PCR January 2009 by Biz Media Ltd

Issue 64 January 2009

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THE TRADE MONTHLY FOR ALL COMPUTER RETAILERS AND IT SUPPLIERS

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Head in the clouds

PCRETAIL CONTACTS Editor Andrew Wooden andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk

Deputy Editor Ben Furfie ben.furfie@intentmedia.co.uk

Staff Writer Matt Grainger matt.grainger@intentmedia.co.uk

Editorial Production Manager Helen French helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk

Managing Editor Lisa Foster lisa.foster@intentmedia.co.uk

Executive Advertising Manager Katie Rawlings katie.rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk

Advertising Executive Carly Bailey carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk

THERE are a number of concepts in the tech sector that can be difficult to describe to those unfamiliar with the jargon. ‘The cloud’ is one of them. The best way I’ve found is to draw an analogy with the 1999 smash hit The Matrix, and its unnecessary, bloated sequels. You know that scene where a po-faced Trinity downloads the knowledge to fly a helicopter directly into her nut, then sprints over to the cockpit with all the confidence of an RAF veteran? Essentially, what she’s doing there is accessing the software she needs remotely, subscribing to the license on a rental basis, and enjoying immediate access to what she needs, without having to install (learn) anything. Which is the same as what Microsoft will be doing this year with its Office software. Though presumably without the leather outfits. The proliferation of the cloud, or whatever other term you choose to employ for programmes accesses through the web, will understandably worry retailers that sell a lot of boxed product software. But it has to be said software isn’t quite the driver it once was for independents – and there are numerous ways they can make money out of subscription models running in tandem with vendor’s offerings. The truth is both disties and vendors are investing megabucks into making software available directly online, so it will become a bigger deal regardless of whether anyone thinks it is a good idea. The key, like any significant

change, is to adapt to rather than rigidly oppose. “Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.” That was Bruce Lee, who probably wasn’t specifically talking about the indicative plight of bricks and mortar retailers combating a changing buying culture within the UK IT industry, but words of wisdom none the less. Mind you, he’s also quoted as saying “You can never invite the wind, but you must leave the window open,” which just goes to show there are limits to the tangible advice of faux-philosophers. Reasons to be cheerful Still, there’s plenty to smile about as we kick off the New Year – and not just when considering the leftover turkey. This month we reveal the hotly anticipated finalists for the PC Retail Awards 2009 (turn to page 39 for the full listing). Come March those 75 firms will be battling it out to take home trophies, but for now they can take pride in making it to this stage. Elsewhere this month we have our inaugural Industry Young Guns feature (page 23), celebrating some of the best young talent working in every facet of the UK IT channel – which is has to be said can be overlooked when it comes to praise. Well done to all that made it And finally, it’s just left for me to say…

Production Executive Abigail Fanger abigail.fanger@intentmedia.co.uk

Designer Kelly Styles kelly.styles@intentmedia.co.uk

Publisher Stuart Dinsey 01992 535646 stuart.dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

PC Retail - Total average monthly net circulation for January 1st to December 31st 2007: 13,885.

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations PC Retail is published 12 times a year by Intent Media - Saxon House, 6a St.Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648. © Intent Media 2007 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Pensord. SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90. The international cost applies per subscription and covers airmail dispatch of 12 issues. To order your subscription via Visa, MasterCard, Amex Switch or Delta contact pcr.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848. Alternatively visit our website www.pcretailmag.com Subscriptions Manager: Hannah Short, Hannah.Short@intentmedia.co.uk

ISSN:1742-8440

Andrew Wooden, Editor andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk EDITORIAL: 01992 535646 ADVERTISING: 01992 535647 PCRetail January 3

PCRetail ISSUE 64 JANUARY 2009

Contents Industry Young Guns We offer a run down of the rising stars working across every facet of the UK industry

REGULARS

FACTS AND FIGURES

News Appointments

7 16

Games Releases 67 Plug and Play

GfK Analysis

Notes from the Frontline 18

Hardware Charts 71

Richard Mills shares his knowledge from the Frontline of IT support and gives some tips for 2009

Software Charts

MARKETPLACE

PCA

Keith Warburton, CEO of the PCA, discusses the positive affect of good customer service in his regular column

Mac Association

Robert Peckham, Executive Director of the Mac Technology Association talks about all things Mac and wonders where all the Mac resellers have gone

ITACS/NASCR

The two trade bodies discuss networking and communications and the marketing strategies of the multiples

Agony Uncle

Problems solved by PC Retailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resident agony uncle Iain Shaw. This month, Iain looks at ways for retailers to maximise their growth and profit

4 PCRetail January

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Awards Finalists The waiting is over. We reveal the 75 finalist companies hoping to win at the PC Retail Awards 2009

39 Supermarkets

The technology market has become much more crowded since the supermarkets joined the fray. We chat to Morrisons and Aldi about their deal based strategy for PCs and IT sales.

Mystery Shopper

This month, our mystery shopper is in Southampton, looking to see what festive deals can be found

Enta

PC Retail pays a visit to the Enta’s lavish pagoda style headquarters in Telford. We spoke to Group Vice President Jon Atherton about Enta’s USP’s, the state of the market and we ask him what he thinks 2009 will bring

ISPs PC Retail takes a look at a sector that has blossomed with the explosion of broadband internet. We also talk to resellers and white label providers to see just how a retailer can become an ISP, what strategies are needed and what deals to look for

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PCRetail January 5

LATEST NEWS

NEWS

STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE BOOKMARK US IN YOUR PHONE:

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Software to ditch retail? As more and more firms look to online software distribution, fears grow that retail is being cut out of the deal Distributors and vendors defend new web-based initiatives as offering choice

By Andrew Wooden

FOLLOWING A statement from Microsoft that it is to offer its hugely profitable Office software directly to consumers through downloads later this year, a growing number of industry figures are becoming fearful retail is being muscled out of the software business. Many IT retailers make a large amount of their profit through software, so when the biggest software vendor of them all followed firms like Adobe and Google in offering a huge part of its portfolio directly to consumers – reportedly in some cases for free – alarm bells rang across the channel. Microsoft insisted the move was about offering customers choice: “Customer requirements have changed,”

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Peter King, Office Server Group manager for Microsoft UK told us. “As technology has advanced so have expectations and there is increasing customer demand for flexible technologies that enable people to work where, when and how they want. The IT industry must continue to meet changing customer needs if they are to remain competitive.” However, many think the trend will become ever more popular, precipitate more companies moving into the market, and will ultimately be at the expense of traditional retail. “Expect new players in the channel, such as telcos, ISPs, managed service providers and others starting to offer new software products to consumers. This is a threat

to the software business of the traditional channel,” said Alastair Edwards, senior analyst at Canalys. Hendy Armstrong, owner of independent store Easy PC and ITACS spokesperson added: “Withdrawing such areas where independents can make money will hasten the inability of the bricks and mortar model to survive. I have long been suspicious of organisations squeezing themselves between us and our customers. The trend will continue within the channel and ultimately damage both retail and service.” The scenario isn’t limited to utility software – PC gaming firm Valve has made significant gains distributing PC games directly to consumers with its Steam service. The rapidly

growing popularity of this and many other similar services has resulted in many anticipating the end of boxed product PC games entirely. However distributors, many of which are ramping up online – or ‘software as a service’ – schemes of their own, have been quick to defend such models, and insist that offering software in modes other than a boxed product is a good thing. “We are developing a number of schemes globally, and we are aware of a growing need for things such as ‘software on demand’, but there are many more who will still want to buy through retail,” said Cathi Low, director of value business at Ingram Micro. Neil Handa, marketing

manager at Gem, added: “Digital distribution is something that will affect all sectors of the software market, however retail still offers benefits which are crucial to the consumer.” Meanwhile, other distributors are sceptical of the damaging potential of online software in the first place: “Consumers still want to have the security inherent in owning a tangible product,” said Phil Bowery, Microsoft onsite champ at VIP Computers. “Ultimately, software programmers will need to work very hard to build confidence in end users and the scale of the infrastructure needed to support anything like this will mean that many software companies simply won’t be able to do this yet.”

PCRetail January 7

NEWS

Interactive Ideas backs PC Retail Awards as Gold sponsor UK distributor joins growing list of backers for 2009 channel awards Finalists announced By Andrew Wooden

ENFIELD-BASED distributor Interactive Ideas has signed up as sponsor of the PC Retail Awards 2009, adding to the growing list of firms throwing their weight behind the event. The company has become Gold Sponsor of the awards, which take place on Thursday March 19th at the Royal

channel, whilst providing an excellent social environment for discussion. Interactive Ideas has had a long association with PC Retail and extending this to sponsoring the awards is a natural progression.” Interactive Ideas joins fellow Gold Sponsor Widget,

Lisa Foster. “The list of firms showing support for the event continues to grow, which is a testament to how important it has become to the channel. We look forward to seeing you all there in March.” Meanwhile, the finalists for each category have been announced – revealing an

even more diverse range of firms looking to win than last year’s event. For full listings of finalists, turn to page 39 of this issue. For information on sponsorship opportunities and ticket sales, contact Katie.Rawlings@ intentmedia.co.uk

Michael Breeze

“The list of firms showing support for the event continues to grow, which is a testament to how important it has become.” Lisa Foster Garden Hotel, Kensington. “Interactive Ideas is delighted to be sponsoring the 2009 PC Retail Awards,” said marketing director Michael Breeze. “The awards are a great opportunity for recognising success and achievement in the retail

Frontline Sponsor Gem, Drinks Reception Sponsor Channel Advantage and Platinum Sponsor AMD. “We’re thrilled that Interactive Ideas has signed up as Gold sponsor of the PC Retail Awards,” added managing editor of PC Retail

widget Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Drinks Reception Sponsor

Frontline Sponsor

News Bytes DSGi turnaround to take up to four years CEO John Browett said in an internal memo, leaked to the Sunday Telegraph, that it could take until 2013 for DSGi to return to prerecession levels of revenue. He also revealed that the firm is undertaking a major revamp of its supply chain as part of the turnaround.

8 PCRetail January

Comet post £8m loss

Parental Guidance

The UK’s second largest specialist consumer electronics retailer revealed that it made an £8.1m loss in the six months to October 31st. It blamed market conditions for the result. It’s parent firm Kesa did post a profit, but at £13m it was significantly down on 2007’s first half group profit of

The communications regulator Ofcom has found that many parents believe that their children are safer online than they actually are. Consumer publisher Which? has produced its Complete Guide to Protect your PC for parents who may be buying a new computer for their kids.

Laptops made comfy and cool

Mad Max: Beyond the Bravia-drome

Logitech has unveiled its Comfort Lapdesk for laptops, which provides a stable base and helps protect against laptop heat. Its ergonomic design means that users can avoid sitting in a bad position and encourages good airflow to reduce overheating.

Sony has unveiled its latest marketing campaign for the Bravia range. The same ad firm that created a number of previous Sony campaigns has been displaying a 40-foot Zoetrope, called the Braviadrome, that shows Brazilian footballer Kaka, doing tricks.

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NEWS

Aldi targets traditionals with increased tech offerings Supermarket vows to up number of PC deals in 2009 Analysts say stock is still promotions-based By Ben Furfie

SUPERMARKET Aldi has followed in the footsteps of Tesco and Asda, ramping up the number of PC special offers it plans to carry in 2009. The budget retailer has seen its market share boom in recent months due to tightening consumer spending, something it said has helped it to expand its technology range. However, the firm is not planning to rest on its laurels in 2009, with the retailer’s PC buyer vowing to PC Retail it

will increase the frequency of its deals and expand its target audience. “We’re aiming to offer promotions more frequently than in the past with a broader range of specifications in order to meet all demands of the diverse computing market,” he added. “Aldi will continue to offer PCs as part of the special buys range and there will be an average of one computer promotion per month planned for 2009.”

However, analysts have said that for the foreseeable future, they see Aldi’s increased presence in the technology sector being about getting people through the doors. “For Aldi, technology is much more of a footfall driver,” commented Verdict senior analyst Malcolm Pinkerton. “It is very unlikely that it will turn over space to nonfood SKUs on a permanent basis, for the short term at least,” he added.

BETT: ‘Education now open for business’ Changes to ICT funding systems means schools can spend money on what they need more easily RESELLERS are being presented with the ideal opportunity to break into the educational market thanks to changes in the way that schools receive their ICT funding, according to marketing manager of BETT organiser EMAP Connect, Keith Clifford. “It is a really exciting time to be in the education

market,” said Clifford. “The combination of the Government finally scrapping eLearning Credits – a scheme that created huge barriers to entry into the education market – and the rise of low cost laptops has created a market where businesses that traditionally would not have been able to get into it, are now able to.”

There are still barriers to being able to sell into education. The main one is gaining Becta accreditation, though the body was keen to stress that it isn’t as difficult to gain as it seems. “Resellers still need it to be able to sell into institutions,” the spokeswoman told PC Retail. “However, the process is relatively simple and all the details are on our website.”

SIGN UP FOR THE PC RETAIL NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.PCRETAILMAG.COM New Linkstation launched Buffalo Technology has added the sleek new LinkStation Quad to its lineup of consumer-focused NAS devices. The device is aimed at home users that require a high capacity device with media server functionality and features a built-in BitTorrent client.

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Yes Telecom system Yes Telecom has developed an integrated IT system that allows businesses to increase efficiency during the Christmas lull. Resellers are able to offer the very latest in mobile devices as part of an integrated IT system, allowing seamless access to emails and documents from anywhere.

eBay supports Microsoft action

Acer makes visual projections

Interactive Ideas solutions guide out

Online auctioneer eBay has said it welcomes Microsoft’s announcement that it is to launch legal action against online sellers that it suspects to be selling counterfeit software. It says this will make eBay’s marketplace a safer, more reliable place to buy genuine software.

Acer has unveiled its new S1200 projector, designed to bring high quality presentations and visuals to schoolrooms or business environments. It boasts resolutions of up to 1680x1050 WSXGA+, offers 3000 hours of bulb life and is designed for heavy use.

Distributor Interactive Ideas has announced the latest edition of its popular Reseller Solutions Guide. It has been re-designed to include news, features, articles and a product locator section about the companies and products they distribute.

PCRetail January 9

NEWS

Channel Expo adapts show to ‘difficult times’ Organiser emphasises and expands education and training elements of UK’s leading trade show By Andrew Wooden

CHANNEL Expo organiser Incisive Media is adapting and expanding key elements of its

2009 event in order to offer more support to retailers and resellers feeling the pinch of

This years’ Expo will feature workshops that help retailers through potentially hard times

the economic climate. With many predicting that next year will be particularly tough for the average independent, the firm claims that it’s more important than ever for vendors, distributors and retailers to get together at the show – and it has expanded the recently introduced education and training programmes to better support visitors looking for new ways to make profit. “We have taken some vital feedback from the 2008 event and used it to build a more detailed education and training programme featuring key speakers from all areas of the

industry,” said Mark Burton, channel publisher at Incisive Media. “We have picked out topical business areas that we think will affect our visitors the most over the next year. A high-profile faculty of expert speakers will be announced shortly and the event programme will provide really valuable advice and help for delegates looking to build a stronger business through difficult times. As industry watchers predict difficult times ahead, it is definitely more important for retailers and resellers to maintain a visible profile at events such as Channel Expo, and also for

them to take advantage of some of the many business opportunities that arise from these face-to-face events.” As the momentum for the 2009 event begins to get underway, a number of new vendors have already announced their forthcoming presence at the show. “2009 is also attracting more exhibitors as vendors and distributors recognise the value of the show,” continued Burton. “It’s great to see new clients exhibiting at the show, such as Dell and Northamber, and it’s good to see companies from 2008 confirming their presence again this year.

Best Buy plans Euro recruitment drive AS US technology superstore chain Best Buy prepares to launch in the UK later this year, it is looking to snap up key retail talent to bolster the region’s operational team. For the time being it is understood that the management staff will be operating out of The Carphone Warehouse’s head office,

having entered into partnership with the UK firm for the European operation. “We’re all part of the same group now, so a lot of people from Carphone Warehouse are already working on the project, however as we move closer and closer to opening the initial store and plans get underway we will be making some key

appointments,” a spokesperson told PC Retail. The retailer will also be looking to put its significant weight behind gaming. Three prominent members of the UK industry are reportedly already on board, with more likely to follow. “We do plan to recruit and there will be a big push to recruit across all levels of the

business,” added the spokesperson. Four to five stores will be opening in the UK from early next year – PC Retail understands that exact locations and time scales will be

announced in February or March next year.

News Bytes FPB campaigns

Macs are immune

Info for retail needed

Faster service offered

Business crime to rise

The Forum of Private Business has begun a campaign to raise awareness of franchising. The FPB believes that franchising could be a solution for some firms that are still in a position to expand but are struggling to raise the finance from banks at the moment.

A note on the Apple website that warned users to be aware of online security has been removed. The note was contrary to Apples’ assertion that the Mac was designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software threats.

Analyst Manthan Systems has said although 87 per cent of UK retailers think comprehensive and up-todate business information is vital, 37 per cent do not have any kind of business reporting system and those that do are still unable to access the appropriate business information.

Retailers know that reducing queue times at checkouts is a key factor in achieving customer satisfaction. To that end Maxatech is now bringing Extech portable POS terminals in to the UK, these systems allow customers to be served much faster.

Insurance specialists Premierline Direct has claimed that a third of small business owners believe crime against businesses is on the rise; a view supported by Home Office criminologists, who earlier this year predicted that the credit crunch will bring an end to falling crime rates.

10 PCRetail January

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Ingram Micro is the world’s leading IT distributor providing a range of IT products including:

Why Apple?

■

Communications

■

Components

Because with your new Mac, you can start producing amazing stuff right out of the box – movies, music, websites, and photo albums – without having to buy additional software. And Macs are compatible with the digital gear you’re already using, such as cameras, printers, and scanners. With Intel inside every new Mac and the most advanced operating system on the market, you’ll spend less time troubleshooting and more time being productive.

■

Computer Systems

Why Ingram Micro?

■

Consumables

■

Consumer Electronics

■

Mobility

■

Networking

■

Printers & Peripherals

■

Servers & Storage

Because with Ingram Micro you will receive competitive and exclusive pricing, you can order online 24/7 or you can order by phone, fax or email. With our large sales team there will always be someone to take your call and if you need some advice you can speak to your dedicated Apple Sales Specialist and Account Manager. We also have credit solutions to suit everyone’s needs, so speak to your Account Manager now – alternatively to become an Ingram Micro reseller, contact us now!

■

Software & Licensing

Call Apple product specialists Danny 0870 405 3117 or Laura 0870 405 3884 now!

Email: sales@ingrammicro.co.uk

Call: 0870 405 3000

Visit: ingrammicro.co.uk

For more Apple information visit:

www.ingrammicro-solutions.co.uk/apple

NEWS

Cash injection fuels BullGuard’s European and UK ‘09 ambitions Fresh investment to the tune of $5 million used to drive European growth UK office set for expansion as security firm guns for higher market share German Invasion set for New Year By Andrew Wooden

AFTER securing massive external investment, BullGuard is expanding its UK operation in a bid to significantly increase its market share, whilst launching into new areas across Europe. The UK sales team has been bolstered by a new, as yet unnamed, sales director who started working at the firm on January 1st and will be revealed later in the month. Of the $5 million injection from investment firm DFJ ePlanet Ventures, PC Retail understands between $500,000 and $750,000 will be directly pumped into the UK division, while 25 per cent to 35 per cent of the huge sum

will indirectly be spent here. As well as the new sales director, the money will be used for ambitious new sales tools, increased marketing, and it has already funded a new office for the sales department. It is hoped the fresh funds will provide a significant boost to the security firm’s positioning here and in the rest of Europe. “We aim to break into the top-three in the UK by the end of the year in absolute numbers, and we aim to become the fastest grower in terms of per cent increase in our target segment growth,” said George Tennet, CEO at BullGuard. “In the UK we’ll be looking to grow our reseller

base substantially, while also putting a lot of effort into our existing resellers. We offer the best and most transparent revenue share model in the business and we will be looking to capitalise on it, to the benefit of both BullGuard and our partners. As part of this effort we will be launching a new revenue share tracking tool specifically developed for our resellers in March/April.” The firm will also be launching in Germany for the first time, and bolstering its Benelux division.

George Tennet

John Lewis makes gains in UK technology sector DEPARTMENT store chain John Lewis has enjoyed its most lucrative week ever in its technology department during December, despite a four per cent year-on-year sales drop seen for the group as a whole. The week ending December 13th saw record sales of digital cameras, sat navs and eBooks, leading the whole technology department to be up two per

cent on the previous best selling week. “We were thrilled that electricals and home technology had a record week last week, especially given the current economic climate,” said Tom Athron, buying director for electricals and home technology. “Customers clearly appreciate the value that we offer through our free

extended warranties and also through Never Knowingly Undersold – our price promise whereby we proactively check and match the prices of both our competitors. “Customers trust that they can come into our shops knowing that they will find the latest technology and best service at the most competitive prices on the high street.”

Mindjet and Nuance map minds

Microsoft: The UK is satisfied with Vista

Eleco has Grand Designs for PC chart

Mind mapping applications developer Mindjet has teamed up with speech solutions provider Nuance to create MindManager 8. Mindjet says that this new version of its mind mapping software liberates individuals and saves time for them to think about important things.

Microsoft has said that nine out of ten users of Vista in the UK are having what they describe as a satisfactory experience with the operating system. It added that firms holding off on upgrading because of compatibility issues need not worry any more.

Publisher Eleco has teamed up with FremantleMedia Enterprises to bring its television series to the PC under the title Grand Designs 3D. The program allows users to create and visualise their dream home and will be available in the coming months.

News Bytes M2M distributes HIS

PCMS ups offering

Specialist graphics vendor HIS has appointed M2M as its distributor as part of its upcoming UK push. The distributor’s sales and marketing manager Hitesh Kothary said: “The high-end, quality proposition that HIS offers fits in perfectly within M2M’s company and product strategy.”

PCMS is expanding the contents of its contact centre to help retailers maximise their sales and ongoing contact with clients. Over recent months, the firm has seen growth in demand for outsourced solutions provided by a retail specialist, such as telemarketing.

12 PCRetail January

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NEWS

Target prepares itself for ‘significant growth year’

CONSUMER PRESS This month PC Retail looks at PC Plus and Personal Computer World...

Adds four key personnel to support growth plans More appointments to follow Caroline Spillane and Adrian Mackin

FOLLOWING a strong 2008 and a slew of staff appointments, distributor Target Components is looking to the future with optimism, laying out growth plans for 2009 and beyond across its product portfolio. The firm made four key appointments to its management team in the last month – taking on Adrian Mackin as sales director, Caroline Spillane as marketing manager, memory specialist Mahmoud Madaci and Ijaz Usman to the business development team, and says it

is looking to snap up more over the coming months. “We have already identified the need for additional sales people to support our growth plans and the new agreements due to be announced,” said Paul Cubbage, MD at Target. “We will be increasing the support available to our customers and will continue to offer our unparalleled level of customer care to both our existing and new accounts.” The firm experienced three strong successive months at the end of last year, and is looking to continue expansion

Mahhood Madaci and Ijaz Usman

throughout 2009 by investing in successful areas, flouting the pessimism expressed from other segments of the channel. “We see 2009 as a significant growth year,” continued Cubbage. “We view the market in clearly defined sectors, some of which are thriving, some which have tremendous resilience to the wider economy, and others that need additional support. We have a number of sectorspecific projects that we will be rolling out in Q1 that will not only help customers already in those sectors, but

will make it easier for all our customers to expand their business into new areas. “After ten years working closely with our customers, we’ve built up a good understanding of what they want from a distie, and we have a clear vision on how we provide it. There’s been a massive amount of work to the systems and infrastructure and it’s taken a lot of effort to get all the right elements in place this year, but we are now starting to see the benefits and we have significant growth plans for the coming year.”

