PCR May 2016

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Total Distribution™

28 Dell interview We chat to the firm’s UK retail general manager about Dell’s strategy

34 Boot Camp guide All you need to know about our unmissable conference and expo

50 Sound-off PCR takes a closer look at the shifting audio sector

No. 152 • MAY 2016 COMPUTER & IT RESELLERS z RETAILERS z SYSTEM BUILDERS z DISTRIBUTORS z VENDORS

WWW.PCR-ONLINE.BIZ

15 PCR throws a spotlight on the independent retail sector, highlighting our pick of some of the most innovative and inspirational indies in the UK trade, ahead of PCR Boot Camp 2016…

IT’S EASY to get wrapped up in the doom and gloom of shop closures on UK High Streets, but is it really that bad? There are hundreds of PC shops across the country that continue to delight their customers every day with a level of service, knowledge and expertise unmatched by the bigger boys.

In this issue, PCR profiles 20 of the most impressive indie tech retailers that are working hard to not only survive, but thrive in the current environment. These are the High Street Heroes of the UK trade.

We’ve spoken to disties, analysts and vendors about this unique sector of the market, plus we’ve

summarised everything you need to know about the next PCR Boot Camp conference and expo on May 18th.

We’re confident our unmissable event will help usher in the next generation of High Street Heroes.

Turn to page 15 for our selection of top indies and page 34 for the PCR Boot Camp guide.

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CONTENTS & COMMENT

Follow us @pcr_online Dominic Sacco Editor

CONTENTS

COMMENT

REGULARS

Indie innovators

dsacco@nbmedia.com @Dom_Sacco

6 Analysis: Distie acquisitions 8 Number crunching 11 Appointments

Laura Barnes Online Editor

13 Opinion

lbarnes@nbmedia.com @roradrum

FEATURES 15 High Street Heroes: PCR’s Jennie Lane Sales Manager

top 20 indie retailers 26 BullGuard’s indie survey

jlane@nbmedia.com @jennielane1

28 The big interview: Dell 34 PCR Boot Camp 2016 show preview 49 Behind the scenes at ESL

Sarah Goldhawk Account Manager

and Gfinity

sgoldhawk@nbmedia.com @sarzgoldhawk

50 Tricks of the Trade: Selling audio products

Dan Bennett Designer

PRODUCTS

dbennett@nbmedia.com

53 Speakers, docks and headphones 56 Smart Home products 58 Computer memory

Elizabeth Newton Production Executive enewton@nbmedia.com

61 Asus ROG GX700 liquidcooled gaming laptop 62 Recommended products

OUT OF OFFICE Andrew Wooden Interactive Entertainment Content Director awooden@nbmedia.com @pcr_online

64 In the Hot Seat: Lisa Wooton, Nvidia 65 Industry Tweets 66 Team of the Month: VIP’s indie retail sales team

Editorial: 01992 515306 Advertising: 0207 354 6000 NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

Incorporating

66 PCR’s Time Machine

ISSN: 1742-8440

YOU ASKED us in a recent reader survey to better represent the voice of the independent PC dealer, and we listened.

PCR has historically focused on the indie retail sector, but in recent years, with the rise of cloud computing, managed services and online e-commerce, we’ve had to broaden our coverage to better represent the channel.

But that doesn’t mean the independent is any less important. On the contrary – the number of indie stores in the UK overall is actually on the up; they have embraced market changes, from B2B reselling to smartphone repairs and even the cloud, to better compete with larger multiples.

And as I’ve been saying for years, local store owners and staff have a level of knowledge, expertise and service that the big chains and etailers just can’t offer.

To celebrate all things indie, we’ve highlighted 20 of the most innovative and inspiring independently run PC and tech shops in the UK.

“To celebrate all things indie, we’ve highlighted 20 of the most innovative and inspiring indie PC and tech shops in the UK.” We asked you to nominate the most impressive independent businesses and partners, and while it was incredibly difficult to pick a select few, we’re confident those highlighted represent some of the UK’s best.

We wanted to highlight the unique, the wonderful and the innovative who are going the extra mile or doing things that you might not have thought of yourself. Hopefully their passion, dedication and creativity will give you some ideas to adopt or consider for your business.

Turn to page 15 for our look at the indie retail sector and our roundup of top stores. Disties share their views of local PC shops on page 13 and store owners reveal what they want from vendors and brands on page 26.

Last but not least, our latest PCR Boot Camp takes place on May 18th at the Emirates Stadium in London, boasting a mix of networking, products and services to stock in the expo, and arguably our best conference line-up yet, featuring a mix of keynote talks and new workshop masterclass sessions. You can read our extensive preview to the show from page 34.

Sign up at www.pcrbootcamp.com Dominic Sacco, editor dsacco@nbmedia.com

READ THE LATEST STORIES AT

PCR-ONLINE.BIZ ANALYSIS

The big get bigger as Exertis and Westcoast snap up disties The tech distribution market continues to consolidate, with Exertis making yet another acquisition, as well as vendors like Logitech spending big on buying other brands. Dominic Sacco ponders what it means for the channel…

UK DISTRIBUTORS are making more acquisitions to grow and adapt to a shifting market.

In April, Exertis acquired Siracom – a specialist supplier of wireless technology products and services – while Westcoast bought UK-based printing and 3D print-focused distributor ArtSystems.

The latter provides technical consultancy, demonstration services, specialist logistics and pre and post sales engineering, and Westcoast says it will give them a ‘competitive edge’.

Westcoast group MD Duncan Forsyth said: “This acquisition represents a game-changing opportunity for us. ArtSystems has been a driving force in the wide format sector and is a leader in next generation 3D printing. Both industries are growing hard and fast. Access

to ArtSystems’ technical expertise and range of distribution agreements with vendors like HP and Stratasys will give us a considerable competitive edge.”

Exertis, on the other hand, has already made a handful of acquisitions over the past couple of years. In 2014 it acquired Swedish tech distributor CapTech, and last year it bought Computers Unlimited for £24 million. In November it also made an offer to acquire CUC Groupe, a French cabling and connectors distribution business. Siracom, meanwhile, supplies third-party branded wireless infrastructure and security products to over 1,000 partners across the UK. David Thompson, Siracom MD, commented: “To join with Exertis, its broad market reach and its expertise in

JOHN LEWIS GETS SMART 6 | PCR May 2016

logistics and marketing is a compelling proposition.”

Elsewhere, earlier this year Ingram agreed to be acquired

by Tianjin Tianhai, a Chinese logistics provider, for around $6 billion.

“This acquisition represents a game-changing opportunity for Westcoast.”

Duncan Forsyth, Westcoast

Market consolidation should come as no surprise.

When the likes of Gem, Micro-P and MSE rebranded under the Exertis banner in

late 2013, Exertis’ UK and Ireland MD Gerry O’Keeffe told PCR he was focused on acquisitions and expanding the firm’s international footprint, while not ‘trying to be the biggest for the sake of being the biggest’.

As the market consolidates, the big get bigger and stronger, acquiring attractive businesses to grow, while the small have to focus on their niche or diversify to survive.

If you look at each successful distributor today, the difference between them is growing. Target Components is known for its indie support, VIP Computers and Caseking for their PC gaming offerings, Ingram Micro for its reach and so on.

Entatech is also changing fast, having launched its separate Entacloud, Entadata and Entamedia divisions.

The same can arguably be said for vendors. For example, Logitech International has just agreed to acquire wireless audio wearables vendor Jaybird for approximately $50 million in cash, as it looks to transform itself from a PC accessories firm to an edgier brand more in touch with the modern consumer.

Rich Marsden, VIP Computers MD, said at our previous Boot Camp event: “It’s a very challenging market and margins are slim. We’ve seen many examples of consolidation or distributors dropping out of the market.

Everyone should be looking to diversify because this is a tough market. Diversification is a good thing.”

Time will tell how tech distribution evolves, but right now it seems to be a case of ‘buy or diversify’.

MUCH-LOVED retail brand John Lewis is rolling out dedicated smart home technology departments in its stores.

The company opened its first smart home space in its Oxford Street store in April. The space measures 1,000 square feet and showcases an array of gadgets, from internet connected ovens to fridges.

John Lewis has seen an 81 per cent increase in sales of smart home products over the past year.

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READ THE LATEST STORIES AT

PCR-ONLINE.BIZ ANALYSIS

Speakers hint at PCR Boot Camp 2016 business tips PCR BOOT Camp gets underway on May 18th at the Emirates Stadium in London, and our conference speakers have revealed what they’ll be discussing on the big day.

The morning conference includes talks from AMD’s Richard Huddy on virtual reality and gaming, Context’s UK country manager Jonathan Wagstaff on the smart home and GfK’s Carl West on the state of the market. There will also be a talk from headline partner DMSL and Virgin Media Business, as well as a panel of distributors who will be answering your questions.

New afternoon masterclass sessions will feature tips on how to get ahead in different areas, from marketing to online sales, staff retention and refitting your store, led by the likes of Utopia’s Craig Hume and Gekko’s Dan Todaro.

Sign up to attend at www.pcrbootcamp.com

“If you are coming along to PCR’s Boot Camp for a free mouse – then think again.

Come along to the Emirates and find out how you should be changing your business, your relationship with some key vendors and distributors as well developing some new lines of business for end-user customers that have only just started up – for its these companies that are likely to be driving the agenda in 2016.”

ALEX TATHAM, Westcoast, MD “Too many retailers fail to see the value in taking time out of their business. One of my favourite sayings is: ‘To work on my business and not in it.’

Events like PCR Boot Camp allow business owners like myself to focus on working

on our businesses and drive the relationships forward that allow us to succeed. I’ll be discussing the things we’ve implemented at Utopia that allow us to create a unique culture which has allowed us to attract some fantastic young talent and have an awesome working environment.”

CRAIG HUME, Utopia, director “Once again we will show the state of the nation with regards to tech products, also highlighting specific trend changes.

“We will also focus on the new opportunities to be had around technology, the need to be mobile optimised and how to identify the type of store you are and what you should be stocking. Do you serve the masses or the

leading edge consumer?”

CARL WEST, GfK, supply chain director “The market’s been unpredictable for the last year or so. The end of XP support sucked a lot of refresh forwards into 2014, and there’s been plenty of economic uncertainty around Europe, oil prices, exchange rates and so on.

“Our numbers have held up well, but we’re hearing plenty of feedback from customers, vendors and other distributors that demand is pretty flat at the moment. Against that background, resellers will undoubtedly want to know what the future holds and what we can do to support them.”

PAUL CUBBAGE, Target Components, MD

Can Dell crack the consumer market?

PC GIANT Dell already has a substantial slice of the UK commercial market, and now it has laid out ambitious growth plans regarding its consumer business in the UK. The firm returned to retail last year after striking a deal with distributor Exertis, and says there is further room to grow in this space.

Rivals like HP and Lenovo already have a strong share of the market, so can Dell make inroads against stiff competition?

Dell’s UK retail general manager Jamil Nathoo told PCR: “We have a small piece of the market in the UK today compared to other markets that Dell is present in. That’s the great opportunity for us.

“We’ve got a very substantial UK business on the commercial side. On PCs in commercial we have about a quarter of the market and are gaining share

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pretty well, so it’s a good successful business also on the service side as well.

“On the consumer side we’re at around 2.6 per cent as of Q4 last year. So it’s a tiny portion of the consumer market and that’s purely on the basis of consumer/direct.

So we know the growth is going to come from retail.

“If you look at where we are in the US, India, Brazil and China – and I reference these markets because these are where we said we’re going to reinvest in retail, as we did in the UK last year – they’ve taken their consumer shares to well in excess of 20 per cent. That’s been driven off the back of partners and retail and so on.

“We see there’s tremendous potential to become a major UK consumer brand.”

Read the full interview on page 28.

News Bytes OCULUS RIFT DELAYED The much-hyped Oculus Rift virtual reality headset has been hit by delays.

The device was originally expected to begin shipping in March, however some customers who pre-ordered it have now been told they may not receive the Rift until between May and June.

BREAK-IN AT AIREDALE COMPUTERS Airedale Computers, the independent PC retailer that gives its profits and some products to charity, has been burgled.

The shop was broken into and laptops worth almost £1,000 were stolen, but the business will suffer greater costs in building damages.

The news comes after the firm’s website was hacked earlier this year.

CORSAIR BOOSTS WARRANTIES PC components and accessory brand Corsair has increased the warranty for several of its power supplies from seven to 10 years.

All current and future Corsair AXi, HXi, RMi and RMx PSUs will receive an additional three years of warranty.

UK TECH STAFF ‘LEAST STRESSED’ Research from Britain’s Healthiest Workplace (BHW), surveying more than 32,538 workers across all UK industries, revealed that workers in the technology sector are the least stressed and least inactive in the UK, losing 18.9 days of productive time a year on average.

Ironically, the study, which was conducted by VitalityHealth, Mercer, the University of Cambridge and RAND Europe, found that healthcare staff are the least active in the UK.

FRACTAL PARTNERS WITH EXERTIS Distributor Exertis has been appointed by PC components manufacturer Fractal Design as a distributor for its range of cases, power supplies and cooling options.

Going forwards, Exertis will be distributing the full range of Fractal Design cases to its customers: the DEFINE series, CORE series, NODE series and the ARC series of mini and

PCR May 2016| 7

STATS

Number

crunching

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

Get fit for business in 2016

1

8%

There’s less than one month to go until PCR Boot Camp 2016 takes place on May 18th. Sign up now at www.pcrbootcamp.com (PCR)

19%

5 The number of years TP-LINK has held a leading position in the networking sector, having represented 40.62 per cent of global WLAN product shipments in Q4 2015.

(IDC)

Worldwide shipments of 3D printers rose 19 per cent in Q4 2015 compared to a year ago.

(CONTEXT)

1.7% Overall UK shop prices reported deflation of 1.7 per cent in March.

(BRC)

106% Smart home security cameras saw year-on-year volume growth of 106 per cent in Q4 2015.

(GfK)

8 | PCR May 2016

Independent retail sales accounted for eight per cent of the total consumer electronics market in the UK in 2015.

(GfK)

$6bn Worldwide softwaredefined WAN (wide area networks) revenues will exceed $6 billion in 2020.

(IDC)

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RECRUITMENT & EVENTS

New role for Jon Atherton CENTERPRISE: The IT provider has hired wellknown channel executive JON ATHERTON as group commercial director.

Atherton will be responsible for maximising Centerprise’s vendor relations as well as its branding and exposure within the channel. In addition, EXERTIS: The distributor has announced a number of new appointments.

IAN AINSWORTH has been appointed commercial manager, running the AV business in the North. SARAH BAMFORD has filled the position of Samsung commercial TV business manager, while ADAM LENOVO: The PC giant has announced the appointment of JOHN HARBER as general manager for UK and Ireland.

Harber joins Lenovo from leading wearables player Jawbone, where he ran the global sales and operations organisation.

Harber has over two decades of experience in the BRIGANTIA: MARTIN WRIGHT has taken on the role of managing director and IAIN SHAW has become commercial director at dealer services provider Brigantia.

The subscription partner reseller community has also appointed RON WOOD as partner benefits manager AZLAN: The enterprise value added distribution business of Tech Data has made two senior appointments.

SIMON BENNETT has been named business unit director for IBM, Dell/EMC and Lenovo Enterprise, while PETER SPREADBURY has been appointed director of software.

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

Jon Atherton

Atherton will handle PR and marketing – and drive a number of specialised sales channels.

He was most recently working at distie Exertis as commercial development director, but left earlier this year. Prior to that, Atherton headed up Entatech, where he worked for 22 years.

Ian (left) and Matt (right)

CARSON has become business development manager for the north.

JORDAN DEEMER has assumed the role of business development manager for Samsung Interactive displays, and MATT CUSHWAY has filled the newly created Microsoft general manager role in the commercial team.

John Harber

consumer technology space.

Prior to Jawbone, he also held senior positions at Sony Ericsson and Sony UK, during which time he spearheaded the launch of multiple new consumer products to market.

Harber will report in to DAVID MCQUARRIE, VP and general manager of Lenovo North Europe.

E3

Martin (left) and Iain (right)

as well as TIM GILLIATT as partner sales executive. Along with these announcements, TOM EDWARDS has also been promoted to product manager, while HANNAH GEE has joined as a telesales executive.

Further appointments are expected shortly in both Yorkshire and London.

LONDON TECHNOLOGY WEEK

Simon (left) and Peter (right)

They join a board under the leadership of ROB TOMLIN, who was appointed as managing director of Azlan in January.

Bennett has 15 years’ industry experience and has been at Azlan for nearly seven years. Prior to joining the distie, Spreadbury worked in various senior roles at HP.

PCR BOOT CAMP 2016 Emirates Stadium, London MAY 18TH The UK PC industry’s essential conference and expo takes place at the Arsenal football stadium this year.

