Issuu

NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 11 DEC 20 20 JAN

TO WIN N I P S

V -

www.vip-computers.com/uk

Sales: 01925 286 900

“

Review of 2020… When we were first struck with the Covid lockdown in April 20, our business adapted and made significant changes quickly, by effectively implementing processes in line with Government Guidelines. This enabled us to help support our customers during this unprecedented period. Our IT systems were well equipped for remote working and we were able to transition our Commercial staff off-site, whilst our Operations departments remained at Head Office to ensure business continuity. With these changes, the key element was to support our Staff, and they gave their utmost commitment and enthusiasm to help the business to carry on without any disruption. The credit goes to our incredible Staff who supported the business by adapting to these challenges impeccably and serving customer demands in the best possible manner. We worked with our trading customers to ensure that we mitigated any potential disruption to their businesses. In addition, our vendor partners assisted us to move our events online. We increased our focus on inclusion and ran interactive meetings so that we could continue building on our relationships and dialogue regardless of location. VIP UK has experienced an extraordinary 2020, with incredible demand driven by Covid and remote working, mainly in the Monitor and Gaming categories, covering all components & peripherals for the Gaming Sector. On top of this, AMD grew considerably as they increased market share globally. As a master AMD distributor we have been fortunate to work alongside AMD on a consistent growth trajectory. Our customers have also been incredible, and with all the challenges that COVID has thrown at us all, they have remained loyal and supportive, and have undoubtedly had a massive contribution to VIP UK’s success this year.

What to expect in 2021... We believe that the increased demand being seen during this period will continue and we will not see any immediate downward trends postCovid. We are expecting growth of around 15% during 2021 within our sector. We will continue executing our strategy for next year, which will facilitate incremental growth over and above the overall sector’s projected growth by expanding into additional product categories and channels. We are working with our partners to continue supporting the independent resellers and all our other customers alike, and we endeavour that with the launch of some exciting initiatives in 2021 we can continue driving added value to the services that we provide. It would also be fantastic if we could all get together in 2021 to celebrate the events that we missed this year, including VIP UKs 30th Birthday! We could not be happier with the growth we saw this year, but in 2021 we hope to manage this growth more proactively and ensure that we deliver in a more structured manner across areas directly under our control. Based on our strategic growth plans, we will be investing in our infrastructure to ensure that we continue to fulfil and deliver value into distribution.

” Jatti

GENUINE WINDOWS 10, REAL ADVANTAGES    

The best PC experience possible Security Updates Support

#therealthing Only buy genuine Windows 10 software Only authorised partners are able to sell genuine licensed Microsoft software. Make sure you trust your source. VIP UK are an Authorised Microsoft Distributor and offer the best Windows 10 pricing and bundle deals available.

For the latest Microsoft info and product news, head

over to vip-tech.co.uk/microsoft/

VIP Computers recommends Windows 10

How does buying unlicensed software affect your business? Put yourself at risk as a reseller

Impact on future earnings

Users have a

chance of encountering malware from unlicensed software

REPUTATION DAMAGED

SPOT IT REPORT IT PREVENT IT Help our community get back to a level playing field & report websites that may be selling unlicensed Windows 10

Make this our business so we can help your business

If you suspect a website may be selling unlicensed counterfeit software report it to us at vip-tech.co.uk/microsoft-resellers-report-form/

WHY CHOOSE VIP UK FOR WINDOWS 10 Access to Microsoft Reseller Product Incentives Programme earning rebates of up to $4 per unit*

Exclusive competitions and prizes

In-store and marketing support - POS and educational content

Best Windows 10 pricing and bundle deals

Dedicated Microsoft team in-house to support where needed

Dedicated online courses for VIP UK resellers from Microsoft

VIP Computers recommends Windows 10

WHICH WINDOWS 10 IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS? 7

The future of Computing is Faster Than Ever with the new AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series Processors. The new AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series processors power the future of gaming, producing immersive experiences in the latest and upcoming titles, and obliterating any heavy multi-threaded tasks – perfect for gamers and artists alike. With up to 16 cores, 32 threads, boost clocks up to 4.9GHz and up to 72MB of cache, the future of gaming with AMD is fast. Offering a remarkable 19% IPC increase over the previous generation, these new “Zen 3” architecture-based processors redefine the highperformance desktop processor. AMD continues to innovate, breaking down barriers an delivering the best balance of price and performance.

