Tag Archives: IT

News

Manchester-based M247 bolsters senior team with trio of hires

Global connectivity and cloud services provider M247 has continued its run of strategic senior hires, appointing three new product managers.

Ashley Davies joins the Manchester-based business as cloud product manager; Liz Hawke has been appointed product manager for unified communications and collaboration (UC&C); and Robert Smith joins as product manager for cyber security.

Formerly cloud services director at THG Ingenuity, Ashley Davies has a track record of successfully leading product teams and transforming the way end users move from virtualised on-premise environments to automated cloud operating models. He will be responsible for commercial and technical ownership of M247’s flagship cloud product line, as well as full partner landscape management, to further M247’s strategic ambitions.

Liz Hawke joins the business from Gamma, the unified communications ‘as a service’ business, where she was direct product manager for over five years. Liz will lead on UC&C and develop M247’s workplace offering, as the communications needs of businesses evolve.

Robert Smith completes the current wave of senior hires, as product manager for cybersecurity. Prior to joining M247, Robert was networking and cyber security product manager at Maintel. With 25 years’ experience, Robert has a stellar track record of defining product strategy, overseeing product launches and delivering service improvement plans across a broad portfolio of services.

Darryl Edwards, CEO of M247, commented on the appointments: “I am delighted to welcome Ashley, Liz and Robert to the M247 product team teams. With ambitious plans for the business in 2023, the addition of three new Product Leaders, each with their own invaluable experience and expertise, will no doubt be instrumental to supporting the next step of our growth journey.”

News

ArrowXL Appoints New Chief Operating Officer

ArrowXL, the UK’s largest and longest established 2-person home delivery specialist, has appointed Luke Barton as its new Chief Operating Officer. Luke will begin his new role and join the Exec Board effective from 1st Jan 2023.

Luke has worked for ArrowXL since 2015 in a number of management roles including Operations Support, Warehousing and HR. Most recently he has been the General Manager for Worcester and then Regional Operations Manager for the South, where he was responsible for both Worcester and Enfield Operations. In his new role he will be responsible for ensuring that the company’s operations are fully able to support the company’s continuing growth and support its strong customer base.

Charlie Shiels CEO at ArrowXL added: “Our decision to promote from within is testament to the strength of our team and our commitment to developing our people. Over the past few years Luke has proven to have an innate ability to make significant improvements at pace and drives high standards, all whilst demonstrating strong and supportive leadership and core ethical values. On behalf of the Executive Board and the Shareholders, we would like to congratulate him on this appointment – are very much looking forward to working with him on the future strategic plans for ArrowXL.”

Commenting on his appointment, Luke said: “Our industry is facing extremely challenging times and it is vital that we as a business are able to adapt and develop to ensure that we can continue to expand our portfolio and deliver a best-in-class customer experience for our clients. In my new role I am committed to delivering this and continuing to develop our exceptional colleagues to ensure we have the best people in the market.”

News, Technology

Keysource Launches State of the Industry Report

Keysource, the global data centre and critical environment specialist, has launched its State of the Industry Report 2022 which gathers the views and insights from over 250 IT Directors in UK & Europe. This is the fifth year of the report and it showed once again that the datacentre and technology sectors continue to grow with no signs of slowing, with investment growth being driven by continued digitalisation, IT transformation and data growth. This is despite the current global economic and political uncertainties.

In addition to the impact of this ongoing demand, the IT decision makers surveyed stated that they are continuing to shoulder a range of competing challenges and, as a result, over 99% believe it will be a difficult year. Over half of the respondents see security as the biggest challenge – up slightly from previous years – with sustainability a close second at 40%. However, the survey highlights multiple concerns with more than a third also citing pressure to adopt new technology and services, budget, access to skills and speed of change as major challenges.

In addition, 78% of respondents believe that their existing investments are preventing IT transformation – a figure similar to last year showing little or no progress in this area. This suggests that organisations are failing to understand the money savings change could bring, as they are focused on the investment and/or don’t want to admit they may have got it wrong.

This year’s focus on sustainability delivered some interesting insights. Clearly the topic and its importance is well understood but there are challenges about how this is being translated into action both for the services being consumed and/or delivered. For example, over half of the respondents admitted to not having a sustainability strategy at all, with 92% experiencing problems that are slowing or stopping their sustainability progress.

