PCR Issue 71

This Month

AUGUST 2009 ISSUE 71

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� SIGNS OF RECOVERY?We talk to the channel abouteconomic green-shoots p14

COMMENT

August PCR 3

ONE BAD APPLE

THE mainstream press enjoys a good villain – a

reprehensible target posing an uncomplicated but potent

threat. Preferably this will be something inherently new,

which lends itself nicely to a subtle hint that basically,

modern society is going to pot.

The internet often comes under attack from tabloid zealots, blaming

it for all manor of abhorrent behaviour, from terrorism to paedophilia.

Attacking the internet as an entity in this sense makes about as much

sense as citing an inflammatory propaganda pamphlet as evidence

against the use of paper. Video games are also regularly in the

spotlight for perceived links between violent titles and real life crimes.

Late last month the wolves came a bit closer to home, when Sky

News broadcast an exposé on PC repair shops, secretly filming one

store in particular stealing bank information and personal photos.

The story spread like wildfire across news networks, with coverage

of the report reaching as far afield as Fox News in the US. Headlines

like 'Exposed: Repair Shops Hack Your Laptops' give a fairly good

indication of the tone of most of them.

For a moment, it looked as though it was going to explode. It had all

the ingredients for a really damaging tabloid campaign, which could

easily have been picked up by one of the more reactionary papers. As

wrong as the behaviour exhibited in the report was, it would be

erroneous to draw wider conclusions. If there's one thing the retail

sector doesn't need right now, it’s a public whipped into a frenzy

against it. However media campaigns have been built on less.

But it didn't happen. One possible reason for this was the quick

reaction by a coherent representative mouthpiece – in this case the

former PCA. By going on television to respond – insisting that this was

an isolated incident and that PC shops aren’t full of crooks – the trade

body probably did much to curb further, potentially destructive uproar.

This highlights the importance of proper industry representation –

which looks to be getting a lot more cohesive with the formation of

the TCA, and its aim to work closer with other bodies (see page 10).

Most people would agree this can only be a good thing.

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations

PCR is published 12 times a year by Intent Media - SaxonHouse, 6a St.Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG141JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648. © Intent Media 2007 Nopart of this publication may be reproduced in any form orby any means without prior permission of the copyrightowners. Printed by Pensord.

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PCR CONTACTS

PCR - Total average monthly net circulation for January 1st to December 31st 2008: 12,766.

“As wrong as the behaviour was, it wouldbe erroneous to draw wider conclusions”

EditorAndrew [email protected]

Deputy EditorBen Furfie [email protected]

Staff WriterMatt Grainger [email protected]

Editorial Production ManagerHelen [email protected]

Managing EditorLisa [email protected]

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Issue 71August 2009

Incorporating

bookmark us in your phone:

www.pcr-online.biz

LATEST NEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

With a growing number of analyststentatively pointing out signs of growth,Andrew Wooden talks to retailers,vendors and distributors to find the truth

SIGNS OF RECOVERY

14Facts and Figures

Hardware Charts 51

GfK Analysis 54

PCRContents

News 7-12

Appointments 12

Brigantia 82Head of the Brigantia trade organisationIain Shaw talks about EU trade directivesand the retailers obligations to warranties

PCA 84Keith Warburton, CEO of the ProfessionalComputer Association discusses themerger with the MTA and what it means

Mac Association 85Robert Peckham, executive director of theMTA reports the history of his organisationand its merger with the PCA

ITACS/NASCR 86The two trade bodies highlight retailing ina recession, plus software piracy

ISSUE 71AUGUST 2009

Games 68Our regular look at the most anticipated games coming outover the next month, including Batman: Arkham Asylum,the new Wolfenstein title and Dawn of Magic 2...

“The plan is to offerevery possibility, foreverybody, in everywalk of life. That’s

part of becoming awhole solutions

provider”

Iain Bristow,Asus

ASUS’ PLANS

21

PCR talks to Asus’ IainBristow about thecompany’s recent productlaunches and future plans

www.pcr-online.bizincorporating

4 PCR August www.pcr-online.biz

PRODUCT FOCUSAn analysis of some of theproducts available fromEnta’s broadportfolio 20

OrangePCR talks to Orange’s businessmanager for indirect channelsMark Simm about how IT retailerscan move in to the mobile trade

73

Mystery ShopperThis month, our Mystery Shoppertakes to the streets of Coventry tosee what the upgrade options areand where is best to buy a GPU

Back to SchoolSoftwareWith educational software salesremaining strong despite therecession, Matt Grainger takes alook at this evergreen market

Mobile ProcessorsSmaller, low power processorshave taken the market by storm.Andrew Wooden takes a look atthe reasons for their popularity

33

43

58

28

With the launch of the new operatingsystem rapidly approaching, we talk toindustry figures about their plans forwhat could be this year’s biggest release

WINDOWS 7

17

EDIMAXCompany Profile 88After two decades of behind the scenesoperation, Edimax is looking to break in to themainstream. UK managing director Kenneth Tehtalks to PCR about the company, its productsand its plans for becoming a Tier One vendor

AVNET/AMD COMPETITION 40The 45nm Phenom II X4 955 has impressedreviewers with its low energy consumption andcompetitive processing power. This month, Avnetand AMD offer the chance to win one of thesepopular, high performance devices

MARKETPLACE 79

Back To SchoolHardwareWith the back to school periodapproaching, Ben Furfie offers around-up of some of the hardwareproducts available on the markettoday

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REPRESENTATIVE bodies in the UKIT channel could be looking to changethe way they operate and regulatemembers, following the uproar createdby a Sky News report exposingfraudulent activities by computerrepair shops in the London area.

The report – which secretly filmed anumber of PC retailers charging forunnecessary repair work and accessing

private information and bank details –prompted strong debate both withinand outside of the channel.

Keith Warburton, CEO of theTechnology Channel Association – thetrade body which counted the worstoffending retailer as a member – toldPCR it was looking for ways to combatrogue traders, but that new measureswouldn’t come for free. “We arestrengthening the Code, but the onlyway to drum out the rogues is to check

out every trader who wants to be partof a trade association; that takes time,which means it costs money, whichthe resellers would have to pay. If wehad to levy, for example, £50 extraevery couple of years for a physicalinspection they wouldn’t be toochuffed. Or perhaps they would?”

John Carter, MD of Fix It local – anational network of PC repairbusinesses acting cooperatively –called for heavier punitive measures

within the industry for membersflouting the law. “My personal belief isthat we should create an environmentwhere companies commit to the samelevels that accountants and solicitorshave to in terms of money laundering.If we can achieve this the rogueswould not only be exposed but go toprison for their misdemeanors.”

Meanwhile, buying group Brigantiaasserted a greater degree of cross-bodycollaboration is required: “This issueis why we introduced the BrigantiaComputer Experts accreditationscheme nationally and why we arecommitted to further developing it.We fully support the work of ITACSand NASCR within our channelalready and look forward todeveloping a relationship with theTCA as things develop.”

NASCR also expressed its shock atthe report, but insisted this is not aproblem indicative to independentretailers, highlighting PC World’spresence in the report.

A spokesperson for DSGi declinedto comment directly on the report,but stated: “We never access personaldata on laptops, personal computersor mobile phones that we repair.”


Industry bodies look to tighter checks and greater cohesion after Sky News report reveals foul play

Rogue trader exposé promptspossible trade body reforms

By Andrew Wooden

SIGN UP FOR THE PC RETAIL NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.PCR-ONLINE.BIZ NEWS

TECHNOLOGY retailer TheCarphone Warehouse is to open fiveto ten more stores in the UK over thenext two months.

The new sites are part of theretailer’s PC and related technologyfocussed stores, internally called‘Wireless World,’ which began openinglast September. The new format storesare larger, and mainly stock laptops,netbooks, gaming devices, mobilebroadband and smart phones.

The retailer plans to have 44 storesin total trading by April 2010

“This is a really exciting time for usat The Carphone Warehouse, as wemove forward with our vision of aWireless World,” Andrew Harrison,chief executive of The CarphoneWarehouse and The Phone House toldPCR. “We will open a further 40 newformat stores by April 2010, which willshowcase the best in wirelesstechnology. The retail environment is

undeniably tough out there but we arewell positioned to help customers getthe best out of this vision, given ourgreat legacy of making complicated kiteasy for customers to understand andget the best out of.”

The news comes alongside theappointment of as Scott Wheway asCEO of Best Buy Europe, TheCarphone Warehouse’s sister firm, asit prepares for the UK rollout of its big-box megastores early next year.

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Carphone Warehouse retail expansion rolls on

‘Cowboy’ PC dealers werehighlighted by a Sky Newsreport (insert) last month

VIEWSONIC is preparing alarge-scale invasion of UKretail this Christmas with newlines of PCs and mediaplayers, having announced itsdramatic diversificationprogramme late last month.

The vendor has built itsbusiness on producingmonitors and projectors, andis utilising this knowledgebase in the expansion,launching netbooks, all-in-onePCs, all-in-one TVs, visualmedia players, mini PCs andportable players, all with a‘visual centric’ design.

The move puts it in directcompetition with the likes ofAsus and Acer in the netbook

space, and many moretechnology giants besides.However, Viewsonic believesits particular angle and brandleverage will ensure a bigsplash at retail this Christmas

“We’re diversifying usingour expertise, our researchand development, ourbackground with the factorysuppliers and the people thatwe know in Asia, to bringnew visual display-centricproducts,” said Ricky Kumar,retail AV manager atViewsonic. “The majority ofthe products will be comingin Q3, and certainly the Q4timeframe for the Christmaspeak period. It’s a big move aswe’ll be in competition withthe likes of Asus and Acer on

the netbook side. What we’llbe doing is leveraging thestrong presence our brand hasin the UK space.”

After the initial Christmasburst, the firm believes itssmaller size will be an asset inthe long term whencompeting with moreestablished hardware vendors,as this will allow it to respondto market trends quicker.

“What we are good at isbeing fast to market,” addedKumar. “We work

with a leaner and smallerstructure than othercompanies as well, so we’ll beable to bring products tomarket much faster thanother vendors.”

Viewsonic prepares retail drive

SENIOR UK executives atPackard Bell and HP haveclaimed that the industry islikely to see a wave ofconsolidation amongst brands– which could leave itresembling the car industry.

Packard Bell UK countrymanager Sylvain Braeme andHP’s consumer businessdevelopment manager BenPerrin told PCR that currenttrends suggest that in the nearfuture the channel could befocused on a handful ofvendors with numerousbrands under their umbrella.

Braeme highlighted PackardBell’s parent company Acer,which also owns eMachinesand Gateway, as a primeexample of the shift. “Yousimply can’t target the wholemarket with a single brand.You have to compromise andthat leaves you at a

disadvantage to a focusedrival. The only way for a singlecompany to cater for thewhole market is to maintainseparate brands that targetdifferent customer bases. Youcan see the same segmentationin the car industry for thatexact reason.”

Perrin used the example ofCompaq to demonstrate howHP is beginning to split itsmarkets based on consumerbrand. “HP stands for therich, premium experience,while Compaq is about justgetting stuff done in a fastreliable way,” he added.

He dismissed concerns thatcustomers might opt for thecheaper brand knowing that itis the same as a higher-tierbrand. “Only people in theindustry really know that theHP and Compaq brands arelinked – the man in the street

doesn’t always associate Toyotawith Lexus for example,despite the fact that they arethe same company.”

However, neither believesthat new brands will emerge asa result of segmentation byvendors. “We may see someold names re-emerge from thechannel’s past, but I don’t seeany new ones appearing,” saidPerrin. “If you look atnetbooks, there has been a raftof non-traditional companieslaunching devices, but the topthree in the market arefamiliar, established names.”

“It may mean increasedlevels of consolidation,especially as more vendorsfollow Acer’s lead,” addedBraeme. “There is definitely amarket for the varioussegmentations of the AcerGroup, as there is for the Fiat,Volvo, Toyota and so on.”

“We work with aleaner and

smaller structurethan other

companies, sowe’ll be able tobring products

to market muchfaster”

Ricky Kumar,Viewsonic

Monitor and projector manufacturer diversifies into PCs and media players � Readies big fourthquarter retail push for Christmas � Claims smaller size will give it an edge in the race to market

By Andrew Wooden

NEWS


Channel to follow car industry model

THE TECHNOLOGY ChannelsAssociation – the new trade bodyformed out of the merger of theformer PCA and the MTA – is eagerto forge alliances with organisations inother sectors, as it looks to provide amore holistic representative force forthe technology industry.

The newly formed body is reachingout to the telecoms and internet sectorsas part of this push, after announcingit would welcome discussions withsmaller organisations in the PC sector“that feel they might benefit by beingpart of a more powerful group”.

“The TCA is engaging with othernot-for-profit trade organisations, as weall have the common goal of makingthe channel a respectable place to dobusiness,” said chairman RobertFrench. “We are speaking to vendors,distributors and buying groups from allsectors of technology channels to buildmore informed networking activity.The results of this will be shown at the

regional meetings across the UKplanned for October 2009.”

The TCA didn’t comment on how itsaw relationships progressing withspecific semi-rival groups in the PCchannel (such as ITACS and NASCR),but founder of buying group BrigantiaIain Shaw said: “If the decks have beencleared and this is a genuine new start,then it will have my support.”

Newly formed trade body looks to forge new alliances with channel players �Brigantia is ‘open minded’ about closer relations after fresh start

SALES FOR peripheral and accessoryvendor Exspect shot up 296 per cent inthe early part of this year, as the firmcontinues to expand its workforce inthe new Stoke-on-Trent offices.

The firm has taken on 14 newproduct development, sales andmarketing staff in the last 12 months,and in that period has also acquired anew Hong Kong office and begunselling into the rest of Europe, theMiddle East and Africa.

Exspect attributes much of theexponential sales jump to the iPod sector.“Our iPod business is considerably up.That played a significant part in it,”said commercial director Neil Meredith(pictured). “For nine months out of 12last year, we were the number one iPodaccessory brand according toChartTrack. It’s also a combination oflistening to customers and developinggood products and services.”

The company is now gearing up forthe September launch of its new website,

and over the next year plans to boostcustomer service and secure recent gains.

“There are a lot of initiatives centredaround the website,” added Meredith.“I’d be foolish to say we’ll have 296 per

cent growth again, so the next stage isconsolidating the new accounts, andthe business we’ve picked up inEurope, Africa and the Middle East.

“We plan to continue servicing theneeds of UK customers to thestandards they’ve been used to, and tobecome a bit more customer friendlyin terms of our support online.”

“Our iPod business isconsiderably up. Our

success is also acombination of

listening to customersand developing goodproducts and services”

Neil Meredith, Exspect

NEWS


By Andrew Wooden “The TCA is engaging with other not-for-profittrade organisations, as we all have the commongoal of making the channel a respectable place

to do business” Robert French, Chairman, TCA

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TCA reaches out towider tech industry

Exspect’s sales skyrocket by almost 300%

Left to right: Robert French, RobertPeckham and Keith Warburton

NEWS


INSTITUTE AIMS TO BREAKDOWN BARRIERSSony, Samsung Design Europe andthe British Film Institute are joiningforces with Kingston University tocreate Digital Media Kingston, adigital skills Master’s Degree coursethat aims to break down the barrierbetween the arts and sciences. “Weneed to move away from theidea that arts people are‘creatives’ andscientists are‘techies’,” saidDMK’sdevelopmentcoordinator,Karen Cham.

HP, SONY ANDTOSHIBA ARESTRONGESTBRANDSProduct datasheetpublisher ICEcat has statedthat HP, Sony and Toshiba are themost popular brands, whenmeasured by datasheet downloads.HP took a strong lead, accountingfor 27.19 per cent, while Toshibaand Sony followed with 2.82 percent and 2.78 per cent brand sharerespectively.

CODEWORK ADDS SYMANTECPORTFOLIOCodework has signed a deal thatwill see it distribute Symantecsecurity products in addition to its

Altiris portfolio. The move comesafter it was announced that the twosecurity firms are to merge,following Altiris’ acquisition bySymantec in 2007. “Codework hasdelivered impressive results since itbecame a Symantec distributorfollowing the Altiris acquisition,”said Symantec spokesperson

Helen Wood.

CYBER-CRIMEWORTH

MILLIONSKaspersky Labshas published areport claimingthat internetcrime generatedover $750

million of revenuelast year. According

to its analyst YuryNamestnikov, botnets

can be used for a multitude ofcriminal activities including DDoSattacks, spamming, phishing andinformation theft.

WD UNVEILS 1TB MOBILE HARD DRIVEThe Scorpio Blue, the world’s first 1TB 2.5-inch mobile hard drive has been shipped by WD.Available in a 750 GB version, the device offers low powerconsumption, cool operation, shockresistance and a transfer rate ofthree gigabits per second. “Theconvergence of the growing mobilecomputing and digital media trendsproduces demand for desktop-likecapacities in portable devices,”commented WD senior vicepresident Jim Morris.

APPLE TABLET SPOTTEDAccording to eyewitness reports,Apple is currently in the process ofmanufacturing a tablet computer,featuring a ten-inch screen, and isracing to ship the device to retailersin time for Christmas.

The touch-screen device willlikely have programs and internetcapabilities that will provide anexperience comparable to laptopcomputing. And various reportsclaim Apple is ready to tie thetablet to digital movie downloads,e-books and music via iTunes.

Speculation is also emerging thatthe tablet will be a destination forgames, too.

PC MARKET SAVED BYNETBOOKSShipments for the PC marketdeclined by 9.8 per cent in thelast quarter, according toresearch from IDC. However,further falls were largely stavedoff by the buoyancy of thenetbook segment, which sawgrowth of 32.9 per cent inWestern Europe.

NewsBytes

FUTURE has rebranded its officialVista magazine to reflect the growingrange of markets that the brand covers,with a full redesign planned for theNovember issue.

From this month, it will be calledWindows: The Official Magazine andcontinues to focus on Vista, but it willalso expand its remit to includeWindows 7, as well as Windows XP,Windows Live and Windows Mobile.

The publisher of Windows: TheOfficial Magazine, Charlotte Morgan,

said that the decision to change themagazine’s name had been taken inconjunction with Microsoft. “The newname not only allows us to cover thenew operating system, but alsoincludes the growing areas of WindowsLive and Windows Mobile.

“Future’s research suggests that manyhouseholds now have two or three PCs,many running different operatingsystems. The title change allows us toclearly cover the three latest versions ofWindows – XP, Vista and Windows 7.”

Future’s Vista titlegets a rebrand

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APPOINTMENTS


Hughes and Heale join ExspectTwo new additions to the peripherals andaccessories team � Lowes to align vendor OKI’smarketing programme � Zen continues staffexpansion and signs Pennington

EXSPECT has taken on KARENHUGHES and MARK HEALE toboost its marketing and finance teams.Hughes joins the company with 21 yearsof experience in the marketing arena,having worked at US Gold and ISM,while her most recent stint was at fieldmarketers Channel Advantage.

Heale joins Exspect from EmpireInteractive, where he spent the last two

years as national account manager forUK retail. He has previously workedwith Sega and spent eight years in theDVD industry.

“As an ongoing commitment todeveloping our overall pool of talentedpeople, being able to bring Karen andMark in is great news for all ourcustomers,” commented Exspect’scommercial director Neil Meredith.

ZEN INTERNET has appointed MICHAEL PENNINGTON asits new Voice Product manager. He brings over 20 years ofexperience to the company, having brought Azzurri Broadband tomarket and has worked with Kingston Communications and NexusTelecoms. “I am delighted to be working with an organisation that isso highly regarded as a provider of premier broadband services andwhom is increasingly being recognised as a key provider of managedIP networking solutions,’ said Pennington.

The printing firm has appointed GRAHAM LOWESas UK marketing director. He will focus on bringingOKI’S product marketing and marketingcommunications departments together.

“I am confident that Graham’s wealth of industryexperience and his expertise in marketing printingsolutions will help us to build further on our recentmomentum and drive competitive edge,” said OKI’s UKmanaging director Phil Scrase.

SNOM TECHNOLOGY, developer and manufacturer of VoIP phones hasappointed NELLY MONKHOUSE as UK sales manager. She will serve as thepoint of contact for Snom’s distributors. Prior to joining Snom, Monkhouse waspartner development manager at telephone software vendor Camrivox.

“Nelly’s extensive experience in IT and telephony sales make her a valuableaddition to our team,” said Snom’s VP of worldwide sales Oliver Wittig. “Herknowledge of the ISP and carrier market will be very important to our UK growth.”

ROB LIVINGS has signed up with digital media specialist AVERMEDIA, wherehe will assist in the development of its national retail and distribution business inline with the company’s expansion plans.