Delegates will benefit from a morning conference as well as an afternoon exhibition with the latest products and services on show. It’s free for tech retailers, resellers and system builders to attend.

COMPUTEX Taipei World Trade Center, Taiwan MAY 31ST – JUNE 4TH Computex is billed as the only global ICT show ‘with a complete supply chain’. It covers the whole spectrum of IT from PC products to IoT applications and more.

Boasting more than 1,700 exhibitors, it gives industry execs the chance to network, broker deals and check out the latest products.

INFOSECURITY EUROPE London Olympia JUNE 7TH – 9TH Infosec is an information security event featuring a comprehensive education programme. It draws 315 exhibitors showcasing a diverse range of products and services to 12,000 visitors. The 21st edition of the event will take place at Olympia in London in early June.

LA Convention Center JUNE 14TH – 16TH The Electronic Entertainment Expo is a trade show for computer, video and mobile games. At E3, the video game industry’s top talent pack the Los Angeles Convention Center, connecting tens of thousands of professionals in the interactive entertainment industry.

Various locations JUNE 20TH – 26TH London Technology Week is a festival of live events taking place throughout the UK’s capital. It celebrates London as a ‘global powerhouse of tech innovation’ by connecting the ecosystem within London and beyond. New for 2016, this year will see the introduction of five new content streams.

PCR May 2016 | 11

OPINION

Face-to-face Ignore indies interaction is key at your peril With their guidance and expert knowledge, independent bricks and mortar retailers can make any technophobe feel comfortable with their purchase, says Entatech’s head of retail Alicia Shepherd… new technologies and finding the WITH TODAY’S technology it has right solution to fit – whether this is a never been simpler to buy products bespoke PC, right up to a complex and receive them on our doorstep server cabling installation. in a matter of days or, in some Never before has the importance instances, hours. of supporting local businesses been Need a cable last minute to hook more apparent in the media and, in up your new smart TV? Got it. many cases, this may be the reason We’re living in a world where we for some end users to opt to buy from can have almost anything we want an independent as opposed to a with the simple click of a mouse or bigger name. tap of a phone screen.

Here at Entatech, we acknowledge The online experience has never just how important these guys are – been bigger, with more than 26 not just for us as a distributor – but for million items worldwide purchased the channel as a whole. daily from one of the world’s largest We always ensure that all our online retailers. customers, no matter how big or In the fast-paced world of small, are treated computing, according to their technology is needs and evolving at a faster requirements. We rate than ever before, don’t impose a and this is where the “One should never minimum spend indie retailer can disregard the criteria, and our come into their own. importance and online e-commerce With their guidance ensures they can and expert benefits of dealing site purchase 24/7 with knowledge, they can with independent delivery available make any even on Saturdays. technophobe feel retailers.”

There is certainly comfortable with any Alicia Shepherd, no denying the purchase, safe in the Entatech phenomenal success knowledge that that the larger online returns can be made partners have to the retailer achieved, showing that this model for follow on support and advice. clearly works.

That’s not necessarily something But, it’s a fine balance between offered as easily by the pureplay the convenience or the expert online retailers. knowledge that independent retailers Entatech has deep synergies can provide to their customers, with the independent resellers, including the reassurance of face-toand what’s important to the face interaction – a key offering that company, no matter what the needs indie retailer’s provide. of the customer may be.

One should never disregard the With the passion driven by the importance and benefits of dealing independent owners, they are the with the indie retailer. experts in guiding and educating on Alicia Shepherd is retail director at Entatech. www.entatech.com

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Target Components’ marketing executive Scott Frankling argues that vendors and the channel should take greater notice of independent tech retailers…

True, a single indie doesn’t buy WITH GLOBAL brands fighting in a the volume of PC World. But, crowded marketplace, it’s easy to consider the sheer number of them see the appeal of the big chains – a and you soon make up the numbers. single point of contact, the Support those same resellers with opportunity to sell volume into one marketing materials and you go centralised location, combined from brand visibility in a single marketing resources and huge store, to visibility in multiple footfall – everything just seems locations nationwide. easier. Or, at least, it used to.

Indies stick with their brands for a But with the rise of online reason – they’ve been tried and marketplaces and 24/7 availability, tested – so convincing them to reduced margins and high rental change can be difficult. But if brands costs for stores, those same big chains can prove that their products are can struggle. High-profile casualties better than competitors’, they add are not uncommon and, when they value, support their business and go, brands are left unsupported and add to their reputation – then you sales take a nosedive. will gain long-term There is a healthy brand loyalty. alternative. Small Yes, it’s hard work; businesses make up 99 per cent of all “Indies are simply indies don’t want suppliers who just UK businesses and, more resilient, sell to them. They whilst major chains want people who closed 1,147 shops diverse and support their last year, stats show adaptable. And business. But what that indie stores there’s lots of better way to actually increased promote your brand in number. them.”

Indies are simply Scott Frankling, than through a more resilient, Target Components nationwide network of experts – the diverse and businesses consumers want to buy adaptable. And there’s lots of them. from and trust most?

Our own ShopTalk consumer At Target, we’ve always surveys show that shoppers actually appreciated the value of the indie prefer to buy from local indies and market. It makes up over half our most value their expertise, business. It’s been the backbone of trustworthiness and focus on our growth and the reason we’ve customer service. enjoyed seven consecutive years of The challenge for vendors is how record sales. So it’s great to see to tap into this market. But indie signs the channel is moving towards resellers are loyal to their chosen more of an indie focus. Whether this brands and individual outlets have endures or not remains to be seen, less buying power than any of the but any move to support indies big guys. benefits the whole channel.

These challenges, if addressed Ignore them at your peril. properly, can actually be strengths.

Scott Frankling is marketing executive at Target Components. www.targetcomponents.co.uk

PCR May 2016 | 13

HIGH STREET HEROES

TOP OF THE SHOPS

Despite fewer indies opening nowadays, the number of bricks and mortar outlets is still rising. And with indies generating £350 million in turnover across consumer electronics in 2015, there’s reason for optimism.

PCR explores the state of the independent retail sector and looks at some of the UK’s finest PC stores…

M

ORE THAN 30,000 independent shops opened in 2015.

That’s a huge number, especially considering the High Street is sometimes painted as a bleak and flagging sector by the mainstream media.

The Local Data Company (LDC) and British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) say that 34,288 indie stores opened in 2015 overall, while 33,812 closed, meaning the net change was 476 units, down from 559 a year prior.

Sparkhill in Birmingham has the accolade of the highest percentage of independents at 95 per cent of its total occupied units (based on locations with 50+ units).

Telford, meanwhile, is the town with the least percentage of independents at only 18.1 per cent. The GB average is 65 per cent.

Shopping centres saw the biggest net increase in occupancy of 1.41 per cent.

Indies now account for 65 per cent of all retail and leisure units in Great Britain, down one per cent on 2014.

While analyst GfK doesn’t track UK IT indies in particular, it does look at consumer electronics.

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GfK measured around £350 million worth of turnover for indies in 2015 across major consumer electronics, which according to its definition includes TVs, audio systems, Hi-Fi separate components like amplifiers and receivers, radio devices, DVD/Blu-ray players and more. This accounted for eight per cent of total consumer electronics against 10 per cent in 2014.

These figures are a mix of online and physical, though GfK says the bulk of indie data is bricks and mortar.

If you look at tech retail across Western Europe over the past couple of decades, however, the fall in the number of overall stores – including multiples – is somewhat alarming.

There were 12,756 fewer traditional PC outlets in 2014 on average than there were in 1998.

As of 2014, there were 18,202 fewer independent electrical stores than there were in 1998. However, the number of mobile phone shops and telecoms shops has risen by 20,625 in that time.

So while PC stores might be down in general, the mobile phone repairs sector is still booming, with thousands of

“Indies are a key component of our High Streets. They bring diversity and vibrancy.”

Matthew Hopkinson, Local Data Company

indie shops cropping up across Europe.

On the bricks and mortar tech store sector in general, GfK supply chain director Carl West – speaking at Northamber’s Tech Expo late last year – says the worst is over for many indies.

“Some stores have fared better than others – for example it’s been quite a bloodbath for indie photo specialists, as smartphones have taken away the need for cameras,” he said.

“Computer specialists have shrunk but it’s stabilised. That rate of decline in the number of computer specialists has slowed down.

“Whatever they’ve done to their business – if they’ve bunkered down or sold through the recession – computer specialists have survived the worst of it.”

Matthew Hopkinson, director at the Local Data Company, commented: “Independents are a key component of our High Streets. They bring diversity and vibrancy along with their direct connection to local economies.

“Whilst the numbers remain positive, the dramatic decline in the growth of

indies from eleven openings a day to just one a week reflects the challenges many independent businesses face.

“One of the major factors has been the move of many High Street anchor retailers such as Next, M&S and River Island moving to out of town retail parks. These moves result in lower footfall volumes as people follow them out of town.

“2016 will be a pivotal year for independent births and deaths as history tells us that the ability to go from a large number of openings (+5,615 in H1 2010) to a large number of closures (-1,666 in H2 2010) in a short time is entirely possible. Only time will tell.”

Michael Weedon, deputy chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, concluded: “Within the figures we see a powerful rebalancing away from product-based retail towards service providers, leisure operators and convenience operators. Very gradually we are seeing a new High Street emerge as commerce adapts to everchanging conditions.”

Turn over the page for our list of 20 UK PC retail High Street Heroes.

PCR May 2016 | 15

HIGH STREET HEROES

121 COMPUTERS NOT ONLY does 121 offer lifetime free support on any product sale and price competitively, it’s also the largest independent reseller of Brother printers in the UK. “Whether it’s over the phone or face-to-face, one of our enthusiastic members of staff are always willing to help. Not only are we extremely competitive on price but our unique after sale service is literally priceless,” says shop floor/ sales manager Karl Steggles.

As well as allowing customers to bring their

computer in for advice and help, 121 also offers a large product range including its own hand-built computer systems. It even offers a huge range of designer laptops.

It has a large on-site workshop where staff repair and maintain over 100 laptops and PCs each week.

“In November 2015 we had our own version of ‘Black Friday’ and called it the 121 Big Event which ran all day on Saturday November 7th, resulting in our biggest takings and largest footfall of the year,” details Steggles.

“We heavily discounted products by obtaining discounted stock from our suppliers to pass onto our customers for the event.

“We are now an Advantage+ partner with

BullGuard, a premium partner with Brother UK and Trust, and a Gold partner with Asus and Devolo,” says Steggles. “Many brands such as these have recognised how we sell

their products with our service with a smile attitude and lifetime free support policy, and therefore trust us to shout about their brand name.

Department for Work and Pensions send us the longterm unemployed, who work with us for 26 weeks. We pay our full-time employees.”

Airedale is an awardwinning business with a

turnover of almost £500,000.

Sorrell tells PCR some of his personal highlights at Airedale: “Our technicians built the computers that were used to design the Olympic Village in London.

“We built up from scratch to have three very successful shops with an envied reputation for our repair service. Even big multiples send us repairs.”

always being helpful we get more recommendations than any advert can bring you.”

Black Bear sponsors charity events, including beer festivals, comedy evenings and dinners.

“We have a monthly stand in

our local shopping centre with our gaming car and rig.

We’ve just sponsored the local radio station’s bear mascot too,” says Alford.

Last year Black Bear refitted its store with a new

counter and slat wall, it changes the products on display to keep stock fresh and also has TVs playing videos of different products and services.

www.121computers.com

AIREDALE COMPUTERS AIREDALE has built a strong reputation for refurbishing PCs, recycling broken equipment and giving its profits – as well as some of its computers – to charity.

Development manager Keith Sorrell says this generates a lot of positive PR for the company, and gives worthy causes the chance to improve their IT offering.

Airedale also helps the unemployed get back into work. It employs a number of

volunteers, giving them the skills and confidence to build a career.

Sorrell comments: “We take work experience placements from local schools, we do traineeships for school leavers, we do apprenticeships, we do volunteer places for the local colleges and people who want to learn. And then other unemployed people are sent from the job centres to help in our recycling centre. The

www.airedalecomputers.org.uk

BLACK BEAR BEING AWARE of changing trends and listening to staff advice has helped Black Bear become one of the UK’s top independent retailers.

“We used to be a very traditional laptop/desktop retail store and repairer, but around 18 months ago one of our younger staff suggested gaming should be our focus and this has transferred the store,” explains Black Bear MD Richard Alford. “We now build our own gaming PC range and have a large stock of gaming components and

16 | PCR May 2016

peripherals from Corsair, Razer, Cougar and EVGA amongst others.”

Black Bear staff can suggest brands and products the firm stocks, which has recently been extended to include capture cards and high-end gaming monitors.

On local marketing, Alford says: “We have tried many different approaches, including advertising in the papers, on roundabouts and billboards,” says Alford.

“However, we find the best marketing is word of mouth.

By offering support and

www.blackbearcomputers.co.uk

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HIGH STREET HEROES

CHIPS COMPUTERS HAVING STARTED out as a call-out only service, Chips Computers is now an awardwinning store that even turns everyday toys into computers.

Chips started life in 2005 as a call-out only service, where staff would go to residential and business users to handle repairs and upgrades. While it still offers that service, the firm opened its first store in 2013 and has gone from strength to strength.

Identifying market trends and popular products is key, according to owner Phil

Griffiths: “About a year ago we had five or ten per cent of the store dedicated to gaming – it’s now about a third of the store. One of the things we do is go to the extremes in building PCs. “We can turn old toys into computers, for example the Star Wars Millennium Falcon or Doctor Who’s Tardis.”

Chips takes every customer’s needs seriously, especially those with disabilities or other very specific requirements.

“For our customers with special needs, or disabilities,

we work hard to provide them with essential services,” says Griffiths. “Some of our customers need specialist software for things such as dyslexia. Others may have dementia or autism, so it is

very important to have their computer set up to be user friendly for them.

“We always take pride in everything we do and want our customers to have a five star experience – this

shows on our five-star Google and Facebook ratings,” says Griffiths.

“We feel a happy customer is the best advertising you can get.”

warehouse storage full of stock,” Geraint says. “I enjoy striking deals with other traders, having to make quick judgment calls on big deals.

“We are a member of the Trading Standards Approved

Traders scheme and we are about to join the Which?

Magazine scheme too.

“We also provide training and support for adults with difficulties such as autism and Asperger’s.

“The average time spent working with Computer Wizard is now nine years, and I am very proud of them all – they really look after the business.”

marketing and in-store displays also play a central part to DTec’s business plan.

“The layout of the store is organised into sections – laptops, desktops, accessories and

components,” explains Barker. “All of our staff know where the products are located and everything is priced. I generally know what our customer base is looking for and the displays are

tailored to meet their needs.

The majority of the store is dedicated to laptops and PCs. “The store is very hands-on and we encourage customers to try before they buy.”

www.wefixanycomputer.com

COMPUTER WIZARD ALTHOUGH IT’S described as ‘a small shop’ by founder Geraint Whitley, behind Computer Wizard lies a 4,000 sq ft warehouse full of stock. The firm is also a member of Trading Standards Approved Traders and provides training for adults with difficulties.

It has been open for nearly 17 years, so the staff are now serving three generations of the same family.

Computer Wizard provides a suite of services including computer repair, managed IT services for over 40 local

companies, IT recycling and disposal, wholesale computer sales and asset redeployment.

Its hard work is paying off.

Turnover has shot through the £1 million mark, and founder Geraint Whitley was invited to become a Liveryman at the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists in London. He also says the company’s online sales channel feedback is ‘exceptional’.

“The small shop is a Tardis occupying a few hundred square feet – but behind it we have over 4,000 sq ft of

www.computerwizard.co.uk

DTEC COMPUTERS We’ve all been there – walking into a store for the first time only to leave feeling intimated, or simply ignored by sales staff occupied with other jobs. That’s something that DTec Computers tries tirelessly to avoid.

“The first impression is important,” says DTec’s Steve Barker. “We try to speak to customers promptly and not leave them standing waiting for ages, or hanging on waiting for us to answer the phone. Accurately finding out what the customer needs is key.”

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Ultimately, DTec strives to give customers a personal experience, in the belief that this builds trust and loyalty.

“The after sales service we offer is our biggest selling point – all the products we sell come with free lifetime after sales support,” says Barker. “Customers can call into the shop with any problems, or we can offer remote assistance over the phone with Team Viewer.”

Having the right initial sales approach is undoubtedly key to any company’s success, but

www.dtec-computers.com

PCR May 2016 | 17

HIGH STREET HEROES

GBIZ IT GBIZ IT is one PC retailer that likes to go beyond just selling and repairing computers.

Garry Stonehouse tells PCR: “We started offering cloud services long before the bigger retailers started taking notice of the then new service.