Prior to the launch of these cutting edge processors, the 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ processor had been dominating the market, seeing the UK market grow by over 125% with 80,000+ more desktop processors sold in the past year (according to CONTEXTworld). In the same period, AMD saw its market share jump from 48% to 67%.

If you’re not building with AMD, you’re missing out on sales.

Artistic product rendering. Testing by AMD performance labs as of 9/2/2020 based on the average FPS of 40 PC games at 1920x1080 with the High image quality preset. R5K-002

Why is my company not listed on the registration form? There are several reasons why a company may not be listed. If your company sells AMD products, you qualify to participate in AMD Arena—if this is the case and you do not see your company listed, please conﬁrm your Primary Role and Job Function are accurate. If you still can’t ﬁnd your company, please contact AMD Support.

Why do I need to verify my employment? Employment veriﬁcation is required as part of the program to enable access to the AMD Arena Rewards store. If approved by your employer, you can redeem points for rewards in the AMD Arena Rewards store.

How do I verify my employment? To verify employment, go to the “Verify” link in your dashboard to see the different options available for employment veriﬁcation. Once veriﬁed, points are redeemable for merchandise, experiences, and more.

CHIPS, POINTS & BADGES What are chips and how do I earn them? Chips are earned for various activities and mission completions within AMD Arena. The more chips you earn, the higher the level you can achieve. Chips allow you to place higher on the leader board but are not redeemable for any rewards in the AMD Arena Rewards store.

What are points and how do I earn them? Points are redeemable for a variety of rewards in the AMD Arena Rewards store. Points are earned by completing select missions and unlocking new levels.

What are badges and how do I earn them? Badges showcase achievements and progress in AMD Arena. Badges are earned for various mission completions within AMD Arena.

Do chips and points expire? Chips and points expire after one year of inactivity. Inactivity is deﬁned as not logging in to AMD Arena.

TRAINING COURSES AND SALES TOOLS Where can I ﬁnd sales tools?

Where can I ﬁnd training courses? Training courses are available under the training navigation at the top of the homepage. For more assistance visit https://arena.amd.com/ faqs

Select sales tools are found within various missions. For all available sales tools, visit the Resource Library on the AMD Partner Hub. Search all sales tools here.

How do I redeem my points? Points can only be redeemed in the AMD Arena Rewards store if you have verified employment. Go to the “Verify” link in your dashboard to see the different options available for employment verification. Once verified, points are redeemable for merchandise, experiences, and more.

VIP Computers recommends Windows 10

Oh what a night. With 2020 demanding new ways of working and engaging with each other, we brought our 2nd Happy Hour to you on 7th December with a festive twist. Our festive treat boxes got the event off to a great start and were a hit with everyone. Omar Fakhri EMEA Component Channel Director gave a fantastic run down on everything happening at AMD, from the RyzenTM 5000 Series launch, to product shortages and AMD Arena whilst Elliott Hodgeon updated you on everything Windows 10. Well done to all of our quiz winners on the night; Peter, Curtis and Brock. It was great to see and chat with you all and we canâ€™t wait for the next one. We hope to see you there.

T A T N M T T U O ERS MEE OUN S R G C E A HE AC G A T N H T T A T E UN S M T N E O R E U C E C AG E M CO E C G N H A A A T N T T A T N E M E U T S E M CO ER E C O M G A NA C E C H A A A T M N T T A MEET THE N E M E U O M ACCOUNT C C AMANAGERS Here are our new account managers who will be here for your VIP needs. Get to know them a little more.

