The Shelf Issue 10

Presents

ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2016 PREVIEW Acer: Insights on the gaming market Microsoft: Cloud Solution Provider program HP: Importance of security in printers

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION FROM REDINGTON VOLUME DIVISION

OPPORTUNITIES RELOADED Redington Gulf captures market insights on gaming, security and cloud computing

REDINGTON VOLUME DIVISION IS AN AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE FOLLOWING BRANDS IN PARTS OF MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

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® The smartest way to link

INTEL INSIDE MORE VIVID VISTAS OUTSIDE UP TO

12X BETTER HD GRAPHICS than a 5-year-old PC

Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products. For more information go to http://www.intel.com/performance.

Testing: Measured using 3DMark* Ice Storm 1.2 Unlimited—a 3D graphics benchmark that measures 3D gaming performance. Find out more at www.futuremark.com.

Intel Reference Platform: Intel® Core™ i5-5300U processor 15 W thermal design power, (up to 2.9 GHz, 4T/2C, 3 MB cache), 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) LPDDR3-1600 , Intel® HD Graphics 5500, 180 GB Intel® SSD, Intel® Graphics Driver 10.18.10.3960, Intel® Rapid Storage Technology v.10.0.22.

5-year old PC: Intel® Core™ i5-520UM processor (up to 1.86 GHz, 4T/2C, 3M cache) on Acer Aspire One* 1830T-3721. 18W thermal design power. BIOS: Insyde v.1.11*, Graphics: Intel HD Graphics (driver v. 8.15.10.2104), Memory: 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3 1333 Mhz, HDD: Seagate* 500 GB, OS: Windows* 7 Ultimate 6.1 build 7601. © 2015 Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Core, and Intel Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Contents

From the Director’s Desk Dear Partners, In this issue, I’d like to give a glimpse into the changing relationship dynamics between vendors and distributors. The relationship has moved from a transactional to a more collaborative approach.

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Acer

Microsoft

Joumana Karam from Acer, explains how channel partners can strengthen their offering in the gaming space.

Aloysius Fernandes from Redington Gulf, on how partners can increase their profitability with cloud services.

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Reseller perspective

HP HP Middle East’s Stephane Rogier, shares importance of the security aspect in printers.

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Murali Gopalswamy, from CADD Emirates, speaks about the company’s cloud market capabilities.

Today, it’s not just about buying and distributing products. Building joint investment plans, which includes deployment of capital, channel breadth, channel training, channel & end-user marketing, merchandising, promoter management, are part of a regular engagement framework. The engagement also involves investments in specialized human resources by distributors. The teams working for vendors at the distributor need to be certified on various vendor technology practices. The plans are jointly reviewed on a regular basis by leadership teams at both vendors and distributors.

Distributors are also investing in innovation/solution centers to help create differentiation for vendors against competition in the market. The facility for a partner to bring its end-user to the solution center and showcase a simulation of the end-users’ IT environment at the distributors innovation/solution center helps shorten the sales cycle and build confidence across the channel on the vendors technology.

The above would give a glimpse into the collaborative nature of relationship between vendors and distributors. Hope this helps you in gaining some insight into vendor-distributor relationships in today’s age. There is one caveat though – this may not be true in the case of all vendors.

Hope you have a successful last quarter of 2016!

Regards Raj Shankar Managing Director, Redington Gulf

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`Redington recommends recommends

SMARTPHONES & TABLETS

SURFACE HUB

APPLE IPHONE SE

Microsoft’s Surface Hub tablet comes in two sizes; 84-inches and 55-inches. Focusing on the 55” version, which is ideal for conference rooms where the device will be moved frequently into different gathering spaces, it offers a rich digital display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has a storage capacity of 128GB with 8GB of RAM included. It runs on the 4th Generation Intel Core i5 processor and uses Intel’s HD 4600 graphic display. The Surface Hub also comes with two powered pens for active, subpixel accuracy which claim to feel as fluid as putting pen to paper, using the 100-point multitouch projective capacitance. Other useful features include a wireless all-in-one keyboard, and two built in wide range angle HD cameras.

APPLE IPHONE 7 Apple has introduced the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which feature a 12-megapixel camera on both devices. It includes optical image stabilisation, a larger ƒ/1.8 aperture and 6-element lens hoping to enable brighter, more detailed photos and videos.

According to the company, it has a customdesigned Apple A10 Fusion chip has four cores, integrating two high-performance cores that run up to two times faster than iPhone 6, and two high-efficiency cores that are capable of running at just one-fifth the power of the highperformance cores. Both phones include support for up to 25 LTE bands and LTE Advanced for three times faster data rates than iPhone 6 at up to 450 Mbps.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus come in two all-new black finishes, as well as silver, gold and rose gold.

The iPhone SE has a 4‑inch (diagonal) retina display with 1136 x 640 pixel resolution. It is powered by an A9 chip, with an embedded M9 motion coprocessor.

It has a 12-megapixel camera with a 5x zoom and face detection filter that takes good quality images.

The device is also equipped with 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps, allowing users to capture high-resolution videos alongside still images. There is a fingerprint TouchID sensor built in to the Home button for authentication purposes.

