Computer Trade Shopper articles from March 2005

Computer Trade Shopper archives from March 2005

An illusion of progress.(Editorial)
March 2, 2005... The use of speed cameras on our dual carriageways sometimes seems to be little more than a money-making ploy, similar to some IT industry practices where constant spend can reap diminishing returns Everyone knows that you're vastly more...

SME sector economies will cause a bloodbath.(Reseller News)
March 2, 2005... Resellers selling commodity PC products into the SME sector face a bloodbath as economies of scale are set to rule, according to Computacenter's CEO Mike Norris. He told delegates at the annual Regent Conference, held in London recently,...

Matrix finalises acquisition of EquIP Tech.(Reseller News)
March 2, 2005... The Matrix Communications Group has finalised its acquisition of distributor EquiP Technology for up to 10.5m [pounds sterling] in cash. The companies have been in talks since December and EquiP will be integrated into Matrix's partner...

Fiorina leaves HP after troubled tenure as CEO.(Reseller News)
March 2, 2005... In the week that Hewlett-Packard was preparing to outline the top UK enterprise accounts that will be taken direct, Carly Fiorina, CEO at the vendor and an advocate of the Dell model was eased out. The end of her five-and-a-half-year reign...

Bell staff reshuffled.(Reseller News)
March 2, 2005... A divisional restructure at Bell Microproducts Europe has resulted in redundancies at the distributor after the integration of the front office with Open PSL and development of enterprise and commercial technology units across the region. ...

Channel urged to grab smart opportunities.(Reseller News)
March 2, 2005... Against a backdrop of the 3GSM event in Cannes, and the continuing movement by major distributors to enter into relationships with mobile phone operators, the channel has been urged to grasp the sales opportunity posed by the emergence of smart...

Public sector contracts criticised by FSB.(Reseller News)
March 2, 2005... The Federation of Small Business (FSB) has called on the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to launch an investigation into the buying practices of the public sector, arguing that smaller companies are not getting a fair share of the public purse....

Cisco to keep charges despite reseller anger.(Reseller News)
March 2, 2005... Cisco has moved to clarify the position of its controversial shared support programme after resellers raised concerns over its legality. While bitter feeling in the Cisco channel has persisted after resellers were warned that conditions of...

C&E knuckles rapped on tackling carousel fraud.(Reseller News)
March 2, 2005... In a blow to Customs & Excise plans to tackle VAT carousel fraud, but a ray of hope to those innocently caught up in it, the European Advocate General has criticised C&E tactics. In 2003 provisions in the budget meant that distributors that...

More than just a beam box.
March 2, 2005... The world of projectors has changed radically over the last couple of years moving into the living room and the boardroom in large numbers. Thanks to reductions in prices, better quality products and more options in size and weight the...

PC has big brand advantage.
March 2, 2005... The desktop market has come in for a severe bashing over the last couple of years with everyone instead being told that mobiles are the bees knees and no one will buy traditional PCs. Whatever you feel about that statement you can probably...

Safe name for securing PCs.
March 2, 2005... Bundled software is one of the most established ways of adding value to hardware giving the user the feeling that they are getting a lot more for their money and that they will be able to hit the ground running when they boot up their system....

Motherboard adds a 'turbo'.
March 2, 2005... Asus is one of the biggest names in motherboards and a vendor that crops up with products across the system builder world offering everything from cubes to graphics cards. What the company is most well known for is where the PC story...

No more hanging on the line.
March 2, 2005... Security is an essential part of IT and one of the challenges for any system administrator allowing everyone access to the network from both inside and outside the organisation at all times. Working 24/7 is now considered the norm and...

Multi-device gets networked.
March 2, 2005... The demand for multifunction devices has grown strongly over the last couple of years as workgroups, SMEs and home users have adopted them as the printing technology of choice. Being able to scan, print, fax and copy from a single device...

Home is where hard disk drives are going.(Computer Trade Shopper round-up)
March 2, 2005... A home of the future populated by hard disk drive devices is a vision shared across the HDD industry against the idea of a single hub connecting to a series of other devices. Alastair Stewart, EMEA sales director at Seagate, said the future...

Shorts.(Computer Trade Shopper round-up)
March 2, 2005... Trust asks a pertinent question when it tables this query: Why use a notebook's awkward touchpad if it is easier to use the new mini mice from Trust? The manufacturer answers that with a range of small and lightweight mice that should be more...