“We’ve been a Google Apps reseller, and have also offered online backup for over four years now, but recently we’ve been developing our own cloudbased offerings. Not content with reselling other companies services, we’ve developed a host of our own

cloud services, unlocking better returns and more control to tailor exactly what we offer our customers.

“Two years ago we experimented with building a VoIP service, initially only hosting our own phones, until we’d developed it enough to take us to market.

We’ve since installed over 100 VoIP extensions whilst retaining the control and bulk of the margin.

“Last year we expanded our offering into web-based applications, and we now offer Job System, a HR system

and a Task Manager, all hosted and based on open source software, allowing us the quickest route to deployment, and again retaining the bulk of the margin ourselves, rather than

reselling another company’s services.”

Stonehouse says selling monthly services is now key.

“Selling hardware is so competitive these days that it’s become unsustainable on

its own. The only way to survive is to offer services alongside – beyond repairs.

We offer our hosted services out for a low cost monthly recurring fee.” www.gbizit.co.uk

which has lead to SOR deals or display stock free of charge.

“These vendors, in my eyes, will be around for years to come as ultimately the independents are the core of

the industry, not the multiples. We are the ones who will sell their product by demonstrating it for them.”

GHI Computers has also recently teamed up with Kodak to offer instant prints,

large format printing, canvas printing, frames and gifts as a Kodak Express Centre. On top of this, it specialises in PC, laptop, console, tablet and printer repair.

“Our in-house workshop can offer a very competitive range of services,” IS adds.

“As well as looking after our own custom made PCs, we are also happy to offer services for nearly all major

brands. In fact, we normally can operate a same day service for customers if they bring their system in first thing in the morning.”

IS Computers also takes its responsibilities under

the WEEE Regulations extremely seriously – the retailer has taken steps to be compliant with its corporate and social responsibilities.

GHI COMPUTERS RELIABILITY AND dependency has helped GHI Computers become one of the leading lights in the indie PC retail market.

“We are Which? Trusted Trader accredited, which cements our impartial and honest customer service with a nationally recognised brand that is known for being trustworthy,” explains GHI’s co-director Gavin Holder.

“Trust is everything – by gaining a customer’s trust you can count on them to recommend you to their friends and family.”

Having a Which? accreditation certainly helps with any business.

But how does a modern PC retailer keep a product range innovative and fresh for existing and potential clients?

“Being a one stop shop, we offer everything from consumables and cables right up to business support,” says Holder.

“In store we focus on ordering less stock but more frequently. We increasingly find that vendors are competing for our business,

www.ghi.uk.com

IS COMPUTERS FOCUSING ON a traditional face-to-face service with local customers, IS Computers also operates a same-day repair service for those customers who bring their system in during the morning.

The computer supply and repair specialist has a long track record in the trade, having been established back in 1998.

Clearly a lot has changed since then, but IS has focused on keeping its offering clear and simple.

“We offer a traditional face to face local service

18 | PCR May 2016

with the facilities to respond to the demands to both business and consumers,” the firm says in a statement.

“We soon gained an excellent reputation in Rugby for supplying high quality custom built PCs and offering honest advice for upgrades and repairs.”

IS Computers stocks laptops, desktops, hardware and a range of consumable items, maintains an in-house workshop and can also offer on-site visits to customer premises.

www.iscomputers.com

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HIGH STREET HEROES

THE LAPTOP FIXERS WITH TWO stores, a repair centre, a focus on apprenticeships and a host of products and services on offer, The Laptop Fixers does much more than just repairing notebooks.

“Although we are called The Laptop Fixers, we not only specialise in laptop repairs, but we repair pretty much any electronic device,” owner Paul Betteridge explains.

This includes tablets and mobile phones, desktops, Apple Macs, game consoles, TV, audio and Hi-Fi equipment and even GHD hair straighteners.

The Laptop Fixers has two stores and a large repair centre used as backup for repairs when it is exceptionally busy.

“This keeps our customers happy knowing we can get repairs done relatively quickly,” Betteridge adds.

But it’s more than just repairs that the retailer focuses on.

“We have recently released a new service called PC Protect which provides our customers with 24/7 proactive checks, virus and web protection, cloud backup and remote repairs whenever they need it,” Betteridge states.

“PC Protect also reminds our customers of any AV/ annual servicing renewals which is great for recurring income.

“Our plans are designed for home users as well as businesses and have proven very popular.

“I am pushing towards more online/remote repairs services this year as almost 80 per cent of all our repairs can be done remotely, which frees up a lot of workshop space for hardware-related repairs and optimises our repair processes.

“I also design software for computer shops which sells worldwide over at www.

ComputerRepairShopSoftware.com.

“This is an area of the business I am expanding to include PC Protect, which allows other PC shops to also offer this service to their customers. This will be released shortly.”

Elsewhere, the Laptop Fixers bundles its annual service plans with Bitdefender and Livedrive, upgrades Windows 7/8 machines to Windows 10, and sells refurbished tablets and laptops. It also has its eyes on virtual reality – and

has an apprenticeship scheme.

“I am a big believer in the apprenticeship scheme and two years ago Chantal Simpson was hired as our first customer services apprentice,” Betteridge says.

“She is the first person our customers speak to when they visit or call us, and liaises between our technicians and customers.

“We have also recently taken on Liam Newman, our technical customer services

apprentice who has equally excelled himself, and we’re looking to take on a third apprentice very soon.

“I highly recommend everyone to take look at the apprenticeship scheme as this is a great way to bring in great new talent who are very keen to learn.”

The Laptop Fixers was recently recognised for its hard work, being named finalists in the Blackmore Vale Business Growth Awards. www.TheLaptopFixers.com

and online conversions.

We’ve also had a lot of success using old-school leaflet drops, door-to-door, advertising repairs and upgrades. All of our showroom point of sale is designed in-house and we are planning a major refit in

the next few months.”

As well as end users, Micro Plus Computers works with around 200 businesses, schools and charities throughout Shropshire, Cheshire and Wales to help them get the best value and best performance out of their

IT equipment. It also helps around 250 home users every week with problems ranging from broken iPhones to wireless network problems.

Over the past 24 years it has fixed problems for over 23,000 local customers. www.micro-plus.co.uk

MICRO PLUS COMPUTERS SUCCESSFUL CUSTOMER retention and a proactive marketing strategy helps Micro Plus Computers stay one-step ahead of the pack.

How exactly can a retailer keep a customer? According to Micro Plus Computers owner Chris Innes, successful customer retention starts the moment the person walks into the shop and (if executed properly) can continue throughout the lifetime of the customer/ retailer relationship.

“We make all the staff aware of the lifetime value of customers,” says Innes.

“Whenever they are dealing with a customer, they are encouraged to remember that keeping the customer happy is the most important

20 | PCR May 2016

part of their job, whether making a sale, dealing with an issue or even just giving directions – the customer must leave the store impressed and ready to recommend us and use us again in the future.”

So you’ve got a happy, returning customer, but what attracts them to the store in the first place? Does marketing and in-store displays still make a big difference?

“We use Google Adwords, Bing and Facebook for online advertising, which works well for marketing specific products and services to our target audience,” adds Innes.

“It’s also very easy to measure ROI on these via click through stats, enquiries

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HIGH STREET HEROES

MIDLAND COMPUTERS WITH A retail showroom that doubles up as a collection point for business customers, an increase in demand for repairs, and one eye on emerging technology like virtual reality and the smart home, Midland Computers is ready for the future.

Having been established for more than 15 years, Midland Computers aims to provide a more personal service than larger retailers in the area.

It aims to make it easy for customers who are not confident in choosing the right product, avoiding bombarding them with technical jargon.

The firm builds systems, offers repairs and does its best to offer what it calls ‘Everything IT’ to customers, plus a wide range of products.

Showroom supervisor James Pilling says: “Customers appreciate having a company they can

go to for any IT-related query.

Nurturing every customer is vital, before and after the sale. Regardless of the customer’s level of knowledge, we’re happy to discuss how we can exactly

meet their requirements.

Also, as more devices are becoming associated with the IT industry, we’re seeing a steady increase in repairs.”

Midland Computers offers a three-day turnaround for all

repairs, and has fixed prices for common services such as fault investigation or data recovery. Midland Computers is also eyeing the virtual reality and smart home areas. www.midlandcomputers.com

and servicing. It also has another company called Gadget Tech which focuses specifically on iPads and smartphones.

“Good service and a smile goes a long way with our customers,” Middleton explains. “I believe our success is achieved by hard work and constant improvements to the shop.”

With a background in the motorcycle trade, Middleton has developed a good business sense.

“I think we probably differ from a lot of other stores. I try

to get a lot of refurbished equipment rather than new – because I can’t get good deals on new stock.

“In the motorcycle trade, we made a decent 33 per cent margin, and I try to stick

to that with this shop too.

And I think that’s why we have done so well.”

PC-PartX is also a family business, run by Paul and his wife Marie Middleton (pictured). Their nephew Tom

also works at the store, as do two apprentices Liam and James. Former apprentice Craig has just been taken on full-time. PC-PartX is now looking to open another shop. www.pc-partx.co.uk

environment is crucial. I try and maintain a fairly informal atmosphere in our shop.”

The company also runs free workshops for parents and children, to teach them how to build systems.

PCs Made Simple doesn’t have performance-based targets for staff and doesn’t operate with a commission structure.

“I believe that this detracts so much from the personal

aspect of what customer service should be – it effectively turns customers into ‘potential sales’, rather than the beautiful people that they are,” Johnson says. https://simple-pcs.co.uk

PC-PARTX IT’S SAID that little touches can make a big difference – and that seems to be the key to PC-PartX’s success.

The retailer has a few ‘museum pieces’ on display (fresh from owner Paul Middleton’s loft) that aren’t for sale, in order to grab the customer’s attention and create a talking point. These include retro games items like the Nintendo 64 plus classic Brownie cameras.

PC-PartX has a wellstructured store which it says is always being improved, plus it offers a mix of repairs

PCS MADE SIMPLE OFFERING AN informative, personal service helps PCs Made Simple stand out from the crowd.

“We try to ensure that our customer service is as personal as possible,” explains Clifford Johnson, MD at PCs Made Simple. “We also make sure we understand exactly where they are coming from and what it is they want to achieve before we start suggesting any of our products and services.

The customer need is the priority – what we want to sell and what we have in

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stock should not be a factor.”

PCs Made Simple thinks this approach sets it apart from other businesses who might try to sell customers whatever laptops or PCs have been in the stock room for too long. Johnson says that as a result staff get to know the people who visit his shop, many of who will end up returning when they face a problem in the future.

“Repeat business is, and continues to be, the key to a successful retail premises,” explains Johnson. “Creating the right kind of sales

PCR May 2016 | 21

HIGH STREET HEROES

PC SOLUTIONS PROVIDING the highest level of customer service is not an easy task, by any means. But through attention to detail and speed of repair, PC Solutions’ hard work is paying off.

The firm provides IT solutions and repairs to consumers and businesses in Perthshire and beyond.

“We believe that good customer communication is essential,” comments director Keith Fergie. “Through the development of a custom CRM, every time a machine is touched by an engineer, or a

part arrives, the customer is automatically sent an update via text and email. This means that the customer knows the status of their job at all times.

“We go to great lengths to protect clients’ data. We clone their data before any work is started on their machine. To date, we have never lost nor corrupted any client’s data. In fact, a very large national chain recommends us to their customer for the trickier repairs that they do not want to touch.

“Our workshop is also in full sight. This means that customers can see exactly what is going on – nothing is hidden. Customers can speak to our repair engineers at any time.”

PC Solutions has developed its own workflow system that means it can complete a full Windows rebuild including updates and software in an hour. It also offers a Sentinel

Computer Protection Plan, including internet security and unlimited virus removal.

All of this has helped the store grow its turnover 28 per cent year-on-year. www.pcsolutions.co.uk

refurbished systems. It’s been completely built from scratch by ourselves.”

Its level of service has rewarded Premier Computers with a number of recognitions, including a

nomination for Independent Retailer of the Year at the recent 2016 PCR Awards.

“We have won 10 IT reseller awards in recent years, which has given us a boost in confidence,” Eves

explains. “We’ve also had fantastic reviews from customers on our website and Facebook page. We are a hard-working unit and everyone works as a team.” www.premiersouthend.co.uk

June, plus last year it opened a training room for clients, where it hosts different classes and demonstrations.

The firm also offers smartphone and tablet repairs in-store. Pudsey will

be branching out into a lot of areas in the future, to broaden beyond traditional over-the-counter sales.

But what key issues do indie retailers face today?

“I would say the biggest

three issues are pricing, building relationships with vendors and distributors, and adding value,” says Lightfoot.

“It’s becoming harder to prove you add value.” www.pudseycomputers.co.uk

PREMIER COMPUTERS OVER THE past couple of years, Southend’s Premier Computers has won 10 independent IT reseller awards, and its large workshop means it can work on 20 systems at once.

It offers a full range of IT hardware and peripherals from speakers to graphics cards, PCs, laptops, iPhone and iPad repairs, on-site callouts and business IT support. The shop also has a dedicated PC and laptop

showroom, a workshop and an in-store PC builder system (provided by Target Components).

“We have this on a purpose-made touch screen kiosk and this enables us to offer over 300 trillion combinations,” says manager Tony Eves.

On the showroom, he adds: “It set us apart as you don’t see many others who have that much space dedicated to new and

PUDSEY COMPUTERS RETAIL markets are constantly changing. New technology brings innovation, which in turn leads to conditions that can sometimes be difficult for the bigger retailers and multiples to keep up with. For Pudsey Computers, it’s an opportunity.

“The ability to react to the market as it changes has got to be the biggest benefit of being an indie,” says Steven Lightfoot Jnr, director at

22 | PCR May 2016

Leeds-based Pudsey Computers. “Sales channels are constantly evolving, vendors are constantly innovating, product ranges and models are being renewed almost by the week – the freedom and flexibility of being an independent allows us to react and hopefully stay one step ahead of the game.”

Pudsey Computers is undergoing a store refit which should be complete in

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HIGH STREET HEROES

SIMPLYFIXIT AS ONE of the biggest independent PC retailers in the UK, SimplyFixIt built a reputation for being a true expert in repairs. But when the firm was set up as Ideal Computing in Edinburgh in 1996, it was like many other computer shops at the time.

It built PCs, sold other components and products and had a support team who worked on offering warranty service for the computers it sold. Over time, the team saw more customers asking for support and repairs for other computers, so it developed

SimplyFixIt and opened its first store under that brand ten years ago.

Today it is one of the biggest independent PC retailers in the UK, with eight repair stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

“Although that’s a bigger number than most indie brands, we’re still staunchly independent,” general manager Jason Eccles tells PCR. “We are managed by the same team that was put in place in the late ‘90s and we still have the same interest in all things tech that is

common in other independent shops.”

SimplyFixIt offers repairs on computers, Macs and iPhones and iPads, as well as an alternative to Apple’s own ‘Genius Bar’ for customers.

“In Edinburgh and Glasgow we opened shops within 500 yards of the Apple Stores because we’re so confident we can offer a better service than Apple for out of warranty repairs,” adds Eccles.

The repair specialist has an average 4.8 out of 5 score with independent review company eKomi, and its website was visited by almost 500,000 unique users in 2015. www.simplyfixit.co.uk

The company has worked hard on in-store design to increase footfall, including areas for ‘concept selling’, the connected home, gaming and demos, plus targeted seasonal window displays.

“We offer a bespoke design service for the customer, so we can visit their home and connect everything up as they like. Also, our apprenticeship programme is key for us and staff

development,” Rambridge adds. Its hard work paid off earlier this year, when Sweethaven won Independent Retailer of the Year at the PCR Awards. www.sweethaven.co.uk

of our passion, company culture and most importantly, happiness,” continues Hume.

He says the Living Wage has been a great way to make the entire team know they

are important to Utopia, in addition to building teamwork with tools like PerkBox and fun days out.

Let’s not forget – the firm builds some astounding performance machines.

Over the years it has transitioned from a PC store to a national system builder that now ships across Europe and rivals some of the bigger performance builders. www.utopiacomputers.co.uk

SWEETHAVEN COMPUTERS OVER THE last 12 months, one of the UK’s longestrunning independents has focused on two areas to grow – innovation and people.

Set up in 1977 as a newsagents, Sweethaven changed 15 years ago to become a specialist computer reseller – not the usual path to tech dealer success but one that the firm has walked with aplomb. It now has consumer, business and education divisions.

“Customer feedback for our retail services has been outstanding, with praise for our ability to act in the customer’s best interest and meet their needs without hard-selling,” says Sweethaven owner Paul Rambridge.

“We provide customers with innovative products and services, while solidifying the building blocks for growth through development of people talent.”

UTOPIA COMPUTERS DIRECTOR Craig Hume explains how an author and motivational speaker influences the staff and working practice at Utopia Computers.

