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PAGE 29 Gareth Long and Voiceworks UK prepare to shake up UC market Q&A
PAGE 34 Could LEO satellite be the next big opportunity in connectivity? ROUNDTABLE
PAGE 40 Sharp UK to boost investment in AI, business applications and AV MANAGED SERVICES
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CONTENTS
ISSN 2632-9301 (Print) ISSN 2632-931X (Online)
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Now that the clocks have turned back, the leaves are turning and the evenings are drawing in, it is tempting to look back over everything that has happened in the year, celebrate what has gone well and try to take lessons from what hasn’t. Here at Kingswood Media, the former includes the PrintIT Reseller Autumn Roadshows, which we have taken to Coventry, Bristol and Manchester, enabling MSPs and resellers
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04 Distribution News
32 Events
Who’s partnering with whom?
All the winners from the last two rounds of the PrintIT and Technology Reseller Golf Society 34 Roundtable Could LEO satellite be the next opportunity in connectivity?
10 Distribution
Jason Chibnall, Managing Director of Hammer Distribution, on the challenges and successes of the last 12 months
12 Reseller News
David Dungay reports from a recent Comms365 roundtable 37 Communications What we learned at Gammaverse ‘26 38 Tech Digest New products for MSPs and their customers 40 Managed Services Technology Reseller
The latest MSP acquisitions and partnerships
throughout the country to discuss commercial
opportunities with leading vendors. Such has been the success of these events that we are planning an expanded programme in 2027. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, please let us know about your achievements, preferably by entering the Technology Reseller Awards 2027, which next year are taking place on May 20. The website with all the categories, entry criteria and other details will be going live in the next few days. To find out all you need to know about entering before the deadline of February 19 2027, visit https:// technologyresellerawards. co.uk and keep reading Technology Reseller. James Goulding Editor, Technology Reseller
20 MSPs
What are the opportunities in AI governance- as-a-service? Kaseya’s Greg Jones shares his thoughts Leadership Your customers have questions about Microsoft AI. Build
21 Thought
talks to Sharp UK CEO Stuart Sykes about the company’s transformation into a provider of workplace technology and managed services 44 People New faces, new places
the answers with Arrow.
29 Q&A
Technology Reseller talks to Gareth Long about Voiceworks’ first year in the UK
Events & Commercial activities: Paul Johnson 01732 759725 · paul@binfo.co.uk Account Manager: Jeff Root 01732 759725 · jeff@binfo.co.uk Sales Executive: Evan Jenner 01732 759725 · Sales@binfo.co.uk Designer: Brian Cloke 07484 288189 · brian@binfo.co.uk
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DISTRIBUTOR NEWS
such as GenAI Protection and Cyber Employee; and MSP Operations that help partners scale recurring revenue without adding operational overhead (RMM, PSA and Workflow Automation). Dominic Ryles, Director of Cyber and Cloud at
Dominic Ryles
Hammer Distribution, said: “This partnership is a genuine step forward for our partner network. Bringing together Hammer’s channel expertise and Acronis’s innovation in GenAI and XDR gives our partners a real competitive advantage – not just new products to sell, but an automated framework to secure and future-proof their clients’ businesses.” … Nebius-powered AI IaaS TD SYNNEX is providing partners across Europe with AI Infrastructure-as-a-Service (AI IaaS) through a new agreement with AI cloud provider Nebius. The combination of Nebius AI Cloud, an NVIDIA-powered AI platform for AI training and inference workloads, and a flexible consumption model enables partners to rapidly provision enterprise-grade AI infrastructure and access NVIDIA GPU capacity without upfront investment. Craig Smith, Vice President, Data, AI & Applications, Europe at TD SYNNEX, said: “Nebius adds an important capability to our AI portfolio by providing immediate access to the infrastructure required to move AI projects from proof of concept into production. Combined with the training, enablement and go-to-market support available through our Destination AI programme, partners can accelerate customer AI adoption while reducing the investment and complexity traditionally associated with AI deployments.” www.TDSYNNEX.com … Euro Options adds Zyxel Networks to vendor portfolio Zyxel Networks has appointed Euro Options, a specialist distributor of networking solutions, to provide additional Craig Smith