The smartphone runs on iOS 10 – the latest mobile OS with all-new design and features to enhance user experience in more intelligent ways.

The device is available in silver, space grey, gold or rose gold.

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ASUS TRANSFORMER 3 PRO (T303)

The Transformer 3 Pro is a 2-in-1 PC, which touts a 12.6-inch display with a resolution of 2880 x 1920 pixels. It is powered

by Intel’s Core i7 processor, with up to 1TB of solid state storage, and up to 16GB of RAM. The device’s keyboard cover flips over the screen to protect it from scratches and make the device easier to transport. It also attaches magnetically to the Transformer 3 Pro, and can be used either flat, or propped up at a slightly more ergonomic angle. The tablet has an optional Asus Pen stylus, too, which has 1,024 points of pressure sensitivity.

Included in the Transformer 3 Pro is a full-size USB 3.0 input, USB 3.1-C/Thunderbolt 3.0 combination port, microSD card reader and a full-size HDMI port. The Thunderbolt port can be used to connect to the external Asus ROG XG Station 2 graphics dock, which lets users hook it up to a fullsized desktop graphics card for PC gaming on their tablet.

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XTOUCH A3 LTE XTOUCH A3 is a lightweight smartphone with a slim design, 5-inch HD display and dual SIM 4G LTE. This metal body device is powered by the latest fingerprint sensor located at the back, which enables fast and secure unlocking and capturing a much easier selfie with its 5-megapixel front facing camera. XTOUCH A3 is powered by MediaTek Quad-core processor, delivering optimal performance along with decreasing the power consumption. The 1GB RAM complementing the 16GB built-in storage (can be extended up to 128GB) allows seamless functioning of all the programmes and apps installed in the phone. The device is available in trendy colour options such as champagne gold, rose gold and space grey.

MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 4

Powered by Windows 10, Surface Pro 4 turns from a tablet into a full-functioned laptop. The device has a 12.3-inch PixelSense display and is powered by a 6th generation Intel Core m3, i5 and i7 processors. It comes with a Pen with precision ink on one end and an eraser on the other, while the touchscreen uses palm-blocking technology to provide users with the best possible writing experience.

The Surface Pro 4 is 8.4mm thin and weighs at 766grams, allowing convenience for end-users who are always on the go. Users can also video conference in HD with the 5MP front-facing camera and take photos with the device’s 8MP autofocus rear-facing camera. The battery life of the device can also last up to 9 hours.

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Redington recommends

PRINTERS & PERIPHERALS

HP INKJET 8710

CANON IR 2202

The 8710 prints up to 22 pages per minute in black and 18 pages per minute in colour. It features Wireless-N for cable-free printing, and includes ports such as a standard USB 2.0, Host USB and Ethernet connectivity. A 2.65inch touchscreen allows for quick and easy operation.

Wireless connectivity allows user to print documents, photos and more from their smartphone or tablet device.

With a scanner resolution of up to 1200 dpi working alongside Contact Image Sensor (CIS) technology, the device creates clear, high-quality scans, and users can scan digital files directly to email, network folders, and the cloud with preloaded business apps. A 50-page automatic document feeder also lets users multitask whilst printing.

The imageRUNNER 2202 is an A3 solution for the most cost conscious. Canon’s toner and long life drum technology allow users to run their devices for longer without the need to repeatedly replace consumables. Basic copying at a speed of 22 ppm (A4), with support for formats up to A3, as well as the ability to print and scan via USB cable, gives users access to a simple, but flexible multifunctional solution. With its compact design, it can fit seamlessly into office environments where space is a premium, either on a desktop or floor standing with optional plain pedestal. Quick installation and an easy set-up guide accessible from the user interface give an “out of the box” solution. The first toner is included, allowing customers to use the device straight away.

HP LASERJET M377 This multi-functional printer prints up to 25 pages per minute in both black and colour. It comes with a USB port which allows users to print documents directly from portable storage devices by navigating their way through the process using the large touchscreen panel. It is also wireless ready, meaning that users can print easily from mobile devices with generally no set-up or apps required. This laser printer has a monthly page-duty cycle of 50,000, and can print the first mono page in a cycle within 8.9 seconds. It has a flatbed scanner with a resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dp.

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COMPUTING

EPSON WF R8590 The WorkForce Pro WF-R8590 A3 multifunction printer, powered by PrecisionCore, features a replaceable ink pack system that delivers up to 75,000 pages without changing the ink packs. It produces professionalquality documents at speeds of 24 ppm (black/colour).

It offers 13” x 19” printing, plus scanning up to 11” x 17”.

With a high monthly duty cycle and 1830-sheet total paper capacity, it’s ideal for shared colour printing on a network. It is wireless ready, and users can easily print from smartphones, tablets or other smart devices using Epson Connect; the printer is also compatible with Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Kindle Fire.

DELL ALIENWARE 17 Dell’s thinnest and lightest 17-inch laptop to date features Intel Core i7 processors, dynamic overclocking and an FHD screen.

Built for intense gaming, users can add an optional graphics amplifier for superior graphics and gameplay, whilst the rich, impressive audio is powered by Klipsch and Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi technology.