“All of Utopia’s team know our company values and our ‘why’ – why we’re in business and why we do what we do,” he says. “The author and speaker Simon Sinek has had a huge influence on the way we work – we want to create a family environment that

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brings out the very best in our team, ensuring every customer receives an unforgettable experience.”

For a company that bears the same moniker as a 1516 Sir Thomas Moore novel that describes a fictional island society, one would think nothing less. But how does a company operating in the 21st century achieve such an ideal modern worth ethic?

“We ensure that every customer really gets a taste

PCR May 2016 | 23

HIGH STREET HEROES

W

ITHOUT THE buying power of national retail chains, larger VARs or etailers, many smaller independent retailers feel they lack the support of vendors and distributors.

20 independent retailers took part in a BullGuard survey anonymously to share their thoughts and frustrations, and suggest what PC brands can do to better work with them.

Looking at their comments outlined here, it’s clear that indies want to see more of a personal touch and better communication from vendors.

They’d like to engage with them face-to-face to build longer lasting relationships.

Indies would like a fairer share, too: Rewards and support that can genuinely help them to sell better, sell more, incentivise staff and in turn help the vendor to reach more customers.

Finally, indies are calling for greater marketing support and POS materials from vendors to help them shout about their products and services.

When asked to rate vendor rewards programmes out of 10, the average score from indies was 6.2. The most common complaint was that rewards weren’t substantial enough, or that achieving worthwhile rewards is too challenging.

When asked to judge overall support, including attention, resources provided and personal care from vendors, votes from the independents were mixed, with an overall score of 6.4 out of 10.

The feeling from many retailers is a sense that vendors favour larger volume sellers.

But that doesn’t need to be the case.

“The message here seems to be that while independent retailers appreciate rewards, they can feel undervalued if they are not properly structured. More is needed on a personal level to support and nurture partnerships,” said Steve Hicks, head of global sales at BullGuard.

So what can vendors do better? We’ve picked some of the anonymous comments from independent retailers on what they’d like to see from vendors.

26 | PCR May 2016

WHAT INDIES WANT Independent retailers and store owners operate very differently to larger multiples, but getting them on board can be of great benefit to vendors. They speak to local customers every day and their recommendations go a very long way indeed. But what kind of support do they expect from vendors and how can brands better engage with them? Indies reveal all in this BullGuard survey…

“Price is important but a couple of pounds makes no difference. I’d rather buy from vendors that offer a personal touch.”

“I want a personal approach with a view of helping us expand our services and range.”

“Personal contact works, having a point of contact at each vendor to discuss issues or ideas can make a difference.”

“I have never heard from the majority of vendors.”

“They need to come out and visit us and learn more about our business.”

“Retail POS is essential and POS for relevant products would be best.”

“Vendors need to understand that bricks and mortar indies can give customers and the public better product awareness and knowledge.”

“It would be good if more vendors could promote the benefits of buying from independents as specialists rather than showing the cheapest place to buy online.”

“More dedicated time for independents can go a long way.”

“Understand that independent retailers are an important part of your business, and don’t give nationals all the deals.”

“Helping us out with marketing, driving customers to the shop.”

“Rewards schemes are of little benefit if you are a small company.”

“They need to understand business better for each partner, rather than sticking to a one-size-fits-all approach.” ”A solid rewards scheme and support is very important as it’s a competitive market and there needs to be an incentive.”

“With the increased amount of cloud and yearly renewal products, ongoing commission is very important.”

“Some vendors make rewards schemes unnecessarily complicated and difficult to action.”

“Reward schemes could be a lot better – free POS, outdated products and multi buys don’t set the world on fire.”

ABOUT THE SURVEY AND BULLGUARD This anonymous survey of 20 retailers was commissioned by award-winning antimalware and mobile security company BullGuard, to find out what small businesses value the most.

In 2014, BullGuard relaunched its partnership programme ‘BullGuard Advantage’, a revenue share scheme that has seen over €12 million paid back to partners since 2010. Partners qualify

for revenue share and support from BullGuard once they purchase 10 units of BullGuard product, and those who generate more than 500 customer activations per annum qualify for greater benefits.

www.pcr-online.biz

THE BIG INTERVIEW

How Dell plans to crack the UK retail sector Since returning to retail in the UK through distributor Exertis last year, Dell has struck partnerships with John Lewis, Tesco, Amazon and Shop Direct to help grow its client business – including its Alienware gaming brand. But what is its retail strategy and can independent retailers get involved? Dominic Sacco asks Dell’s new UK retail general manager Jamil Nathoo…

M

ichael Dell told PCR last November that Dell has had 11 quarters in a row gaining share in its client business.

How important is that client business to Dell today?

We’ve had a consistent growth and share gain. If you take the UK as a case in point, we’ve always had a substantial PC business. In the last year we said we’re going to go back into retail.

We’re investing in resources, people and marketing to develop new partnerships and grow that business. We’re very serious about the PC business, it’s hugely important to Dell.

What is your retail strategy?

We’re being selective. We’re trying to preserve the brand strength we believe we have, particularly around our XPS and Alienware products which have recognition in the industry for innovation.

Whoever we select as partners, we want to be able to maintain the brand that we have. It’s not that we don’t want any retailers, it’s actually

time. We’re ready to start small and keep deepening that relationship through trust on both sides and make sure the operations side works. We’re not trying to take on the whole market in one fell swoop, we’re willing to build it up gradually. We don’t see this as a short term thing, it’s a multi-year plan and vision.

As a mid to high-end brand, what’s your etail strategy?

Are you conscious of price erosion in the market?

We recognise that the world is moving to online. We see it in our direct business – we have a big online side. Is it part of the strategy? Yes. Will we continue to develop it?

Yes. Again, we’ll be selective.

There are a lot of online sites, some offering incredible breadth like Amazon. Some are a little bit more niche, like Very.co.uk, with a targeted market, and I think that’s great.

We’ll be careful selecting those partners that maintain the brand, the overall economics for the business.

It’s a business that has been

“There’s tremendous potential to become a major UK consumer brand.

Growth is going to come from retail.”

Jamil Nathoo, Dell UK a positive thing – it’s a partnership. We see what they want from us and we don’t set a goal for one quarter ahead, we set it for two or three years ahead. And with Dell going private in the last couple of years, it’s given us that ability to plan for the long term.

We start that relationship, explore what each other wants, build a plan together and get the business behind it, without rushing to put a product on the shelf. You need to align common goals, marketing, operations and instore merchandising.

In terms of strategy for our broadline consumer PCs, we’re looking to have a handful of partners and develop long-lasting partnerships with them over 28 | PCR May 2016

challenged on maintaining price points, and with consumers it’s a very pricedriven business.

Can independent retailers get involved with Dell?

Yes they can. I think in certain areas like gaming there’s rich potential. It’s a market that’s set to grow with catalysts like virtual reality, but gaming is also becoming ever bigger and more mainstream. So I think there is an opportunity there. We’d love to develop it.

We’re still early in the stages of developing it, but absolutely there is a place for independent retailers.

It’s Alienware’s 20th anniversary this year.

What’s your strategy with this gaming brand and how www.pcr-online.biz

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Dell believes gaming products like its Alienware brand can help combat price erosion

BIOGRAPHY: Jamil Nathoo Q JAMIL HAS been at Dell for 14 years, having held a number of different global and European roles. He originally joined Dell in its Austin headquarters, looking at the firm’s corporate strategy.

Q Prior to his current role as Dell UK’s retail general manager, Jamil looked after the consumer and small business division in the UK, taking care of Dell’s client solutions division (the PC product category).

do you see it changing in light of tech such as virtual reality emerging?

I think the key to it will be the in-store experience. If we put Alienware against notebook xyz, or even a desktop against xyz with nothing beyond that, I think it’s always far more difficult to understand why you would look at an Alienware machine. When you look at true gaming machines with VR headsets and the demos, the games being played and the accessories around it that dovetail with that system, that experience really shows the mass market what you can get out of a machine like that.

So I think the challenge for all of us – Dell, as well as the retail industry – is how do we bring that to life? And how do we show to core gamers, who understand these things, why they should be looking at an Alienware machine, rather than it being a bit faster or with more memory?

For retailers, we spoke about the price point challenge where we see steady erosion. There are some things that can arrest that, and I think gaming is the big one. There are others as well – 2-in-1s, touch etc.

What share of the UK retail market does Dell hold?

We have a small piece of the market in the UK today compared to other markets that Dell is present in. That’s www.pcr-online.biz

“I think there is an opportunity for independent retailers to get involved with Dell. We’re in the early stages of developing it.”

Jamil Nathoo, Dell

the great opportunity for us.

On PCs in commercial we have about a quarter of the market and are gaining share pretty well, so it’s a good successful business – also on the service side as well.

On the consumer side we’re at around 2.6 per cent as of Q4 last year. So it’s a tiny portion of the consumer market and that’s purely on the basis of our consumer/ direct business. So we know the growth is going to come from retail. If you look at where we are in the US, India, Brazil and China, we’ve taken consumer shares there to well in excess of 20 per cent. That’s been driven off the back of partners and retail and so on.

There’s tremendous potential to become a major UK consumer brand. Retailers we’re talking to all reference the fact that we’re still one of the most searched-for brands by consumers. That’s interesting because we only hold a bit less than three per cent of the market. And also, where we’ve got back into retail, we’ve seen some pretty decent reception to the products. We’re trying to expand with those partners we’ve already spoken about – and the signs are positive.

and that’s another reason for being selective: making sure all the retailers we partner with have that support. We can back it with resource to tell our story and tell their story to the market.

Is there a substantial level of marketing support you can provide retailers?

Absolutely. As part of the investment, we have secured significant marketing support

It seems Dell is trying to change some of the perceptions people in the industry have had towards it, specifically that it was too focused on doing business

Are there any new products retailers should be aware of?

I think in gaming we have our Alienware brand and we lead with a lot of things through that. We talked about virtual reality at CES and our tie-up with Oculus. And then the other side is in our high-end Inspiron 7000 range, we have gaming-capable machines with the right graphics cards and processors on the market.

Looking at the XPS brand, we brought out the 13 with great success. There’s now the 15, which sets the standard with its infinity screen, super performance and lightweight, beautiful design. Compare that to any product in the market and it’s terrific – consumers will want to have it.

Where we’ve gone back into retail, we’ve seen great success in those product lines.

We do have a large range. I think we’re one of the few vendors that have that endto-end offering and that range of products.

Q He reports in to Dell UK general manager Tim Griffin, alongside Sarah Shields (head of commercial/reseller sales, working with Ingram Micro and Tech Data), Richard Rawcliffe (head of the public sector business) and Aisling Keegan (who runs Private Large Commercial).

Q Jamil has a team of around 150 staff, looking after consumers and small businesses as well as retail.

Distribution partners include Exertis, Ingram Micro and Tech Data.

direct. Is that a fair assessment?

Partly, but it’s more fundamentally our strategy.

We know the contribution and value that retailers bring.

The value they bring in showcasing the products we have to consumers means we absolutely embrace it.

This isn’t just about perception – obviously that’s a key thing as we want to give retailers the confidence that we are committed to it. It’s based on a fundamental thing that we bring a value and a reach into the market that we can’t hope to do alone. I go back to the market share statistic – through direct we have less than three per cent of the market. We’re leaving 97 per cent uncovered.

We know retail plays a huge role in getting us to expand.

We want to do more and we believe retailers want to do more. We want to start with that initial relationship, rather than just rushing.

PCR May 2016 | 29

INTERVIEW

Platinum

partner

It’s a big year for PC parts supplier Platinum Components. The firm is celebrating its 15th anniversary and is on track with a five-year growth plan. Dominic Sacco asks partner and UK sales manager Jon Harrison how the team went from working in a bedroom to building a £42 million business, and what the PC market will look like in the near future…

I

N A MARKET where consolidation means the big are getting bigger and distributors are upping their product portfolios, one company is doing things a little differently.

As its name suggests, Platinum Components supplies PC components to system integrators, resellers and retailers, as well as other disties and verticals like education and the public sector. But it’s remaining specifically targeted to the components sector – including CPUs, HDDs and SSDs. This specialism has seen it become an Intel platinum partner.

Jon Harrison, partner and UK sales manager, explains: “Our primary focus is on components and this really sets us aside, as we do not have a 5,000 or 10,000 sku inventory where knowledge can be lost. If you specialise in so many products, at times your message can be mixed, so you can lose customers.

“We deal internationally with over 30 different countries, which gives Platinum a unique ability to know the global market. We can see when new products become available, what price drops are about to occur and when a product is going to be in constraint. From here, we can advise our customers on the best course of action for their build projects or stocking options. For example, with last year’s Skylake shortages, we were one step ahead of the game – our clients managed to get the stock they needed.”

“From the start we believed in building long-term partnerships by delivering value over short term profits.

Anyone can give one great deal to a customer then never

30 | PCR May 2016

Platinum’s Jon Harrison says the firm’s primary focus on components sets it apart from other tech suppliers

FACT FILE PLATINUM COMPONENTS Founded: May 2001 Turnover: £42 million Tel: 01202 203151 Email: sales@platinumcomponents.com Web: www.platinumcomponents.com

do business with them again – we focus on understanding the customer’s needs and timescales so we become a valuable part of their business.”

Harrison goes on: “We’re a versatile company; our speed of reaction, commitment to customers and market knowledge really sets Platinum apart. As we talk to our customers, it’s surprising to hear how long other suppliers take to get back to them for something as simple as price and availability.”

The Bournemouth-based business is currently on track to achieve turnover of £42 million for its year-end in May 2016 – a rise of 15 per cent.

Over the next five years it hopes to grow its annual turnover to £60 million. This is a long way from Platinum’s humble beginnings.

Its directors Neil Allen, Simon Hiles and Paul Sinclair had previously worked together in the tech industry during the ‘90s. They decided to set up their own business – initially working from their bedrooms.

“Our directors were young, enthusiastic and determined – as well as fiercely ambitious,” Harrison says. “From the start they ensured we supplied the highest quality brands at competitive prices, underpinned with the type of customer service we as consumers and business owners value.

“Anyone can give one great deal to a customer then never do business with them again.

We focus on understanding the customer’s needs and timescales so we become a valuable part of their business.”

Jon Harrison, Platinum Components

“15 years has passed by, and during that time they’ve experienced a steep learning curve. From Platinum Components they set up the Platinum Group with two other companies under the umbrella. It’s a real success story and one we’re proud of.”

So where does Harrison see the UK tech channel in the next five years?

“I think PCs will change from what we currently have,” he says. “I think it will move away from the box under the desk into a more impressive design – maybe more organic.

No one really has a home where a large box under their desk fits in with their living or home design. That’s why Apple has been so successful in the market – they make desirable looking products with a good spec. Notebooks, laptops and phones have all followed this trait. The PC must follow.

“I think it will be very interesting to roll forward five years and look back at what we were all selling now.”

For Platinum in particular, it looks like the only way is up.

Harrison concludes: “Our five-year plan is to grow annual turnover to £60 million. We can only do this by expanding the marketplace, obtaining new customers, new products and new staff.

“It’s an exciting plan that we are working towards – we plan to reach new customers and partner with new vendors. We welcome new business and are expanding in the UK. “We’re excited for team growth within the company, customer growth and new customers in an everchanging market. We have some great products we are focusing on this year.”

www.pcr-online.biz

Pros Trust

SanDisk to bring their visions to life

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“SanDisk allows me to make the supernatural business as usual.”

SAM NICHOLSON - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS

VISUAL EFFECTS THE WALKING DEAD When dependability is critical, Sam uses SanDisk SSDs to move petabytes of data back and forth quickly between ten different studios and hundreds of artists across eight different countries. “We are all moving amounts of data we never thought were possible. The dependability of SanDisk has made this possible.”

The very best cinematographers demand the very best technology. With pro-level speeds up to 550MB/s*, accelerated load times and extended battery life, SanDisk® SSDs provide the reliability and durability pros need on-set, on-location and on-the-go.

Find out more at www.aboutsandiskssd.co.uk

Available from

*Up to stated speed; based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on drive capacity, host device, OS and application. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes. © 2016 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and SanDisk Extreme PRO are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries.

Get fit for business in 2016

Get ready for kick off Check out everything you need to know about our unmissable conference and expo for PC dealers taking place on May 18th…

A

S WELL as featuring a channel conference and expo, PCR Boot Camp 2016 is also introducing new masterclass sessions.

Each session in the Interactive Masterclass and Demo Zone will be run by an expert in their field. Delegates will be able to ask them questions, share experiences and walk away with expert advice.

Boot Camp takes place on May 18th at London’s Emirates Stadium. Read on for our full preview including exhibitor and speaker profiles…

“Each session in the Interactive Masterclass and Demo Zone will be run by an expert in their field.”