Smart Technologies and Legrand | AV turn to TD SYNNEX Maverick TD SYNNEX Maverick, the specialist collaboration, digital signage and unified communications
revenue growth of 3.1% in Q1 2027 and 2.0% in Q2. Over the same period, value growth is forecast to grow at 7% and 3%; volumes are expected to remain flat in Q1 before rising by 1% in Q2. The outlook indicates that higher-value categories will continue to support the market into 2027, although the gap between value and volume is expected to narrow as growth returns to more normal levels. … Hammer Distribution enhances cybersecurity offering with Acronis Value-added distributor Hammer Distribution is enhancing its cybersecurity offering through a strategic partnership with Acronis. Supported by Hammer’s expertise in onboarding support, technical training and active pipeline development, partners will have access to: advanced cybersecurity (EDR, MDR, XDR, email security, security posture management, security awareness training and Data Loss Prevention); next-generation infrastructure, including Cyber Frame, a new solution built for the demands of modern IT environments; GenAI Services, including AI-native capabilities designed to augment and accelerate security operations, Ireland at TD SYNNEX Maverick, said: “SMART Technologies is a highly significant and strategic addition to the TD SYNNEX Maverick portfolio that will add further momentum to our growing presence in the education market. We will be working closely with SMART Technologies to ensure we meet the needs of their partners serving all levels of education, the wider public sector and the business market.” TD SYNNEX Maverick has also extended an existing European relationship with Legrand | AV to the UK and Ireland, giving IT resellers and AV integrators on this side of the Channel access to AV accessories, connectivity and display solutions from Legrand | AV brands such as Chief, C2G, Da-Lite, Middle Atlantic, Luxul and Vaddio. https://uk.tdsynnex.com/
business within TD SYNNEX, has expanded its UK offering through a new distribution agreement with SMART Technologies and an expanded one with Legrand | AV. Its agreement with SMART will see it distribute the company’s full range of interactive solutions for classrooms and meeting rooms, including SMART Board interactive displays, Lumio
and SMART Notebook learning software, iQ embedded computing and accessories. Mark Glasspool, Senior Director, UK and
Mark Glasspool
CONTEXT raises 2026 European IT distribution growth forecast Global market intelligence firm CONTEXT has raised its forecast for European IT distribution revenue growth in 2026 to 7.5%, following a 5.2% increase in European IT distribution revenue in 2025 and stronger than expected performance during the first half of the year. The sector’s strongest annual growth rate since 2020 is being led by higher-value technology categories, including enterprise and infrastructure products, rather than the volume categories that make up much of the broader IT market. Revenue from value-led categories rose by 14% in Q1 and 20% in Q2, while volume-led categories grew by 6% and 9% respectively. Anthony Frot, Research Director at CONTEXT, said: “Much of the market’s strength is coming from value rather than a comparable expansion in unit volumes. For vendors, distributors and resellers, this means the opportunity remains real, but planning needs to account for a market where revenue can look considerably stronger than underlying demand.” CONTEXT expects momentum to weaken in the first half of 2027, with European IT distribution
availability and support for its full range of multi-gigabit switches, WiFi access points, unified security gateways and 5G routers. Rachel Rothwell, Senior Director of Zyxel Networks, said: “We will be working closely with Euro Options to
Rachel Rothwell
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Voice by Gamma now available from Westcoast Cloud UK cloud distributor Westcoast Cloud, part of the ALSO Group, has expanded its Microsoft Teams voice offering with the addition of Voice by Gamma, which uses the Microsoft operator- certified programme Microsoft Operator Connect to connect Teams to the public telephone network. Voice by Gamma gives Westcoast Cloud partners a simple way to provide Microsoft Teams‑integrated calling services to their customer base and create recurring revenue opportunities through voice. Westcoast Cloud partners will be able to provision and sell Voice by Gamma through the Westcoast Cloud marketplace, with Teams- integrated calling and unlimited UK and international minutes bundled into a single SKU. This gives partners