Using copper thermal modules, Alienware 17 automatically overclocks and monitors internal temperatures to prevent the system from overheating. The FullHD 2MP Camera with dual digital microphones allows for gaming interaction with fellow competitors.

EPSON EB-XO3 According to Epson, this projector offers colours that are up to 3 times brighter than standard 1-chip DLP projectors. It comes in with its XGA resolution, 1.2x optical zoom and 2,700 lumens, home users and small businesses can ensure their projections offer crisp, clear images in a variety of light levels.

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Redington recommends

COMPUTING

S2716DG DELL GAMING MONITOR

Equipped with crisp QHD resolution (2560 x 1440) - that’s 3.68 million pixels – the Dell 27 Gaming Monitor allows users to immerse themselves in edge-to-edge gameplay. The monitor has tilt, pivot, swivel and height adjustable features, meaning gamers can find their ideal viewing position whilst experiencing jitterfree graphics with a refresh rate at 144 Hz. Users should also endure minimum input lag with a rapid 1ms panel response time. A wide range of ports, including a HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2, and 4 USB 3.0 downstream ports mean that secondary devices can easily be connected to the monitor for simultaneous entertainment options.

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LENOVO YOGA 900 Powered by Windows 10 and packed with the latest Intel processing power, the Yoga 900 is a ‘2 in 1’ laptop-cometablet. With a 360-degree watchband hinge, users can bend, flip or fold this device to suit their app consumption experience. Weighing 1.3kg and 14.9mm thick, it is very portable and ideal for those constantly on the go.

The battery life claims to withstand up to 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing and 9 hours of local video playback with the display brightness set at 200 nits; perfect for those who need to work away from the mains, or for those who simply enjoy a movie marathon.

The Yoga 900 supports up to 16 GB of memory, as well as 1 TB of storage.

The device comes in a range of three colours: clementine orange, champagne gold or platinum silver.

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HP SPECTRE 13 (X3M35EA)

With a composition that weighs 1.11 kg, crafted with durable aluminium and carbon fibre, this laptop can be easily transported from room to room or on the road. Running on the 6th generation of Intel Core i7 power, the device claims to be faster, quieter and contain more features than previous versions. A 13.3-inch edgeto-edge Corning Gorilla Glass display, alongside Audio by Bang and Olufsen hopes to enhance users’ entertainment experience, with in-built amplification technology to produce dynamic and clear sound. Drawing inspiration from high-end cabinetry, the piston hinge was designed to fold flush, almost disappearing from view. This new approach to hinges allows for a supremely simple profile, measuring just 10.4mm thin. The device is available in dark ash silver with a luxe copper top keyboard frame.

DELL XPS 15 (9550) The XPS 15 Touch’s lid and base are made of aluminum, with carbon fiber in the palm rest and the keyboard deck. The case measures 0.66 by 14.06 x 9.27 inches (HWD), and weighs a relatively light 4.48 pounds.

It is equipped with a 15.6-inch, 3,840 x 2,160-resolution touch screen. The display comes with a 100-percent Adobe RGB color gamut and PremierColor software that can adjust the display to match the DCI-P3 standard.

There’s a 512GB PCIe-based solid-state drive (SSD), which is a large capacity for flashbased storage. The device is powered by 6thgeneration Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, 16GB of system memory, and gaming-ready Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M discrete graphics.

The XPS 15 Touch has an HDMI port, a headset jack, the power connector, a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3, and a USB 3.0 port on its left side. On the right side of the device is the system’s battery-status button with light indicators, a Kensington security slot, an SD/ SDHC/SDXC card reader, and another USB 3.0 port. For wireless connectivity, it is has both dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1.

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COMPONENTS

NVIDIA QUADRO M6000 24 GB BY PNY The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24GB with ultra-fast bandwidth allows users to create and render large, complex models and compute massive datasets.

The all-new display engine that drives up to four 4K resolution displays natively with DisplayPort 1.2, provides support for ultra-high resolutions like 4096 x 2160 at 60 Hz with 30-bit colour. Designed and built specifically for professional workstations, NVIDIA Quadro GPUs power more than 100 professional applications across a broad range of industries including manufacturing, media and entertainment, sciences, and energy. Using the Quadro M6000, product designers and engineers can now integrate interactive, physically based rendering and simulation to evaluate product design and functionality in entirely new ways.

WD PURPLE With support for up to 8 hard drives and 32 cameras, WD Purple drives are optimised for surveillance. WD Purple surveillance storage also comes with WD’s exclusive AllFrame technology, which improves ATA streaming to reduce frame loss, improves overall video playback, and increases the number of drives supported within a DVR, so users can confidently create a security system tailored to the needs of their business.

These devices are able to withstand the extreme heat fluctuations and equipment vibrations within an 24x7 DVR environment due to their specific design, unlike an average desktop which is built to run for only short intervals.

SANDISK EXTREME® 500 PORTABLE SSD

SanDisk Extreme® 500 Portable SSD Smaller, tougher, and up to 4x faster than a portable hard drive. Available in 480GB/ 240GB/120 GB variants.

