Comms Dealer

Riverbed is strengthening its partner strategy with updates to existing channel programmes and the introduction of new initiatives such as a track for managed services and a Consulting Partner scheme.

The company is also investing in its value added distributor programme.

"In this transformational time in the IT industry, Riverbed is doubling down on its investment in our partners," said Karl Meulema, Senior VP for Global Channels.

"We are making resource, programme and IP investments designed to engage with our partners at the customer level, build differentiated embedded solutions and services, create a partner services economy, and develop revenue and services opportunities for our partners in the channel-led space.

"Technology including mobile, SaaS and cloud are disrupting business models, providing new ways to engage and connect with customers as well as entirely new routes to market," Meulema added.

"These updates to our partner programme are designed to help our partners make this market shift."

The European Software & Solution Summit 2016 (April 14th London) will reveal insights into the future role of global tracking in IoT markets.

Technavio expects the global tracking-as-a-service market to exceed $1bn by 2020.

Amit Sharma, lead analyst at Technavio for cloud computing research, said: "Economic and cultural globalisation has resulted in the rapid movement of ideas, commerce, people, and assets worldwide. As a result, businesses and people require real-time tracking technology to monitor the movement of people, property, and assets in order to conduct their business safely and efficiently."

The top four emerging trends influencing the global tracking-as-a-service market according to Technavio's ICT research analysts include opportunities for M2M platform providers. M2M platforms offer technologies to connect hardware, networks, software, and services to bring end-to-end tracking and monitoring solutions. Pre-built applications help create solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of a target user group.

The core components of M2M platform include the hardware that is used to capture the location of people and other objects under remote tracking and electronic monitoring. Devices use GPS, A-GPS, and AFLT location technologies to pinpoint location. M2M communications offer added values to domains, such as automotive, health, and consumer electronics, through remote monitoring and control using automated data exchange in real-time. It enables great revenue opportunities for tracking service providers.

M2M companies, such as Maven Systems, SensorLogic, and onAsset intelligence, offer tracking services with IoT. Such services will lead to opportunities for M2M platform providers.

Service providers in the market offer proprietary analytics services for both location-based information and electronic monitoring devices. This involves extraction of information from mobile phones or any other devices that can track location.

Analytics uses location data and past records to forecast early warnings of crimes in the offender monitoring market. Large-scale data analytics is used to pre-empt offenders about to commit a crime. This allows authorities to intervene and contain a potential situation. All these factors have boosted the growth of tracking device companies.

There will be a big shift from CAPEX to OPEX business models, it says. Asset tracking and vehicle tracking solutions are competitive areas as there are many service providers offering similar services. Therefore, to differentiate themselves, tracking service providers are offering services bundled with monitoring, tracking, and analytics services (based on PaaS). This also allows end-users to quickly build customized applications that track and monitor mobile workers and commercial assets.

Customers prefer monitoring services through PaaS owing to cost factors. The high costs involved in the long term have forced customers to use low-cost models or to shift from CAPEX to OPEX for tracking and monitoring services offered through PaaS.

Under the umbrella theme of "Creating Solutions for the Digital Age," the European Software & Solution Summit 2016 will shed light on these trends and examine the impact they will have on European software and solution development and delivery. Conference and breakout sessions will explore trends in Cloud hosting and service delivery, evolving business models, the Internet of Things (IoT), M2M and the impact that the introduction of high speed fixed and mobile communications is having on them and the speed with which they can be leveraged to transform business operations.

Nimans is raising the profile of Asterisk, an open source framework for building communications applications.

It forms the basis of IP PBX systems and VoIP gateways such as Nimans' iQ PBX platform, conference servers and other custom solutions.

"This technology is perfect for resellers who want an all-in-one solution as well as those who prefer to 'get under the bonnet' and create a more bespoke comms platform," said Nimans' iQ Business Manager Judith Addison.

"Today, there are more than one million Asterisk-based communications systems in use
in more than 170 countries. Often deployed by system integrators and developers, Asterisk can become the basis for a complete business phone system, or be used to enhance or extend an existing system, or bridge a gap between systems."

ScanSource Communications Europe is set to launch a new cloud solutions programme under its existing hosted brand VaaS-t following a link-up with data centre and connectivity provider Virtual1.

The hosted solution will be based on Unify's OpenScape Business system.

The move is a response to growing demand for cloud solutions and hosted UC and introduces subscription-based, cost per-user per-month license models with cloud-based, on-premises or hybrid deployment options.

"Many of our resellers were looking at alternative solutions to our on-premises systems as a number of their end user customers have now adopted a cloud-based strategy," stated Paul Emery, Director of Technical and Services, ScanSource Communications Europe.

"We have responded to this market change by establishing our cloud solutions for voice as well as video." 

