VIP Newsletter Issue 22 - September 23

July marked the start of VIP’s new financial year and with it, a renewed look at our business as a whole, in terms of how we operate, the brands we supply, and what we want the future VIP to look like. I mentioned in my previous update about the impact of inflation and in turn, interest rates and these haven’t gone away, with inflation proving to be very sticky and the Bank of England (BoE) continuing to increase the base rate as a result. There do seem to be some signs of this finally turning around now, with September seeing an unexpected drop in the rate of inflation and as such, the BoE deciding to hold the current rate, after 14 consecutive increases.

The reason I raise these factors, is while they’re both so high, they continue to have an impact on our day-to-day operations and as such how we’re able to facilitate business with you, our customers. We have been undertaking an in-depth review of all our brands and product categories over recent months, to highlight any pieces of business which simply aren’t profitable, once you factor in the full cost of facilitating the business, in particular the payment terms and average stock days.

This information has enabled to us have conversations to renegotiate commercial terms, which in turn, allows us to maintain competitive pricing for you. In terms of the market itself, we’re seeing a split, with the CPU and gaming/ peripherals markets continuing to struggle but the components, cases, cooling and storage markets seeing an upturn. Much of this growth has been seen through dropship business,

whereby VIP is shipping to resellers’ end-users. This is more so for resellers who offer finance / buy now, pay later options to their customers, which is understandable given the current economic climate. Whilst this uplift is very much welcomed, it has inadvertently put strain on our warehouse, as single pick and pack orders are invariably more time and space-consuming than standard bulk purchases. This is a challenge we’re tackling head on though, to ensure we’re prepared for the even larger volumes peak will bring.

In other news, July saw VIP take a number of customers to Mauritius for a once in a lifetime trip. The event saw attendees take part in a quadbike safari, zipline across Mauritius’ breathtaking valleys and venture out on their very own private catamaran, as part of a Windows 11 incentive. It was an incredible experience. The current Windows 11 incentive syncs up with our annual internal ‘It’s a Knockout’ tournament, which started at the beginning of September and gives all VIP employees an opportunity to win. We have 7 teams competing head-to-head over 8 weeks of activities. The latest of which involved inflatable obstacles on a lake! September also saw VIP go live with the latest range of Gigabyte laptops. Be sure to get in touch with your account manager to learn more.

Gigabyte notebooks joins PowerColor and CIT, both of whom launched last quarter, in continuing to bolster VIP’s portfolio of products and we’re not stopping there. At the beginning of this update, I outlined the notion of

determining ‘what the future VIP should look like’ and with this in mind, I’d love to hear from you. Is there anything you’d like to see from VIP that we don’t currently offer, whether that be products, services, support or anything else? In the meantime, as always, let me thank you for taking the time to read this and I wish you all the best as we gear up for the busiest (most wonderful?) time of the year.

Sales Director

BEST SELLERS FOR

As we head in to our peak selling period, our Product managers have hand selected their top picks for their best sellers for peak…

Our very own GPU guru, Darren Jackson says “RTX 4060 is the currently the bestselling GPU, closely followed by RTX 4070’s. We are also starting to see refresh models from vendors that run cooler, are slimmer and of course reduce the costs a little”.

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ASUS GeForce RTX 4090 TUF Gaming OG Graphics Card.

"Outstanding RTX 4090 performance with an all metal TUF design."

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MSI GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING X SLIM 12G Graphics Card.

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MSI GeForce RTX 4070 VENTUS 3X E 12G OC Graphics Card.

Monitors and notebooks are always great sellers and make for a great gift for those with a higher budget. Our resident monitor specialist, James has picked a couple of feature rich MSI monitors models and an affordable Gigabyte gaming notebook that delivers solid gaming performance.

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MSI G27C4X 27" Widescreen VA LED Black Curved Monitor.

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Gigabyte G5 15.6" Windows

11

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Gigabyte M27Q-EK V2 27"

Widescreen IPS LED Black Monitor

"World’s first KVM gaming monitor."