Area: Stoke-on-Trent. Salary: £Competitive – (Subject to suitability)

An excellent opportunity to join a rapidly expanding business dedicated to developing a comprehensive range of high-quality design-led accessories in a number of technology fields.

As a Product Manager you will be responsible for new product introductions to this fast-paced business. You will be part of a skilled development team based in Stoke on Trent working closely with our Hong Kong office, identifying new product opportunities for the company's product portfolio.

We are looking for a team player with a flare for design and an eye for detail. Hitting deadlines is a pre requisite, whilst having an understanding and experience of everything within the gadget world. You will be able to multi-task and remain calm under pressure.

Your daily responsibilities will be:

existing product development

the identification and assessment of new product opportunities

review meetings

This is a fantastic opportunity to progress within a challenging and stimulating environment.

If you are interested in this role please submit your CV to [email protected]

Product Manager (Full-time)

PROMOTE YOUR JOB TO OVER70,000 PEOPLE PER MONTH

PCR print and online offer:

� Quarter page recruitment advert

� Exclusive Careers Spotlight on PCR-online.biz

� Promoted via email newsflashes

Contact Carly Bailey for more information T: 01992 535647 E: [email protected]

Only

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AVERMEDIA

SNOM

ZEN

OKI

EXSPECT

THE PROBLEM with a 24-hour newsculture is that there is a pressure onsome media organisations to presentnew information at a rate that issometimes faster than it actuallyunfolds. The economic recession hasprovided fodder for many a column-inch and TV news segment, the latterof which usually gets to the nub of thematter using some kind of visualmetaphor – often a crashing train set.

The problem is, a deflating economyisn’t quite as tangible or easilydramatised as, say, the Waco standoffin Texas. The minute numericalchanges of a market won’t be front-page news, but the story is still high onthe agenda. So overarching statementsare made – a tangible narrative wovenfrom the numerical matrix, which mostof us don’t really understand. Theselarge scale economic shifts are almostconceptual ideas, rather than actual,corporeal events, and are as such moredifficult to pin down with any absolutecertainty.

Enter the financial analysts whoappear on news programmes,presented as sorcerers who are able totranslate the complex movements of a

free market capitalist economy likerunes in a book on demonology. Butthere’s a problem – they don’t allagree. This puts Joe Public in aprecarious position. While it’s onething to trust an expert to understandthe complexities of a deflatingeconomy, it’s another to choosebetween two experts who disagree,especially when you consider thatclaims have ranged from ‘the economywill be fine by Christmas,’ to ‘thedownturn will last another ten years’.

Thankfully, there are increasingnumbers of reports about ‘greenshoots’ appearing in the economy.More and more experts appear to beagreeing that a small, tentative amountof optimism is not out of the questionwhen it comes to the economy. Whilenot quite a consensus, a growingnumber of voices are making muchmore positive noise than the doomand gloom reports we’ve had over thelast year and a half. And this seems tobe reflected by many who are taskedwith keeping an eye on the UK’stechnology retail sector as well.

“It certainly appears that we areseeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Activity on the run-up to the peakappears to be gathering somemomentum, with manufacturersplanning quite extensive brand orproduct pushes,” says Nigel Stone,CEO at Infinite Group. “Optimismseems higher than it was six monthsago and I get the feeling that somepreviously planned launches or salesdrives were put on hold, rather thanshelved indefinitely. What remains tobe seen is if the peak will be a ‘V’(continuous improving sales) or a ‘W’(a peak, then a decline before we see arecovery). In my opinion, this willdepend on whether customers can beenticed with an enriched offering overthe busiest trading period and thenclear propositions demonstratingcustomer value through 2010.”

In a wider sense, the last couple ofmonths have actually seen growthacross the retail sector, according tofigures compiled by the British RetailConsortium. While the organisationholds this up as a positive sign, itwarns against reading too much into it.

Richard Dodd, head of media andcampaigns at the British RetailConsortium, says: “The figures for

“Financial analystsappear on news

programmes, presentedas sorcerors who areable to translate themovements of the

economy like runes in abook on demonology”

ANALYSIS THE ECONOMY


After a year and a half of gloomy news reports, a growing number of economic analysts aretentatively pointing to possible green shoots in the economy. Andrew Wooden asks whetherthere is any truth to this, and if there are signs of hope for the technology retail sector…

Signs of Recovery?

June this year were reasonably goodcompared to last year, with growthoverall of 3.2 per cent, which is thesecond highest growth we’ve seen thisyear. This shows there are signs thatretailers are doing quite a bit betterthan they were.

“Does that mean the recession isover or that we can be clear that we’reon the way to recovery? The answer tothat is: not necessarily. The last twomonths have shown some good resultscompared to the dire results we’ve hadover the last year and a half, but whatwe haven’t had yet is consistency.”

So there are some positive signs forretailers at the moment, but that isn’t aconclusive indication that the hardtimes are over yet. It’s wise not to letout a breath of relief simply at thechange in tone from commentators,but actual figures are genuinely positive.Let’s hope there’s more to come.

ANALYSIS THE ECONOMY

OPINIONS

DISTRIBUTOR PERSPECTIVE

RETAIL PERSPECTIVE

VENDOR PERSPECTIVE

Michael Breeze, Marketing Director, Interactive IdeasI believe we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel – it just depends on thecompany and industry as to how long the tunnel is. At Interactive Ideas we have managedto post record company revenues in the past two years and there are a number of othercompanies also doing very well. The advantage the IT industry has had on the consumerside is that people still have money to spend, but they’re trying to be more prudent andchanging habits slightly – maybe not going out as much – which then means they’relooking at other forms of entertainment such as gaming, photography, and video making.

Jon Atherton,Commercial Group Vice President, EntaI believe we will see improvement during Q4. Green shoots are developing in terms of carsales, increased mortgage requests, and house prices are increasing.

I also believe that IT is one of the last industries to be affected from a corporateperspective, as IT is now the centre for infrastructure and spend in most organisations.

CK, Owner, YoYoTechWe have seen a polarisation of sales through the quiet period. On the one hand, high-endsystems are selling well – and YOYOTech’s customers are loving all of our pre-overclockeddesigns like the Water Dragon and Fi7EPOWER ranges. On the other hand, smallcomponents like SD cards are also selling well – simply because we’re beating the pricing ofHigh Street majors like Argos by as much as 50 per cent. The challenge seems to be in themiddle ground.

Mark Webb,DSGiCompanies have to look at themselves and react effectively to the changing environment.The companies which will emerge stronger are those that have listened to their customersand adapted their business to focus on the customer.

Tony Riccardi,Sales and Marketing Director, MeshWith desktop sales up more than 50 per cent for July, the market is brilliant for Mesh andwe’re loving it. There’s nothing like a powerful recession to prune out the weakercompanies – leaving only the strongest in the market. Everyone suffered last year, there’s noway of getting away from that. However, our 22 years of experience as the UK’s numberone award-winning system manufacturer stood Mesh in good stead.

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ANALYSIS WINDOWS 7


With less than three months to go until the release of Windows 7, the industry is preparing for whatcould be one of the biggest product launches of the year. Matt Grainger talks to some key figures fromthe Channel to find out what they’re doing and what they expect…

WINDOWS 7 will be available forrelease at the end of October and hasalready received wide-ranging interest.The release candidate has beenavailable for some time, which hasallowed for public testing of theoperating system on an unprecedentedscale prior to its general availability.

The vast majority of reports havebeen positive and with Microsoftmaking a point of communicatingwith users, a huge ongoing marketingdrive and record sales during its pre-order period, the likelihood is that thenew system will be well received.

Microsoft seems determined toavoid making the mistakes thatsomewhat blighted the launch of Vista,and has been working closely with itsretail partners to make sure that theyknow the product and have the right

marketing materials and web content.Many of its partners are able to offerfree upgrade vouchers with sales ofWindows Vista, while participatingretailers were offering copies ofWindows 7 at a discount price on pre-order before selling out completely.

“We have been preparing for thelaunch by selling the various Vistaeditions with an upgrade voucher toWindows 7,” states Enta’s commercialgroup vice president Jon Atherton. “Aswell as this we have also been talkingto other vendors about bundling theirproducts with Windows 7 on theOctober 22nd launch date.”

“We’ve got plenty of the new Vistaproducts that include a free upgradevoucher to Windows 7,” remarks VIP’sMicrosoft product manager MarkLynch. “We want to make sure that

our customers can keep on sellingVista until the arrival of Windows 7 –these new SKUs help eliminateuncertainty with users who may haveconsidered delaying the purchase of anew notebook or PC until then.”

“For now, the emphasis is mostdefinitely on training,” adds VIP’sMicrosoft product specialist PhilBowery. “We have invested lots of timetraining not only our sales team butalso our customers to make sure thatwe’re all ready for the launch.”

Ingram Micro is also placing anemphasis on staff training.

“Ingram Micro are working veryclosely with Microsoft to build thecapability of our sales organisationaround Windows 7, ensuring we have asales force able to address ourcustomers’ needs,” comments Ingram

Opening Up Windows

“It’s being well received,and with the way thatVista was received you

can already see that thenew OS will definitely be

bigger and better”Jon Atherton,

Enta

>>>


Micro’s head of software and mobility,Apay Obang-Oyway. “In addition tothis, we are also working closely withour customers on readiness activitieswithin their own businesses to ensurethey can identify and articulate theopportunities Windows 7 presents fortheir end customers.”

Although some companies cannotbe too forthcoming about their actualplans for the deployment of the newoperating system, it is clear that it willbe a major event for the industry.

“Naturally I can’t disclose anyspecifics at this stage, howeverWindows 7 will be a major productlaunch for Gem and we will reinforceits release with a vast range ofmarketing support,” comments Gem’shead of marketing Neil Handa. “Thiswill certainly include productinformation and awareness to thechannel as well as innovative retail andpoint of sale marketing.”

Much of the reason for theheightened activity around the launchlies in the fact that Microsoft appearsto be more confident about Windows 7than it has been with many otherproducts in its portfolio recently. It hasgood reason to – when the operatingsystem was made available for pre-order at a discount rate, it sold outwithin a day, with some retail partnersexhausting stocks within eight hours.

“Windows 7 is in very high demandand we have already seen an increasein sales due to the voucher being soldwith Vista,” says Atherton. “This is apositive step forward and will only getbetter when the official product islaunched. It’s being well received, andwith the way that Vista was receivedyou can already see that the new OSwill definitely be bigger and better.”

“I anticipate Windows 7 to bepopular and successful and I am surethe channel is looking forward to itsrelease later this year,” predicts Handa.“We are planning for sustainable saleswell into its launch as Microsofttargets both XP and Vista users.Having seen it in action, there is a lotto get excited about. The earlyopinions have been very favourableand the new benefits to users shouldensure it’s well received.”

Spire Technology’s Microsoftproduct manager Andrew Ward is alsoenthusiastic: “Windows 7 is going to behuge. Realistically, I think there are alot of people on XP who will jump

straight in to Windows 7. I havepersonally been using the releasecandidate for the last six weeks and Iabsolutely love it. It’s more efficient,it’s faster and it’s a lot more fluid thanVista ever was – and I’m a Vista fan.”

CCI Distribution’s commercialdirector Mark Wilson agrees about apotentially high conversion rate fromXP users and looks forward to a keyboost during the later half of this year:“Many end users are still using

Windows XP, as they were reluctant tojump to Vista after initial bad pressfollowing its launch. Therefore, thelaunch of Windows 7 during the pre-Christmas run should pick up manyusers who have been waiting toupgrade – and usually, with thepurchase of a new system, comes thepurchase of peripherals and otherassociated products. So, whilst sales inQ3 and Q4 have traditionally beenhigher than Q2, the launch ofWindows 7 should boost the usualseasonality in the IT market.”

Bowery forecasts a positive rippleeffect for other sectors too: “I think wewill see a massive difference with thetake-up of Windows 7 compared toVista. There were many people whowere caught in a dilemma; they wantedsomething newer than XP but theyweren’t keen on Vista. There has beenso much positive press on Windows 7,even from Linux users who have beengenuinely impressed by how responsiveand easy to use it is.

“One of the most notable thingsabout Windows 7 is its resource usage,not just on desktop PCs but onnetbooks – it makes them come alive.I’ve installed the release candidate onan EeePC and it worked brilliantly.”

“For resellers, the release of newoperating systems can be positive forsales of hardware too,” adds Lynch.“Typically, users see it as a goodopportunity to update or even replacetheir PC. I see sales of netbooks inparticular to benefit because the lowresource usage of Windows 7 makes itextremely compatible with them.

“This year’s Microsoft PartnerConference promoted a clear sense ofoptimism and general positivitytowards Windows and Microsoft’sapproach to negotiating through thiscurrent tough climate,” concludesObang-Oyway. “The amount ofpositive press around the Beta releaseinside and outside the industry isevidence of the fact Windows 7 isalready being well received. That theearly adopters programme has beenoversubscribed is yet further evidencethat this is definitely a product that isbeing received very positively.

“We strongly encourage ourcustomers to learn all they can aboutthe potential opportunity of Windows7 and that taking advantage of therelevance and value to organisationaldevelopment is well understood.”

ANALYSIS WINDOWS 7

“This year’s Microsoft Partner Conference promoteda clear sense of optimism and general positivitytowards Windows and Microsoft’s approach tonegotiating through this current tough climate”

Apay Obang-Oyway, Ingram Micro

Apay Obang-Oyway

MarkLynch

NeilHanda

AndrewWard

JonAtherton

MarkWilson

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INTERVIEW ASUS


Having invented what we now consider to be the netbook with the original Eee PC, Asus is boosting itspresence in a number of other ranges, including soundcards and all-in-one PCs. Andrew Wooden talksto Iain Bristow from the technical PR and component product marketing division at Asus…

The netbook sector has obviouslykicked off massively. They arecheaper, which could be attractiveto many in a time of less disposableincome. Has the recession helpedthe whole sector, in this way? When the original Eee PC 701launched, it was the very first of itskind. It was the definition of netbookat the time. There have been a lot ofcompetitors who have seen that ideaand developed their own route, which

is great, and I think it’s good we havesuch a netbook market right now.

Has the recession helped? Possibly.People aren’t willing to spendextravagant amounts of money on anew performance desktop PC just tobrowse the internet. They might wantsomething slightly cheaper whenthey’re out on the move, and becauseof the weight, battery life and theportability of netbooks, they’re theperfect companion to your home PC.

But are they seen like that? A lot ofpeople will look at a netbook andsimply think how cheap computersare these days compared to tenyears ago. Are they being seen ascompanions to ‘home’ PCs byconsumers, or as replacements formore expensive rigs?I think it depends very much on theuser. There seems to be this idea thatpeople see them and think, ‘look, acheap laptop, I’ll buy it.’ For some

Widening the net

“Has the recession helped?Possibly. People aren’t

willing to spendextravagant amounts of

money on a newperformance desktop PC

just to browse the internet”Iain Bristow,

Asus

>>>


people, yes I understandwhere that idea comes

from. But some people might justwant a laptop for their nine or tenyear-old to do their school homeworkon. Would you want to give them a£1,200 laptop? I don’t think Iwould, whereas some peoplemight have a desktop athome but are looking forsomething else to takearound with them.

I think the joy of thenetbook and how that hasevolved is that it’s suitablefor absolutely everyone.They are so easy to use. I gaveone to my young cousin and tomy grandmother. Each of them coulduse it straight out of the box which isreally important – people shouldn’t beafraid of new technologies.

That seems to have been one of thechief reasons for their success. Themass market won’t necessarily knowwhat they’re asking for when theywalk into a shop to buy a PC. But itis widening, and now more andmore people are using PCs. Has thenetbook market pushed thatdevelopment, or followed it?I think netbooks have helped todevelop it. As you say, not too longago you’d look around a store andyou’d be told a machine has an XYZprocessor, XYZ hard drive, and if youdidn’t know what you were talkingabout, it was easy to get very confused.

It’s fine for us in the industry, werecognise the figures. But for someonewho’s not tech savvy and looking fora laptop for university or collegeuse, who needs it to do a fewthings but they don’t want topay the earth for it. You can gointo a store now and see ten-inch, nine-inch sizes, and findone which is ideal for theirindividual requirements. I think theway in which we can experience andtry out the products in stores now isalso very important for their success.

Another category, the all-in-onePCs: do you think they’re on therise? They’re still a niche market, doyou think we’re going to see moreand more of those coming out?It’s a similar idea to where mobilephones were a couple of years ago,before touch screen phones reached

the market. Ifsomeone had saidto me I’ve got a newtouch screen phone, I’dhave thought that was cool, butwonder how easy it would be to use.

The same way you’d have akeyboard on the screen on the phone,

why nothave them

both on a PC? If youjust want something in the

kitchen to browse the internetwhile you’re cooking, for example, it’san ideal solution.

There are so many different

functions for our Eee Top, forexample. You can use them as a

simplistic media centre to playmusic or movies, or browse

the internet in abedroom, living room orkitchen.

Having wall mountedPCs with touch screen

capabilities is quite asignificant leap from the way

we’re mainly using PCs now. As thissort of technology becomes moreavailable, is there going to be a risein products like that?Certainly. Look at all the people whoare using touch screen phones whowouldn’t have dreamed of doing it twoyears ago. The technology is available,it’s getting better and we’re able to domuch more with it. Yes, I definitelythink we’ll start seeing more of them.We’ve actually got some interestingdevelopments planned for thesetechnologies, so keep an eye onupcoming developments.

You launched a number of newproducts recently at Computex.Could you tell us some more aboutthis new portfolio?The biggest launch has to be the MarsVGA. That’s two GTX 285s as a singlegraphics card. So what that does isactually give us the world’s fastest VGAin production. It’s a 25 per centincrease in performance from a GTX295, and it’s going to be a limitededition unit, so there will only be athousand made. It’s very important tous as a demonstration of ourengineering ability and where we comefrom as an OEM. It’s also a goodexample of how we can take ideas,improve upon them, and turn theminto our own product.

The second item that we’re pushingreally strongly at the moment is theXonar Soundcard range. We startedthis about a year ago now with the D2and the D2X. We then released theXonar DX, a cut down Xonar D2X tocater for the mainstream market at acompetitive price point. We’ve alsorecently launched the Xonar DS,which sits around the £40 price pointand offers soundcards to those whodon’t want to go out and spend £200on a super high end soundcard, butwant to get a bit more sound clarity intheir movies, games and music.

INTERVIEW ASUS

“The biggest launch has to be the Mars VGA.That’s two GTX 285s as a single graphics card. So

what that does is actually give us the world’sfastest VGA in production”

Iain Bristow,Asus

>>>

INTERVIEW ASUS

The third thing was thedemonstration of our new P7P55Series of motherboards, which are dueto launch later this year. These boardsall feature our new Xtreme Designconcept, which is the culmination ofnumerous technologies found on Asusboards that allow greater stability andreliability as well as overclockingpotential. That’s going to beaccompanied by our current X58range, which is seeing someimprovements with the addition ofSATA 6G and our Xtreme Designconcept too.

Do any of these represent a changein direction for Asus?The Xonar as a soundcard wasn’tsomething that we’d really donebefore. So that’s an example of wherewe’ve looked at the needs of themarket and identified a good solutionfor our consumers who might notwant an onboard sound solution, butsomething better. So we looked at howwe could do that and decided on theXonar range. The addition ofsoundcards to our portfolio is justanother demonstration of our aim tobe a total solution provider. The MarsVGA adheres quite strictly to our rootsas a business.

What would you say separates Asusfrom the crowd?We’ve been around a very, very longtime now and have just celebrated our20th birthday a few months ago. Isuppose the thing that separates usfrom the crowd is the design and theinnovation that keeps occurring withour products. A few years ago you’dnever have dreamed of being able toboot up your home PC in under 10seconds, to a Splashtop OS to view

your pictures and browse the internet. Instead of trying to have the most

powerful PC on the planet all thetime, we’ve given a lot of attention todeveloping a system that delivers greatpower efficiency, reliability and a highquality experience that ultimately willsave the end user money.

So reliability would be your ethos?Yes. Starting from conception, ourproducts go through an extremelyvigorous testing process. We aim tomake them the most reliable andhighest quality products on themarket, and to offer the best possiblequality for the price.

What’s thewider plan forthe yearahead forAsus?As a businessour core focusis going toremain ondevelopingthe channel,not onlyhelping oursales to growbut also ourretail andresellerpartners. Ourproduct line-up hasbeen expanding rapidlyover the last two years. Sofrom the initial 701 Eee PCs,we’ve now got an advanced range ofEee PCs with solutions for absolutelyeveryone. The plan is to offer everypossibility, for everybody, in every walkof life. That’s part of becoming awhole solutions provider.