Read Speed: up to 415-430 MB/s Write Speed: up to 340-400 MB/s Interface: USB 3.0 Warranty: 3 Years

SANDISK EXTREME PRO® SSD Professionals & Gamers.

Available in 480/960 GB variants.

Read Speed: up to 550 MB/s Write Speed: up to 520 MB/s Interface: SATA Revision 3.0 (6 Gb/s) Warranty: 10 Years

Get up to 33% more prints without the “toner shake.”

New Original HP Toner with JetIntelligence.

To design the perfect printers for the leaner, faster, smarter office, we started with the little things: toner particles. The result is new Original HP toner cartridges with JetIntelligence.

They deliver up to 33% more prints per cartridge – no “toner shake” required.1 They have inspired a new generation of HP LaserJets that are up to 40% smaller, up to 40% faster, and use up to 53% less energy.2 # @

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Authorized Distributor

For more information, please write to sales.volume@redingtongulf.com The world’s most preferred printers: Worldwide printer market share, and HP printer brand awareness, consideration, and preference study in 9 markets 2014.

1 Based on cartridge yields for HP 131A and 507A compared with HP 201X and 508X Original HP toner cartridges. For more information, see hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies.

2 Based on HP internal testing of predecessor devices completed 1/2015 or published information and subject to device settings. Actual results may vary. Faster refers to First Page Out Time (FPOT). For energy efficiency, the HP M252 is 15%, HP M277 is 16% and the HP M553 is 53% lower versus predecessor. For details see hp.com/go/ljclaims. © Copyright 2015 HP Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. # @

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intel inside MORE GAME OUTSIDE

FASTER, SHARPER, MORE POWERFUL

Intel-powered devices deliver the next level of performance.

© 2015 Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Inside, the Intel. Experience What’s Inside logo and Intel. Experience What’s Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Acer

GAME ON

Joumana Karam, Product Business Unit Head, Middle East and Africa, Acer, explains how channel partners can strengthen their offering in the gaming space.

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Acer

Could you give an overview of the regional gaming industry?

Middle East and North Africa is one of the fastest growing regions offering new business opportunities for interactive entertainment and digital gaming. As an emerging market, we have the benefit of a large population of young dynamic people with an increasing appetite for excitement and novelty. Also the promising Internet penetration rates that are higher than the global average facilitate the knowledge sharing of any new technology or products pertaining to the gaming industry.

Could you elaborate on the technologies used in Acer’s gaming portfolio?

At Acer, we make it a point to collaborate closely with our partners to bring the top-of-the line computing technologies into our models – from the latest Intel Core processors to NVIDIA GeForce GTX Graphic cards, from 3D camera to special fans for extreme cooling to dual wireless bands to sound systems and multiple speakers, and from FHD IPS screen to 4k LCDs. In addition, we add all the necessary

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“Taking user preferences into account, we offer several models based on the end-user budget to ensure that all our valued customers can benefit from amazing gaming.”

software tools to create an even more immersive gaming experience.

Taking user preferences into account, we offer several models based on the end-user budget to ensure that all our valued customers can benefit from amazing gaming. Our gaming offerings range from the Aspire V Nitro series for beginners and the budgetconscious to the Predator series for serious, expert gamers.

What are the features in the Predator Series that stand out from competition?

Our mission has always been to break the barriers between technology and people. Our host of gaming devices has managed to do just that. From mobile gaming to our incredible desktop offerings, we really have something to suit every gaming style. We have brought a new custom multiple-fan cooling system and desktop grade components to mobile gaming. On the Desktop front, we have introduced the small but powerful Predator G1 that features the NVIDIA GeForce VRReady. Within our monitors portfolio, the Predator Z1 series includes Acer’s

first curved 27-inch gaming monitor featuring NVIDIA G-SYNC technology and a host of other top gaming features.

How can reseller and retailer partners further strengthen this offering when approaching end-users?

There are many exceptional features in every Acer model. We help our resellers and retailers by offering training sessions for both merchandisers and sales partners on a regular basis. We also participate in many gaming events and have in place a myriad of plans to spread awareness around the benefits of Acer models.

What can channel partners look forward to from Acer in the following months?

We at Acer, understand the importance of offering the gamer the best immersive and seamless experience in the most simple way possible. Keeping this in mind, we are going to introduce the first gaming monitor that will feature the Tobii eyetracking technology. We will also launch the first notebook with a 21-inch curved screen and eye-tracking technology coupled with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology to ensure smooth and sharp gameplay in every scenario.

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Products from Acer

Predator 17 X You can now indulge in a VR experience on your laptop with the Predator 17X. The gaming laptop’s robust design is ideal for the bold gaming enthusiast who does not compromise weight for a true gaming experience. Its black body and red buttons create a holistic representation of what a gaming device should be. Expect only the best sound projection with this device, along with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 graphics for enhanced display in two options: 4 K or 1080 p. The Predator 17 X proves that VR is no longer reserved for desktops!

X34 The best gaming experiences come with immersive video, which is only possible with the best screen. The Predator X34 monitor, the world’s first curved-screen gaming laptop, is guaranteed to engross you in your favorite game, be it shooting three eyed-zombies in first-person POV or an playing upbeat soccer match. The built-in NVIDIA G-Sync graphics ensures that you enjoy the best projection free from stuttering. What’s also really cool is the underglow beneath the screen, in the signature roaring Predator red.