Video Software Editor’s Choice: Corel VideoStudio X2 Pro Ultimate Performance Award: Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Value Award: Serif MoviePlus X3 Browsers Editor’s Choice: opera 9.6 Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning – 88 per cent Creativity Packages Editors Choice: Adobe InDesign CS4 Editors Choice: Adobe Flash professional CS4 Back Up Software Editor’s Choice: Clickfree DVD Backup

Brigantia plans expansion of Member’s Roadshow for 2009 IN THE WAKE of Brigantia’s recent Member’s Roadshow, the buying group is looking to expand the format into the new year, with the intention of offering advice to a wider circle of retailers and resellers operating in the UK. A key part of this expansion will be to coordinate future events with the other trade bodies in the channel. “We will be extending our format slightly in 2009 as we roll out the Brigantia Directory to all 24,000 IT channel related business to which we have access,” said founder Iain Shaw. “We hope to see more ITACS and NASCR members

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in attendance at our Roadshows in 2009 and we will also be extending invitations to other IT channel related trade bodies such as the Mac Technology Association and the IAAITC. We envisage working more

closely with other incumbent UK channel buying groups and business generation organisations in the future.” The latest event, held at the end of last year, saw an increased emphasis on encouraging independents to

boost service offering. “This is an area where the supermarkets, multiples and etailers simply cannot compete with the indies. Brigantia Computer Experts have a nationwide coverage at a neighbourhood level and are well placed to service both consumer and SMB end users requirements to extend life and to improve productivity from existing solutions,” continued Shaw. “The vendors present not only explained their technical advantages but also gave members assistance in how to up sell to end users to maximize returns on each and every transaction.”

Network Cameras Editor’s Choice: Panasonic BLC131 Recommended: D-Link DCS2120 Recommended: Trendnet TVIP422W Security Software Editor’s Choice: Bitdefender Total Security 2009 Recommended: Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 Recommended: Norton 360 v2 Recommended: Diskeeper Undelete 2009 pro Photo-retouching Software Recommended: Portrait Professional 8

PCRetail January 15

APPOINTMENTS

CONSUMER PRESS This month, PC Retail looks at PC Pro and Custom PC...

Do it all PCs Labs Winner: Sony Vaio VGN-Z21MN/B Recommended: Sony VAIO VGN-AW11Z/B Recommended: Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Recommended: Samsung R560 Digital Cameras Recommedned: Sony Cyber-Shot T70 Digital Photo Frames Recommended: Sony SFrame DPF-V700 Internet Radios Recommended: Pure Evoke Flow

Solid State Drives Premium Grade: Intel 80GB X25-M Crazy But Cool: Acard ANS-9010 Approved: Acard ANS-9010B Approved: OCZ 60GB Core V2 LGA 1366 Motherboards Premium Grade: Asus P6T Deluxe Crazy Buy Cool: Asus Rampage II Extreme Games Approved: Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway Approved: Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3

16 PCRetail January

Ross steps down John Thompson retires Reshuffle at C2000 George Lawson headhunted

Enrique Salem

CARPHONE WAREHOUSE: Co-founder and director of Carphone Warehouse DAVID ROSS has resigned his post after the recent share scandal. He, along with Charles Dunstone, had not only been instrumental in the firm’s development, but also its deal with US consumer electronics retailer Best Buy. In a statement to the press, Carphone’s chief executive Dunstone stressed that the lack of disclosure over the share scandal was not malicious and was simply due to “an oversight or misunderstanding of what had to be done,” by Ross. He was a director at the retailer, having joined the board in July 2005. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer between 1990 and 2003 during which time he was responsible for the firm’s development in Europe. It was unclear at the time of writing if anyone will be promoted to fill Ross’ responsibilities. HP: The vendor has announced that it has promoted account manager ALAN FINDEN as the firm’s new head of distribution for the personal systems group. He replaces RICHARD LOGAN, who moves to the vendor’s networking business ProCurve, where he will take up the role of sales manager for the solutions business. SYMANTEC: The publisher of Norton has announced that its current chief executive will be retiring in April. JOHN THOMPSON has announced that he will be retiring from the day-today running of the business, but will be remaining on at the security vendor in the role of chairman. In his place, ENRIQUE SALEM will take over as president and chief executive of the board.

John Thompson

George Lawson

Speaking about his time in charge of the company, Thompson said that he felt he had successfully managed to move the company away from being focused solely on consumer facing sales and that he had made it a major player in the growing online security sector. Salem has previously worked as senior vice president of the security products and solutions group, group president of the consumer business unit and group president of worldwide sales and marketing. OKI: The print specialist vendor has appointed a new channel development manager for Scotland. GEORGE LAWSON joins the firm from Scottish print VAR Danwood. He is the second executive to be headhunted from the firm in the past three months. Lawson will be based at the vendor’s Scottish office in Cumbernauld, and will be responsible for strengthening the vendor’s profile in the region. C2000: There has been a major reshuffle at C2000 this month after the general manager for printers and peripherals SIMON FAGAN announced that he would be leaving the firm to join Xerox as its new head of DMR channels in Europe. As a result of his departure, JOHN OSBOURNE – current manager of C2000’s server business – will take over as general manager for printers, supplies and PC components, while the server division will be absorbed by the software unit, currently headed up by JAMES REED. Fagan will be responsible for marketing at Xerox and will handle volume print products and DMRs.

James Reed

John Osbourne

Simon Fagan

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OPINION: TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Notes from the

frontline

Richard D. Mills RDM Computers Limited, Suite 18, Newlands Science Park, Inglemire Lane, Hull, HU6 7TQ Tel: 01482 875666 Web: www.rdmcomputers.co.uk

Richard Mills runs a local computer support company in Hull. He is a regular technology columnist for his local newspaper and has fronted a long-running phone-in on BBC Radio. Each month, he shares his experiences from the technology support frontline with the readers of PC Retail...

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! So with the harsh January winds blowing through the land, how is the Credit Crunch affecting you? No doubt there will be a further thinning out process in the industry, particularly in the retail sector. Following the Government taking huge stakes in the banking business, I can’t see them throwing any lifelines our way, as it probably considers it has poured enough money into the IT sector already! ONE OR two offices in our own building have been vacated recently as companies struggle with their overheads. Office sharing is one cost saving possibility. If some enterprising young web designer who needs a desk and was willing to pay some rent, I’m sure it could add value to a business. I AM still of the opinion that having a broad service offering is the safest business model. It may be hard work sometimes, but at least it keeps customer contact and leads to other sales opportunities. These days there is virtually zero customer loyalty out in the High Street. But like many small businesses, we count ourselves fortunate to have regular customers who come back to us for repairs, upgrades and new machines, or a laptop when their PC gets past its sell by date. MANY SUPPLIERS are understandably keen to maintain contact, and I am sure we have all been receiving regular calls with special offers and keen salespeople looking for orders. Pricing will continue to be an issue and I can see the VAT rate cut being outstripped by increased component costs. WE HAVE found a good supplier of laptop batteries and power adaptors. RET UK holds a large stock on its extensive website all available for next day delivery. This has kept quite a few customers happy as the prices of these compatible products are very good. BACK IN day-to-day operations, one disgruntled individual contacted us after having purchased a laptop from a big store on the assurance that it would run his CAD package, no problem. That turned out not to be the case and he wanted a PC quote from us instead. We

18 PCRetail January

gave him a price for a suitable build straight away, but he thought it was too expensive and asked if we could ‘chuck one together for about £200’. We declined to do such a thing, so his next response was to see if we could upgrade a system that a bloke at work had built for him that he wasn’t happy with; erm, no thank you! WE RARELY deal with DIY PCs as they can be a whole bag of trouble. We had one that we nicknamed the ‘black beast’, not just for the colour of the case, but the fact that it was so troublesome it nearly took root on the bench. It would be working fine for us, and then as soon as it went back to the customer it immediately started playing up again. One exception to the rule was a huge case with a front fan enclosure like a jet engine that looked as if would dim the lights office lights when it started. In fact we were pleasantly surprised, it was actually very quiet and the build quality was very good. A RAM upgrade and installation of Eset Antivirus was the order of the day and all went trouble free.

I still believe that having a broad base is the safest business model. These days, there is virtually zero customer loyality out in the High Street. ESET NOD32 has been a really good seller since we took it on almost a year ago. We have provided large numbers of regular consumer products and even server and workstation licences. The key features are ease of install, trouble free operation, its very light on system resources, but with a very high detection rate. BEST WISHES for a successful year and let’s hope we can all keep our heads up in 2009!

www.pcretailmag.com

BETT

You can BETT on education This month will see the opening of the UK’s foremost educational technology show. Ben Furfie takes a look at a show with a strong presence from a wide variety of newcomers and increased opportunities for resellers – even those without an educational background… BETT is incredibly important to us. I feel that it is the one place where we can get face to face, not just with teachers, LEAs and school IT managers, but also the people who sell the products to the schools. Marvin Douglas, Monarch

20 PCRetail January

his year’s BETT show is set to be a more open affair than in previous years thanks to changes in the education system, with organisers EMAP Connect claiming that the 2009 event takes place when there has never been a better opportunity to break into the educational technology market. “Things are changing,” EMAP Connect’s marketing manager Keith Clifford tells PC Retail. “It is a really exciting time to be in the market. The combination of the Government finally scrapping eLearning Credits – a scheme that created huge barriers to entry into the market – and the rise of low cost laptops has created a market where businesses that traditionally would not have been able to get into it are now able to. “This year, hardware will be huge. Asus and Intel are both exhibiting for the first time and we’re seeing interest from consumer focused brands that have had a presence previously, but are taking out their own stands, such as O2,” adds Clifford. There are problems with this increase in technology, especially in terms of implementation. Because of their portable nature, laptops and netbooks are at particular risk of being targeted by thieves. Monarch Computer Furniture – which will be exhibiting – believes that those resellers attending have to aware of the issues facing modern educational establishments. “BETT is incredibly important for us,” comments Monarch’s IT furniture manager Marvin Douglas. “I feel that it is the one place where we can get face to face, not just with teachers, LEA’s and school IT

managers, but also the people who sell the products to the schools. It also allows us to explain the unique requirements of the education sector. “The key thing about storage isn’t security. The heavier steel doors of alternative products are no more protected against theft than ours from a determined thief with a crowbar, and just make it more difficult for children to move the things around; after all, they are supposed to be portable,” adds Douglas. “It is important to have security, but it is also important to recognise the potential limitations that the product might have.” Fellow exhibitor Asus agrees: “As schools and local authorities continually develop their IT infrastructures, it is imperative that they invest in lockable storage for their devices,” comments a spokesman for the firm. “Monarch has dedicated considerable resources to delivering a range of netbook and laptop storage solutions tailored for the education market. By listening to its customers it has made notable improvements to energy consumption, cable management and ruggedness.” He also underlined that the firm had developed solutions based on what was likely to happen, rather than what has happened. BETT will take place on January 14th to the 17th at the Olympia in London and will see the biggest names in the education market gather in one place, making it the ideal platform to network and develop contacts. For more information, or to register to attend, visit www.bettshow.co.uk. Alternatively, you can ring EMAP Connect on +44 (0) 870 3146 204.

www.pcretailmag.com

FEATURE: YOUNG GUNS

INDUSTRY

YOUNG GUNS

Top brass within the IT industry are regularly lavished with praise for their achievements, however the younger execs are often overlooked when the compliments start flying. To readdress the balance, we present some of the most successful and influential members of the trade, all aged under 30… www.pcretailmag.com

Lewis Daniels, Marketing Campaign Manager, Ingram Micro

With five years under his belt at distributor Ingram Micro, Daniels has made waves in the marketing department with a number of new initiatives that have helped increase the number of vendors the firm deals with. He has also gained praise recently for “composing original marketing campaigns and exploring new channels by integrating exciting and effective end-user advertising into a closed-loop vendor proposition” –

PCRetail January 23

FEATURE: YOUNG GUNS

which the firm says has helped it differentiate itself from its competitors in these increasingly aggressive times.

Richard Marsden, Sales Director, Realtime Distribution Marsden manages the entire sales side of Realtime’s large distribution business. He joined the firm ten years ago as a 19 year old, rising up the ranks of account managers before becoming sales manager for the firm three years ago. He excelled in fulfilling that role and this year became Realtime’s sales director after helping the company increase profits by 20 per cent for two years running.

Andy Miles, Marketing Executive, Interactive Ideas Miles has worked at Interactive Ideas for four years and has become a key part of the firm’s retail team, helping boost its growth over the last few years. His role involves coordinating all aspects of retail marketing, with key responsibilities including managing product content and marketing with Interactive’s key online customers, marketing communications activity within the channel, and vendor relationships.

Kate Reynolds, Senior Marketing Specialist for Norton, Symantec Reynolds joined Symantec in December 2007, and her role primarily covers all marketing within the consumer retail and online channels. Her nominee said that her intelligent and creative approach has resulted in the creation of some highly innovative marketing material for key retail partners and resellers. She has built an excellent working relationship with all her retail and channel account managers through her eager and enthusiastic attitude.

Adam Harris, Managing Director, Bear I.T Twenty-nine is an impressively young age to be in the higher rankings of any organisation, however, Harris is one of the few people in their twenties within the industry that can call himself a managing director. Along with fellow business owner Mark Lambert, Harris has grown Bear IT in the last four years to become a respected firm, picking up a number of local and regional business awards – the latest being Young Directors of the Year for the Midlands. Harris’ next challenge is to open a new regional office in 2009, alongside a brand new training division.

Ben Wilson, Account Manager, Edge 10 At 23, Wilson has been with Edge 10 for 13 months, and has made a significant impact at the company since then. His nominee told PC Retail that he was diligent, very hard working, always enthusiastic and very much deserved to be recognised for his achievements in such a short space of time. Prior to joining Edge 10, Wilson spent a year travelling after completing his degree at university.

Jon Dunnet, Business Unit Manager, Channel Advantage After spending the first half of the year building relationships with games publishers, one of Dunnet’s key responsibilities this year has been to analyse and identify the best solution for partner trading as the industry continues to face a tough economic climate. He is described by his colleagues as quietly confident, grounded and humble, and constantly seeking to ‘add value and exceed expectations.’

24 PCRetail January

and Kingston Communications. Prior to joining AVG, Graham held a series of senior positions at software companies Intuit and Formjet.

Graham O'Reilly, Sales Director UK and Ireland, AVG Having worked for security outfit AVG for just under a year, O’Reilly has built a new Strategic Partner Team and launched new ISP, Retail, etail, OEM and DMR channels. He has also secured major retail partnerships, including DSGi/PC World, Maplin, Tec 7 (House of Fraser), Insight, Misco, Bechle, Easily

Rob Tomlin, Business Unit Director, ISI After establishing ISI (then known as Interface Solutions International), Tomlin oversaw the growth of the firm to become, apparently, the largest IBM and Lenovo distributor in the UK. The firm soon expanded from a £30 million business to a £130 million one in less than five years. Later, he won the rights to distribute Sun products in the UK, helping it to target a volume market.

Adam Alvey, Business Development Account Manager, Gem Described by his nominee as the Essex version of Del Boy, and “a born wheeler dealer but everything always turns out lovely jubley,” Alvey has been with distributor Gem for ten years in various divisions, including the Xbox and AV teams, and in February 2008 joined the business development division. Colleagues say he is always happy to help with product knowledge, bundle ideas and general advice. Apparently, he is also one of the biggest practical jokers going and has a knack of making whoever he speaks to, feel comfortable and at ease.

Melissa Slaven, Programme Manager, Computers Unlimited Melissa manages programmes designed to help Computers Unlimited’s resellers and manufacturers sell more into specific markets. Working with vendors such as Microsoft, Adobe, Quark and Corel, Melissa is mainly responsible for helping resellers grow their education and licensing businesses through marketing lead initiatives. Earlier this year Melissa launched the Education Resource Centre – a single location for IT resellers to find information about selling education products, including training and marketing materials.

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FEATURE: YOUNG GUNS

look at our cover wraps and ads in PC Retail to see that James designs the advertising on our behalf.”

Gemma Archer, Creative Marketing, CCI Distribution

Neil Spicer, Managing Director, NTEC Europe Spicer set up NTEC four years ago, and now represents numerous firms across Europe. As well as working with firms like Cyberlink, Pakuma and Satzuma, he has been particularly active recently working with graphics card firm Sapphire. Spicer was nominated by a number of people, one of which said of him: “His energy, enthusiasm and professionalism means I would like to recommend him for this award.”

At 25 years old, Gemma has been working with CCI for almost five years. Her colleagues praise her for being a confident, reliable member of the marketing team with a strong determination for success within the IT channel. She manages the creative marketing for print and online marketing, PR, and company events – and in 2007 project managed the company rebranding from Computer Connections to CCI Distribution. She also launched the firm’s trade-only ecommerce website.

Bart Hoorntje, Sales Director, Widget UK Hoorntje joined Widget in June 2006, where he has helped drive a 20 per cent increase in sales, and is described as a ‘high energy Dutchman.’ Prior to joining Widget, he was an account manager at TomTom and helped establish the GPS brand in the UK. His nominee said of him: “A great guy to work with because he leads by example with high standards of integrity, insight and vision all done with an admired sense of humour.”

Joanne Kemp, Head of Software Sales, Koch Media With nine years in the IT industry behind her, Kemp started working at Koch Media four years ago as national account manager for software, looking after retail customers such as DSGi and Amazon. She then moved over to the games side of the business, managing IP products and distribution labels. After gaining praise for her work in these positions, she moved onto her current role in July this year, where she manages the software category at Koch Media for both the retail and reseller sectors.

James Dean, Marketing and PR Director, Immacula IT Media

Dean founded Immacula back in the summer of 2006, and has expanded the number of clients since then to include Realtime Distribution, Novatech, Zotac, Belkin, Ergo and Hyundai. The company now employs three people and offers press relations, press release management, marketing planning, media buying and advert design for its partners and clients. James’ nominee from Realtime Distribution says: “As a client of Immacula we find working with James and his team a pleasure. You only need to

www.pcretailmag.com

Faye Le Duc Nothern Europe Field Marketing Manager, AMD

Chris Pyatt, Marketing and Communications Officer, Smart Fix IT A flood of recommendations from numerous firms, including BullGuard, Toshiba and Enimax came in for Pyatt. Armed with a degree from Leeds University in graphic design, he has been praised for his expert command of design, innate commercial instincts and grasp of marketing principles at the theory, practice and execution levels. He joined Smart Fix IT three months ago, after leaving Target earlier this year. His nominee said: “I expect big things out of Chris and proudly endorse him for your excellent feature on this up and coming generation of future business leaders.”

Le Duc’s role is described as ‘owning the marketing relationship between AMD and local OEMs and system builders’. Faye’s nominee claimed her strength in gathering and analysing this information allows her to engage meaningfully with customers to develop jointly funded and executed marketing campaigns that achieve AMD’s business requirements. “If I had to pick one reason alone for Faye’s nomination it would be this one; the fact that Faye can show that her individual contribution to the company has a real impact on revenue streams. In a discipline like marketing, this can be a challenge for a complete department, let alone an individual.”

INDUSTRY

YOUNG GUNS PCRetail January 25

SUPERMARKETS

The Unusual

Suspects? Over the past year, Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have joined the ranks of DSGi, Comet and Argos as destination stores for PCs and accessories. This Christmas, Aldi and Morrisons joined the fray, but can we expect them to compete with the big three in terms of IT? Ben Furfie catches up with them to find out… Aldi’s business model is designed to offer quality at the best value by stripping out the unnecessary costs and passing the savings on to the customer. Aldi Spokesperson

www.pcretailmag.com

alk into any Asda or Tesco and you’ll be able to find at least one PC for sale along with a bay or two devoted to computer accessories such as mice, keyboards and webcams. However, while those two supermarkets, and to a lesser extent Sainsbury’s, have visibly been in the PC business for the past year or so, the likes of Aldi and Morrisons have continued to focus their marketing on food. That situation is changing fast. In the weeks running up to Christmas, both Aldi and Morrisons joined their larger rivals in taking out adverts to promote their laptop and PC deals (see Best of the Bunch). But the question must be asked: are they really newcomers to the PC business? How long have they been part of the IT crowd? In the case of Aldi, a surprisingly long time – the retailer has been offering deals on IT products and computers for over ten years.

“Aldi first introduced PCs as a part of its weekly special buys range in 1998,” explains a spokesman from Aldi’s computer buying group, who we are told can not be named. “The special buys are in store on Sundays and Thursdays and offer exceptional quality products for a value price. There are a limited number of products available and they are available until they have sold out. “The PC offers are extremely popular and they tend to sell out quickly. Aldi’s business model is designed to offer quality at the best value by stripping out unnecessary costs and passing the savings on to the customer,” he adds. But just what drove the supermarket to enter into the market at a time when its rivals were still concentrating on other non-food sectors? “We felt this model could be successfully applied to the PC market,” clarifies the spokesman.

PCRetail January 27

SUPERMARKETS

Malcolm Pinkerton

DEAL OF THE DAY So why exactly is the firm’s offering becoming more prominent? “Aldi has grown in popularity and built a reputation for quality, and the customer has gained increased trust in the brand and service we offer. This means we’ve been able to steadily expand the computer offering in store,” explains its buyer. In particular, the retailers latest marketing moves were part of its Christmas push. “Our offer reflects key purchase times, including Easter, Christmas and the back to school period. The special offers have something for every PC user – from basic PCs to high spec systems, laptops, peripherals and computing accessories.” Morrisons has also been active in promoting its increased technology portfolio in recent months; however, much of this has focused on its video game and entertainment ranges. The rest of its non-food stock has, until now, been mainly homewares – as they tie in much more to its core food business than computers do. Despite that, it recently broke the mould by offering Asus’ X58C Windows Vista laptop for under £250 as part of its ‘Big Price Crunch Week’ promotion in November (see Best of the Bunch). Speaking to PC Retail, a spokesperson for the supermarket said: “We’re committed to offering our growing number of shoppers great value whenever they shop with us. The Asus laptop is one of the great products we can offer our customers at fantastic prices.” NEW YEAR OFFERS Despite Christmas being behind us, Aldi isn’t planning on taking its foot off the pedal. “During 2008, we had 12 computer special buy offers, which was a 35 per cent increase on 2007. “Aldi will continue to offer PCs as part of the special buys range and there will be an average of one computer promotion per month planned for 2009. Aldi aims to offer promotions more frequently than in the past, with a broader range of specifications in order to meet all demands of the diverse computing market. “Our special buys appeal to a wide range of customers from students or children looking for their

28 PCRetail January

first PC, basic family models, entertainment hubs for the digitally savvy customer, right the way through to portable laptops and notebooks for those on the move.” More worrying for its competitors are its expansion plans. Despite the recession, the firm is still planning to open up as many as 50 stores in 2009. “Aldi opened 50 stores this year and is planning on opening a similar number during 2009,” added the buyer. “This means increased numbers for our suppliers, which will result in even better value.”