2016 PARTNERS INCLUDE: HEADLINE PARTNER:

GOLD PARTNERS:

SILVER PARTNERS:

34 | PCR May 2016

www.pcr-online.biz

Get fit for business in 2016

at Boot Camp

SIGN UP FOR FREE

If you’re a tech ret ailer, reseller, system builder or etailer, simply register on line at www.pcrbootca mp.com or call +44 (0)207 354 6010

DMSL & VIRGIN MEDIA BUSINESS – HEADLINE PARTNER

L

ast month Virgin Media Business announced that partners can now sell its new product portfolio, including the 300Mbps broadband bundle aimed at small businesses.

This means it’s at Boot Camp with a clear message for the channel – it will be discussing opportunities during both a conference presentation and during the expo.

For the first time, SMB products offered by Virgin Media Business will be sold by distribution partners.

DMSL and Daisy Distribution have been named as the two main distribution partners for the programmme, but Virgin Media Business has also confirmed that it intends to recruit 500 more partners by the end of the year.

The indirect partner channel aims to improve the company’s capabilities to market to small businesses and will run in parallel with the existing deskbased sales team run out of its Manchester office.

Partners can sign up to sell Virgin Media Business products using the link at the end of this box, and, if selected, will undergo in-depth

www.pcr-online.biz

“Our new indirect partner sales channel, complementing our deskbased team, will allow us to sell more and better service the UK small business community that we know are crying out for a faster internet connection to help them to reach their digital potential.”

Virgin Media Business and DMSL will be on hand during PCR Boot

“Our ultrafast business broadband bundles can help businesses do so much more.”

Mike Smith, Virgin Media Business

training, be given access to sales and marketing toolkits, and receive support from a dedicated indirect partner team within Virgin Media Business.

Partners will also be eligible for up to £315 commission per installation.

“Our ultrafast business broadband bundles – with speeds up to four times faster than BT – can help businesses do so much more,” said Mike Smith, director of small business at Virgin Media Business.

Camp 2016 at the Emirates on May 18th, to discuss all of these opportunities with both delegates and the wider ecosystem. There will also be a keynote presentation during the morning conference. www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/ partnerwithvmb

PCR May 2016 | 35

Get fit for business in 2016

CARL WEST, GFK Market trends update

K

nowledge is power – to make the correct decisions for your business, the more of it you have the better.

Get detailed information on what sectors are in decline, what’s becoming a surprise success, and how trends in the global tech sector are shaping the realities of doing business in the tech sector in the UK.

As supply chain director at analyst GfK, West has deep knowledge of the digital markets. With more than 16 years’ background in software and hardware sales as a vendor and in distribution, he has a great understanding of the channel, distribution, public sector/corporate and the internal dynamics of the retail and vertical reseller channels.

CRAIG HUME, UTOPIA COMPUTERS Staff retention and talent acquisition

A

company is built on its staff – whether you’re an industry spanning multi-national or a local High Street retail operation.

Explore an array of ways to motivate your team with retail expert and Utopia Computers

director Craig Hume, and find how to make sure you hire the right talent to help grow your business.

Utopia is leading the way with its notable ethics and culture, joining the Living Wage in September 2014 – the first firm in Ayrshire to do.

DANIEL TODARO, GEKKO

RICHARD TUBB

How to reinvigorate your store

Marketing tools and the new social media

Y

S

ou don’t have to overhaul your business to make a positive impact. Explore and be inspired by practical changes you can make to how customers perceive your business, and gain a competitive edge on the competition in this talk, given by Daniel Todaro, MD of field marketing agency Gekko Group.

36 | PCR May 2016

For 14 years Todaro has worked with some great talent to create, nurture and develop Gekko Group, an IIP, ISO and IPM accredited group of agencies who are extremely proud to be working with top global brands in the technology, consumer electronics and leisure sectors including Internet of Things and wearables across the UK and Ireland.

o you have a Facebook and a Twitter account for your business – but what about Instagram, Pintrest, Snapchat, Tumblr and Google +? Learn how people of all ages are using these platforms to make purchasing decisions, and how you can market your business in new dynamic ways using these tools.

Richard Tubb is a consultant, speaker, author, blogger and IT expert who provides advice on a day to day basis to help companies grow their IT business.

He works with the owners of several IT businesses to help them free up their time, concentrate on doing what is important and make more money.

www.pcr-online.biz

Get fit for business in 2016

JONATHAN WAGSTAFF, CONTEXT

BRIAN TREVASKISS, MORE COMPUTERS

How to cash in on the connected home revolution

Successfully navigating online sales

T

A

he phenomenon of the smart home is one of the biggest trends in the tech market right now – but how do retailers

make the most out of it? What are the novelties, and what can make you some serious money? Context’s UK country manager explains.

s head of marketing for etailer More Computers and MoreFrom.com, which sells everything from white goods to TVs

and cameras, Brian Trevaskiss is experienced in the online world. He will share his tips on competing with big etailers and using marketplaces.

RICHARD HUDDY, AMD

DISTIE QUESTION TIME

Virtual reality, gaming and beyond

Clockwise from top-left: Alex Tatham, Mark Needham, Rich Marsden and Paul Cubbage

I

t’s not just gaming and tech firms getting in on the virtual reality bandwagon – when huge international media conglomerates are getting involved you know it’s going to be big.

VR was a standout theme of CES, with applications ranging from immersive FPS titles to virtual sales tours of Yachts. AMD’s gaming scientist Richard Huddy gives you the vital info on this exciting market.

F

ollowing the success of our distributor panel at PCR Boot Camp North in Leeds last year, we’ve formed another group of toplevel execs to answer your questions.

MDs at Westcoast (Alex Tatham), Widget (Mark Needham), VIP Computers (Rich Marsden) and Target Components (Paul Cubbage) will discuss issues from customers.

Get fit for business in 2016

Q AOC

M

onitor specialist AOC will be showcasing its new curved gaming display, high resolution displays and value range at this year’s Boot Camp.

It’s been a busy year so far for the company, which has been working on a new line of gaming products set to launch between the end of Q1 and

“AOC has one of the largest display ranges to meet all aspects of a customer’s budget or spec requirement.”

All of which adds up to an interesting Boot Camp for the company, which will have the following products on display to tech dealers during the expo: Q The brand new C3583FQ 35-inch Curved 160Hz gaming display, with Adaptive-Sync technology (also compatible with Free-Sync technology).

Q The I2481FXH – 24-inch IPS display with borderless frame, stylish stand design and Flicker-Free technology.

Q The U2879VF – 28-inch UHD 4K display with 3840x2160 pixels and Adaptive-Sync technology.

Nathan Blank, AOC

Q3 this year. In fact, AOC says it doubled its investment in the UK gaming industry in 2015.

It has launched several PC gaming monitors and AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync monitors over the past 12 months.

Q The Q3277PQU – 32-inch UHD display with 2560x1440 pixels for stunning images, with PiP and PbP functionality for multi-viewing.

AOC will also be offering dealer delegates a special promotion, with details to be confirmed over the coming weeks.

Nathan Blank, AOC UK sales manager, said: “AOC has sponsored PCR Boot Camp since the start, as it is one of the best platforms by which to meet our existing retail reseller base, potential new clients and to shout about the latest display technology we have to offer.

“AOC has one of the largest display ranges to meet all aspects of a customer’s budget or spec requirement.

With over 10 dedicated gaming display products and growing, AOC is one of the leading monitor names in the European gaming industry.” www.aoc-europe.com/en

C

distribution brands at Boot Camp, with a particular focus on new margin opportunity Nitro Concepts.

Caseking UK will also be running an exclusive competition for delegates on the day, giving them a chance to win a Nitro Concepts gaming chair.

Full details of this will be available during the event.

Steve Ling, executive director at Caseking UK, said: “We are delighted to be back at PCR Boot Camp. It is a great opportunity to show off the latest kit from our exclusive brands, including Kolink, Phanteks, XFX and our recently announced Nitro Concepts gaming chairs.”

Caseking say its philosophy from the very start was to have a very unique product range, with a professional, transparent approach with fast processing and superb service.

It has a strong focus on customer satisfaction and says it has invested substantially in expanding its product portfolio and storage facilities, with up to date logistics. www.caseking.co.uk

Q CASEKING UK aseking was founded in Berlin in 2003 and has quickly grown to become a leading supplier of products for PC enthusiasts in the UK and Europe.

By understanding the enthusiast market, Caseking has built a reputation as experts in chassis, modding, cooling, PC tuning and

“We are delighted to be back at PCR Boot Camp. It is a great opportunity to show off the latest kit.”

Steve Ling, Caseking gaming. It works closely with vendors on product design, marketing and channel management, with many on an exclusive basis.

The specialist PC system builder will be showing off the latest products from its exclusive

38 | PCR May 2016

www.pcr-online.biz

Get fit for business in 2016

Q ESET

E

SET will be presenting its latest security products and services to the trade at Boot Camp, including the ESET Anti-Virus, ESET Endpoint, Data Encryption, Back-up & Recovery, Two Factor Authentication, Remote Administration, File Security, Mail Security Gateway Security, Mobile Security, Sharepoint and Virtualisation.

The company will also be enticing dealer delegates to visit its expo stand with a selection of promotion items, plus sweets, pens and mugs for all.

Founded in 1992, ESET is headquartered in Bratislava Slovakia, with offices in San Diego, USA; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Prague, Czech Republic and Singapore, Malaysia. It has an extensive partner and reseller network spanning more than 180 countries worldwide, hence the importance of Boot Camp in the company’s calendar.

In fact, ESET has been present in the UK market for more than a decade thanks to its relationship with a partner company, which it recently

acquired. Establishing a direct ESET office in the UK is part of the company’s long-term strategy to expand in a market where it recorded double-digit sales growth in 2015.

ESET marketing manager Sharon Finney said: “At ESET we are

“The ESET product portfolio is evolving and we welcome the opportunity to showcase our range.”

Sharon Finney, ESET always looking to engage with existing and potential new customers and the PCR Boot Camp is an ideal way to achieve this. The ESET product portfolio is evolving and we welcome the opportunity to showcase our impressive range of security solutions.” www.eset.co.uk

Q M2M DIRECT

A

s you would expect, memory and storage will be the focal point for M2M Direct at PCR Boot Camp this year, where the distributor will be showcasing its wide range of brands to delegates.

For the uninitiated, M2M was founded in 1998 as a specialist memory distributor, working directly with world class manufacturers and suppliers such as Samsung SemiConductor and Samsung Electronics, Micron Electronics (Crucial Technology and Lexar) and SK hynix.

M2M is now a fast growing, focused distributor and reseller of core IT products that have been carefully selected from best in class manufacturers to offer IT solutions to its customers.

These include memory modules, portable media, solid state drives, hard drives, optical drives, processors, graphics cards, flash memory drives and enterprise server products.

As its business and customer base matured, M2M moved into the Storage and Enterprise segment, working with Samsung

40 | PCR May 2016

Electronics, Seagate Technology International, Micron and HGST in the supply of hard disk drives, solid state and PCIe drives, optical and flash storage products.

“M2M’s core IT products have been carefully selected from best in class manufacturers.”

What’s more, M2M’s web portal provides EDI and FTP feeds and can be used alongside a full account management service or independently to manage stock, price, RMA, order tracking and finance.

M2M says it offers a unique and customisable customer experience.

Stop by M2M’s stand in the expo area to find out more. www.m2m-direct.co.uk

www.pcr-online.biz

Get fit for business in 2016

Q NIGHTWATCHER

N

ightWatcher will be presenting its extensive range of security solutions at Boot Camp – so be on your guard.

The company will be illuminating the expo with its latest range of robotic and fixed LED security lights, including the brand new Wi-Fi models

“This is our first opportunity to meet with key resellers and present our latest DIY security products.”

Peter Bromage, NightWatcher shortly being featured on Channel 5’s Gadget Show.

Also on show will be its latest range of DIY CCTV kits, including a unique build-to-order proposition and smart home security solution.

And as if that wasn’t enough, NightWatcher will be offering a

£1,000 credit limit to all new accounts opened at PCR Boot Camp, plus a prize draw with the opportunity to win a 1080p CCTV Kit or NightWatcher NW750 Wi-Fi security light and some exciting giveaways on the door for new accounts.

Peter Bromage, NightWatcher’s head of sales for security products, said: “NightWatcher is now part of Philex Electronic, a distributor of consumer electronics to the major retail and wholesale electrical channels.

“NightWatcher has always held strong ties with the IT channel over the past nine years, and so this is the first opportunity for this new distribution partnership to meet with key resellers and present its latest DIY security products.”

NightWatcher’s security products are tailored for both the home and business markets – its team will be on hand at Boot Camp to assist with any queries and outline opportunities to delegates. www.nightwatcher.co.uk

Q PHILIPS MMD

P

hilips MMD will be on hand at Boot Camp to demonstrate its range of large-screen, highresolution products for home and office use.

The company has had a busy 12 months, increasing its market share by more than half to reach an overall share of nearly 16 per cent, which places it in the number one position.

The products it will be showcasing at Boot Camp include:

“Boot Camp is the best way to get in front of a wide range of retailers.”

Paul Butler, Philips MMD Q The new BDM4350UC 4K 43-inch display with 3840x2160 pixels for stunning clarity, colour and smooth viewing experience.

Q The 276E6ADSS 27-inch IPS display with ColorIQ Quantum Dot tech for amazing colour accuracy.

www.pcr-online.biz

Q The BDM3490UC 34-inch UltraWide QHD with 3440x1440 pixels.

Q The 221S6QYKMB 22-inch IPS display with 2MP-integrated webcam – a business product with great spec at amazing value.

Q Philips MMD will also be running a business card drop throughout the event, offering delegates the chance to win a hamper of champagne and luxury chocolates.

Paul Butler, Philips MMD UK sales director, said: “Year-on-year PCR Boot Camp proves it is the best way of getting in front of a wide range of retailers, from the small independents to the big guys such as PC World and eBay. “As well as being able to promote the new and existing Philips monitor range to them, we feel it is a great opportunity to listen to the visitors, their concerns and opinions on emerging trends, and by having this information we can look to offer improved services and products.”

PCR May 2016 | 41

Get fit for business in 2016

Q VIP COMPUTERS

C

42 | PCR May 2016

Marsden welcomes the opportunity to participate in the Q&A panel, which he says gives VIP the chance to engage directly with resellers, answer their questions, address concerns and give them advice on how to grow their business in a very competitive industry.

“VIP has had a busy 12 months,” adds Marsden. “At the start of the year we reported a record six months and we’re on target to have a fantastic year-end. This performance also reflected in VIP Club growth – more customers and additional vendors. We’re also very proud of our successful Graduate Scheme, which enjoys excellent relationships with local education establishments and the community.”

Marsden says the key emerging technology trend in 2016 is virtual reality, particularly the huge benefits this will bring to the end-user experience: “VIP will be working closely with the manufacturers of this technology to ensure the channel and their customers are ready and enabled.” www.vip-computers.com/uk

Q BRIGANTIA

Q TRUSTATEC HANNEL services dealer group Synaxon will be showcasing its TrustATec service at PCR Boot Camp 2016.

TrustATec lets users find local IT services and support in their area. It offers professional IT services in specific regions, laptop and PC repair, and IT services for corporate customers. There will be 20 standardised services that each TrustATec dealer can offer, from repairs to storage, servers and so on.

V

IP Computers will be at PCR Boot Camp showcasing its independent reseller programme, VIP Club, which has gathered significant momentum this year, including the debut of the VIP Club Roadshow in April.

Managing director Rich Marsden will also be a participant on the Distie Question Time interactive Q&A panel, which offers delegates the chance to grill senior figures from the tech distribution sector in a no holds barred format, which forms a key element of the event’s conference.

Marsden is a well-known and respected voice in the industry, with more than 15 years’ experience in tech distribution. He has overseen the launch of VIP Club and was appointed managing director of VIP UK in February.

“PCR Boot Camp continues to be an important event because it is relevant to the needs of the distributors, vendors and resellers alike,” says Marsden. “It facilitates education and engagement, which are two vital ingredients to the success of any event.”

TrustATec is already available in Germany where it’s known as PC Spezialist and has some 230 partners. The UK version of the online marketing service is exclusively for members of Synaxon.

The service is first come, first served – after one dealer signs up in a specific region, no others from that area can be listed. It costs £50 per month and will also require a £150 setting up fee. www.trustatec.co.uk

B

RIGANTIA will be demonstrating its new Partner Benefits Programme at this year’s conference and expo.

Brigantia is a subscription partner services club for technology channel resellers, and exists to add value to its partners’ businesses either by reducing costs or by increasing sales.

Beyond increasing profits, Brigantia aims to add capital value to its partners’ businesses.

The firm’s Partner Benefits Programme enables members to benefit from accessing a range of savings on everyday products and services.