E NA NT ME ME GE A R E C S AC T T C M C AN MA OU HE A NA NT ME G E ER AC T EE S T C CC TH MA OU OU E NA NA NT ME G GE E A T R C T S C TT H M O A U H NA N OU E G M N E E T R GE E RS ACC T TH TH MA OU E E M NA NT MA

Louis

Louis is from Wales and attended Chester University, where he studied primary education. Prior to beginning his VIP journey, Louis worked for 02 in sales. His dog, Dream, has one blue eye. Pulp Fiction is his favourite film and he’s another Italian food lover. A big basket ball player, you would think that Louis was on the frail side after hearing that he’s broken 14 bones playing basketball, but this is not the case. He’s played for UOC basketball, division 1. While teaching, Louis was punched by a 9-year-old and ended up with appendicitis from it, ouch.

Taylor

The (not so) Scouser in our team, Taylor, attended Liverpool John Lennon University and has a pug called ‘’Lord Bobby Firmino Gizmo Yoda Valjalo Whittaker Hall”, a mouthful to say the least! She lives in Newton Le Willows with her fiancé. Taylor likes to shop and jet away around the world. Her favourite place is Las Vegas and her favourite film is The Great Gatsby. She loves Italian food but hates crisps. Her favourite colour is grey, but I am sure with her dog’s name, she is all red in Vegas!

Charlie

Charlie is from Sale and lives with his mum, stepdad and sister. Before joining VIP, Charlie worked as an Operations Manager at River Island, and showed he had the tenacity to be at the top of his game at such a young age. In his spare time he loves to play Cricket and Golf. He is also a keen runner so of course Forest Gump would be his favourite film. Charlie loves Asian food and is into Rock and Indie Music. He graduated from Sheffield University where he studied politics and international relations, but VIP is now his home and he is eager to make a big impact.

VIP Computers recommends Windows 10

The Genuine Article with Microsoft Evangelist

Dale Brocklehurst What are the main beneﬁts of buying and selling genuine Windows 10 that come up in your training sessions and interactions with retailers?

can you guarantee you will receive a genuine version of Windows with support from Microsoft, Security & anti-malware updates as well as future version updates.

When buying software, make sure it’s from a credible source, such as a Microsoft partner or trusted reseller. Only then

What are the risks to businesses of not buying genuine software? There are many risks to using any non-genuine software, they mainly fall under the categories of failing to activate, being deactivated in the future, increasing security risks and malware. Many discounted licences sold online are recycled OEM licences which are tied to certain hardware types and may not activate on your devices. Inactivated Windows editions will not receive crucial security updates or version updates, leaving your device at risk of viruses & malware and you stuck with a version of windows that may stop booting when it reaches End of Support.

If the prices seem too good to be true, then it probably is. Always buy from a genuine reseller.

Other licences online may be Volume licences or developer

licences, not authorised for resale. These may initially activate, but then may be deactivated at any time, leaving you with useless software (and a prominent “Activate Windows” watermark on your desktop) Some online Licence sellers will also provide an unofficial link to download Windows 10, in many cases this will also install malware or keyloggers on your device. Unlicensed software may have viruses and would not have sufficient security measures, which would leave the door open for hackers and viruses. This could have serious implications on you personally or your business. 66% of end-users have problems with software obtained from suspect sources.

What are the differences between Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro? Windows 10 Home is designed for consumer use, only Windows 10 Pro includes features specifically for business users, including: Bitlocker device encryption - If your device is lost or stolen, BitLocker and BitLocker To Go put everything on lockdown, so no one else can access your systems or data. Domain Join + Group Policy - Need to set security or user policies? Need to access company resources on a Server (cloud or on premise), you will

need these Windows 10 Pro features. Windows 10 mobile device management (MDM) Do you or your company use MDM to manage your devices? you will need Windows Pro to use this. Windows Information Protection - WIP helps to protect against potential data leakage, this protection is not in the Home version of Windows 10. Hyper -V – Support for virtual machines and Windows virtualised security features is included in Windows 10 Pro but not Windows 10 Home.

Enable Automatic Updates

What are your top 5 tips for Windows 10? These are the tips I always mention when setting up a new Windows device or if you have just moved to Windows 10 Change Active Hours

Change Personalisation Options

(1) Enable automatic updates in Windows settings – this way you will always automatically have the latest Windows features and the latest virus & malware protection. (2) Change Active Hours – in Settings/update & security, set Active hours to the hours you normally use your PC. This way, Windows will never automatically install updates while your PC is being used. (3) Check the personalisation options in settings– Set Windows to look & work the way you want.