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MSI G27CQ4 E2 27" Widescreen VA LED Black Curved Monitor.

"A great budget-friendly gaming monitor."

“It's going to be tough to beat the Gigabyte G5 (2023) for the best affordable gaming laptop this year. It's smartly provisioned with an RTX 4060 and good on price.”

Gaming peripherals are always at the top of many wish lists, Matt, our gaming expert has shortlisted the following from a long list of incredible gaming peripherals on hand at VIP...

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Razer Kraken X Lite 7.1

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V4

Home Notebook

Surround Sound Black Gaming Headset

Razer BlackWidow

Pro Keyboard

122800 Elgato Stream Deck +

Windows 11 Update

The Official Microsoft Blog published lots of exciting updates to Windows 11 and Microsoft Copilot on 21st September. Here’s a rundown, from the article, of what’s coming…

The new Windows 11 update, will start to become available on Sept. 26 as part of the latest update to Windows 11, version 22H2, and will deliver over 150 new features, including bringing the power of Copilot to the PC.

Copilot in Windows (in preview) empowers users to create faster, complete tasks with ease and lessens the cognitive load –making once complicated tasks, simple. Using Copilot will be seamless, always available on the taskbar or with the Win+C keyboard shortcut.

Paint has been enhanced with AI for drawing and digital creation with the addition of background removal and layers as well as a preview of Cocreator that brings the power of generative AI to the Paint app.

Photos has also been enhanced with AI including new features to make editing photos a breeze.

Snipping Tool now offers more ways to capture content on your screen – with this update users can now extract specific text content from an image to paste in another application or, easily protect your sensitive information with text redaction by using text actions on the post capture screen. And, with the addition of sound capturing using audio and mic support, it’s easier to create compelling videos and content from the screen.

Clipchamp, now with auto compose, helps with scenes suggestions, edits and narratives based on the users’ images and footage automatically to create and edit videos to share with family, friends, and social media like a pro.

Notepad will start automatically saving the session state allowing users to close Notepad without interrupting dialogs and then pick up where users left off when they return. Notepad will automatically restore previously open tabs as well as unsaved content and edits across those open tabs.

(Introducing Copilot in Windows 11, new AI tools, and more)

With the new Outlook for Windows, users can connect and coordinate various accounts (including Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and more) in one app. Intelligent tools help write clear, concise emails and seamlessly attach important documents and photos from OneDrive. To learn more, visit this link.

Modernised File Explorer, a modernised home, address bar and search box all designed to help users more easily access important and relevant content, stay up to date with file activity and collaborate without even opening a file within File Explorer.

New text authoring experiences to voice access and new natural voices in Narrator, continuing the ongoing commitment to making Windows 11 the most accessible version of Windows yet.

Windows Backup makes moving to a new Windows 11 PC easier than ever, transitioning most files, apps and settings from one PC to another, is seamless so everything is right where users left it, exactly how they like it.

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft have been building AIpowered copilots into their most used and loved products – making coding more efficient with GitHub, transforming productivity at work with Microsoft 365, redefining search with Bing and Edge and delivering contextual value that works across your apps and PC with Windows.

Copilot will begin to roll out in its early form as part of the free update to Windows 11, starting Sept. 26 — and across Bing, Edge, and Microsoft 365 Copilot this fall.

With over 150 new features, the next Windows 11 update is one of the most ambitious yet, bringing the power of Copilot and new AI powered experiences to apps like Paint, Photos, Clipchamp and more right to your Windows PC.

Bing will add support for the latest DALL.E 3 model from OpenAI and deliver more personalised answers based on your search history, a new AI-powered shopping experience, and updates to Bing Chat Enterprise, making it more mobile and visual.

Microsoft 365 Copilot will be generally available for enterprise customers on Nov. 1, 2023, along with Microsoft 365 Chat, a new AI assistant that will completely transform the way you work.

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Windows 11 is the best Windows yet.

Windows 11 is now the only version of Windows available from distributors.

Microsoft is no longer selling Windows 10 and it will no longer receive new features, but they will continue to support and issue security updates until October 14, 2025. Windows 10 became EOL with Distributors in December 2022.