Hardy gardening makes a man for all seasons: Martin Vessey, UK country manager, Access Distribution.(Talking Shop)
March 2, 2005... What are your main responsibilities at the company? As country manager my aim is to develop and manage new initiatives aimed at driving forward the growth of the UK market. What is your background? I have over 20 years experience...

Back to basics: IDC studies trends in IT distribution channels in Western Europe.(Market Overview--Distribution Channels)
March 2, 2005... Over the past few years, Europe's IT distribution channels have faced a stiff challenge trying to grow turnover and maintain profitability against a backdrop of international tension, deteriorating trading conditions, and more cost-conscious...

The tender spot.(Tender Invitations)
March 2, 2005... STAR tender 28231 UK-London: Maintenance and repair of data network equipment This is a list of public authorities that are inviting bids from potential suppliers. Further information is available from Tenders Direct--contact details at...

Visit the Computer Trade Show 12-13 April 2005, make it a date! Countdown to the channel event of the year: be the first to witness new technologies before they hit the market at the Computer Trade Show 2005!(Computer Trade Show)(Calendar)
March 2, 2005... VIP Computer Centre, Microsoft, eSys Distribution UK, Computer Connections, Interface Solutions, Realtime Distribution, Advanced Micro Devices (UK), Aria Technology, Centerprise Distribution, Enta Technologies, KMS Components, and Microtronica...

Manufacturers.(The Directory)
March 2, 2005... MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATIONS PC Association 01763 262987 www.pcassoc.org DATA STORAGE CD-ROM/DVD STORAGE 1st Computer Traders 01827 55555 www.1ct.com Ltd Amacom Technologies 020 8993 7373...

Distributors.(The Directory)
March 2, 2005... DISTRIBUTORS 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 01827 66666 3d Micro Limited 020 7384 1174 020 7736 6033 4Front Network 01635 567299 01923 210910 a A One...

Why can no one stop CNP crime?(EDITORIAL)
March 16, 2005... If a criminal holds up a bank with a double-barrelled shotgun he could get away with 30,000 [pounds sterling] in cash but will face a stiff sentence when caught. Enter the world of the cardholder not present (CNP) fraudster and you can scam...

Apple's retailing switch alienating resellers.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... Reseller fears that Apple's retail and on-line operations would offer customers better pricing and product availability have proved well founded. The retail store opened in late 2004 and while resellers hoped the high-profile Regent Street...

HP aligns with CSG and names accounts.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... Hewlett-Packard has aligned the solution partner organisation (SPO) and the user-facing customer solutions group (CSG) more closely and named approximately 500 direct corporate and enterprise accounts. The channel has been waiting for HP to...

SME resellers seeking slice of public contracts.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... Intellect has kicked off a campaign to help SME resellers win business in the public sector, with an objective that 10 per cent of government IT procurement should come from smaller suppliers. The trade association joins the Federation of...

C&E halts a massive VAT carousel fraud.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... Customs & Excise has revealed that the recent bust of a VAT missing trader fraud, which cost taxpayers in five countries a total of 580m [pounds sterling], was one of the biggest on record. C&E arrested two men--one German national and a...

Matrix fills portfolio gaps and launches a division.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... The Matrix Group is predicting revenues of 80m [pounds sterling] by the end of 2006 as it completes its acquisition of Harrier Group and launches a new division. The firm has paid 4.5m [pounds sterling] for the assets of the Harrier Group...

Notebook pricing causes alarm.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... The channel has expressed concern that the cut-throat pricing strategies employed by notebook vendors over the last 18 months look set to continue in 2005, questioning how much further product prices can fall. All major vendors have been...

Lenovo to put margins in front of revenues.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... With the 1 May deadline for Lenovo's acquisition of IBM hanging over the channel, the PC giant has said that margins will come before revenues for its resellers as it embarks on an aggressive price war with rivals in Europe. Since the...

SIA figures positive.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... Often a good indicator of the performance of the IT industry, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) released figures for January 2005 showing a 17.5 per cent increase in sales compared with the same month last year. Global...

Vertical focus for Microsoft.(RESELLER NEWS)
March 16, 2005... In a bid to encourage business solutions resellers to identify with vertical markets, Microsoft plans to increase support for partners that align themselves with specific sectors. As part of its Project Green strategy, the vendor is...

IPAQ packing envy factor.
March 16, 2005... When Sony announced that it was pulling out of the PDA market outside of Japan partly because of the strength of the smart phone alternative there was a rush to say the PDA was finished. Those arguing that the PDA was doomed pointed not...