In response to the question: Where, if anywhere, do you think you can make the biggest carbon savings? – the overwhelming response was a move to using sustainable suppliers rather than looking to their own operations, usage and capacity. This opens up possible allegations of green washing and paints a picture of an industry that is full of good intentions but lacks the tools and expertise to deliver them. This mindset was clear once again for questions around the rising costs of power with 92% stating they were concerned. For about half of respondents the answer is a move towards renewables and an increase in budget – less than 50% are looking at reviewing capacity requirements showing that there is a lack of focus on consumption.

Jon Healy, Operations Director at Keysource, said: “We are operating in a world with a rapidly expanding social and economic consumption which relies on processing, data and transfer to be both secure and sustainable, alongside a skills shortage and severe supply chain issues. Our respondents need broader shoulders than ever to be able to carry all this responsibility. As an industry we are used to change and challenges but these might be our greatest ones yet.”

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To download the report please click here: https://keysource.co.uk/data-centre-industry-report/

News

Softcat study reveals priority tech investments for smarter digital transformation

A new report by leading providers of IT infrastructure, Softcat, offers an exclusive look at the tech investments businesses are prioritising in the year ahead for smarter digital transformation.

The findings are based on the views of more than 1,800 customers in the UK and Ireland, across 27 corporate and public sectors.

The report, which is produced annually, reveals organisations are now prioritising Cyber Security above all other technology areas, with 62% of organisations saying that it is their focus over the next 12 months.

 

Adam Louca, Softcat’s Chief Technologist for Security, explained: “This figure is understandable. More organisations are recognising the vital role cyber security plays in enabling their tech adoption and unlocking further opportunities for innovation. Rising investment levels and C-suite buy-in reflect this evolving mindset, one that is moving away from an ad-hoc reactive threat response.

“It’s clear from the report’s findings that organisations understand that cyber security must underpin every part of digital transformation and investment needs to be a long-term strategy. This ensures that gains made are not lost as hybrid working and cloud approaches evolve.”

After Cyber Security, Devices is the second most cited technology investment area for the next year as organisations continue to invest in the digital workspace (46% of respondents).

At a time of skills shortages and the great resignation, equipping staff with the right devices and tools they need to work well from anywhere will deliver productivity gains and a high-quality and secure employee experience.

Hybrid Infrastructure is the third most important technology investment area, with 21% of customers citing Datacentre and Private Cloud as a priority area over the next 12 months, followed by Public Cloud (17%) and Managed Infrastructure and Support Services (16%).

Over the past few years of on-off disruption, cloud technologies have proven they’re enterprise-ready, offering organisations the scalability, flexibility, and greater efficiency. But modernising in the right way is key to releasing the true value when investing in cloud solutions.

In response, organisations are moving towards a hybrid approach to ensure the user and customer experiences are consistent, deliver value and achieve the required business outcomes.

It’s clear from the survey findings that sustainability is moving higher up the agenda for many businesses, large and small, with 19% of respondents citing it as a priority this year, up from 9.6% in 2021.

 

Richard Wyn Griffith, Chief Commercial Officer, commented on the findings:

“The past year has been one of transition and adjustment for our customers after the disruption and uncertainty of recent years.

“Today, organisations are focused on switching off ‘emergency’ digital transformation mode and turning on smarter digital transformation, setting a clear and concise roadmap for the deployment of new technologies.

“This will help them to remain agile in the face of new headwinds – from rising inflation to skills shortages and supply chain delays – as well as taking positive action towards our shared sustainability goals. 

“One thing is certain; it will be the digitally mature businesses who prosper in the future.”

 

The full findings from the 2022 Softcat Business Tech Priorities Report, including expert analysis, can be downloaded here. 

News

Arrow partners with POPX to automate operations and integrate acquisitions

Arrow Business Communications, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of collaboration, connectivity, cyber security and cloud and infrastructure managed services, has partnered with POPX to implement their fully managed MSP Platform to transform operations, service and business management functions.

For Arrow to continue its growth trajectory and focus on customer experience, a strategic decision was made to invest in the latest service management technology aimed at enhancing both employee and customer experiences. Following an intense period of growth through acquisition, the business imperative pivoted to ensure all operations in the acquired businesses consolidate into a single standard.

