News in the Channel - issue #26

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Issue #26

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COMMENT

School’s in Computers are an integral part of classrooms for students of all ages today and they can provide an important source of revenue for resellers. With a wealth of new technology coming onto the market, there are no shortage of opportunities either.

Computer technology has been commonplace in schools for about 40 years now. Those of us old enough to remember being in primary school in the 80s and early 90s will remember the frisson of excitement that went round a class when a BBC Micro would be wheeled in on what could have been a

for children and young people aged five to 18 – being light, modular and, above all, super tough. Find out more on p24. Staying with computers, they can plan a part in a business’ sustainability journey. Energy efficiency is now often a factor in decisions when updating a computer fleet, especially in larger organisations. But when considering energy efficiency in computers, it

Dan Parton

serving trolley in a past life. For some kids, it was the first time they might have used a computer. Back then, for some teachers it was too. For anyone under the age of about 35, this will seem quaint. Computers are now an integral part of learning for all students from the ages of five to 18 and have

isn’t just about the amount of power a device uses, there are other factors that need to be considered. Find out more on p30. Elsewhere in the issue, we focus on the warehousing and logistics sectors and the importance of data management in it. These businesses are producing

been for many years. The recent BETT event showcased the best in computer technology – and much more – that is set to shape the future of learning. At BETT this year two trends came to the fore, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), although eSports, the power of AV, digital physicality and cybersecurity still grabbed a big slice of attention. Read more on p12. One newly launched line of laptops that were exhibited at BETT were the ASUS Chromebook CR. These have been designed with education settings in mind

more data than ever and harnessing it can help them to achieve improvements in efficiencies and processes that can impact the bottom line. Data management however is crucial, and resellers have an important role to play. Read more on p34. As always, I hope you enjoy the issue. If you have any topics that you would like to see covered in a future issue, or you have any news stories or opinion pieces that you would like to submit for potential publication, please drop me a line at dan@newsinthechannel.com

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CONTENTS

News You should know p6 BETT 2025 Showcasing education tech p12

BETT 2025 – p12

Cybersecurity – p44

The impact of a cyberattack can be significant in monetary and reputational terms. Is it something customers can afford? No – and MSPs and VARs can help customers to avoid them.

Exclusive Networks Rob Tomlin on the Exclusive way p18 Dual Voltage Systems Simplifying battery management p21 Product Lauches Asus Chromebook CR series p24 Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Editions p28 Energy Efficient Computers Working efficiently p30 Data Management In warehousing and logistics businesses p34 Eagle Eye – BI Hardware firewalls p40 Cybersecurity Don't take the risk p44 Profile TIEVA – a winning strategy p47 On the move p50

The annual BETT show was held in January and showcased the best in technology that is available to the education sector, highlighting some of the innovation that is helping to make educators’ lessons more engaging and lives easier.

Product Launch: Asus Chromebook CR Series – p24

Learning without limits ASUS has just launched its Chromebook CR series, which has been tailored for the needs of those providing education for children and young people aged five to 18.

Profile: TIEVA – p47

BI: Hardware Firewalls – p40

Unlike software firewalls, hardware firewalls offer dedicated resources and enhanced performance, making them a preferred choice for enterprises seeking comprehensive network protection.

TIEVA won the Reseller of the Year Award at the Stockies last year, having had a successful 12 months, thanks to its focus on providing better customer outcomes and staying on the crest of customer trends.

CONTENTS

On the Move – p50

Exclusive Networks – p18

Acronis appoints CISO Gerald Beuchelt • Abzorb appoints business development manager• Agilitas new chief financial officer • Intelliworx’s new chief revenue officer

Exclusive Networks has grown quickly in the past decade, but, as Rob Tomlin, managing director for UK and Ireland, explains, the company has plans to grow even faster as it capitalises on the opportunities in the marketplace.

Editorial Dan Parton 07941 979 845 dan@ newsinthechannel.com Head of Sales Martin Jenner-Hall 07824 552 116 martin@ newsinthechannel.com Publishing Director Justin Penn 07816 573 186 justin@ newsinthechannel.com

Product Launch: Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Editions – p28

Lenovo’s latest update of its ThinkPad range was launched at CES 2025 and with a new range of features and with AI to the fore. These are designed to bridge the gap between professional and consumer, with an emphasis on hybrid workers.

Data Management – p34

Published by: In the Channel Media Ltd Company registration number: 14363401 Registered office address 14-18 Heddon Street,

Energy Efficient Computers – p30 With sustainability – and cost saving – remaining high on many business’ agendas, some are looking to the energy efficiency of their computer fleet and there are savings to be found – but it isn’t just about the power the device uses.