As the programme develops, Brigantia will be adding further opportunities to promote businesses to a wider buying audience in more locations.

Make sure to stop by Brigantia’s stand to find out more. www.brigantia.com

www.pcr-online.biz

Get fit for business in 2016

Q COMPTIA

C

ompTIA will be at Boot Camp promoting its in-depth guides, research, insight and tools that can help dealers and companies grow and improve their business.

In February, the trade body released its IT Industry Outlook 2016 report, which provides an overview of the size, shape and growth factors influencing the future of the IT industry.

CompTIA’s Barbara Boldt said: “PCR Boot Camp allows CompTIA to connect with IT companies who can best utilise our resources to

improve their businesses. Events such as PCR Boot Camp are extremely important for the industry, as they allow peers to connect, provide valuable insights into the industry and help IT companies understand new directions into which they can take their businesses.”

Anyone interested in finding out more information about CompTIA’s offerings ahead of the event should contact Melody Blanc at mblanc@ comptia.org or call +44 (0) 7855 278 913. www.comptia.org

Q FORTUNE TECHNOLOGY

Q HANNSPREE UK

F

D

ortune Technology will be demonstrating its notebooks and all-on-one PCs at Boot Camp.

The company, which can provide ‘barebones’ chassis or fully assembled customised machines, will have a selection of hardware on display at its stand during the event’s expo session.

In addition, Fortune will have its key account managers on hand to answer any questions or queries delegates might have.

www.pcr-online.biz

Fortune Technology only caters for trade customers. Before anyone can purchase from them, they will need to apply for an account.

“We’re a UK-based distributor of barebones and custom built notebooks and AIOs and as such we’re looking forward to be attending PCR Boot Camp 2016 to meet both our existing and future customers,” said Fortune Technology’s Danny Williams. www.fortunetechnology.com

isplay specialist Hannspree will be demonstrating its growing portfolio of specialist touch screen products at this year’s Boot Camp conference and expo.

Among those on show will be the new HannsG touch screen monitors and the ever-evolving HANNSpad series of tablet PCs. Not only that, Hannspree will be giving Boot Camp dealer delegates a chance to win the brand new HannsG HT273HPB 27-inch Touch

Monitor, which boasts advanced 10-Point touch control and Full HD credentials, offering one of the highest levels of performance on the market.

Martin Kent, UK territory manager at Hannspree, commented: “PCR Boot Camp is a fantastic opportunity to network with our channel partners and showcase our product portfolio, as well as have some friendly banter in the bar with our competitors. We can’t wait!” www.hannspree.eu

PCR May 2016 | 43

Get fit for business in 2016

SPLAY

IT – MADE IN

L-IN-ONE OBILE D

WORKS SERVER/ST

w.terracomputer.co.uk

Q TERRA COMPUTER

T

ERRA Computer is running special distribution promotions throughout Q2 as part of its celebration of 30 years in the industry – and will be telling Boot Camp delegates how they can get involved.

The firm is also running a monthly prize draw, where one lucky winner will take home a VW Caddy.

TERRA will also be promoting its range of SFF desktops, LCD displays, notebooks and tablets at Boot Camp, including a new ruggedised

tablet and also a new gaming PC. TERRA sells its own brand products and distributes components, peripherals and software – the team continues to expand as the company grows its channel-only business in the UK. Parent company Wortmann AG’s key brand is TERRA, which has been in existence for 30 years in Europe.

In terms of distribution, it carries various brands, including Microsoft, Western Digital, Intel and PNY. www.wortmann.de

Q QSAN

N

AS and SAN storage specialist Qsan has been in the UK since 2009, but it’s fair to say it has flown a little under the radar.

Now, having opened its first UK office, with a string of rave reviews and a new NAS product around the corner, it’s ready to shout much louder about the business.

Qsan will be showing off its storage lines at Boot Camp. Among the products on show during the expo will be the vendor’s new range of SAN, NAS and DAS solutions, from entry level through to enterprise.

44 | PCR May 2016

It will also be giving away multiadaptor USB cables for Android/ iPhone devices to delegates visiting its stand on the day.

Stefan Ferrari, technical sales manager at Qsan, said: “We are aiming for a big year, we are refreshing our full product line with new SAN, DAS and NAS offerings.

“We are exhibiting at the PCR Boot Camp conference and expo to make an impact and show what we can do – our UK-based team will be attending the event all day to do just that.” www.qsan.com

www.pcr-online.biz

WORTMANN AG recommends Windows.

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

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• 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)

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GET INTO GEAR WITH TERRA

22nd

June 2 016

Join us at our Reseller Event TERRA Computer Limited is pleased to invite you to our second reseller event to be held at the Coventry Transport Museum on the 22nd June 2016.

Alongside company & product briefings, information on reseller programs, there will also be a large showcase to see our wide range of products, chances to win prizes, TERRA PC F1 race simulators, VR Headset Demo and free entry to the prestigious Museum which is home to the world’s biggest collection of British road transport inc. the supersonic Thrust SSC – which never fails to ‘wow’ visitors of all ages.

Places will be reserved on a first come first serve basis so to avoid disappointment please register ASAP to secure your free places.

CALL: 03333-444 35 7

To register send an email to event@terracomputer.co.uk or call us at above number.

AGENDA 09:00-10:00 Registration, Product Showcase and Networking 10:00-12:00 Company / Product Presentations 12:00-13:30 Lunch Buffet, Product Showcase and Networking 13:30-15:30 Company / Product Presentations 15:30-16:30 Product Showcase and Networking 16:30-17:00 Final Word, F1 Race Winners, Prize Draw and Farewells

SP E C IAL S! c o u n ts fo r is D l ia c e p + S se ll e rs! a t te n d in g re Boo tc a m p D U O L C A R 4D + T ER ti o n s w in a a tr is g ! re 0 1 + F ir s t t the M use u m a e c n e ri e p sim u la to r e x g Re se ll e rs! in d n te t a r fo + P ri z e D ra w it h p ri z e fo r w r to la u im + F1 C a r S r! fa s te s t d ri v e ! y to M use u m + F re e E n tr e t De m o + V R He a d s

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

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.

www.terracomputer.co.uk

BEHIND THE SCENES

TAKING CENTRE STAGE Vendors have backed eSports and competitive PC gaming in a big way over the past few years, but not all the coverage has to be online only. PCR visits Gfinity’s eSports arena and ESL’s new state-of-the-art studio to check out the live studio experience and find out how vendors and retailers can get involved…

E

SPORTS EVENT organiser ESL opened a brand new UK studio in Leicester back in March to support homegrown talent and give partners something fresh and exciting to sink their teeth into.

This isn’t a regular stage with a few seats. It’s clear ESL has invested heavily in the new Studio 1 facility – some £700,000 to £800,000 we’re told.

The 10m x 3m modular LED video wall behind the stage, which displays the action for spectators watching live, is worth around £141,000 by itself.

Blue lighting adorns the walls and the dimly-lit area conjures an atmosphere fit for any eSports spectacle.

While there’s room for around 100 paying spectators, ESL has clearly taken great care to ensure that online viewers watching the action live via Twitch are also getting a top-class experience.

The studio boasts analyst and caster (aka commentator) desks, as well as a seating area at the front of the stage and a bar and production room upstairs. The latter has room for up to 30 camera feeds, all running in 4K. www.pcr-online.biz

ESL UK MD Spike Laurie told partners he wants them to think of the studio as a ‘blank canvass’, with PC vendors and retailers able to get behind tournaments at the venue, through sponsorship and other partnerships.

The studio has already hosted its first events in the Formula E Forza 6 racing game tournament – aired on BT Sport – plus Guild Wars and League of Legends tournaments.

ESL UK’s James Dean said that the studio is ‘all about fostering growing homegrown talent’.

But ESL isn’t the only one trying to grow eSports in the UK. Last year, rival firm Gfinity transformed part of the Vue Fulham Broadway cinema into the Gfinity Arena – the UK’s first eSports arena. This can hold 600 spectators, and has run several sold-out events over the past year, including Halo tournaments and the Vainglory European Winter Championships – a pro competition for a game played on tablets and smartphones.

What’s great about this space is it feels like a night out – it is literally a cinema

ESL’s new studio features a £141,000 LED video wall and can hold 100 spectators

“eSports should definitely be on people’s radar from an industry perspective.”

Martin Wyatt, Gfinity

that only plays video game matches.

Gfinity’s head of partner relations Martin Wyatt told PCR: “It’s been a brilliant first year – we’re celebrating our first birthday in terms of being in this physical space.

“So a year ago we partnered with Vue to offer the eSports community somewhere regular to go to access high quality eSports competitions, as well as meet the players and have a live event experience.

“We’ve run 34 events out of the Arena and they’ve been broadcast to just over 60 million people over the past year.

“We’ve been selling the place out depending on the games and we’re investing in other games. As far as year one goes, it’s been phenomenally successful.”

ON THE RADAR On whether PC companies should be taking note of the growing eSports scene, Wyatt said: “eSports should definitely be on people’s radar from an industry perspective.

“What eSports brings is a unique communication channel, a unique

engagement channel, and people can get involved with us by attaching to the suite of events we run. We can build bespoke events for partners if they want a particular marketing drive.

“UK eSports is a sleeping giant. We have an untapped pool of talent that, given the right infrastructure and platform, can go on to compete with the very best in the world.

“I’m not convinced we’re as far behind other countries than everyone thinks. You’ll see more UK-based investment from Gfinity for the communities here going forwards.”

With other UK eSports events like Multiplay Insomnia, DreamHack London and MCM Expo, as well as Intel Extreme Masters thinking of hosting a UK-based event in the coming years, the future is bright for eSports.

The UK Government has recently outlined support for an Olympic Games-style eGames tournament set to take place at the Rio Olympics this year.

If successful, this could also offer PC companies some valuable opportunities indeed.

PCR May 2016 | 49

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Should you stock and r From sound bars to lightweight earphones and gaming headsets, there are a lot of products in the audio market.

Laura Barnes breaks down what retailers need to know if they want to attract more audiophiles to their stores…

S

peakers and headsets have always been important peripherals to keep in stock for any PC and tech retailer.

But with advancements in technology, and an increase in consumer demand for high-quality audio, there are more products than ever to kit out your PC, your home, or yourself, with.

“The consumer desire for wireless products continues apace with strong growth seen for mobile speakers (primarily Bluetooth) and multi-room speakers (primarily Wi-Fi and Bluetooth).” That’s according to SAR Insight & Consulting, which reports that the sound bar market in particular is expected to continue to grow over the next five years.

“The audio market is definitely growing, with 4K TVs being sold more and more regularly, customers are also willing to upgrade their audio systems,” James Pilling, showroom supervisor at Midlands Computers, tells PCR. “Sound bars are becoming the mainstream purchase, with amplifiers and individual speakers seeming to be the choice for the sound enthusiasts.”

Luke Baker, UK PR at Creative Labs, thinks the booming market may be down to people beginning to care more about the quality of their music, both on the go and at home.

“People were satisfied with compressed low quality music when streaming and MP3 technologies were still new but now that they’ve become the standard. The focus has shifted and brands are pushing more towards quality and lossless formats,” he says.

50 | PCR May 2016

POPULAR PRODUCTS WHILE VENDORS, retailers and industry analysts agree that audio is selling well at the moment, the market has many different types of products, from music-focused earphones and speakers to gaming headsets and conferencing equipment. So to get an idea of what particular products are doing well, PCR delves deeper into what is flying off the shelves and why.

“Ever since the influx of tablets and smartphones with better screens, customers are wanting a better sound experience that can come with the physically smaller speakers found in these mobile

devices,” says Dynamode’s product manager Elena Cernautanu-Rotaru.

“As such Bluetooth wireless speakers are particularly popular.

The sound quality and the various designs of speakers we offer means we can cater for almost all customers and budgets.”

Luke Baker, UK PR at Creative Labs, comments: “At Creative we make a huge range of audio gear and each is doing well in its own field. In the audiophile circuits our DAC/headphone amp ranges are proving very popular. For gamers the new BlasterX headsets are going down well and for a more

mainstream audience the Portable Bluetooth speakers are particularly in demand.”

Andrew Rogers, UK business development manager at Edifier, reveals that the firm’s lifestyle ranges for home entertainment have shown strong sales, especially its sound bars and speaker systems. “The Edifier M1380 2.1 speaker system is currently one of our most popular products in Currys/PC World,” he tells PCR. The recent hogging of the headlines by all things virtual reality also seems to be boosting audio products in the gaming arena.

“PC speakers move very quickly especially with PC gaming becoming more and more popular,” explains Midlands Computers showroom supervisor James Pilling. “People are increasingly purchasing 5.1 and 7.1 speakers systems for their gaming rigs. With games now supporting Oculus, people need that Audio immersion to get that full immersive experience. For the more noise-concerned user, headsets are also key. We’re finding people are willing to spend over £100 for a quality set of cans.

“Logitech is especially popular here at Midland.”

Creative Labs’ Baker believes the closer this experience can be to a living room environment the better. “This gives the customer a good representation of the sound they can expect when they get their new gear home,” he explains.

Audio vendor DeFunc, which sells earphones for four different categories – talk, music, sport and hybrid – details how it works with retailers to ensure that they have the best POS. “Visual merchandising needs to be

educational – it needs to answer the customer’s questions and it needs to be clean and concise,” explains Johan Wahlbäck, founder and global sales director at DeFunc.

“We offer a wide range of POS that is designed to strengthen the clarity of our message. The POS works on two levels: as a prompt to assist the in-store sales staff, and as an educational tool to guide the customer into making the right decision for themselves.”

The Edifier M1380 speaker system

“Sound bars are becoming a mainstream purchase, with amps and individual speakers being the choice for enthusiasts.”

James Pilling, Midlands Computers

THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE WHILE THERE is no doubt there are plenty of audio products that retailers can specialise in, it’s important to think about store layouts. For a lot of consumers, picking the perfect speakers or headphones involves a listening experience.

“Its vital for customers to touch and listen to the audio products. Spec sheets and marketing blurb are not go enough,” says Dynamode’s product manager Elena Cernautanu-Rotaru. “With so

many different designs on the market it makes sense for customers to listen to the audio quality, as everyone’s hearing quality may be different, so having listening posts with a variety of music types – even movies – can help customers make the right decision in-store.”

Midlands Computers showroom supervisor James Pilling agrees: “This sort of customer will spend hours wearing their headset so having an experience before buying is essential.”

www.pcr-online.biz

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

epair audio products?

IS IT WORTH REPAIRING?

SOUNDING OUT THE FUTURE

AS WELL as selling audio products, repairing devices can be another avenue retailers can go down. This venture is made easier if they already have the tools and expertise in place to perform repairs on desktops, peripherals and so on.

While some vendors prefer to push consumers towards their own repairs services, others believe more retailers should get involved in fixing issues.

“Edifier offers a repair service through its third party partners, but it would be good if retailers got involved in audio repairs to minimise waste of material and products,” says Andrew Rogers, Edifier UK business development manager.

Despite this, Dynamode warns that retailers should be mindful of the types

FOR THOSE planning to set up permanent audio sections in their store, or take on more audio offerings, we asked industry experts what products they think will be big in the next few years.

“Wi-Fi and wireless products,” says Andrew Rogers, Edifier UK business development manager. “Edifier showcased some of its latest Wi-Fi speakers for homes and business environments at CES 2016 and these were well received by visitors and media.”

Midlands Computers showroom supervisor James Pilling agrees that wireless is the way forward. “Wireless home systems seem to be growing in popularity, with more vendors joining the bandwagon,” he says.

Luke Baker, UK PR at Creative Labs, believes we will see more interconnectivity between audio devices in the near future. He explains:

DeFunc’s ‘music’ earphones

of products worth repairing. “Owing to our competitive pricing structure for the Dynamode and LMS Data audio products there is little point in repair,” explains Dynamode’s product manager Elena Cernautanu-Rotaru. “However, from a retailers point of view, it could be a service worth offering, especially for the more expensive audio setups.

“Sometimes speaker units can get damaged or broken, or connectors on the speakers itself might need replacing.

Often it can work out cheaper and easier for the customer to get these repaired without going through the hassle of a big investment and worry if its compatible with their existing sound card system.”

“Wi-Fi attached devices and speakers are already very popular and I’m sure will continue to improve. I expect as eSports continues to grow we will see a lot of gamers moving from cheaper headsets with fancy lights to higher fidelity analogue headsets to gain a competitive edge.”

Dynamode’s product manager Elena Cernautanu-Rotaru advises retailers to look at audio integration within the latest tech such as virtual reality and wearables.

“For media setups, especially home theater systems, there tends to be a need of up-scaling audio systems to become more immersive. There may even be integration with VR systems. This will be the techto watch. It might sound a bit too far ahead, but I’ve heard of Bluetooth audio speakers and microphones being woven into clothing already, so maybe we’ll see integration with smartwatches.”