Plenty of life left in flash.
March 16, 2005... Flash memory has come a long way in the past few years in terms of capacity and price but there has also been a breakthrough in user acceptance of the technology. Adoption curves always start slowly with a few early tech heads rushing out...

Printer that thinks like a PC.
March 16, 2005... One of the biggest technology successes of the last few years, despite a recession in most of the industry, has been digital photography. Traditional film has been eclipsed in the rush to join the digital revolution, which has seen cameras...

The mother that lies beneath.
March 16, 2005... One of the safest bets at the forthcoming Computer Trade Show is that there will be a lot of systems humming away on various stands and under the hood a large number will be using Gigabyte motherboards. The reason will not just be because...

Firewall with added punch.
March 16, 2005... If you turn up in April at the Information Security show and ask any of the vendors what really keeps their books ticking over the answer will be the bread and butter products; firewalls and VPNs. Despite the tendency of some people in the...

Mono printer has green ideas.
March 16, 2005... The market for desktop printers is fraught with danger because it is easy to end up with a grumpy customer at the end of the phone moaning about the cost of running the machine. It helps to start off with a supplier that has made a...

LG optical products available from VIP computers.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
March 16, 2005... LG Electronics are global market leaders in the manufacture and marketing of optical storage drives. The extensive product range offers some of the fastest data retrieval speeds and, with the high level of investment in R&D, LG Electronics is...

Affordable, quality memory.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
March 16, 2005... A-Data, a leading Taiwanese manufacturer of memory modules and flash products, are renowned for high quality, innovative products and excellent performance. The A-DATA 512MB Mini SD Card[TM] (VIP Order Code: 7108) is an audio and video...

UK market growth expected this year.(round-up)
March 16, 2005... According to the European Information Technology Observatory (EITO) 2005 edition, the EU market is expected to grow by four per cent this year, compared with 0.9 per cent in 2003. The UK is expected to grow even more quickly at 4.6 per cent,...

Getting its pitch in early, VIP Computers has unveiled plans to show more than 25 brands from its extensive range of components, peripherals and lifestyle products, some exclusive to VIP in the UK on two new high-profile stands at the CTS Show next month.(Shorts)
March 16, 2005... Getting its pitch in early, VIP Computers has unveiled plans to show more than 25 brands from its extensive range of components, peripherals and lifestyle products, some exclusive to VIP in the UK on two new high-profile stands at the CTS Show...

Avnet Computing Components is moving into the server business, following a pan-European agreement with manufacturer Tatung.(Shorts)
March 16, 2005... Avnet Computing Components is moving into the server business, following a pan-European agreement with manufacturer Tatung. The distributor will sell Tatung's blade servers, rack-mount servers and storage solutions alongside CPUs, memory and...

Maxdata has taken the wraps off the high-end PRO 8100 IS notebook, which boasts high performance for exacting business demands with multimedia capabilities.(Shorts)
March 16, 2005... Maxdata has taken the wraps off the high-end PRO 8100 IS notebook, which boasts high performance for exacting business demands with multimedia capabilities. Emphasising Intel Centrino mobile technology and the Intel Pentium M processor, the...

Anyone who knows anything about audio-visual will recognise the amazing sales enjoyed by projectors.(Shorts)
March 16, 2005... Anyone who knows anything about audio-visual will recognise the amazing sales enjoyed by projectors. ViewSonic is pitching its PJ552 and PJ562 LCD projectors very much into the home market. Weighing around 2.5kg or less, the projectors boast...

A man always on guard against complacency: James Yates, sales manager at Target Components.(TALKING SHOP)(Interview)
March 16, 2005... What are your main responsibilities at the company? I'm in charge of sales and customer services at Target. It is my job to ensure that our team deliver the best possible products and services to our customers. Do you have a business...

UK VAT cases stall.(MARKET OVERVIEW--CAROUSEL FRAUD)
March 16, 2005... On 16th February 2005, Senor Poiares Maduro, an Advocate General to the European Court of Justice, handed down his opinion in the matter of the three joined cases of Bond House Systems Limited, Optigen Limited and Fulcrum Electronics Limited...

The tender spot.(TENDER INVITATIONS)
March 16, 2005... STAR tender 39701 UK-Sheffield: Computer support services Sun hardware maintenance This is a list of public authorities that are inviting bids from potential suppliers. Further information is available from Tenders Direct--contact...