(4) Top Tip – Each time a new version of Windows is installed, type Tips in the Windows search box. This will open the Tips app. This highlights the new features, how to use them and includes tips & short videos on how to get the best from Windows 10 & Microsoft Office. (5) Try Immersive Reader in the latest version of the Edge browser – Watch all the adverts & distractions just disappear! Also, you get additional options to change the text size and even have the web page read aloud to you.

Spot it. Report it. Prevent it.

t.ly/qR4M

Report Here

Tips Apps

NEWSLETTER EDITION Game expires 3rd January 2021 any prizes will be dispatched on 4th January

Display specialist AOC are the number one gaming monitor brand in the world. Here they draw from their experience in designing monitors for all levels of gaming enthusiasts to explain the evolution of the VA panel and why it is such a key feature in today’s market.

1970s. Around twenty years later, the Japanese company Fujitsu made VA panels marketable and since then, the monitors have steadily improved. There are several elements that are important for your choice of the perfect gaming display. Image quality:

are only worth so much if your image gets ruined by weak and muddy contrasts. The contrast ratio shows the difference between the luminance of the brightest white and the darkest black. The higher the ratio, the more nuanced and sharper your contrast looks.

On your search for the perfect gaming monitor, you might encounter several terms, labels and numbers whose meanings are often not immediately clear. LCD (Liquid Crystal Displays) monitors can come in three different types: TN (Twisted Nematic), IPS (In-Plane Switching) and VA (Vertical Alignment). Let’s take a closer look at VA panels and their evolution into gaming monitors.

IPS monitors come with the largest colour gamut and offer the richest image quality on the market. In the past, VA panels trailed behind and could not convince with their display of colours.

VA panels excel at a deep contrast ratio and are far beyond in the LCD technology. Dark scenes are portrayed in a rich black, while IPS for comparison can only achieve a grey shade. Usually, VA panels have a contrast ratio ranging from 3000:1 to 6000:1, whereas IPS mostly reaches a ratio of 1000:1.

In general, Vertical Alignment refers to the positioning of the liquid crystals in between two polarising ﬁlters. Depending on the direction the crystals are facing, they let backlight either pass through or block out in a different way. VA technology was discovered already in the early

8 20

Nowadays, as the technology is being further researched and improved, VA panels are right in the middle between IPS and TN. Their colour reproduction can offer a great experience, as they start with full sRGB coverage as minimum. The best products on the market can easily achieve 85 and 90% DCI-P3 coverage. Most of AOC’s models feature 16.7 Million display colours which are more than enough to create an immersive, life-like experience. Contrast: The lushest colours

A high and diverse contrast ratio is especially important for atmospheric games, as well as titles that are settled in a more sinister environment. You will still have a perfect overview and are able to see all details, instead of paving your way through a blurry muddy mass of grey and black areas.

Viewing angle: The viewing angle describes at which angle you can look at your monitor and still experience good image quality. When the ﬁrst VA panels were manufactured in 1971, the angle was quite narrow and did not allow viewers to move their position. Thanks to further development, the viewing angle could be increased steadily and in the 1990s, the VA was ﬁnally ready for commercial use. Not only are VA panels affected by such issues. A VA monitor for example will lose its saturation level when looking from a side angle, whereas IPS will lose luminosity. Nowadays, the viewing angle of VA panels has been drastically improved, being between the quality of TN and IPS panels. When used as a gaming monitor only, the angle does not even have any noticeable effect and just plays a role when used as a TV display. Nonetheless, AOC’s VA panels come with a 178/178 º viewing angle, so you can comfortably spectate the action on screen from any direction.