The initiative labelled “One Customer Experience. One Platform” will give Arrow the advantageous capability to quickly integrate acquired businesses onto a future-proofed service management solution. After narrowing down the technology choice to ServiceNow, Arrow selected POPX as the ideal option to de-risk their investment with a fully managed service, run by skilled ServiceNow specialists with experience in the managed services sector.

Jason Briscoe, Chief Operating Officer at Arrow said: “Too much work in our industry is delivered by committed people using manual, isolated processes, and aged tooling. All this leads to frustration, ineffective delivery, inflated overheads, greater risk, and an inability to manage cost and quality, all at the expense of customer satisfaction. As we acquire new businesses, and to help realise the maximum value from those investments, we will integrate them onto the very best service management platform available. In this way, we aim to turn the operations of every part of our growing business into scalable value-creation machines.”

The POPX MSP Platform is designed to accelerate and de-risk digital transformation for Smart MSPs by enabling them to onboard ServiceNow faster, with greater transparency on cost, timescales and added value. The MSP Platform allows tech service providers to consolidate applications, integrate internal and supplier systems, and deliver service automation for key processes. The fully managed service from POPX includes all integrations, development and enhancements, upgrades and maintenance, as well as training and the day-to-day support of running a complex technology.

Richard Burke, CEO at Arrow commented: “Service value and customer experience runs through our DNA and that’s why we wanted to enhance our service proposition to truly deliver on our promises today but ensure we have a platform that scales for tomorrow. With POPX, we can integrate previous and future acquisitions onto one system, resulting in efficient operations that deliver an outstanding customer experience.”

Martin Ford, CEO at POPX said: “Arrow has successfully grown at speed over recent years and as a result, they have been on an extensive digital transformation journey. We’re delighted to be part of that team, operating as a long-term partner that will guide and support them through this next phase of growth and beyond.”

News

Kaseya Makes Billing Painless for its MSP Customers Through ConnectBooster Integration

Kaseya, the leading global provider of unified IT management and security software for managed service providers (MSPs), small to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and mid-market enterprises (MMEs), today announced it has completed the integration of its acquisition of ConnectBooster, the channel’s leader in account receivables automation and secure payment solutions. This acquisition enhances Kaseya’s platform, IT Complete, adding a suite for automated billing and collections.

ConnectBooster automates the collections process for recurring and one-time services in a highly secure and resilient environment. This channel-centric hub integrates with industry-leading tools to reconcile accounts and billing while streamlining back-office activities to save IT professionals significant time and money.

“Every acquisition we make is aimed at making life easier for our MSP customers,” said Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola. “By fully integrating ConnectBooster into IT Complete, we’re able to help free up time for MSPs to focus on growing their businesses, and that ensures they can be more productive and profitable.”

On average, 81% of MSPs wait 60 or more days to get paid. ConnectBooster brings that down to 1.4 days. By automating end-of-month billing, MSPs no longer must chase their customers for payments. As seats fluctuate and billing changes, they don’t have to manually adjust what customers are paying. This frees up time for MSPs who manage their own billing so they can be more efficient, and it also saves costs for those who may have hired someone to handle company billing. ConnectBooster has now been fully integrated with Kaseya BMS and Datto AutoTask.

“We have benefited from ConnectBooster’s ability to save us time and money, and we are thrilled that it is being integrated into Kaseya’s complete platform of software solutions,” said Levon Parker from Ascencion IT, “I’ve seen so much innovation from ConnectBooster in the last few months, and based on our experience with Kaseya previous acquisitions, we fully expect ConnectBooster to bring more innovations to market as a result of increased investment from Kaseya. The combination of Kaseya and ConnectBooster could be really transformational for my business.”

Additionally, customers and partners with ConnectBooster qualify for the Kaseya Global Partner Program, which provides enablement team support, live technical webinars, free passes to industry events, and much more, depending on the level of participation. The program is a tiered system – Silver ($1K+), Gold ($25K), Platinum ($100K) and Blue Diamond ($250K) – with partners moving up depending on their annual spend.