“The plan is to offer every possibility, foreverybody, in every walk of life. That’s part of

becoming a whole solutions provider”Iain Bristow,

Asus

While the brand segmentationbetween Packard Bell and the rest ofthe Acer umbrella is a pan-European-strategy, are there anynuances within the UK market thatmakes your approach here different?The UK is a very unique market. It has

a lot of entry-level products andsomebody who is looking

for something nice has,until now, had to pay

the price for it.For us, the real

beauty isbecause we

don’t justhave theone brand,we don’thave to

compromise any of the segments of themarket. It means that Packard Bell canreally focus on the lifestyle segment,and it means that we can reallyconcentrate on people looking for aPC that has a nice look and feel. We’retargeting people who are willing to paya little bit more. I think it’s an entirelynew space that we’re opening.

I know the brand is not really thatwell known in the UK. That is partlybecause we were positioned as anentry-level brand by the Dixons Group.But across the rest of Europe, PackardBell has been known to be a strongmarketing player, with an emphasis onquality and good product marketing.

You say that Packard Bell isn’t reallythat well known in the UK. Can youelaborate on what you mean by that?There was a study done by a consultingfirm that found that people had heardof the brand and could even associateit with computers. But they didn’tknow what type of computers it sold orwhat market it targeted.

Few brands in the technology sector have theheritage and history of Packard Bell. With thebrand re-emerging in the channel, Ben Furfie sitsdown with UK country manager Sylvain Braem tofind out what the strategy is and how resellers willbe crucial to its success…

INTERVIEW PACKARD BELL


Brand newHeavies

In a strange way, it’s very good for usbecause it means that we start with anestablished brand, but without it beingpigeon-holed into a particular marketsegment. It’s essentially a fresh start,which is great for us. It’s one of thesetimes that we can help Packard Bell toachieve a second life.

You said that Packard Bell istargeting those consumers who careabout how something looks, whichinevitably draws comparisons withApple and Sony. Do you feel thatyour price point is a key weapon forcompeting with them?If we examine those brands youmentioned, at our price point, thereisn’t really any competition.

Sony has its own approach – itdoesn’t just do PCs, it has a wholerange of consumer electronics, whichhelps it to leverage its brand equity.

But in turn, you have to pay the pricefor the brand name.

Apple is a very different animal,especially in the PC environment. Itdoesn’t have the same operating systemfor one, and its product are expensive.

I’m just thinking about all thesepeople – they’re the bulk in essence –who may not be able to afford suchbrands, especially in the currenteconomic environment. Until now,they have had to go where 80 per centof the volume in terms of sales is, anduntil now have not be able to buy acomputer with a nice design.

Do you feel that computers havegotten to the point where most aremore than capable of doing what anaverage person wants, and so it isn’tso important to focus on the specs?It’s always going to be the same; somepeople will continue to consider specs.I know people who will want to havethe best PC they can buy for security.They feel by having the maximumcomputer specification they will get thevalue back out of it. However, there arealso some people who say, ‘no, I’m justlooking for a PC based on the tasksthat I’m going to use it for.’

You have the same segmentation inthe car industry, for instance. It’s thesame reason why some people will buya Ferrari, with a super powerful engine,while others will be quite happy with anew Fiat – they’re both part of thesame group, but they cater for differentends of the market.

I really do feel that we’re movingtowards this with the PC industry.There is definitely a market for thevarious segmentations of the AcerGroup, as there is for the Fiat Group.

Could you give us some more detailson your retail and distributionpartners?We are going to have a two-phaseapproach. We’re going to announceabout five to six retailers, with productshitting shelves in the third quarter. Interms of distribution, we have oneconfirmed distributor, which is Micro-P– it’s not going to be a secret as theyare very consumer orientated.

We’re also going to have a second,just to make sure we cover all resellers.The second set of discussions are a lotmore advanced, while with Micro-P,because of its consumer focus, I wouldsay it was a natural choice.

So I feel that by the end of Q4, we’llhave everybody on board. The mainreason for that, and this isn’t a secreteither, is that we have to ramp up – it’snot just like pushing products out, wehave a very marketing-orientatedapproach, so we have to make sure thatwe get the right message to the rightpeople, and take care of them. This isvery central to our business model andthat is why it will be in two phases.

What we want to get across is thatwhile we are certainly going to be insome major retailers, we are keen toinvest in smaller retailers and resellers.It’s one of our top priorities to takecare of all our partners.

“While we are certainly going to be in some majorretailers, we are keen to invest in smaller retailersand resellers. It’s one of our top priorities to take

care of all our partners”Sylvain Braem,

Packard Bell


INTERVIEW PACKARD BELL

HISTORY OF PACKARD BELL

FOUNDED in 1986, Packard Bell hashad a huge amount of influence anda lasting impact on the evolution ofthe home computer.

Initially founded in the US by BenyAlagem after he bought the name,Packard Bell quickly grew to becomeone of the largest consumer brands inthe US. It pioneered a number offeatures that are taken for grantedtoday, such as colour coding fordifferent cables.

A number of acquisitions and dealssaw the group incorporated into NECComputers, creating a $4.5 billioncompany with a 15 per cent marketshare of the US market. However, asCompaq began increasing pressureon the brand’s sales during 1997,Packard Bell recorded a $1bn loss.That eventually led to the departureof Alagem in 1998, while continuedprice pressure saw NEC withdraw thebrand from the US market in 2000.

Despite the problems the brandhad in the US, it continued to be asuccess in the European marketduring the late ‘90s and early ‘00s,thanks in part to its exclusive retailpartnership with the Dixons Group.

In September 2006, the founder ofeMachines John Hui bought thebrand from NEC. Under thesupervision of its new parentcompany, Packard Bell BV moved itsoperations to the Netherlands.

A year later, the Chinese vendorLenovo confirmed its interest in thebrand as part of plans to push intothe European sector. However, it wasbeaten to the post by Acer, whichused Gateway’s ‘first refusal’ clause topurchase Packard Bell in September2007.

By January 2008, Acer was able toconfirm that it had acquired acontrolling interest of 75 per cent inthe company.

PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the hardware market

Hardware


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

BACK TO SCHOOLHARDWAREWith the new school year just around the corner, wehighlight essentialequipment for students...

>>>

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Our intrepid shopper heads toCoventry for a new graphics card

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The PC giant discusses its plansfor the future

HARDWARE � MYSTERY SHOPPER


CoventryThis month our Mystery Shopper strolls the concrete avenues of Coventry,exploring the opportunities available for those who wish to upgrade theirPCs. With a number of graphics cards recently arrived on the market, it wasfelt that sales advice would be plentiful...

UPON ENTERING the store, I could see it was very quiet; only a handful of customers were present. Iwalked through neatly presented aisles, which clearly stated the latest deals available to prospectivebuyers. The only negative point was the look of the store carpet, which was dull, grey and looked likeone too many customers had passed its way.

After I found the computer section, my first observation was that it was not manned by staff and,despite it being quiet, my presence there did not give any of the in-store team the impetus to try andengage with me to ascertain if I needed any assistance. After waiting for about 11 minutes, I decidedto go and seek out a member of staff.

Eventually, I found a lady who assisted me. I informed her that I was looking for a graphics cardand she stated that she didn’t believe that Currys sold them.

This was a disappointing visit, as with Currys covering all product genres, I would naturally haveexpected there to be some upgrade products available to support the PCsthat were sold within the store.

SummaryThe member of staff at the store was very helpful and polite, although wasunable to provide any graphics cards for purchase.

SCORE

6/10

CURRYS



THE STAPLES store was much brighter than the twoprevious stores; the music was not loud, the aisles wereclean and everything was clearly marked with prices.

I walked around near the desktops and laptops. Despitethe store also being quiet, no staff were around the area orwilling to approach me. I could see that they were allcongregated at the front of the store.

Once again, I walked around for about 10 minutes beforehaving to walk to the front of the store to approach a ladyand ask her for assistance.

The staff member would not move from the front of thestore and called upon another of her colleagues to help. Hecame out to me and I explained to him what I was lookingfor. He seemed confused and did not understand what Iwanted to purchase. As a consequence, he asked hismanager for assistance. I had to explain to the managerwhat I was looking for and he took me over to the sectionwhere they were kept. When we got to the section, hediscovered that they do not sell them anymore, althoughthey had done in the past, or so he informed me. I mustadmit to leaving the store more than a little perplexedabout the whole experience.

SummaryIt was clear why customers areshopping more and more online.The third retailer that stockedcomputers, but no upgrade path.

SCORE

5/10

STAPLES

THIS STORE was right next to Currys and was slightlybusier. One of the customers in the store was engaged witha member of staff.

Sadly, I wasn’t greeted or acknowledged by any of theremaining store staff, despite there being several of themstanding in the store foyer area. It did not make me feel likea particularly valued customer.

I walked around the computer section and noted thateverything was very neatly displayed. The end-cap offerswere clear and stated a range of money savingopportunities to entice customers. As I looked around thestore, I could see a gentleman looking at the satellitenavigation display clearly looking for some help. However,the rear of the store was neglected by the store staff thathad congregated at the front.

After 15 minutes of waiting, I took it upon myself toapproach a member of staff, who immediately told me thatthey do not sell graphics cards, but could recommend anearby store called Eclipse.

Again, as with some others, this was a disappointing visit,but it was nice to get a recommendation.

SummaryThe store staff were very helpfulonce prompted, but again this was anational retailer that did not sell anygraphics cards.

SCORE

6/10

COMET

>>>

Turn the page for moreMystery Shopper results

THIS STORE is in the City centre and it did not take me long to find it. Iwalked in to a very quiet store; there was just one customer being served.

The store looked untidy and the carpet was very dirty. There was a greatdeal of point of sale material stating various offers, with a highly prominentand striking tennis themed display reinforcing a national TV advertisingcampaign for a recent game release.

I walked around the store for about five minutes looking for graphicscards; there were clearly not any in the store.

I approached the two staff members, who were more interested in talkingto each other than serving any customers, and asked about graphics cards.They advised me that they do not sell them and looked at me blankly. Norecommendations were given.

SummaryI appreciate that not all stores sell graphics cards,but a little more attention to customer service mayencourage me to shop there again.

SCORE

6/10

GAME

OUTSIDE there was a black speaker playingmusic to create attention and draw incustomers. As I walked around, I noted thateverything was clearly labelled and there werelots of clearance offers available, fromcomputer components to solar power gardenlighting. I strolled in and out of the aisles to findwhat I was looking for, but with no success.

There were very few staff in-store, so afterten minutes, I decided to wait in the queue toget served and get some assistance.

As I waited in line, I overheard the staffassistant asking a customer if they had acatalogue at home. The customer said that hecurrently just looks online, at which point hewas advised by the staff member that thecatalogue has £150 worth of vouchers insidewhich could be spent in store. Herecommended that the customer should getone and take advantage of the offers – a nicetouch and good customer retention tool.

When I approached the staff member Ihighlighted what I was looking for.

He asked me what card I was currently using,and told me that a higher gig card would bringabout greater benefits, which he kindly outlined.

He showed me the packaging and highlightedthe HD features, stating that you could use it forplaying HD content with incredible visual fidelityand to watch Blu-ray movies.

He recommended two products: the ATIRadeon HD4670 1GB PCI-E Graphics card,priced at £99.99 and the ATI HD3650 512MBPCI-E card at £59.99. He also recommendedthat l get an HDMI cable.

Overall, this was a very good visit, as the staffmember had a wealth of knowledge and gaveme clear direction for future purchase.

SummaryA superb level of supportgiven. I would havebought from this storeand its attentive staff.

SCORE

9/10

MAPLIN

THE TOP SCORES:

1 MAPLIN

2 PC WORLD/ECLIPSE

3 CURRYS/COMET/GAME

4 STAPLES

This Mystery Shop was conducted by infinite Field MarketingSolutions, a leading provider of field marketing services tothe technology sector.

The solutions provided include Training, Market Research,Mystery Shopping, Demonstration Days, Roadshows,Merchandising and Compliance & Data Capture.Visit our website for details and to request a Case Study.

THE STORE was not easy to find; however,when I did find it I walked into the tradeentrance. I waited for about five minutes andasked a gentleman who was standing there if Iwas in the right section. He kindly pointed outthat there is another entrance.

First impressions were very good; whenwalking through the correct entrance I notedthat this independent store was clean,organised, with everything well laid out andprices were clearly stated.

I looked around the store and then lookedtowards the counter. I was greeted by a smilingstaff member who offered me help andassistance. I explained my requirements to himand he immediately knew what I was lookingfor. He took the time to make sure that he wasgiving me sound advice and wasrecommending the right product.

He told me that he had found the right onefor my requirements, checked stock on hissystem and went to get it from the back. I wasshown a Sapphire Radeon HD4650 1GB DDR2priced at £53.99: this was much cheaper thanPC World’s £67.99.

The staff member explained that there weretwo options available; a 512GB and a 1GBversion. He stated that the more information thegraphics card can store, the better the picture –as it stores more information to send out.

I asked how easy it would be to install and hegave me an overview of what I needed to do.He also recommended that I get an HDMI cable.

Overall he was excellent; he made sure that Iunderstood all the information he gave to me.He used ‘layman’ terms to get complicatedtechnical messages across, which for manypeople would have been appreciated.

SummaryVery helpful, showing thetype of personal serviceyou would expect froman independent.

SCORE

8/10

ECLIPSESITUATED IN the same Retail Park, this was alarge PC World store. I walked though theentrance and could clearly see what offers theyhad available. There was a strong emphasis onprinter and TV packages.

I looked around for graphics cards for about10 to 15 minutes. During this time no staffapproached me or offered support. As aconsequence, I made my way over to the TechDesk to ask for help.

Someone eventually came out to see me andasked how he could help. I told him that I waslooking for a graphics card that would becapable of streaming Blu-ray to a HDTV. Iadvised him that I currently have a PCI-Expresscard, at which point he told me that it did notmatter what I have. Consequently, his initialtone came across as condescending.

We walked over to large selection of graphicscards on display and he recommended twocards to me: Sapphire Radeon HD4560 – 1GBDDR2 priced at £67.99 and the Sapphire RadeonHD4650 – 512MB DDR2 priced at £69.98.

He told me that I was better off buying a 1GBas it was cheaper. When prompted andquestioned about DDR2, he told me that it is theway the memory is formatted. He also told methat you could use the graphics card to playgames and watch Blu-ray discs on.

After overcoming the initial blip with thismember of staff, I found him very helpful andwhen we got into the flow of conversation hegenuinely had a good understanding of theproducts and my requirements. Therefore, Iwould definitely recommend PC World to getadvice. The only down-side was the length oftime I had to wait around for someone toengage with me.

SummaryExcellent service oncewe had passed theinitial hiccup.

SCORE

8/10

PC WORLD



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AVAILABLE NOW

THE back to school season is upon usagain, and with it comes a hugedemand for a wide variety ofeducationally focussed products.

The shopping period is unique inthat it presents opportunities for bothretailers and resellers. On theconsumer side, there are plenty ofcategories that are predicted to performwell, including netbooks and storagedevices. On the schooling side,Windows XP Pro laptops, networkingand storage are expected to see highdemand from customers.

“It’s potentially the most importantpart of the year,” states commercialdirector of CCI Distribution, MarkWilson. “Around 25 to 30 per cent ofrevenue in the third quarter can beattributed to back to school sales.”With so much revenue potential, it

really shouldn’t come as a surprise thatother distributors agree with Wilson.“Back to school is one of the busiesttimes of the year for most IT hardwareresellers,” adds product manager atVIP, Darren Jackson.

STORING UP POTENTIALA recurring message from thedistributors and vendors interviewed isthat availability of cheap storage hasfundamentally revolutionised the waythat schools and pupils handlepersonal information such ashomework and coursework.

“We always see a spike in demand atthis time of the year due to the back toschool season,” comments Kingston’sregional director for UK and IrelandAnn Keefe. “Prior to all new schoolterms, and particularly during the

summer before the new universityintake, we see an increase in sales ofUSB flash drives.”

Jackson puts the increase in demandfor portable storage down to thechanging nature of school’s interactionwith IT: “As technologies haveadvanced, lessons and homework havebecome much more interactive andcreative. As images and videos havebecome more integrated into schoollife, the demand placed upon storagerequirements has grown.”

In particular, USB drives have beena key product. “Today, storage is muchmore flexible, allowing you to easilyback-up information and move yourcontent around with you,” saysSanDisk’s regionalmarketing manager,Nikki Willcock. >>>

HARDWARE � BACK TO SCHOOL


“Back to school is oneof the busiest times of

year for most IThardware resellers”

Darren Jackson,VIP

With the back to school season in full swing, Ben Furfie sits down with several executives from theeducation hardware market to discover the key trends in the sector…

Hard schooling

[ ]APPLE RANGE

Thanks to Apple’s dominance of the creative industries, Macs have becomeessential hardware on many design, photography, video and music courses.Add to that its desirable brand and you have computers that are guaranteedto be a hit with those in further and higher education.

Distributor: Ingram Micro, Westcoast

CONTACTS

Arrow: 01279 441 144

Avenues Europe: 01217 072 531

CMS Computers: 0844 800 6100

Computer 2000: 0870 060 3344

Computer Gear: 0121 503 0666

Computers Unlimited:0208 358 5858

Dell: 0844 444 4699

Ingram Micro: 0870 166 0160

Interactive Ideas:0208 8805 1000

Monarch: 0115 982 1771

Stone Computers:01785 812 100

Target: 01977 739 300

Westcoast: 0118 912 6000

Widget: 01438 842 362

“Low cost storagedevices such as USB flash

drives offer pupils much moreflexibility than in the past,” adds Keefe.“They can work on a pool PC at schooland then take work back home.”

Indeed, storage has had such animpact that distributors who have nottraditionally been involved in theeducation market have seen uplift indemand around the peak times of theyear. “It has become increasinglyimportant over the past four to fiveyears,” comments Meroncourt salesdirector, Steve Walsh. “Each year we

see an increase in revenue from thisperiod. USB pen drives have beenfairly constant in sales volumes.” Walshput this down, in part, to falling pricesfor wholesale memory. “While thecapacities have increased, prices haveremained the same. Three years ago1GB and 2GB were the norm, now it’sfour, eight and 16GB.”

PRICE VS BRANDInevitably, price comes into theequation, especially with the budgetlimitations for schools and localeducation. However, as Interactive

Ideas’ Andy Miles stresses, valuedoesn’t always mean cheap. “Educationis an area we believe should not becompromised on by buying in lowquality products through pushes forbudget cuts and we don’t expect this tobe the case either.”

The same applies across thespectrum for pupils and the schools, headds: “A brand is not necessarily aguarantee of a good or bad product,just as the same can be said for price.So we are expecting schools and pupilsalike to be searching beyond the firstbrand or price they see.”

Some feel that the whole debate isno longer relevant. “I would potentiallysuggest neither,” argues VIP productmanager Chris Bloxham. “Pricing hascome down over the past few years, sopurchasing a new notebook or netbookis not the investment that it once was.”

On the flipside, many of thechannel experts we spoke to said thatultimately, it came down to the child.“Brand has a very important part toplay in the selection process. The pupilwill understandably want to select a‘cool’ brand that will improve others’perception of them, whilst packing

[ ]INTEL CLASSMATE

Available in two models – a traditional clamshell and clamshell tablet – Intel’sClassmate range has been designed specifically for the needs of schools andpupils. With rubberised shells, handles and a touch-screen in the tabletversion, few devices are as specialised for the education market as this.

Distributor: CMS Computers

[ ]EPOCH NOTEBOOK CASE

Capable of holding a 15.4-inch laptop, the Epoch is a lightweight design thatutilises soft but durable materials. It carries a protective notebookcompartment with file and organiser sections for paperwork and cables, plussoft grip handles and permanently attached shoulder strap for portability.

Distributor: Avenues Europe

>>>

[ ]



[ ]

[ ]

DELL LATITUDE 2100

Dell has created a laptopspecially designed for theneeds of pupils, teachers andIT technicians. The Latitude2100, Dell says, is affordable,durable and internet ready. Italso features rubberisedcasing to make it strongerand less likely to getdamaged in transit.

Distributor: Dell

ROCK RANGE

Rock may have originally been ahigh-end consumer gaming brand,but its purchase by educationvendor Stone Group opened up itsperformance products to a newmarket. The PCs are ideal forenvironments when schools needpower, or students want to be ableto use their computer forentertainment.

Distributor: Stone Group

enough punch to cope with theworkload,” senior campaigns managerat Ingram Micro, Daniel Lewis states.