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Products from Acer

Predator G1 The Predator G1’s design might be a compact one, but this portable device is ready to unleash the Predator in its beastliest form.

This VR ready device with its 16 liter body hosts 4 USB 3.0 ports and the superfast (10Gb/s) USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C port found on the front. What’s more, the NVIDIA GeForce (in fact up to GTX 1080) ensures a bump-free gaming ride. Yes, the Predator G1’s design is a fat-free, this muscular body packs lightly to unleash the Predator in its readiest form.

Predator Z650 Blur the lines between your living room and the FIFA soccer arena with the Predator Z650 projector. Hardcore gamers can not only expect a big roar in sight, but in sound as well. The projector streams wirelessly in HD, while also surround you with the symphony of its built-in dual DTS sound speakers. On a more vivid note, the ‘Pure Color’ technology ensures that you see the game exactly as intended by the developer.

Predator 8 The Predator 8 is a loyal companion for gamers on the go. This tablet is a gaming powerhouse that offers a super experience in just 8 small inches, thanks to its Predator Quadio-a series of four powerful speakers. This sharp-edged beast features TacSense haptic feedback( two powerful haptic motors that are specifically tuned for gaming) and touch sensors in the screen for ultimate precision. With the Predator 8, you can now have gaming at the palm of your hand.

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Microsoft

BUILDING ON CLOUD

As Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), Aloysius Fernandes, President, IT Volume, Redington Gulf, elaborates on how reseller partners can increase their profitability by exploring cloud services.

Why do you think we need IT distributors in the cloud, and how can they stay relevant in this new paradigm?

In the cloud-first, mobile-first world, there are plethora of vendors who are battling for relevance and they include the current global brands and a host of new Independent Software Developers and service providers. In addition to the conventional value-adds of credit, financing, logistics and partner management, the IT distributor now needs to play the role of a trusted advisor. We need to help channels to vet the various vendor cloud offerings, provide training and enablement, marketing, sales and technical support and guide 16

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their choices with scope for multivendor consolidated billing. In addition, all vendors look up to IT distributors even more in this changing world to hand hold and mentor channels to reach out and secure efficient, scalable access to SMB organisations, which is key to succeed in the cloud world.

As an IT distributor, what is your cloud strategy? Will you play the role of an aggregator and brokerage of cloud services?

Redington as Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider is well aligned and geared to support the changing trends in the cloudfirst, mobile-first world. This world will see 90 percent of commercial apps and 70 www.redingtonmea.com

Microsoft

percent of CIOs adopting the cloud-first strategy by 2016.

Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider program enables partners to directly manage their entire Microsoft cloud customer lifecycle. Partners in this program utilize dedicated in-product tools to directly provision, manage, and support their customer subscriptions.

We will play the role of a trusted advisor to help channels make the right choices and be a one-stop source for them to select their pick from across a suite of diverse vendor cloud offerings. To vendors, we are wellpositioned as a value-added aggregator and solutions provider of cloud service offerings, providing them a leverage of cost and time to market by maximising channel reach and helping them build scale.

The elements of our strategy include enabling digital transactions via a cloud commerce platform for auto provisioning with monthly billing for Solution Workloads (ITaaS) and Managed Services around pre-migration consulting, migration services, white label commerce platform and associated services to our alliance partners; VAR enablement programmes and capitalising on our distribution capability to build scale with these competencies.

What kind of investments are required to become part of Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider programme?

Partners should have the ability to transact www.redingtonmea.com

billing on a monthly and/or annual basis.

They need to do adjustments to their sales incentive programs to reflect monthly revenue recognition and have appropriate management of credit risk and collections.

They need to be proficient in L1 end customer billing and technical support in local language.

Will resellers have control over customer billing?

Partners own and control the billing cycle.

They can easily package their own tools, products and services, and combine them into one monthly or annual customer bill.

The advent of cloud means a potential decline in hardware sales. Are resellers going to have sell less hardware, and more services? If yes, how can they leverage their relationship with Redington?

Any disruptive change that does cause decline somewhere offers a new opportunity of growth elsewhere. Server hardware sales through OEM brands like HP, IBM and Dell will be impacted as the large cloud vendors such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google etc. build their own data centres with customised white box servers on Intel chips. To the extent of onpremise server requirements, the OEM brands continue to sell. Selling services are not an option but a business shift, which must be quickly embraced to stay relevant to changing needs of the end customer and compensate for the decline in hardware sales as a result.

“We will play the role of a trusted advisor to help channels make the right choices and be a one-stop source for them to select their pick from across a suite of diverse vendor cloud offerings.“

What is your advice to resellers who are looking to position themselves for success in the cloud services market? Should they, for example, look at the growth rate of public cloud providers versus traditional IT companies advocating private cloud as the way forward?