Aldi opened 50 stores this year and is planning on opening a similar number during 2009. This means increased numbers for our suppliers, which will result in even better value. Aldi Spokesperson SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS Indeed, part of Aldi’s success in moving forward has been its close ties with its suppliers and in particular fellow German company Medion. The vendor had limited exposure in the UK prior to Aldi’s decision to move into the PC market, but has since managed to become extremely visible through deals with other supermarkets and general merchandise retailers such as Woolworths. “Our close relationship with Medion allowed us to sell medium to high specification PCs at entry level pricing: something which was not available in the UK at the time of our move into the market,” explains the Aldi spokesperson. The moves by Aldi and Morrisons has also caught the attention of analysts; one is Verdict senior analyst Malcolm Pinkerton. He says that it is clear that both supermarkets are making moves into the technology sector, but stresses that both aren’t moving at the same speed, or necessarily in the same direction. “Technology isn’t the number one priority for Morrisons when it comes to non-food. Homeware is much more important to it as it ties in with its core

www.pcretailmag.com

SUPERMARKETS

Best of the Bunch ASDA Acer Aspire 5535 laptop Acer One

£375.00 £215.00

Tesco Acer One

£175.18

Aldi Medion Akoya S2210 Medion Akoya P7300 D Medion Akoya P6612

£499.99 £487.00 £579.99

Morrisons Asus X58C £249.99

offering of quality food. For the time being, I see PCs being more of an occassional offering. For Aldi on the other hand, technology is much more of a footfall driver.” Infinite Field Marketing Solutions’ Jason Evans also believes that, for the time being, both supermarkets’ offerings will remain confined to one off special offers aimed at driving footfall. “There is always room in the market for discount supermarkets to offer tailored products at the appropriate price points.” Pinkerton adds that it is unlikely that the channel will see Aldi or Morrisons emerge as rivals to Asda and Tesco, or independent retailers. “It’s very unlikely that it will turn over space to non-food SKUs on a permanent basis, for the short term at least. It has taken Asda and Tesco a long time to break into the PC and electronics sector with any success. It took a lot of effort to convince their customers that it was alright to purchase technology from a supermarket rather than a specialist retailer, especially while PCs and their accessories were still not understood by customers as well as they are today.” Even so, Pinkerton believes that Aldi and Morrisons might not face as much of an uphill struggle as its larger rivals in the IT space. “As the recession bites, consumers in particular will become much more price focused. A lot of customers these days are doing their research online, educating themselves about the products and then going and buying it at the retailer with the lowest price. In that way, the smaller supermarkets could make an impact if they have well priced SKUs, but for the foreseeable future, they will be special offers rather than a permanent fixture of their stock.” Evans feels that specialists and independents will continue to have a hold over the market: “National and independent IT specialists will still enjoy a consumer audience who require a greater choice of products, higher specifications or a more defined support service; something that a supermarket may not offer.”

www.pcretailmag.com

PCRetail January 29

The perfect networking opportunity. Over 300 representatives from the small business and digital home sectors will attend this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PC Retail Awards in Kensington. Companies who attended last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural PC Retail awards included: Acer Ainsdale Amazon.co.uk AMD Antec Arb Co Computers Ltd Asustek Avanquest AVG Axia Computer Sytems Barrington Harvey Bear IT Belkin Components Limited Big Red Solutions Bluepoint Brigantia Bullguard Causeway Compter Services CCL Computers

Comet Computer Shop @ Plymouth Computers Unlimited DABS Dalkia Data Wind Digimate Drum BraeSolutions DSGI Ebuyer Enta Entatech Envizage Forum Computers Gear 4 GEM Gemstone Computers GfK Marketing Services GZ Computers Hannspree Hi Grade

HMV Individual Computers Limited Ingram Micro Intel Interactive Ideas Limited ISE Computers ITACS John Lewis Kaspersky KMGS KMS Components Ltd Lenovo Lexar Logitech London Computer Centre M2M Medea Meroncourt Mesh Computers

Micro Anvika Microsoft More2 New Look Novatech One Click Technologies PC n Digital PC Specialist PCA Phones 4 U Play.com PNY Positive Computing Realtime Distribution Ltd Reggiani Lighting Ltd Samsung Samuel King Scan Shasonic Galleria Staples

Stone Computers Success International Sunrise Telecom Limited Support Lounge Symantec Target Components Targus Tec 7 Tesco Stores Tom Tom Toshiba Information Systems VIP W H Smith Widget Wyvern Business Systems XMA Y3K YourTechOnline Yoyotech

THURSDAY MARCH 19th The Palace Suite, Royal Garden Hotel Kensington, London widget Platinum Sponsor

Drinks Reception Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Frontline Sponsor

THE FINALISTS 2009 FRONTLINE HIGH STREET INDEPENDENT Novatech Computer Store Utopia Computers YoYoTech 121 Computer Services Shasonic HIGH STREET MULTIPLE Argos Comet John Lewis PC World Tesco ONLINE RETAILER QVCUK.com Novatech Amazon Play.com Overclockers.co.uk

VALUE ADDED RESELLER Bear IT Softcat Form IT Stone Computers Keen Computers

SALES TEAM: BUSINESS Entatech VIP Realtime Ingram Micro C2000

SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR TotalPDA Midwich Meroncourt Widget Target

BEST TECHNICAL SUPPORT Positive Computing Bear IT YoYoTech GeeksOnWheels Forum Computers

SALES INNOVATION TotalPDA Entatech Interactive Ideas Gem M2M

VENDOR SALES TEAM: HOME Hannspree Sapphire Bullguard AVG Acer

DISTRIBUTION SALES TEAM: HOME Interactive Ideas VIP CCI Centerprise Gem

MARKETING & PR TEAM VIP Interactive Ideas Ingram Micro Gem Creative Midwich

SALES TEAM: BUSINESS Acer Lenovo HP Canon Mitsubishi

MARKETING/PR TEAM: HOME Symantec Kapersky Lab TomTom Intel nVidia MARKETING/PR TEAM: BUSINESS Cooler Master Acer Dell AMD Microsoft SPECIALIST VENDOR Billion (20 nominations) Medea Antec Kingston Big Red

For tables or sponsorship please contact: Katie Rawlings or Carly Bailey on 01992 535647 katie.rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk | carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk

YOUR STORE YOUR TEAM YOUR AWARDS

32 PCRetail January

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MYSTERY SHOPPER: SOUTHAMPTON

Christmas Shopping Our Mystery Shopper visited Southampton to check out last year’s Christmas bargains and bundles across the city’s PC and technology outlets...

SIX STORES WERE VISITED: John Lewis, Currys.digital, PC World, Comet, Currys and Sony Centre.

Infinite Field Marketing Solutions is a leading provider of field marketing services to the 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.

CURRYS A CHORUS of ‘good afternoon’ from a number of sales staff greeted me as I entered this High Street heavy weight. I got straight to the point, asking for Christmas recommendations and offers. The sales assistant showed me the PC area, gesturing towards Asus’ 701 netbook, adding: “for only £179.99 this is a great little computer, loaded with a Linux operating system, 512MB memory and an 8GB flash hard drive.” We left before I could look around at anything else, moving onto the camera section where I was shown the Panasonic S7 digital camcorder, reduced by £30 to £149.99. This was an ultra portable camcorder with SD card, ten-times optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD screen and an image stabiliser. He didn’t seem to know much

beyond what was on the ticket, but happily provided me with a list of the specs for me to take away and mull over before considering a purchase. Music was the next and final category, as I was shown an iPod speaker system, a popular choice, according to the assistant. I was given a demo of its two ten watt speakers and 50 watt sub-woofer. At half price – £79.99 – this was a good sounding system to thrill any of the millions of iPod users this Christmas. As in Currys.digital (page 36) there was also a £10 gift voucher up for grabs. The store had a great range of all the latest gadgets and technology, supported by solid price points and eye catching POS.

SCORE: 9/10 www.pcretailmag.com

PCRetail January 33

MYSTERY SHOPPER: SOUTHAMPTON

SONY CENTRE I WAS warmly greeted by one of the sales saff as I looked over some of the products near the entrance. “What products would make good Christmas presents?” I asked the assistant. To start off with, I was shown the Sony NWZS639F MP3 player. “This is from the new range of Sony players and has £30 off at the moment, down to £99.99,” the sales assistant said. The player’s features include BBCi Player compatible, 40 hours of battery life, two-inch QVGA screen and a ‘sense me’ mode which matches music to a user’s mood. A camera was the next item; a Sony Cybershot W-170 on offer at £169 with a free 4GB memory stick

included. It boasted 10.2 mega pixels, five-times optical zoom, double anti-blur and a 2.7-inch screen. Quite an impressive specification for the price. Finally I was shown the Sony DAV-IS50 home theatre kit, priced £399 – the last one they had – with the smallest speakers I have ever seen. “This micro speaker system has won awards from What Hi-Fi,” the assistant said. The system may have had tiny speakers, but a massive spec, including HDMI upscaling, the ability to sync with Sony’s Bravia range of televisions, a digital amp and a digital media port. A good range of products for the Christmas season – I could have stayed in there longer.

SCORE: 7/10 PC WORLD THIS STORE seemed strangely quiet and as I moved along the aisles, I noticed the shelves were looking very barren, with empty gaps where my wallet-friendly products should have been. On each aisle end was a Christmas deal poster, but again very few actually had any stock to promote. I wandered around aimlessly for about fifteen minutes before I approached someone for some help. I found the store manager. Asking him where the best deals were for Christmas, he breathed a sigh and said: “Sadly, we haven’t got much as the store has just had a refit and we haven’t received much of our stock back yet. Most of the Christmas offers start next week.” I could understand the problem he was facing, but I was keen not to have wasted the trip so I pressed him for a product recommendation. He asked a nearby sales assistant to help. This chap was keen on his keyboards, showing me to an end aisle where three types of Logitech keyboard stood. “The cheap £9.99 one isn’t that good, but if you want a decent present to give someone that doesn’t cost the

earth I’d recommend the LX710 for £29.99, saving £20,” he said. This wireless keyboard was ideal for music and photo fans, providing instant access to your tunes and pictures, ready for Windows Vista functions, programmable hot keys and included a matching wireless laser mouse. After the keyboard offer, I was shown to the back of the store, which housed the TV and audio section. On another aisle, where the Christmas offers were, was the Panasonic PT460EB Home Theatre kit. The sales assistant noted: “This is a great offer. There is £70 off, bringing the price down to £179.99.” It boasted 1,000 watts of power, HDMI upscaling, an iPod dock, PAL progressive mode, optical link and Dolby Pro-logic II. “Panasonic is a great brand for audio equipment,” he said, reminding me that it has 1,000 watts of power. He seemed genuinely passionate about the product. I was a little disappointed with the lack of promotions the store had. However, considering the store had just undergone a refit and it was missing a lot of stock, it would be unfair to mark it down too much.

SCORE: 5/10 COMET TUCKED AWAY from the main shopping centres and retail parks, this small, neat and tidy store at first glance didn’t seem to have embraced the Christmas spirit. But on closer inspection I saw a few swirls of tinsel and a Christmas banner in the trademark Comet orange. After around ten minutes of wandering around the store, I finally found a sales assistant. I asked for his help to identify the best Christmas deals in-store. “We don’t really have a lot,” he said; a statement not supported by the large stack of Christmas catalogues and flyers at the front of the store. After a little prompting we were off. The Bose SoundDock speaker system for the iPod, priced at £159.99, was first on his list of products. Challenging him on his choice – and by no means to knock this brand in any way – I asked him to explain his recommendation. “Bose make some really excellent equipment, the machine produces a deeper sound for a small system which will fill a whole room.” He then

impressed me with some more technical jargon like, ‘simple user interface,’ ‘active electronic equalisation’ and ‘digital signal processing circuitry’. Happy with the choice of speaker dock, we moved onto the digital camera offers. Pointing to the Samsung D1070 in black (priced £69), he said: “This is a good, basic digital camera.” The features included 10.2MP, 2.7-inch screen, three-times optical zoom, autofocus and red-eye reduction. A package deal was also available, which included a memory card and case. We stopped alongside a Logitech Z4 2.1 speaker system. He smiled and said: “This is an excellent system for the money and it’s small enough to fit comfortably on your desk.” The stylish speakers boasted 40 watts of power, a subwoofer, 35hHz20KHz and volume control, and was priced £44.99. Okay – time to move on, recommendations from this store were clearly music orientated, but I guess this was okay given the time of year.

SCORE: 6/10 34 PCRetail January

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MYSTERY SHOPPER: SOUTHAMPTON

CURRYS.DIGITAL JUST A stone’s throw away from John Lewis, the familiar red and white glow of the Currys.digital sign was shining brightly. Avoiding busy shoppers near the entrance, my eyes scanned across the store, soaking up every piece of POS to be seen as I aimed to get a feel for the Christmas offers up for grabs. After five minutes or so, I was greeted by a friendly, quiet sales assistant. Explaining I needed inspiration for Christmas presents, the store Christmas catalogue was thrust in my direction and I was asked to follow. The first products to be viewed were the MP3 players, once again dominated by Apple’s ubiquitous iPod range. The sales assistant reminded me that there were lots of deals to be taken advantage of. Those deals included 25 per cent off a case when bought with any model, or an accessory package consisting of a USB power adapter, stereo cable and car charger for only £20. She was keeping the best to last; a circular JBL speaker dock with 12 watts output and remote control. It was half price when bought with an iPod Nano in-store. A £10 gift voucher with a purchase of any iPod Nano, Touch or Classic topped it off, as was the case with PC World.

Next we headed to the camera counter; I thumbed through the catalogue, as she headed around the other side of the glass counter, pulling out a Panasonic FS3. “I have just bought one of these and they are a great little camera,” she said. The features included eight mega pixels, three times optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD screen, image stabilisation and ‘face detection’. What’s more, the price had dropped £30 to £99.99. A package deal, which included a 1GB memory card and case, was priced at £134. I would receive another £10 gift card. “You could spend it on a three year warranty,” she said. If I wanted to really shoot for the moon, present wise, I was shown Sony’s JDL32V4000 32-inch LCD TV. The price was a very reasonable £399 with a free 5.1 home cinema system. I was impressed with the range of offers and the plentiful literature. The Christmas catalogue had a good range of offers on various products, including portable DVD players from all the major brands, a wide range of MP3 players, games consoles including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, cameras and camcorders, as well as a large selection of coffee machines and electric razors; plenty to get the sleigh bells ringing.

SCORE: 8/10

JOHN LEWIS CHRISTMAS was definitely in the air as I entered this festive department store in search of top technology deals to help keep my bank manager happy. Ascending the escalator, I admired the red and silver decorations hanging down the centre of the store; all floors filled with trees, decorations, toys and much more. I spotted a mound of catalogues, full with all manner of electronic goodies, including MP3 players, DAB radios, cameras, camcorders, photo frames and speaker docks. Arriving in the section, I was approached by, I presumed, a team leader or floor manager. “What are the best offers you have in store for this Christmas?” I asked quizzically. A CD digital radio offer, an iPod deal or possibly one of the great value camcorders might tempt the green stuff from my wallet. He led me over to the sales desk, introducing me to a young sales assistant. He focused on price and tempting deals, recommending a JVC GZ-M5100EK camcorder for £199. “This is a great HDD camcorder, with a massive 35-times optical zoom and is extremely compact,” he

enthused, allowing me to try out the unit testing the large zoom function myself. My attention was now drawn to the ever colourful iPods displayed in a large spot lit glass cabinet. “The iPods are on offer with a free set of Denon headphones worth £25 when you buy any model except the shuffle,” he explained. “The headphones gave greater noise cancellation than the headphones which come with the iPod,” he added. He finished off by showing me the Roberts CD & DAB player, standing proudly on a gondola end. The offer here was a free Roberts RD21 DAB radio worth £79.95. Clarifying the offer, he explained that when the CD & DAB player (priced £249) was purchased, there was a portable DAB radio available free. The CD player had a sleek design, 30 presets, a clock/alarm and a small remote control; a nice piece of kit for anyone looking to upgrade their stereo unit. The store, as expected, had a great Christmas feel, along with products at very competitive prices. I was shown solid offers that would appeal to everyone.

SCORE: 7/10

Summary THE FESTIVE season was certainly alive in most stores. Comparisons between stores was challenging due to only being able to give each shop time enough for salesman’s recommendations. Based on products I was shown, information received and deals to be had, the most popular products were iPod speaker docks, camcorders and cameras.

36 PCRetail January

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THIS YEAR MAKE SOME RESOLUTIONS YOU’LL KEEP ew Year is a time when people think about resolutions and trying new things – and Interactive Ideas has a range of products that can inspire just about anybody. If a customer wants to get ﬁt for the summer, start wasting less energy at home, trace their family tree, allow their family in Australia to see them when they call or digitise their LPs and cassettes for posterity, we have the solution for them. At New Year the best ideas are interactive...

MAGIX RESCUE YOUR VINYL & TAPES

BYE BYE STANDBY ENERGY SAVING KIT

FOCUS PC FITNESS: YOUR PERSONAL TRAINER

FAMILY TREE MAKER 2009 PLATINUM

TRUST CHAT & VOIP PACK

ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE 2009 HOME

Authorised distributor for:

SOFTWARE AND PERIPHERALS FOR EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT AND BUSINESS Tel: 0208 805 1000 email: sales@interactiveideas.com web: www.interactiveideas.com For a full list of publishers and manufacturers that Interactive Ideas represent, visit www.interactiveideas.com

PC RETAIL AWARDS 2009

PC Retail Awards

The finalists... After months of anticipation, we have whittled down the vast array of players in the technology industry down to 75 leading firms that we think have had the most impact over the last year in the UK channel. With only a couple of months to go until the night, we reveal the finalists for the PC Retail Awards 2009â&#x20AC;¦

FRONTLINE HIGH STREET INDEPENDENT Novatech Computer Store Utopia Computers YoYoTech 121 Computer Services Shasonic

VALUE ADDED RESELLER Bear IT Softcat Form IT Stone Group Keen Computers

HIGH STREET MULTIPLE Argos Comet John Lewis PC World Tesco

BEST TECHNICAL SUPPORT Positive Computing Bear IT YoYoTech GeeksOnWheels Forum Computers

ONLINE RETAILER QVCUK.com Novatech Amazon Play.com Overclockers.co.uk

www.pcretailmag.com

PCRetail January 39

PC RETAIL AWARDS 2009

DISTRIBUTION SALES TEAM: HOME Interactive Ideas VIP CCI Centerprise Gem SALES TEAM: BUSINESS Entatech VIP Realtime Ingram Micro C2000 SALES INNOVATION TotalPDA Entatech Interactive Ideas Gem M2M MARKETING & PR TEAM VIP Interactive Ideas Ingram Micro Gem Creative Midwich SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR TotalPDA Midwich Meroncourt Widget Target

SPECIALIST VENDOR

WHEN AND WHERE:

Thursday March 19th, Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London

Billion Medea Antec Kingston Big Red

Dress Code: Smart casual, not black tie! VENDOR

GRAND PRIX AWARD

SALES TEAM: HOME Hannspree Sapphire Bullguard AVG Acer

To be announced on the night

Cost of Tickets: £175 per seat £1,750 per table

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD To be announced on the night

For details of ticket and table sales and a range of excellent promotional possibilities, contact Katie.Rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk

SALES TEAM: BUSINESS Acer Lenovo HP Canon Mitsubishi MARKETING/PR TEAM: HOME Symantec Kapersky Lab TomTom Intel nVidia MARKETING/PR TEAM: BUSINESS Cooler Master Acer Dell AMD Microsoft

40 PCRetail January

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INKJETS AND MFDS

CTRL-P

There’s almost no sector in the market that doesn’t rely in some way on printers, making them highly lucrative stock options. Matt Grainger takes a look at what’s available right now and finds out what some of the major vendors are up to…

According to GfK’s figures, inkjet MFD sales for the year ending August 08 grew by 14 per cent, while sales of laser MFDs grew by 70 per cent for the same period.

42 PCRetail January

n today’s digital age, the print market permeates the economy, and printers can be found in a broad variety of locations – from corporate headquarters to home offices, from media outlets to student digs. The main development of 2008 was the continued rise of the multi-function device. MFDs have continued to eat into single function and photoprinter sales, a trend which continued to speed up durng the year. Such is their impact that sales of single function devices dropped by 36 per cent yearon-year while the value of those sales has sunk by an alarming 42 per cent, with the average price sitting at around £47, according to figures from GfK. Meanwhile, multifunctional devices have continued to consolidate their place in the market. According to GfK’s figures, inkjet MFD sales for the year ending in August 2008 grew by 14 per cent, while sales of laser MFDs grew by 70 per cent for the same period.

Unfortunately, these rosy sales figures have not translated to greater profit for vendors and retailers. The sheer level of competition has driven prices down – creating a buyer’s market. The average price for inkjet MFDs dropped to £54 in August: the lowest price for the devices ever recorded and the average price for colour laser MFDs sank by £70 in the space of a month. Despite that, there are glimmers of hope in the market. The latest figures from GfK show that there is still a huge potential within the market place for wireless printers, with over 80 per cent of devices remaining cable bound. The print market will certainly be challenging for vendors in 2009. Narrowing margins during a time of recession can only lead to consolidation. However, with IDC estimating that 85 per cent of printers and MFDs are sold through resellers and retailers, perhaps now is the time for retail to take advantage of low prices to enhance its own stock and services.

www.pcretailmag.com

INKJETS AND MFDS

Canon Pixma MP190 Distributor: Westcoast Part of Canon’s Pixma all-in-one home printing range, this compact, affordable and easy to use device offers all-in-one functionality combined with Canon’s unique FINE technology, an exclusive inkjet nozzle design, ensures high quality printed images every time.

Brother DCP-6690 Distributor: MicroP

Brother DCP-585CW Distributor: MicroP

Brother’s new sleek multifunction colour inkjet range prints big but doesn’t cost big money. Business and home users alike will appreciate these machines that bring A3 capabilities for printing, copying, scanning and faxing into one compact machine.

This device is a wireless colour-inkjet multifunctionprinter with a 3.3-inch colour LCD display that offers print, copy, direct photo print and scan functionality. Features a built-in wireless network capability and an energy saving capillary ink system.

Epson Stylus Photo R285 Distributor: MicroP Epson’s new generation Claria Photographic Ink is a high-definition, six-colour, dye-based ink technology offering an extra wide colour gamut and smooth gradations, a new development in dye-based inkjet printing technology. It’s the ideal printer for part of a imaging solution.

Epson All-in-One Stylus DX8450 Distributor: VIP The Epson Stylus DX8450 is ideal for the home and small office user, offering a complete printing and copying solution. It provides high quality direct printing using either memory card slots or PictBridge, together with a 2.5-inch LCD preview monitor for simple photo selection.

OKI C5540 Distributor: Ingram Micro The C5500 Series of MFDs is based on the same proven digital LED technology as OKI Printing Solutions’ award-winning C5000 Series printers. Reliable, single pass technology offers superior print quality, higher speeds and fewer paper jams thanks to a straight paper path and fewer moving parts.

Contacts MICRO P: North; 01282 776 776 South: 01282 770 001 INGRAM MICRO: 0870 405 3000 VIP: 0870 622 7500 WESTCOAST: 0118 912 6000 CD-WRITER: 0870 760 5737 MIDWICH: 01379 649 200

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Brother MFC6490CW Distributor: Ingram Micro It prints, scans and faxes over a network, as well as working as a standalone fax machine and copier. For the office enviroment it supports a 50 page ADF, ethernet connection and Wi-Fi support for the home user, it provides quality photo printing, printing directly from Pictbridge cameras, memory cards and USB sticks.

Lexmark X9575 Wireless All in One with Fax Distributor: Ingram Micro The X9575 is one of the models in Lexmark’s Professional all-in-one range and includes the ability to scan and fax even over a network, as well as working as a standalone machine. The built in duplexer enables double-sided printing: an important requirement for any user who is conscientious about the environment. The X9575 will print from a range of media, including USB Keys and memory cards. The photos can be viewed using the 2.4-inch display and can also be edited using the built-in menus.

PCRetail January 43

INKJETS AND MFDS

StorDigital DP100 Distributor: CD Writer CD-writer.com’s own brand StorDigital’s DP100 is an automated inkjet CD DVD printer. Offering fast, low cost printing of discs, it uses a patented disc loading system to deliver inkjet printable discs to the HP engineered inkjet printer.

Canon Pixma MP980 Distributor: Ingram Micro Brother DCP-9040CN Distributor: Midwich The DCP-9040CN comes network ready as standard. This multi-function device offers print, copy and scan functionality making it the perfect solution for a busy office environment.

Darren Cassidy, General Manager, Xerox UK “We launched 18 products this year designed for small and mid-sized businesses. According to Gartner, we hold the numberone market share for managed print services in the world. We acquired nine office technology resellers in the last two years, including Veenman in the Netherlands, and through the third quarter of this year, Xerox Global Services generated $2.6 billion in annual revenue. These are just some of the highlights of 2008. We are not immune to the economic issues, but overall, it has been a good year for Xerox and our partners. The unpredictability of the market in these

44 PCRetail January

coming months will likely make for a challenging environment, but we’re better positioned than most. Businesses are looking for flexibility and predictability in a tough business environment. For example, managed print services and pay-per-page type contracts can help companies through the downturn. Using these services, customers can reduce and better control their costs. In 2009, we will be continuing to expand our channels and launch new products and services into the market. Overall, it will be a challenging and exciting year.”

The Pixma MP980 prints high-quality documents and photolab-quality photos. It can be used for printing, scanning and copying and is the first AIO printer to include a separate grey and photo black ink for truly neutral black-and-white photo printing.