Warehousing and logistics businesses are producing more data than ever before, but that means nothing unless it is harnessed properly. This is where data management

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NEWS

Pure Storage revamps Reseller Partner Program

Pure Storage has unveiled an updated Reseller Partner Program designed to significantly increase the profitability opportunity for partners by enabling them to lead customers to successful data storage transformation and superior business outcomes. As the opportunity to replace hard disk with flash continues to increase, the program equips partners with the tools to address customers’ most pressing data storage requirements and tailor the Pure Storage Platform to address solution-specific use cases – including AI and cyber resilience. It also incentivises partners who successfully replace aging disk-based storage with Pure Storage’s all-flash offering. As part of the Reseller Partner Program, Pure Storage is introducing new solution-oriented training designed to address the changing needs of the market and to empower individuals and organisations. This enhanced training and enablement equips partners with the resources they need to drive greater profitability and growth. Partners can take advantage of solution- oriented, on-demand courses and in- person technical boot camps to enhance proficiencies. With access to expanded content and practical tools, partners can enhance their role as trusted advisors in the industry and build even deeper customer relationships. Additionally, the program outlines new incentives and rebates with a focus on accelerating customer transition to the Pure Storage Platform. Pure Storage is enabling partners to drive transformation and lead in high- growth markets by focusing on key areas that address customers’ most pressing IT challenges: l Hybrid cloud optimisation: Partners can provide customers with seamless mobility, cost optimisation and consistent storage services, resiliency,

and APIs across their hybrid cloud environments l AI-ready infrastructure: Partners can help customers unify data to speed up training, inference and insight l Modern applications: Partners can support customers as they automate, protect and unify their data for modern applications across on-premises, public cloud, or hybrid cloud environments l Cyber resilience: Partners can arm their customers with tiered resiliency solutions that defend and secure data before, during, and after a cyberattack, addressing the urgent need for advanced cybersecurity. The latest enhancements to the Partner Program offer partners an opportunity to accelerate their market impact by driving competitive replacements and adoption of the Pure Storage Platform. Partners can now benefit from enriched rewards and rebates tailored to maximise profitability, in recognition of their role in delivering transformative solutions to customers. New and updated partner-facing tools help the program stand out as one of the most comprehensive and partner-focused in the industry. Partners gain access to unique resources that only Pure Storage offers such as: l Pure Partner Intelligence:

Amy Fowler general manager

purestorage.com

“

Pure Storage is deeply committed to driving shared success with its partners and we are excited

to deliver a reimagined program experience that positions partners for exponential growth.

Partners can leverage real-time insights and analytics to identify growth opportunities within their install base, driving proactive expansions and renewals

”

l Pure Realize™: Partners can elevate customer conversations with use-case proposals, price quotes, and solution expertise for targeted business challenges, differentiating themselves as solution providers l New Digital Partner Master Services Agreement process: Partners can deliver a highly CONTINUED

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00 0117 3117 37

NEWS

automated and efficient experience for customer upgrades, expansions and renewals. The automated digital experience through the Pure1 platform enables quote requests, purchase orders, and installations in a fraction of the time it takes with other data storage competitors l Continued operational enhancements: Partners can expect a redesigned partner portal, and

new CPQ tooling which will introduce guided selling for partners and more updates to increase sales velocity and partner autonomy later this fiscal year. “Pure Storage is deeply committed to driving shared success with its partners and we are excited to deliver a reimagined program experience that positions partners for exponential growth,” said Amy Fowler, general manager, commercial at Pure Storage.

Security threats top of mind for SMEs

A majority – 61% – of SMEs regard security as their biggest challenge in 2025, according to JumpCloud’s SME IT Trends Report Q1 2025 . Forty-five per cent of surveyed organisations have suffered a cyber security attack, and bad actors are once again favouring phishing in targeting these organisations, accounting for 53% of all attacks. UK IT admins within SMEs are under constant pressure to juggle complex device environments, shadow IT risks, cyber security attacks, and the rapid rise of AI – all while trying to ensure that the user experience remains seamless. For instance, nearly 90% of UK IT admins worried about unauthorised apps and devices expanding their attack surface. Additionally, 60% expressed concern that AI’s rapid advance will outpace their ability to secure against AI-specific threats. With IT sprawl overwhelming many teams, 83% of respondents are calling for a unified platform to better manage devices, identities and access to simplify their increasingly fragmented environment. JumpCloud's eighth edition of its biannual SME IT Trends Report surveyed more than 900 respondents from the UK, Australia and the USA, with 300 from the UK. The survey found that even though security is a prominent business concern for UK organisations, 48% are not

