NEWSLETTER WHERE IS THE GAMING INDUSTRY GOING? nathan proudfoot
VENDOR SPOTLIGHT
ISSUE 2
JUN
18
VIP Computers recommends Windows
Your place to create, communicate, collaborate, and get great work done.
www.vip-computers.com/uk
Sales: 01925 286 989
Hello,
Our VIP UK newsletter returns with a second issue to update you about what is happening within VIP and our vendor partners. We’re passionate about helping your business grow and during 2018 we have an increased focus on delivering outstanding customer service and reinforcing our customer values. We have renewed our customer values and a key promise is to help you and we want to collaborate more with you to help you achieve this. There has been a lot happening at VIP UK recently, read on to find out more‌
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WINDOWS 7
END OF LIFE
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OUR updated VALUES P6
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venda spotlight: TENDA
Windows 10 Pro devices P15 P13
WHERE IS THE GAMING INDUSTRY GOING?
GET TO KNOW OUR NEW ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Our new Vision, Insight & Philosophy
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The VIP Way Breaking boundaries and leading the way in tech distribution & integration.
VIP has a vision to recognise that larger businesses (vendors, customers and competitors) may dominate the market, but we know our niche, which is to be the best mid-market partner. We can lead by offering appropriate and attentive service to our customer and vendor partners, striving to be agile in adapting to the changing marketplace and opportunities. Everyday, we can seek to be better than the previous day by working collectively at delivering what might have previously felt too hard. Our Insight; Calling upon 28 years knowledge & experience And philosophy: To adhere to and respect our company values.
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Our Updated Values:
Fair.
We will be fair to you.
Supportive.
We will support you in the growth of your business.
Open.
We will be open and transparent.
Accountable. We will never leave you with a problem of our own making.
Challenge.
Together we will learn, adapt and grow.
Collaborate.
We will work with you to achieve your business goals.
VIP Computers recommends Windows
Windows 7 End of Life
Security is the most compelling reason to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10, in addition to out of date and non compatible hardware leaving your business vulnerable. With Windows 10 you will be able to rest assured that your system will deliver an end-to-end security approach encompassing identity and data, whilst guaranteeing performance.
What does it mean? The time has come to start thinking about migrating and upgrading to Windows 10. As of January 14th 2020, extended Microsoft support for Windows 7 will end. This will mean that users will no longer receive support, including security updates. Why should you update now or start your migration planning? With GDPR compliance in full force Windows 10 currently offers the best built in security technology.
• Windows 10 features the latest technology for better productivity • Windows 10 integrates smoothly with existing infrastructure • Windows 10 enables easy management with minimal IT involvement • Windows 10 is the Windows you know, with a familiar interface and start menu • You can set up new Windows 10 devices on your own in minutes • Windows 10 supports reuse of existing LoB apps or full support for virtualisation • Windows 10 is best for the cloud • Windows 10 offers the latest technology for creative pursuits Windows 10 offers a variety of tools to enhance productivity and ease the migration from previous version.
Intelligent security
Simplified updates
Flexible management
Enhanced productivity
Advanced security, powered by cloud intelligence, that proactively protects your business
Tools your IT can trust to simplify deployment and updates, freeing your resources to drive more business value.
Comprehensive device management on your terms that supports on-premises, cloud, or both.
An intuitive user experience, with built-in tools and features that help people collaborate and work efficiently.
ORDER WINDOWS 10 NOW
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THE BEST CHOICE FOR BUSINESS:
WINDOWS 10 PRO DEVICES
Only Windows 10 Pro devices…
Windows 10 Pro
VIP Code: 112074 Device Partner Edge portal
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Windows 10 Home VIP Code: 112073
Office 365 Home VIP Code: 113349
Get unmatched performance, security, and flexibility with Windows 10 Pro Runs the things you need to run your business
Provides comprehensive protection from current and future security threats
• Full, commercial-grade apps like DocuSign*, QuickBooks Online*, Citrix Receiver* and Office* means you don’t have to compromise.
• The most up-to-date protection
• Compatible with most printers and other devices, both older and newer technologies so your business has the flexibility to keep what’s already working.