Philip Oldham, Senior Commercial Manager, Epson “2008 has been a good, and very busy, year for Epson. As the digital SLR market has continued to grow, so has sales of Epson’s high defintion printers – with consumers looking to make the most of their new found photo skills by showing off their images and displaying them in the home. The introduction of the eagerly awaited Stylus Photo R2880 was swiftly followed by numerous awards. We have launched a whole raft of new and innovative products for the home, small and medium businesses, education and corporate markets and we have won over 70 awards across our product range this year alone.

September of 2008 saw the launch of two brand new photo allin-one printers with a strong focus on design. The PX700W and PX800FW continue Epson’s heritage and reputation for quality and reliability but also place a great emphasis on the look and feel of the models. With a sleek and stylish design, the printers fit seamlessly into the style conscious consumer’s home, with Wi-Fi enabled high-quality printing, scanning, copying and faxing in one space saving device. Also, Epson’s new business inkjet range now offers a real alternative to laser printers for small and medium businesses.”

Jon Penney, Printer Product Manager, Canon “2008 has been a really positive year for Canon; sales have been strong throughout the year despite the tough trading conditions. We have grown our share in the all-in-one market and our share in the single function inkjet market has also risen. Our biggest achievement this year has been the successful launch of our autumn range when we announced 24 new models. Both our ranges of inkjet and laser products offer faster printing speeds and improved image longevity. We have continued to lessen our impact on the environment by reducing the size of both products and

packaging, minimising waste and enabling us to increase the number of products that we ship in one container. The new i-Sensys models include double-sided printing to encourage customers to save paper and they are also extremely energy efficient in sleep mode to reduce energy consumption and costs. In addition, all of our new Pixma printers are Energy Star compliant. We will continue to build on the success of the current ranges and offer customers and consumers excellent products and good value for money during what are likely to be difficult economic times.”

www.pcretailmag.com

INTERVIEW:

Enta the dragon

Resellers and distributors need to be looking at alternative products to uphold the margin and revenue for 2009. Just doing the ‘same old same old’ is not going to help your business. Jon Atherton Enta Group

After a number of product acquisitions in its EntaTech division, and the meteoric rise of EntaNet, Andrew Wooden talks to Commercial Group Vice President Jon Atherton about the firm’s unique offering, the state of the market and the gloomy view of 2009…

How have the recent economic struggles affected Enta Group over the last year – have you had to readjust your business? From Enta’s perspective, in the last number of weeks we’ve noticed a slight downturn in business. People have been more cautious in buying stock, because they realise there’s going to be a lot of deals out there – as does the general public. So we’ve seen a downturn in that, but thankfully we’ve taken on a number of products over the last 12 to 18 months to complement our existing range, such as CCTV – which is still a massively growing market – server and storage solutions, and virtualisation products to complement what we’re currently doing in terms of peripherals and components and software. If you take a look at the system build resellers, they have almost certainly seen a downturn in business. Are you concerned about 2009? Yeah. Obviously with what’s going on in the economic world at the moment, it’s really going to hit home at the end of January. I think people are going to try and have a good Christmas this year, and hopefully buy their families and friends IT products. But due to the gloom, and although it hasn’t been highlighted that we’re in a great

46 PCRetail January

recession yet, it’s going to hit home in the new year. You see thousands of jobs being laid off daily in the press, and obviously there’s going to be a time, probably in Q1, when we see a big downturn. Resellers and distributors need to be looking at alternative products to uphold the margin and revenue for 2009. Just doing the ‘same old same old’ is not going to help your business. What area do you think will be the most hard hit within the industry? Enthusiast sectors will still be very strong, those end users have got money to spend. Some of the best gaming titles came out over the Christmas period and there’s more to come over the next few months. This means the gamers will still want the best graphics cards and memory, so I don’t think that sector will suffer too badly. The system builder market will struggle, with more and more corporate organisations having their IT budgets cut. It also looks like the IT budgets for schools are going to be cut, so that’s going to affect those in that market. All the big firms, everyone in The Times Top 100, there’ll be very few that don’t cut their IT budgets next year. That will obviously effect the reseller, the distributor and the manufacturer.

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INTERVIEW:

Some have asserted that the IT market is more resilient to the recession, because it provides things that are no longer considered disposable luxuries. Do you think there’s any truth in that? I do. People aren’t suddenly going to give up their internet connection. What they will do is perhaps delay upgrading their PC or notebook. But obviously backup, data security, server hosting, all that type of thing, is still vital to the day-to-day running of a business. Those vitals are still going to be required during 2009. Enta Group is almost uniquely placed in offering a holistic service, with EntaNet and EntaTech. What advantage is this to retailers and do you think such a service will become more popular going forward? What a lot of resellers have woken up to is that they just can’t rest on their laurels and sell IT kit all day. They’ve realised there’s huge opportunity to sell bandwidth and a lot of successful resellers have been born out of doing that. With new virtualisation products coming out in terms of servers, new laws on data back up, the obvious importance of security, and many other aspects, the IT industry is still very rosy. Others, such as the peripherals market, will struggle heavily in some cases during 2009. Enta Group as an organisation is able now to offer all types of solutions to our customer base, and that does make us quite unique in the market place. We don’t just sell hardware or software – we sell bandwidth, server hosting, lease lines, VoIP hardware and the service itself. Holding those indispensable lines is a strength of ours.

What’s the difference in revenue between EntaTech and EntaNet? EntaNet equates to around 25 to 30 per cent of our revenue. A year ago it was 15 per cent, so EntaNet as an organisation has grown quite rapidly. In fact I think they were the 61st fastest growing IT company in Britain according to The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 and Top 50 with Deloitte. The growth of EntaNet is going to be more rapid in terms of revenue that EntaTech, which is an established business of 18 years now. EntaNet has been trading for over ten years, but has only seen rapid growth in the last three. That’s down to the broadband revolution. It’s still going to grow in 2009, but the broadband revolution is now peaking.

Jon Atherton

Are there any gaps in your portfolio that you’d be looking to move into? There are a number of gaps, but it’s all about whether we can make money out of it or survive doing it. Laptops and PCs are always a bone of contention being a component distributor. We all know in terms of units that notebooks grow each month and desktops fall. But a distributor or reseller won’t make a lot of money selling a branded notebook. If you focus on selling notebooks, you’re not going to survive. How do you think independent retailers and resellers are going to fare in 2009? The outlook is gloomy. All the signs are that certain parts of the IT sector are going to be under a lot of stress in 2009, but yet again its about diversifying in particular core channels that are important to the end user or the corporate client.

East meets West ENTA GROUP was founded back in 1990 by Jason Tsai. The company has grown year on year, and now commands over £120 million in annual revenues and employs over 200 staff. The headquarters in Telford is built to an authentic Chinese Pagoda style – during construction local materials and specialised builders were shipped in from Taiwan to ensure that the look was accurate. The 90,000 square foot site is also home to several hundred Koi Carp, which according to Chinese culture are a symbol of strength and success. Tsai has also adorned the buildings entrance and walkways with a plethora of original artworks, while the Tsai Gallery is a dedicated art area, housing an array of imaginative works from Taiwanese painters and sculptors.

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PCRetail January 47

DELL

Dell-ivering

the goods We view retail agreements as strategic partnerships, and are always looking for opportunities where we see a good fit. David Clifton, Dell

David Clifton

After a year in which the UK vendor rankings have been shaken up on the strength of netbook sales, Andrew Wooden talks to David Clifton, Director of Consumer Marketing at Dell Europe, about the sector and the firm’s position in the UK channel...

Netbook sales have exploded, and have been a huge factor in boosting the entire industry – how important have they been to Dell in comparison to other product categories? The Inspiron Mini 9 is a very popular product for us, and we have just launched the Inspiron Mini 12 Internet companion. The netbook category has ignited interest among customers that we may not have reached in the past. They can’t be compared to other product categories because they reach different audiences and have different uses. In terms of netbooks and traditional laptops, we see them as complementing each other. Netbooks are internet companions, perfect for connectivity on the go, but they are not intended to be primary computers. Are you noticing a consumer buying trend towards lower priced products in general in the current economic downturn? Many customers are increasingly cost-conscious in these turbulent times, but we see this more in terms of value for money. Customers are always looking for value, and want to see that their purchasing decisions will provide them with the functionality and technology they require at a competitive price point. Are you planning to expand your retail product lines over the coming year? True to Dell’s heritage of building direct relationships,

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each deal struck with retail represents a unique approach that links products with a ‘customer set’ and the one retailer. We view retail agreements as strategic partnerships, and are always looking for opportunities where we see a good fit. Are there any plans to open any Dell-exclusive stores here in the UK, of the type that have been seen in India? Dell’s strategy in India is different than in the UK. Working with major retailers has been beneficial to our customers and has helped us grow our business. We will not comment on speculative questions about the future. Acer has recently taken the number one vendor spot in EMEA, thanks in part to strong netbook sales. Does Dell have any plans to make similar gains in this way? We’re focused on providing good value and service to our customers over the long-term. Have you noticed a drop in desktop sales at all, in parallel with the rise in mobile PC sales across the industry? Customers continue to buy desktop computers for entertainment, gaming and productivity tools. We’ve recently launched new Dell and Alienware desktops to address this space.

PCRetail January 49

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INTERVIEW: BULLGUARD

Guarding the

gates As the number of households with computers continues to rise, proliferated by the explosive popularity of netbooks, the opportunities for criminal organisations also increases. Andrew Wooden talks to George Tennet, Chief Executive Officer at BullGuard, about what his firm is doing to combat this and the changing face of the security landscape… With prices lowering, equipment is becoming more affordable and therefore accessible to a much larger audience. This offers malware writers a far more attractive target base, thus the number of malware threats and viruses being circulated exponentially increases. George Tennet, BullGuard

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How has the security landscape changed in the last year or so? The main change in the last year is the rapidly growing consumer sector, mainly due to the increase in the numbers of households owning computer equipment. With prices lowering (which may also be a result of the new netbook solutions), equipment is becoming far more affordable and therefore accessible to a much larger audience. This in turn offers malware writers a far more attractive target base, thus the number of malware threats and viruses being circulated exponentially increases. With so many attacks occurring, it is hard to avoid a need for a security system and consumers are becoming more willing to ensure they are safeguarded. As the consumer sector grows, internet security companies are increasingly targeting this market sector and we are seeing more feature development in solutions, such as PC optimisation. BullGuard has always been a consumer-only focused brand with specifically designed consumer products, so we are concentrating on areas that we believe are of the most benefit and which actually add value for the consumer, such as back-up and support, and on ensuring straightforward, uncomplicated systems. We have been including back-up with our security packages for three years, but have only

recently noticed our competitors introducing the feature to their solutions. Internet security is not just about protecting a computer, it is also about protecting data and we can’t stress enough to our customers how important backing up files is. What new threats will we be facing in the years to come that we aren’t necessarily aware of right now? It goes without saying that threats will evolve and become more and more advanced, and unfortunately they are quite likely to become more targeted. There is an ever-increasing focus on monetary gain and professionalism among criminal gangs. In the past these gangs mostly played the volume game: ensure that your malware or scam reaches a large number of people and a small percentage will always fall for it. Targeted attacks are relatively new – the main targets are companies and successful individuals. As the victims of these attacks most often are not likely to speak about it in the open, it is difficult to determine how often these attacks actually occur. As and when smartphones and flat mobile internet fees become more widely used, an entirely new platform – the mobile platform – will become attractive to malware writers.

PCRetail January 51

INTERVIEW: BULLGUARD

George Tennet, CEO of BullGuard

It is hard to predict threats and so the most important factor in internet security is being prepared for anything. To tackle threats, you must be in a position to react quickly and so continuous research and constant high alert is essential. With some software firms, there is a growing trend towards downloading the programs instead of going through the box product route. Do you think there is any danger in this? For the channel, we don’t see any danger in downloading software from a reseller point of view. The mass consumer market is still made up of a lot of first and second-time buyers of internet security who still find the idea of internet security daunting and thus require buying assistance and advice. The high street plays a very important role in selection; the less educated and experienced in IT will always turn to a high street shop where they can talk to a human being for face to face advice and so the number of those downloading is still relatively small. As and when consumers do become more educated, they are usually at the renewal stage – most renewals are online and this is where our revenue scheme really comes into play to ensure that resellers keep benefiting from their sale. Our reseller lounge is an invaluable tool as our resellers are able to see how many of their customers are renewing their original box products as well as the rebates they are accumulating from renewals. For the consumer there are some fake virus scanners out there (WindowsXP, for example), that pose as a scanner but in reality are a type of malware. If consumers stick to less obscure security brands they should be fine. BullGuard intends to grow its UK strategy – how will this manifest itself? An expansion of the operation, more offices, more marketing? This year we have mainly concentrated on our global operations, which have seen BullGuard put a new top

As one of the fastest growing security brands in the UK, we have received new investment which will enable us to focus on expanding regional offices and the UK team is top priority for 2009. George Tennet, BullGuard level board team at head quarters, including myself, to drive the company forward. As one of the fastest growing security brands in the UK, we have received new investment from our investors which will enable us to focus on expanding regional offices and, as the UK is BullGuard’s number one existing market, the regional team is top priority for expansion in 2009. The two areas which we will focus on most here in 2009 will be sales and marketing. In January we

will introduce a new sales director and a reseller support specialist that will enable us to support more customers as our UK business grows and, as a result of the rapidly expanding UK sales team, BullGuard will also open a new UK sales office in Heathrow. We have recently begun working with a new marketing agency to help us create UK-specific integrated marketing campaigns, PoS material, online material and more to increase awareness of the BullGuard brand and products in the market. Can you tell us about your new channel programmes? The basic principle of BullGuard’s ‘Revenue Share Programme’ is that our channel partners are entitled to a percentage of their customer’s online renewals and online upgrades. In software, channel partners often do the hardest part by making the initial sale, but never see a longterm benefit as many customers renew their subscription online rather than coming back to the store. To address this issue, we track our products through the channel and ensure that online renewals are added to the relevant reseller’s account. All this happens with complete transparency. Our new and improved online partner portal is called the ‘Reseller Lounge’. It is due to roll out in January and is redesigned to be even more targeted to the channel. It’s a unique tool which gives our customers greater access to the programme’s details to track sales, renewals and revenue accumulation. Currently, Apple Macs enjoy being relatively immune to virus threats, since there are so few malware programmes developed for them. As Macs rise in market share, do you think this will change? The share that Macs hold in the overall market at present is still relatively small, almost a non-entity in the world of malware writing, as the alternate PC market is far more appealing in size to virus writers. The Mac market would have to increase substantially for it to become a target-based on market share but of course, long term, it may happen. Short term, malware writers may get tempted to target Macs out of spite or for their own entertainment off of the back of over zealous ‘impenetrable’ claims, but I don’t think there is any danger of large scale attacks.

52 PCRetail January

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ISPS

Casting the Net Over half of the UK’s households subscribe to broadband and that number is expected to grow, albeit slowly. Matt Grainger takes a look at the sector and investigates some of the options for the average retailer… The slowdown has created a switcher’s market, where someone’s existing provider is likely to try and offer an enticement to stay. Moving broadband providers has got easier, so people shop around more Andrew Ferguson, Think Broadband

54 PCRetail January

roadband internet currently reaches over 50 per cent of the UK’s households, with over 15.6 million connections. And despite the credit crunch, that percentage looks set to grow. According to figures from market research firm Point Topic, although the current economic climate has seen projected adoption rates halved, the sector has still enjoyed relatively good growth. The second quarter of 2008 saw the lowest growth since 2003, however, that period saw an additional 400,000 subscriptions, which is still around two and a half per cent. At this time, broadband dominates the internet sector. Dial-up has all but disappeared, with only five per cent of internet consumers still using these connections. Nonetheless, the slowdown in the market has had an effect. “This slow down has created a switcher’s market, where someone’s existing provider is likely to try and offer an enticement to stay,” says Andrew Ferguson, editor of broadband information website Thinkbroadband.com. “Moving broadband provider has generally got easier, so people are able to chase the deals once outside their minimum contract, but not all the potential migration scenarios are simple. The rise of bundles with two, three or even four products all locked together in one contract has made moving to find the best deal harder.”

An emphasis on retaining customers has been coupled with a move towards faster internet speeds. Virgin Media has just rolled out it 50Mbps service, while BT is continuing its installation of fibre optic cables across its networks, despite shareholder misgivings. Although these developments are underway, networks can still show major bottlenecks during peak hours, such as the early evening. “The old rule of you get what you pay for, is very true in the broadband world,” says Ferguson. “There are one or two exceptions where providers have their own networks, so costs are lower, but even there we are seeing signs of congestion.” So with the quality of a broadband connection so reliant on hardware and architecture upgrades, how can a small reseller hope to compete? A visit to any ISP review site will quickly show the customers’ main concern – service. A customer is considerably more likely to forgive problems and bottlenecks if they feel that their provider has given them adequate and knowledgeable support. Companies will always receive high ratings for listening to the customer and reaching a resolution as quickly as possible. As with any sector from food to technology, good service will always shine.

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ISPS

EntaNet: TECHNOLOGY and competitive advances mean there’s a wide array of options for consumers and businesses. Most advertising and media coverage focuses on price competition, while we’ve also Darren Farnden seen broadband bundled with voice and TV as a throw-away. However, there’s more to broadband than a cheap price which is good for resellers considering entering the market. Probably the most significant development in 2008 has been the emergence of BT’s 21st Century Network, which has started to make available potentially faster and more stable ADSL2+ broadband connectivity. Entanet was the only provider to have launched a range of ADSL2+ services on BT 21CN in 2008. The continued rollout of 21C-enabled BT exchanges will bring faster and more stable broadband within the reach of more customers. By April, BT says over 550 exchanges will be enabled which may not sound much but, according to BT, represents 40 per cent of the UK population. This figure will increase as more exchanges are enabled (650+ by September). It’s important to understand that providers known as LLU operators – those who have ‘unbundled’ exchanges using their own equipment – will find it economically more difficult to extend their availability of faster than 8Mbps broadband, because the infrastructure investment required may be too great. This means that resellers will be better able to compete in densely populated areas by partnering a broadband supplier that is already marketing BT21CN-based services. Unlike some other providers, resellers partnering with Entanet earn commission every month for the life of each connection. Our philosophy is to make it as easy as possible for resellers to work with us. That’s why we developed

a secure online portal where they can place orders and manage their accounts; and use white label sign-up scripts and XML to enable automated ordering via their own websites. Entanet partners can also choose to bill their customers themselves and pay wholesale rates or let Entanet do the billing and pay a commission. Entanet partners have 24/7 UK based technical support, 24/7 network monitoring and dedicated account managers. Smaller ISPs can still differentiate themselves other than on price, although it will be more or less difficult depending on the market they target. Whilst smaller resellers could be forgiven for thinking that they can’t possibly compete against the big LLUs on price, we have found that many customers want more than just cheap broadband, giving the smaller guys a chance to add value. High quality customer service and comprehensive support is of increasing importance to many end users plus Entanet partners are able to add to the standard service with email accounts, web space, additional voice and hosting services and short contract terms.

Furthermore, our services are backed by 24/7 UK based technical support and every partner is assigned an account manager. Automated ordering can be achieved on their website using our white label sign up scripts and XML to provide services completely under their own brand. In addition, partners get a free VoIP account providing free calls to Entagroup’s departmental numbers, including technical support. In addition to the comprehensive operational support, we provide in terms of the partner site, XML scripts, UK-based technical support, dedicated account managers and an experienced customer services team. We also recognise the importance of commercial support and understand that many of our reseller partners do not have the resources to develop their own sales and marketing materials. Therefore we provide a variety of white label and EU focused literature and pricing guides for use by our partners. We have also provided product training through group sessions and online webinars such as reselling VoIP and ADSL2+ broadband.

ADSL24: STEVE WILLIAMS is the managing director of Oldhambased ADSL24, an ISP with a strong emphasis on customer service. For a relatively small company like ADSL24, the Steve Williams costs of setting up a free standing ISP can be exorbitant, so the monetary benefits of forming a reseller partnership are obvious. Our partnership with Enta is a much cheaper option, that still allows us to provide internet services under our own brand. Another benefit has been the flexibility that the partnership allows; we’re not forced to do everything through Enta – and since most of the people we have working here at ADSL24 are from technical background – this has allowed us to form great relationships with our customers and provides them with a much more personalised service. We’ve worked closely with Enta since our founding and the flexibility of that partnership has meant that we’ve been able to a lot of work independently and

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really make it our own. We’re very happy with the off-the-shelf solutions that Entanet offers and as a result everything has worked seamlessly. For 2009, we’ll be continuing to work with ADSL2+. We have spent the last five months or so working with Enta and BT to iron out the creases and bring speed and reliability to our customers. ADSL24 was one of the first Entanet partners to offer this new service and we now have over 300 customers on the platform. In the meantime, we will also continue to push our VoIP solutions, as well as develop our online store, which brings a one-stop source for internet and networking equipment to our customers. I’d recommend an ISP partnership to anyone currently operating in the computing, networking or telephony sectors that are looking to expand their offering. We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with Entanet, its been a good provider and it has a reputation for listening to its partners. The partnership itself is very straightforward once your platform is set up: it’s all about working with Enta and managing your marketing.

PCRetail January 55

ISPS

Broadband First: ONE OF the obvious incentives of selling broadband is the increased profitability from offering a new service. There are also some very lucrative advantages. Businesses have Mark Rushton started to rely on internet connections to run their operations and ensuring that key services run effectively builds a relationship of trust with your customers and also gives you the confidence that the servers you install requiring bandwidth will meet all expectations. If your flagship VoIP service is not working optimally, your customer sees the service issues and not the problem that they used a lesser quality service to underpin it. With a closer relationship with your customers you can not only build on this to sell more of your portfolio with quality assurance, it also acts as a barrier to other service providers churning your customers. With the fierce battle on price and the high profile mergers of the past year, there has been a noticeable drop in service quality, support and choice. This is an area that the niche and smaller ISPs have been able to capitalise on with great success. You have a much better knowledge of your customers needs than a large faceless corporation, enabling you to offer the exact solution to their needs. Likewise you are not limiting your customers to specific bundled services and can build a total solution to make their business applications run transparently in the background. After many businesses have been

tempted by cheaper solutions the market is now aware that you get what you pay for, even in tight financial times is a saving of £5-£10 per month worth losing access to your email? Broadband First has spent the last seven years listening to the requirements of our resellers and have developed our service around their needs. We offer a fully white labeled solution coupled with a management portal that gives our resellers access to ordering, total management of connections and advanced diagnostics. We understand that for us to succeed you need to succeed and as such we are always watching the market to bring you the latest products. We were one of the first wholesalers to offer a true ADSL2+ reseller package and have recently started to offer true ADSL bonding solutions, which have been used to replace expensive leased lines, offering greater performance and reliability for a cheaper price. We intend to carry

this momentum forward into 2009 and are aiming to be one of the first wholesale carriers to offer a 3G mobile solution into the channel. One of Broadband First’s key commitments is to quality. This is with our support as well as product line. We understand that if we offer the highest level of service to our resellers, they can pass that onto their end users. We are dedicated to bringing onboard the right people and to continually develop to improve our performance to you. Our commitment does not end there. We visit all of our resellers and offer advice and training with the technical and commercial aspects of the internet marketplace, offering the personal touch. We understand that every company’s needs – and customers – are different and can build a solution around you. Since our contracts are monthly we retain and grow our market share by creating and maintaining happy partnerships, rather than contractual lock ins.

mooncomputers: OUR PARTNERSHIP with Broadband First enhances our proposition, supported by continued revenue. Regardless of economic climate; provision of fully integrated solutions with a Justin Spencer single point of escalation including connectivity, strikes a real differential. Not only do we have the ability to provide full control, value-add and quality of service, we strengthen our position and value within our clients disaster recovery strategy. Mooncomputers utilise the “broadbandfirst” team as an extension of our solution architecture, strengthening our position when facing customer challenges, be that rapid requirement or strategic bonded ADSL. These services provide an IT reseller the tools to deliver lower total cost of ownership and true return on investment, with a credible alternative to traditional telephony and connectivity methods. In 2009, as mooncomputers moves to increase its focus and delivery of IP telephony solutions, we aim to further strengthen our partnership, providing real solutions and true cost savings to our customer base. Our ethos at mooncomputers is to build strategic partnerships with few suppliers rather than many.