implementing stronger security measures across their IT stack because these

SME IT TRENDS Q1 2025

measures might result in a poorer user experience. Ironically, 42% of UK SMEs are not implementing stronger security measures because they already manage too many tools in their IT stack. Tool sprawl is a persistent problem – the number of organisations using between 11-15 tools to manage the employee lifecycle and all resources has increased to 19% and the number using between five to 10 tools has also increased from 46% in Q3 2024 to 51% in Q1 2025. “Clearly IT professionals at UK SMEs face challenges on multiple levels, however, this time around we have seen three clear themes emerge: security threats continue to escalate at an alarming pace; AI adoption is also accelerating; and both are prompting UK businesses to turn to MSPs to implement more resilient and robust cyber security measures,” said Rajat Bhargava, co- founder and CEO of JumpCloud. “For those organisations wanting to innovate while also having the controls in place to safeguard their business, embracing a centralised, unified platform to manage an ever-growing complex environment will be critical in 2025.” While concerns around AI and its power

From Chaos to Control: Simplifying IT in the Fast Lane of Change

Rajat Bhargava co-founder and CEO

jumpcloud.com

NEWS

“

to outpace UK SME’s ability to protect against threats remains an issue for 60% of respondents, this percentage has decreased slightly in Q1 2025 compared to 64% who said this in Q3 2024, JumpCloud noted. Therefore, while UK organisations continue to approach AI’s implementation with caution, it is increasingly being seen as a force for good. In fact, the appetite for implementing AI initiatives has grown from 66% who had plans to do this in Q3 2024 to 75% in this report. IT budgets have shot up with 68% of UK SMEs expected budgets to rise in the last report, now 80% expect to

have more budget in Q1 2025. Likewise, 76% of UK SMEs expect cyber security budgets to increase in the next 12 months and 52% are planning to invest in cyber security tools and services in the next six months. This was higher than any other planned investment. MSP adoption and investment in the next 12 months has increased significantly since the previous SME IT Trends Report , from 67% in Q3 2024 to 79% in Q1 2025. In Q1 2025, more UK SMEs (31%) are using MSPs to completely manage their IT programme, including technology, process, and support, compared to 24% in Q3 2024.

Clearly IT professionals at UK SMEs face challenges on multiple levels, however, this time around we have seen three clear themes emerge.

”

Channel leaders shifting sustainability mindset, research finds

Sustainability remains a core focus for businesses across the channel, with three quarters of respondents scoring seven out of a maximum 10, according to Agilitas IT Solutions’ latest Sustainability Report. While it remains on business agendas, its focus is yet to top the 7.8 out of 10 high seen in 2021. After a slump in 2022 and 2023, the number of companies setting sustainability as a priority is increasing again. But there is a divide in how different roles perceive and act on sustainability. Only 8% of junior managers considered sustainability to be a high priority compared to over half of CEOs and business owners. Respondents in more senior roles are also more engaged, with 34% of senior managers and 37% of CEOs stating they are confident in their organisation’s sustainable practices. The report highlights the industry is shifting from offsetting to carbon reduction strategies. In 2022, a third of those Agilitas surveyed were investing in offsetting strategies, but today this has dropped to less than a quarter, with channel firms placing more emphasis

on reduction strategies that, when done effectively, can reduce carbon and cost. Regarding what reduction strategies companies had in place, 36% had already implemented initiatives to become more sustainable with energy efficiency, streamlining business processes, remote and hybrid working models and working with eco-friendly suppliers highlighted as the key areas of focus. A further 37% were looking to implement strategies within the next 12 months, but over a quarter of recipients were not prioritising any carbon reduction activities soon. “Channel companies continue to face a number of challenges and opportunities regarding sustainability. While business leaders are focused on sustainability goals, there is a notable disconnect across organisations which needs to be addressed in order to create a culture of collaboration and innovation,” said Sara Wilkes, CEO at Agilitas. “We have been no stranger to overcoming challenges throughout our sustainability journey, and the importance of high-quality data collection cannot be underestimated. Ensuring data is accurate, well-logged and reviewed regularly is just the first step.”

Sara Wilkes CEO

agilitas.co.uk

AN URGENT IMPERATIVE SUSTAINABILITY :

No longer a distant goal for businesses.