Target’s marketing manager CarolineSpillane agrees, adding that parents areswayed by familiar brands: “They areoften advised what to buy by the child,who is likely to be brand orientated.”

A DELAY ON THE CARDS?The arrival of Windows 7 and SnowLeopard after the school year beginshas resulted in genuine worries fromresellers and retailers that consumersand schools may be put off buying.

Many on the distribution side dofeel the late arrival will impact sales, oneither side. “Despite Windows 7coming this October, schools are moreconcerned with sticking with WindowsXP Pro,” claims education manager atSpire, Neil Reynolds. “Their maindesire is that there will not be anyconflict with anything: it’s all going togo in and work. When they have tochange, they will do the change then.”

On the consumer side, the Vistaupgrade scheme will solve many ofthose problems, adds Lynch. “I don’tthink we should see any problems.

From an end user’s point of view, theycan buy the latest Vista now and stillget the free upgrade to Windows 7when it is released so I don’t thinkthey will be disappointed.”

APPLE IN THE EYEOne interesting development withinthe educational market over the pastcouple of years is the increasingintroduction of Apple hardware. Whilemany of the key programs such asWord and Excel are available on Macs,buying trends suggest the hardware apupil’s school uses has an impact on

their own purchasing decisions.“Pupils who are used to using Apple

hardware are more likely to return backto the brand when making their ownpurchasing decisions,” concurs Daniels.“Those who are more familiar with PCtechnology or are looking for a lowerinitial purchase price are more likely tostick with a well-known PC brand.”

Spillane agrees with thisobservation, adding: “Cheap licenceson Microsoft software for schools anduniversities, which extend tohome use too, tend to alsoencourage PC use.” >>>

[ ]SANDISK ULTRA BACKUP USB FLASH DRIVE

Described by Sandisk as the first product of its kind,the Ultra Backup USB Flash Drive features the abilityto back up all information stored on a computer atthe push of button, without the need to use cablesor install software. Available in capacities upto 64GB, it has been designed for ease ofuse and security of the data stored.

Distributor: Arrow

[ ]LAPCABBY RANGE

Monarch’s LapCabby range oflaptop and netbook storagesolutions have been designed for themodern school environment andfeature a number of inbuilt facilities,such as on-board charging andpower management systems. Asidefrom the safety design, whichprevents children from accessing thepower compartment, it also featuresvents to prevent damage to theproducts by keeping thecompartments cool.

Distributor: Monarch

[ ]KINGSTON

Kingston’s range of DataTraveler USB memory sticks provide a wideselection of features, ranging from ease of use through to ultra-highcapacity. In particular, its 101 range – available with up to 16GB ofstorage – has been designed for the education market, with the ability tobrand the device with school or pupil details, as well as a protectivecover to prevent damage and loss of important school work.

Distributor: Computer 2000, Ingram Micro



[ ]MESSENGER TRAVELLER BAG

This item has been designedfor users who are looking fora stylish, useful laptop bagthat can also double up as apractical document case. Aswell as a notebookcompartment that isprotected by high-densityfoam padding, the Travellercarries a large accessorypocket and zipped sidepouches. Available in red,blue or black.

Distributor: ComputerGear

Call 01423 704700 or visitStorage • Tape Media • MultimediaBackup • Networking • Flash MediaCommunication and much more...

Stock up now to meet theback to school demand

8x External Slimline DVD ROM

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BlackCCI Part No. 32589LiteOn Part No. ETDU108-02

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2.5" 500GB External USB (Espresso Black)

Call for pricingCCI Part No. 33000Hitachi Part No. FS-U25/500E

Introducing the Signature Minifamily of bite-size drives,bursting with tasty ingredients.Supple and resilient to the touch,with a positive velvety grip,they're designed by our friends atPininfarina, the icon of Italiansports car design since 1930.Just plug one in, and inside you'llfind smart ways to protect andmanage all your precious data.• Durable and made for travel• High speed USB-2 "Y" cable

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2.5" 320GB External USB (Black Cherry)

Call for pricingCCI Part No. 32995Hitachi Part No. FS-U25/320H

19" LCD TV/Monitor with DVB-T Tuner

Available now from

£140.63*ex.VAT

CCI Part No. 31718LG Part No. M1994D

This digital TV monitor from LGoffers a multi-purpose all-in-onedisplay solution for a variety ofPC and home entertainment.Enjoy easy and convenient accessto various AV devices such as Blu-rayTM players, video gameconsoles & camcorders.• DVB-T integrated TV Tuner• 20,000:1 contrast ratio• 5ms response time• DVI/HDMI• 3 year warranty

Media Player HDMI500GB

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CCI Part No. 32516LG Part No. HXF1P50FB

The LG XF1 is a mobile hometheatre solution, store and viewyour media content on this ultrastylish portable device.• Full HDMI connectivity • Supports MPEG 1/2/4, AVI

(MPEG4, Xvid), MOV (MPEG4) • 500GB storage capacity • Play and Play USB connectivity

Laptop Stand USB-2

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CCI Part No. 33095Sweex Part No. DS021

• Adjustable Platform Design• Comfortable Wrist Rest• Built-In 4-Ports USB-2 Hub• On/Off Switch-able Cooling Fans• 4 positions adjustable platform• 2 x 80 mm cooling fans• Independent of operating system

USB MultimediaKeyboard

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CCI Part No. 31818Sweex Part No. KB060UK

Full Size multimedia keyboard inblack, with USB connector and130cm cable. Comes with 13hotkeys!• Ideal for Multimedia work• Supports Windows 2000, XP

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USB Optical Mouse

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CCI Part No. 30138Sweex Part No. MI501

Comfortable and stylish USB 3 button mouse.• 3 buttons and Scroll

function• Resolution: 800 CPI• Plug and Play

Maxxum Back Pack

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CCI Part No. 28968Swissgear Part No. GA-7303-13F00

• Made by Wenger, makers of thegenuine Swiss Army knife

• Fits notebooks with screen sizesup to 15.4"

• Shock absorbing shoulder straps& adjustable chest strap

• iPod/Music player pocket

Potomac Roller Case

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CCI Part No. 28975Swissgear Part No. GA-7466-14F00

• Made by Wenger, makers of thegenuine Swiss Army knife

• Includes extra 15"/15.4"notebook case

• Easy-Glide Skate Wheels • Expanding Files

OpticalDrives Storage Displays

ConsumerElectronics

Peripherals

Visit ccidistribution.co.uk for realtime stock availability and pricing.

* Pricing is correct at the timeof print and is subject tochange without notice

[ ]FLIP RANGE

The Flip Video device has proven popularwith consumers and according todistributor Widget, major resellers such asRM and Tag Learning have already startedordering the devices due to demand fromschools. Institutions from primary schoolsthrough to university are among thoseusing them for various types of work.

Distributor: Widget


[ ]WACOM INTUOUS 4E

Popular with high schools, colleges and universities, Wacom’s graphics tablets are an essential toolon many creative courses. The Intuous 4 is a high-end device with a wide working area. However,they are expensive, so for those who wish to own their own tablet, the vendor’s consumer Bamboorange is a viable alternative.

Distributor: Computers Unlimited

[ ]VEHO DISCOVERY USB MICROSCOPE

With a zoom factor of x400, Veho’sDiscovery VMS-004 USB microscope is idealfor science-based environments. It has a fulladjustable stand, two-megapixel lens andcan take stills or record movies. Whether itis for a student’s coursework, or for theteacher to demonstrate via a projector orwhiteboard, it has the potential to changethe way schools do science.

Distributor: Target

[ ]DIGITAL BLUE DIGITAL VIDEOMOVIE CREATOR 3

Along with the Flip, Digital Blue’sDigital Movie Creator comes witheverything teachers need tointroduce their pupils to theprinciples of recording video andediting. Using SD cards, eachcamera can record two hours offootage per 1GB and its includedsoftware is easy to use.

Distributor: Interactive Ideas

Power effi ciency is important to us and saving energy has so many positive outcomes it should be important to you to. Using 16 Voltage Regulation Modules or VRM’s, our mother-boards can correctly modulate power fl ow and can reach a power effi ciency of up to 96%. Combining this effi ciency with out heat dissipation technology, we can ensure this is done whilst keeping the motherboard as cool as possible. Not only do you save power, but your motherboard will last longer. Us-ing 100% Japanese made high quality conductive polymer capacitors, our 16-Phase VRM design ensures a longer com-ponent life, minimum power loss and higher stability when overclocking!

Xtreme Design features the innovative Stack Cool3+ to enhance motherboard component longevity and reduce temperatures. It is a feature that was re-engineered from the original cooper cooling innovation of the ASUS P5E64 WS motherboard intro-duced in 2008. It also features top quality VRM components, which include: Low RDS (on) MOSFETs, Ferrite core chokes and high quality, Japanese made conductive polymer capacitors.

Unsurpassed safety standards are incorporated in the Xtreme Design series of motherboards for safe operations. ASUS follows stringent Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) testing practices that are 30% more rigorous than any other industry benchmarks. The new motherboards have excep-tionally low EMI emissions and together with a low Electro-static Discharge (ESD) and the Q-Shield I/O bracket, EMI is signifi cantly reduced to prevent any negative health impact and potential damage to components.

THE competition between theprocessor powerhouses used to bemuch like an arms race, with Intel,ARM, AMD or Texas Instrumentsfiercely competing to get the fastest,most powerful piece of technology outto market before the other.

Power and speed was the only realconcern, which drove rapidtechnological advancement across thePC sector – often to the frustration ofconsumers, who found their top of therange £2000 desktop had beensuperseded in a couple of months.

There is still that element ofcompetition at the top end of theindustry, of course. However theconsumer market for the mostpowerful PC is usually confined to thegaming sector. While this is profitable,it is niche. Less powerful, moreportable computers is the currentwonder-sector of the industry.

According to IDC figures, whileoverall PC sales contracted during thefirst quarter of 2009, the portable PCmarket performed ahead ofexpectation, maintaining growth. Thishas been chiefly attributed to the riseof the ‘mini-notebook’ segment and‘additional momentum generated bythe telco channel’.

The growing importance of this lesspowerful, but cheaper and moreportable category has meant thetechnology that drives them is nolonger an afterthought, it’s animportant part of the major chipfirms’ businesses. And as capabilitiesof smart phones increase, there is alsotechnological and functional crossoverbetween them and PCs, creating akind of meta-sector, which togetherforms a massive market.

“The trend towards slimmer,smaller, lighter devices is continuing,

but we’re also seeing the emergence ofnew categories of devices asmanufacturers take advantage ofincreasingly powerful mobilearchitectures to bring new formats andform factors to market,” says BeaLongworth, Nvidia’s senior corporatecommunications manager for EMEAI.

“The current economic climate ispushing consumers towards embracingthe convenience and affordability ofmobile devices, so there’s a greatappetite for these smart phones andnetbooks which can become people’sprimary computing devices.”

The idea of having netbooks as aprimary computer is contrary to whatmany PC vendor and retailers insist –that those computers should only beused as a supplement to a home PC,which is inevitably more powerful andexpensive. However since the newfrontier of PC sales are new users, who

“The current economicclimate is pushing

consumers towardsembracing the

convenience andaffordability of

mobile devices”Bea Longworth,

Nvidia

HARDWARE � MOBILE PROCESSORS


>>>

Turn the page formore

With the drive for portability and more compact computing power, mobile processor development isoften just as important as that of driving the most powerful top end products. Andrew Woodeninvestigates how they are driving changes in smaller devices and what we can expect in the future…

Size isn’t everything

HARDWARE � MOBILE PROCESSORS

often only really want to browse theinternet and send emails, they are infact proving adequate primarycomputers for many people. Alongsidethis, however, are the greaterprocessing requirements of richermedia such as HD video. As thenetbook matures, what is emerging is aspectrum of lower priced devices withvarying levels of capability, all of whichare driven by the processing capability.

“The biggest change is theintroduction of a whole new marketsegment – mini-notebooks and ultrathin notebook processors have in turnreflected this change in complexity,”says Andrew Buxton, EMEA channeldirector for AMD. “Of course we’vealso seen the constant rise inperformance requirements, especiallyrelated to multimedia and HDcapabilities, as entertainment on thenotebook is a key focus area forconsumers. As far as netbooks areconcerned, it is our belief that usersare not satisfied with the level ofperformance that they are getting onthese devices. The ultra-thin platformon the other hand offers good levels ofperformance and allows users not onlyto work more efficiently, but also to beentertained, play games and watchhigh definition movies on HD-capablepanels and external monitors.”

The creation of these new segmentsand the evolution of established onesis likely to mean that perceptions willcontinue to change.

“There have been a a couple of bigstories in mobile computing over thelast twelve months – smart phones andnetbooks,” says Kris Rodolf, Europeanmobility manager at Intel. “Thoughsmart phones are changing consumerperceptions of what a mobile phonecan provide them, from ourperspective the biggest shake up inmobile computing has been the launchof the Atom processor. With the Atomand netbooks, more people are gettinga good internet experience than everbefore. For laptops, the new ultra-lowvoltage CPUs from Intel mean thatultra-thin laptops are now amainstream and commonplace reality.”

This change in emphasis – awayfrom being mainly concerned with thenext most powerful product – has notonly helped drive the huge rise innetbooks, but created a wide spectrum

of end products with varyingcapabilities and prices. As top-lineresearch and production continues inthese areas, the most likely outcome isyet more segments. However the

mainstream consumer base won’t be asfamiliar with the ebbs and flows of theindustry as those working within it.The addition and evolution ofcomputer sectors can add to theproblem of erroneous expectations ofwhat a particular PC can actually do.More choice isn’t a bad thing for salesor the trade, but it can pose problems.Effectively communicating thediffering capabilities, as ever, will bethe best way to maximise on the newsegments, and not get stung by them.

“The ultra-thin platform offers good levels ofperformance and allows users not only to workmore efficiently, but also to be entertained, play

games and watch high definition movies”Andrew Buxton,

AMD

Kris Rodolf

Nvidia’s Bea Longworth AMD’s Andrew Buxton

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How has the channel changed fromwhen HP first entered the UK?It has gone from being a small, focusedmarket, shared between the bigspecialist multiples and theindependents, down to being quite afragmented market.

Traditional retailers like DSGi,Comet, Staples, John Lewis andindependents now have to vie forspace in the available market withemerging competitors like Tesco,Morrisons, Sainsburys, CarphoneWarehouse, T-Mobile and Orange.

As the world number one, HP isinextricably linked to that story. Youhave to base your strategy around itand you have to remain very close toit. Fundamentally, you have to ensure

you are where customers want to buy,and are giving them the products andthe service they are looking for.

I actually see all this turbulence thathas happened in the market over thepast couple of years as very healthy.It’s given all sorts of people theopportunity to buy what they want inall sorts of places. I think that’s a goodmeasure of progress.

How important has the focus on allkey segments, such as Home, SoHo,SME and Enterprise, been to HP’ssuccess in the marketplace?Our breadth is the reason for oursuccess and this is something thatapplies to everything we do. We are inmany countries around the world,

which means that we can use that sizenot just for purchasing power, but alsoif there are countries that are having adifficult time financially, you canbalance your business against thosethat are doing well.

Also, by having a diverse portfolioof both products and channels, youcan have a much better balancedbusiness and you are much lesssusceptible to the strange little peaks,troughs, and idiosyncrasies of each ofthose channels in isolation.

What is the most important part ofyour business in the UK?The reality is that they are allimportant. It goes back to my previousanswer – our parts are all by definition

HARDWARE � HP


As the world’s largest PC vendor, HP’s brand enjoys a status equal to corporate giants such asMcDonald’s and Coca-Cola, and is integral in the direction of the industry. Ben Furfie sits down with BenPerrin, HP’s consumer business development manager to find out what has changed about the vendorsince it entered the UK, and what it has in store for the channel…

Getting

personal“I actually see all thisturbulence that has

happened in the marketover the past couple ofyears as very healthy”

Ben Perrin,Hewlett Packard

important, they are allcomponent parts of the businessstrategy to be diverse in product,geography and channel. In termsof the UK specifically, consumersales through retail are a big partof our business.

Your ‘The Computer IsPersonal Again’ campaign hasbeen running for some time.How successful has it been?It’s been very successful. Thestandard measures of success youwould apply to that are brandworth, and our brand worth hasbeen constantly in the top 15over all – this is up there withthe big global brands you wouldthink of straight away likeMcDonalds, Disney and Coca-Cola. HP is consistently in thetop 15 most valuable brands onearth, and a big part of that isglobal, consistent messages thatthe computer is personal again.

Secondly, we are a clear globalnumber one in the PC business.Of course that is a function ofvarious limbs of our strategy. One bigone is our marketing campaign. Thereis a genuinely resonant note about theslogan ‘The computer is personalagain’ – that reaches out to people. Itseems to make sense to the public.

And then if you back that up withproducts that are personal, so you caneither make the software veryintuitive, so that they can customisethe product, or you allow them toattach all sorts of different accessories,so that they can configure the productto be exactly as they want it to be.

The Compaq name has beenremerging after a couple of years ofbeing quiet. How important is thebrand to HP?The Compaq brand is very muchabout products that are below the£400-£500 price range; it is a veryaggressive price point in the market.

In the UK, that segment is adisproportionately large part of themarket. But there are opportunities tosupply the very best technology, bothin power and quality at that pricepoint, and that is what we areplanning to do with the Compaqbrand. We’ve been working hard to getits brand message across in both the

media and in public. What we aretrying to convey is that it is about justgetting stuff done in a fast reliable way.

It also gives us the benefit of itbeing distinct from the HP brand.Only people in the industry reallyknow that the HP and Compaq brandsare linked – the man in the streetdoesn’t always associate Toyota withLexus for example, despite the factthat they are the same company. It’s aperfectly valid strategy, and you’reseeing some of our competitorsadopting it. It allows us tomake those brandsstand for differentthings – what HPstands for is the rich,premium experience, whichcomes with having unique features,things that we’ve designed into the

product beyond the conventionalprocessor, memory and hard drivespecifications, which everybody shopsby.

What do the next 12 months holdfor HP? At a company level, we will continueto be robust, predictableand we’ll continue tostand for the thingsthat we value –quality, reliability,breadth of products,and a richexperience. We’llcontinue to hold onto them, becauseyou don’t justabandon them dueto a recession –you double

down, and you stand by your corevalues.

We will continue to invest in ourbrand, as well as in investments forthe future. We still look at acquisitionswhere they make sense to augmentHP’s business, and to give us thearsenal of products and services thatwe need to compete in the

marketplace of the future.