We still have time to go to see the tipping point on cloud revenues and the data, though encouraging, is not adequate for us to use as a scientific premise. But it is a fact that the cloud business is destined to explode and distributors and resellers need to quickly embrace this shift and invest in it today. The cloud adoption evolution model will vary by market. It will be a hybrid cloud of sorts, which is a combination of public and private cloud depending on the customer workload need for an efficient environment. Public cloud will be preferred for standardized workloads like e-mail, testing, development, collaboration projects (PaaS), incremental capacity for peak load times (IaaS), SaaS applications with well implemented security strategy. Private cloud will be preferred where control, security and data privacy are paramount for business data and applications. As customers trust the cloud more and more and as the services offerings become standardized, there could be a shift of such services from private to public cloud.

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Product from Microsoft

SURFACE PRO 4 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is an extremely thin Intel Core laptop with a highresolution touch screen, innovative click-in keyboard, excellent battery life, and it is built to run the software customers rely on.

Powered by Windows 10, Surface Pro 4 turns from a tablet into a full powered laptop while running all of the desktop software.

The 12.3-inch PixelSense display has extremely high contrast and low glare, giving customers a picture rivaling real life. More powerful and lighter than ever before at 1.69lbs (766 grams), Surface Pro 4 is the most versatile and productive device customers will ever use.

With the multi-position kickstand and an improved Type Cover, it transforms into a fully functioning laptop running desktop software.

Surface Pro 4 can be used as a mobile workstation, with Intel Core processors that allow customers to run multiple programs.

Surface Pro 4 with 6th Generation Intel Core m3, i5, and i7 processors is not only more powerful – it’s quieter and runs cooler than ever before.

Video conference in HD with the 5MP front-facing camera or take stunning pictures and video with the 8MP autofocus rear-facing camera.

The battery lasts up to 9 hours, so customers can work uninterrupted.

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HP

SCALE UP Stephane Rogier, Head of Printing, HP Middle East, explains how partners can differentiate by focusing on the security aspect in printers.

You have recently been appointed as the new Head of Printing for HP in the Middle East, what is the first order of business that you will be looking into?

I have been working with HP for quite many years now. Together with our partners across the region, I want to keep growing our business. We have tremendous success here and only the sky is the limit. We have a dynamic market, great products, and customers who love HP. That is the winning combination for the channel.

What key trends are you witnessing in the office printers market of the Middle East region?

While many markets across the world are experiencing a plateau – or in some cases, even a drop – in demand, the Middle East is maintaining healthy pockets of growth in sales and it looks as though it’s a trend that is likely to continue over the next year. The Office Insights 2016 reports that well over half of the businesses surveyed say that they print more now than they did three years ago and www.redingtonmea.com

another 27 percent say they will spend more on printing, copying and scanning devices and software in the next three years.

As the sector’s greatest innovator, we see those businesses come to us time and time again. In November last year, Hewlett-Packard separated into two distinct companies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP the global leader in printing and personal systems. Since last November, HP has brought to the market significant innovations in the area of personal systems but as well in printing with the launch of a new HP Pagewide printing technology and our HP 3D printing solution, targeted to manufacturing in US and Asia for the time being.

Security is a growing concern for IT managers and customers, what is your take on this?

That’s absolutely the topic to solely focus on at the moment. One shouldn’t comprise on cost here, as unpleasant surprises can happen. Most thieves look for points of least resistance to get For more information, please write to sales.volume@redingtongulf.com

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HP

at your goods. They love easy marks, such as open doors and windows, unattended purses or keys left in automobile ignitions. When securing a network, computers and servers tend to be the first technologies to be ticked off within any IT infrastructure, and most companies ensure that some security software is active on servers (including email), workstations and mobile devices.

It’s the ‘behind-the-desk technologies’ like printers that are often forgotten. In fact, in a recent Spiceworks study conducted on behalf of HP, only 18 percent of IT professionals surveyed consider printers to be a medium or high risk for security threats or breaches.

An unsecured printer is a gateway to your network, and can give hackers access to sensitive, private or confidential data. In one particular case in Denmark, a company was held at ransom, after a hacker entered through an unsecure printer and froze the company’s entire IT system.

The threat of cyberattacks will continue to grow as global data mushrooms and the number of connected devices and entry points grows. Modern printers are sophisticated network citizens like PCs. At HP we believe it’s critical to enable customers to protect their printers with sophisticated protection like PCs. Is HP making a difference and innovating on security for printers?

Yes, 100 percent. A few months ago, we announced HP Secure Print initiative, a premium offering with the most comprehensive print security available on the market. We’re responding with triple defences: • Secure hardware • Software • Services to address customer concerns

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“The threat of cyberattacks will continue to grow as global data mushrooms and the number of connected devices and entry points grows. At HP we believe it’s critical to enable customers to protect their printers with sophisticated protection like PCs.”

As a result, we’re rolling out the most comprehensive print security devices in the industry that our channel can take to customers and enjoy the associated healthy business.

Could you elaborate on HP’s latest product launches?