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NEWS

NowSignage announces partnership with Exertis AV

NowSignage has announced a partnership with Exertis AV. This partnership marks a significant milestone in NowSignage’s commitment to providing innovative and accessible digital signage solutions to businesses of all sizes. Through this collaboration, Exertis AV will distribute NowSignage’s platform to its network of resellers with plans for a strategic rollout into Europe. This partnership ensures Exertis customers can access a robust CMS solution that integrates seamlessly with the latest hardware and delivers premium features at no extra cost. “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to make world-class digital signage accessible to every business,” said Richard Hutchinson, global sales director at NowSignage. “Exertis AV’s reach and expertise will help us connect with a broader audience and support our

expansion across the UK and Europe.” Nick Smith, AV business manager at Exertis AV, said: “This new partnership will see us greatly expand our digital signage offering and bring a market- leading solution to our customers. We see continued growth in digital signage, and NowSignage are ideally positioned to help our partners grow their business.” NowSignage’s feature-rich CMS is designed to cater to the needs of various industries, including retail, QSR, education and corporate environments. With this partnership, Exertis AV resellers will benefit from: l A proven digital signage CMS with all features included at one cost l S eamless compatibility with a wide range of displays and media players

Richard Hutchinson global sales director

nowsignage.com

l D edicated and tailored support from the combined expertise of NowSignage and Exertis.

Inevidesk expands offerings across VDI product suite

Inevidesk has expanded its virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) product suite and changes to licensing to provide more scalable, affordable and flexible solutions and procurement processes for organisations and MSPs. Inevidesk now offers GPU-less and Intel Flex GPU options for its VDI services, in addition to the core historical offering of vdesks with dedicated Nvidia GPUs. This extends the availability of Inevidesk beyond the specialist requirements of graphical industries to accommodate most other use cases. GPU-less vdesks are applicable for most knowledge workers using standard office software, whilst Intel Flex GPUs allow for multiple vdesks to draw on one card where a relatively low level of GPU resource is needed. These options allow for a very large number of vdesks to run on high density servers, whether based in offices, datacentres or through

Inevidesk’s hosting services. Inevidesk has also introduced a new monthly licensing model, replacing its previous annual charges, for better flexibility, transparency and less onerous billing. Finally, Inevidesk’s Flexidesk service, which enables hosted customers to extend their VDI estate one vdesk at a time, no longer requires a minimum hardware purchase. “Our goal has always been to give organisations and MSPs a superior and more accessible alternative to legacy VDI such as VMware and big tech public cloud vendors,” said Mark Adams, co-founder at Inevidesk. “With the introduction of GPU-less vdesks, Intel Flex GPUs and a new monthly licensing model, we’re ensuring that even more businesses can benefit from VDI that’s affordable, highly performant and tailored to their specific requirements.”

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BETT 2025

It’s a sure BETT The annual BETT show was held in January and showcased the best in technology that is available to the education sector, highlighting some of the innovation that is helping to make educators’ lessons more engaging and lives easier.

“

The British Educational Training and Technology Show – better known as the BETT Show, continues to deliver to the education sector year after year, and BETT 2025 held from 22-24 January proved why it remains the premium event in the education technology space. Held over three days, showcasing cutting-edge innovations set to shape the future of learning, the event featured more than 600 exhibitors, and was attended by some 35,000 people from the global education community. In the Channel Media was present to cover the event and exhibited alongside Stock in the Channel, supporting more than 3,000 hardware brands that rely on the Stock in the Channel platform. Each year, BETT has a clear underlying trend that emerges, whether it’s the rise of 3D printers, the evolution of digital panels to interactive boards or the explosion of eSports. This year there certainly were two trends coming to the fore, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), although eSports, the power of AV, digital physicality and cybersecurity still grabbed a big slice of attention. Robotics unleashed Robotics was presented in all manners of delivery, from Key Stage 1 to

This year there certainly were two trends coming to the fore, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), although eSports, the power of AV, digital physicality and cybersecurity still grabbed a big slice of attention.

block set that encourages coding and integrates thought processes about maths and robots is a good start, especially sets that can be expanded with future budgets. While there is a lot of negativities about the future of coding with the emergence of AI, the understanding of the application of coding to programming is still required. Future fit Digital PE was a fun and noisy watch. With the great British weather, ingenious companies have come up with a plethora of solutions to meet schoolchildren’s needs, on the premise that there is a dedicated indoor area for them to use. Solutions included sensors, projectors, mats, balls, nets, software, lights and a lot of adrenaline and perspiration.