HARDWARE � HP


“There is a genuinelyresonant note about

the slogan ‘Thecomputer is personalagain’ – that reaches

out to people.”Ben Perrin,

Hewlett Packard

SAITEK

P380 DUAL ANALOG PADLG

GH-22NPHP

DESKJET D15601

2 HP LASERJET P1005

3 SAMSUNG ML 2240

4 HP COLOR LASERJET CP1515N

5 BROTHER HL 2035

6 HP LASERJET P1505N

7 HP LASERJET P1006

8 SAMSUNG ML 1640

9 SAMSUNG CLP 315

10 SAMSUNG CLP-315W

2 LOGITECH WINGMAN EXTREME 3D

3 LOGITECH 963291-0914 WINGMAN ATTACK 3 USB

4 LOGITECH 963290-0914 EXTREME 3D PRO USB

5 LOGITECH 963339-0914 FORMULA VF USB

6 LOGIC 3 PRO FLIGHT 2

7 LOGITECH WINGMAN PRECISION GAMEPAD

8 SAITEK 107007 P3200 RUMBLE PAD

9 LOGITECH 963326-0914 CORDLESS RUMBLEPAD 2

10 LOGITECH 963292-0914 DUAL ACTION USB

HP

LASERJET P2055DN

2 LG GP08NU

3 LG GH-22LP

4 LG GP08LU

5 LG GE-20NU

6 LG GH-22NS

7 CNM ULTRA SLIM PORTABLE TS-L633A

8 SAMSUNG SH-S223F

9 PIONEER DVR-216

10 LG GE-20LU

2 CANON PIXMA IP2600

3 EPSON STYLUS S20


5 HP PHOTOSMART D5460

6 EPSON STYLUS PHOTO R285

7 HP PHOTOSMART A526


9 HP DESKJET D1470

10 HP DESKJET 6940

1 1 1

GAME CONTROLLERS DVD WRITERS INKJET PRINTERS LASER PRINTERS

SAMSUNG

NC10ACER

X193WMICROSOFT

WIRED KEYBOARD 500BLACK

1

2 LOGITECH MX 620 LASER CORDLESS

3 LOGITECH V450 LASER CORDLESS NOTEBOOK

4 LOGITECH VX NANO CORDLESS LASER MOUSE

5 MICROSOFT P58-00019 BASIC BLACK

6 LOGITECH V220 CORDLESS OPTICAL MOUSE

7 GENIUS XSCROLL CB MOUSE USB BLACK OEM

8 MICROSOFT BX3-00020 WIRELESS NOTEBOOK

9 LOGITECH V220 CORDLESS OPTICAL MOUSE

10 MICROSOFT U81-00008 COMPACT 500 USB

2 DELL INSPIRON MINI 10

3 TOSHIBA SATELLITE L300-20D

4 HP 6735S GW694AV

5 ACER ASPIRE 5735Z-343G25MN

6 EMACHINES D620

7 ACER ASPIRE ONE A150X

8 SONY VAIO VGN-NS20E/S

9 TOSHIBA SATELLITE L300-20D 3G

10 TOSHIBA SATELLITE L350-203

LOGITECH

V150 LASER MOUSE

2 LG W2242S

3 SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 943N

4 SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 723N

5 SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 943BW

6 SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER T220

7 HP W1907V

8 LG W1942S

9 ACER X193HQ

10 ACER V173AB

2 LOGITECH ULTRA FLAT KEYBOARD

3 KENSINGTON 1500109 VALUE KEYBOARD BLACK

4 MICROSOFT COMFORT CURVE KEYBOARD 2000

5 LOGITECH CORDLESS DESKTOP EX 110

6 LOGITECH MEDIA KEYBOARD 600

7 LOGITECH DELUXE 250 KEYBOARD OEM

8 TRUST DS-3400D WIRELESS OPTICAL DESKSET

9 LOGITECH CORDLESS DESKTOP EX 100

10 MICROSOFT MESSENGER KIT

1 1 1

LAPTOPS DISPLAYS KEYBOARDS MICE

*From May 2009 data

GfK provides market research consultancy tomanufacturers on the technologies markets and alsooperates a reseller partnership that provides marketresearch information to dealers in the channel. Forfurther information on GfK please contact Sean Fellowson tel: 0870 603 828 or email: [email protected]

Models listed are non-exclusive: Neither sold as a tradebrandnor sold exclusively within one retailer or retail group

HARDWARE � CHARTS


*From May 2009 data

GfK provides market research consultancy tomanufacturers on the technologies markets and alsooperates a reseller partnership that provides marketresearch information to dealers in the channel. Forfurther information on GfK please contact Sean Fellowson tel: 0870 603 828 or email: [email protected]

Models listed are non-exclusive: Neither sold as a tradebrandnor sold exclusively within one retailer or retail group

HARDWARE � CHARTS


NETGEAR

DG834G MODEM ROUTERLOGITECH

QUICKCAM E 3500LOGITECH

X-240 2.1 SYSTEM

2 CANON CANOSCAN LIDE 200

3 EPSON PERFECTION V 300 PHOTO

4 HP SCANJET G2410

5 HP SCANJET G2710

6 CANON CANOSCAN 8800F

7 CANON CANOSCAN LIDE 600F

8 EPSON PERFECTION V 500 PHOTO

9 FSC SCANSNAP S510

10 CANON CANOSCAN LIDE 700 F

2 BELKIN F6D4230_4 WIRELESS N ROUTER

3 BELKIN F5D7632_4A WIRELESS G MODEM ROUTER

4 BELKIN F5D7231_4 WIRELESS CABLE/DSL ROUTER

5 BELKIN F6D4230_4A WIRELESS N MODEM ROUTER

6 NETGEAR WNR2000

7 NETGEAR WGR614 WIRELESS ROUTER

8 BELKIN F5D8231 N1 WIRELESS ROUTER

9 BELKIN F5D8633_4 N WIRELESS ROUTER

10 BELKIN F5D7234_4 WIRELESS G ROUTER

CANON

CANOSCAN LIDE 100

2 MICROSOFT LIFECAM VX-1000

3 MICROSOFT LIFECAM VX-3000

4 LOGITECH QUICKCAM E2500

5 LOGITECH QUICKCAM PRO 9000

6 CREATIVE LIVE! CAM VIDEO IM PRO

7 LOGITECH QUICKCAM FOR NOTEBOOKS DELUXE

8 TRUST CHAT AND VOIP PACK CP2100

9 LOGITECH QUICKCAM FOR NOTEBOOKS

10 LOGITECH QUICKCAM S7500

2 LOGITECH X-140

3 BOSE SOUNDDOCK BLACK

4 SAMSUNG ASP-600S

5 GEAR4 STREETPARTY III BLACK

6 JBL ON STAGE MICRO BLACK

7 BOSE SOUNDDOCK II BLACK

8 LOGITECH Z-4 2.1 SPEAKER SYSTEM

9 LOGITECH LS 21 980-000060

10 LOGITECH X-230

1 1 1

MODEMS/ROUTERS WEBCAMS PC SPEAKERS SCANNERS

HP

PHOTOSMART C4480PNY

GEFORCE 9800 GTHAUPPAUGE

WINTV HVR-900

2 DAZZLE VIDEO CREATOR PLATINUM

3 V-STREAM XPERT DVD MAKER USB 2.0

4 KWORLD XPERT DVD MAKER USB 2.0

5 DAZZLE DIGITAL VIDEO CREATOR 150

6 PINNACLE SYST VIDEO TRANSFER

7 HAUPPAUGE HD PVR

8 LEADTEK WINFAST VC 100

9 HAUPPAUGE IMPACT VCB

10 CANOPUS ADVC 55 VIDEO INPUT ADAPTER FW

2 KODAK ESP 3

3 EPSON STYLUS SX105

4 LEXMARK X4650

5 HP DESKJET F2280

6 EPSON STYLUS SX100

7 HP PHOTOSMART C4580

8 HP PHOTOSMART C4585

9 HP DESKJET F4280

10 EPSON STYLUS SX600FW

DAZZLE

DVD RECORDER DVC 101

2 INNO3D FX5200

3 PNY GEFORCE 6200

4 XFX GEFORCE 9400 GT

5 PNY GEFORCE 8400GS

6 HP QUADRO NVS 290

7 PNY GEFORCE 7200GS 128MO DDR2

8 PNY GEFORCE 9400GT

9 GIGABYTE GEFORCE 7200GS

10 INNO3D GEFORCE 9400GT

2 DAZZLE DIGITAL USB TV STICK

3 KWORLD PLUSTV DUAL DIGITAL USB TV

4 HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-S-USB

5 HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-T-USB2

6 HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-T-STICK

7 HAUPPAUGE WINTV-NOVA-TD-500

8 PINNACLE SYST PCTV NANO STICK

9 HAUPPAUGE WINTV HVR-1100

10 HAUPPAUGE MYTV

11 1 1

MFDS GRAPHICS CARDS TV CARDS VIDEO CARDS

1

THE UK BOXED software market hasbeen moving toward onlinedistribution since the major multiplesmade the conscious decision to focuson key volume segments and scale backspecialist software offerings. As a resultwe have seen these specialist softwaresegments only being focussed on by thetraditional retailers in key seasonalperiods, where stock is unlikely to beleft languishing on the shelves for long.

Whilst this makes prime businesssense from a retail perspective, it hasforced many of the smaller vendors outof the stores, and onto the internetwhere they have seen some successworking with the ‘pure players’.

The result of these shifts has been afairly inevitable decline of the specialistsegments in volume terms. With theexception of the office and securitysoftware sectors, the majority of therest of the boxed software market hasbeen in year-on-year volume decline.Without a visible presence on shelves,vendors are reliant on consumersknowing their brand, and which

particular product they are after as theyfill in the online search box. Withoutthe ability to make a significantinvestment in online marketing, someof the smaller brands are findingthemselves lost in the crowd.

Such heavy reliance on onlinedistribution has its drawbacks,however. We have already seen theprecursors to what is being touted byweather forecasters as a stiflingly hotsummer. In Week 22 2009, thesoftware market hit a blip as internetsales dropped over a quarter incomparison to the previous week, 9.3per cent down on the same week in2008. With temperatures soaring, thesun shining, and the Spring BankHoliday Monday affording people timeoff to get out and do something, theprospect of internet shopping wasapparently less attractive.

Whether this behaviour willreplicate over the longer summerperiod is unknown. However it is notwithout precedent, as similar trendswere evident over an unseasonably

warm April 2008 in particular. As aresult there are opportunities for bricksand mortar retailers to capitalise onthe increased customer presence on theHigh Streets and re-embrace thespecialist segments.

The launch of 2010 software lineson the horizon, the start of the back toschool period in sight, the summermonths and a heady Q3 offer thepotential to be a strong time for thesoftware market, despite the difficulteconomic times we live in. Demand forsoftware is unlikely to dropconsiderably on Q3 last year, overwhich just fewer than one millionsoftware boxes were sold in the UK.Especially since prices have continueda long term downward trend which hasresulted with software average sellingprice £10 lower than in the May periodlast year. It is up to the retail sector tore-engage with online shoppers in theHigh Street, especially at a time wherethe price differential between onlinesavings, and offline promotional pricesis at its lowest point in the year.

Written byTRISTAN IRWIN 0870 603 8238

Seasonal trends in online distribution open up avenues of opportunity for the traditional retail sector...

Software in the sun

HARDWARE � ANALYSIS


“The launch of 2010software lines on the

horizon, the start of theback to school period,

the summer months anda heady Q3 offer the

potential to be a strongtime for the software

market”Tristan Irwin,

GfK

The increase in online distributionmay seem like a good thing, butcould lead to slow summer sales

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Make the most of being in the family

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GAMESA round-up of themonth’s latestreleases and ahighlight of thebiggest titles

p 68

MICROSOFTPartner Group managerSimon Aldous talks toPCR about thecompany and its future >>>

P 66

BACK TOSCHOOLSOFTWAREPCR provides a broadoverview of the backto school softwaremarket

p 58

SoftwarePCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the software market

SOFTWARE � BACK TO SCHOOL


LATE SUMMER is upon us again. Formost of us this means working insweltering heat and suffering rainyweekends, but for the children of thenation it means that the best six weeksof the year are drawing to a close.

This is traditionally the time whenparents are making sure that their childhas all the clothing and equipmentthat they’ll need for a new school year.It’s a time when university freshmenenjoy a period of unprecedented access

to their parents’ credit account beforeleaving home for the first time, and forthese reasons, the back to schoolperiod is a time that offers retailers avaluable boost to sales.

“The back to school promotionalmarket offers retailers a fantasticopportunity to maximise sales ofeducation software during this keyperiod,” says Avanquest’s marketingmanager Debbie Hives. “The overallcategory is huge, covering everything

from back to school essentials likepens, pencils and clothing to books,toys, games, software and so on. Withmassive in-store promotional activityacross multiple categories, store trafficincreases dramatically, along with aparent’s propensity to spend.”

“The back to school market hashistorically been a great period for salesand promotions,” concurs KochMedia’s head of software sales JoannaKemp. “It’s a busy time of the year

“The back to schoolpromotional market

offers retailers afantastic opportunity to

maximise sales ofeducation software

during this key period”Debbie Hives,

Avanquest

The back to school period offers a sales boost for retailers in sectors that usually see slow but steadytrade for the rest of the year. Matt Grainger takes a look at the children’s educational software marketand talks to some of its key players…

Teaching Programme

[ ]MICROSOFT OFFICE HOME AND STUDENT 2007SRP: £99.99Ingram Micro, VIP

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where retailers always maximise in-storeand online presence with key titles andit gives publishers a large pre-peak salesboost. This is one of the key times ofthe year for sales – aside from Easterand the annual Christmas peak. Backto school is a major sales time for allpublishers.”

Focus Multimedia’s PR andmarketing manager Grant Hughesadds: “Back to school and Easter arethe key promotional periods for

educational software. Many of ourretail partners already find thateducational software fits in well withtheir existing back to school

promotions. Educational software isn’talways thought of as a gifting purchase,but we do typically see a marked salesincrease in December too.”

Due to its consistent sales all yearround, the children’s educationalmarket is often described as anevergreen market, and it is also uniquein that it is blessed with a constantlyself-refreshing consumer base.

The education system is somethingthat every citizen of this country passesthrough and so with each passing year,a new segment of the population arisesto demand these products.Even better news for IT

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[ ]

“This is one of the key times of the year forsales – aside from Easter and the annual

Christmas peak. Back to school is a major salestime for all publishers”

Joanna Kemp,Koch Media

>>>

FUN4KIDS LEARN RECORDERSRP: £8.50Interactive Ideas

Fun 4 Kidz Recorder is a simpleway for children to learn how toplay the recorder. Designed withKey Stage 2 students in mind, itfeatures playing tips and anintroduction to musical notes, plusa complete history of theinstrument. There is also a musiccreator feature, enabling studentsto write their own songs and thenplay them back and watch howeach note is created.

[ ]MINDSCAPE MATHS TRAINERSRP: £9.78Interactive Ideas

Maths Trainer is an enjoyable wayfor players to test maths ability.Number skills will be challengedusing specially designed exercisesthat will improve mental arithmeticat work, school or during a dailyroutine. The software features 12activities, eight daily tests and fourbonus games.

[ ]LETTS GCSE MEGA PACKSRP: £34.99Interactive Ideas

Guaranteed to help students achieve the best grade possible in allkey GCSE subjects. Designed to make revising enjoyable andeffective, this software is simple and quick to use and packed full ofprogress checks to test your knowledge. It also contains usefulexam tips and advice.

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retailers is that the PCremains the platform of

choice for those in education.“Every child uses a computer at

school and the PC is still the mostpopular learning and revision tool inthe home,” remarks Hughes. “Our ownrange of educational PC software tapsinto this market by helping parents toimprove their children’s learning skillswhen they are out of school. As a resultthey are much more likely to excel

while they are in school. In the past,there have been attempts to bringeducational software to games consolesand even handhelds, but we arefinding that most parents still prefer

their children to learn using a PC.”While the recession has had a broad

impact on customer spending, Hivesremains confident that the back toschool period can still offer a boost to

sales: “The education market – like allother markets – has been affected bythe economic downturn, but thesecond half of the year looks morepromising. As retailers look to broadentheir PC offering, we’re optimisticabout both the back to school periodand the run-up to the fourth quarterand the Christmas period.”

Although this is a good time for sales,the wise retailer won’t justwait for the customers to

>>>

>>>



“Every child uses a computer at school and thePC is still the most popular learning and revision

tool in the home.”Grant Hughes,

Focus Multimedia

[ ]LEARNING LADDER TRIPLE PACKSRP: £14.99Interactive Ideas

Learning Ladder has been developed for children aged 8-11 with the aid ofexperienced teachers, and provides the essential literacy and numeracy skills tohelp children excel in education. The software features one-to-one lessons,practice activities and interactive exercises.

[ ]WORDS ROCKSRP: £16.99Koch

Covering key stage three literacyskills, this software helps build wordpower, spelling skills, grammar andpunctuation. Each player is one of abunch of street-smart ‘FreakSeekers’ on the trail of the devious,invisible, slippery ‘super slugs’ anduse tricks and gadgets to outsmartthe other ‘seekers.’

[ ]ULTIMATE MATHS INVADERSSRP: £16.99Koch

This multi-award winning title willdrill mathematics in to the headsof any player, young or old. Aimedprimarily at users aged between 5-15 and covering key stages one tothree, players will developautomatic recall of essentialmathematics by quickly andaccurately repelling waves ofdescending questions.

[ ]LETTS KEY STAGE 2 TRIPLE PACKSRP: £14.99Interactive Ideas

KS2 Triple Pack contains national test-style practice papers and answers inprintable form to get children as close to their actual exam papers as possible.Using colourful graphics and clear facts, the software has memory boosting quicktests to check knowledge and understanding of key points. There are test round-up exercises for each main topic area plus a final practice paper with nationaltest-style questions.

[ ]WORD SKILLSSRP: £16.99Koch

Covering the majority of outcomesfor the word skills sections of tests forchildren aged 4-14, this software isalso fully correlated with the NationalStrategy for Literacy. It contains morethan 3,000 individually craftedquestions and provides a huge anddiverse bank of activity typesincluding multiple choice, text inputand drag-and-drop.

[ ]VOLCANIC PANICSRP: £16.99Koch

Volcanic Panic is all about learning,practising and using number factsin a problem-solving gameenvironment. Its comprehensivegame play draws pupils intoworking and thinkingmathematically with confidenceand competence and theimpressive multi-player optionmeans the whole family can play,each at their own maths level.

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come in. Pushing the rightproducts at the right time

can make all the difference.“The back to school market offers

high margin potential and the ability todeliver volume sales at the end of whatis a traditionally quiet period in retail,”continues Hives. “A well delivered,aggressive, high impact promotion oneducation titles always delivers asignificant uplift in sales.”

Choosing the right products can be

a tricky business for some retailers,especially those without a clear-cutcustomer base. Fortunately somedistributors and resellers are able tooffer some guidance in picking theproducts that will sell.

“For retail and online it’s all aboutproduct selection and a massive in-store or online presence to attractcustomers, coupled with strongpromotional deals,” says Kemp. “Kochworks with all of its customers to

ensure that we are offering maximumsupport during this key sales period.”

“Make sure you stock trusted brandsthat parents are likely to recognise, andtry to cater for the different ageranges,” advises Hughes.

“We find the most successful retailersare those who run back to schoolpromotions as part of their keypromotional activity, in particular grocerystores where the promotions are capableof covering multiple product categories,”

declares Hives. “I would suggestdedicated in-store space using endcaps orcardboard display stands to promote abroad range of titles that cover all the keyage groups and subjects. Multi-buypromotions work well as they encouragecustomers to increase their total spendand therefore deliver more revenue forthe retailer. Most parents tend to havemore than one child of school age so it’sa great way for them to buy multipletitles at a discounted price.”

[ ]SPELLING FORCESRP: £16.99Koch

Spelling Force can assist strugglinglearners by giving them wordsappropriate to their level, expandtheir vocabulary, and challenge themwith new words and spelling rules toimprove their spelling skills. SpellingForce is simple-to-use spellingsoftware with an extensive bank ofgraded spelling lists.

[ ]BAGGIN’ THE DRAGONSRP: £16.99Koch

Baggin’ the Dragon featurespractical maths content with a fungame environment. Players usebasic number fact knowledge toexplore the maths of shape, spaceand measurements, algebra, graphsand handling data. It’s designed tohelp children develop mathematicalthinking pathways necessary bothin everyday life and in higher mathslearning.

[ ]TYPING TOURNAMENTSRP: £16.99Koch

Players begin a medieval quest atthe ‘Alpine Peaks’ and journeythrough 16 game environments,building typing skills as they go.Each landmark introduces four newkeys and includes an animatedlesson, three action typing gamesand lastly, a typing test to measureprogress.

[ ]ROXIO CREATOR 2009SRP: £29.99Computers Unlimited

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Sum up what Microsoft is all about?The partner is the heart of everythingwe do. It sounds clichéd, but the fact isour partner communities generateapproximately 96 per cent of ourrevenue, so it isn’t an understatementto say we are absolutely committed tothe partner channel.

We’re committed to constantlyreviewing the way that we deal with ourpartner community. We need to keep acontinuous eye on how the market ischanging and consequently, how weneed to adapt ourselves to help driveforward the success that we’re lookingto achieve. However, we must also bevery mindful of the fact that ourpartners’ business models are changingas well and have continued to changeover the past 25 years.

How much has Microsoft changedsince it arrived in the UK?I don’t think you can compare theMicrosoft of 1983 to the version thatoperates today. It, along with thechannel, has changed significantly. Ithink the biggest thing for me is that

the channel had always been a buy-sellmodel, due in part because of how thedistributors operated.

It was all about, could a distributoroffer credit? Could a distributoreffectively communicate to the resellersthat are out there? If you look at whatdistributors are now doing, they’rereally redefining our business andbecoming much more of a serviceorientated operation.

We’ve also seen a massive change interms of what resellers are doing. Canyou actually define what a typicalreseller is? I don’t think you can at all.Yes, you can gather them up undersome generic heading, but realisticallywhat we’re finding is that there is nosuch thing as two resellers with exactlythe same business model.

The reality is that many, manyreseller organisations are constantlyevolving, and are continually looking atwhat is happening from a technologyperspective, from an economicperspective – especially at this time –and what they can do to add value totheir end users’ packages.

How has that change impacted theway you work with the channel?If I look at SMBs from a Microsoftperspective, they are all the endcustomers that have 750 seats andbelow, which is about 4.4 millionbusinesses. We reach them through thechannel – so that’s distribution,resellers and those retailers that servicethe marketplace. There are simplythousands upon thousands of resellersthat fit in that pool.