Refresh rate: The refresh rate of a monitor speciﬁes how many frames per second a display computes. The value of this rate is measured in Hertz, which shows the number of times per second an image gets updated. One image per

second equals 1 Hz, therefore the higher the amount, the smoother your image quality. With a standard of 60Hz, VA panels offer a solid refresh rate that enables you to play all your games fluently. While 60 Hz are a rather average value in the realm of gaming monitors, there are also VA screens on the market that reach way higher numbers. As an example, the AOC C32G2ZE/BK boast outstanding 240 Hz which guarantee flawless action on-screen. Response time: The response time often gets mixed up with refresh rate, but both features entail a different aspect. Response time refers to the time it takes your monitor to shift from one colour to another, usually measured in black-to-black. While VA panels impress with their flawless contrast, they come with a slightly higher response time than TN and IPS by default. The higher the response time, the greater the risk for motion blur. VA used to be on the lower end with an average of 5 ms. However, the technology gets constantly developed to reach the best standard possible. Therefore, an older low-end model might come with a noticeable blur. Later monitors boast a faster response time. Most of AOC’s VA models are designed with superfast 1 ms MPRT, guaranteeing smooth, fast-moving action. The

C27G2ZU/BK takes the crown by reducing the response time even further to super-sonic 0.5 ms.

Conclusion: VA have long redeemed themselves from being second choice to an outstanding option on the monitor market. VA is the middle ground between TN and IPS panels, combining their advantages and therefore a rocksolid choice no matter what you intend to use your display for. If you are an avid movie fan or indulge into darker, high-contrast video games, a VA panel would be the perfect monitor. But if you tend to play colourful titles and want the widest viewing angle, you can also go for an IPS monitor. For more information on this technology, check out our article on IPS panels to decide what display will upgrade your gaming setup next and trap you into the realms of your favourite game – be it colourful or rich in contrast. https://eu.aoc.com/en/news/ choose-your-panel-wisely-whyips

“AOC branded monitors, which are own3ed by the parent company TPV, achieved the #1 global market share among gaming monitor companies in 2019” Source: IDC Quarterly Gaming Tracker, 2019Q4

Stock shortages expected to continue through Q1 21 so place back orders with your account manager so we can allocate stock when it lands.

113842 ASUS MB169B+ Portable USB Monitor

118761 ASUS MB16ACM Portable USB Monitor

15.6-inch Full HD portable USB-powered monitor with a single USB 3.0 cable for power and data transmission

ASUS ZenScreen MB16ACM 15.6-inch portable USB monitor features a hybrid-signal solution that supports power and video transmission, and enables compatibility with any laptop with a USB Type-C or Type A port

World’s slimmest and lightest USB monitor with a sleek and metallic finish Auto-rotating display bundled with the ASUS Smart Case – a two-way adjustable stand and protective sleeve

Can automatically sense its orientation and switch the monitor between landscape and portrait modes 15.6-inch Full HD portable anti-glare IPS display with an ultraslim 780g and only 8mm thin helps you get things done more efficiently when you’re on the go Foldable smart case can be turned into a stand to prop the monitor up in either portrait or landscape mode

VIP Computers recommends Windows 10

OUR

BIGGEST CHRISTMAS

CAMPAIGN Over 200 prizes won during the campaign

Every year, we look forward to seeing how we can make our annual Christmas campaign better than the previous years. This year we had our work cut out making it COVID-safe so we embarked on our most complex and challenging campaign to date which included building 4 different games and sending out over 600 advent calendars.

TO WIN N I SP

Our competition platform is always a massive hit. You played our games over 2,500 times during December! We hope that you enjoyed taking part. We have a challenge on our hands coming up with next years campaign!

EAL

PEA

EV TO R

S TO MPER

WIN

PHOT

ITON

ET COMP

Don’t forget to claim any prizes won, as per our game T’s & C’s, you have 10 days to claim them and if you don’t email to claim your prize, we can’t send it out.

Talk to us, we’d like to collaborate with you! To support our aim to ‘help your business grow’, we would like to find out what is important to you and how VIP UK can support your business in 2021. Speak to your account manager at your earliest convenience so we can collaborate for mutual success. If it’s been a while since we last spoke to you, there’s no better time to speak to us as we have lots of deals available to help you buy smarter.

VIPUK

@VIPComputersUK

marketing@vip-computers.co.uk