”

Watch the highlights

further education levels. From kits to components, and from lessons

tailored for the teachers to companies delivering presentations with their digital companions, it’s an exciting time to be a child. For the cash-strapped school, in the earlier years, considering a basic magnetic

BETT 2025

AI impact AI permeated every corner of the two exhibition halls and were on the lips of almost all guest speakers, including Secretary for Education and Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson MP, and celebrities like Stephen Fry. Stephen pondered redefining the skills our children need for the future world of work, while Bridget was positive that the administrative burden for teachers would be reduced by using AI and other technologies. The Education Secretary felt that AI tools were expected to decrease the time teachers spend on tasks such as marking, planning and form filling, thus allowing them to focus more on teaching and delivering change for children, thereby addressing the recruitment and retention crisis in teaching by making the profession less stressful and more fulfilling. The software companies were singing the praises of AI, offering AI lessons, AI- integrations, AI-enhancements, AI payment plans and more. The laptop brands that have brought AI-enabled PCs to the market include HP, Lenovo and ASUS. Robust and modular ASUS came with a clear message: that their robust laptops are designed with modular components to extend device longevity, and the company used the opportunity to launch its latest education- focused laptops, the BR and CR series, each series encompassing four models. The ASUS BR series and CR series are designed specifically for the needs of students from ages five to 18, educators and IT administrators and combine upgraded performance with new Intel processors, rugged durability and innovative features like Microsoft Copilot, and a design to match even the most demanding student lifestyle. BR- series convertible models (BR1204FTA and BR1104FTA) feature 360° hinges and optional stylus support, allowing seamless transitions between laptop and

tablet modes, ideal for creative projects and collaboration. Students will put any laptop through its paces, and the ASUS BR series laptops are built to withstand active classroom environments with features such as rugged rubber bumpers and spill- resistant keyboards. ASUS CR series Chromebooks are available in 180° lay-flat and 360° convertible models and are powered by the Intel® Processor N250 with a 1080p FHD front-facing webcam and a 13MP world-facing camera and TÜV-certified low blue-light displays. ASUS BR and CR Series have been tested by simulating real-world accidents and optional features include Corning® Gorilla® Glass on touchscreen models and ASUS Antimicrobial Guard technology. ASUS has put some thoughtful features into the BR and CR Series and one delight is the anti-drop captive screws, ensuring that small parts remain securely in place during repairs, preventing misplacement and simplifying maintenance.

Bridget Phillipson MP Secretary for Education and Women and Equalities Photo: Bridget Phillipson ©House of Commons

Stephen Fry

“

The software companies were singing the praises of AI, offering AI lessons, AI-integrations, AI-enhancements, AI payment plans and more.

”

CONTINUED

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BETT 2025

CONTINUED

Ultra AI smart Another delight to see at BETT were the new Lenovo ThinkPads. Lenovo has a whole year of innovation planned for 2025 and worth a lift was the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition, currently the world’s lightest business Ultrabook, weighing in at 986g. This business notebook is ultra-thin, at just 14.37mm, and is AI-ready thanks to its powerful Intel processor and a battery life designed to last up to 18 hours. Lenovo Aura Edition laptops integrate various smart modes, one of them worth noting in the education sector is Smart Share. Smart Share is particularly handy for teachers as it provides smooth AI-enabled picture sharing between smartphones and laptops. Users can simply tap a supported smartphone on the screen edge and leveraging the capability of Elliptic Labs AI Virtual Sensor, the laptop will launch the Smart Share window on the PC and smartphone, enabling simple drag and drop transfer of recent photos between devices. IOS and Android platforms are supported. Happy teachers almost always equate to happy pupils. Another highlight was Lenovo’s expanded partnership with IGEL and its advancements in device security and management. Lenovo’s collaboration with IGEL OS has led to the seamless integration of IGEL’s Preventative Security Model across ThinkPad L14 Gen 4, ThinkCentre Neo50q, and M75q tiny desktop devices. This initiative significantly improves security and simplifies IT management for schools worldwide. The IGEL OS can be deployed on any device, enhancing security and extending hardware longevity, and has a pre-integrated security and policy-driven management reduce the complexity of endpoint protection. IGEL OS optimises Lenovo devices for SaaS, DaaS and VDI applications, improving remote learning capabilities. With cybersecurity becoming a

growing concern in education, Lenovo’s commitment to integrating IGEL OS ensures that educational institutions can protect student data, maintain compliance and streamline IT operations without significant overhead costs.