• Advanced features like BitLocker and Windows Information Protection help keep your device locked-down and your business protected.
• Familiar Windows interface allows you to feel like an expert from the start.
• More secure logins. Windows Hello** enables you to move away from passwords to an enterprise-grade solution that can’t be phished and or remotely accessed by unauthorized users.
S implify management of apps & devices. Microsoft Intune provides management capabilities for mobile devices, mobile applications and PCs from the cloud. Work. You can search, access, and save your OneDrive for Business* files easily from any device or browser.
against modern threats– including anti-virus, firewall, and phishing filters—to help keep your data and identity safe.
Capture new business and earn customer loyalty. Enable your organization to grow, adapt, and evolve to meet the needs of your customers with Dynamics 365*. Run your operations faster with line-ofbusiness apps. Access a broad selection of apps, such as Intuit Quick Books Online* and DocuSign*, used for accounting, marketing and more.
Integrates with your existing IT, on-premises or in the cloud • Keep what’s working—including the infrastructure and technology you already have. • Have it your way. Get your choice of apps and data on your device or in the cloud—or even a combination of the two. It’s simple, seamless and made for how you want to run your business. • Effectively works with Microsoft and all third-party mobile device management (MDM) solutions.
Built for teamwork. Collaboration is easy when you use Office 365* on Windows 10 Pro device. Keep sign-in simple. Save time and reduce frustration by signing in once and having access to all your Microsoft services and Azure apps*.
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WILL YOU BE A WINNER DURING THE WORLD CUP? England may disappoint, but VIP UK won’t with lots of great prizes up for grabs. Win: Daily prizes of Football Shirts*, World Cup Footballs plus 2 x Corporate Tickets to Man Utd vs Team of Choice in an 18/19 Premier League fixture of the winners choice.
How to Play: Each order is eligible to receive a digital scratch card or game card to win the daily prizes available. Maximum one per day. An access code will be emailed to everyone that has placed an order the day after the order dispatches. Simply access the game link in the email and see if you have won. Winners are randomly selected by the digital game platform. Not every game wins. Ensure that you are opted in to marketing communications to ensure that we are able to send your digital game card to you.
Plus play along with our Predict-AScore competition for another chance to win a Football shirt*. Will you score more points than your account manager and other contacts in the industry? Enter our ‘Predict-A-Score’ competition and see how well you predict the results of the World Cup. www.kicktipp.co.uk/vipuk-retailers/
How to play: Register and predict the scores of the matches listed in the platform before the deadline. Keep predicting the matches that follow before the deadline ends to ensure maximum points. We will publish the league each week and email to you so please ensure that you are opted in to our marketing communications. *winners can choose a football shirt of their choice from the current selection available or one from the 18-19 season. Shirt choices must be freely available to purchase to the value of £50.
PROMOTION ENDS FRIDAY 13TH JULY 5
We’ve had lots of winners so far including: • James Pilling Midlands Computers • Michael Nielson ProShop • John Mellor PC Specialist • Arron Dobins Dixons 6
With compelling evidence that larger displays and higher resolutions make people more productive, it pays to expand the screen real estate on desktops. The idea that larger displays with higher resolutions can improve productivity is an insight increasingly shared by private users and enterprises everywhere, as sales figures show. In 2010, the average diagonal size of computer displays was just 17 inches. By 2012, the average user was opting for a 21-inch display. Displays in excess of 23 inches already account for almost one third of the market (the most common sizes are 23.6 inches and 24 inches) , and this share is growing. There is also a widespread move toward even larger displays with screens 27 inches and higher taking a 23% share of sales.
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How more space matters to productivity Having a more spacious display helps people be more productive in numerous ways. On a basic level, routine tasks are performed more efficiently: more screen real estate enables people to create, manage and view far more windows simultaneously. Not that more windows necessarily means greater efficiency or productivity – arguably the “busier� the display, the less opportunity there is to concentrate on one thing. What prevents the larger display from becoming a source of constant distraction is that it encourages people to establish a work zone as a primary focus. In studies to find out what people actually do with the extra space, researchers determined that users tend to place the current, most important, task in the centre, and devote the rest of the space to organisation and consultationrelated tasks.