Manufacturers.(The Directory)(Directory)
March 16, 2005... MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATIONS PC Association 01763 262987 www.pcassoc.org DATA STORAGE CD-ROM/DVD STORAGE 1st Computer Traders 01827 55555 www.lct.com Ltd Amacom Technologies 020 8993 7373 ...

Distributors.(The Directory)(Directory)
March 16, 2005... DISTRIBUTORS 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 01827 66666 3d Micro Limited 020 7384 1174 020 7736 6033 4Front Network 01635 567299 01923 210910 a A One...

The Spring show is set to bloom.(editorial)
March 30, 2005... By all accounts the icy trading conditions the channel endured during the first quarter have started to thaw, but not before time. After a relatively buoyant 2004, there were expectations that stronger sales would continue this year. However...

Channel plus support equals strong growth.(reseller news)
March 30, 2005... Software vendors will have to rely heavily on channel partners if they want to grow, and poor management of resellers can mean terminal decline for those suppliers that get it wrong. Chief executives of European software heavyweights,...

Tech Data profits up.
March 30, 2005... Tech Data, parent company to Computer 2000 and Azlan, reported an increase in sales from $17.4bn (9bn [pounds sterling]) in 2003 to $19.7bn in the year ended 31 January 2005. Profits before tax for the same periods were up from $165m to $235m a...

Technology seen as throwaway.
March 30, 2005... Britain is plagued by a 'throwaway culture' with most people believing that many products are not designed to last a lifetime. Research from Envirowise revealed 65 per cent of those surveyed felt technology did not last as long as it did a...

ASBIS to distribute Foxconn.
March 30, 2005... Components distributor ASBIS has been appointed by Taiwan-based Hon Hal Precision Industry to distribute all products bearing the Foxconn brand. The agreement covers all regions of ASBIS's current operations.

Timely launch.
March 30, 2005... Integra Office Solutions, the office and IT dealer group which represents hundreds of members, has tweaked its structure with the objective of delivering greater support for members.

Computacenter goes Direct.(reseller news)
March 30, 2005... Computacenter is piloting a new division to improve its reach in the cut-throat world of selling PCs into the SME market through low overhead telesales. Speaking to analysts after its recent results, the firm said it had been piloting a...

Secure move by Microsoft.(reseller news)
March 30, 2005... Microsoft has followed its words with action and made its first move into the security channel in the UK with a distribution agreement with InTechnology that will see traditional direct sales go through resellers. InTechnology will sell...

Desktop prices come down to all-time low.(reseller news)
March 30, 2005... More than one third of desktop PCs sold for less than 350 [pounds sterling] in the UK during the final quarter of 2004 as the market shifted towards lower priced units, resulting in the creation of an environment that is ripe for vendor...

Foxconn focuses on UK.
March 30, 2005... As part of plans to build its presence in the UK channel and the wider market, Taiwanese giant Fexconn has appointed component distributor Actebis, with the agreement starting from 4 April. Roger Mather, managing director at the German-owned...

Sony prepares VAIO range.
March 30, 2005... Sony is pushing into the professional notebook market with a range of VAIO products and services aimed at the SMB community. As part of the assault, the vendor will offer business customers a premium warranty scheme in the UK, France and...

Memory in oversupply.
March 30, 2005... An oversupply of memory from the manufacturers has steadily forced down the costs of mainstream memory modules according to analyst Context Price IT purchasing Index, which continually tracks global IT component pricing. Widely used in US...

Foundry replies to criticism.(reseller news)
March 30, 2005... Switch and routing vendor Foundry has defended accusations of not playing fair with the channel after resellers claimed the vendor was taking deals both direct and through preferred partners. One reseller said that a long term customer, of...

Providing channel insights.(reseller news)
March 30, 2005... The details of the line-up for the forthcoming Straight Talk channel event are being finalised, adding to the reasons for resellers to attend this compelling conference next month. For those dealers keen to gain information that will change...

A board that comes with many extras.(cts EXCLUSIVE)
March 30, 2005... As the dust settles following CeBit one thing is clear, those people that made the effort to trawl round the miles of halls would have found it all worthwhile when they got to the Gigabyte stand. I managed to hide under the bed until the...

Tablet technology for those on the move.
March 30, 2005... Tablet PCs have had a mixed press since they were introduced to the market a couple of years ago in a blaze of publicity promising to be all things to all men. That was part of the problem because, as you can imagine, it was not all things...