ConnectBooster is the latest addition to Kaseya’s signature platform, IT Complete – a suite of solutions designed to solve MSPs greatest challenges, which are vendor fatigue, lack of technician efficiency, limited software utilisation and budget. The technology, already utilied by many MSPs, improves accuracy and cash flow and eliminates time-consuming accounting tasks. The ConnectBooster payment solution offers deep workflow integrations and automations to allow IT professional to work more efficiently.

ConnectBooster will continue to operate as its existing brand out of its headquarters in Fargo, N.D.

About Kaseya

Kaseya is the leading provider of unified IT & security management software for IT professionals in managed service providers (MSPs) and mid-market enterprises (MMEs). Through its customer-centric approach and renowned support, Kaseya delivers best-in-breed technologies that empower organisations to seamlessly manage IT infrastructure, secure networks, backup critical data, manage service operations, and grow their businesses. Kaseya offers a broad array of IT management solutions, including well-known names: Kaseya, Datto, IT Glue, RapidFire Tools, Unitrends, Spanning Cloud Apps, TruMethods, ID Agent, Graphus and RocketCyber. These innovative solutions fuel Kaseya’s IT Complete platform, which is designed to maximise efficiencies and enable businesses through a single pane of glass. IT Complete empowers IT professionals to centrally command hardware, software, security, data, compliance, operations and more from within a comprehensive, integrated, intelligent (AI utilisation-optimised), and affordable platform. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Kaseya is privately held with a global presence in over 25 countries.

About ConnectBooster

ConnectBooster is a software-as-a-service company based in Fargo, N.D. that provides accounts receivable and payment processing automation. Built by and for MSPs, ConnectBooster helps IT service companies spend less time on billing and collections tasks and optimise cash flow. By integrating with the solutions MSPs rely on—CRM/PSA, quoting and accounting software—ConnectBooster automates tedious and error-prone accounting tasks and automatically collects payment according to variable agreements. The result—MSPs get paid faster and on a more predictable schedule, and with less work.

Carbon Reduction, News

Keysource and ChapmanBDSP Partner to Support the Data Centre Market on the Road to Net Zero Carbon

Keysource, the global data centre design, consultancy and operations specialist, and Chapmanbdsp the global built environment specialist, have formed a partnership that creates a new offer to support clients on the road to net zero carbon emissions in the data centre and critical infrastructure market.

The collaborative service combines both industry leaders’ expertise to provide customers with the ability to measure and manage the full carbon lifecycle of a project, including embodied and operational carbon, along with carbon offset options, whether planning a new build or upgrading an existing facility.

The aim is to give customers the insight of what contributes to a projects whole life carbon and the intervention opportunities available to realise their sustainability goals. The approach and methodology developed provides a transparent and visual way to manage key decision making whilst considering the broader impacts of those options.

Jon Healy, Operations Director at Keysource, commented: “We recognise that measuring and managing embodied carbon needs to form part of a holistic development process, particularly for data centres. This partnership provides customers a combined resource of consultancy and advisory services to complete carbon assessments in parallel with other project drivers. Leveraging our data centre experience, we’re able to provide customers with high impact and feasible opportunities.”

Ray Upjohn, Chief Executive Officer at chapmanbdsp, said: “We see great value in combining our skills in the energy and sustainability arena. Together we’re proud to support the data centre market in overcoming the challenge of achieving net zero.”

 

Healthcare, Healthcare News, Healthcare Tech, News

Softcat awarded multi-million-pound device tender contract with Liverpool University Hospitals

Softcat plc, a leading IT infrastructure solutions and services provider, has been awarded a contract to be the new device partner for Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The £4 million contract will support the opening and operation of Liverpool’s new 640-bed Royal Liverpool University Hospital which is due to open in September 2022.

Softcat will provide end-user devices, peripherals, pre-staging, deployment, engineering, and recycling services.

During this time, Softcat will work as an extension of the Trust’s Digital Services delivery team, joining an ecosystem of partners to deliver modern health-specific solutions, enabling them to meet current demands and challenges and provide a seamless experience for end-users.

The services that Softcat is set to provide are built to be agile, flexible and scalable, and form part of the company’s wider strategy to support digital transformation initiatives within the public health sector.