56 PCRetail January

This route proves more successful in our focus of core product sets, streamlining our ability to respond to customer needs, whilst delivering loyal

and committed relationships with our partners. Therefore mooncomputers recommend Broadband First in all cases of connectivity.

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VOIP SECTOR GUIDE

Get Connected With consumers and businesses looking at ways of saving money, the ‘free’ to use nature of VoIP is becoming more and more attractive. But getting your head around the terminology, never mind the vast number of configurations and solutions, can be daunting. Ben Furfie investigates the market… When combined with available Wi-Fi technology, VoIP can bring down the bills whilst bringing everyone closer, wherever they may be. Andy Miles, Interactive Ideas

58 PCRetail January

nified communications is one of those areas of the channel that can be daunting to diversify into, if only because of the wide range of options and solutions. One option is voice over internet protocol, better known as VoIP. So just what is involved in this sector, what solutions are currently popular and what products are ideal to stock? “Work with distributors and vendors that have the experience and the expertise in this area,” advises EntaTech’s networking and communication channel manager, Luke Steel. “You need to feel comfortable in knowing that you are having the right questions asked of you, in order to help you provide the solutions that your customers need.”

Steel’s suggestion was echoed by Interactive Idea’s Andy Miles: “I would advise those interested to thoroughly research the technology available.” He was, however, keen to stress that resellers and retailers must take into account the impact that the recession might have on new system purchases. “There are some good margins to be made for resellers, but with the uncertain year ahead, investment in new systems may not be an easy lure for all.” Despite that, he was still optimistic about the potential of the technology, especially in the business-to-business side of the channel. “When combined with available Wi-Fi technology, it can bring down the bills whilst making everyone closer,

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VOIP SECTOR GUIDE

wherever they may be,” he says, adding that the cost savings might actually boost demand if companies feel that they can reduce spending within their business. Indeed, Steel was keen to point out that providing a fully integrated system could cut costs for a potential client, but at the same time boost your margins. Part of this is a focus on selling VoIP and white label broadband in a single package: “Also part of Enta Group is EntaNet – a specialist in channel provision of IP connectivity and telecoms, including full VoIP services – and can offer ‘the full solution’ including your networking hardware and power protection. This is why companies like Enta Group should be top of your call list. “Think about offering your customers the VoIP lines, as well as the hardware,” suggests Steel. “All is available through Enta Group, meaning a higher margin potential for the retailers and reseller. To make things nice and simple at installation, phones that support auto provisioning are a definite plus, and will save a lot of time and money,” adds Steel. “Look for partners that can help leverage server provision to help create a much more margin intensive solution. Other than that, it pretty much depends on the individual reseller’s requirements. “I’d seriously suggest talking to Enta about the bespoke business models that we provide for resellers or setting them up with the white label solutions,” he adds. However, he was quick to stress that skimping on what might be seen as ‘extras’ by potential clients, such as cables, should be avoided at all costs. “Resellers also need to remember to think about the grade of cable they are using. With the additional voice traffic, as well as data traffic going down your network cabling, a higher grade is always going to be worth the investment.” The retail market for VoIP, however, is different according to Miles. “For retailers, I believe there are a number of cheaper affordable solutions, which can be sold to take advantage of the increasing amount of

Look for partners that can help leverage server provision to help create a much more margin intensive solution. Other than that, it pretty much depends on the individual. Luke Steel, EntaTech home and small business users looking for alternative methods of communicating and at a lower cost,” adds Miles. “I believe the best use of VoIP is currently through a webcam,” he suggests. “There are a couple of options I would suggest, one being the Trust Chat and VoIP pack, which contains a webcam and a foldable neckband headset with microphone, perfect for people on the move. “For the home user, the Hercules Dualpix Infinite webcam is the best option, combining a CMOS sensor featuring two million pixels, guaranteeing exception image quality and a high quality microphone,” adds Miles. “Combined with the Hercules Xtra Controller software, it allows you to share photos with the person your are chatting with, amongst other things.” However, if resellers and retailers are still worried about whether or not the technology is still a little too complicated for them, Steel stresses that distributors aren’t simply there to get you to buy products, but are happy to help assist resellers and retailers build up solutions for their customers until they had enough of an understanding of the market that they could build their own packages with confidence. “Enta Group can give resellers a dedicated technicial sales consultant at no charge to help create solutions for your customers in no time at all. Before long, they can be doing it themselves.”

Just what is VoIP? DEPENDING on the market you focus on, there will be varying levels of awareness of VoIP. In the consumer market, programs such as Skype and Ventrillo have done a lot to push forward the idea of VoIP as a viable alternative to traditional telco calls. On the business side, the options become much more complex and varied depending on what the business needs. Solutions can range from a simple voice only package to replace the internal phone system to cut down on costs, all the way to major VoIP systems with several PBX gateways, virtual connections between offices and integrated video conferencing. Despite the wide variety of options, it is important to consider the needs of an individual firm. A small office or home office user is unlikely to require a PBX-based VoIP system, while an organisation wishing to integrate VoIP and traditional fixed-line calls is going to find Skype unsuitable. The best advice is to carefully consider what the customer needs, is likely to need in two years and scale the solution based on that. And ask specialists at your distributor – if you’re unsure of what the best product is, they will do their best to help you find it. Xxx

Cutting through the jargon Anti-tromboning: A way of handing information on a VoIP network so that data doesn’t have to traverse the carrier’s lines, thereby saving money. Back-to-Back User Agent: Acts as a user agent for a SIP call. B2BUAs allow operators (you) to offer valueadded features to calls. Call Agent: Concerns the handling of specific services, such as call control functionality. Call Origination/Termination: Terms used to refer to the process of bridging calls between the calling device to a non-VoIP endpoint via the PSTN. IMS: A spin off from the creation of the 3G mobile phone networks, it is an architectural framework for delivering IP multimedia services. International Gateway: A telephone number that VoIP calls are routed though to dial numbers on the PSTN in another country.

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NAT: Short for Network Address Translation. PBX: Short for Private Branch Exchange, it serves a particular business or office and emulates the public branch exchange, but on a smaller scale. Connected to the PSTN via a trunking gateway. PLC: Short for Packet Loss Concealment, it refers to the process by which VoIP services avoid issues that can affect voice communications due to inherent issues with the way the internet sends data through packets.

STUN: Simple traversal of UDP over NATs. Anything but simple: it refers to the standards-based protocol for NAT traversal in multimedia applications over IP. Soft Phone: A program that allows for VoIP calls to be made via a normal computer. Skype, Ventrillo and Teamspeak are examples. Trunking Gateway: A device that handles the connection of PBXs and the PSTN.

PSTN: Short for the Public Switched Telephone Network. It is the name for the world’s circuitswitched network and telephone equivalent of network that manages IP addresses on the internet.

Voice Peering: Similar to VoIP VPNs (see below) but allows communication between two internet telephone service providers (ITSP) at no cost and without the transcoding between PBXs and the PSTN that can cause corruptions in the data being transferred.

SIP: Session Initiation Protocol is the service that allows a company’s own PBX to the PSTN, allowing internal VoIP systems ring normal telephones. Handled by a trunking gateway.

VoIP VPN: A system combining voice over IP and virtual partner networks allowing for communication by home workers or between separate offices, thereby avoiding incurring costs from travelling via the PSTN.

PCRetail January 59

VOIP SECTOR GUIDE

Product Recommendations A selection of VoIP products Cisco UC500 Series Ingram Micro: 0870 405 3000

GATEWAYS D-Link DVG-1402S 2-Port VoIP Station Gateway with Built-in 4-Port EntaTech: 0870 770 9588

Cisco 2800 Series Computer 2000: 0870 060 3344

PHONES Genius KB 380 Calculator Keyboard with Internet Phone Target Components: 01977 739 300

Speedlink VoIP Mouse Meroncourt: 01462 680 060

Soyntec Inpput N200 Numerical Keyboard with VoIP phone EntaTech: 0870 770 9588

TELEPHONE ADAPTORS Zoom 5801 VoIP Telephone Adaptor with G.711/iBLC and G.729 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; RHoS Micro-P: 01282 776 776 (North) 01256 707 070 (South)

Zoom 5821 VoIP Telephone Adaptor with ATA 2 x FXS Ports + G.729 EntaTech: 0870 770 9588

ROUTERS Billion 4-Port G VoIP ADSL2+ Router Target Components: 01977 739 300

VOIP BUNDLES Trust USB CP2100 Chat and VoIP Pack Agency Sales: 01623 473 040

60 PCRetail January

Trust USB CP-2250 Portable Chat and VoIP Pack Interactive Ideas: 0208 805 1000/2999

www.pcretailmag.com

2.4GHz

5GHz

Built for speed Optimised for entertainment Bandwidth x two

The Dual-N band Wireless Router sets a new standard for design, expanded bandwidth, and robust performance. Two Wireless-N radio bands work simultaneously to deliver the speed you need for gaming, music, and video streaming.

linksys.com/uk/dualNband

Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router WRT610N

Winner of What Laptop Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gold Award November 1st issue

Linksys, Cisco and the Cisco Logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries. Other brands are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Maximum performance derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual performance can vary, including lower wireless network capacity, data throughput rate, range and coverage. Performance depends on many factors, conditions and variables, including distance from the access point, volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, operating system used, mix of wireless products used, interference and other adverse conditions. Copyright ÂŠ 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

INDIE PROFILE

FACT BOX Year established: 2006

Tentacle Computers

Number of outlets: One

Roger Humm took time out to talk with recent Brigantia members Paul Culley and Janet Taylor who are based in Felixstowe, Suffolk… TENTACLE, known as ‘the personal computer people’, was founded in August 2006 by Paul Culley and Janet Taylor, partly as a reaction to poor customer service and the growing trend for offshore call centres, faceless support and generally poor after sales service provided by many national companies. Culley is very clear in stating that customer satisfaction is the driving force behind all aspects of the company. Breaking from the norm, Culley and Taylor decided not to open a retail shop front, but to become a virtual office based company. This had the main advantage of overhead cost reduction, making its service more competitive. But also meant it needed to create a good local presence which it achieved with selected advertising and negotiating editorial space in the local press, with a monthly PC advice column, through which it found it could reach its potential customer base quite easily and without a retail presence.

Tentacle’s main body of work comes from onsite servicing and repairs. Due to the fact that its service is so personalised, it continues to benefit from the failings in support and service of the major national players within the channel. In fact, it has no qualms about offering free telephone advice locally, as this invariably leads to more recommendations and helps maintain its ethos of good, old fashioned customer service. This business model has enabled them to grow the customer base year-on-year and it has found that a high percentage of customers become extremely loyal, using its services for installation and troubleshooting even if the hardware was purchased elsewhere. “Brigantia gives us an improved web presence through our local Computer Experts listing in the Brigantia Directory web site,” said Cully. “Due to the excellent Computer Expert search results through Google, MSN and other search engines, a great deal of traffic and leads

DIARY DATES 2009

are coming directly through to us at a local level. In addition to this, the Brigantia portal gives us access to a broad range of suppliers and discounted services, while the members forum is also quite a unique tool to bring small businesses like us together as a wider community. We are very excited by the recent introduction of the Wiki and also find the frequent telephone chats we have with Roger Humm invaluable and reassuring, actually fitting in with our personal service ethos. The Computer Experts accreditation scheme is also an added reassurance for our customers at the local level. “As an uncertain future looms for all small businesses in every sector it is important for us to offer unmatched levels of customer service to maintain and grow a solid customer base,” adds Culley. “This means we must continue to provide a service that our larger national competitors will always struggle to achieve.”

Number of staff: Five Regular vendor lines: AMD, AVG, BullGuard, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Netgear, Seagate, Western Digital, Ubuntu Contact name and address: Paul Culley & Janet Taylor, 36 The Wheelwrights, Trimley St Mary, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 0YR Telephone number: 0845 638 14 12 Email: paul@tentaclecomputers. com Website: tentaclecomputers.com

Roger Humm is Head of Membership Relations at Brigantia Computer Experts. roger.humm@brigantia.com

The channel’s calendar is full of important events. Here are some upcoming highlights…

JANUARY 2009

FEBRUARY 2009

MARCH 2009

CES 2009 January 8th-11th Las Vegas Quite simply, one of the biggest and possibly the most extravagant events in the industry calendar returns to one of the most lavish cities in the world. Put the two together and you have CES 2009. Expect major announcements aplenty as almost all of the biggest vendors in the world use the event to launch their latest products.

DISTREE EMEA February 9th – 12th Monte Carlo The channel event linking the whole of the EMEA channel, from the southern tip of Africa, right the way across to the Alaskan coast of Russia, and of course the UK and Western Europe, returns – and this time it’s taking place in Monte Carlo. It caters for everyone in the channel, from the vendor and distributor, right the way through to end users.

CeBIT 2009 March 3rd – 8th Hannover Fair, Hannover, Germany CeBIT is one of the world’s largest technology exhibitions where major vendors show off their 2009 in the consumer and business IT channels.

BETT 2009 January 14th London Olympia Now in its 23rd year, BETT is the must attend event for anyone involved in the educational side of ICT. With over 600 educational suppliers exhibiting, including some of the biggest names in the channel, and 27,000 visitors, the event promises to showcase the major developments within the sector during the three days. The event includes the prestigous BETT Awards.

PCA Northern Conference and OGM February 17th Holiday Inn, Manchester Airport, Wilmslow The PCA heads to Wilmslow, Manchester for its annual northern conference and OGM. Last year’s event saw Dell detail its UK partner programme to the channel for the first time, and this year will see key speakers from channel giants including Intel, Samsung and Sony. The event also plays host to the year’s first social event of the PCA calendar: the conference dinner.

PC Retail Awards 2009 March 19th Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London The PC Retail Awards return for a second year. With all the categories from last year’s event – and the addition of the new Industry Achievement Award – this year’s is set to be the social event of the year for anyone involved in the PC retail sector, and a well deserved celebration for the nominees.

If you would like to promote your event, please contact andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk This information is believed to be correct, but potential visitors should confirm details with show organisers before making arrangements to attend

62 PCRetail January

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Relax

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www.citymain.com PCRetail January 63

COMPANY PROFILE:

Safe and

Sound Mobile phone insurance firm Citymain has taken its first steps in to the laptop sector. Matt Grainger talks to Sales and Marketing Manager Neil Spanswick to find out just what his firm can bring to the table… We’re now talking to laptop retailers and saying. Insurance is a proven model in the mobile phone industry, why not add this to your portfolio and upsell it? Neil Spanswick, Citymain

64 PCRetail January

ormed in 1987, Citymain has been around for over two decades. It was the company that launched the concept of mobile phone insurance into the UK when – at the launch of mobile phones in the UK in January 1985 – it arranged the first insurance programme for Motorola with Lloyd’s of London. It went on to provide mobile phone insurance schemes for Vodafone, Cellnet and One 2 One, effectively making Citymain the pioneer of the mobile phone insurance policy. Since that time, Citymain has also designed and administered schemes in territories such as Greece, Australia and South Africa, becoming one of the most experienced niche insurance administrators in the UK and abroad. It now handles hundreds of thousands of subscribers across a variety of products and industries, including brown and white goods and portable electronics such as laptops, MP3 players and satellite navigation units. Over the last 20 years this has been the company’s core focus. It’s likely the majority of mobile phone operators, dealers or retailers have sold or are selling Citymain insurance policies to their customers. “It’s a proven model in the mobile phone industry,” says Citymain’s sales and marketing manager, Neil Spanswick. “If you were to buy a

mobile phone tomorrow, the chances are that you’d be offered a mobile phone insurance policy, and that’s because the dealers and retailers make a lot of money out of it.” More recently, Citymain has diversified into other specialist niche insurance products such as gadgets, sat-navs, iPods and even spectacles, but the one that is of most relevance to its core business is laptop insurance. “We’ve effectively taken the mobile phone insurance model and taken it into laptops as the consumer models continue to grow,” explains Spanswick. “We’re now talking to laptop retailers and saying: It’s a proven revenue model in the mobile phone industry, why not add this to your portfolio and upsell it?” Citymain has been keeping a close eye on developments within the computing industry and the strong growth of the laptop sector has not escaped its attention. Laptop sales saw a massive increase during 2008, eating into desktop sales by riding a wave of cheaper component costs. The drop in prices brought the devices into the financial range of a far wider group of consumers and also saw a number of deals whereby the laptop would be bundled in to contracts with telephone network operators.

www.pcretailmag.com

COMPANY PROFILE:

“You’ve got this volume of consumers and it can be a nice opportunity for extra margin to offer insurance packages,” observes Spanswick. “That’s pretty much the big shift that we’ve seen. I think that we’ve more or less exhausted the potential of the mobile sector, but we’re convinced that there is a huge window for growth in the laptop segment.” An internet search for laptop insurance will bring up a long list of potential insurers, so how does Citymain set itself above the rest? “I think the big one is our tailored insurance policy, we don’t really hold with ‘off the shelf’ policies,” comments Spanswick. “A couple of our competitors go along this route, and if it doesn’t fit your business model – tough. While we do have an ‘off the shelf’ model for small retailers who literally just want a policy that they can sell, if we’re speaking to a volume player, then we will ask questions like: what laptops are you selling? Where does the volume sit? What’s your average price point? What do you want to sell at? Do you want to brand it so you can have a self-branded policy? It therefore becomes a bespoke insurance scheme that can also be white label rather than an ‘off the shelf’ product. “Also the commissions we pay out are extremely competitive, due to the volume of insurance that we administer we’ve got our underwriting rates down to an absolute minimum, which means maximum commission to the laptop retailer. We’ve also been around the longest and we’re a tried and tested brand in the insurance market.” There’s a lot of cynicism surrounding the concept of selling insurance. Many retailers are likely to be wary of dabbling in extended warranties and insurance policies, or may feel that it’s an unsellable prospect. Spanswick is familiar with this idea: “We’d say keep an open mind, have a look at what you can sell it for, have a look at what the cover for the customer is and have a look at the promotions. If it’s done well, as has been proved by mobile phone dealers, and you incorporate it in to your sales process in a very good way then a lot of customers will take it up. Retailers don’t need to buy any stock in – it is purely a case that if you sell it, you will get commission – there’s no risk.” “We’ll cover customers for theft and damage – including liquid damage, mechanical breakdown, extended warranty, all of this with global cover,” continues Spanswick. “We have a lot of experience and we’re used to working with consumer facing brands. If you want to offer customers a sweetener, we can organise promotions and free periods. We can also offer manufacturers an insurance program whereby they can include an element of insurance free of charge. For example, buy a Toshiba and get free cover against accidental damage for 90 days. This gives us a strong unique selling point.” So what is Citymain hoping to achieve over the course of the year? “At the moment, while we very much dominate the mobile industry, our brand is not as strong in the laptop segment,” concludes Spanswick. “So in a year’s time, we’d like to have a good number of clients who are selling our laptop policies to customers and making good revenue streams off the back of it. I’d like Citymain to be the market leader in laptop insurance in 12 month’s time.”

www.pcretailmag.com

Citymain is based in the Prince Consort Building – once Queen Victoria’s Yacht Club

PCRetail January 65

GAMES

Game of the Month MIRROR’S EDGE Distributor: Centresoft Available: January 9th Price: £34.99 Mirror’s Edge is a sci-fi tale about a runner called Faith, who transfers information between those that fight a dystopian government. Based around ‘free running’, the game will see players bounce and run around a futuristic city to complete a series of missions, which play with the notion of gravity.

EA “What makes the game unique is the fact that it focuses on movement in the first person, not just shooting guns,” says the game’s producer Nick Channon. “Clearly the game contains guns and combat, however, the core of the game is movement through an urban environment.” Speaking about the game’s unique styling, Channon adds: “It had to stand out.”

COMING SOON

It’s the beginning of a New Year, and boy is it packed to the rafters with exciting games to look forward to – including The Sims 3, Resident Evil 5 and Ghostbusters...

JANUARY TITLE

GENRE

PUBLISHER

TELEPHONE

DISTRIBUTOR

DATE

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Action

Sega

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

January 9th 2009

Alpha Protocol

Action

Sega

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

January 9th 2009

Mirror’s Edge

Action

0121 506 9590

Centresoft

January 9th 2009

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest

Action

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

January 16th 2009

Neopets Puzzle Adventure

Pets

Capcom

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

January 23th 2009

Aion: The Tower of Eternity

RPG

NCsoft

01279 822 822

Gem

January 30th 2009

Alan Wake

Action/Adventure

Microsoft

01279 822 822

Gem

January 30th 2009

Tom Clancy’s Hawx

Action

Ubisoft

0845 456 6400

Trilogy

January 30th 2009

Empire: Total War

RTS

Sega

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

February 6th 2009

Hotel for Dogs

Children’s

505 Games

0121 506 9590

Advantage

February 6th 2009

Motor Max

Action

City Interactive

020 8309 3600

Open

February 6th 2009

Bionic Commando

Action

Capcom

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

February 13th 2009

Fear 2: Project Origin

Action

Warner Bros

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

February 13th 2009

Street Fighter IV

Fighting

Capcom

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

February 20th 2009

The Sims 3

Life-simulation

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

February 20th 2009

Prototype

Action/Adventure

Activision Blizzard

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

February 27th 2009

The Wheelman

Action

Midway

0845 456 6400

Trilogy

February 27th 2009

This is Vegas

Action

Midway

0845 456 6400

Trilogy

February 27th 2009

Resident Evil 5

Action/Adventure

Capcom

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

March 13th 2009

Tom Clancy’s Endwar

RTS

Ubisoft

0845 456 6400

Trilogy

March 27th 2009 Q1 2009

Chronicles of Riddick

Action/Adventure

Atari

0121 506 9590

Advantage

Ghostbusters

Action/Adventure

Atari

0121 506 9590

Advantage

June 26th 2009

Diablo III

RTS

Activision Blizzard

020 8995 3399

Centresoft

2009

Guild Wars 2

Action

NCsoft

01279 822 822

Gem

2009

Heroes Over Europe

Action/Adventure

Atari

0121 506 9590

Advantage

2009

Insecticide

Action/Adventure

South Peak

0845 234 4242

CDV

2009

Pool Hall Pro

Sports

Playlogic

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

2009

Starcraft 2

RTS

Activision Blizzard

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

2009

Velvet Assassin

Stealth/Action

South Peak

0845 234 4242

CDV

2009

Vertigo

Action

Playlogic

0121 625 3388

Centresoft

2009

*ABC-certified distribution 102,010 Jan-Dec 05

ON THE RADAR

Tom Clancy’s Hawx Publisher: Ubisoft Trilogy: 0845 456 6400 Available: January 30th Price: £29.99

The Sims 3 Publisher: EA Centresoft: 0121 625 3388 Available: February 20th Price: £39.99

Resident Evil 5 Publisher: Capcom Centresoft: 0121 625 3388 Available: March 13th Price: £29.99

PLUG AND PLAY

This month, PC Retail takes a look at Philips’ latest LED-LCD high definition television with Ambilight and Apple’s new consumer-focused laptop, the MacBook Late 2008 edition...