One large display can replace a dual-monitor configuration
desk, saving power, and eliminating the distracting gap between two screens.
A larger screen, often with a ratio of 21:9 at a high resolution, is favoured for large spreadsheets and for work which involves having two or more documents open for reference at the same time. Data-intensive finance applications, for example, require users to keep more information in focus simultaneously. Constantly scanning columns and rows of figures is challenging enough without having to compromise on screen space. In fact, finance professionals often have multiple monitors installed on their desks for precisely this reason.
The 21:9 aspect ratio of the screen enables the space to be divided into multiple zones. Users can keep the main task screen at 16:9 aspect ratio, for example, but also have enough space for mail or messenger applications at the side.
However, just one large, high-resolution display – 34 inches with a 21:9 ratio, for example – may be all that is needed. This one screen is equivalent in terms of information focus to two 24-inch screens, but with the advantage of occupying less space on the
More space on screen with wider aspect ratios The size of the display is not the only factor in improving productivity. The aspect ratio, the proportional relationship between screen width and height, is also evolving. The choice of ratio increases the amount of viewing area available on the screen. A 24-inch model at 16:10 ratio offers more viewing area than
With more display space at our disposal, it turns out that we like to keep things comfortably in view, but without the fullon distraction associated with opening and closing windows, and without chopping and changing from one task focus to another. Accordingly, the benefit of a larger display lies not so much in enabling people to perform rote tasks more quickly (although this is certainly valuable for some jobs), but to help people with specialised jobs, such as designers, scientists and CAD engineers, to make better sense, without distraction, of complex information from multiple sources.
16:9, and a 21:9 screen, which is wider than the standard Full HD display – the most common resolution of displays for both home and office use – creates a panoramic view. This enables users to run multiple applications side-by-side, or run their productive application in the centre and place items such as notes, e-mail or background documents on the periphery of the screen.
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Why higher resolutions make the difference Increasing the size of the display creates more physical viewing and working area. However, this would be ineffective without increases in screen resolution. Keeping the standard image resolution unchanged on, say, a 30-inch screen will deliver substandard image quality that causes eyestrain, makes text difficult to decipher, and renders detailreliant applications such as graphic design impossible to work with. A higher resolution, on the other hand, means more pixels on the display, and greater detail.
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Outlook for productivity Businesses are wising up to the advantages of spacious, high resolution screens (and aspect ratios that can be custom-selected to match the type of work each person does) to make desk time more efficient and effective for their staff, and to reap the gains in productivity for the company. Rather than forcing busy professionals to compromise on how they organize their space, address creative challenges, and collaborate with others, larger, high-resolution displays fit in with the way people actually work.
Monitor Hall of Fame GfK reports that monitors are one of the areas driving consistent growth in the IT market, particularly in retail. The drivers of this being bigger display sizes, higher resolutions, curved monitors, and gaming devices. Recent figures for sales by monitor display size during 2017 show that 33% of monitors sold are over 27 inches. <19"
20/21"
22/24"
£14,800,000
£6,400,000
£154,000,000 £48,200,000
£109,100,000 £332,500,000
4%
2%
46%
33%
AOC AGON AG271QX 27” Widescreen TN LED Multimedia Monitor
25/27" 15%
VIP SKU: 112727
>27"
Total 100%
ASUS PG348Q 34” Widescreen IPS LED Curved Monitor
VIP SKU: 113136
BenQ Zowie RL2455 24” Widescreen TN LED Multimedia Monitor
Philips 328E8QJAB5 31.5” Widescreen VA W-LED Multimedia Curved Monitor
VIP SKU: 113416
VIP SKU: 115682
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Vendor Spotlight: Who are Tenda? Having taken significant market share from TP Link in China and the USA, Tenda technology is the recognised leading supplier of networking devices. Tenda has committed to delivering easy-to-install and affordable networking solutions. The Tenda UK team are supporting the channel from their base in Surrey.