Softcat is an approved supplier on over 50 UK&I government frameworks, enabling healthcare organisations to obtain the technology they need at the most competitive price, whilst maintaining contractual compliance.

The device contract was awarded to Softcat following a further competition via the Health Trust Europe (HTE) ICT Solutions Framework (ComIT 2 – Complete IT); a framework that offers a broad scope of ICT, including hardware, software and professional services, to support NHS and wider public sector organisations with their procurement requirements in a proficient and cost-effective way.

 

Adam Rice, Public Sector Director at Softcat, said:

“Softcat plc is delighted to be working with the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to support the organisation in achieving true digital transformation. The contract builds on over 10 years’ experience in helping our healthcare and NHS customers deliver a safer, efficient environment for their staff and patients.

 “NHS Trusts are being challenged by the need to transform the way they deliver care, while continuing to manage unprecedented demand. By helping Trusts harness the power of technology, we enable them to meet the challenge head on and improve outcomes, and patient and employee experiences.”

 

Dr Jason Bincalar, Chief Information Officer at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust added:

 “Softcat is a valued strategic partner who bring to the table significant IT experience and great capability.”

 “Providing the best patient and staff experience at the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital was the driving force for the partnership with Softcat. The Trust needed an innovative way to equip the new hospital without compromising the high-quality service that our Digital team provides at our existing hospital sites. Sharing this challenge with Softcat and leveraging their full technology life cycle service has proved to be best approach.”

News, Sustainability

How IT procurement holds the key to a greener business

Written by Tim Westbrook, director at Stone Group

With sustainability rising up the agenda for governments, customers and staff alike, more businesses are committing themselves to a greener and more sustainable future. However, many don’t realise the importance of tackling e-waste if they are to truly make changes to their environmental footprint.

The amount of e-waste generated through 2021 was predicted to total an estimated 57.4 million tonnes – greater than the weight of the Great Wall of China, Earth’s heaviest artificial object. Much of this waste ends up in landfill, being incinerated, hoarded, or illegally traded. If no action is taken, the UK is set to become the biggest e-waste producer in Europe per capita by 2024, according to Spring. And, when you consider that the average business upgrade cycle happens every three to four years, an abundance of devices are deemed surplus to requirements on a regular basis.

According to our own research conducted with almost 1,200 employees, 55% place responsibility for tackling this issue firmly with business, a sentiment shared particularly amongst employees aged 25 to 34 and 24 and under with 82% and 74% respectively believing companies should be doing more to make a difference to the problem of e-waste.

So how can you help to tackle this growing problem?

Stop hoarding!

Now that many businesses are settling into new patterns of hybrid working, it is a great time to conduct an audit of your IT estate as there are likely to be many devices that are no longer required and many that have long been gathering dust in rooms and cupboards.  While you may not think this hoarded kit is of any value, making sure that these are disposed of responsibly can have a huge impact as they can go on to have second lives elsewhere and reduce the need for the manufacturing of new kit – more on this later!

Make, use, recycle

Rather than the traditional ‘take, make, dispose’ approach, a lot can be gained through a more circular ‘make, use, recycle’ route. This puts sustainability at the heart of every stage of the IT equipment’s lifecycle and considers how a business can maximise the lifespan of a product through repair or re-use as well as how they can re-use or recycle products when they reach the end of their lifespan. By doing this thinking up front, it also allows the business to be clearer on specification as they have the kit’s entire lifecycle and cost in mind. What’s more, the added environmental and ethical importance of the procurement process can also act as a barrier or deterrent to those employees that buy equipment outside of the agreed specification and process – an age-old and costly headache which leads to engineers and support teams being unable to sufficiently manage the kit.

Buying new is not the only option

As the saying goes, if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got, so in order to make a difference, change really has to come right at the beginning of the process.  This could include buying remanufactured or refurbished products, an approach that would not only help to lower e-waste but is more cost-effective and also reduces the carbon footprint and environmental impact of manufacturing new products.

Alternatively, lease or buy-back options could also be a more sustainable route, either leasing the equipment you need for a period of time or buying the technology but with a clause in the contract for the supplier to buy-back all or part of the equipment which they can then go on to remanufacture or reuse.