It has been a very busy year for HP on printing. As a channel partner of HP, you should invest your time to review in detail the numerous new products we have announced, that are going to propel your growth and profitability as never before. The channel will be able to reach new customers while maintaining their current base loyal to HP. More specifically, • Cost Our HP PageWide printers continue to drive incredible market success and are growing very fast, as they are delivering 50 percent lower cost per page than laser printers, duplex at 55 pages per minute. When customer first hear about it, they don’t believe it, but when they see the bill, then they just want more. On the rest of our portfolio, we have introduced new OfficeJet printers with three times faster 2-sided 1 Pass Scanning, new touch interface for everyday small office users and improved designs. For our Home users, you can expect a lot of exciting new products at great value price as we are approaching GITEX Shopper season, stay tuned.

• Productivity Our refreshed portfolio of HP LaserJet printers with new JetIntelligence technology enables true fast ‘real world performance’ with the fastest firstpage-out times from sleep, in a few seconds only.

It is achieved by lower fuser temperature due to our new HP Original Toner, so the first page goes out much faster. And, as HP, we are making these

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benefits across our whole range of printers from small to large. And of course higher yield toner cartridges for improved cost per page.

• On Security Last fall you heard us announce innovations in secure printing that solidified HP printers as the “world’s most secure printers” with the deepest device, data and document security available.

HP LaserJet and PageWide Enterprise are the world’s most secure printers with unique self-healing features such as run-time intrusion detection. If an attack is detected, the device automatically reboots.

Then whitelisting confirms the firmware while HP Sure Start validates the integrity of the BIOS and automatically reboots with a safe ‘golden copy’ of the BIOS. Our new HP PageWide Pro devices also offer best-in-class security capabilities designed for branch offices and SMB customers, that’s another key benefit of the new HP PageWide range.

Lastly, HP JetAdvantage Security Manager Software automatically checks and repairs any affected device security settings, sec ures ports and protocols across the fleet. It supports a wide range of devices in both HP Enterprise and Pro product lines, including all 3 HP print technologies.

The HP Security Software portfolio can extend security beyond the hardware by encrypting data flowing to and from printers. Or provide advanced user authentication like ‘pull printing’ to ensure confidentiality for sensitive documents.

But as I said, triple defences span hardware, software and services. Only HP can offer this today, no other printer. If you think security is important, talk to your HP reseller, he’s got good news for you.

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Product from HP

HP PageWide Pro MFP 477dw The HP PageWide Pro delivers the lowest total cost of ownership and fastest speeds in its class. This multifunctional business printer can print up to 70 pages a minute; a total of 60,000 a month. This printer is ideal for small business teams of 5 to 15 people. It produces professional quality colour documents which are durable and smear-resistant, as well as enabling users to quickly scan double-sided files. To ensure the security of confidential information, the device allows users to enter a PIN to retrieve their print job. It is also possible to regulate colour use and reduce printing costs with HP Colour Access Control.

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Product from HP

HP LaserJet Pro M402dn With HP’s latest device, users can grab the first page of a printing cycle in 6.5 seconds, and experience this fast printing of up to 38 A4 pages per minute (ppm). Users can now print uninterrupted for longer, taking advantage of the device’s ability to print up to 9000 pages using high-yield cartridges.

This sleek looking printer features 80K pages duty cycle. Users don’t have to worry about security as the device is installed with firmware integrity check and code signing. Users can also print using less energy with this device than its competitors by using Original HP Toner cartridges with JetIntelligence.

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How do Windows 10 Pro devices stack up to the competition?

Windows 10 Pro devices stand out by offering your business: One user experience: One, consistent user experience across all devices – including smartphones, tablets, and laptops – helps your employees get things done faster wherever they are.

Light-touch management: Simple set up, built-in mobile device management, and automatic updates help reduce the time you spend managing technology so you can focus on growing your business.

Built-in security features: Security threats have evolved dramatically and the resulting cost of cybercrime is high. Windows 10 Pro devices help you minimize the risk and financial impact of modern security threats, like malware and phishing attacks, with the same enterprise-grade security technologies relied on by the world’s largest companies and governments.

Unparalleled choice: Get the powerful, versatile devices your business needs at an

affordable price with an unparalleled selection of device choices – including a range of price points and form factors – more than with any other operating systems.

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Work faster, smarter and more securely running the new Office on Windows 10 devices to grow and transform your business. Get more done, creating and easily sharing polished Office documents on the go, with co-workers anywhere, anytime, using exciting, new Windows 10 devices. Innovate at your own pace using familiar tools within an enhances framework. You can also personalize and synchronize your experience across devices or change how you interact with your work on the same device. And with game-changing security, you’ll keep your data and device protected, safe and sound.

Innovation Aging Technology - You’ve held off upgrading your technology for a handful of years, maybe more, and now you’re starting to feel the strain.

You’re convinced you need to invest in something new, something better, but with all the options, the new Operating Systems, and the new device form factors, it’s harder than ever to know which choice is the right one. And you don’t have the budget to experiment - whatever you buy has to work. So how do you choose?

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• New Windows 10 Devices come in a vast variety of form factors – all in one, two in one, ultrabooks, rugged books, tablets – with an Operating System that looks and feels like the ones that have powered your business for years.

• Get Enterprise-Class computing with SMB class budgets (?)

• Windows 10 Device Finder (coming soon) helps you find the right device for your SMB needs • Transition easily with the new Office from touch and stylus to keyboard and mouse with Windows Continuum on new Windows 10 devices • Reduce overhead costs by streamlining your office space, and using new mobile devices to allow for effective, more efficient projects in the field.