Tenda in numbers
The Tenda portfolio includes high quality, great value networking products your customers need including Mesh WiFi, Routers, Switches, Powerlines and Adapters.
What’s more, not only are Tenda solutions better value than TP-Link, they allow for 15%+ margin for resellers like you.
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Why Mesh? It’s networking... but not as you know it. Smart WiFi for the whole home from only £99.99 RRP Introducing the Nova MW Mesh Networking range…
The best value Mesh Networking solution on the market…
• Powered by True Mesh (802.11s) and
• Tenda Nova MW3 £99.99 RRP (3,000 sq ft coverage)
smart auto-path selection technologies to ensure a robust wireless network – up to 6,000 sq ft coverage • Pre-paired installation for easy plug and play setup • Revolutionary Mu-MIMO technology for simultaneous multi-tasking • Seamless Wi-Fi roaming around your whole home and garden
• Tenda Nova MW6 £159.99 RRP (6,000 sq ft coverage) • Netgear Orbi £299.99 RRP (5,000 sq ft coverage) • Google Mesh Wi-Fi £399.99 RRP (1,500 - 4,500 sq ft coverage) • BT Whole Home Mesh £189.99 RRP (only functions as a Wi-Fi extender)
• Parental controls • Secure and separate guest Wi-Fi access (if required)
• TP-Link Deco M5 £219.99 RRP (4,500 sq ft coverage)
Reviews am very surprised with the results. The “ ITenda Nova is operating at speeds close to that of a direct connection. I cannot recommend this product enough. It has speed, style, and flexibility. We award a Platinum Award to the Tenda Nova.” Tech for Techs
simple set-up of the Nova MW6 is “ The ideal for less experienced home users, and it’s an affordable option for homes that simply need a more reliable Wi-Fi signal than they currently get from their existing, standalone router.” Techadvisor.co.uk
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WHERE IS THE GAMING INDUSTRY GOING? By Nathan Proudfoot – Business Manager at Zoostorm & Stormforce
This is the burning question on everyone’s mind, it is no surprise considering the gaming industry in the UK alone reached a height of £4.33 billion in 2016. So what do I think? The only way is up. It seems almost everything these days is engineered for gamers; gaming components, peripherals, chairs, computers, drinks etc. However the discerning amongst us gamers can easily fish out the real gaming products VS the “me too” products. But what does this mean in reality? Obviously the more and more products which bear the gaming tag, can only be a good thing for us gamers. Gaming is becoming more mainstream and integrated into our culture, and more importantly, more accessible to the masses. Over the last quarter gaming has successfully negotiated rocky territory, as the bubble around loot boxes came to a head with major developers such as EA backing down after a community backlash. People decided enough was enough, and they were sick of the milking of their favourite franchises for aesthetic content. Events like this may seem like a one off but I feel it shows the true power of the global gaming community and how even big cheese developers can buckle under the weight of a united front.
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Compare this to the absolute machine of a game; PlayerUnknown: Battlegrounds (PUBG) which has re-defined the battle royale genre and single handily smashed nearly every gaming title record to date. This shows the true dynamic nature of the gaming industry with new game developers rising up from just a single early access title. This shows that the content is forever improving with time and developers are proving to the community, that they will continue to help cultivate a growing industry. Looking at the hardware side of the coin, we have seen waves made by AMD during 2017 with the infamous Ryzen CPUs, bringing solid gaming performance at a very reasonable price. The side effect has shoved Intel out of their usual development path to bring us 8th Gen “Coffee Lake” earlier than planned. All of this feeds into the gamers and developers, we get our hands on the tech earlier which means we can continue to enjoy and improve the content we are consuming. It’s hard to talk about hardware and to ignore the VGA crisis that is upon us, block chain mining has reached epidemic level with the demand on high end VGA cards reaching stratospheric levels. The price is getting higher and higher, whilst BTC mining in particular is the poster child of the news, miners are fighting over each and every available card with retailers cranking up the pricing left, right & centre.