The UK is the first market to launch new cloud solutions under VaaS-t.  

Analytical data management platform Zizo has become part of Dell's Service Provider Partner programme.

Zizo has signed up to Dell's Service Provider Partner programme in an greement that sees Zizo's analytical data management solution proposed alongside data centre hardware and support provided by Dell.

The company delivers an end-to-end Analytics-as-a-Service platform based on its own patented technology, with customers including the BBC, Marks and Spencer and the Royal Mail in the UK.

Managed service provider 365itms has snapped up IT services, support and training business Deverill.

The deal broadens 365itms's range of technology and services enabling it to provide end?to?end solutions.

The combined organisation will double the size of the company to a £20m turnover business with offices in Poole and Reading.

The enlarged organisation holds a number of vendor accreditations including VMWare, HP, Cisco, Microsoft, Dell, Citrix and a range of other household name manufacturers.

365itms MD Steve Ellis said: "Deverill's infrastructure and managed service capabilities are broad and deep. Our partners and customers will have access to an enhanced range of services and a larger skilled team."

Jay Bradley, Head of Vendor Engagement at Deverill, added: "Two successful companies joining forces in non?competing sectors gives us a great opportunity to build the business."

Nimans opened the door to 18 kids from Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School who were given a guided tour of the company's Manchester HQ.

They also took part in an interactive presentation and learned how a phone system and two-way radios operate, and they got the inside view on video conferencing.

The 10-11-years-old also learned about aspects of Nimans operations including sales, logistics, marketing, purchasing and IT.

Nimans' Sue Goldfine commented: "The children were enthusiastic and keen to discover what makes a big company tick. They asked interesting questions and left with big smiles on their faces having gained valuable experience about working life."

Deputy Head Melanie Kobak added: "The children had a fabulous time. Nimans taught them about telecommunications and various job roles, inspiring some of our pupils to become sales people, warehouse workers and many other jobs."

James Kenn has joined Exponential-e as regional business manager with a remit to drive expansion in the north of England and Scotland.

"Digital infrastructure is at the heart of achieving regional prosperity and we have experienced a strong appetite for our services," stated John Kyrillou, Sales Director at Exponential-e.

"Since opening in Manchester last year we have achieved in the region of 60% increase in revenues. As the UK's vision for a northern powerhouse starts to take hold, we are confident that James will be able to blend his skills in business development, client consultancy and leadership to open up new opportunities for us." 

Kenn brings 15-plus years experience in B2B sales with a focus on managed IT services to enterprise organisations across a number of industries including retail, FMGC, automotive and construction.

Prior to joining Exponential-e he was a Business Development Director at Vodafone where he developed sales strategies for cloud-based managed convergence solutions.

He also spent 14 years at BT where he nurtured CXO relationships for high value accounts, supporting organisations with strategic initiatives including M&A activity.

Kenn said: regional business manager, Exponential-e. "I am confident that I will be able to use Exponential-e's heritage to achieve regional prosperity and support the progression of the brand moving forwards."

Connectivity and co-location company SSE Enterprise Telecoms has become the UK's first national service provider to buy dark fibre capacity over CityFibre's newly acquired long distance network (LDN).

The 15-year agreement secures capacity along a 48 kilometre stretch of network between Reading and Slough and provides SSE Enterprise Telecoms with access to significant additional fibre capacity to better serve their customers.

Colin Sempill, MD of SSE Enterprise Telecoms, said: "It is encouraging to see the breadth of fibre assets available both regionally and nationally from CityFibre. We look forward to a long-term, mutually rewarding relationship as each of our businesses continues to grow rapidly."

Rob Hamlin, Commercial Director at CityFibre added: "This agreement with SSE Enterprise Telecoms marks our first LDN transaction and the beginning of a key trading relationship with a major national service provider."

VIA's on track to take the chequered flag as sponsor of Rick Parfitt Jnr's bid to win the 2016 British GT Championship which kicks off at Brands Hatch on April 17th.

The racer was crowned 2013 GT4 champion and he enjoyed success during last year's British GT Championship as a part of the Ginetta team.

This year he's switched to Team Parker Racing, and his partnership with VIA will see his Bentley Continental GT3 emblazoned with the firm's trademark blue logo.

The seven-race season includes on track showdowns at Rockingham and Silverstone before drawing to a close at Donington Park in September.

Rick Parfitt Jnr said: "To drive a Bentley Continental GT3 for Team Parker Racing is a dream come true and I can't wait for the first race of the season at Brands Hatch. I would like to thank everybody at VIA for their ongoing support."

Iain Worthington, Financial Director at VIA, said: "We are proud to be sponsoring Rick ahead of what promises to be the most exciting British GT Championship to date. We will be cheering him on from the pit lane and it will be a great honour to see our VIA logo pass that chequered flag."