Dynamode’s portable Bluetooth speaker

“As eSports grows, we’ll see gamers moving from cheap headsets to higher fidelity analogue products.”

Luke Baker, Creative Labs

Creative Labs’ Sound Blaster X headset

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR May 2016 | 51

SECTOR GUIDE

Sights and sounds With soundbars and advanced headsets becoming more popular, plus the rise of Bluetooth, users and businesses are on the hunt for quality audio accessories that also look great. PCR lists a host of speakers, docks and headphones…

TP-LINK GROOVI RIPPLE SPEAKER

SONY MDR ZX310AP

DYNAMODE S800BT CLEARSOUND SYSTEM

BLUE MICROPHONES LOLA HEADPHONES

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

Distributor: Peak Development

Distributors: Spire Technology, Digitek Trading

Distributor: CMS Distribution

This pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker provides high quality audio over a maximum range of 20 metres, with an adjustable angle and handle. A larger sound driver ensures an unstoppable music experience.

These over-ear headphones feature a folding design that makes them comfortable for hours of listening. The 30mm driver units deliver sharper audio while a closed back design helps to lock the music in and keep distractions out.

The Dynamode S800BT is a powerful ‘ClearSound’ portable speaker system with superior sound that can fill almost any medium-sized room. It features built-in rechargeable batteries, memory card input and smartphone connectivity.

Lola is a headphone for the true music listener – designed to help you get closer to your music, not just make a fashion statement. Lola is designed to help consumers rediscover their favourite music.

Specs: 20-metre Bluetooth range, portable.

Specs: 30mm neodymium drivers, 10– 24,000Hz frequency range.

Specs: Bluetooth, memory card input, rechargeable batteries.

Specs: 50mm, 397g.

SRP: £24.99

SRP: £30 inc VAT

SRP: £25

SRP: £229.99

DYNAMODE S121BT SPEAKER

NGS ARTICA JELLY HEADPHONES

APPROX BLUETOOTH MUSIC RECEIVER

VEHO M6 MODE SPEAKER

Distributors: Spire Technology, Digitek Trading

Distributor: Meroncourt

Distributor: Meroncourt

Distributor: Peak Development

The Dynamode S121BT is a universal BT, pocket-sized cylindrical speaker. It has built-in rechargeable batteries, memory card input and smartphone connectivity for hands-free, two-way audio communications.

The NGS Artica Jelly is a set of Bluetooth 2.1 wireless enabled stereo headphones that allow you to enjoy the freedom of listening to music without cables. Pair up with your devices for uninterrupted music of up to eight hours.

This Bluetooth music receiver allows you to provide wireless connectivity to traditional stereos and other devices which have a 3.5mm jack cable. You can transmit audio signals wirelessly via Bluetooth.

The wireless 360-degree M6 Mode speaker from Veho features a high quality retro design, coupled with superior sound quality. It allows you to stream your music wherever you are.

Specs: Pocket-sized, rechargeable batteries, memory card input.

Specs: Bluetooth 2.1, rechargeable battery, 10m wireless range.

Specs: 3.5mm jack, 10 hours battery life, Bluetooth technology.

Specs: 1800 mAh battery for up to eight hours of playback, built-in mic for hands-free calls.

SRP: £10

SRP: £20.99

SRP: £17.99

SRP: £119.95 inc VAT

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR May 2016 | 53

SECTOR GUIDE

HYPERX CLOUD REVOLVER HEADSET

LIBRATONE ZIPP MINI

LUCIDSOUND LS30 WIRELESS GAMING

TURTLE BEACH EARFORCE Z300 HEADSET

Contact: HyperX

Contact: Libratone

Distributor: Exertis

Distributor: Turtle Beach

HyperX Cloud Revolver is the newest addition to the Cloud headset range. It features a studio grade sound stage with 50mm directional drivers to deliver wider depth and width for improved audio precision in games.

Take wireless, high-end sound everywhere with the portable Libratone ZIPP Mini, now with multi-room connectivity. The ZIPP Mini boasts a smaller form factor and works with a new dedicated SoundSpaces app.

The LS30 Universal Wireless Console Gaming Headset is the first from fresh accessory brand LucidSound. It can be used with mobile gaming devices, phones and audio devices, as well as Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Get high-performance wireless 7.1 channel Dolby Surround Sound audio with the EarForce Z300. Maximise your gaming and digital media enjoyment with interference-free Dual-Band Wi-Fi wireless and premium 50mm speakers.

Specs: 360g weight, 3.5mm stereo and mic plugs, 50mm drivers.

Specs: Covers available in a range of colours, dedicated app, portable, small form factor.

Specs: Built-in battery (15 hours per charge), 50mm speakers, 3 EQ presets, 3.5mm cable, flexible boom mic.

Specs: 50mm speakers, rechargeable battery with 15 hours from one charge, Bluetooth, 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound.

SRP: £99.98

SRP: £179

SRP: £129.99

SRP: £149.99

RAZER LEVIATHAN MINI

MAD CATZ FREQ TE HEADSET

TRITTON KATANA GAMING HEADSET

ACME BAT SPEAKER

Distributor: VIP Computers

Distributor: Entatech

Distributor: Tritton

Distributor: Peak Development

The Razer Leviathan Mini is a small, portable, feature-packed mobile speaker. Using Bluetooth aptX for CDlike audio quality, the dual drivers deliver fantastic sound reproduction in a tiny package.

With crisp stereo sound, memory foam earcups and a unidirectional mic, the F.R.E.Q.TE is an ideal tournament ally and boasts eSports-level audio response.

The mic is custom-tuned to pick up only your voice during LAN tournaments.

The Katana is described as the world’s first HDMI-powered gaming headset with wireless connectivity. Connect the included HDMI base station to a console, PC, or other audio source and experience HD-quality audio wirelessly.

This stylish portable Bluetooth speaker from the Acme Urban Harmony range features both convenient design and innovative features. The clever onetouch control allows you to play music, adjust volume and pair your devices.

Specs: 10 hour battery life, 12w x 2 speaker output, 3.5mm audio jack.

Specs: 50mm drivers, memory foam earcups, unidirectional mic.

Specs: 33ft range, HDMI-powered, 3.5mm to 3.5mm chat cable included.

Specs: Bluetooth technology, wireless, splash-proof.

SRP: £139.99

SRP: £69.99

SRP: £159.99

SRP: £29.99 inc VAT

CONTACT CMS Distribution: ....... 01423 704 700

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

Peak Development: .... 01489 796 979

Turtle Beach: sales@turtlebeach.com

Digitek Trading: .......... 01254 703 000

HyperX: ........................ 01932 738 888

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

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

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

Libratone: ............ anr@libratone.com

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

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

Meroncourt: ................ 01462 680 060

Tritton:......................... 01633 928 072

54 | PCR May 2016

www.pcr-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE

Smart thinking More than half of consumers believe that the smart home is going to impact their lives. In Q4 2015, GfK reported year-on-year volume growth of 106 per cent for net cameras. PCR takes a look at the smart goods on the market…

WELCOME

BY NETATMO

TP-LINK LED SMART BULBS

NETGEAR ARLO

NETGEAR ARLO Q CAMERA

Distributors: Thames, Softline

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

Distributors: Entatech, Exertis, Ingram Micro, Tech Data

Distributors: Entatech, Exertis, Ingram Micro, Tech Data

Welcome by Netatmo is an indoor security camera with face recognition, able to identify the people it sees.

Previously reserved for pro videosurveillance services, face recognition is now available to the general public.

These LED smart bulbs with energy monitoring connect to the home Wi-Fi network and do not require any additional hardware or specialised installation.

Netgear’s Arlo is billed as the first wirefree smart home HD security camera that lets you keep track of the people (or pets) you care about the most from anywhere in the world at anytime, from your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Arlo Q is the latest addition to the Netgear Arlo smart home security system and a companion to the Arlo wire-free camera. The Arlo Q lets you keep an eye on your home, family and pets from anywhere in the world.

Specs: 130-degree field of view, night vision, HD videos.

Specs: Compatible with iOS/Android devices, energy monitoring, LED.

Specs: Wire-free, HD.

Specs: 1080p, HD, wire-free.

SRP: £199

SRP: £24.99 – £44.99

SRP: £279.99

SRP: £169.99

D-LINK HOME SMART PLUG

SMJ GHOMA PLUG

SMANOS K1 KIT

SMANOS SMART VIDEO DOORBELL

Distributor: Entatech

Distributor: Entatech

Distributors: Computers Unlimited, Response Electronics

Distributors: Computers Unlimited, Response Electronics

The mydlink Home Smart Plug is a multi-purpose, compact and easy-touse smart home device that allows you to monitor and control your home’s electronic appliances from anywhere.

The SMJ GHoma plug lets you turn electronic devices on or off from anywhere inside or outside your home.

The adaptor uses your existing home Wi-Fi network to provide wireless control of TVs, lamps, stereos and more.

The K1 is Smanos’ latest wireless smart home gateway. The discs come with aluminium frames and texturised plastic surfaces, designed for everyday wear and tear. The Smanos K1 connects to up to 50 wireless accessories.

When someone presses on the bell button or the built-in motion sensor detects movements, you and your family get an instant notification on your smartphones, enabling you to see and speak with your visitor remotely.

Specs: Thermal sensor, compatible with mydlink Home app.

Specs: Security button, plug and play, app compatibility.

Specs: Wireless, connects up to 50 accessories.

Specs: HD 720p, 1280x720 video resolution, 180-degree horizontal/90degree vertical field of view.

SRP: £33.44

SRP: £29.99

SRP: £249

SRP: £159

56 | PCR May 2016

www.pcr-online.biz

SECTOR GUIDE

SAMSUNG SMART HOME CAM

TADO SMART THERMOSTAT

SECURIFI ALMOND HOME AUTO HUB

PETCUBE CAMERA

Distributor: CMS Distribution

Distributor: CMS Distribution

Distributor: CMS Distribution

Distributor: CMS Distribution

This HD indoor 1080p security camera can monitor movements and send alerts about a specific area, plus important moments can be saved in the memory card (max 32GB card).

The Tado makes sure it’s always warm when you get home. While you’re out, Tado cuts your heating costs automatically. Over time, Tado gets to know your home and learns how to heat it up most efficiently.

Almond brings touch to wireless routers for the first time. Users can set up and maintain their router from its touch screen – and avoid the PC/Mac setup required with other routers.

The Petcube Camera is a Wi-Fi home camera for pet owners. It lets them watch, talk to and play with their pets using a built-in laser pointer toy from a smartphone.

Specs: 1920x1080 max resolution, 4x digital zoom, 128-degree field of view, built-in mic and speaker.

Specs: Smart thermostat is 104x104x19mm, bridge is 89x52.5x25.5mm), capacitive touch.

Specs: 320x240 display, covers up to 280m2, 1 WAN port, 2 LAN ports and 1 USB port.

Specs: 138-degree wide angle camera, HD 720p video, built-in certified 5mW 3R safe laser, two-way audio stream.

SRP: £89.99

SRP: £199.99

SRP: £69.99

SRP: £159.99

YALE KEYFREE SMART LOCK

YALE SMART HOME ALARMS

SWANNONE HOME CONTROL SYSTEM

HAUPPAUGE MYSMARTHOME

Contact: Yale

Contact: Yale

Contact: SwannOne

Distributors: Exertis, Thames Distribution, Tech Data

The Yale Keyfree Connected Smart Lock gives you freedom to secure your home without the need for a key.

Homeowners can use a PIN code, remote fob or smartphone to lock and unlock their front door.

Yale Smart Home Alarm Kits give you control of your alarm system from your smartphone. These kits can be extended to include additional accessories including a Power Switch to turn home appliances on and off.

SwannOne enables users to monitor their home security and also control aspects such as heating and lighting from wherever they are via a simple app. The user can stream live video and turn appliances off or on remotely.

The Hauppauge MySmarthome can monitor and control your home using Z-Wave tech. It boasts an in-home controller and support for the MySmarthome Camera. It’s compatible with different Z-Wave devices too.

Specs: Front body measures 35mm x 355mm x 22mm, unlocks up to 10,000 times with one set of four AA batteries.

Specs: 868MHz 2.4GHz technology, 104db external siren, 94db internal siren.

Specs: Night vision, motion detection, 720p video footage, built-in mic, app control.

Specs: 110x110x16mm dimensions, wireless, 720p HD resolution (camera), night vision up to 6m.

SRP: Around £400

SRP: Around £400

SRP: £699.99

SRP: £99.99 (MySmarthome controller), £79.99 (MySmarthome HD camera)

CONTACT

www.pcr-online.biz

CMS Distribution: ....... 01423 704 700

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

SwannOne: .................. 0203 6911 158

Computers Unlimited: 0208 200 8282

Response Electronics:. 0345 257 1000

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

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

Softline: ....................... 01293 827 900

Thames Distribution:.. 01189 767 130

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

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

Yale: ............................. 0845 223 2126

PCR May 2016 | 57

SECTOR GUIDE

Memory boost As one of the most affordable and easiest ways to upgrade a computer, RAM is still a very popular component – and one that resellers can use to upsell to customers. PCR takes a look at some of the best memory modules available…

CRUCIAL BALLISTIX SPORT LT DDR4

ADATA DRAM

CRUCIAL 8GB DDR4

CRUCIAL BALLISTIX 16GB KIT

Distributors: CMS Distribution, M2M, Northamber, Tech Data

Distributor: Entatech

Distributor: CMS Distribution

Distributor: CMS Distribution

Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 memory delivers fast speeds and increased bandwidth, and comes in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB densities. Sport LT red modules feature a covert digital camo design and integrated heat spreader.

Premier Series DDR3L 1600 memory modules are designed to support rigorous requirements of enthusiasts and professionals. The high 8GB density overcomes situations where there are only a few DRAM slots available.

Crucial DDR4 server memory promises to be up to 40 per cent more energy efficient, twice as fast and twice as large as DDR3.

This set of two 8GB sticks is designed for entry-level and mainstream PC users. Each stick of RAM boasts heat spreaders for thermal performance, along with standard timings and voltages.

Specs: 4GB, 8GB and 16GB densities, speeds of 2400 MT/s.

Specs: 8GB density, DDR3L 1600.

Specs: 8GB density, DDR4 UDIMM.

Specs: 2x8GB sticks, DDR4.

SRP: From £19.19 to £85.19

SRP: £29.99

SRP: £29.99

SRP: £69.99

HYPERX FURY DDR4 MEMORY

HYPERX SAVAGE DDR4 MEMORY

CORSAIR DOMINATOR PLATINUM KITS

G.SKILL TRIDENT Z MEMORY

Contact: HyperX

Contact: HyperX

Contact: Corsair

Distributor: G.Skill

FURY DDR4 is available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities and 8GB to 64GB kits.

Its low-profile heat spreader with signature FURY design lets gamers show off their rig in style.

HyperX Savage DDR4 memory offers a combination of fast speeds and aggressive timings to complement Intel’s 2, 4, 6 or 8 core processors. It has speeds of up to 3000MHz and latencies of CL12–CL15.

Dominator Platinum memory kits are built using only select memory ICs, highly screened for performance and stability, and feature Corsair’s patented DHX cooling technology so you can push them to the limit.

Building on the strong success of G.Skill Trident series, Trident Z represents one of the world’s highest performance DDR4 memory. It’s designed for the latest 6th generation Intel Core processor on the Z170 series chipset.

Specs: 4GB to 16GB capacities, 8GB to 64GB kits.

Specs: Capacities up to 128GB.

Specs: Capacities from 2x4GB DDR3 sticks to 8x8GB DDR4 sticks.

Specs: 16GB capacity (8GB x2), DDR4.

SRP: Varies

SRP: Varies

SRP: : £69.99 to £1,378.98

SRP: Around £125

CONTACT 58 | PCR May 2016

CMS Distribution: ....... 01423 704 700

G.Skill:...................... sales@gskill.com

Northamber: ............... 020 8296 7000

Corsair: ........ www.corsair.com/en-gb

Kingston/HyperX: ........01932 738888

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

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

M2M Direct: ................. 020 8676 6067

www.pcr-online.biz

The crystal clear audio solution Kรถnig 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 handsfree phone calls thanks to the built-in microphone.

check our website www.nedis.co.uk/pcr

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Recommended

The latest tech Editorial planner

Dedicated monthly product coverage

The laptop features a detachable Hydro Overclocking System cooling module

The GX700’s coolant provides corrosion protection for all internal components There are just five of the notebooks available in the UK

LIQUID LAPTOP IS WORLD’S FIRST THE WORLD’S first liquidcooled gaming laptop has launched – in extremely limited numbers.

There are just five of the £3,499.99 notebooks available in the UK, at retailers such as Overclockers UK, Scan Computers, Currys/ PC World and John Lewis.

The ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) GX700 features a detachable Hydro Overclocking System cooling module. It uses a pump to circulate coolant around heat-generating

components inside the GX700. The liquid coolant then heads back into the cooling module where two radiators help to dissipate heat.

The coolant also provides corrosion protection for all internal components and materials, including aluminum, iron, steel, and copper alloys.

ASUS’ liquid-cooled laptop is powered by a 6thgeneration Intel mobile K-SKU (‘Skylake’) processor and a high-end discrete

“Even when undocked, it is still the world’s fastest singleGPU gaming notebook.”

Asus

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 graphics card, giving users desktop-grade power at home and on the go.

With the ROG Hydro Overclocking System, users can overclock CPU performance by up to 48 per cent. In addition, the DDR4 RAM can be boosted by up to 43 per cent from 2133MHz to 2800MHz. ASUS said in a statement: “With its incredible overclocking potential, desktop-grade NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

graphics and ROG Hydro Overclocking System, the GX700 delivers performance that goes far beyond that on other gaming notebooks, giving gamers a truly-mobile platform for extreme gaming.

“Even when undocked, it is still the world’s fastest singleGPU gaming notebook. The GX700 has a thin and lightweight design that makes it ideal for gamers to take to any event where mobility is an advantage, such as LAN parties.”

Contact: ASUS | www.asus.com/uk/ | Price: £3,499.99 | Out: Now

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR May 2016 | 61

RECOMMENDED

Intel launches new NUC INTEL HAS launched a fresh NUC kit mini PC featuring the 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor and Iris Pro Graphics.

The NUC6i7KYK is designed for intense gameplay or intensive workloads. With a new lid, a redesigned chassis and a quad-core processor, it caters for both gamers and those looking to visualise complex information.

It promises 30x better 3D graphics for higher resolution and faster frame rates, four times the data and twice the video bandwidth via Thunderbolt 3 and an external RAID stack/graphics engine.

Intel Iris Pro Graphics with 4K capabilities let you edit photos and videos like a professional or immerse yourself in 3D gameplay, all in 4K on three monitors at once.

“The Intel NUC is designed with support for up to 32GB of RAM.”

The Intel NUC is designed for Windows 10, boasting fast boot and wake-up times and multi-tasking capabilities.

With support for up to 32GB of RAM, you can get the memory you need for fast map load times.

There are four USB 3.0 ports, including a USB charging port so you can use a USB keyboard, mouse and an Intel RealSense camera to video chat and collaborate with others. The NUC6i7KYK comes with Intel 802.11ac

wireless, Intel’s fastest wireless available today, so you can connect out-of-thebox and access files, movies and music in the cloud, along with built-in Bluetooth 4.2 so you can connect wireless peripherals such as headsets.

Contact: Avnet (01344 355 800), Hammer (01256 841000), Ingram Micro (0871 973 3000), Microtronica (01189 633 805), Tech Data (0871 880 3000) | www.intel.co.uk | Price: $650 (barebones), $999 (typical build with 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD and Windows 10) | Out: May

HP goes Turbo HP INC has upgraded its HP Z Workstations, promising higher-speed memory and multicore for the most demanding workflows.

It also announced the addition of the HP Z Turbo Drive G2 1 TB PCIe SSD, HP’s fastest Z Turbo Drive solution to date.

The refreshed HP Z840, Z640 and Z440 desktop workstations feature next generation multi-core Intel Xeon processors, the latest graphics options from NVIDIA Quadro and AMD FirePro, as well as a choice of Microsoft or Linux operating systems.

With the new Intel Xeon E5-

2600 v4 series processors, HP Z Workstations will support faster memory speeds than the previous generation processors, up to 2400MHz, and can support up to 44 physical cores perworkstation.

Designed to super charge workflow productivity and creativity, the new HP Z Turbo Drive with 1TB PCIe SSD storage optimises HP Workstation workflows, delivering up to four times the read performance of traditional SSDs at a similar cost.

The second generation HP Z Turbo Drive attains ultra-

fast I/O response to process large data sets.

The HP Z840, Z640, Z440 and Z240 desktop workstations can also be easily expanded by integrating the HP Z Turbo Drive G2 1TB PCIe with high capacity SATA HDDs and SSDs. “The addition of our latest Z Workstations and Z Turbo Drive demonstrate HP Inc’s unwavering commitment to professionals who consistently push the limits of technology to bring the world and the universe life changing innovations,” said Gwen Coble, director, commercial solutions and

retail solutions, EMEA, HP Inc. The enhanced line of HP Z Workstations embrace Thunderbolt 2 for fast throughput of large files, HP Z Turbo Drive to help eliminate storage bottlenecks, HP Performance Advisor for system monitoring and HP Remote Graphics Software for

remote collaboration of graphics-rich applications.

HP Inc is also collaborating with NVIDIA to deliver workstations for 3D content creators, media professionals, game and application developers and others to create virtual reality experiences.

Contact: HP | www8.hp.com/uk | Price: £1,025 (Z440), £1,345 (Z640), £1,580 (Z840), from £470 (Turbo Drive) | Out: Now (except Turbo Drive, out April)

RECOMMENDED

Longer life Chromebook ACER HAS introduced the Chromebook 14, the industry’s first model that provides long battery life of up to 14 hours.

In addition, this is Acer’s first model with a large 14-inch display and an allaluminium chassis. It is priced at £219.99, making it ideal for students, businesses and anyone who wants a computer with style and great value.

Several models in the Acer Chromebook 14 line (CB3-431) will be available with either 16GB or 32GB eMMC storage and either 2GB or 4GB of RAM. The display is 20 per cent larger than 11-inch models, and comes in either a full HD (1920 x 1080) or HD (1366 x 768) resolutions. It comes with a 720p webcam with 1280 x 720 resolution as well as HD audio and video recording. It weighs 1.55kg and

measures 17mm. The Acer Chromebook 14 comes with 100GB of free storage on Google Drive.

According to data from IDC, Acer is the world’s number one selling Chromebook brand.

“With its industry-leading battery life of up to 14 hours, the Acer Chromebook 14 is an important new product in Acer’s award-winning Chromebook line,” said Jerry Kao, president of Acer’s notebook business group.

Contact: Acer | www.acer.co.uk | Price: £219.99 | Out: July

AOC gets Stylish AFTER launching the first two models in October 2015, display specialist AOC has further extended the range of its Style line displays.

With the new 21.5-inch and 23inch versions, joining the 23.8inch and 27-inch models, the nearly borderless design and unique stand will now also be available for smaller desks and offices.

The latest IPS panels provide an impressive image quality with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

An HDMI connector and a VGA socket make it as easy as ever to connect the monitors to various devices including DVD players, game

consoles or whatever fits the user’s lifestyle best.

Elsewhere, AOC has revealed its new AGON gaming monitor line-up.

During 2016, AOC plans to launch ten variants of its gaming monitors with either IPS or TN panels, each with premium technology to provide gamers with the most versatile gaming experience possible. The first will arrive in June.

Contact: AOC | www.aoc-europe.com/en/ | Price: £109 (21.5-inch), £129 (23-inch) | Out: April

Editorial Planner

A look at the biggest features coming up in PCR over the next few months...

JUNE 2016

July 2016

August 2016

BUSINESS SPECIAL

30 UNDER 30

DESKTOP SPECIAL

We explore the evolving managed print sector and the B2B market, covering the revenue opportunities for tech retailers and resellers today.

PCR publishes its annual 30 Under 30 list, highlighting the most promising talent in the UK channel. Email dsacco@nbmedia.com to nominate a colleague, yourself or someone in the industry.

PCR takes a closer look at the traditional tower market and looks at how the computing sector is evolving.

PCR also takes a closer look at the announcements from Computex, plus we review our own PCR Boot Camp 2016 conference and expo in London.

For the July issue, we’ll also take a look at the educational tech market and how to sell to schools.

We’ll also be celebrating and highlighting the top technology PR managers and press officers in the UK industry.

Advertising Deadline

Advertising Deadline

Advertising Deadline

May 10th

June 15th

July 14th

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR May 2016 | 63

OUT OF OFFICE

WHO DO THEY THINK THEY’RE KIDDING? ANOTHER year, another awful collection of April Fools attempts by PC companies the world over.

This year’s groan-inducing efforts included Overclockers UK bundling bananas with its systems instead of Haribo sweets, a KrispyKreme 3D donut printer, Samsung’s ‘Internet of Trousers’ fashion products and Razer’s ‘Project Breadwinner’ (a toaster).

Elsewhere, Logitech tried to make customers believe it was bringing back the old C7 mouse, Cryorig ‘unveiled’ an air fan that snaps onto the front of a virtual reality headset, and MSI touted a modular motherboard. AMD also embraced the silliness with the AMD Radeon R9 Micro, a 1.5-inch USB stick with 16TPS of graphics power.

Do they take us journalists and customers for fools?

Well, yes. And we actually quite like bad April Fools ideas, so keep them coming for next year.

IN THE

HOT SEAT Lisa Wooton, NVIDIA NVIDIA’s UK and Nordics sales account manager (and former photo developer) recalls airport embarrassments, her best work trip and what she’d do if she could go back in time…

What’s your most embarrassing or funniest moment in the industry?

Every time I travel abroad with colleagues, you can guarantee that I will get buzzed going through security at Heathrow Airport – and end up in the security booth with my hands above my head being full body scanned.

What was your first job?

I had a Saturday job working in a local chemist on the photo counter, printing and developing people’s photos (this was before everything went digital).

Tell us something about yourself not many people know?

I practice aerial silks.

If you could go back in time, what would you do?

I would go back to the 1920s and be a flapper girl, so I could wear all the pretty beads and flapper dresses!

What are your drinks of choice?

Prosecco and creamy cocktails.

What’s the best place you have visited for work and outside of work?

When I travel with work you don’t get to see much, but I went to Finland recently and I enjoyed it there as the people are awesome. Outside of work, the best place I’ve been to is probably Thailand.

Who are you nominating for a future ‘In the hot seat’?

Nathan Proudfoot from VIP Computers.

64 | PCR May 2016

ONE-OFF IPAD A BRIGHT IDEA Apple’s chief design officer Jony Ive has made a one-of-a-kind iPad Pro that’s been auctioned off as part of a fundraiser for the London Design Museum.

The tablet has been anodised with a bright yellow dye and is estimated to have sold for between £10,000 and £15,000 on April 28th.

As well as the one-off yellow anodised aluminium backplate and a blue suede-lined leather Smart Cover, the tablet is laser-etched with ‘Edition 1 of 1’.

Apart from its unique appearance, the iPad Pro features all the specifications that usually come with Apple tablets.

www.pcr-online.biz

OUT OF OFFICE

HOW TO WEAR VR AND NOT LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT VIRTUAL REALITY might be the future, but it still makes you look a bit of a tit.

Up until this point you usually need a large room to explore a virtual environment, and even then you run the risk of bumping into a wall or object. Then there’s VR treadmills, which make you look even more ridiculous as you turn around sporadically and aim the VR controller at nothing in midair, much to the humour of your friends or colleagues.

Thankfully, a new solution has been discovered. While working on his RIPmotion (Run-in-Place) idea for the HTC Vive headset, Ryan Sullivan discovered that the key is to focus on the user’s hips.

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

Brigantia Partners @brigantia1996 Brigantia very much looking forward to PCR events as always. Excited to showcase new Partner Benefits Programme. #getintouch

All you have to do is shove a controller inside your trousers(!), making sure the sensor is positioned front and centre of your waist, and you can jog on the spot to run about.

“The first thing I did was decide that it was too hard to automatically detect when the user was intending to run-in-place as opposed to simply moving around their room-scale space, at least in the short term,”

MEALS ON WHEELS ROBOTS are taking over the world, one pizza at a time.

Now Domino’s Australia has unveiled DRU – Domino’s Robotic Unit – a small autonomous delivery vehicle that drives around by itself and delivers pizza to customers.

It can apparently keep the food hot and drinks cold whilst travelling on the pavement, plus on-board sensors allow DRU to detect and avoid obstacles.

When it reaches the correct house, the customer can input a security code into the robot to open it up and retrieve their pizza.

Elsewhere, Amazon is still planning to launch delivery drones, while robot hosts are in development that could eventually replace receptionists.

HAL might be evil, but if he’s delivering us goodies in the form of pizza, maybe he could win us over.

www.pcr-online.biz

Sullivan said. “What I did find though, is that gripping the grip buttons on the controllers while running on the spot (holding them like a baton) was surprisingly natural feeling – and actually gave good use to those buttons.

“Being able to define intent to run-in-place made it much more reliable.”

It’s certainly one way to get more customers trying out virtual reality in-store.

Platinum Components @PlatinumCompUK Have you read our article in @pcr_online we’re celebrating our 15th year, proud to be a @IntelUK Platinum Partner.

David Hodges, Synaxon @DHMMSynaxon Looking forward to Demonstrating @TrustATec’s business benefits at this years PCR http://www.pcrbootcamp.com Dan Todaro, Gekko @GekkoFM The @gekkojobs team & I are excited to be involved in the #PCRBootCamp for SMB resellers, #retail & systems builders Iain Bristow, AMD @iainbristow Excited to be at @BAFTAGames with @Dom_ Sacco from @pcr_online with @AMD_UK Jeremy Davies, Context @jeremycontext How can retailers maximise the #smarthome opp.? Join @jonathancontext from @ contextworld on 18/05 at PCR Boot Camp via @pcr_online Craig Hume, Utopia Computers @CraigHume_ Really looking forward to speaking at the Emirates Stadium, the home of this year’s @PCR_Online Bootcamp!

DellUK @DellUK @jamilatdell talks retail strategy with @pcr_online Carl West, GfK @Carl_GB @GfK at @pcr_online Bootcamp talking #Tech and customer engagement strategy.

Capita Managed IT @Capita_MITS Fantastic #BETT2016 review by @PCR_online with contribution from @capita_MITS @Bett_show Intel @intel Intel believes #equalpay helps build an inclusive workplace #EqualPayDay PCR May 2016 | 65

OUT OF OFFICE

A

B

C

D

E

A: Thomas Rudge B: Jordan Williams C: Stuart Hamlett D: Ethan Butler E: Kieran Reeves

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, it’s VIP Computers’ indie retail sales team…

What’s been your biggest success over the past 12 months?

Building VIP Club into a community for independent resellers, with over 400 members and growing.

What’s the best part of working in your team?

Seeing the team progress

through the VIP Apprentice Scheme into knowledgeable account managers. Plus, the 17 to 18 year banter that these guys have between them is unreal.

What’s the hardest part of working in the UK technology industry?

Keeping up to date on the

latest upcoming tech is a challenge. We’ve got to keep a keen eye on what’s happening in the market so we can tell our customers.

What’s the funniest or most memorable memory of working in your team?

Thomas Rudge beating VIP UK MD Rich Marsden at our

THE RISE OF THE INDIES established itself as the leading retailer in the world – and has single-handedly brought down thousands of traditional physical book shops and other indie stores in the process.

But if you can’t beat them, join them, as they say. Many independent businesses now use Amazon’s thirdparty marketplace service to sell their own goods online and open up their customerbase at the same time. Who’s to say where the market will be in

Who makes the best cuppa?

Stuart makes a cracking cup of coffee – the others don’t drink tea or coffee!

PCR’S TIME MACHINE ON

OFF

In 40 years’ time, where will independent PC retailers find themselves as the market evolves? PCR gazes into the crystal ball and shares its predictions…

WE LIVE in a time where big etailers hold an enormous amount of power and sway to say the least.

They can dictate their wants to vendors – and many will jump. They can cut prices and devalue a brand at the click of a finger. And some of them aren’t afraid to eat into other markets outside their core offering, from cloud storage to music and even video game development.

In the space of two decades, Amazon has

annual FIFA tournament. We also have some funny vendor call-out days that have involved space hoppers, pantomime horse racing and archery!

“Consolidation is a current trend, but what does this mean for the smaller independent PC retailer?”

40 years’ time? The big will get bigger, that’s for sure; consolidation is still a current trend. But what does this mean for the smaller independent PC retailer?

Perhaps life for them might not change as much as you might think.

Some of the smaller guys may need to band together in the future – we might see buying groups substantially growing in size to compete with the bigger boys. But they will no doubt continue to carve out a niche and

2056 diversify, whilst continuing to offer a personable service.

Who knows? Perhaps the independent retailers will outsmart some of the big guns in the future.

We quite like the idea of an indie collective mastermind buying out some of their massive rivals in 2056 with pocket change.

After all, they’re the ones who’ve been there and done it since day one. So for us, the smart, the lucky and the brave will prevail. Which one are you?

Editorial: 01992 515306 Advertising: 0207 354 6000 Website: www.pcr-online.biz Twitter: @pcr_online 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 2016 All 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.

66 | PCR May 2016

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