Gamers however, are less concerned as most already have their card of choice or are waiting until fresh releases, such as the rumoured GTX 2080. Gaming is everywhere and not just limited to PC gaming, so it is very easy for a PC gamer to transition over to console or even mobile while the market is against them on price, in their search for the perfect rig. Increasing graphics tech has now seen PC marketing as “console class” (due to the release of AMD Ryzen with VEGA), and consoles marketing as “60FPS ready” are no doubt blurring the lines between the mainstream PC & console gamer. Releases such as PUBG to Xbox One was an extremely fast one, piggy backing off the PC just in time for Christmas. So the natural transition between platforms is more fluid than ever.
I can foresee more multi-platform titles rising up, such as we have seen with Fortnite & PUBG which bring in droves of new gamers. Not only that but having AMD & Intel in close competition once again will add gas to the hardware fire, cheaper hardware will only tempt more new gamers to the cause. Growing levels of community engagement will see gamer’s actively decide the future & fate of the content and hardware they so consume, which can only lead to more successful content and ultimately drives a higher retention rate. This brings me back to my first point, most companies, which ever space they sit in, are aware of this growing gaming leviathan and they all want a piece. The truth is that gaming is going to be in your face for a long, long time, the good news is that you get to decide which part of it you want to keep around.
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GETTING TO KNOW OUR NEW ACCOUNT MANAGERS Jack is 24 years old from Warrington and lives at home with his parents. He is a keen runner and recently completed his first 20 mile race. He enjoys cycling, socialising and attending festivals. A keen football fan, Jack follows Liverpool and is also a season ticket holder at Warrington Wolves. Jack joined us from a telecommunication new business sales team. He has a degree in graphic design and spent 3 months in Zimbabwe in 2016 volunteering on a sexual health project. His favourite food is an Indian curry and his favourite drink is Heineken. He also enjoys travelling and has recently been to Thailand.
Craig is 21 years old from St Helens and lives at home with his parents and older brother. He is a qualified Rugby League match official and spends most weekend officiating games. Another Liverpool FC fan, Craig attends games whenever he has the time. He joined us from Sports Direct and has a degree in Business Management from Edge Hill University. Craig’s favourite food is Chinese and his favourite drink is Coors Light. An interesting fact about Craig is that he has broken the same leg 3 times!
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Robert is 24 years old from Warrington and lives at home with his parents. He is a keen runner with a personal best of 38 minutes on his latest 10k race. He enjoys archery and is a cinema buff. He is also a Liverpool fan and played for his undergrad football team, Bradford. Robert speaks Chinese and has previously spent two years in China, teaching children English. He has a degree in history and politics. His favourite food is French cheese and his favourite drink is cider.
Carl joins us with 15 years’ experience within the industry. He lives in Worsley with his wife, Victoria, and his 3 kids. Alex, Maisie and Mason. He coaches North Walkden Under 12’s every weekend. He has a poodle called Ollie. His favourite colour is red, and he loves Chinese food. In his little free time he plays COD, PUBG and FIFA. Carl manages our System Integration accounts.
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Quick Reference Guide
What’s new in V18
BullGuard Internet Security NEW Game Booster
Game Booster optimises CPU performance while blocking pop ups and other annoying interruptions. You’ll enjoy noticeably smoother gaming without any lag.
PC
Compatible
NEW Next Gen Anti-Malware Our next gen anti-malware gives intelligent triple layer protection; 1 It recognises trusted sites and applications. 2 It continually scans code for signatures and anomalies associated with malware. 3 Any malware it detects is locked down in quarantine and then neutralised.
NEW Vulnerability Scanner Blocks the access points that hackers like to exploit. Alerts users to missing security updates or insecure Wi-Fi networks and prevents apps that may contain malware from downloading automatically.
BullGuard Premium Protection NEW Home Network Scanner Every connected device in the home is a potential open door to hackers giving them access to everything across the whole network. The latest Premium Protection includes our unique Home Network Scanner that continuously monitors the home wifi network, standing guard over all connected devices to ensure they don’t become an open door to cyber attack.