One of the challenges that Microsofthas, and one of the things that we arecurrently addressing, is that we werevery clear about how we wouldsegment and compartmentalise variousresellers, based on what we, as vendors,perceived that they do. Now thatbecame a real challenge for us, becausethe world is a rapidly changing place.

We had to recognise that and tailorour engagement strategy based onthose partners, to acknowledge thatthey are all different. It is very difficultto say, ‘now hang on, as far as I amconcerned, you’re an ISV, or you’re anIS, you’re a VAR and I’m going to

SOFTWARE � MICROSOFT


With Windows 7 and Office 2010 on the way,this year looks set to be one of the busiest everfor Microsoft. Ben Furfie talks to Partner Groupmanager Simon Aldous to find out the historyand ethos behind the world’s biggest softwarecompany…

On top of the

world

“The partner is at theheart of everything wedo. It sounds clichéd,

but the fact is ourpartner communities

generate approximately96 per cent of our

revenue”Simon Aldous,

Microsoft

SOFTWARE � MICROSOFT

engage with you in this specific way.’That’s quite an arrogant approach, andto be frank, it’s also not a very effectiveapproach either.

We began our current approach inthe SMB space at the beginning of thiscalendar year. It is to really engage withthe resellers that sell a lot of Microsoftproducts, go out, talk to them andprofile them more effectively to forman understanding of how much oftheir business is pure hardware; howmuch is software; do they do anysoftware development work; how much

of what they do is integration and howmuch of what they do is connectivity.

But it’s not just understanding thatsort of thing, it’s also understandingwhat sort of other vendor accreditationthat they have. That is to say, look andconsider the technologies that they arefocused on and pushing, and really tryto build an engagement strategyaround them, based on those facts.

What has come out of that changein strategy?What’ve we’ve done is look at what wewould consider SMB VARs, whichfrom my viewpoint are the top 500partners that sell Microsoft volumelicensing solutions and go to them andwork with them proactively, and splitthem up on a geographic basis.

We’ve split them into five regions –Scotland and North East, North West,Central, Southern and London. We’vegone out to them, we’ve spoken tothem, we’ve got a handle on theirbusiness and how we can work withthem, and we’re tailoring ourengagement accordingly.

They’re all part of the Microsoftpartner programme, they get all thebenefits of the partner programme,they can all sign up to Microsoft Club– which is the marketing rebateprogramme we have for our resellers.

We’ve made sure they are enrolled inthose programmes, that thoseprogrammes are appropriate to them. Ifeel that as a company we’ve gained abetter understanding of what it is theyrequire from us because of theseactions that we’ve taken.

Microsoft, from an SMB perspective,has got a far better handle on what isgoing on in the reseller communitiesthan it has for maybe ten to fifteenyears. It’s because we’ve taken thedecision to redeploy resources fromother roles internally to becomepartner-facing, reseller-facing resources.That means going out into the regionsto see these guys, understanding thechallenges, evaluating them andpointing them towards the resourcesthat we have internally.

The point of all this is to help themto better understand our products, ourtechnologies, our solutions. It is tohelp them better overcome objectionhandling against competitive scenarios,or even just help teach them somemore effective ways to open upsales conversations.

What sort of response haveyou had from the resellersyou’ve visited so far?We’re seeing a fantasticresponse from our resellers.We’re hearing that theythink it is great. Many of theresponses have been along thelines of ‘Microsoft has neverreally been interested in us forten years, so why are youcoming to us now?’ When westart to have those conversations,initially you get some suspicionabout Microsoft’s motivations. But wetell them, we can only be successful ifyou’re successful and we can onlysee success if we understandthe challenges that youface and the help yourequire from us.

Since we started to engagethem, we’ve had some reallyfantastic conversations and itreally is helping us to betteralign our own thinking andtherefore, our owninvestments anddirections movingforward. That’s whyour success is sounderpinned bythe channelcommunity.

“Microsoft, from an SMB perspective, has got afar better handle on what is going in the

reseller communities than it has for maybe tento fifteen years”

Simon Aldous,Microsoft


Much of Microsoft’s new drive inthe partner community is from therecognition that it failed to support

them after the launch of Vista –something that will be rectifiedwith the launch of Windows 7

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This month sees the launch of Batman: Arkham Asylum on PC, a new role playing game, Dawn of Magic 2,hits shelves, and the long anticipated release of the latest Wolfenstein title...

Games Releases

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USING the comic incarnation of Batmanrather than the motion pictures asinspiration, this title sees the capedcrusader trapped inside the confines ofArkham Asylum – Gotham City'spsychiatric hospital for the criminallyinsane. Batman has to battle a host of

murderous psychopaths, headed up byarch-enemy The Joker. The gameplay isa mixture between beat ‘em up styleaction and role playing adventure,requiring players to take down enemiesin close range combat one minute andwork through puzzles the next. Thegame has received strong criticalacclaim in the specialist press previews,and the popularity of the Dark Knightacross a variety of media should ensurestrong sales for this title.

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SOFTWARE � GAMES

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AAVVGG24%

McAfee22%

Avast6%

Microsoft5%

Other22%

UK Consumer market share

Symantec21%

Source: Cowen and Company (independent market analysts):

Infrastructure Software, December 2008.

mammrer ekuu mrm rmu er mmau

Tough on threats. Easy on you.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the consumer electronic market

ConsumerElectronics


ORANGE

p 73

Mark Simm, the operator’s manager forIndirect Channels, talks to PCR about howretailers can move in to the mobile sector

PRODUCT FOCUS

p 76

PCR takes a look at the Muvi MicroCamcorder and the new Walkman E-Series

EVERYONE wants a slice of the PCmarket these days. If it’s notsupermarkets selling laptops it’smobile phone dealers giving themaway. If the thought of taking the fightto them has ever crossed your mind,then perhaps it’s the time to act on it.We wouldn’t advise setting up a fruitand veg aisle to get back at the localTesco just yet, but moving into themobile phone sector isn’t as farfetched as it might seem.

In an increasingly difficult market –where the effects of a full-blownrecession are compounding the longstanding problem of large chain, e-tail,and supermarket encroachment,diversification into mobile phonescould provide small PC retailers with anew regular source of income. While itmay seem a big jump, these days smartphones functionally resemble miniPCs in many respects, while the way

netbooks are being sold – for free or ata reduced price alongside a broadbandcontract – is much more akin toNokia’s business model than Dell’s.

Mark Simm, business manager forIndirect Channels at network operatorOrange thinks it’s possible, and couldoffer some lucrative benefits for PCretailers: “The transition for PCretailers moving into the mobile spaceis both a challenge and anopportunity. With the growth ofmobile broadband and embeddedSIMs sold with laptops, the PC retaileris gaining experience of working withthe mobile networks. It’s a naturalprogression for the PC retailer to moveinto mobility and mobile phones fromworking on the mobile broadbandpropositions. If a PC retailer has thewill and desire to move into themobile phone market then theopportunity to sell a full mobile

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS � ORANGE


Mobile phone retailers like the Carphone Warehouse have been parking their tanks on the IT sector’slawn for some time now – a trend which many PC dealers are understandably none too happy about.But does it work both ways? Andrew Wooden asks Mark Simm, Business Manager for IndirectChannels at mobile network operator Orange about how PC retailers can enter the mobile game…

A new frontier?

“The transition for PCretailers moving intothe mobile space is

both a challenge andan opportunity”

Mark Simm,Orange

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS � ORANGE


package to a customer is a veryachievable objective.”

On a technological level, there aremore similarities than differencesbetween a state-of-the-art smart phoneand a netbook. Without a great deal ofresearch required, understanding thefunctions well enough to confidentlysell them to a customer should poseless of a learning curve than some ofthe other product categories that havebeen diversified into over recent years,such as GPS devices. The telecomsindustry has been pushing this crosspollination for some time, and withsuch investment behind it we’re likelyto see more melding in the future.

“The dividing lines between the ITand telecoms industries are blurringincreasingly as devices and mobilenetworks are pushing for convergencesolutions,” continues Simm. “The ITmarket is in a strong position to takeadvantage of the benefits of workingwith mobile operators, which allowsthem to offer a full end-to-endsolution to their customers with all the

additional revenues that can be madefrom this. Likewise the traditionaltelecom dealers can now extend theirmobile portfolio and IT products toalso lock in their customers. We willlikely see these industries becomeincreasingly linked as companies seeIT and Mobile Voice and Data formone requirement.”

For those PC dealers that wouldconsider diversifying into mobilephones, probably the most alien aspectwouldn’t be the phones themselves,but the practices endemic to consumercontract selling. This, coupled with thefact that the mobile retail sector is wellestablished, could be enough to putmany IT dealers off the market. Theother way to look at it is that similar

diversification has kept manycompanies alive, and the fact there areso many businesses looking to sellphones means there’s certainly moneyto be made from stocking them. Forthose who would consider taking theplunge, Simms suggests: “The advicewe would give to a PC retailer is to beprepared to work with contracts and

all the potential issues of commissionclawback, fraud, bad debt and so on.A PC retailer will be comfortable witha straightforward contractual process,such as purchase order, supply andthen invoice. The mobility solutionhas a number of other factors toconsider when a customer buys thesolution and a PC retailer should beaware of this.

“They should also look at othercompetitors in the market to get a feelof the offers out in the market. Themobile industry is a crowded marketplace already and any new partnerswill need to be competitive and also ifpossible, add value as a differentiator.”

“The dividing lines between the IT and Telecomsindustries are blurring increasingly as devices and

mobile networks are pushing for convergencesolutions”

Mark Simm, Orange

DESPITE being one of the originalinnovators in the portable musiccategory, Sony has somewhat laggedbehind in the digital media age. This issomething that it hopes to rectify withits latest additions to its entry levelrange, which the vendor claims is“packed with Sony innovation”.

Just 9.3mm thick, the Walkman E-Series offers a two-inch QVGA colourLCD screen for viewing videos, imagesor playlists, and a variety of soundenhancement features. These includeSony’s Clear Audio technology forsound clarity, the inclusion of ClearStereo reduces leakage between the leftand right channels, and the Clear Bassfeature reduces the distortionattributed to low-end frequencies.

A five-band equaliser allows the userto fine tune their audio, while a

Dynamic Normaliser automaticallybalances volume levels between songsto ensure a smooth listeningexperience.

A high quality FM radio tuner isincluded and broadcasts can berecorded at the touch of a button

The device also supports a wide rangeof digital media formats, includingrights-managed WMA and WMV, andits Content Transfer software allowsaudio files to be dragged and droppedin to the device. Additionally, thesoftware will make any file conversionsautomatically, if needed.

These features are further supportedby a lengthened battery life, which candeliver up to 30 hours of musicstreaming or six hours of videoplayback on a single charge.

The device comes in red or black.

SINCE the first suitcase-sized devicesgraced people’s shoulders, the videorecorder world has been on the steadymarch of miniaturisation – especiallysince the introduction of digitalhome recording.

At just 55mm inlength – a sizecomparable to apen cap – Veho’sMuvi MicroCamcorder seemsto be theculmination of amovement thatreduces size but not functionality. Thehigh-resolution camera offers a 640 x480 image quality, recorded at 30frames per second with a 72-degreefield of view. High-speed recording canenable slow motion action footage –

albeit at higher rate of memory usage.The device comes pre-equipped with

up to two gigabytes of MicroSD storagethat can be upgraded to eight gigabytesto store up to four and a half hours of

footage, and itslithium ion batteryoffers up to threehours of constant usefrom a single charge.

The addition of anExtreme Sports Pack isan intelligent use ofthe Muvi’s strengths,compactness and

portability, to add appeal to theextreme sporting crowd. The packincludes a spring-loaded handlebar clipand mounting bracket, helmet and armstraps, a magnetic wall mount and asilicon protective case.

Muvi Micro Camcorder

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS � PRODUCT FOCUS


///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Just 9.3mm thick, the Walkman E-Series offersa two-inch QVGA colour LCD screen for

viewing videos, images or playlists, and a varietyof sound enhancement features”

Sony’s new entry level video MP3 players offerserious features in a small package

Walkman E-Series

World’s smallest digital video recorder is nowavailable with an Extreme Sports Pack

“The addition of anExtreme Sports Packis an intelligent use

of the Muvi’sstrengths,

compactness andportability”

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


MARKETPLACETHE PLACE FOR BUSINESS>>>

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MARKETPLACE � NEWS

KASPERSKY is targeting theindependent channel in anew campaign to increase itsmarket share in the UK.

The security vendorrecently announced plans toteam up with TargetDistribution to supply its2010 range of software to itsresellers and systemintegrators. Consumer salesdirector at Kaspersky LabsUK, Simon Geach said the

deal would open ‘previouslyuntapped channels.’

“Kaspersky has deals withsome significant multipleresellers, which is good, but itdoesn’t allow us to reach thoseparts of the market that theydon’t cover,” he told PCR,explaining why independentswere seen as crucial to its plans.

“That’s where partners likeTarget come in. They allow usto reach a customer base that

we otherwise couldn’t reach. Italso allows smaller andindependent resellers, whootherwise might struggle to getonto our partner programme,to access it and the benefits itbrings. We feel it is importantto reach out to independents.They play a major part in thechannel, and we feel that to beable to assist them will havebenefits for ourselves, as well asthem,” added Geach.

TARGET will officially launchits Technology Skills-Shareprogramme at its open day thismonth, PCR can reveal.

The programme is intendedto put resellers with differentskills in touch with each other,so that they can both get extrabusiness by working together.

“Resellers that offer acomplete repair service,including the more technical

and complex repairs, such aslaptop motherboard repairs,can increase their business byoffering their full range ofservices to other resellers,”explained Target’s managingdirector Paul Cubbage.

“Those who offer a partialservice – for example, they cando screen replacements, butnot to the level of soldering –can both increase their

business on the services theyoffer and extend their range byoffering more complexrepairs.”

As well as boosting thenumber of jobs a reseller cantake on, the programme willalso have a positive effect onthe distributor’s recentlylaunched spares programme.

“The pricing will betransparent throughout, with a

menu of services offered,clearly showing the provider’scharge, the total chargeincluding transport andadministration fees, and thesuggested price to theconsumer,” said Cubbage. “Wehave a wide customer base thatoffers their end customers allsorts of IT products andservices, but in simple terms allof our customers would like

more business and all ourcustomers would like toincrease their service offering.”

“We feel it isimportant toreach out to

independents.They play a major

part in thechannel”

Simon Geach,Kaspersky

Distributor looks to increase independents’ revenue with new cooperative skill-share programme

Target to match up repair providers

Kaspersky targetsindependentsSecurity vendor describes independent dealers as crucial to its retail push

Simon Geach

PaulCubbage

MARKETPLACE � NEWS

SPIRE SIGNS OCZSpire is set to distribute high-endmemory vendor OCZ. The deal washailed by the distributor asfitting in ‘perfectly’ withthe rest of its productsand brands. OCZ’sperformancememory, flash mediaand power suppliesare to be stocked bythe distributor. Salesand marketing directorat Spire, John Appleton saidthat the range had shown itself tobe recession proof and offered agreat opportunity for its resellers

A-VIPVIP has signed a deal with Sanyothat will see it increase exposure tothe audio-visual market. Theagreement means that thedistributor will now stock televisionsand digital cameras, alongside itstraditional lines. The firm hasdescribed it as “a great time” toenter the AV market.

SERVERS OUTLOOK ROSEYServer revenues are believed tohave declined by 39.3 per cent

compared to the same timelast year according to

IDC. However, theanalyst was moreoptimistic about thesecond half of theyear. It said thatserver sales are

expected to return topositive growth by the

end of 2009.

IMAGO JOINS SYNAXONSynaxon has further expanded itsproduct range after it welcomedvideo communications specialistsImago on board. The Manchester-based distributor becomes the 22ndcompany to allow its products to besold through the buying group’sonline purchasing platform EGIS.Synaxon UK MD Derek Jones said itadded “a further dimension” to thegroup’s offerings.

ZIGOR FORMS PARTNERSHIPWITH MICRO-PMicro-P has been appointed bypower supply specialist Zigor todistribute its products in the UK.The vendor, which producesuninterruptable power supplies andvarious associated softwaresolutions, said the deal would allowit to expand its marketshare in theUK by a significant margin.

FAILING TO SAAS-TISFYGartner has warned that Softwareas a Service (SaaS) is failing toimpress users. It found 56 per centplan to maintain current levels ofdeployment, while less than a thirdare planning to expand it. “Ourresearch findings did not exactlyprovide a ringing endorsement ofSaaS, in fact I would go as far as tosay that satisfaction levels amongSaaS users are little more thanlukewarm,” said Gartner’s researchvice president, Ben Pring.

EDUCATION LICENSINGMicrosoft is to bring in sweepingchanges to its educationallicensing programme, includingremoving the need to buy licensesfor every computer, regardless ofwhether it can run the software ornot. Education body BECTA haspraised the move.

NewsBytes

DISTRIBUTOR Meroncourt haslaid out its plans to boost itspresence in what it sees as a growinggaming peripherals market, followinga deal with Raptor Gaming.

The firm is confident it can helpthe brand succeed in the UKfollowing previous failed attempts,with a strong marketing drive.

Despite the fragile economy, salesdirector Steve Walsh told PCR thathe is confident of the brand andthe sector: “PC Gaming is one of

the few areas still continuing toshow growth even during thesetough economical times, so it issomething any sensible retailershould consider giving some focus.

“Raptor is a brand which hasbeen active and successful inmainland Europe for many yearsand a couple of minor trials in theUK have not worked for them sothey approached us as they areaware of our status in the UKmarket and gaming scene.”

Meroncourt tore-fresh Raptor

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RECENTLY The Guardian reported anews story where someone quoting EUconsumer law got Tesco to replace afaulty 18 month-old TV. This caused agreat deal of debate on the Brigantiamembers forum about where membersstood and what contingency plans theyhad to deal with similar situations,perhaps involving a faulty 18 month-old laptop. Manufacturers warrant thelaptop for 12 months, but the EUmakes the retailer responsible for aminimum of two years and up to sixyears. Opinions amongst membersvaried, so at Brigantia we thought itwas time to get some answers. Onemajor benefit of Brigantia membershipfor indies is access to our free legal andbusiness support helpline provided byCroner Consulting.

We turned to Basil Long, seniorlegal consultant at the firm, for hisopinion on the matter: “There hasbeen a considerable amount ofconfusion in this area of law. I read thearticle myself and it is factuallyincorrect on a number of points.

“Unfortunately the EU website itselfis also incorrect. There is no legal

obligation to offer a warranty. The EUdirective does not alter this. It is acommercial decision as to whether aretailer or vendor offers a warranty.

“The goods supplied must be fit forpurpose and of satisfactory quality.There is a lot of discussion as to whatthis actually means and generally thehigher the value of the goods, thelonger it should remain free fromdefect. Whether an item is fit forpurpose and of satisfactory quality willbe a question of what the item is andwhat the problem is, and will behandled on a case-by-case basis. Wherea defect becomes apparent within thefirst six months the obligation is on

the seller to show that the goods weresupplied fit for purpose. After the firstsix months of ownership, theobligation is on the buyer to show thatthe defect was in existence on sale.

“The obligation on the seller is torepair or replace. The choice of repairor replacement is with the buyer. Thereis only an obligation to refund whererepair or replacement is impossible ordisproportionate, or where the sellerhas been unable to repair or replacethe item within a reasonable amountof time. Rather than have a full refund,the seller can choose to keep the itembut take a reduction on the price.

“There is a six-year limit on anycontract claim in England and Wales.It is during this time that any argumentas to fit for purpose or quality must bebrought, however the defect must havebeen in place at the time of thecontract. This is the provision whichthe EU legislated that there must be aminimum of two years, and so doesn’taffect England and Wales.

“Where a warranty is given, it isbinding on the seller. The customerhas a contract with the seller, and notthe manufacturer. Sellers shouldtherefore make sure that any contractthey have with the manufacturer ortheir supplier has adequate provisionsfor recovery of costs under thewarranty. If there are not, then theseller could be bound by a warrantybut be unable to recover any incurredcosts from the manufacturer.”

Unfortunately the guidance on theEU website does refer to a two yearwarranty, but this is not what thelegislation says.

“It is important to note that TSOand CAB will always take the side ofthe consumer and so look to achievemaximum benefit for them. However,they may not always be in possession ofthe complete facts.”

Next month I will be talking aboutcentralized purchasing for buyinggroups and I would invite any feedbackfrom indies around this topic.

This month Brigantia’s Iain Shaw talks about EU consumer directives andindependent retailers’ obligations regarding warranties...