Purposeful HP’s colourful stand stood out,

thoughtfully demarcating workstations, printers, AI PCs, sustainability and more. This helps buyers to consider when they are making decisions about budgets and devices. HP’s Brighter Futures initiative continues to offer schools and colleges the chance to maximise their budgets by investing in new HP educational devices while gaining up to £150 when they trade-in their old devices. To date HP has collected and re-used or recycles more than 67,000 devices and provided some £7.8 million of support to schools in the UK.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition

“

To date HP, has collected and re- used or recycles more than 67,000 devices and provided some £7.8 million of support to schools in the UK

Continuing to define educational innovation

BETT 2025 once again reinforced its status as the leading educational technology event. Looking ahead, the education sector is evolving rapidly alongside the evolution of the technology available and BETT remains at the heart of this transformation, showcasing the best the technology sector has to offer.

”

BETT 2026 will be held from 21-23 January 2026.

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00 17

EXCLUSIVE NETWORKS

The Exclusive way Exclusive Networks has grown quickly in the past decade, but, as Rob Tomlin, managing director for UK and Ireland, explains, the company has plans to grow even faster as it capitalises on the opportunities in the marketplace.

It has been a busy 12 months for Rob Tomlin since he stepped into the position of managing director, UK & Ireland at Exclusive Networks. But while it has been hectic, it is a journey that he has enjoyed as he has taken up his role at a time of fast growth in the market and the company. “Frankly, it’s been awesome,” Rob says. “Before I joined Exclusive, I knew it was a great company and had built up a good reputation in the cybersecurity market. But now I’m involved with the company, I know just how good it is.”

be trustworthy and trusted because we’re nearly 300 teammates in the UK. We need that collaboration, we want to be innovative and disrupt the market, disrupt the norm with what we are doing. When someone says we can’t do that, I say, ‘absolutely we can’, because there should never be a no. “We’re also team cultured. They’ve been so welcoming to me. I’m the boss, so you’d hope they would welcome me, but everything we do is about the team. All of that has been a breath of fresh air. It’s exactly what I needed. It’s massively energised me. “The company is also on a growth trajectory and with the potential of the cybersecurity market and where it’s going there is very little that stops us doubling the size of the business again in the next three to five years. It’s very exciting.” NetApp agreement Part of Exclusive Networks’ growth strategy has recently included signing a distributor agreement with NetApp to provide highly secure, data-centric solutions to channel partners in the UK and Ireland. Together, Exclusive Networks and NetApp will enable partners to better protect their customers’ businesses, enhance cybersecurity and deliver secure and resilient digital infrastructure. NetApp’s data infrastructure solutions are a complementary addition to Exclusive Networks’ cybersecurity portfolio. NetApp is now its primary data infrastructure vendor for the UK and Ireland to provide the most secure data infrastructure on the planet.

Rob Tomlin managing director, UK and Ireland

Exclusive experience For Rob, the past year has been

exclusive-networks.com

energising as he has been welcomed into the company and seen its potential for future growth. “For the last decade, Exclusive has quietly gone about its business of building what is now a leader in cyber security and data security for the UK and EMEA markets,” he explains. “Then I reflect on why I’ve enjoyed this past year so much and why the company has been so successful, we have this saying internally, which is we give customers the Exclusive experience and I have had that in my first year. What is that? We put the customer first at all times. And the customer is not just the partner, it’s the vendor, it’s your colleague. We want to be trusted throughout the organisation. “In the world of security, if you’re not trusted, then you’ve got a problem. But we want to be a trusted adviser to our vendors and our partners. And internally, we want all our colleagues to

“

We put the customer first at all times. And the customer is not just the partner, it's the vendor, it's your colleague.

”

CONTINUED

00 18

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EXCLUSIVE NETWORKS

CONTINUED

“We signed an agreement to distribute NetApp, a tier one vendor and similar to other leading vendors we have in our portfolio,” he says. “It’s simple. No data, no business. If you can’t get to your data, you can’t operate in many businesses today. If you haven’t secured it well, if you haven’t backed it up well, you haven’t got access to it, your business doesn’t exist. We’ve seen that with very large logistics companies that have not been able to ship things because they’ve got no access to their data.” The addition of NetApp is just the latest key vendor Exclusive Networks has a relationship with. “We’ve been growing our key vendors very nicely,” says Rob. “But we’ve also been growing very fast in the world of AI and data security. AI is causing fantastic growth in the IT ecosystem, the challenge is if you want to do security well and you want to secure all the data you’re creating, you need to have very well-structured data.” Keeping ahead Of course, with cybersecurity, the key is to stay one step ahead of the myriad bad actors that are out there. Rob explains that Exclusive Networks has a global vendor team that works with larger vendors to influence them to make themselves relevant to partners and end user customers. “But they are also looking for the next unicorn vendors that you’ve never heard of,” he adds. “There are so many vendors that are coming out of Silicon Valley, Israel, Australia that are AI data vendors, or automation vendors, or security vendors. We’re looking for new vendors that complement the platform vendors. Then there are lots of plugin vendors that address what’s needed with those other vendors. “It’s an ecosystem. Our job is to review the ecosystem constantly and bring in those vendors

