Computer Trade Shopper articles from November 2005

Computer Trade Shopper archives from November 2005

Dell is down but not out.(editorial)
November 9, 2005... I doubt there was a dry eye in the channel last week after Dell announced third quarter revenues would fall short of expectations by up to $400m (228m [pounds sterling]). They would have been tears of laughter, of course, rather than sympathy....

HP and Ingram team up to tackle WEE legislation.(news)
November 9, 2005... Hewlett-Packard and Ingram Micro have struck an agreement to comply with the forthcoming Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive whereby the vendor will pay for the collection and disposal of old kit and the distributor will...

Arrow may consider a UK foray.(news)
November 9, 2005... Following its acquisition of European distributor DNSint.com, the president of Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions has not ruled out the possibility of extending its reach to UK shores. Parent Arrow Electronics has signed an agreement to...

Server price drops beginning to slow.(news)
November 9, 2005... The substantial price declines that have typified the server market in cent times are showing signs of owing, on the back of currency fluctuations and the emergence of next-generation technologies, according to analysts and vendors. The...

Resellers risk losing out as wireless debate heats up.(news)
November 9, 2005... With 3G cards set to be embedded in notebooks by major vendors next year, resellers need to take customers to the heart of the debate about wireless or risk losing out to larger, established voice specialists that are seeking to encroach on the...

Desktops fade as mobiles soar.(news)
November 9, 2005... The UK PC market was one of the slowest growing sectors in Europe during the third quarter, with the only bright spot coming from the retail space where consumers continued to spend on mobile technology. Overall, 2.3 million units were...

Configuring tool not ready yet says Avnet.(news)
November 9, 2005... Avnet Applied Computing Components (SCC) will ramp marketing for its white box server assembly unit next month, after admitting its configuration tool was not yet ready to launch to market. The distributor combined its components and OEM...

No barriers left for wireless connection.(EXCLUSIVE)
November 9, 2005... Wireless Internet connectivity is an aspiration shared by millions of users but what holds them back is getting past the sales hype into a position where they choose the right product. What can be frustrating, enough to send someone...

Wraparound product adds notebook value.
November 9, 2005... One of the best technology inventions of all time must be the USB port. It really is coming into its own now that all machines, whether they be desktop or laptop, come with them fitted as standard. What started as a port to connect mice and...

Wireless keyboard hits comfort spot.
November 9, 2005... You don't have to be a CTS reviewer punching a keyboard with fat fingers all day to understand the benefit of using a good keyboard. Not only is comfort at a premium but also increasingly with the rise of the media centre and the...

Motherboard solution is a real work of art.
November 9, 2005... It has been a while since a Gigabyte product graced the review pages of CTS and that absence has been too long, with the brand such an important one in the system builder world. During the gap between the last review of a Gigabyte product...

Label printing on hand at all times.
November 9, 2005... One of the big advances in printing back in the 1980s was the introduction of small form factor printers that could be carried around and used for all sorts of innovative things like bar codes. The problem back then was that the technology was...

'No wires' connecting for the road warrior.
November 9, 2005... At a recent family get together the ease of connecting to someone else's broadband connection was demonstrated in an all too direct way. As my brother-in-law got out his latest toy--a laptop he had bought on an HCI scheme--he sat back and...

Flash drive sets the benchmark.
November 9, 2005... There are more USB flash drives around these days than you could count on the legs of a millipede and working out what makes a good one is not always simple. However, the Sony Microvault stands out. If you judge this product category on...

Gates vision boosts HDD.(round up)
November 9, 2005... The storage industry has welcomed the vision set out by Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect at Microsoft, that CDs and DVDs will be obsolete within the next few years. The alternatives to storing digital files on discs is to...

IPod accessory hits the bass notes.(SHORTS)
November 9, 2005... NEUTAC has launched a low cost but top quality, portable Pod Station, which is an audio docking device that enables iPod users to listen to their music, anywhere, through high quality speakers, rather than just their personal headphones. The...

Laptop meets work and entertainment needs.(SHORTS)
November 9, 2005... Check the analyst figures and one of the biggest sellers of laptops is Acer so there will be interest in the Aspire 9500 series, a family of Sonoma-powered, 17in wide-screen notebooks designed to suit the work and entertainment needs of private...

Belinea designs for multimedia use.(SHORTS)
November 9, 2005... MAXDATA has taken the wraps off its first widescreen display:The Belinea 10 20 35 W with its 20.1 in wide-screen format and high resolution occupies the niche between 19in and 20in in the TFT range. The manufacturer is aiming for those users...

Powerful software to drive PCTV.(SHORTS)
November 9, 2005... Pinnacle Systems has launched its TVCenter, the software that powers its entry-level PCTV internal and external range of products. Amongst other features, Pinnacle TVCenter allows the user to access Internet radio stations, to get the most out...

A little knowledge can sell big: with increasing competition the market should be getting tougher for smaller resellers but instead they are thriving by selling on their strengths--providing a personal service, knowing their business and fixing problems quickly.(analysis)
November 9, 2005... With falling margins and more competition, often the assumption is that the days of the smaller reseller are numbered. But they are still here, so there is clearly some way of staying in business--even when the smart money said they wouldn't...