PHILIPS 42PFL9803H

MACBOOK (LATE 2008)

LED-LCD TV Midwich: 01379 649 200 Price: £2,100

Consumer Laptop Westcoast: 0118 912 6000 Price: £949/£1,149

becomes a more dynamic hilips has been making a experience, with the changing name for itself recently with lights seeming to lift the action some of the finest flatscreen from the screen in a giddy, TVs around, and its latest ramps intensely involving fashion. it up still further. Instead of an With deep and detailed ‘always on’ LCD panel that blacks, intense whites and a often makes pure black look complete lack of blur or smear grey or blue, its new 42-inch during fast-moving scenes, this 42PFL9803H uses 1,152 LED lights. highly detailed LED Lux panel This is a stunning television hosts a cinematic treat – but that’s able to lend an almost only for those who know what 3D-like picture from high-def they’re doing. sources equal to Using the any plasma. It With deep and fiddly remote, does indeed boast a stunning detailed blacks, this it’s only possible create those colour palette highly detailed LED to stunning that’s just as at pictures by home with Lux panel hosts a diving into the gloomy images cinematic treat. onscreen as it with bright menus. Head for settings and scenes, though just as there’s a lot there to trip-up the impressive is the stunning clarity casual user, so much so that we of high-def material. would recommend offering Termed ‘LED Lux’, the expert setup. 42PFL9803H is also something of Fiddly, but worth it, the a throwback in terms of style. 42PFL9803H is a versatile beast Instead of the usual cheap offering cinematic brilliance gloss black plastic frame, Philips across the spectrum. A whizz at has chosen to use a brushed upscaling DVDs and even aluminium style that used to be freeview pictures to fit its full more common on flatscreen high definition screen without TVs. It’s there primarily to catch any video nasties, the the glare of Ambilight Spectra 2, 42PFL9803H is also fitted with a feature that’s built around four HDMI inputs, a USB slot and two strips of LED lights on the even some basic wired PC set’s sides. Put it to work and networking for streaming. watching a film suddenly

Apple has also upgraded the f you don’t deem yourself screen. You now get a 13.3-inch professional enough to opt for LED backlit glossy widescreen the MacBook Pro, Apple has (1280 x 800 pixels) glossy screen updated its MacBook range to that is thinner than the previous feature the same precision model. That gloss will either aluminium unibody. But what is annoy or please. The former, if the real difference? And in you’re planning on working in a these Credit Crunch times can sunny garden. you really save some cash here Compared to the MacBook by dropping down from the Pro? Pro you loose the FireWire 800 Carrying the same styling as slot and the ExpressCard slot; the design of its bigger brother, clearly where some of the the casing now has those savings have been curved edges made. It means top and The lack of the that you don’t get bottom giving it a thinner second graphics FireWire at all on the laptop. While appearance. card will only affect the majority of Like the Pro it is camcorders are only 2.41cm you if you are moving to USB, it’s thick. Because planning on editing worth bearing in of the new ‘brick’ manor playing games. mind if you have an older camera. ufacturing The lack of the process, the second graphics card will really keyboard of the MacBook is only affect you if you are made from a one-piece unibody planning on editing lots of large giving smooth seamless lines. images or play the latest Mac Beneath the keyboard is a games. new larger trackpad that has With companies like Adobe removed the visual cue of a now offering software with clickable button. Now the entire hardware accelerated trackpad is a button. performance (CS4) the more Removal of the button means powerful the graphics card, the you’ve got more room to move more useful it is editing images, your fingers around, as well as video and playing games. allowing Apple to implement a If you plan to do neither – number of shortcuts that you then the lack of the 9600M can do by moving your fingers won’t really affect you. over the device.

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GFK

WRITTEN BY: TRACY GOODFELLOW

An in-depth look at

netbook growth If one device can be said to have impacted the channel more than any other in 2008, it would be the netbook. GfK’s Tracy Goodfellow assesses their evolution and the effect on UK retail... etbooks* continue to be a sector to watch, and a very interesting opportunity in the mobile PC sector. With rapidly increasing sales and very low pricing compared to the average notebook, the popularity looks set to carry on rising. During October, netbooks accounted for 11 per cent of the total PCs sold within retail channels and 13.5 per cent of all mobile PCs sold. However, in value terms, the netbooks are accounting for only six per cent of the PC value in October due to their competitive pricing. The average price of a netbook was around £205 during October, around half that of the average laptop price of £396 – which is perhaps one of the success factors for the netbook in these Credit Crunch times. One of the reasons that netbook sales are increasing so dramatically is that the number of brands and models is increasing rapidly every month. For example, during May, there were only five brands active in the UK netbook market with a total of 22 models. By October, this has increased to 16 brands and a total of 117 different models. This influx of new models is causing some interesting movements in sales across channels, and the marketplace for these products is certainly changing. Around six months ago, the majority of these netbooks were sold in traditional computer shops and specialist stores. However, during the past six months – as the range of products on offer has dramatically increased – these products have been pushed into new sales channels: hence the channel mix is now diversifying, giving opportunity for other electrical specialists and mass merchandisers to increase sales and share in these products.

70 PCRetail January

Screen size on netbooks has seen some interesting developments in the past year as well. When the format was first launched almost a year ago, they were all with seven-inch screens. However, in the past few months, the favoured size has moved from seven-inches to ten-inches and is currently at 8.9-

inches. Interestingly, the Linux operating system is more likely to be found on a seven-inch product, whereas Microsoft XP is found on the larger devices. *GfK defines a netbook as a mobile PC with a screen size of less than 10.3-inches and a limited HDD/SSD storage of 160GB or less.

www.pcretailmag.com

*From September 2008 data

HARDWARE CHARTS

GfK provides market research consultancy to manufacturers on the technologies markets and also operates a reseller partnership that provides market research information to dealers in the channel. For further information on GfK please contact Ami Brooks on tel: 0870 603 8247 or email: ami.brooks@gfk.com Models listed are non-exclusive: Neither sold as a tradebrand nor sold exclusively within one retailer or retail group

LAPTOPS

DISPLAYS

SONY

LOGITECH

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W1907V

967561-0120 CORDLESS DESKTOP

V220 CORDLESS OPTICAL MOUSE

2 SONY VAIO VGN-NR38E/S

2 ACER AL1916WDS

2 MICROSOFT ZG6-00010 BLACK WIRED 500

2 LOGITECH LX8 CORDLESS LASER MOUSE

3 FSC AMILO LI2735

3 ACER V173B

3 LOGITECH 967653-0120 ULTRA FLAT

3 LOGITECH V150 LASER MOUSE

4 ACER ASPIRE ONE A150L

4 HANNS.G HW-191D

4 KENSINGTON 1500109 VALUE KEYBOARD

4 MICROSOFT P58-00019 BASIC BLACK

5 ASUS EEEPC 901-W007X

5 SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 720N

5 MICROSOFT B2L-00005 COMFORT CURVE

5 MICROSOFT BX3-00020 WIRELESS NOTEBOOK

6 ACER ASPIRE 5315-201G08MI

6 LENOVO THINKVISION L171

6 MICROSOFT BV3-00007 WIRELESS OPTICAL

6 LOGITECH OPTICAL VALUE WHEEL MOUSE

7 ACER ASPIRE ONE A110 AB

7 SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 943N

7 LOGITECH EX100 CORDLESS DESKTOP

7 MICROSOFT U81-00008 COMPACT 500 USB

8 ACER ASPIRE 5920G-6A2G25

8 SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 2253BW

8 LOGITECH 967738-0120 OEM

8 LOGITECH V450 LASER CORDLESS NOTEBOOK

9 FSC AMILO LI 2727

9 LG W2242S-SF

9 HP DT528A KEYBOARD USB

9 LOGITECH U96 OPTICAL WHEEL MOUSE BLACK

10 TOSHIBA SATELLITE L300-13R

10 HP L1908W

10 TRUST DS-3400D WIRELESS OPTICAL DESKSET

10 TRUST MI-2520P OPTICAL USB MINI MOUSE

INKJET PRINTERS

LASER PRINTERS

GAME CONTROLLERS DVD WRITERS

KEYBOARDS

MICE

SAITEK

P380 DUAL ANALOG PAD

GH-20NS

DESKJET D1560

LASERJET P1005

2 LOGITECH 963291-0914 WINGMAN ATTACK 3

2 SONY DRU-190S

2 HP DESKJET D1460

2 HP LASERJET P2014

3 LOGITECH WINGMAN EXTREME 3D

3 NEC AD-5200A

3 CANON PIXMA IP2600

3 HP COLOUR LASERJET CP1515N

4 TRUST GM 1200

4 SAMSUNG SH-S202

4 EPSON STYLUS S20

4 SAMSUNG ML 2240

5 LOGITECH 963292-0914 DUAL ACTION USB

5 LG GE-20NU

5 EPSON STYLUS PHOTO R285

5 HP LASERJET P2015DN

6 TRUST 14274 JOYSTICK GM-2500

6 LITEON DH-20A4P

6 EPSON STYLUS D92

6 HP LASERJET P1006

7 LOGITECH 963325-0914 WINGMAN

7 SONY DRU-190A

7 CANON PIXMA IP4500

7 SAMSUNG CLP 315

8 LOGITECH 963290-0914 EXTREME 3D PRO

8 LG LIGHTSCRIBE GH22LP20

8 CANON PIXMA IP4600

8 HP LASERJET P2015

9 SAITEK ST290 USB

9 NEC AD-7201S

9 HP PHOTOSMART A526

9 HP LASERJET P2015N

10 LOGITECH WINGMAN PRECISION GAMEPAD

10 LG GE-20LU

10 LEXMARK Z2300

10 HP COLOUR LASERJET CP1215

www.pcretailmag.com

PCRetail January 71

*From September 2008 data

HARDWARE CHARTS

MFDS

GRAPHICS CARDS

TV CARDS

VIDEO CARDS*

CANON

SAPPHIRE

HAUPPAUGE

PIXMA MP220

RADEON 9250

WINTV NOVA-T 500

IMPACT VCB

2 HP DESKJET F2180

2 PNY TECHNOLOGY GEFORCE 7200GS

2 HAUPPAUGE WINTV CINEMA PRO

2 DAZZLE DV EDITOR 2006

3 EPSON STYLUS SX200

3 PNY TECHNOLOGY GEFORCE 6200

3 VIVANCO 21057 CARDBUS DVB-T

3 TRUST FIREWIRE DV 410

4 HP DESKJET F2280

4 PNY TECHNOLOGY GEFORCE 7300GT

4 HAUPPAUGE WINTV HVR-1100

4 PINNACLE SYST STUDIO MOVIEBOARD

5 HP PHOTOSMART C4480

5 PNY TECHNOLOGY GEFORCE 9400GT

5 HAUPPAUGE WINTV EXPRESS

5 PINNACLE SYST STUDIO PLUS 700-PCI

6 EPSON STYLUS SX105

6 PNY TECHNOLOGY GEFORCE 9600 GT

6 HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-HD-S2

6 PINNACLE SYST STUDIO AV/DV 9

7 HP PHOTOSMART C5280

7 HP QUADRO NVS 290

7 HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-T PCI

7 PINNACLE SYST DC 1000DV

8 HP PHOTOSMART C4280

8 PNY TECHNOLOGY GEFORCE 6 6200

8 HAUPPAUGE WINTV HVR-4000

8 DAZZLE DV CLIP

9 CANON PIXMA MP610

9 XFX GEFORCE 8600GT

9 HAUPPAUGE WINTV GO

10 EPSON STYLUS SX600FW

10 POWERCOLOR RADEON X1650 PRO

10 DAZZLE TV PCI

MODEMS/ROUTERS

WEBCAMS

PC SPEAKERS

NETGEAR

LOGITECH

SAMSUNG

CANON

DG834G ADSL MODEM ROUTER

QUICKCAM E 3500

ASP-600S

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2 BELKIN F5D72304 WIRELESS G ROUTER

2 MICROSOFT LIFECAM VX-1000

2 BOSE SOUNDDOCK BLACK

2 CANON CANOSCAN 4400F

3 NETGEAR WGR614 WIRELESS ROUTER

3 LOGITECH QUICKCAM E2500

3 LOGITECH X-140

3 CANON CANOSCAN LIDE 90

4 BELKIN F5D76324 WIRELESS G MODEM

4 MICROSOFT LIFECAM VX-3000

4 SONY ERICSSON MPS-70

4 EPSON PERFECTION V 200 PHOTO

5 BELKIN F5D9230-4 4PORT MIMO

5 LOGITECH QUICKCAM PRO 9000

5 LOGITECH X-240 2.1 SYSTEM

5 EPSON PERFECTION 4490 PHOTO

6 BELKIN F5D9630 WIRELESS G+ MIMO

6 TRUST CHAT AND VOIP PACK CP2100

6 EXSPECT EX695 SHUFFLE SPEAKER SILVER

6 HP SCANJET G2410

7 NETGEAR DG834PN RANGEMAX WIRELESS

7 CREATIVE LIVE! CAM VIDEO IM

7 GEAR4 BLACKBOX MINI PG143

7 CANON CANOSCAN LIDE 600F

8 NETGEAR DG834N RANGEMAX ROUTER

8 MICROSOFT LIFECAM VX-5000

8 LOGITECH S220 SPEAKER SYSTEM

8 CANON CANOSCAN 8800F

9 BELKIN F5D82334 WIRELESS N ROUTER

9 CREATIVE LIVE! CAM VIDEO IM PRO

9 INTEMPO IDS-05 BLACK

9 HP SCANJET G3010

10 NETGEAR FS108 8PORT 10/100MBITS SWITCH

10 LOGITECH QUICKCAM FOR NOTEBOOKS

10 LOGIC 3 MIP103K I-STATION 3 BLACK

10 EPSON PERFECTION V 350 PHOTO

72 PCRetail January

SCANNERS

www.pcretailmag.com

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CHANNEL EXPO2009 Gold sponsors:

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Proﬁt. Partnerships. Education. Channel Expo 2009 will be bigger and better than ever before. After extensive audience and exhibitor research and investment we have now put together an event that truly provides you with the opportunity to explore and compare a vast array of products and partners. Whether you are a PC retailer, a reseller or a system builder you cannot afford to miss out on this once a year opportunity to:

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Media partners:

*From October 2008 data

SOFTWARE CHARTS

The charts credited to ELSPA and GfK/ChartTrack are the strict copyright of ELSPA. For more information, subscribe to the ELSPA weekly report. Contact ELSPA at: 167 Wardour Street, London W1F 8WL. Tel: 020 7534 0580.

PC GAMES

BUDGET GAMES

APPLE MAC

BLIZZARD

MICROSOFT

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WRATH OF THE LICH KING

WORLD OF WARCRAFT

OFFICE 2008 STUDENT

2 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009

SEGA

3 COMMAND AND CONQUER: RED ALERT 3 4 FALLOUT 3

BETHESDA SOFTWORKS

5 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR

ACTIVISION

6 FAR CRY 2

UBISOFT

2 WORLD OF WARCRAFT: THE BURNING CRUSADE 3 SNIPER: ART OF VICTORY

BLIZZARD

PREMIERE SILVER

2 IWORK 08

APPLE

3 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE

ASPYR

4 THE SIMS 2: FREETIME

EA GAMES

4 IWORK 08 FAMILY

APPLE

5 THE SIMS 2: MANSION & GARDEN STUFF

EA GAMES

5 THE SIMS 2

ASPYR

6 THE SIMS 2: IKEA HOME STUFF

EA GAMES

6 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

7 LEFT 4 DEAD

7 AGE OF EMPIRES: COLLECTORS EDITION

8 SPORE

8 PEPPA PIG: ACTIVITY PACK

XPLOSIV

9 THE SIMS 2: APARTMENT LIFE

9 THE SIMS 2: PETS

EA GAMES

10 THE SIMS 2: DOUBLE DELUXE

10 THE SIMS 2: SEASONS

EA GAMES

10 X-PLANE V9.0

ADOBE

7 AGE OF EMPIRES III

GSP/AVANQUEST

MACSOFT

8 PARALLELS DESKTOP 3.0 PREMIUM ED.

GSP/AVANQUEST

ILIFE ‘08

APPLE ASPYR

GfK provides market research consultancy to manufacturers on the technologies markets and also operates a reseller partnership that provides market research information to dealers in the channel.

HOME OFFICE

3 20 ANTI-VIRUS 2009 1 USER

SYMANTEC

NORTON 360 ALLIN-ONE SECURITY 2

4 KASPERSKY LAB

21 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 7.0

ADOBE

33 CREATE YOUR OWN GREETINGS CARDS FOCUS 34 ROXIO CREATOR 2009

ROXIO

22 INTERNET SECURITY 09 3 USER

MCAFEE

35 MICROSOFT OUTLOOK 2007

MICROSOFT

23 INTERNET SECURITY 09 UPG 3 USER

MCAFEE

36 COREL PAINT SHOP PRO PHOTO X2

COREL

2 OFFICE HOME AND STUDENT

MICROSOFT

11 NORTON ANTIVIRUS 2009 3 USER SYMANTEC

24 BACKONTRACK ONLINE

3 WINDOWS LIVE ONECARE 2.0

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12 OFFICIAL DSA THEORY TEST & HIGHWAY TSO

25 OFFICIAL DSA COMPLETE LEARN DRIVE

TSO

38 CREATE YOUR OWN FAMILY TREE

FOCUS

13 BRAIN TRAINER

26 BIGGER BRAIN TRAINER FOCUS MULTIMEDIA

39 TRANSFER MYPC V4.5 FOR VISTA

ORLOGIX

27 NERO 9

40 PAINT SHOP PRO PHOTO X2 ULTIMATE COREL

4 INTERNET SECURITY 2009

KASPERSKY

5 DRIVING TEST SUCCESS ALL TESTS 6 INTERNET SECURITY 2009 3 USER

FOCUS

FOCUS MULTIMEDIA

14 MCAFEE TOTAL PROTECTION 2009

MCAFEE

ROXIO

AHEAD SOFTWARE

37 ALL IN ONE DRIVING TEST

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15 ANTIVIRUS 2009 3 USER UPGRADE SYMANTEC

28 INTERNET SECURITY 2009 3 USER

7 INTERNET SECURITY 2009 1 USER

KASPERSKY

16 INTERNET SECURITY SUITE 08 3 USER MCAFEE

29 WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE

8 INTERNET SECURITY 2008 3 USER

SYMANTEC

17 MICROSOFT EQUIPT

MICROSOFT

30 DESKTOP PUBLISHING 2ND ED

FOCUS

43 ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE HOME 2009 ACRONIS

9 DSA COMPLETE THEORY KIT & HIGHWAY TSO

18 SYSTEMWORKS V11

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31 MR SITE TAKEAWAY WEBSITE

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44 REGISTRY MECHANIC 2009

10 ALL IN ONE DRIVING TEST

19 ANTI-VIRUS 2009 3 USER

GSP/AVANQUEST

www.pcretailmag.com

KASPERSKY LAB

32 INTERNET SECURITY 2009

SYMANTEC GSP

SYMANTEC

41 TEACHING YOU GUITAR SKILLS

FOCUS

42 YOUR 3D HOME DESIGNER DELUXE

FOCUS

45 NERO – BURNING ROM V8.0

PC TOOLS AHEAD

PCRetail January 75

THE PLACE FOR BUSINESS

MARKETPLACE RETAIL COMMENT

A New Year, A New Opportunity? f 2008 will be known for anything – aside from the Credit Crunch – it will be the meteoric rise of the netbook. 2009 is likely to see the hardware become even more ubiquitos as vendors compete for a slice of the increasingly competitive market. Schools in particular will feel the impact of this change. This year’s BETT is likely to be one of transition: even one year ago, few could have predicted that the Government’s desire for every child to have a computer would be reachable – at least in the short term. However, that is going to cause headaches for schools, particularly in terms of where to put over 2,000 netbooks and laptops in some cases. Monarch’s new range of LapCabby trolleys (page 86) is one solution, and as the firm is keen to stress, has been designed in close consultation with schools themselves. Another development that will begin to have an impact this year is the repositioning of Dell’s XPS brand. Its new Studio SKU has the potential to significantly disrupt Apple’s stranglehold on the creative sector, especially at a sub-£700 price point (page 92). Tied into that is the launch of two new prosumer camcorders from Canon, the XHG1 and XH-A1. Both have been designed for professionals on a budget, with features like 1080i high definition recording, selectable frame rates and more manual control over the camera’s XLR audio ports (page 104). On the consumer side, both Acer and HP have launched new laptops, with the former going for the entertainment crowd (page 88). HP on the other hand, is looking to revolutionise the way people use their laptops, bringing its touchscreen interface to a mobile device for the first time (page 90).

Ben Furfie, Deputy Editor ben.furfie@intentmedia.co.uk

www.pcretailmag.com

To advertise on these pages please call Carly Bailey TELEPHONE 01992 535647 OR EMAIL CARLY.BAILEY@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK PCRetail January 77

MARKETPLACE NEWS

VIP launches Thermaltake microsite Distributor introduces new dedicated site featuring vendor’s latest product news IP has followed up the launch of its Microsoft microsite last month with a similar scheme for Thermaltake’s products. The launch of the microsite signals an increase it its support for the Thermaltake brand and features resources to help develop the business of Thermaltake customers. As with Microsoft’s microsite, the new one will help keep retailers and resellers up to date with the latest product news from the vendor and stories from the press about the brand. It will also bring together technical details of all Thermaltake products stocked by VIP. Information such as product specifications and features, as

well as an up to date price list, will be available at the click of a button. The site also features a comparison table, allowing users to view the complete range of Thermaltake cases and find the nearest available match in case of an item being out of stock. “As Thermaltake’s sole UK distributor, we designed the microsite to ensure that our customers can access all the latest information easily,” said VIP’s Thermaltake product manager, Victoria Davies. “I feel this will be an invaluable resource to resellers who can benefit from weekly deals.” The VIP Thermaltake microsite is accessible at www.vipcomputers.com/uk/thermaltake.

Interface snaps up entire Lenovo netbook stock nterface Solutions is launching a drive for Lenovo’s first netbook, the S10, after the firm bought all the stock in the run up to Christmas – effectively making it the sole distributor of the product in the UK. While Interface is primarily aiming the device at the education sector, it is also encouraging retailers and resellers to stock the device for the business and consumer markets. “The netbook market is growing rapidly to form a significant part of the overall PC market, and this represents significant sales opportunities for resellers,”

commented Lenovo business development manager at Interface Adam Wilcox. “We are encouraging resellers to push this product into educational establishments, SMEs and out to consumers.”

MARKETPLACE BYTES Nokia launches N97 Nokia has launched its first QWERTY-based N Series smartphone at the recent NokiaWorld event. The N97, which comprises of a 3.5inch touch display and up to 48GB of storage, is part of the vendor’s plans to usher in ‘social location’. It’s A-GPS and digital compass enables photo tagging via the 5MP camera.

78 PCRetail January

Logitech makes its billionth mouse Logitech was celebrating last month after producing its billionth mouse. The firm said that it was made even more special by the fact very few products ever reach the landmark of a billion products. The milestone was achieved on the eve of the device itself turning 40.

To get the latest product news daily,

More Wind on the way

Tom Tom goes PC

Cyber-links up homes

MSI has announced that it will be launching two new versions of its Wind laptops early in the new year, which utilise a new hybrid storage system. The U110 is based on the Poulsbo chipset and will have a 250GB hard drive. The U115 is based on the same chipset, but has a 160GB hard drive and a 32GB solid state drive.

Tom Tom is looking to expand its web presence, with the launch of an online route planner. It is free to use and uses the same navigation software as its portable devices. CEO Harold Goddijn said that the move is part of a strategy to provide satnav services to everyone, regardless of platform.

Cyberlink has signed a deal with Fujitsu Siemens Computers that will see the former’s software appear on the latter’s autumn range of laptops and desktop computers. The NetworkPlayer system allows users to access, play back and stream video, photos and music content stored within media servers.

www.pcretailmag.com

MARKETPLACE NEWS

Midwich renews Casio contract Distributor encourages dealers to snap up a bargain after signing up vendor for digital camera range idwich has renewed its distribution deal with Casio, and is offering a number of deals on the vendors’ camera range, which it claims provide “good margin opportuntity,” for its retail and reseller partners. The deal means that Midwich will be able to supply Casio’s digital imaging suite to resellers. This includes the Exilim range, which can record video as well as take pictures, and is specially designed to provide a seamless uploading experience directly to YouTube.

“Casio is one of the most innovative and fastest growing brands in the digital stills market and some of its more niche products will give our resellers a good margin opportunity in what is traditionally a busy quarter for the digital imaging industry,” commented product manager at Midwich, Alistair Coyne. “Casio has a number of unique selling points compared to our other brands, and we expect it will do very well.”

Toshiba launches Performers Club oshiba’s Storage Device Division is looking to step up its presence in the channel, with the launch of its Performers Club; aimed at both current and prospective dealers. The online ‘one-stop-shop’ is designed to help retailers and resellers who sell or are looking at stocking the firm’s external hard disk drive ranges. It provides them with the latest information on marketing campaigns for its ranges, access to product information, photos, press releases and the latest white papers.