Enhance your output with Windows 11 Pro – it’s made to help you do more in the hybrid world of work. SWITCH NOW

Windows

Copilot will make every user a power user – coming soon*!

You will be able to transform the way you work with Windows Copilot – your next-generation AI personal assistant. It will be embedded across all your Microsoft apps, helping you get the job done – faster.

Get to know what will make Windows Copilot such a powerful companion in our explainer video.

More time to do what you love, only on Windows 11. Upgrade your customers’ device to Windows 11 now.

Resellers can maximise Windows 11 business opportunities by earning the Windows 11 Pro 2022 accreditation badge with Microsoft’s learning platform, ExpertZone.

ExpertZone is a training resource for sales and tech support personnel from Microsoft, providing tips, tricks, training and more to UK retailers. Resellers can earn points and get rewards as they learn.

AOC’s AGON AG405UXC redefines immersion during the most demanding gameplay. This ultrawide (21:9) gaming monitor is a powerhouse of performance that boasts a 144Hz refresh rate on a 3440x1440 resolution IPS panel. Designed to captivate and engage, the AG405UXC has been making a splash in the ultra-wide gaming market since its arrival.

SKU: 123421

GLORIOUS MAKE THE VICTORY

With its imposing 40" flat ultrawide panel, the AG405UXC offers an expansive gaming environment that engulfs users in the action. The monitor's impressively large dimensions make this the perfect companion for gamers who play strategy, simulation, or roleplaying games; genres that often involve extensive environments and complex interfaces. Moreover, the extra horizontal space makes this an ideal display for streamers and content creators, who can use it to view multiple windows while streaming or to see the complete timeline when editing their footage.

Additionally, the vibrant IPS panel and VESA DisplayHDR400 certification help the AG405UXC deliver a rich colour experience with a high dynamic range of contrast. The monitor's crisp WQHD resolution combined with the monitor’s wide colour gamut (that covers 100% of the sRGB, 93.4% of the DCI-P3, and 89.5% of the Adobe RGB colour spaces) gives the AG405UXC superb image quality from

This monitor boasts a rich set of features that aim to not only create the ultimate gaming experience but to also make the user experience as pleasant as possible. The support for Adaptive Sync technology and a super-fast 1ms MPRT, all while maintaining incredibly low input lag, make this display worthy of playing competitive games at the highest level. Meanwhile, the AG405UXC also has a low blue light mode and flicker-free technology, to reduce eye strain and fatigue, while also sporting a USB hub for convenient peripheral connection, a USB-C port that provides power delivery of up to 90W, AOC's intuitive G-menu software, built-in speakers for a rich audio experience, and a height adjustable stand for comfort.

The AOC AG405UXC is one of the largest and most impressive monitors in the AGON series, and it sets a new standard in the ultra-wide gaming market. The monitor offers a combination of stunning visuals, high performance, and ergonomic features that make it an ideal choice for gamers who want to elevate their game.

GLORIOUS

wide viewing angles.

The New Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 Monitor Redefines Visual Excellence with its QD OLED Panel

Meet the latest Evnia gaming monitor, the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900. The newest addition to the premium Evnia 8000 monitor series is designed for gamers searching for a state-of-the-art and immersive product that can perform for work or play. Fitting the bill, the Evnia 49M2C8900 showcases versatility with features like the large 32:9 SuperWide (49”) screen and its complete USB-C hub.

However, this hardly scratches the surface of the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900’s spec profile. Evnia, with the mission to introduce a gaming brand meant for everyone, has fully packed this Evnia 8000 gaming monitor with specs that are suited for all types of gameplay; such as a QD OLED display for pristine visuals, a 240Hz refresh rate for fast and clear gaming, VESA ClearMR 13000 certification for assured blur-free action, DTS Sound with 30W output for exceptional and immersive audio, and the exclusive Ambiglow feature that adds to an all-around alluring experience.

Immersive Gaming Redefined.

