Comms Dealer

Logicalis UK has unveiled four new Logicalis Optimal Services, creating a wider choice of consumption and operational models for its customers in core areas of both infrastructure and business collaboration.

The services provide consumption of Data Centre, Networking/Security, Business Video and Collaboration services, and are available immediately.

Mark Best, Logicalis UK Services Director, said: "These services give our customers more choice, more flexibility, and greater access to digital platforms, as well as a faster time to delivering business results.

"Being able to access the latest in cloud IaaS at the touch of a button, accelerate business collaboration, or even deploy large enterprise class networks through cloud services is bringing in a new era of business aligned IT services."

Distributor Steljes, which has been in operation for 28 years, has called in the administrators following a period of cash flow difficulties, it is reported.

It is also reported that changes to an agreement with vendor SMART, a relationship Steljes was reliant upon, tipped the balance towards receivership.

When the warning signed were first registered Steljes made redundancies but these were not enough to offset losses.

Avaya is reportedly considering an asset sale to ease its $6bn debt burden.

It is reported that the vendor's private equity owners Silver Lake Partners LP and TPG Capital LP are exploring a sale that could value the business somewhere between $6bn and $10bn.

In an earnings conference call Avaya CEO Kevin Kennedy said that Goldman Sachs is helping the firm to 'evaluate expressions of interest that have been received relative to specific assets, as well as explore other potential strategic opportunities'.

Avaya is experiencing strong cash flow, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation last year of circa $900m. But the vendor is being pushed into loss by an interest expense of $400m-plus every year.

Microsoft has started a venture capital fund to pursue early-stage technology investments, including cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

The new fund is called Microsoft Ventures, not to be confused with the existing group by that name, a startup accelerator that will be renamed Microsoft Accelerator.

The new Microsoft Ventures will sit on a continuum between Microsoft Accelerator and the company's bigger, more traditional M&A activity.

The company has typically invested alongside commercial deals, so the new creation is a move to an earlier part of the process. The unit will open offices in San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Tel Aviv and will be run by Nagraj Kashyap and Peggy Johnson, both veterans of Qualcomm.

Tech Data's Q1 2017 results show it undergoing some repositioning, but also taking advantage of the extra product lines.

Europe continues to make up some 60% of total sales. The share price has risen after it indicated mixed fortunes and changing strategies.

On a constant currency basis, and excluding a small amount of sales from South America that it sold in March off last year, worldwide sales increased 2%.

In Europe, Q1 sales were $3.6 billion, up 1% on both a reported and constant currency basis.

"Despite facing a slightly softer demand environment, most notably, in the mobility market, our European team capitalised on pockets of strength, taking share in select product categories and geographies. At a country level, the UK, Germany and Switzerland delivered solid growth during Q1," said CEO Bob Dutkowsky.

At a product level, European operations posted sales growth in broadline products, including notebooks, ultrabooks and tablet PCs, as well as software, consumer electronics and security products. This growth was offset by lower sales in mobility and datacenter products.

"The portfolio of Tech Data's business has changed over the last few years as we have driven into more of the retail with new products from new vendors, and so we become slightly more second half oriented, than we have been historically, and I see that continuing," added Dutkowsky.

"In Europe, software had an unexpected dip in demand in Q1, resulting in sales that came in at the low end of our guidance range. Despite an uncertain and mixed demand environment, the team executed well, outgrowing the market in a number of product categories and countries.

"Strong sales on broadline products were largely offset by a sharp decline in mobility products across most of our handset vendors."

Ingram Micro's VP and MD in Australia, Matt Sanderson, has been appointed Country Chief Executive at Ingram Micro UK&I as of July.

He has previously worked at both local country and regional level in EMEA, leading Ingram Micro UK&I to three years of growth between 2010-2013.

The announcement comes as current UK&I Chief Country Executive, Brent McCarty, returns to the US to lead Ingram Micro's global sales.

Exclusive Networks is to distribute SentinelOne products in Europe. Their plan is to replace the 'Old Guard' of legacy antivirus software and provide organisations with a standalone approach to endpoint security that combines behavioural-based detection of both known and unknown threats, with automated mitigation and forensic tools to defeat attacks that employ a combination of advanced techniques within malware, exploits, or insecure scripts.

"Bringing our solution to these key European markets is a significant step toward changing the face of endpoint protection on a global scale," claimed SentinelOne CEO and co-founder Tomer Weingarten. "We're fortunate to have Exclusive Networks alongside for this effort."

Barrie Desmond, COO at Exclusive, added: "Traditional antivirus products are continuing to fail millions of enterprise customers."

Wallix, the security software company offering privileged access management solutions for large and medium enterprises, public organisations and cloud service providers, has appointed IT security distributor Distology in the UK.

Paris-based Wallix grew by 44% in the second half of 2015 and aims to boost lead generation capabilities, pre and post-sales support and add dedicated channel resource in the UK.

Wallix is Distology's first vendor focused on the privileged access management (PAM) sector, one of the fastest growing technology areas in the cybersecurity solutions market.

Key drivers in the market are worries around internal IT security risks, password management, granting access to third parties or contractors, compliance with regulatory requirements and the governance of privileged access, monitoring and traceability.

Launched in January 2016, Wallix's main product, the WAB Suite will join Distology's portfolio of software vendors that are focused on the computer security market.

Hayley Roberts, MD, Distology, said: "Concerns around data breaches and compliance, such as the requirements imposed by the EU data protection law, the GDPR, are key factors driving uptake in the privileged access management market. Wallix enables us to extend the offering into this critical area of enterprise security."

Bruce Jubb, Regional Director for UK Ireland & the Nordics, Wallix, said: "We have ambitious growth plans in the UK."

Pennine Telecom has partnered with East Lancashire Railway in a new sponsorship deal.

The data, networking and telecommunications specialist has signed a three-year agreement which will provide it with a strong promotional presence in and around its home town.

Under the terms of the deal, Pennine will secure up to 20 poster sites at any one time across the railway's six stations and The Trackside pub at its Bury Bolton Street hub. In addition, the company's logo will feature on the ELR's main timetable leaflet and website and it will enjoy benefits such as exclusive use of the railway's 1920s Observation carriage.

Commenting on the company's decision to again offer financial support to the railway, Pennine's MD Andrew Roberts said: "We've already enjoyed a terrific and rewarding relationship with the East Lancashire Railway and can only see that becoming stronger as the attraction grows ever more popular.

"Like the ELR, we're also very proud of Bury, it's heritage and its sense of community. The railway thrives only through the support of its many volunteers and commercial partners."

BroadSoft has acquired Virginia-based Intellinote, an enterprise messaging-based team communication and collaboration software application.

"The consumerisation of IT, shadow IT and the rise of millennials in the workforce have upended traditional business and communication models. Users are now in control but today's point solutions are inadequate and lack integration, leading to scattered communications, ineffective meetings and fragmented workflows," said Taher Behbehani, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, BroadSoft.

"BroadSoft's Project Tempo envisions an integrated, contextual and mobile collaboration experience, so individuals and teams can work the way they want and focus on areas where they can make the greatest impact. The Intellinote acquisition helps us realise this vision."