CONTACT IAIN SHAW � [email protected]� 0870 160 3215� www.brigantia.com

Iain invites opinions fromPCR readers and willrespond though this column

Where do we stand?

“There is no legalobligation to offer a

warranty. The EUdirective does not

alter this. It is acommercial decision

as to whether aretailer or vendoroffers a warranty”

MARKETPLACE � BRIGANTIA


INDIE PROFILE/EVENTS � MARKETPLACE


This month RogerHumm talks to NormanEllis of AlbatrosComputers in York…

ALBATROS COMPUTERS opened itsdoors for business at its current retailpremises in York in May 1998.

The founder and owner Norman Ellishad previously worked in the corporatesector but always had a dream of owningand running his own business. Findinga suitable shop with livingaccommodation close to the centre ofYork, Ellis sold the family house, saidfarewell to his long term employers, andput 100 per cent commitment into hisnew commercial venture.

Albatros was one of the firstindependent computer serviceproviders to be established in York andafter just two years trading was turningover more than £200,000 per annum.Initially the business revolved aroundsales and support for consumers andenjoyed a virtual monopoly in York forthe first few years of operation.

The trading conditions in York,according to Ellis, have been toughover the last couple of years and thecredit crunch has brought even morechallenges. Consumer sales have fallenas competition has become ever fiercerfrom the online etailers andsupermarkets. The Albatros businesshas developed though and followingthe pattern of other successfulBrigantia members, Ellis has developedand steadily built up the repair and

service side of his business model. “Although we continue to look after

our loyal consumer customers we arenow concentrating mainly on businessto business services, and we are firmbelievers that our membership of theITACS trade association, Brigantiabuying group and our relationship withother Indies and associated distributorswill see us through these hard times.The key is hard work and keeping onestep ahead of the game," said Ellis.

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INDIE PROFILE

DIARY DATES 2009

FACT BOXYear Established: 1998

Number of Outlets: 1

Number of staff: 2

Regular Vendor Lines: AMD, APC, BullGuard, HP,Hauppauge, Intel, JetTec,Microsoft, Netgear, OpenOffice,Protector Products, Seagate,Trust and Ubuntu

Contact name and address:Norman Ellis,Albatros Computers,189 Burton Stone Lane,York,YO30 3DG.

Email: [email protected] Website: www.albatros.co.uk

Roger Humm is Head ofMembership Relations at BrigantiaComputer Experts –[email protected]

The UK’s channel calendar is full of important events. Here are someupcoming highlights…

OCTOBER 2009STORAGE EXPO 2009October 14th–15thOlympia, LondonStorage Expo is the UK's leadingstorage event, with all the majornames in the channel present.Designed for both resellers andCIOs, Storage Expo is a melting potof IT professionals, providing theideal opportunity for resellers to notjust find out about the latestproducts and developments in thechannel, but also network withcompanies that are actively seekinga new storage solution.The event also has a number ofeducational programmes designedto boost your knowledge andunderstanding of the market, aswell as discuss solutions withexperts and peers.

CONSUMER ELECTRONICSASSOCIATION 2009 FORUMOctober 18th-21stArizona Grand Resort, USAThe 2008 CEA Industry Forum is afour-day conference designed toinform and connect leaders in theconsumer electronics industry.The Industry Forum offers a chanceto network with over 400 of theindustry’s top executives anddecision-makers from retailers,manufacturers, vendors and serviceprovider companies.The event offers the opportunity toparticipate in membershipmeetings, learn about the latestmarket research from theConsumer Electronics Associationand attend specialist programmingdesigned to keep you up-to-dateon the latest issues affecting theconsumer electronics industry.

LONDON GAMES CONFERENCEOctober 27thBAFTA, LondonThe London Games Conferencewill take place during theincreasingly popular London GamesFestival on Tuesday October 27th atBAFTA in Piccadilly.Organiser Intent Media, whichpublishes MCV and PCR, expectsup to 200 delegates. It is alsointroducing a different concept toprevious games seminars.One key element of the LondonGames Conference is value formoney, with the walk-up rate forthe day being only £229. This is halfthe price of last year’s Games 3.0conference.Members of the ELSPA and TIGAtrade bodies will be able to gain afurther discount, bringing the costto under £200 per delegate.

If you would like to promote your event, please contact:[email protected]

This information is believed to be correct, but potential visitors should confirm details with showorganisers before making arrangements to attendLGC

STORAGE EXPO

MARKETPLACE � TCA NEWS


BY NOW READERS will be aware thatthe PCA has progressed to become theTCA – the Technology ChannelsAssociation– by joining with the MacTechnology Association. Since you willprobably have already read the pressreleases and the comment aroundthem, I thought you might alsoappreciate a bit of the inside story.

The Personal Computer DirectMarketers’ Association was founded in1993 as a group for UK systembuilders. Within a year it had changedto encompass vendors and distributorsas well, and in 1995 it was renamed thePersonal Computer Association.Wishing to underline our views onstandards of trading we became theProfessional Computing Association in2003, introducing a personalmembership category at that time, andin 2004, we introduced the ConfidenceAssured membership category aimedspecifically at independent resellers. Asyou can see, we’ve never been afraid ofchange. We know that just like anycommercial organisation, tradeassociations must change to reflectchanges in their markets, and we’veseen other bodies fail over the yearsbecause they were unable to adapt.

Economies of scale are probablymore significant for trade associationsthan they are for commercialenterprises; it is incredibly difficult forany proper membership body to do allthe things it should do, with just parttime volunteer staff. Happily we havefull time as well as part time staff andare thus able to be pretty productive.The Mac Technology Association hadnot yet grown sufficiently to supportfull time staff. The recognition that theboundaries between technologies areblurring enabled the two organisationsto begin discussions over a year ago,drawing on a history of co-operation invarious events and initiatives.

The other key factor in our change isthe recognition that we are, above all achannel organisation, working for thebenefit of the whole channel. We’vehad the ethos of ‘keeping the industryas strong as possible for as long aspossible’ for many years. Ourinvolvement in various elements oflegislation, our campaigns on channelissues, and our Code of Practice, allbear witness to our commitment to thewell-being of the channel. TheTechnology Channels Associationrecognises this from the start and is anoverdue change that we’ve beendiscussing for several years.

We’ll be retaining the ‘ConfidenceAssured’ logo for our reseller membersto use in their marketing andpromotions, and the existing one,together with PCA membershipcertificates can be used alongside thenew ones until all of our members havebeen transferred to the new system.Speaking of which, we aim to have ournew membership admin system up andrunning by the time you read this.With a bit of luck you’ll be able to findit at www.tcauk.org

In these challenging times, all playersin all channels need to work together,in their own interest and those of theircustomers. More than ever, vendors arekeen to engage with their resellers. Oneof the biggest issues affecting all of us,particularly independent resellers, isthat they find it hard to give theirsuppliers the amount of time they want– they are too busy looking after theirclients. The TCA aims to ease this, andwe’ll be providing details of local ‘outof hours’ meetings later in the year.

By the time you read this, summerwill be in full downpour. I hope you areable to take advantage of a few quieterweeks in order to recharge yourbatteries and prepare for what we allhope will be a very busy fourth quarter.

Keith Warburton, the CEO of the new TechnologyChannels Association talks about the merger withthe Mac Technology Association and what it means...

Keith Warburton is the CEO of TheTechnology Channels Association, therecently renamed, not-for-profit trade

body with membership made up ofbusinesses from all parts of the channel.

Visit www.tcauk.org for moreinformation or email

[email protected].

“In these challengingtimes, all players in all

channels need to worktogether, in their owninterest and those of

their customers”Keith Warburton,

TCA

Robert French is the newlyappointed chairman of the TCA

You don’t progress by

standing still

MAC TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION � MARKETPLACE

Geoff Carr (far left), Robert Peckham (secondleft) and Keith Warburton (far right) lookforward to working together. They’re picturedwith Adam Afriye, MP

CONVERGENCE is now upon us in abig way. In my sitting room I haverecently connected a Apple Mac Mini tomy HD LCD TV, so my family can doall kinds of photo, video, music andgames stuff, and also browse the interneton a big screen while sitting around incomfy chairs. This computer is presentlyused far more than the cable box it sitsnext to, or the sadly redundant DVDplayer beneath it.

Convergence is happening elsewheretoo, not least of all in the world of tradeassociations, as proved by the fact thatthis is the last column I shall ever writefor PCR as the executive director of theMac Technology Association.

Why? Because by the time you readthis, the Mac Technology Associationwill have converged with our goodfriends at the PCA to form a new,bigger, more diverse and moreinfluential trade association – theTechnology Channels Association.

When the original MTA directors firstdiscussed the concept of a co-operativegroup for the Mac Reseller channel wayback in the summer of 2003, (which weoriginally called the UK Mac-DealerAssociation) we had some very clearlydefined goals and aspirations.

One essential factor during these earlyyears of our development was the advice

and support we received from theProfessional Computing Association, andin particular Keith Warburton, whoseexperience in growing and managing thePCA gave us a real foundation for quicklyestablishing a credible organisation.

We changed our name in 2007 toreflect the different nature of how ourAssociation is viewed by the Mac-buyingpublic. But we’ve increasingly had tothink again about how to best serve amassively growing and diversifyingchannel of Apple resellers who arethemselves facing greater challenges.

Over a year ago we began investigatingthe possibility of merging the MacTechnology Association with the PCA,and these discussions have led to theformation of the Technology ChannelsAssociation, which was launchedofficially on July 9th 2009.

Our membership, both current andfuture, will benefit greatly from thisconvergence, but they will be hearingabout this directly. And I’m sure you’llbe very pleased to hear that I am joiningthe TCA as its Mac channel specialist, somy future columns for PCR will bewritten as part of this new role.

So goodbye from the Mac TechnologyAssociation, hello from the TechnologyChannels Association, and I look forwardto meeting you all at many future events.

ROBERT PECKHAM is the Executive Director of the MACTECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION, which began life as The UKMac–Dealer Association five years ago, and re–branded in 2007to reflect the changing, consultancy and services–drivenbusiness model that many Apple resellers have now adopted.

WWW.MACTECHNOLOGY.ORG.UK [email protected]: 08717 177264


The Mac Technology Association’s Robert Peckhamjoins the Technology Channel Association...

>>>>>>>>>

Don’t saygoodbye,say see you later

MARKETPLACE


ITACS NEWS

THE MULTIPLES are sufferingthrough the credit crunch the sameas independent retailers. It’s the lowprofit items that are moving, such asnet-books and laptops, with someshops giving them away free with amobile bundle. We know the mobilebundle subsidises the laptop but asfar as customers are concerned thelaptop is free. That lowers theexpected price for any servicingwork and repairs – why pay to get afree thing fixed? For the retailer thisresults in short-term gain at the costof long-term profit.

This industry is good at shootingitself in the foot. These goods costmoney to sell and support. As suchwe should all try and make a profitdoing so. The shops giving themaway for free generally do notservice them and that’s where wecome in. We, the smaller guy, cancharge a reasonable amount to thecustomer and still make a profit.The availability of laptop spares hasincreased greatly in the last sixmonths whilst prices are dropping. Ifyou don’t fix laptops then out-source them to companies that do.Keep your customer. That should bethe long-term business plan.

Fixing software issuesWe have plenty of tools to fixWindows XP, but there are very fewto fix Vista. We have recently

entered into discussions withMicrosoft about several topics,including releasing more tools andutilities so that we can repair PCswithout having to wipe them. Wehope they take this on board as weenter the hype phase for Windows 7,about which the industry has so farhad only good things to say.

We’re also discussing withMicrosoft the issue of wornCertificates of Authenticity. Ourcustomers want us to be able torepair their computers and thatmeans having the product key on asticker that lasts.

Over 45 per cent of computerssold next year will be domestic.ITACS is dedicated to being theindependent voice that consumerscan turn to. To have a voice, weneed members. There are thingsthat need to be changed. With yourhelp we can level the playing field.

ITACS chairman Matthew Woolley, talks aboutrepairs and his dialogue with Microsoft...

AT THE MOMENT there are a lotof column inches in newspapers,magazines, online comments andblogs being filled with pro-piracysentiments. Unbelievably, a politicalparty has even been elected inSweden to further the cause.

It has all been sparked off by theconvictions of the founders of PirateBay. This is a file sharing site that,unlike others, overtly advocatespiracy. Many people consider that theonly victims of piracy are undeservingfat cat executives, forgetting thateveryone involved in production andsales are also affected.

There is a dilemma for the ITretailer as to where he should standbecause there are issues to addressthat are different from otherviewpoints. The lack of opportunityfor selling software hits at profits andthe competition against someonewho is hard-drive loading evenaffects hardware sales.

Other than the hard drive loadingalready mentioned, which couldattract unwanted attention from themighty Microsoft, some dodgydealers may be tempted to visitcomputer fairs and car boot sales tosell home-recorded CDs and DVDs.This is generally done without anymention in the accounts to avoidVAT, taxes and NI leaving themworried about a firm grip on theshoulder by Trading Standards andother authorities.

Chipping games consoles as aprofitable sideline? Once againthere’s the possibility of going to jail.

So piracy is still stealing andgetting involved in it not onlydamages legitimate sales but crossesthe line into the criminal world.Retailers should keep a clearconscience and instead of ‘fightingfire with fire,’ if they are directlyaffected by other’s activities, theyshould report them.

NASCR NEWS

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NASCR committeemember Geoff Carruses this month’scolumn to talk aboutthe effect of piracy...

Piracy:For or Against?

“Many peopleconsider that the onlyvictims of piracy areundeserving fat cat

executives, forgettingthat everyone

involved inproduction and sales

are also affected”

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OFSPECIALIST COMPUTER RETAILERS

YOU CAN CONTACT NASCR ON 08456 440715 OR VISIT

WWW.NASCR.ORG

INDEPENDENT TRADE ASSOCIATIONOF COMPUTING SPECIALISTS

YOU CAN CONTACT ITACS ON 08445 763 760 OR VISIT

WWW.ITACS.ORG.UK

Retailing in the credit crunch

“If you don’t fixlaptops, then out-

source them tocompanies that do.

Keep your customer.That should be thelong-term business

plan”

Pushing it to the ‘MaxFOUNDED in 1987 as a shoe andluggage vendor, Edimax has become aleading original equipmentmanufacturer, supplying many of theworld’s largest vendors with thenetworking technology behind marketleading products.

The company was instrumental inthe introduction of network cards, butafter over two decades behind thescenes, it is looking to grow its brand

to rival the likes of Netgear, Belkin andLinksys on the High Street shelf.

Edimax UK director Kenneth Teh isconfident that the combination of itsresearch and development operationand its strong ethos of customer servicewill help it become the next Tier Onenetworking vendor.

“As a manufacturer, we started inthe OEM business,” Teh explains.“About eight to ten years ago, wedecided to use the Edimax name as abrand for our networking products. Weeventually entered Europe, and thenwe opened a branch in the UK nearlyseven years ago to push Edimax as atier two brand.

“Eventually, we grew to the pointwhere pretty much everyone in thetrade had heard of Edimax. As a TierTwo manufacturer, we upgraded ourdesigns, the quality of the product –everything from the design of the caseto the easy-use installation software –to get up to the Tier One image. We’renot quite there yet. In terms of howwe’re perceived, but we have got all thebranding and the product qualities of aTier One brand.”

To change perception of the brand,it must enter the High Street, claimsTeh. “The next major challenge – andkey to attaining that Tier One status –is breaking into the retail channel. Thisis the way to make everyone aware ofthe Edimax name.”

A major part of the vendor’s strategyis to cover all aspects of the retailchannel. The first fruits of this policyemerged at the very end of July withthe announcement that the UK’ssecond largest supermarket chain,Asda, was to stock Edimax’s range ofnetworking products. However, Teh isadamant that this is not the end of thevendor’s strategy to break retail, butmerely the beginning. “We’re in

contact with many of the big UKelectricals retailers, and we’re hopingthat after we begin selling into Asda,they will take us onboard.”

The other part of the company’sstrategy remains its focus on uniqueproducts. “We have two research anddevelopment centres: one is in Shanghai,the other is in Taiwan. This is a result ofour founding as an OEM business.Manufacturing is still about 50 to 70 percent of our revenues, while the other 30per cent is Edimax. A lot of majorbrands out there – obviously, I can’t tellyou who – use Edimax technology at theheart of their products.

“Edimax has always wanted tobecome a unique manufacturer,because networking has now becomeso common,” he adds. “Wireless cardsused to be a prestigious product, butthese days they are standard fare. Sonow, to differentiate ourselves, we haveto put an emphasis on the product’sservice or the uniqueness of theproduct that we’re trying to introduceinto the market.”

Teh says that one of thekey aspects of therenewedpush isthe

With a clear target of becoming a Tier Onevendor in the next 12 months, and a majorHigh Street deal in the bag, it's an excitingtime at networking vendor Edimax. Ben Furfiespeaks to UK director Kenneth Teh…

CONTACT

Phone:0845 123 8307

Web:www.edimax.co.uk

“We’re not quite there yet in terms of how we’reperceived, but we have got all the branding and

the product qualities of a Tier One brand”Kenneth Teh,

Edimax

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MARKETPLACE � COMPANY PROFILE


home integration market: “If you lookat media servers, they can cost nearly£500. That’s an awful lot of money,especially in the current climate. Weinstead supply a router that can act as amedia hub, so people can use theirown laptop as a media centre, or ifthey so wish, they can buy a mediastreamer. But separately, they are aconsiderably cheaper proposition thanbuying one specialised device.”

The firm is also pushing easy usageas a key selling point. For instance, it islooking to remove the need toremember IP numbers. “Instead ofhaving to write down every device’s

unique IP address, users can simplygive the device a name and then enterit into the router and it will work. It’sall about making things easier to use.”

The channel is also set to benefitfrom this approach” says Teh. “Whilethe customer might still spend £500 ona solution, instead of a media servercosting the same, and maybe onlyhaving a five per cent margin, youmight have five £100 devices. That allhave an eight per cent margin. It’s nothard to work out that the reseller canbenefit from that.”

“Customer service, product quality,price and the strength of our reseller

partners all work together toinfluence the outcome of

a product and brand.That’s why it is so

important to payattention to

thosefactors.”

He wasalsocriticalofEdimax’s

rivals who play the ‘price game’. “Youcan’t always claim to be the cheapestbrand out there on the market; therewill always be someone cheaper thanyou. So it’s important to focus onother factors, such as customer serviceand product quality, as well as the priceyou set your product at. Pricecompetition is tiring and it is alsounhealthy for the channel.”

As for what the next 12 monthshold for Edimax, Teh is optimistic.“This year, we want to become a TierOne rated vendor. We’ve seensignificant growth over the years, andnow is the time for us to establishourselves as a Tier One vendor. Wealready have the products of a TierOne vendor, we just have to prove toour partners that we already are one.”

“It’s important to focus on other factors, suchas customer service and product quality, as

well as the price you set your product at. Pricecompetition is tiring and it is also unhealthy for

the channel”Kenneth Teh,

Edimax

COMPANY PROFILE � MARKETPLACE


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Sage 50 Accounts 2009 Range Sage 50 Accounts 2009 £550 £349Sage 50 Accounts Plus 2009 £795 £529Sage 50 Accounts Professional 2009 £1075 £739Sage 50 Accounts - Additional Company Upgrade £250 £199Sage 50 Accounts - Additional User Upgrade £250 £199Sage 50 Accounts CIS Module £265 £199

Sage 50 Payroll 2009 Range Sage Payroll (50) Employees 2009 £265 £199Sage Payroll (50) Employees 2009 with Sage Cover £510 £369Sage Payroll (100) Employees 2009 £370 £279 Sage Payroll (100) Employees 2009 with Sage Cover £625 £449Sage Payroll Unlimited Employees 2009 £550 £439Sage Payroll Unlimited Employees 2009 with Sage Cover £925 £749

Sage 50 ACT! 2009 Range ACT! 2009 Single User Pack £180 £115ACT! 2009 Two User Pack £360 £230ACT! 2009 Three User Pack £540 £345ACT! 2009 Four User Pack £720 £460ACT! 2009 Five User Pack £810 £549Available upto 10 users on an individual user basis.

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Introducing Sage Training Products (with Online Exam and Certification) RRP SJ Sage Instant Accounts with Sage Certification £100 £75 Sage 50 Accounts Stage 1 with Sage Certification £145 £99 Sage 50 Accounts Stage 2 with Sage Certification £145 £99 Sage 50 Accounts Stage 3 with Sage Certification £145 £99 Sage 50 Accounts Stages 1, 2, and 3 with Sage Certification £310 £229 Sage 50 Accounts Professional Classroom Licence (Not for Profit) £310 £235 Sage 50 Payroll Classroom Licence (Not for Profit) £265 £199 Sage 50 Classroom Courses £250 £150

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MARKETPLACE


SONY has unveiled its first netbook,the VAIO W, emphasising it as adevice for the web-centric lifestylerather than a replacement for adesktop or laptop.