Identity Protection
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PC
Compatible
Simply safeguards the users personal information from being exploited by hackers and cyber criminals. BullGuard continuously scans the web for user names, credit card numbers and passwords and more.
GDPR – OPT IN. STAY CONNECTED.
Don’t miss out on all of our offers and deals. Make sure you stay connected. Delivering Value in Distribu tion Sales Hotline 01925 286 989
We hope that you enjoy our messages, featuring all of the lastest offerings and exclusive deals and events. We’d love to keep sending you all the latest from VIP UK, but we need you to let us know that you’re still interested by clicking the link below. The changes in Privacy Laws mean that if you’d like to keep hearing from us, you’ll need to opt in to our email messages. If we don’t hear from you then we’ll assume that you no longer wish to receive email marketing communications from VIP. Please note that all customers will continue to receive emails and communications containing important information relating to business services. Don’t get left behind… stay connected and opt in today, if you haven’t already.
THE BEST CHOICE FOR BUSINE
SS:
WINDOWS 10 PRO DEVICES
Only Windows 10 Pro dev
Get unmatched performa Runs the things you need to run your busine ss
Provid es compr ehens ive protec tion from curren t and future securi ty threat s
• Full, commercial- grade apps like DocuS ign*, QuickB ooks Online*, Citrix Receiver* and Office* means you don’t have to compromise. • Compatible with most printer s and other device s, both older and newer technologies so your busine ss has the flexibil ity to keep what’s alread y workin g. • Familia r Windows interfa ce allows you to feel like an expert from the start.
Simpli fy manag ement of apps & device s. Micros oft Intune provides manag ement capab ilities for mobile device s, mobile applic ations and PCs from the cloud. Work. You can search , acces s, and save your OneDr ive for Busine ss* files easily from any device or brows er.
Windows 10 Pro Devic e .30 Partner Edge porta l £100 VIP Code: 112074
nce, security, and flexi
• The most up-to- date protec tion agains t moder n threats – including anti-virus, firewa ll, and phishing filters—to help keep your data and identit y safe. • Advan ced feature s like BitLocker and Windows Inform ation Protec tion help keep your device locked -down and your busine ss protec ted. • More secure logins. Windows Hello** enable s you to move away from passwords to an enterp rise-gr ade solutio n that can’t be phishe d and or remote ly acces sed by unauthorized users.
Captu re new busine ss and earn custom er loyalty . Enable your organization to grow, adapt, and evolve to meet the needs of your customers with Dynam ics 365*. Run your opera tions faster with line-of-busin ess apps. Acces s a broad select ion of apps, such as Intuit Quick Books Online* and DocuS ign*, used for accounting, marketing and more.
Windows 10 Home
£67.48
VIP Code: 112073
ices…
bility with Windows 10
• Keep what’s workin g—including the infrastructure and technology you alread y have. • Have it your way. Get your choice of apps and data on your device or in the cloud— or even a combination of the two. It’s simple, seamle ss and made for how you want to run your busine ss. • Effectively works with Micros oft and all third-party mobile device manag ement (MDM ) solutio ns.
Built for teamwork. Collab oration is easy when you use Office 365* on Windo ws 10 Pro device. Keep sign-in simple. Save time and reduce frustration by signing in once and having acces s to all your Micros oft servic es and Azure apps*.
Office 365 Personal
£40.56
VIP Code: 113352
Our promise to you. We will be fair to you. | We will never leave you with a We will suppor t you in problem of our own making the growth of your busine . ss. | Together we will learn, adapt and grow. We will be open and transp arent. | We will work with you to achieve your busine Not kept our promise ss goals.
You can speak directly
to
? Please tell us becaus e your feedback will help u
Pro
Integr ates with your existin g IT, on-pre mises or in the cloud
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Talk to us, we’d like to collaborate with you in 2018
To support our aim to ‘challenge’, we would like to find out what is important to you and how VIP UK can support your business in 2018. 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. Don’t forget that each order you place is eligible for a World Cup scratch card. We’ve had lots of winners already and we’d love to add you to our list too.
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VIP Computers @VIPComputersUK
@
marketing@vip-computers.co.uk
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