reach even further into the SMB and MSP partner community. Together we will ensure that Zyxel Networks partners have everything they need to deliver great service to their end-user customers and keep on growing their networking solutions and managed services business.” As well as meeting the needs of existing partners, Euro Options will offer accelerated on‑boarding to new resellers and MSPs. … Elovade debuts AI Technologies category with nexos.ai and Rencore signings Elovade UK&I has added an AI Technologies category to its portfolio to help MSPs build standardised, recurring Managed AI Services. CEO Philip Weber said: “AI presents a tremendous opportunity for our MSPs and IT service providers to strategically evolve their business models and build new service offerings. Now is the time to lay the right foundations and gradually make AI an integral part of their services business. With our new ‘AI Technologies’ category, we are combining a carefully selected vendor portfolio with expertise and enablement to support our partners on their journey towards becoming Next Gen MSPs.” At launch, the focus is on the productive and controlled use of AI and governance and transparency across existing IT environments. The first two vendors in the AI category are: nexos.ai, which provides centrally managed access to more than 200 AI models via a
single platform, enabling businesses to integrate different models into day- to-day work, applications and automated workflows while centrally managing access, usage, costs and governance; and Rencore, which provides governance and transparency across
Philip Weber
resources, access rights and risks for Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Copilot and AI agents. In the coming months, Elovade plans to add other vendors to the category and broaden the AI support available to partners. https://elovade.co.uk/ai-category A silent auction and donations from 250 guests at its Annual Partner Conference in London on September 23 and 24 took the total funds raised by Elovade UK & Ireland for the Ash Family Row in aid of Suicide&Co to more than £25,000, meaning that the distributor is now just £5,000 short of its £30,000 fund-raising target. By rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in memory of Robert, a husband, father and friend lost to suicide in September 2023, the Ash family are aiming to raise £500,000 for the only national charity to provide specialist support for people bereaved by suicide. https://www.ashfamilyrow.com/ suicideandco.org
a simpler alternative to traditional per-minute billing, with more predictable calling costs for customers and less administrative complexity. Chris Wade, Chief Marketing and Product Officer at Gamma, said:
Chris Wade
“For many partners, the next growth opportunity isn’t about finding an entirely new customer. It’s about creating more value within the Microsoft relationships they already have. Voice is a natural part of that opportunity, particularly as more businesses move their communications into Teams. This partnership is about making that opportunity easier to capture. Westcoast Cloud has the Microsoft ecosystem, partner relationships and route to market. Gamma brings the voice infrastructure and expertise. Bringing those strengths together gives partners a stronger way to grow their Microsoft practice and build recurring revenue around a service their customers increasingly need.” … Arrow Electronics joins Nutanix Elevate Service Provider Program Arrow Electronics has joined the Nutanix Elevate Service Provider Program as an authorised Service Provider Aggregator for EMEA, including the UK & Ireland. Acting as intermediaries between Nutanix and service providers,
Exertis Ireland to distribute Acer commercial Chromebooks
Damian Guerin, Managing Director of Exertis Ireland, said: “Having built a fantastic consumer partnership with Acer, expanding into their commercial Chromebook offering is a natural and timely progression. Irish resellers are continually looking for scalable, secure hardware options for schools and commercial clients. Acer’s Chromebook lineup hits the mark on performance, durability and value.” ireland.compute@exertis.com
aggregators are selected for their ability to deliver
consumption-based pricing and support service providers through recruitment, onboarding, activation and growth. Mike Worby, Head of Strategic Alliances EMEA for Arrow’s Enterprise Computing Solutions Business, said: “Joining the Nutanix Elevate Mike Worby
Acer UK has expanded its existing relationship with Exertis Ireland to include the company’s commercial Chromebooks, as well as its consumer models, enabling Irish resellers and MSPs to meet growing demand for ChromeOS solutions in the education and wider enterprise sectors.