that enable our customers to help keep the bad guys out and to help their customers remain agile to those threats.” Training is also an important aspect and Exclusive Networks is a global training provider. “We do something like 30,000 training sessions a year,” says Rob. “Nearly all the vendors that we distribute, we’re an authorised training centre for, which gives people that sense of comfort when they’re dealing with us. But we train their customers as well.” Disrupting the marketplace Looking forward to 2025, Rob is keen for Exclusive Networks to continue to disrupt the marketplace. “We just do things differently,” he says. “We are so agile compared to our US- headquartered distributors. We make decisions on credit, on payment terms, on risk in minutes, not weeks. We hire ahead of the trends. If we see an opportunity, we decide to make investments. We invest money in marketing, which creates pull through for our vendors and customers. “One specific thing is payment. One of the biggest challenges right now is getting a CFO to sign off an investment. They know they need to make it, but they don’t want to spend their cash. They also don’t want to use leasing because they see leasing can cost them more. But our Exclusive payment solutions are fabulous. We’re able to enable a customer to commit to a five- year deal with a vendor or a three-year deal, secure that beneficial pricing, but pay monthly, quarterly, annually. I’ve been in this game for 25 years and distributors don’t do that. “We just do things differently and it goes back to the initial point I made: we’re trying to do things in the Exclusive way, and that Exclusive way has been quiet for the last decade. But we are being more vocal now to help our partners grow at a faster pace in this fast-growth market.”

“

One of the biggest challenges right now is getting a CFO to sign off an investment. They know they need to make it, but they don't want to spend their cash. They also don't want to use leasing because they see leasing can cost them more. But our Exclusive payment solutions are fabulous.

”

DUAL VOLTAGE SYSTEMS

Simplifying battery management for dual voltage systems Power supplies are often limited in field environments as most of the telemetry industry uses 24V or 12V systems, which can be a challenge when designing battery backup systems, but there is technology that can help, as Ian Loudon, international marketing and sales manager at Omniflex, explains.

Providing 24V and 12V in battery standby systems can be expensive and inconvenient. Telemetry equipment is often used in the field to relay information back to control systems, but a big challenge is there can often be disparity between radio and instrumentation equipment power supply voltages. Radio equipment is often powered on 12V DC supply. However, analytical equipment, control relays and others often require 24V DC. Traditionally, companies would use two power supplies to address this issue. This brings complexity with more wiring and maintenance time as this may involve twice the amount of time checking on any signals and twice the cost in cabling. Traditionally this would require two power supply chargers and batteries for remote monitoring, therefore adding more components to the system. In addition, the draw on the 12V DC system is different to the 24V DC system, which drains the batteries at different rates and makes maintaining them a challenge. Many teams would carry back up batteries, but the most common back up battery is sealed lead acid because it’s relatively cheap and readily available. In high ambient temperature conditions, however, a charger will even at trickle charge damage the batteries and shorten their lifespan. All sealed lead acid battery manufacturers specify a maximum charging current for the correct life

and safe operation of sealed lead acid batteries. Many conventional switch mode power supplies do not control their maximum delivered current and can cause batteries to be charged from flat with current levels that exceed the manufacturer’s recommendation. In addition, during prolonged power outages, back-up batteries will eventually discharge. If the load remains connected, batteries can enter their ‘deep’ discharge phase, which can damage to the batteries and reduce their capacity and life expectancy. To simplify the challenges of remote monitoring Omniflex has developed a single product solution featuring a power supply with the PTL120C-D dual voltage charger – with 12V and 24V DC output. It provides split rail battery charging for balanced charging to both batteries even when 12V loads are tapped from the battery set. This protects the batteries from deep discharge events, containing mains output that is connected as an alarm to indicate loss of primary power. The battery level is monitored through the charger and the load can be put to prevent damage, alerting a specialist to fix the problem. With a simplified design through a compact single unit solution, this makes maintenance easier by avoiding needing certified wiremen to change power supply through a mains safe IEC connector.

Ian Loudon International marketing and sales manager

omniflex.com

“

Radio equipment is often powered on 12V DC supply. However, analytical equipment, control relays and others often require 24V DC.

”

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Could Fortinet be Pa

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PRODUCT LAUNCH ASUS CHROMEBOOK CR SERIES

Learning without limits

ASUS has just launched its Chromebook CR series, which has been tailored for the needs of those providing education for children and young people aged five to 18.