Little big card sorts the data.
March 30, 2005... The mantra of the modern age is to get more functionality out of smaller form factor hardware and hand the SME customers the sort of performance that the large enterprises have taken for granted for years. The Raid market is no different...

Printers to meet needs of home and work.
March 30, 2005... The world of printing has changed over the last few years with ppm speeds increasing, networking now as standard, and memory and capability shooting through the roof. Two products from separate manufacturers that came into the office...

The case of the big footprint.
March 30, 2005... The difference between those who want to be seen as important and those who actually are comes down to breadth and depth breadth of portfolio and depth of research and development pockets. To use a football analogy, the teams that are likely to...

Spam detector that links into user's AUP.
March 30, 2005... When the scribes come to write about the history of e-mail they will have an interesting time because the technology has gone through several stages of evolution in a very rapid time. Not only is it an essential business tool that it would be...

Speakers that say mini hi-fi.
March 30, 2005... A PC without speakers is like a poor mobile phone connection with something coming through the simple built in woofers, but nowhere near enough to make it a pleasurable experience. One of the largest names in computer speakers is Logitech...

Security must offer value.(round up)
March 30, 2005... If the channel wants to keep the value in selling security there needs to be recognition that customer needs are changing and there is a demand for more than just low prices. That was the message coming out of a security round table hosted...

CTX in alliance with Ergotron.(SHORTS)
March 30, 2005... CTX has signed an exclusive deal with display mounting specialist Ergotron, to offer solutions combining its monitors with mounting arms, stands and mobile carts for LCD and plasma displays and peripherals to UK resellers. This strategic...

Evesham notebook range matches desktops.(SHORTS)
March 30, 2005... With notebooks threatening to eclipse desktops for the first time it is a good moment for Evesham Technology to announce the launch of a notebook range that gives desktop comparable performance in speed and graphics. Starting from 1049 [pounds...

Elite group to increase motherboard sales.(SHORTS)
March 30, 2005... Elitegroup Computer Systems (UK) has signed up a distribution agreement with CMS to increase motherboard sales. The new relationship forms part of ECS' strategic move to maximise the strong growth and tremendous potential of the ECS motherboard...

Quask seeks resellers to build a channel.(SHORTS)
March 30, 2005... Online data collection and form production are Quask's speciality and it is now on the march to build a channel to get more resellers out there selling its products. Freddy May, CEO of Quask, said it was looking for a few good resellers it...

Drink, ski, work and fly! Stuart Green, strategy director at Centreprise International, believes in packing a lot of action into his life, but it is IT that has mode it all possible.(talking shop)
March 30, 2005... WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE COMPANY? Business development, strategy, identifying investment opportunities, project management, public relations, strategic relationships with customers and suppliers--apart from the statutory...

UTM--a new breed of security: the new type of blended threats that the industry faces requires a solution that can integrate multiple features. Oliver Harcourt examines a strong contender.(market overview)
March 30, 2005... As security requirements have increased and evolved over recent years European customers have deployed a wide range of different security products to ensure they are protected. Not only has this led to complex network security architectures of...

The tender spot.(tender invitations)
March 30, 2005... STAR TENDER 47276 UK-Belfast: computer hardware IT hardware with optional installation and related services 43373, TENDER INVITATION UK-London: video surveillance system Air to ground digital down-linking system. ...

Two weeks to go to the big show! Be the first to witness new technologies before they hit the market at the Computer Trade Show 2005!(visit the computer trade show)
March 30, 2005... There is now less than a month to go until the Computer Trade Show (CTB) takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, on 12-13 April 2005. As the only dedicated exhibition for the IT trade, CTS features an exhibition of around 150 exhibitors, as well as...

12-13 april '05, make it a date!
March 30, 2005... Technology Retailer Show Exhibitor List (as of 21 March) Casetec Ltd TR993 CMS Peripherals Ltd TR798 Computer Bookshops ...

Manufacturers.(the directory)
March 30, 2005... NEW LOOK DIRECTORY Also available in digital format To enhance your directory entry and stand out from the rest--call the sales team now on: 020 8652 2020 * 020 8652 2089 PHONE a ...

Distributors.(the directory)
March 30, 2005... PHONE FAX a 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01628 606060 01827 66666 A One Distribution 01275 462260 0161 7633644 Access Keyboards Ltd ...