Thanks to features such as the monitor’s 1800R curved frame and Ambiglow; as well as new additions like DTS Sound, the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 intends to tickle and engage all the user’s senses.

DTS Sound with 30W output is a new feature for the Evnia 8000 series lineup. It is designed to add to the Evnia 49M2C8900’s immersive visuals with incredible sound to accompany any type of game.

The most immersive and luxurious gaming experience has arrived.

State-Of-The-Art Picture Quality and Blur-Free Gaming

With features like QD OLED, DQHD (5210×1440) resolution, True 10-bit colour gamut, and 450nits peak brightness, the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 is sure to deliver crystal-clear picture quality for a luxurious viewing experience.

Not to mention, the visual potency of the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900’s is certified. Along with the features mentioned above, it also features a DisplayHDR™ True Black 400 certification for tested premium visual quality and a VESA ClearMR 13000 certification for assessed and assured blur-free gaming.

All these features amount to a premium gaming experience that is suited to anyone; from professional gamers to novice ones who enjoy a high-quality picture experience.

Award-Winning and Designed for Everyday Use

Apart from its imagery, the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 is an award-winning model due to its modern design. Both awards, the Red Dot Design Award 2023 and iF Design Award 2023, attribute the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900’s technical quality and immersive gaming performance to its winning result.

Piggybacking off of the technical quality of the Evnia 49M2C8900, additional features like the MultiClient Integrated KVM switch, VESA mount, compact ergo base, and LowBlue mode are added to this monitor’s arsenal for everyday use.

Coming Soon

All in all, the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 gaming monitor is an ideal option for gamers and/or aspiring hobbyists who favour pristine imagery, premium technical quality, and a state-of-the-art immersive experience. Look out for this impressive monitor in Q4, later this year.

Seagate’s SkyHawk hard drives have long been an industry-leader in surveillance data storage solutions, not only because of the innovative technologies found in these devices but also because of the comprehensive services that accompany them. The SkyHawk Health Management App helps end-users and VARs defend against data loss, while Seagate’s Rescue Data Recovery Services are there to help customers should the unthinkable happen and data is lost unexpectedly.

Let’s explore how these services work to help edge, core, cloud and consumer customers maintain and grow the data economy.

What is SkyHawk Health Management?

SkyHawk Health Management (SHM) is the first embedded hard drive data analytics software dedicated to environmental monitoring, for files stored on network video recorders (NVRs) and digital video recorders (DVRs). It monitors the health status of SkyHawk hard drives, while providing a monitoring dashboard for system integrators, manufacturers, and end users.

Designed for Hikvision systems with NVR 4.0 OS, or newer, SHM goes beyond industry standard Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) testing to provide indepth analysis with prevention and intervention in mind.

View SkyHawk Range

How does it work?

SHM analyses multiple parameters related to drive health while using proprietary algorithms to determine potential issues that could affect a drive’s performance or longevity. This allows for proactive prevention and intervention which amounts to a reduction in maintenance costs and promotes stronger customer loyalty, particularly for installers and system integrators.

How does SkyHawk Health Management help protect customer’s data?

SHM is designed around 3 core pillars; prevention, intervention, and recovery.

For prevention, SHM monitors operating conditions and recommends actions, such as temperature control and vibration control, to limit data deterioration. The integrated interface provides readable hard drive health information and fixes output error codes for convenient communication with customer service staff.

While SHM aids in intervention by analysing over 100 internal performance parameters to determine drive health status. When the drive health has been deemed to have deteriorated, SHM may recommend backup to ensure data availability.

What about data recovery?

If things go wrong and customers experience data loss, SkyHawk and SkyHawk AI drives come with a robust 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Services plan. This applies regardless of whether it was due to a mechanical, accidental, or natural disaster. Plus, with a 95% success rate of in-house recovery, customers can rest easy knowing their data is in good hands.

How do the Data Recovery Services work?

With each SkyHawk and SkyHawk AI drive, customers get access to a team of worldclass data recovery experts who will conduct one in-lab recovery attempt. If successful, customers will receive an encrypted storage device containing the recovered data.