Accidental damage is

common when they are used by small hands – or just moved around a school – so a normal laptop isn’t what educators are looking for.

Laptops are now an integral part of any teacher’s everyday equipment, as children need to be taught how to use laptops from an early age. But laptops used in educational settings need certain qualities such as ruggedness if they are to survive for any length of time. Accidental damage is common when they are used by small hands – or just moved around a school – so a normal laptop isn’t what educators are looking for. To this end, ASUS has launched its next- generation ASUS Chromebook CR series of laptops, tailored to meet the needs of students from reception to Year 13. The Chromebook CR series has been designed for the needs of students whether they are in a classroom or learning remotely. The rugged and modular design, featuring replaceable internal parts, guarantees durability and longevity. For instance, with 11.6-inch or 12.2-inch Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreens and a 180° lay-flat or 360°-flippable hinge, the laptops offer flexibility for enriched educational experiences, and that can stand up to the rough usage they can sometimes have in education settings.

Rugged partner For school students, an everyday-use laptop should be invincible. Scratches and knocks are an almost-inevitable part of their daily routine, as they are likely passed from class to class so the Chromebook CR series features an all- round rubber bumper for extra peace of mind. The laptops also feature a rugged design that's tested to meet or exceed the MIL-STD-810H US military-grade standard and use tough Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the touchscreen from scratches. Additionally, the spill-resistant keyboard can cope with minor water spills without harm, so minor splashes on the desk or at the dinner table can be easily drained, cleaned and dried. Finally, the special fingerprint-resistant finish keeps the laptop cleaner for longer. Effortless flexibility The Chromebook CR series laptops are powered by up to Intel N250 processor and are equipped with either 180° lay-flat or 360°-flippable hinges. The clamshell models (CR1104C, CR1204C) facilitate easy group sharing, while the convertible models

Spill resistant keyboard

All-round rubber bumper

Fingerprint-resistant finish

PRODUCT LAUNCH ASUS CHROMEBOOK CR SERIES

(CR1104F, CR1204F) support versatile usage modes including laptop, tent, stand and tablet. The idea of this flexibility is that it can make group discussions and students sharing devices easier. The 11.6-inch or 12.2-inch touchscreens with garaged stylus support improve productivity and are comfortable for the students, with low blue-light levels to protect their eyes. Equipped with up to WiFi 6E (802.11ax) and optional 4G LTE connectivity, along with up to 16GB LPDDR5 Memory and 128GB eMMC storage, students can enjoy an efficient learning environment and use the laptop anytime and anywhere. It also includes a 13MP world-facing camera, which makes it easier for students to explore their surroundings, capture photos and record videos when in tablet mode. Up to 1080p FHD front-facing webcam provides students with clearer image quality, ensuring they appear clear and sharp for an enhanced and more efficient online learning experience.

also available for those wishing to add an intuitive way of inputting sketches and notes. Comprehensive all-round protection With hygiene still a concern for schools post-pandemic, there is an option to have the laptops protected by ASUS Antimicrobial Guard technology, a surface coating on the keyboard area, which is one of the most touched parts of the laptop. The coating contains positively charged silver ions, which are attracted to negatively charged microbial cells. When they contact, the silver ions pierce the cell surface to damage the structure and inhibit reproduction. To provide maximum protection for students' eyes, the up to WUXGA 16:10 displays provide enhanced visual experiences and high-quality colors and are TÜV Rheinland-certified for low blue-light levels. Easy maintenance The Chromebook CR series has been designed to make deployment and maintenance as simple as possible. The modular design allows technicians to rapidly replace and upgrade the key hardware components, ensuring less downtime and more learning time. Anti-drop captive screws on the underside eliminate worries about losing these little parts during repair. Additionally, the supported Chrome Education Upgrade ensures multi- layer security, automatic updates and streamlined deployment.

Chrome Education Upgrade

ensures multi- layer security, automatic updates and streamlined deployment

Convenient, versatile I/O ports To allow students to connect easily to any available peripherals, Chromebook CR series laptops feature a comprehensive set of I/O ports, including two conveniently placed USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C® ports, one on each side. Notably, these are full-function ports that support data, video output and power delivery, allowing the laptop to be charged from either

See the Chromebook CR series at BETT 2025

side, offering students greater flexibility in how and where they can set up their learning space – and not every classroom has many plug outlets, or ones that are conveniently placed. Additionally, there are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, HDMI® 1.4b, an audio combo jack, and a Kensington Lock slot. An optional garaged stylus is

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