Toshiba SSD is also backing up the offering with a dedicated hotline to support dealers. The vendor is hoping the launch of the club will drive a rise in new customers.

Casio is one of the fastest growing brands in the digital space.

Novatech aims to lighten load on wallets ovatech has upped the ante in the ultra-cheap desktop market with the launch of the Ion PC. Built using netbook innards and running Windows XP, Novatech describes the Ion as the ideal product to give as a gift. “This Christmas will have been tough for most of us,” said commercial director Kriss Pomroy. “Power bills are sky high and the credit crunch is not helping – we hope the Ion will offer some relief for everyone’s wallet.” The device, which is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, comes with a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of memory, a DVD burner,

Kris Pomroy

5.1 audio and support for DirectX 9 thanks to its inbuilt Intel graphics.

Green Routers

Cooler Pricing

FSC’s LifeBook

Cheap Eee PC

NewerTech has unveiled what it is claiming to be the world’s first quad interface SATA drive docking station, the Voyager. The device allows owners to turn any 2.5inch or 3.5-inch SATA internal hard drive into an external drive. Up to 2TB is supported and drives can be hot swapped for quick access to important information.

D-Link has launched a new range of switches aimed at helping SMBs to reduce the energy consumption of their internet hardware. The Gigabit Web Smart Switches work by detecting the length of the cable and adjusting the power needed, unlike traditional switches that provide a uniform amount of power.

Cooler Master has slashed its UK prices in an attempt to stimulate sales of its component ranges. The move was in response to slumping demand. The firm was keen to stress that it wasn’t making a loss, and that the reductions had been funded by improved efficiency at a manufacturing level.

Fujitsu-Siemens has launched a new scheme to get people to buy its extended warranties. The initiative, called LifeBook, will see the vendor offer an equivalent laptop free every three years once the warrenty expires, to the value of the one initially purchased, plus an extra ten per cent.

Laptop giant Asus has said that it will be releasing a new sub-$200 netbook at some point early this year. The original Eee PC was the last device from the vendor to hit the coveted price point and made waves in the industry. Analysts have already speculated that it could be the next big device from the firm.

www.pcretailmag.com

PCRetail January 79

PCA NEWS

Time – it’s all relative really This month, Keith Warburton has spent most of it on the phone to Barclaycard about Yahoo... THERE comes a period when we realise one of the essential truths of life; time passes ever faster as you get older. It‘s the common experience for all of us who are ‘of mature years’. But have you ever wondered just why this should be? The answer is pretty simple. For a five year old child, another year in its life is a massive 20 per cent, but for a 50 year old a year is just two per cent of life lived – and two per cent passes a lot quicker than 20 per cent. It’s all relative, as Einstein and his sidekick Dr Who once said. ‘Good god!’ I hear you exclaim. What has brought on such a severe attack of the whimsies? It’s quite simple – a £1.95 monthly bill from Yahoo Voice which I’m finding impossible to get off my credit card statement. I can’t find any way of contacting Yahoo to cancel this (not that I can remember committing to it in the first place, but that’s another story), and that’s what started the galloping mind-rot that is currently afflicting me. ‘But’ you say, ‘why not simply tell Barclaycard to halt payment, make a charge back etc?’ Oh, I can assure you I’ve tried that. The first time I phoned Barclaycard some months ago, it told me I had to contact Yahoo directly. I tried and, as stated, I failed. I then called Barclaycard again and it said it had sent me a form, on which, I could properly detail the problem. It didn’t arrive. Next month – well, you forget about £1.95, don’t you – not only did the Yahoo Voice charge appear again, it brought along its twin. That’s right; I’m now being hit twice each month for a Yahoo Voice service that I never asked for in the first place. So I called the Barclaycard phone number, which laughingly masquerades as ‘customer service.’ After a couple of minutes giving my details to a recording of an unshakably cheerful Geordie, the electronic swine dumped me in limbo after promising to put me through. Right, so what has all this to do with you, you might well ask? It’s this: I’ve had a Barclaycard account for thirty years or more. Once this problem is sorted I’ll cancel my account. Not because of a piddling £1.95 (actually, closer to £25 over the last year or so), but for the lousy customer service that I experienced as soon as I had a problem. It has cost me time, and relatively speaking – as mentioned earlier in this column – in percentage terms I don’t have that much of it left, and it has caused me frustration that I can well do without. Poor customer service is generally why any business loses its customers. None of us are immune

from that charge. I’m sure Barclaycard’s customer service director tells the rest of the board that its customer service is pretty damn hot. But as far as this customer is concerned, it’s not. In the current economic climate it is vital to remember that the business providing the best customer service and support – ideally exceeding the customer’s expectation – is going to be the business with the best chance of surviving. Don’t be complacent; check yours out! I look forward to meeting as many readers as possible at the PCA’s conference in Warrington, next month, on 17th February.

It is vital to remember that the business providing the best customer service is going to be the one with the best chance of surviving this crisis.

KEITH WARBURTON IS THE CEO OF THE PROFESSIONAL COMPUTING ASSOCIATION, THE 15-YEAR-OLD, NOT-FOR-PROFIT TRADE BODY WITH MEMBERSHIP MADE UP OF BUSINESSES FROM ALL PARTS OF THE CHANNEL. VISIT WWW.PCASSOCIATION.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION OR CALL 0845 634 9245. 80 PCRetail January

www.pcretailmag.com

MAC TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION

Weathering the storm This month, Robert Peckham wonders where all the Mac resellers have gone over the past year... o our annual conference – which we held alongside the PCA’s event – has come and gone with very few attendees from the Mac channel. That was despite many verbal assurances in the preceding weeks that we would see a fairly large number of Apple resellers coming along. Why is that, do you suppose? If you’d been there you would have met Trust, which was showing its superb range of recently launched Mac focused accessories. NTR Global was there demonstrating the best remote control support solution I have ever seen. Netgear could have answered all your questions about making excellent margins for selling its equipment. Sony was demonstrating its unique video conferencing solutions, and these were just the main players – there was a lot more to experience, not to mention the excellent speakers. However, the poor turnout has certainly inspired me to speak to a large number of resellers since our conference, to try and gauge how the Mac channel is fairing through these tough economic conditions,

If you want to see your business get through the downturn, talk to your clients about how you can help them. especially with Christmas approaching. And the response has been rather interesting, if not to say mildly surprising. There’s plenty of the expected reports of clients’ cutbacks on new equipment expenditure. And there’s the usual observations about clients’ businesses closing or going under, with the resulting drop in earnings and/or bad debts to absorb. And these comments came alongside gloom-and-doom sentiments towards business

conditions generally in the channel, and doubts over the future health of many businesses – both Mac and PC focused. However, I found another side to the story: those resellers who are very focused on support are enjoying a boom time. They’re making calls to their clients and offering to do free audits of systems in use, producing a report of how their clients’ current equipment could have its performance enhanced, upgraded or improved rather that investing in new equipment. The result? The reseller walks away with an order for RAM, hard drives, utility software, training, software upgrades, on-going maintenance, possibly even networking hardware upgrades. All at very healthy margins, and with the impressive result of a client who feels appreciated, well-advised and ready to recommend the reseller to their other business contacts. So we have some serious advice to impart here. If you want to see your business through the current downturn, start talking to your clients about how you can help them get through the same economic climate.

ROBERT PECKHAM is the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the MAC TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION, which began life as The UK Mac–Dealer Association five years ago, and re–branded in 2007 to reflect the changing, consultancy and services–driven business model that many Apple resellers have now adopted. WWW.MACTECHNOLOGY.ORG.UK | INFO@MACTECHNOLOGY.ORG | TELEPHONE: 08717 177264

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PCRetail January 81

ITACS NEWS

NASCR NEWS

Communications and Networking

The Winds of Change

By Simon Aronowitz ITACS Committee Member

By Geoff Carr, NASCR Committee Member

vents like last month’s Brigantia Roadshow in the West Midlands are a great opportunity for indies, vendors, distributors and service providers to network and listen to each other. The event was full of excellent presentations, which contained useful examples of upselling, upgrading and bundling. Event sponsor Nvidia explained how PhysX allows the GPU to model the physical aspects of the real world in games, such as Unreal Tournament III, to make games more life-like and how CUDA can be used to accelerate video processing. Kingston told delegates the glut of low priced DDR2 memory is slowing adoption of the more expensive DDR3 based systems, and mentioned free customisation of flash memory in hundred plus quantities.

aybe it’s just the people I’ve been talking to lately, or maybe it’s because I’ve been asking them to sign the FSB’s ‘Keep Trade Local’ petition and they have started thinking more deeply about retail, but there seems to be a long overdue shift in awareness amongst the public. For a long time, many people have thought that it’s worth shopping at big businesses for two reasons: their buying power will make them cheaper and they wouldn’t dare rip people off. However, the table seems to be turning and it’s quite obvious that people do not trust big businesses nowadays. I keep hearing observations about all types of business – not just IT sellers. People are starting to see through the smokescreen. For example, even Tesco’s recent push against Lidl and Aldi with its ‘discount brands’ promotion has been sussed out. Inspect a product from its ‘Daisy’ or ‘Sun Sipp’ branded ranges and you will find that it is actually something Tesco used to do as an own brand product, but has now been rebadged, albeit with the same address on the back.

Gigabyte talked about dual BIOS, low power consumption, solid capacitors and security features. The highlight was the 2oz copper boards, which increase reliability, speed and heat dissipation. These features have made Gigabyte one of the channel’s leading brands, backed up by several recently received awards. PNY explained the advantages of its Nvidia Quadro cards, including one card which has been designed with Adobe specifically for CS4. An AutoCAD demonstration then showed how a professional graphics card performed better than a processor upgrade. XFX detailed its Nvidia graphics cards for performance gaming platforms and also stimulated a lively discussion about Indie retailers competing in the high-end gaming market against large volume online retailers. EntaNet talked about its broadband and VoIP services; and how one reseller had bundled them with other in-house services such as email, web-hosting and support to increase his profits substantially. Finally, the day ended with an ITACS session highlighting the importance of the trade association to the Indie community and moved on to a difficult discussion on WEEE and the recent ITACS WEEE deal.

The event was full of excellent presentations, which contained useful examples of upselling, upgrading and bundling

INDEPENDENT TRADE ASSOCIATION OF COMPUTING SPECIALISTS – YOU CAN CONTACT ITACS ON 08445 763 760 OR VISIT WWW.ITACS.ORG.UK

82 PCRetail January

The public really resents methods used to trick sales out of them and have come to expect the strings in contracts and hidden extras. I am wondering if this is why DSGi is suffering while the IT trade in general is riding out this recession. Service providers – whether for gas, electricity or communications – are viewed with so much scepticism now that it is refreshing to see that Joe Public is waking up and no longer believes in the ‘free’ word. I think that small businesses in general have realised that they need to take the longterm approach and try to win customers for life instead of the ‘hit ‘em quick and get rid of ‘em’ approach which is now being linked with multiples. The public is finally starting to realise that prices aren’t necessarily better at the big shops once the hidden extras are taken into account. I could well be imagining this change of viewpoint, but I have even heard radio phone-in programmes talking about it. I have to say it has been a long time coming, but it seems that indies are gradually getting the message through.

The public are beginning to realise prices aren’t better at the big shops

Customers are cottoning on to multiple’s marketing according to NASCR’s Geoff Carr

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPECIALIST COMPUTER RETAILERS – YOU CAN CONTACT NASCR ON 08456 440715 OR VISIT WWW.NASCR.ORG

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MARKETPLACE BRIGANTIA NEWS

Contact Iain Shaw PC Retail’s own agony uncle info@brigantia.com 0870 160 3215 www.brigantia.com

Agony Uncle

Each month, Iain Shaw chooses a topic taken initially from the Brigantia members forum and provides a considered response for PC Retail readers…

Grow and profit in 2009 SINCE last month’s column was written, I have had a great deal of positive feedback from Brigantia members and associates concerning the tenth Brigantia Members’ Roadshow, which was hosted at the Belfry Hotel in the West Midlands by long time Brigantia associate distributor EntaTech and sponsored by Nvidia, amongst others. Those associates that supported and attended the last roadshow, I am sure will want to come again. Although the smaller of our two annual roadshows, we attracted 53 member businesses (independent computer solution providers) out of a total number of over 80 invited delegates. Quite a feat given the current economic conditions and the time of year being so close to Christmas. This makes the Brigantia Members’ Roadshows by far the most popular indie community event by a wide margin. My opinion is that it is time for the incumbent commercial and not-for-profit membership bodies to work more closely together – where appropriate – and to this end we extend an open invitation to ITACS, NASCR, FixITlocal, the Mac Technology Association and others to work more closely together in 2009. This will enable us to deliver events of value to both indies and those channel businesses that want to work more closely with them. Now here is a tip for 2009 – what will happen if someone rings your advertised telephone number and either gets an answer machine message or no answer? The answer is simple – they will call the next number on the list: your competition. You don’t need the headache or the cost of hiring, training, and managing more receptionists in your office, but you do need all of your calls answered. Brigantia believe we have found the answer in Associate service provider Armchair. Armchair is the most simple, cost-effective solution to this problem faced by many indies. By partnering with Armchair you gain a whole team of professional receptionists without the hassle and at less than half the cost of one new full-time

receptionist. These full time, fully trained and reliable receptionists can be set up in an instant and put on a monthly contract. Brigantia members can find out how by visiting the Armchair page within the service providers section of the Brigantia members portal – non members should make their new year’s resolution for 2009 to join Brigantia and also to show they mean professional business by joining the independent trade association ITACS. Visit

www.brigantia.com and select the ‘join us’ option to find out how this can be achieved from as little as £60-a-year for Brigantia membership and £25-ayear in 2009 for ITACS membership, a saving of £25 on the organisation’s normal yearly rate. Next month I intend to take a closer look at the power of the GPU and I would invite contributions from both companies and individuals working in this area and any feedback you might have on this month’s column.

Iain invites opinions from PC Retail readers and will respond though this column www.pcretailmag.com

PCRetail January 83

COMPANY PROFILE: PERFECT PLAY

Click and restore IT specialists might be more used to clicking the restore button after a problem with an operating system or software program, but what happens when the disk it is stored on becomes too badly damaged to be read? Ben Furfie talks to Perfect Play to find out how you can add another feather to your repairs… Many of our customers have told us that their machine has paid itself off very quickly, and is now generating a profitable margin for their business. Debra Barton, Perfect Play

84 PCRetail January

ave you ever had a customer come in with a software disc scratched beyond belief, but had to turn them away because you haven’t got the facilities to repair it? Bromley-based manufacturer Perfect Play was established in 2002 and made its name in the DVD repair market, as sales manager Debra Barton explains to PC Retail: “The fundamental thing about all the machines that Perfect Play sells is that they actually work; they remove scratches and bring the disc back to new condition.” Part of Perfect Play’s key message is that its devices are proven to work: “This certainly is not the case

with several so called disc repair machines on the market,” claims Barton. “Perfect Play’s machines are proven to be robust, reliable machines. Many of our customers have told us that their machine has paid itself off very quickly and is now generating a profitable margin for their business.” When asked exactly what made their machines robust, she said: “We have a focus on service. A professional disc repair machine is a serious investment, whether a customer is an owner of a single outlet and uses one of our small models, or a major distributor using a large fully automated machine. There are inevitably issues from time to

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COMPANY PROFILE: PERFECT PLAY

Peter Bond and Debra Barton of Perfect Play

time, and we stick with our customers to make sure everything is resolved to their satisfaction – irrespective of what caused the issue.” One of the reasons that the firm has become so good at its job, according to Barton, is because of how long it has been in the sector. “Perfect Play has been in the disk repair business since the very beginning and has built up a good reputation for service and support. In the beginning, developing the disc repair business was all about educating people that discs could be repaired. “This wasn’t just the public,” adds Barton. “Many video store owners, for example, had no idea that discs could be repaired. Much of the early market was in video rental stores and CD retailers. However, there has been a considerable reduction in the DVD rental and CD business, but fortunately this has been replaced by an upsurge in video games, both console and PC.” Indeed, this shift has had such an impact that, according to Barton, disk repair machines are now critical to running a business in that area. “These days, no one would dream of being in the aftermarket games business without investing in a professional disc repair machine.” So far, even the recession has had little impact. In fact, with more people trading in games and

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looking to restore old ones, she feels that the market is actually enjoying a mini-boom. “At the moment, everyone is concerned with the recession, but fortunately for the moment our customers seem to be doing quite well. I guess things have to get pretty bad before people stop exchanging their old video games for something new to play.” And when it comes to IT shops, there is still a huge amount of potential in the devices. “The great thing about IT retailers is that their customers rely on them to solve their problems. So whether they have a virus, corrupted memory or a scratched disc, the consumer knows where to go. Being able to offer a complete service is a great strength for the IT retailer. As all good retailers will have experienced, customers are incredibly grateful if a problem they thought was insoluble is resolved.” So what does the future hold for the business? “Will the disk repair market continue to boom as people look to repair rather than replace their CDs and DVDs, or will it be something people look to cut back on? So far, business has been improved, so for the moment things look okay. But time will tell how serious things can become,” continues Barton. “We are broadening our range of machines and services,” she adds. “Also, we’re making sure that we have an effective solution for Blu-ray discs.”

Being able to offer a complete service is a great strength for the IT retailer. As all good retailers will have experienced, customers are incredibly grateful if a problem they thought was insoluble is resolved. Debra Barton, Perfect Play

PCRetail January 85

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MARKETPLACE

Monarch BETTs on new range Education furniture specialist set to take wraps off redesigned and cost effective LapCabby range onarch will be launching its new range of LapCabby laptop cabinets at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BETT show. The new products have been designed with the current programme of regeneration in schools in mind, and feature more attractive styling and bold colours that fit into with the new look buildings and classrooms. The manufacturer has spoken with several schools to find out what they actually need. That feedback resulted in the new range having it power systems overhauled to reflect tightening safety standards and changes to the type of laptops schools use. It is the latter point that is

especially important to schools. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This time last year, netbooks had only just launched,â&#x20AC;? said Monarchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marvin Douglas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This year, they have become incredibly important, especially with the push for every pupil to have access to a PC at school.â&#x20AC;? Another important part of the range is its scalability. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve recognised that there are a lot of laptops in use by schools, many of whom will be refreshing their IT equipment with netbooks

in a year or two,â&#x20AC;? continued Douglas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem this brings is schools donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to purchase one cabinet only to find that they have to buy a new one to fit netbooks when they refresh. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve built in scalability, with schools only having to purchase new sleeves when they upgrade. It also means that resellers can not only add value now, but continue to help schools down the line without sacrificing margins.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;On top of that, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also focused on green issues. All feature our own power management system and are Energy 7 compliant, meaning that schools can charge their equipment when it is cheap to do so. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve put over ÂŁ100,000 into these new ranges,â&#x20AC;? he stresses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything in the new ranges have been designed to fit in with what schools actually need, not what we think they need.â&#x20AC;?

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Acer launches new Aspire range Vendor unveils its new notebook series, aimed at gamers and home users cer has introduced a new notebook series aimed at home users and gamers who want ‘enhanced entertainment, advanced digital connectivity and desktop calibre visual performance’ from their new laptop. Styled under its successful Gemstone brand, the Aspire 4935 comes with a wide range of functions designed to make the device as easy to use and as intuitive as possible. It features a 14-inch, 16:9, high definition, CineCrystal LED-based LCD screen, Dolby Home Theatre and 5.1 surround sound, which makes it ideal for those

88 PCRetail January

who want to watch movies on the move or in the home. In terms of specifications, it is powered by Intel’s Core 2 Duo processors, with the basic model also benefiting from Intel’s GM45/PM45 mobile chipset. Crucially for gamers, it comes with an 8ms response time and supports Microsoft DirectX 10. Acer is also producing a configuration that will come with the GeForce 9600M GS, providing a much-needed boost in graphical power over the standard Intel integrated graphics. It also comes with a choice of Windows Vista Ulitmate, Home Premium or Home Basic. It also has built-in Wi-Fi and WiMAX, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, SATA hard drive and is Energy Star lowpower consumption compliant.

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HP looks to revolutionise laptops Firm is bringing its popular TouchSmart technology to its laptop range for the New Year P is beginning the New Year with the launch of its TouchSmart tx2 laptop: the first Windows laptop to feature multi-touch technology. Aimed at a wide range of consumers, HP is hoping that the touchscreen tx2 will kick-start the next revolution in laptop technology. “The new HP TouchSmart tx2 will transform the

90 PCRetail January

way consumers use their notebooks,” enthused Dave Brabham, HP’s UK category manager for consumer products at its Personal Systems Group. Taking a cue from its successful TouchSmart desktop range, the tx2 brings many of the device’s features to the portable model. When asked what it means for users,

Brabham explained: “There’s no more scrambling to use the keys and touchpad for simple tasks such as navigating your music files, or even for complicated tasks like editing photos – it’s all there for the user on the screen.” The device comes with a 12.1inch BrightView display and is powered by AMD’s Turion X2

dual core processors and ATi’s Radeon HD 3200 graphics range. It is also one of the first devices to benefit from HP’s new focus on stylish designs, with both the case and the included ‘slipcase’ featuring a ‘circular, cloud-like inlaid pattern’. HP is currently expecting the device to hit distribution channels sometime this month.

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Dell aims to help its customers get creative Brand new feature-laden sub-ÂŁ700 system is launched into the market ell is aiming to capture the creative market with the launch of its new Studio XPS desktop range, at a price that is firmly within the grasp of most mainstream customers and businesses. Powered by Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Core i7 processor family, Dell is hoping to eat into the mind and market share that Apple currently holds, primarily in the photo and video editing markets. The vendor is hoping that a combination of power and price will be enough to pull customers away from more expensive, but betterestablished brands. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Studio XPS desktop combines powerful features and technology with a stylish design and is the perfect choice for

people who are expanding their multimedia horizons,â&#x20AC;? claimed Dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vice-president for global consumer sales and marketing, Michael Tatelman. In addition to the Core i7 processor, all graphics options support a built-in HDMI port for easy connection to most LCD televisions, as well as monitoring devices, support for up to 1TB of hard disk drive space and an optional Bluray disc drive for high definition playback and media creation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By bringing this level of performance to the mainstream, we are enabling creative journeys of self discovery and self expression,â&#x20AC;? added Tatelman.

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92 PCRetail January

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Intel and AMD unveil new processor brands Intel goes after the consumer market while AMD looks to push into the virtualisation sector ntel and AMD have unleashed their latest processors in a bid to win market share over one another. Intel has decided to target the consumer market with its Core i7 chipset, while AMD is looking to capture the virtualisation sector with the latest chipset from its Opteron line. With a resurgent ATI on Nvidia’s tail, Intel is keen to not give any leverage to rival AMD. Based on its acclaimed Nehalem processor design, Intel’s i7 chipset is the most sophisticated that it has ever

built, with the vendor claiming that it represents “the best desktop processors on the planet.”

power consumption that has accompanied past product launches. Meanwhile, AMD is chasing the virtualisation sector with the launch of its new 45nm quad-core Shanghai-based Opteron processors, which the vendor claims offers up to 35 per cent more performance for the same amount of energy as its Barcelona-based brethren. The firm has already signed up 25 ISVs to support the chipset’s launch and has promised that more products are set to arrive at some point early next year.

The chipset is intended to give a major boost in processing power but with a focus on efficiency. Designed specifically for multitasking and multithreading, the chipset is intended to give a major boost in processing power, but with a focus on efficiency, to avoid the jump in

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Asus unveils ‘most powerful consumer motherboard’ High hopes for the latest LGA775 Nvidiabased socket component Asus has launched what it is describing as “the most powerful DX10 motherboard in the consumer market” – the P5N7A-VM. The Nvidia based board is designed for use with Intel’s LGA775 socket for Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors, and supports the GeForce 9300/nForce 730i chipset. It also has capacity for 16GB of DDR2 RAM thanks to four DDR2 dual channel memory slots. The board supports Hybrid SLI, Cuda and PhysX, meaning

98 PCRetail January

that the board is ideal for gamers who want to push their system to its maximum potential. In addition, it has a wide range of VGA connection options, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI and RGB, meaning that not only is it flexible, it is also future proof. Coupled with Hybrid SLI, Asus claims it can offer even entrylevel graphic cards a boost in performance of up to 70 per cent. In terms of storage capacity, it has five SATA slots running at 3Gb/s and one eSATA slot also running at 3Gb/s. The board also comes with 12 USB 2.0 ports.