Innovate Aging Office - You’ve busted free of the desktop, and you’re part of the mobile revolution. But so far, mobility has given you all the convenience you wanted, but little of the security you’ve needed. Mobile devices, whether tablets or smartphones, are infamously insecure.

Apps get installed, programs get run that should be run, devices are left somewhere, with poor password protection, and with no ability to encrypt them. There has to be a way to have benefits of mobility without the risks that come with them, but you have no idea how to make that happen. What do you do?

• Everyone who runs a business knows that we no longer live in a desktop-only world. Your customers primarily use their mobile devices to call you, text you, check you out on the web and Facebook, and they’re doing it from work, from home, and on the go. And they’re not alone: your employees are in the office, in the field, and sometimes, on call.

• With the full feature set of Windows 10 Pro, you can use Remote Desktop to log in to remote computers, securely and easily; you can access files, proposals, and invoices from any mobile device; and you can integrate mobile, notebook, and desktop applications to use the full Microsoft Office suite wherever and whenever you need it.

• Your business will thank you: according to a new study by IDC, SMBs that experience revenue growth are 54 percent more likely to have made mobile a priority.

• Solve the security risk of Bring Your Own Device - a huge problem for SMBs - by engaging group policy management controlling security settings and restrict mission critical folders.

• Reduce overhead costs by streamlining your office space, and using mobile devices to allow for more effective, more efficient projects in the field.

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Reseller perspective

CLOUD SUCCESS

Murali Gopalswamy, Chief Executive Officer, CADD Emirates, speaks about the company’s long-standing cloud market capabilities and offerings.

Could you give an overview of your business in the region?

CADD Emirates is an ISO Certified systems integrator based in the UAE and is included among the ‘Top 50 Dubai SME Companies.’

We have been operating in the Middle East market for more than two decades now. We have presence in the UAE and Qatar markets, handling turnkey projects and we always believe in the mantra ‘Our Customer Success is our success.’ Our strong technical and sales resources let us offer a wide range of solutions in the fields of IT infrastructure, networking and security, CAD and engineering as well as hospitality solutions.

What kind of demand are you seeing from your regional customers for cloud solutions?

The demand for cloud has grown exponentially over the last two years and the customers have attained great value from that. Some of the key advantages of cloud is eliminating the technology barrier, which accelerates their business innovation; and availability of more personalized, customer-centric services and www.redingtonmea.com

culture-centric services. This also leads to better employee productivity and completely optimizes the total cost of technology and ownership.

What have been the company’s growth drivers?

We were able to adapt to the market’s growing need for cloud services and solutions at a very early stage. We have since moved from selling traditional hardware to offering solutions and services, adapting best practices and also providing constant training on the newest technologies to our employees. We believe that has helped us better address our customers’ cloud needs and at the same time become better advisors to them.

“The demand for cloud has grown exponentially over the last two years and the customers have attained great value from that.”

What are the criteria based on which you select your vendor portfolio?

We see to it that the vendor has an innovative approach, technically proven offerings and a strong support network. Most importantly, their offerings should align with market demands and should complement our existing portfolio.

Could you elaborate on your plans for the next few months?

Over the next few months we aim to add more vendors into our existing portfolio so as to expand our reach in terms of managed services.

In addition, we want to put more focus on IT resource augmentation.

However, we are expecting the market to remain flat for this quarter but we can see it bouncing back in the beginning of next year.

Are there opportunities for additional revenue streams within the cloud space?

Yes, there are plenty of opportunities in the cloud. Nevertheless, we think that the best source of additional revenue can be derived from the different services integrated to it. These additional services can be in the form of training, maintenance and data migration, which could also be offered along with the deployments.

Can you elaborate on the role Redington plays to strengthen your business?

Redington has been a strategic partner of CADD Emirates for the past 12 years and we have a strong rapport with all of its business units be it Value, Volume and Solutions.

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Channel events

HP Pagewide Technology training (September 2016, Qatar)

NEC - Redington partnership announcement for channel partners (September 2016, Dubai)

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Redington QNAP partnership announcement event (October 2016, Dubai)

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Here’s an idea: Design the smallest, fastest, smartest LaserJets ever.

The all-new HP LaserJets. Now up to 40% smaller and 40% faster.1 We started with a blank page and asked “What do businesses need now?” We came up with the all-new HP LaserJets, built around a breakthrough in toner chemistry. Thanks to new Original HP toner cartridges with JetIntelligence, the new LaserJets are up to 40% smaller, up to 40% faster and use up to 53% less energy.1 See them at work at hp.com/go/newlaserjets

The world’s most preferred printers: Worldwide printer market share, and HP printer brand awareness, consideration and preference study in nine markets 2014.

1 Based on HP internal testing of predecessor devices completed 1/2015 or published information and subject to device settings. Actual results may vary. Faster refers to First Page Out Time (FPOT). For energy efficiency, the HP M252 is 15%, the HP M277 is 16% and the HP M553 is 53% better versus predecessor. For details see hp.com/go/ljclaims. © Copyright 2015 HP Development Company, LP.

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