 by - News

Block Solutions has written a cheque for network infrastructure specialist Connect IP.

Block CEO Marc Chang said: “Like Block, Connect IP is a business built on the quality of its people, trusted client relationships and an unwavering commitment to quality and innovation.  Over the years I’ve received a lot of feedback from our clients that it’s challenging to find a trusted partner to assess and transform their physical environments.Connect IP’s approach and capability takes that pain point away, and our joint end-to-end service will deliver greater assurance, investment efficiency and reduce risk.”

Exertis Hammer reaches distribution agreement with Siklo

Posted on April 21, 2020 by - News

Value-add distributor Exertis Hammer, and t millimetre-wave wireless company, Siklu, announced a distribution agreement to boost Siklu’s reach to wireless connectivity resellers, datacentres, integrators, service providers and OEMs in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Benelux and Scandinavia.

As part of the arrangement, Exertis Hammer will carry and distribute Siklu’s millimetre wave wireless solutions to their vertical markets.

The UK and Europe distributor will be able to supply new and existing customers with the full Siklu product range, which includes radios in the 60 GHz and 70/80GHz bands. Products offered through Exertis Hammer will include Siklu’s EtherHaul Hundred Series and EtherHaul Kilo Series that can support deployments with up to 10 Gb throughput, and up to 4.3 miles (6.9km), as well as the MultiHaul Series for automatically aligning rapid deployment.
Siklu’s mmWave radios provide fibre-like performance.

Cognizant hit by Maze ransomware cyber-attack

Posted on April 21, 2020 by - News

Tech services provider Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) said on Saturday that it was hit by a Maze ransomware cyber-attack, resulting in service disruptions to some its clients.

The company said on its website: “Cognizant can confirm that a security incident involving our internal systems, and causing service disruptions for some of our clients, is the result of a Maze ransomware attack.

“We are in ongoing communication with our clients and have provided them with Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and other technical information of a defensive nature.”