High flyer: some of us might choose to unwind over a glass of wine, but Graham O'Reilly, UK sales manager at the Formjet Group, finds jumping out of planes a relaxing pastime and describes it as "the best feeling in the world".(talking shop)(Interview)
November 9, 2005... WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE COMPANY? I'm sales manager for the Formjet Group, representing Ability Software and Panda Software. DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS MAXIM? My attitude has always been friendly but focused. I try to...

Big Blue offers desktop alternative: IBM has developed servers which it claims can each do the work of 20 PCs, offering companies greater control by taking computing away from the desktop.(product roadmap)
November 9, 2005... IBM has begun its latest attempt to wean businesses away from the personal computers that have dominated the office landscape for 20 years. The strategy involves using blade servers, which can each provide the computing power of around 20...

A handful of growth: mobile phone manufacturers such us Motorola and Nokia ore addressing the enterprise market for growth.(market overview)
November 9, 2005... The mobile enterprise market is about to receive a huge boost from massive investment and interest on the part of giant mobile phone makers such as Motorola and Nokia. The spearhead of Motorola's attack on the mobile enterprise market will...

Is the desktop going out off fashion? The traditional desktop PC is under threat from products such as thin clients and notebook computers. Danny Brad bury looks at how PC usage models and designs are changing to pep up the market.
November 9, 2005... When Granville Technology died in July, it took the popular UK PC brandsTime Computers and Tiny with it. Granville, which had self saved Tiny from bankruptcy when it purchased it in 2002, was scooped up by rival Watford, which competes with...

Time is of the essence: with the deadline for getting local government 100 per cent e-enabled looming, Jane Dudman discovers there ore still doubts about whether all local authorities will meet the Government target on time and further doubts about ongoing development once funding is withdrawn.
November 9, 2005... This is a critical time for the local government ICT market. The deadline for e-enabling local government services is approaching fast. In August, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) gave an upbeat assessment of the situation,...

Manufacturers.(Directory)
November 9, 2005... manufacturers 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 www.1ct.com Acer (UK) Ltd 01753 699200 www.aceruk.co.uk ACME Technology Ltd 020 89633300 www.acmetech.co.uk Actebis Computers 01793 890222...

Distributors.(Directory)
November 9, 2005... distributors PHONE FAX a 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 01827 66666 A One Distribution 0161 7633633 0161 7633644 Access...

The teachings of the clueless.(editorial)
November 23, 2005... Winco was his name--presumably in reference to a glorious past in the BAF--his real name long since lost to his pupils and fellow teachers. He'd probably forgotten it himself. Winco would enter the classroom, stride up to the blackboard and...

Dell gets in on the act as AMD boosts channel market share.(news)
November 23, 2005... With Dell now selling AMD Athlon 64 processors on-line, research has shown the chip giant grew its third-quarter share of PCs sold by resellers in Europe's top seven economies by 50 per cent, compared to the same period a year ago. The...

Channel welcomes the latest Microsoft competencies.(news)
November 23, 2005... Microsoft has introduced four new competencies with the aim of offering further reseller differentiation and preparing partners to take advantage of technology changes.The four competencies--custom development, mobility, licensing and OEM...

Credit card fraudsters are turning to CNP.(news)
November 23, 2005... Chip and PIN technology has forced criminals to seek easier ways to exploit credit cards, resulting in a significant rise in the level of cardholder not present (CNP) scams, but further measures to help businesses tackle the fraud remain a long...

Hugh Symons checks out of PC space.(news)
November 23, 2005... Hugh Symons has bowed out of the system builder market Iafter selling its Centrex brand of PCs to logistics and technical support company Techsmart, leading some to question the future for local assemblers that continue to focus only on...

HP addresses Smart issues.
November 23, 2005... Hewlett-Packard is ironing out teething problems faced by resellers trying to log onto the Smart Portal and Smart Sales Web sites it launched to provide partners with up-to-date product information and availability. Unveiled last week, Smart...

Reseller suffers 15K [pounds sterling] losses after break-in.
November 23, 2005... Trowbridge-based reseller Problem Solving Solutions (PSS) Enterprise lost over 15,000 [pounds sterling] worth of mainly Sun Micmsystems and Cisco equipment after a break-in on 6 November. A spokesman for Wiltshire Police confirmed that...

Intechnology files losses.
November 23, 2005... InTechnology reported pre-tax losses of 11.7m [pounds sterling] for the six months to 30 September, compared with pre-tax profits of 200,000 [pounds sterling] last year, CEO Peter Wilkinson said: "InTechnology's specialist distribution division...

When cool means a safe temperature.(cts: EXCLUSIVE)
November 23, 2005... If there is one feature that users will no longer tolerate it is noisy fans trying to reduce the heat levels around the most vital components. One of the big problems the industry has found with the move to the digital lounge is that films...