There is still some hesitation from businesses around these sustainable routes, ranging from a fear of receiving inferior products, inadequate guarantees or a belief that they have a shorter shelf life. In truth, refurbished IT equipment is a great way of achieving the specifications a business needs at a lower cost. Reputable sellers offer refurbished equipment in a ‘like-new’ condition and offer warrantees that rival those for new devices.

Consider how to dispose of your unwanted kit

Whilst our research showed that a quarter of businesses were unsure what happened to their e-waste or admitted sending it to landfill, 2 in 5 (41%) organisations were trying to give their kit a second life by donating it to charities or schools and 31% use an IT asset disposal (ITAD) facility. In fact, those using an ITAD facility were not only reaping the benefits of their equipment being recycled or refurbished but cited the ease of the items being collected from their organisation and the fact that they could trust that data was securely wiped from their devices as significant factors behind their choice.

However, if you go down this route it’s vital to check a company’s ITAD accreditations to ensure their service complies with the necessary environmental and health and safety laws and guidelines. It is also a good idea to ensure they can provide a full report and traceability as proof that your equipment has been disposed of responsibly and make sure you choose a provider that guarantees zero waste to landfill.

Make sure it works for you

If any change is to be permanent, then it needs to work for the business and not be a burden. Your ITAD provider should make it easy for you to book collections via an app or website and, contrary to the many providers who charge a premium for collecting old kit, you should in fact look for a company that will offer rebates for your old equipment as many items will hold a residual value. The money you get back for your old kit can then be put towards your new IT purchases or reallocated elsewhere in the business. An increasing number of ITAD providers also now offer refurbished products from major manufacturers, and the option to tailor each machine to your specifications.

If every business was to adopt even one aspect of this circular procurement approach then it would make a significant impact on the world’s sustainability mission.

FInance, News, North of England, Technology

WeDo Business Services continues expansion with takeover of Lucid Networks

Fast-growing WeDo Business Services has expanded with the acquisition of Manchester-based IT services consultancy Lucid Networks.

Lucid is being integrated into the group’s WeDo Digital business, which has a team of more than 50 specialists providing digital innovation, design, development and support services.

The acquisition of Lucid brings to the group a range of IT services, from complex infrastructure projects and cyber security through to back-up hosting solutions and day-to-day IT strategy delivery.

Lucid, which was founded in 2010, was owned by James Balderstone and was based at Manchester Science Park. The business has built a long-standing customer base across the UK. Its workforce has transferred to WeDo Digital’s offices at MediaCityUK in Salford.

WeDo Digital is led by tech entrepreneurs Luke Pilfold-Thomas and Lee Turver, who have more than 25 years’ industry experience between them.

Luke said the acquisition of Lucid further expands the capabilities of WeDo Digital and bolsters the offering of the wider group. Further recruitment for the division is under way in the digital business.

Luke said: “Lee and I recently joined the group to spearhead the development of WeDo Digital, and we are thrilled to bring in the team from Lucid Networks and managed IT services expertise as the next stage in our growth.

“We were looking to increase our digital offering to include more traditional IT managed services and wanted to acquire a north west business with a strong record of customer retention. Lucid has developed and maintained an excellent business and client base over the years, with many of its customer relationships spanning more than a decade, so it fitted the bill perfectly.

“We will continue to offer the highest level of service and technology innovation across applications and infrastructure to its customers to help them build and grow their own businesses, as well as being able to offer this expertise to clients of the wider WeDo group.”

Andrew Livesey and Matthew Catterall, of north west law firm Taylors Solicitors, advised WeDo on its acquisition of Lucid Networks.

Andrew said: “We were very pleased to be asked to continue to provide legal support and advice to WeDo as it continues its expansion with the acquisition of the Lucid Networks business.

“WeDo is continuing to make headlines with its innovative approach to business and it is a great to be trusted advisers to the group. We look forward to working with the team in the future as the business continues to expand.”

Founded in 2019 by Mark Lindsay and Chris Robinson with just four staff, WeDo Business Services has grown organically and through acquisitions.

It now employs almost 100 people across its headquarters in Oldham and offices in Colchester, Sheffield, Swindon and Salford.

The group provides a range of services to small and medium-sized companies, including invoice and trade finance, start-up funding, HR, back office and payroll support, as well as IT and digital services.