Powered by Intel’s Atom N280 andsporting 1GB RAM with a 160GBhard drive, the device is being pitchedat the chic crowd, with the vendor’smarketing concentrating on webbrowsing rather than content creation.

According to Sony, the device ischiefly being positioned as a vehiclefor social networking sites likeFacebook and Myspace.

It has a 10.1-inch screen with aresolution of 1366x768. Its 16:9widescreen aspect ratio cuts down onthe need to scroll sideways to viewwebsites. Above the screen is anintegrated webcam for video chatfunctionality and taking pictures.

The VAIO W is available in threesuitably chic colours – sugar white,berry red and cocoa brown. Thedevice will available from the middleof this month.

Sony launches first netbook

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Vendor emphasises connectivity aspect � Stressesthat it isn’t designed to replace a user’s main PC

ACER has launched its new Aspire7738 and 5738 series laptops, which arepositioned as ‘powerful and stylishentertainment solutions’.

The two models feature a number ofstylistic features, such as intricateNeoWeave palm rests, designed toreduce slipping and discomfort, quickkeys for frequently used functions, anda multi-gesture touchpad. Both comewith Dolby Home Theatre, optionalBlu-ray drives and a choice of integratedor discrete graphics solutions.

Available in a variety of sizes, thedevice’s displays are high definition,native 16:9 and are made with Acer’sCineCrystal panel technology. Abovethe screens is an integrated webcam.

The 7738 and 5738 series featureIntel Centrino 2 processors, as well aslarge storage capacity and 4GB of dualchannel DDR3 RAM. Both of thesemodels feature Intel’s Wireless Wi-FiLink technology, which gives it dual-band, quad-mode 802.11a/b/g/nnetworking, and optional Bluetooth.The 5738 also comes with the option ofintegrated 3G connectivity.

Security is also a key part of thedesign, with integrated fingerprintscanners running on the vendor’s Bio-Protection software, which is included.Meanwhile the Acer Backup Key alsoallows users to copy their files toanother location withoutcomprehensive computing knowledge.

Acer unveils 7738and 5738 series

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MARKETPLACE


Multimedia laptops take aim at mid-market, withwide range of features for leisure users

“Security is also a key part of the design,with integrated fingerprint scanners

running on the vendor’s Bio-Protectionsoftware, which is included”

Acer’s new mid-rangelaptops are marketedas ‘powerful andstylish entertainmentsolutions’

MARKETPLACE


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High-powered PC series launched, with emphasison performance at a low price point

PACKARD BELL has launched theupdated iMedia range of PC desktops.

Featuring a new design, as well as achassis that is around 60 per centsmaller than a regular desktop, the newiMedia series is being pitched as theideal computer for those users whowant a powerful solution, withoutpaying a high price tag.

Packard Bell is pushing the benefitsof the desktop, and as part of the driveis reiterating that they have betterperformance and storage space than

laptops, along with the ability toexpand and upgrade at a later date.

The design of the PC itself – a majoremphasis for the vendor – is black andchrome, with its many card and mediaslots placed at the top of the machine.

Despite its small form factor, it willnot be underpowered. The top of therange model will come with either anIntel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom IIX4 processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a1TB hard disk drive, Blu-ray and anNvidia GT230 1.5GB graphics card.

Packard Belldetails iMedia range

“They have better performance and storage spacethan laptops, along with the ability to expand and

upgrade at a later date”

HP HAS announced that it will beintegrating AMD’s six-core Opteron2400 series into its new family ofdesktop workstations.

The xw9400 workstation is designedfor high-end professional applications,such as in the engineering, 3D digitalcontent creation, oil and gas, andscience industries.

“HP understands the immensepressure its customers are under todeliver more return on investment in ashorter period of time,” said thedirector of worldwide marketing forworkstations at HP, Jeff Wood.

“By providing the most extremecombination of technologies – up to 12cores in one workstation – HP

continues its commitment to bringingcustomers leading-edge technologies.”

“The six-core AMD Opteronprocessor delivers top-line performancewith no compromise in feature setsacross the product line,” added AMD’sdirector of business development forserver workstations, John Fruehe.

“Including the six-core AMDOpteron processor and ATI FireProV7750 3-D workstation graphicsaccelerator in the powerful HP xw9400offers customers an optimalcombination of computing performanceand high-end graphics capability.“

The workstation is now available inthe US, with UK availability expected tobe announced this month.

HP updates itsworkstation range

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MARKETPLACE


New high-end devices to make use of the latestAMD multi-core Opteron processors

The xw9400incorporates AMD’smulti-core technologyand ATI’s graphicsaccelerators

New smaller laptop launched after strongdemand from the business community

Brigantia Group members all have unlimited access to BRIGANTIA PARTFINDER at no extra charge. PARTFINDER shows BRIGANTIA preferential prices and stock levels across 15 suppliers saving not only money but time too! PARTFINDER can search by description, part codes and supplier; it even has a few more subtle search tools to allow you to refine the results from our more than 100,000 SKUs listed.

PARTFINDER IS ONLY ONE OF MANY REASONS WHY BRIGANTIA HAS AROUND UK 1,000 INDIE MEMBERS.

MEMBERSHIP OF BRIGANTIA STARTS FROM £60+VAT PER YEAR*(*In this example £125+VAT joining fee is due upon signing in addition to the annual membership fee).

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MARKETPLACE


DELL has set its sights on the 12-inchbusiness market with the launch of itslatest Vostro laptop.

Designed to provide business userswith features that would normally onlybe found in much higher priced andbulkier devices, the range emphasisesperformance and a long battery life.

The base model of the Vostro 1220has Intel Core 2 Duo processors, nine-hours battery life and weighs 1.5KG. Italso comes with Dell Video Chat, solidstate drives, fingerprint readers andencryption software to protect data.

This new line comes after marketanalyst IDC predicted a growth of 35

per cent for the 12-inch businessmarket. “This trend supports what Dellhas been hearing from customers,” saidthe firm’s global vice president forsmall and medium business, Sam Burd.“Today’s globe-trotting entrepreneursneed a laptop that is powerful andlong-lasting. That used to meancarrying around an ungainly device,but the Vostro 1220 combinesperformance, built-in security and longbattery life with useful features, likevideo conferencing, to be the idealweapon of choice for any road warrior.”

The device is available now inobsidian black and deep cherry red.

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Dell introduces12-inch Vostro

“The Vostro 1220 combinesperformance, built-in

security and long battery lifewith useful features, like

video conferencing, to bethe ideal weapon of choice

for any road warrior”Sam Burd,

Dell

MARKETPLACE


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Vendor stresses that the channel has a key roleto play in rollout � SMBs primed for growth

Asus motherboardlaunch aimed at SMEs

ASUS has teamed up with Intel tointroduce a range of motherboardsdesigned to help small and mediumbusinesses refresh their existing PCs,without the need to buy new systems.

The motherboards are targetedspecifically at the SMB market andare split into three separate categories:‘secure’, ‘productive’ and ‘smart’. Allcome with Asus’ latest technologyand include service support, withone-year supply of product availabilityand conditional advance swapping.

Both Asus and Intel believe thatthe SMB segment is primed forsignificant growth over the nextcouple of years, and these solutionsare designed to take advantage of it.“We are very pleased to see ASUSembrace the SMB market opportunity

with its purpose-built board line-up,”commented general manager and vicepresident of Intel’s Business ClientGroup, Rob Crooke.

“We have a very positive outlookon the potential of the SMB ITmarket,” added vice president ofAsus’ Motherboard Business Unit,Joe Hsieh. “Asus’ solutions includenot only motherboards, but also thefull range of PC components and acomplete 3C portfolio. We aredetermined to deliver reliable,scalable, and targeted technologysolutions and services that arefocused on the SMB segment.”

Asus has made it clear thatsystem integrators and VARs arecrucial to the implementation androllout of this technology.

MARKETPLACE


SITECOM has refreshed its Pure E-motion line, with the launch of itsX-Series wireless ASDL 2+ modems.

The line is targeted at users whorequire a high quality wirelessnetwork, but want to avoid theusual problem of aerials protrudingfrom the back of the router. Eachhas a number of internal highperformance antennae designed togive the best range and reception.

As well as allowing users to sharefiles and an internet connection,the new SKUs also enable thewireless sharing of peripherals, suchas printers and scanners.

The latest in the series also retaintheir focus on security, coming withWPA2 enabled out of the box.Pitched as the ideal solution forthose who are not technologicallyminded, the X-Series comes with itssignature single-click button set up.

The three SKUs have beenindividually scaled for the needs ofdifferent customers, with a varyingnumber of internal antennae basedon the range needed and thenumber of obstacles that the signalmay have to overcome.

Distributor Meroncourt recentlydescribed these modems as one ofits best selling lines. SRPs rangefrom £62.99 for the base model, to£89.99 for the three antennaemodel. All are available now.

Popular Pure E-motion series hashad a range offeatures added

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SDA Trading (UK) Ltd, 18 Moulton Street, Manchester, M8 8FQTel: (+44) 0161 819 1515 Fax: (+44) 0870 236 0247

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“Meroncourtrecently describedthese modems as

one of its bestselling lines”

Sitecom updatesrouter portfolio

PANDA Security has launched a newversion of its threat managementappliance, GateDefender Integra.

Designed specifically for small tomedium businesses, it is available in twoSKUs. GateDefender Integra SB is anew model to the security vendor’s line-up and is for businesses with up to 50employees. GateDefender Integra 300,meanwhile, takes up the mantle forbusinesses of 50 to 250 workers.

Both include firewall, an intrusionprevention system, virtual privatenetworking, anti-malware protection,content filters, and web filters.

Panda is highlighting the appliance’suse of the cloud to provide continuous

protection. It contacts Panda’s onlinedatabase to update its rules and digitalsignatures every 90 minutes for itsmalware, IPS and web filter, and everyminute for its spam filter.

“Some 99 per cent of threats affectingcorporate networks are transmittedacross the Internet,” commentedPanda’s corporate systems analyst TonyRoberts. “These threats are increasinglyvaried and complex, heightening therisk for SMBs. This makes the internetgateway a critical security point for anynetwork. This software offers centralisedperimeter prevention against all types ofthreats, protecting companies from themoment it’s plugged in.”

Panda reveals latestGateDefender Integra

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MARKETPLACE


Security specialist’s unified threat managementhardware to benefit from cloud-enabled features

Security specialist updates its portfolio � Newcomprehensive protection methods introduced

MARKETPLACE


KASPERSKY LABS has released thelatest version of its internet securityand anti-virus software packages.

Incorporating a host-based intrusionprevention system in its applicationcontrol module, unique sandboxtechnology (which allows potentialviruses and malware to run in avirtualised environment in order toascertain their nature) and a socialnetwork that uses results from otherusers’ computers to cut down onresponse times.

“Tens of thousands of new maliciousprograms appear worldwide every day.Cyber-crime has become a multimillionpound industry, demonstratingexponential growth,” commentedKaspersky Labs’ chief executive Eugene

Kaspersky. “The routine hazards posedeach day by viruses, worms and trojansare surpassed by new threats likedistributed zombie networks made upof millions of computers.

“The sheer scale of the problemmeans it is no longer possible to ensurecomplete security using onlyconventional signature-based andheuristic protection methods. The newmalware landscape calls for newcomprehensive protection methods.That is why Kaspersky Internet Security2010 has implemented a revolutionaryapproach to protection whereby globalmonitoring of malicious activities isperformed by the protected system itselfwith the aim of preventing crimewarefrom ever affecting the user’s computer.”

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Kaspersky Labupdates security suites

MARKETPLACE


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KYOCERA has launched three newmultifunctional printers aimed at thesmall business market.

Following on from its FS-1118MFPproduct line, the new FS-1028/1128range is based on its successful FS-1300line up. Each of the three new printersfeature the ability to print, copy andscan documents, while the 1128MFPalso offers fax capabilities.

The vendor is pushing the spacesaving design of the range, as well asconsiderably improved printing speedsover its predecessor.

The line-up has a number of featuresthat are designed for small to medium

businesses, such as duplex printing, a667MHz processor, and 256MBmemory to help improve printingspeeds. It also has the ability topackage and send scanned documentsto an FTP or via email.

It incorporates a number of security features, such as SSLencryption, and LDAPauthentications to preventunauthorised access to scanning,printing and faxing, even on aninternal network. In addition, datafrom a USB can be printed withoutthe need for a PC, but is still protectedby the same security features.

New 1028/1128 range replaces FS1118MFP SKU �Single unit has ability to print, copy, scan and fax

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Kyocerarevamps printer range

MARKETPLACE � RECOMMENDED

TO EXPERIENCE games in glorious3D you need two key elements: the

GeForce 3D Vision set of battery-powered glasses and emitter,

and a monitor capable ofrefreshing its image at

120Hz. Samsung andViewSonic have both

produced the first two120Hz-capable 22-inch

desktop TFTs, and this isSamsung’s offering. The Samsung SyncMaster2233RZ is a fairly standard 22-inch TFT in most respects; 1,680x 1.050 resolution, 300cd/m2brightness and 1,000:1 contrastratio, along with Samsung’scurved design and some ratherodd flowers etched into the rear.But that 120Hz refresh rate isthe vital component, since itallows 3D Vision to produce asufficiently smooth image tokeep things headache-free.

The glasses are necessarily a littleclunkier than traditional polarisedspecs, in order to house the battery andthe USB port for charging, but as you’llget 40 hours out of one charge youneedn’t worry about beingunnecessarily tethered to your desktop.

At £347 exc VAT for the full package(assuming you already own an Nvidiacard,) it certainly isn’t cheap.Nonetheless, this is a new technologyaimed at early adopters, and once yousee the results with your own eyes it’s ahighly tempting proposition. Yes, it hasits early flaws, but with Nvidia wieldingsuch clout in the world of gaming wecan see GeForce 3D Vision makingsteady progress towards the mainstream.

ACER ASPIRE REVO R3600

AS THE first Nvidia Ion system has hitretail, the pressure is on Acer’s AspireRevo to prove net-top PCs are good formore than just web browsing. PreviousAtom-based models, with theirintegrated Intel graphics, have lackedthe processing power to play back high-definition video smoothly, but ourrecent look at a pre-production Iongave us hope that net-tops could find aniche as low cost media devices.

The good news is that Acer’simplementation is just as successful. Itpairs a 1.6GHz Atom 230 with Nvidia’sGeForce 9400M graphics, resulting in afar more capable core specificationthan the Asus Eee Box B202. We ran aselection of 1080p videos and foundthat the graphics chip was more thancapable of bearing the brunt of thesmooth decoding, providing you knowhow to enable GPU acceleration inyour chosen software.

For the most part it’s no departurefrom previous net-tops, but the graphicschip makes all the difference to

usability. It’s no gamer’sparadise, managing just 15fpsin our latest demandingCrysis test, but the ability toplay back HD video on such acheap device is appealing.

If media capability isimportant to you, the Acer isbetter looking than HP’schunkier CompaqCQ2000UK-M, despite thelatter’s bundled monitor.Asus’ new Eee Box B206with ATi graphics runs itclose, but right now the AcerAspire Revo R3600 standsalone as the first net-top PCwe’d genuinely considerbuying for our living rooms.

NVIDIA GEFORCE 3D VISION/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

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The Aspire Revo is Acer’sfirst foray into the net-topbox market

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MARKETPLACE


To advertise in

MARKETPLACEplease contact

Carly Bailey

Tel: 01992 [email protected]

The PCA held its annual golf day last month andtook the opportunity to announce its rebranding asthe Technology Channel Association, following itsmerger with the Mac Technology Association.To the right stands (left to right) Neil Spicer ofSapphire, overall winner Steve Morgan, Gem’sRichard Stickler and Sapphire’s Shaun Bratt.

PCA GOLF DAY

THIS MONTH: PCA Golf Day brings out the channels’ competitive side,Enta spotted at the Great Wall of China and Hannspree’s superbikes...

Off the Record

OFF THE RECORD


Right, top to Bottom: Medea’s Mike Scotttees off, Fix It Local’s John Carter at the

putting green and the TCA’s very ownKeith Warburton at the driving range

Below, left to right: Derek Jones, Jon Atherton, John

Harris and Robert French show us their golf poses

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Send your pictures to:andrew [email protected]

OFF THE RECORD


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Left: Poole proudly flies the Enta banner from one ofthe reconstructed sections, but the neglected areas(above) posed much more of a challenge

In April, Enta announced that it wouldbe sponsoring Janet Poole on her tenday hike along the Great Wall of China.Trekking with 50 other walkers in aid ofMacmillan Cancer Support, Pooleconquered her fear of heights and leftbehind her four children to raise £3250for the charity.

“It went really well,” commentedPoole. “I am very pleased with how itwent but yes, I was feeling very tiredby the end.”

ENTA THEDRAGON

Samsung UK vice president AndyGriffiths was joined by PRC founderJohn Digwa and Bollywood superstarShilpa Shetty in the unveiling of thenew ‘Samsung Zone’ at PRC’s flagshipstore in Ilford.

SAMSUNGZONE

Hannspree is proud to be the globaltitle sponsor of the SBK WorldSuperbike Championships. The race took place on June 28th andwas attended by Formula One driverMark Webber, who is pictured herewith the sons of Hannspree’s UK salesmanager Simon Wren, Nicholas andMatthew.

HANNSPREE’SSUPERBIKES

PCR’s very own executive advertisingmanager Katie Rawlings (left) goestoe to toe against MCV advertisingmanager Lesley Blumson (right) atthe Gem 25th Anniversarycelebrations, which took place nearits Harlow headquarters.

GLADIATORS,READY!

Left: Hannspree’s UK sales managerMartin Kent enjoys some quality timewith the ‘Hanns Girls’

BACK PAGE

106 PCR August

“QuoteUNQUOTE“Two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal departmentsaying -- this is a true story -- saying, ‘Hey, you need to stoprunning those ads, we lowered our prices.’ They took like $100off or something. It was the greatest single phone call that I'veever taken in business. I did cartwheels down the hallway. At firstI said, ‘Is this a joke? Who are you?’ Not understanding what anopportunity. And so we’re just going to keep running them andrunning them and running them.”

Microsoft COO Kevin Turner shares Apple’s reaction to the‘Laptop Hunter’ ads at this year’s Worldwide Partner

Conference

“Google the following: ‘AT&T censoring the Internet.’ Do thatin five or more tabs, then press the little downwards arrow nextto the refresh button. Select Enable every five seconds, or every10 if your computer is slow. This will put AT&T on the Googletop 100 and that is where journalists are always looking for newsstories on the web. Thus the journalists will put this in the news.BING INSTANT COVERAGE.”

Following the blocking of the 4chan website – described bysome as ‘the internet’s hate machine’ and ‘the anus of the

internet’ – by AT&T, a weblog offers advice to raiseawareness of the apparent breach of the US constitution

“We never mention the existence of the software during sales,because we don’t want to turn customers away.”Beijing-based Lenovo sales representative Feng Erbei hints at

Chinese public sentiment towards the controversial GreenDam – Youth Escort internet filter software

“It was the single greatestphone call that I’ve evertaken in business. I didcartwheels down the

hallway”

bookmark us in your phone:

mobile.pcretailmag.com

LATESTNEWSSTRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

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Describe yourself in three wordsThorough, eager, funny.

How do you relax away from work?Doing active sport takes your mind away from thepressures of distribution. Spending time with my two boyshas the same effect.

What’s your favourite game/book/film/album?Rock Band, Dead Soles, Hot Rod, and Employment by TheKaiser Chiefs.

What was your first computer?Who knows – it was so old and big we had to forklift it outof the house.

What’s your best memory from working in the industry?I had the good fortune to go ice rallying in Sweden withD-Link – a truly memorable day.

Who’s the funniest person you’ve ever met?Howard Barnes, who is a work colleague.

What did you want to do when you were younger? A pilot in the RAF, but then who didn’t?

When were the ‘good old days?’Having been in the industry for ten-plus years, I have seenmany companies come and go. I would definitely say tenyears ago there were some great characters andbusinesses around. You could pick up the phone and dobusiness there and then. Now a lot of people do businessover portals, email and MSN which has changed the waywe interact and the relationships we used to have.

This month, Darren Perks, Sales Manager atEntaTech bares all to PCR...

In the

HOT SEAT

PCR Issue 71

Documents

Transcript of PCR Issue 71