The process is as simple as 1-2-3:

1. Contact Seagate Support for a prepaid shipping label.

2. Send the drive to the Seagate Lab.

3. Get the recovered data back, on an encrypted device.

By preventing data loss, intervening as it approaches, and recovering anything that could have been lost, it’s clear that when it comes to defending your data, Seagate goes above and beyond.

Gigabyte & AORUS Notebooks are now in stock and available at VIP. Designed for gaming and multi-tasking, the Gigabyte & AORUS lineup deliver incredible performance for gamers and creators.

AORUS 15 9KF-E3UK383SH 15.6" Windows 11 Home Notebook

AORUS 17H BXF-74UK554SH 17.3" Windows 11 Home Notebook

Gigabyte G5 15.6" Windows 11 Home Notebook

Launched in September, the AMD Radeon™ RX 7700 XT and 7800 XT graphics cards set a new level of performance for gamers. Featuring up to 16GB of GDDR6 memory, unified AMD RDNA™ 3 compute units, and next-generation features to enable ultrafast, ultra-smooth gaming performance at 1440p, and the flexibility to experience ultra-detailed graphics at 4K.

Immerse yourself even further with the AMD Radiance Display™ Engine and DisplayPort™ 2.1 to experience up to 68 billion colours for video playback and support for up to 8K.

PowerColor Radeon RX 7800 XT Red Devil OCRX7800XT 16G-E/OC

Gigabyte Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming OC - GVR78XTGAMING OC-16G

ASUS Radeon RX 7800 XT TUF Gaming White OCTUF-RX7800XT-O16G-

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MSI PRO MP2412

23.8” VA MONITOR

AVAILABLE FROM MID NOVEMBER 2023

CORSAIR 5000D Core Airflow Mid Tower Cases

Introducing the latest cases from CORSAIR, the 5000D Core Airflow. Available in black or white, these airflow-optimised cases have room for multiple radiators, and hidden cable management.

• Ample room to fit graphics cards up to 400mm long

• Accommodates motherboards from ITX to E-ATX

• RapidRoute cable management system

• Spacious interior fits up to 10x 120mm or 4x 140mm fans

• 25mm of cable routing depth with easy-access hinged door

124077 - CORSAIR 5000D CORE AIRFLOW WHITE MID CASE

124131 - CORSAIR 5000D CORE AIRFLOW BLACK MID CASE

LATEST

AND GREATEST FROM

123869 – Razer BlackWidow v4 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Razer Green Switch

123476 – Razer Moray Ergonomic In-ear Monitor for All-day Streaming

123807 – Razer BlackWidow V4

75% Hot-swappable Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

123812 – Razer Kitty Ears V2 – Quartz

123811 – Razer Kitty Ears V2 – Black

GETTING TO KNOW...

If you could snap your ngers and become an expert in something, what would it be?

Lois: To be fluent in other languages.

Sarah: Baking, because I love Cake.

Vicky: Running.

Sophie: Having my own successful business in something that expands.

What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?

Lois: Not to worry when you make a mistake. learn from them.

Sarah: From my dad, he always said if you put your mind to something then you will be able to achieve it. Never change and always be yourself.

What’s your favourite way to unwind?

Lois: Hair mask, face mask and a movie.

Sarah: Sit down with a cup of tea and watch Bake Off.

Vicky: With a cup of tea, biscuits and a good book.

Sophie: To have a relaxing day in my pjs.

Vicky: Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. My dad.

Sophie: Everything happens for a reason and to not stress about things that are out of your control.

What do you do to turn things around when you’re having a bad day?

Lois: Always remember that one bad day doesn’t mean it’s a bad life.

Sarah: I will take myself away from the situation and speak to my best friend. Maybe have a cup of tea, go back to the situation and review how/what has gone.

Vicky: Have a cup of tea, and have a chat with my team.

Sophie: Try to focus on the positives/ being positive or think of things I can do to make my day better.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Lois: Australia.

Sarah: Japan

Vicky: Australia.

Sophie: Paris

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 2023. There’s no better time speak to us, as we'd love to help you get the most out of your account.