Laptop sold on style and something extra.
November 23, 2005... When was the last time you saw a laptop with a red shell that once opened offered a large screen and a keyboard that your fingers could glide across? Add to that design features that you might not have come across before and speakers that...

Dual-core takes graphics to max.
November 23, 2005... It's not until you really start to think about why you would need dual-core that it makes sense and once the penny drops there is no turning back. One distributor painted a picture the other week of a system suffering as it tried to block...

Security backed up by hourly updates.
November 23, 2005... The world of security never stays the same for long and different threats emerge all the time making software that is out of date about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Those pesky virus writers just keep coming up with new ways to get...

Graphics card to catch the eye.
November 23, 2005... There must be something about this time of year that gets the conveyor belts in the graphic card factories moving at double speed. It must be the threat that the gamers won't have anything to get delivered from Santa. We all know that...

Getting the PC build right just got easier.
November 23, 2005... These days putting together a top notch PC is nowhere near as difficult as it used to be but getting it right still requires a dedication to putting in top quality components as well as having support from a channel provider able to understand...

This cheeky case is ready to party.
November 23, 2005... At the end of seven seconds you have either made the right impression or lost it and what applies to people also applies to desktop PCs and ugly grey boxes have had their day. These days a great deal of choice exists in the category of cases...

Digital presents a challenge.(round up)
November 23, 2005... The challenge for hardware resellers in 2006 could not be clearer, with those aiming to grow revenues and protect the future being pointed firmly in the direction of the digital market. According to research covering the European and UK...

SAS storage for servers.(SHORTS)
November 23, 2005... Microtronica and Supermicro Computer, a manufacturer of motherboards, chassis and server solutions, have joined forces to deliver Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) solutions for the server market. The availability of these Supermicro SAS solutions...

A handful of features.(SHORTS)
November 23, 2005... ASUSTeK Computer has taken the wraps off its MyPal A636 and A632 PDAs. The latest models feature full GPS capability, utilising the SiRF Star Ill GPS chip and providing outstanding GPS performance. Compact and easy to use, both models can be...

VIP diversifies range with ViewSonic addition.(SHORTS)
November 23, 2005... VIP Computer Centre is introducing ViewSonic displays to its product portfolio. VIP has now added ViewSonic's Xtreme LCD monitors to its portfolio as they provide optimum solutions for the gaming market by providing lightning-fast response...

Contracts without complications: from a channel perspective, mobility needs to incorporate a raft of services delivered as a total solution.(analysis)
November 23, 2005... Businesses face mounting pressure to make workforces more productive and cut fixed property costs, which can be substantial--an area where mobile technology comes into its own. From a channel perspective, mobility should incorporate hardware,...

Determined to have fun: work hard, but play harder is the maxim of Bekki Jones, account manager at PGE Corporation, but when it comes down to relaxing she won't give much away.(talking shop)
November 23, 2005... WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE COMPANY? I currently support the sales team, but I am being groomed to manage the AMW account. DOYOU HAVE A BUSINESS MAXIM? Work hard, then play harder. You have to be happy in your job,...

A year in the life of PC vendors: channel analyst context provides an overview of the performance of the desktop and notebook markets.(in focus)
November 23, 2005... An overview of total unit sales for both form factors from September 2004 to September 2005 Sep-04 Oct-04 Nov-04 Dec-04 Jan-05 Feb-05 Desktops 219,427 239,325 214,962 253,832 218,051 189,345...

Strong growth points to price war: Fierce competition in the retail channel resulted in improved soles for all major suppliers. There was a shift towards notebook sales and third quarter figures were boosted by demand in the education sector.(market overview)
November 23, 2005... Buoyant activity in the back-to-school season and aggressive promotion campaigns from all major players livened up the UK PC market in the third quarter, with shipments growing at 12.5 per cent year on year. Attractive price points coupled...

Slow corporate sales hit monitors: a review of the ever changing UK monitor market where CRT volumes continue to fall away, with an analysis of sales made in Q3 this year.(monitoring trends)(Industry Overview)
November 23, 2005... Desktop monitor shipments traditionally increase in Q3 following the slowest of the summer months and, for the UK, this year sales were indeed up--but only slightly. Unit sales rose by just 3.4 per cent compared to the previous quarter but...

Managing mobility, making margins: is mobility still high on the activity and revenue agenda for resellers in the UK, especially with the Christmas season approaching? That's the big question Davey Winder has been asking industry players.
November 23, 2005... Just how fragile is the mobile economy from the channel perspective? It's an interesting question that tends to elicit a defensive and resounding response from the industry. A typical view comes from Chris Buist, CEO of flyingSPARK, who says...

Manufacturers.(Directory)
November 23, 2005... Manufacturers PHONE WEB a HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 www.1ct.com Acer (UK) Ltd 01753 699200 www.aceruk.co.uk ACME...

Distributors.(Directory)
November 23, 2005... Distributors PHONE FAX WEB a 1st Computer Traders 01827 55555 01827 66666 www.1ct.com Ltd A One Distribution 0161 7633633 0161 7633644 www.aone.co.uk Access Keyboards...