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Sapphire unleashes world’s first dual HD 4850 card Combines two HD 4850 cards on a single ATX board apphire has signalled that it will not sit idly by while its competitors look to dethrone it from its leading position in the graphics card market, by releasing details of its upcoming HD 4850 X2 GPU. Exclusive to Sapphire, the dual GPU design means that users can benefit from having two graphics units, but without the need for two PCI-E slots. The system is as powerful as it sounds, with the unit as a whole having 1,600 process streams, and ‘two-times 256-bit memory interface’, driving a total of 2GB of GDDR3 of on board memory. The configuration allows users to utilise a multi-monitor mode or

100 PCRetail January

CrossFire, giving users the benefit of two graphics cards in one. In addition, if they have enough money and two PCI-E slots, it is possible for two HD 4850 X2s to be used in CrossFireX mode for even higher performance. The board also incorporates ATi’s latest Avivio HD technology for improved video playback and second generation UVD, enabling hardware decoding of Blu-ray and HD DVD, thereby reducing stress on the CPU. In addition, the HD 4850 X2 is

HDCP ready, meaning that for the ultimate set up, users can replace their monitor with their HD television.

With the HD4850 X2, you can have twice the power in one PCI-E slot

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MARKETPLACE

Sony rolls out four new speakers Vaio-inspired products aim to please both laptop and desktop customers ony is launching four new speakers, designed to fit specifically with its line-up of Vaio laptop and desktop PCs. The D25, M50, Z50 and Z100 have all been created specifically for different situations. The D35 and Z series speakers are designed for deskbound computer systems, while the M50 is being aimed at laptop users who often have to move their system around and also doubles up as a portable MP3 player. The D25 is a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;compact yet powerfulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2.1 array that delivers a total 25W of sound, making it ideal for customers looking to either upgrade or supplement their current system, especially if they play a lot of movies, music or games.

102 PCRetail January

The Z50 and Z100 are both designed to be compact and fit in with the modern Vaio PC. Both share headphone outputs and are perfect for most sound needs. The main difference between the two systems is that

the Z50 has a combined 5W output, while the Z100 puts out a much louder and powerful 20W output. The M50 is a two-piece stereo array, delivering a total of 5W of sound and weighs in at just 0.27kg. All are available in a variety of different colours, except for the Z100, which is only available in black.

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MARKETPLACE

Canon’s new prosumer range of camcorders

Canon updates low budget ‘prosumer’ range New products take on user feedback, alongside a lens and audio overhaul anon has launched updates to two of its most popular lowbudget prosumer camcorders – the XH G1 and XH A1 – with the vendor claiming the changes and upgrades to the models are a direct result of user feedback. The two handheld camcorders, which already featured high definition shooting, now benefit from professional 1080i recording with selectable frame rates (50i/25F) – something that is boosted even further by the 1/3-inch 3CCD sensor system. One of the biggest features of the camera to receive an overhaul is the lens system. Now sporting a 20x high definition video lens, it has separate focus, zoom and aperture control, allowing three-finger operation while filming.

104 PCRetail January

The camera’s audio has also been upgraded. The device now features independent limiters in manual mode, simultaneous use of the built-in and XLR microphones and independent XLR sensitivity settings. It also comes packed with improved image customisation options, including Cine Gamma controls. “The XH G1S and XH A1S take low-budget HDV production to the next level,” said Canon’s European professional video specialist, Karel Poortman. “After listening to the opinions of existing XH-series users, Canon now offers an expanding range of customisable options and flexible recording features to low-budget moviemakers and event videographers.”

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MARKETPLACE

Brenthaven seeks solace in luxury market Edge I and II bags look to fulfil demand for stylish and protective portability solutions renthaven is set to introduce a new range of satchels designed to be used as both a laptop sleeve and as a standard bag. Its Edge I and II bags, which have already had confirmed sightings in US Apple stores, feature Brenthaven’s customer core protection system, which is designed to shield the contained laptop from impact for those unlucky times when customers drop their laptops or even trip up. It also features a retractable handle and shoulder strap to increase the bags’ usability and flexibility.

Brenthaven is keen to stress that the added features don’t impact on the look and styling of the bag. In addition to the keen attention to detail, the bags are also available in black and blue. The two bags are each designed for different size laptops – the Edge I focuses on laptops up to 14-inches wide, while the Edge II has capacity for laptops up to and including 15.4-inches. The bags have an RRP of £49.95, placing them in luxury territory and are an ideal add on sale for high end laptops.

HOW LONG DO YOU SPEND ON THE PHONE SOURCING AND PRICING STOCK? 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).

www.brigantia.com | info@brigantia.com

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PCRetail January 105

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MARKETPLACE

Archos’ sleek and stylish Archos 7

Archos takes aim at the moving market New Archos 7 Internet Media Tablet comes with 39 hours of battery life and up to 320GB of storage endor Archos is hoping to revolutionise the portable internet market with its latest device, the Archos 7 Internet Media Tablet, and in the process cement its position as a market leader for MP4 players. The firm, which is targeting travellers, commuters and families, is offering two options in terms of hard drive size. Consumers will be able to choose between 160GB and 320GB models, which it claims makes the Archos 7 the largest handheld media device on the market. “When designing the Archos 7, we wanted to develop the ultimate travel companion for commuters, on-the-go families and savvy travellers who need immediate and

106 PCRetail January

uncompromised access to the internet, email and their digital media,” says Archos’ chief executive, Henri Crohas. Indeed, with 39 hours of battery life and the ability to hold up to 300 full-length movies, the device has the potential to strike a chord with its target market. “With impressive hard drive capacities and multiple ways to access and enjoy content, the Archos 7 is sure to be the portable media travel companion of choice,” adds Crohas. The device also has a multitude of accessories, including digital video recording docking stations, mini-docks, removable batteries, helmet cameras and much more.

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A KISS BETWEEN THE EARS

“...these completely revolutionize the listening experience.” - Nate Lanxon, CNET “A few months ago I fell in love... and it was with a set of earphones.” - Tom Wiggins, Stuff TV “The reason God created credit cards...” - Stuart Hood, FHM

47 INDUST GLOWING REVIEWS Shure SE Sound Isolating

Earphones. For more information visit www.Shure.co.uk

For more information contact your account manager on 01279 822822 or visit www.gem.co.uk

The Innovations Design and Engineering Award is based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges. CEA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given.

sourcebo YEAR-ROUND PRINT & ONLINE PROMOTION FOR ALL INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SERVICE COMPANIES

ACCESS SOURCEBOOK ONLINE AT: WWW.INTENTMEDIA

CREATIVE AND PROMOTIONAL SERVICES 3DI Tel: 0845 4582898 www.threedi.net

an.x Tel: 0207 785 7156 www.anxagency.com

Ark VFX Tel: 0114 268 4999 www.arkvfx.net

Barrington Harvey Tel: +44 (0)1462 456780 www.barringtonharvey.co.uk

Bastion Tel: +44 (0)20 7421 7600 www.bastion.co.uk

Candy Lab Tel: +44 (0)20 7031 0888 www.candylab.co.uk

Dilute Recordings Tel: +44 (0)1483 306834 www.diluterecordings.com

DKPM Tel: 0845 111 0312 www.dkpm.co.uk

ELSPA Tel: 0207 534 0580 www.elspa.com

Eye-D Creative Tel: +44 (0)20 7407 1440 www.eye-dcreative.co.uk

Feref Tel: +44 (0) 20 7292 6300 www.feref.com

Fluid Tel: +44 (0)121 212 0121 www.fluidesign.co.uk

Game Frontier Tel: 0870 420 2424 www.gamefrontier.com

Sarsen Software Tel: +44 (0)845 8679685 www.sarsensoft.co.uk

Gem Creative Tel: 01279 822800 www.gem.co.uk

Side UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7631 4800 www.side.com

Frontroom Tel: 020 7384 5400 www.frontroom.com

Skyscraper Tel: +44 (0)20 7631 5308 www.skyskraper.net

Head First Tel: 0161 228 6699 www.head-first.co.uk

Studio CO2 Tel: +44 (0)1483 414415 www.studioco2.com

IGA Worldwide Tel: +44 (0)20 7250 4340 www.igaworldwide.com

The Audio Guys Tel: +44 (0) 1926 813546 www.theaudioguys.co.uk

Indigo Pearl Tel: 0208 964 4545 www.indigopearl.com

The Pixel Tel: 01275 831676 www.thepixel.com

infinite Field Marketing Solutions Tel: 01793 829196 www.infinitefms.com

Ã&#x153;ber Tel: 0114 278 7100 www.uberagency.com

RECRUITMENT Intent Media Tel: 01992 535647 www.intentmedia.co.uk Outsource Media Tel: +44 (0)207 713 9000 www.omuk.com

Peppermint P Tel: +44 (0)207 240 2645 www.peppermintp.com

RealtimeUK Tel: 01772 682363 www.realtimeuk.com

Rocketbox Tel: +49-511-8984384 www.rocketbox.de

Root Tel: 0207 739 2277 www.thisisroot.co.uk

Aardvark Swift Recruitment Tel: 01709 876877 www.aswift.com Amiqus Tel: 01925 252588 www.amiqus.com

Datascope Recruitment Tel: +44 (0)20 758 06018 www.datascope.co.uk

Game Options Tel: +44 (0)1382 731909 www.gameops.co.uk

Lis Welsh Search and Selection Tel: +44 (0)1858 545355 www.liswelsh.co.uk

Specialmove Consultancy Tel: +44 (0) 141 585 6491 www.specialmove.com

In association with

.CO.UK/SOURCEBOOK Volt Europe Tel: +44 (0)1737 774100 www.volteurope.com

Serco Games Research Tel: 020 74216487 www.sercogamesresearch.com

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Harbottle & Lewis LLP Tel: 020 7667 5000 www.harbottle.com Sheridans Tel: 0207 079 0103 www.sheridans.co.uk

LOCALISATION, QA AND TESTING 4-Real Intermedia Tel: +49 (0)69 80 90 88-0 www.4-real.com

OK Media Tel: +44 (0)20 7688 6789 www.okmedia.biz U-Trax Tel: +31 30 293 2098 www.utrax.com

UK DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTICS Games Without Frontiers Tel: +44 (0) 845 430 8735 www.gameswithout.com Gem Distribution Tel: 01279 822822 www.gem.co.uk

Interactive Ideas Tel: 020 8805 1000 www.interactiveideas.com

Absolute Quality Tel: +44 (0)141 220 5600 www.absolutequality.com Meroncourt Tel: +44 (0)1462 680060 http://trade.meroncourt.co.uk Babel Tel: 01273 764 100 www.babelmedia.com

Cenega Service Team Tel: +48 22 574 2578 www.cenega.com

Enzyme Labs Tel: +1 (450) 229 9999 ext. 312 www.enzyme.org Localsoft Tel: +34 952 92 93 94 www.localsoftgames.com

Orange Studio Tel: +39 051 588 04 50 www.orangestudio.it

Arvato Digital Services Tel: 0121 502 7800 www.arvatodigitalservices.com

Dischromatics Tel: 01495 243222 www.dischromatics.co.uk

Scaleform Tel: +1 301 446 3200 www.scaleform.com

BRIFFA Tel: 0207 288 6003 www.briffa.com

MANUFACTURING SERVICES UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING Tel: +44 1 480 210621 www.usspeaking.com

Creative North Studios Tel: +44 (0)1484 487904 www.creativenorth.co.uk

LEGAL SERVICES

Tel: +44 1 480 210621 www.usspeaking.com

Technicolor Home Entertainment Services Tel: 0208 987 7829 www.technicolor.com

Total Console Repair Tel: 0871 9181721 www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION AFA Interactive Tel: +618 8234 1355 www.afainteractive.com.au

dtp entertainment AG Tel: +49 (0) 40 66 99 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 0 www.dtp-entertainment.com

Pinnacle Software Tel: 020 8309 3934 www.pinnacle-software.co.uk

Entertainment Trading Tel: +45 70277640 www.entertainment-trading.com

PlayV Email: dhope@playv.co.uk www.playv.co.uk

Funtastic Tel: 61 3 9535 5888 www.funtastic.com.au

Scratch Busters Tel: 01992 535701 www.scratchbusters.co.uk Trilogy Logistics Tel: 0845 456 6400 www.trilogy-uk.com

THQ Asia Pacific Tel: +613 9573 9200 www.thq-games.com/au

Virgin PLAY Tel: +34 91 789 35 50 www.v2play.com

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MARKETPLACE

MESH STYLUS

ASUS EEE PC S101

Small Form Factor PC Distributor: Open Contact Number: 0844 736 0440 Price: £800

Netbook Distributor: VIP Computers Contact Number: 0871 622 7500 Price: £450

mall-form factor PCs have quality throughout, though it plenty of advantages. can lead to some slight issues They’re far easier to when trying to access the accommodate on or under a empty 3.5-inch bay or spare desk than a bulky ATX tower, DIMM sockets. Thankfully, the impressive and they often have enough spec means that upgrading will power to be used as a main be some way PC, as well as a off. The quiet, unobtrusive The Mesh Stylus is media centre. quicker than all of its processor, an Intel Core 2 Shuttle has had immediate rivals – Duo E8500, runs this corner of the both from Shuttle at 3.16GHz and market sewn up over the past few and Mesh – includes is one of the newest years. Its full PC Blu-ray and a full Wolfdale parts. systems, including range of peripherials In addition, the the XPC P2 for less cash. 3500G, have sat Stylus comes as alternative to packed with a full-size PCs and Shuttle’s total of 4GB of RAM and a barebone cases also frequently Nvidia GeForce 9800GTX. impress. Now, finally, there’s a Remarkably for a PC that contender: the Mesh Stylus. offers such power and a full Instead of the common range peripherals, the Stylus Shuttle case, this machine uses costs just £681 excluding VAT – a Silverstone chassis. It’s larger far more palatable than the and heavier than most of the £930 for the Shuttle PC, and Shuttle cases we’ve seen, and also cheaper than the £765 the huge struts of metal inside that Mesh demands for the Elite provide evidence of solid build Pulse HD.

etbooks tend to adhere business ultra-portables, albeit to an incredibly precise without the mottled leather. blueprint: cram an Intel The mouse is a single, gleamAtom processor, relatively small ing rocker, rather than two hard disk, wireless internet and discrete keys, but it’s light, responsive and easy to use. an 8.9-inch or ten-inch screen The processor is the familar into an off-white chassis that Intel Atom N270. looks more toy than trendAsus’s latest Eee PC Its single core setter. Then netbook – the S101 – runs at 1.6GHz and, when watch them fly veers away from the coupled with the off the shelves. safe ground of its standard 1GB of Asus’ latest Eee RAM, it just PC, however, predecessors and veers away rivals’ devices more slightly edges out MSI’s Wind and from the safe than any other ground more the Eee PC netbook we’ve seen 1000H. It’s a slight than any netbook we’ve improvement, before. yet seen. but not one that The Eee is noticeable PCS101, to give it its full name, over its rival’s devices. instantly appears to be a The slight performance boost classier proposition than every can be attributed to the only other netbook on the market. part of the Eee’s specification The lid is finished in an that’s seen any real change – attractive, glossy ‘mocha’ the internal storage. Instead of brown with a hint of glitter, and a mechanical disk you get a the brushed-metal wrist rest is solid state drive, although the reminiscent of Asus’ luxurious capacity isn’t great at 16GB.

110 PCRetail January

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MARKETPLACE

DISTRIBUTOR DIRECTORY Abacom

01483 303455

wabacom.co.uk

Avanquest

01752 318078

avanquest-solutions.co.uk

Avnet

01344 662000

avnet.com

Blue solutions

0870 402 0000

bluesolutions.co.uk

Bluepoint

0870 121 8001

bluepoint.net

Broadband first

087 078 70387

broadbandfirst.com

CCI Distribution

01423 704 700

ccidistribution.co.uk

Centerprise

01256 378 000

centerprise.co.uk

Computer 2000

08700 603 344

computer2000.co.uk

Computer Gear

0121 503 0666

computergear.co.uk

Direktek

01494 471 100

direktek.co.uk

Enta Technologies

0870 770 9588

entaonline.com.

Ezy

0845 050 6002

ezyinfotech.com

Focus Mulitmedia

01889 570 156

focusmm.co.uk

Gem

01279 822 822

gem.co.uk

Ingram Micro

0870 405 3000

ingrammicro.co.uk

Interactive Ideas

0208 8051000

interactiveideas.com

J&J Associates

01752 336 465

jj-associates.com

JLT Computers

0870 225 5558

jltcomputers.co.uk

Keyboard Company

0845 205 5588

keyboardco.com

KMS Components

02920 713 713

kmscomponents.com

M2M direct

020-867-63030

m2m-direct.co.uk

Medea

0870 350 0330

medea.co.uk

Midwich

01379 649200

midwich.com

Meroncourt

01462 680 060

trade.meroncourt.co.uk

MT Electronics

0121 331 8970

mt-electronics.com

Nanopoint

08701 620 818

nanopoint.co.uk

Realtime Distribution

01480 435 881

realtimeonline.co.uk

RET UK

01722 341 234

retuk.com

SDA Trading

0161 819 1515

sdatrading.com

SJ Software

01282 865 500

sjsoftware.co.uk

01977 739 300

targetcomponents.co.uk

Target Components Ultra-X

+31 252 533 284

uxd.eu

VIP

0871 622 7500

vip-computers.com/uk

Widget

01438 842362

widget.co.uk

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PCRetail January 111

OFF THE RECORD

A day in the life

This month: This month, Bear IT raises money for Children in Need and AMD and Realtime play dress up...

BEAR IT GO APE

Stephen Mold European Director of Retail Sales, Roxio I AM woken early by my son James and after grabbing some breakfast I head straight into the office for another busy day. Thankfully, the M1 to Milton Keynes is fairly clear and so I am at my desk within 30 minutes. Our office manager, Nancy, has a hot cup of latte waiting for me. The first port of call each morning is a catch up with the sales team to determine what the priorities are for the day. It is an exceptionally busy time for us at present. We have just released a new product to retail – Easy VHS to DVD. It’s receiving excellent feedback from the distributors and retailers that we have been talking to about it, with everyone excited to try it for size. It is clear there are many people out there with lots of old video tapes that they need to do something with before they fade or the players become obsolete! With the launch, we are working hard to ensure that all our distributors and retail partners are fully up to speed with the details of the new product and that pre-orders are being processed now. Afterwards, I head off to meet a key retailer for Christmas lunch. It’s a great opportunity to not only catch up with everyone to discuss the plans for the new year, but to also review the outcomes from the past quarter. In particular, during the last quarter we launched Creator

112 PCRetail January

2009, a new update to our flagship media software. Plus, it’s great to enjoy a lovely festive meal and a glass of wine with some good friends and contacts. Back to the office in the afternoon, where the emails and calls start to come through from the US who are just starting their day’s work. I speak with the vice president of global sales to update him on the team’s progress with the new launch, as well as to hear about plans for the next quarter. I speak with him most days to discuss progress in Europe, brainstorm and agree sales strategies, as well as to talk about potential new launches. Later in the afternoon, the European team gathers for a conference call for product management updates, logistics and operations news and to share best practice amongst the team. We have this call each week and it is a great opportunity for everyone to discuss ideas. It’s now near the end of the day. I work with Nancy to signoff some purchase orders and invoicing, provide her with my schedule for the week and also discuss the plan for the Roxio Christmas Party. This year, we are all set to enjoy wine tasting. Leave the office at 6:15pm and head straight home to see my wife Nikki and to bath James before he goes to bed. Another full day at Roxio!

Bear IT went to assault course park Go Ape to raise money for Children in Need. L-R: Business development manager Elaine Miller, office manager Emma Staley and support engineers Liam Day and Mark Newbury.

REALTIME

AMD and Realtime recently held a ‘focus day’, and as part of the bonding exercise had to dress up as something beginning with an A, M or a D. Special kudos has to go to Hannah from Realtime for the genius mustard pot costume. L-R: (Top) Dan Bennett, Phil Davis, Richard “Danger Mouse” Marsden, Ross Talbot, Stuart Wilkin, AMD’s Carly Cheshire, Mark Holdich, Julie Darrington, Emma Arnold. (Bottom) AMD’s Faye Le Duc, Georgina Wilmer, Hannah Horne and Chris Elt.

www.pcretailmag.com

OFF THE RECORD

Send your pictures to andrew wooden@intentmedia.co.uk

FOOTY GURU Calling all football fans – M2M’s sales and marketing manager Hitesh Kothary has set up what he thinks can be “the best English Premiership Fans’ site in the world.” It has videos, forums, articles, chatrooms and its very own instant messenger system. It also has what Kothary claims is “the most powerful news aggregator and preview tool on the web”. You can check out the website at www.footyguru.com.

Hitesh Kothary

www.pcretailmag.com

PCRetail January 113

BACK PAGE

“

QUOTES

OF THE MONTH

“While writing in textese was significantly faster across the board, nearly half the students took twice as long to read messages aloud as compared to standard English versions.” The BBC reports that textese (text message English) is hard to read – something that most people over the age of 20 already know. “We're now seeing that nine out of ten customers that are using Vista are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experiences that they are having on a regular basis.” Microsoft’s Laurence Painell finds that nine out of ten cats prefer Vista. “I want to highlight that this is only directed at commercial corporations and companies that are trying to make a profit without the permission of the trademark holder. Legal use will be possible after buying an annual licence from us. It won’t cost that much – tens of thousands of dollars.”

Russian businessman Oleg Teterin, president of the mobile ad company Superfone, outlines his strategy after trade marking the ;-) emoticon, which is estimated to have been in the public sphere for at least 25 years. “I am not a scientist, I could not do a chemical test on somebody when they are arrested for drink driving but I have a tool that tells me when to bring somebody in.” Detective Superintendent Charlie McMurdie outlines the (rather simplistic) plans for a ‘breathalyser’ tool that will allow police to check a computer to find out whether it has been used for illegal activity within seconds. “LightDrops is an umbrella that transforms falling rain into electricity, which is then used to light LEDs on the umbrella’s underside.” Engadget gets excited about a new toy, but fails to remember the simple equation water plus electricity equals bang.

Name: Michael Breeze Position: Marketing Director Company: Interactive Ideas Describe yourself in three words? Magical Mystery Tour What does your job involve? Relationship building and providing opportunities to our customers, suppliers and the staff at Interactive. How did you get your current job? A mixture of luck, talent and hard work. What was your first computer? ZX Spectrum, complete with the king of all games Chucky Egg. You’ve just won the lottery. What’s the first thing you’re going to buy? Another scratch card. I only ever win £1. If you could be PC Retail editor for the day, what would you do? There is far too much in PC Retail about the latest technology and what’s happening with retailers. What we all really want to see is the magazine being written in the style of OK, Hello or MTV Cribs. Let’s get inside the houses, look at the cars and see what the industry bigwigs spend their cash on.

NEXT MONTH Video Cameras: We take a look at the latest in video camera technology. What type of camcorder is best for your customers and just what is on offer?

PC Speakers: It’s surprising the difference a good set of speakers can make to your use of a PC. We show you the best available kit and find out how to up sell it.

Audio/Video Editing Software: A run down of the latest software for editing both audio and video, looking at consumer and professional offerings.

Monitors/Displays: PC Retail’s yearly look at the display and monitor market. What’s new, what’s out and what’s the best way of selling them?

114 PCRetail January

LATEST

NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR MOBILE

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Build your empire We know times are tough, with bank’s getting ever more reluctant to lend to businesses, large and small. How do you grow your business, while looking after your cash flow?

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Ingram Micro is the world’s leading IT distributor providing a range of IT products including: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

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From small beginnings come great things. If you have the motivation, the discipline and clear objectives there's no telling how Building business, loyalty and confidence

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