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Service Provider Program enhances our ability to support channel partners delivering as-a-service solutions. Through this programme, Arrow brings greater commercial flexibility and access to Nutanix technologies that help service providers simplify operations, scale faster and strengthen recurring revenue models across EMEA.” arrow.com … WithSecure extends reach with e92plus Cybersecurity VAD e92plus is bringing WithSecure’s threat protection portfolio to its channel network across the UK and Ireland, with a particular focus on enabling MSP partners. As part of the partnership, e92plus will provide MSPs with the training, technical enablement and go-to-market support needed to build managed security services powered by WithSecure, alongside marketing resources designed specifically for MSPs. WithSecure’s Elements protection platform combines detection and response capabilities (XDR, MDR and exposure management) with human-led threat hunting and clear, predictable
Heimdal partnership with Elovade extended to DACH European cybersecurity vendor Heimdal is continuing to develop its relationship with IT security distributor Elovade Group. After a decade-long UK collaboration with front of them, one that consolidates the stack instead of adding to it, so they can keep pace with how fast attackers are moving.” Giving MSPs a single console and a single
The services are hosted in UK data centres certified to ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus standards and include Object Lock immutability, compatibility with existing S3 applications and backup platforms, predictable monthly pricing and no ingress or egress fees. Martin Bradburn, CEO of PeaSoup Cloud, said: “We’re pleased to make our S3 compatible storage and Veeam Cloud Connect services available through ArrowSphere Cloud. Together, we can help channel partners offer secure and resilient cloud storage from a UK company, supported by UK data centres and more sustainable cooling technology.” ArrowSphere Cloud enables channel partners to discover, provision, manage and optimise cloud services through a single platform. arrow.com … Distology signs Harmonic Security Distology has added Harmonic Security to its vendor portfolio, giving channel partners access to technology that can help organisations understand and control how AI is being used in their businesses. The agreement is exclusive to Distology in the UK, Benelux and DACH. vendor relationship, the Heimdal platform hosted in EU-based datacentres includes endpoint security; DNS security; email security; Microsoft 365 security; automated patch management for operating systems and third- party applications; privilege management and application control for elevated access rights; and detection and response, including MXDR and threat hunting. Elovade will provide MSPs with technical enablement, sales and marketing support and onboarding resources.
another tool, they need to know what’s running in their enterprise, whether it’s secure and how to act on it fast. With the ServiceNow AI Control Tower, partners can govern and secure any AI, any model and any stack. Exclusive Networks brings the specialist security ecosystem and local market reach to put those capabilities to work for customers across Europe and the Middle East.” Exclusive Networks is continuing to scale the business through a growing specialist team in Ireland and a new office scheduled to open in Q4 2026. www.exclusive-networks.com … PeaSoup cloud storage services now available through ArrowSphere Cloud Arrow Electronics has added PeaSoup Cloud’s S3 compatible object storage and Veeam Cloud Connect services to ArrowSphere Cloud in the UK. The S3 compatible storage supports applications, archiving, media, Microsoft 365 protection and other unstructured data, while Veeam Cloud Connect enables organisations to extend their backup environments to the cloud for ransomware resilience and recovery. Brigantia (now Elovade UK&I) and a six- month (to date) partnership with Elovade in the Nordics, Heimdal is using the distributor to expand its footprint in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Heimdal CEO Jesper Frederiksen said: “AI has made attackers faster. It hasn’t made most defenders faster, because they’re still working across five or six security tools that don’t share data. That gap is exactly what MSPs in DACH are telling us they need to close. Partnering with Elovade means we can put a single platform in
pricing. This allows partners to move beyond traditional
endpoint protection and offer proactive, outcome- based security services that address the full attack chain. Mukesh Gupta, CEO of e92plus, said: “WithSecure gives our MSP partners a genuinely differentiated, co-security approach that’s built for the way they work and sell. We’re excited to combine our channel enablement expertise with WithSecure’s technology to help our partners grow their managed security revenues.” … Dedicated ServiceNow business launched by Exclusive Networks Following a strategic agreement between the two companies in July, Exclusive Networks has launched a dedicated ServiceNow business in EMEA that brings together the former’s cybersecurity expertise, vendor ecosystem, partner reach and execution capabilities and the latter’s ServiceNow AI Platform. Enabling partners to move beyond individual technology deployments and address how security workflows support customers’ wider operational and business priorities, the business will help Exclusive Networks partners in EMEA build propositions that connect cybersecurity technologies with the ServiceNow AI Control Tower and support existing ServiceNow partners as they expand their cybersecurity capabilities. Michael Park, SVP of Global Partnerships and Channels at ServiceNow, said: “Security is where AI gets real. Customers don’t need Mukesh Gupta
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DISTRIBUTOR NEWS
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Arrow and Usercentrics sign distribution agreement Arrow Electronics has expanded its security, data governance and compliance portfolio in the UK, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland with the addition of Usercentrics’ consent management platform (CMP). The platform helps customers manage user consent, support compliance with global privacy regulations (including GDPR) and simplify the deployment of privacy controls across websites and digital properties. Donna Dror, CEO of Usercentrics, said: “As privacy requirements continue to evolve, organisations are looking for trusted partners that can help them implement scalable consent management solutions. Together, we will help channel partners address growing customer demand for privacy-first digital experiences.” arrow.com
Rather than taking a blanket approach to blocking generative and agentic AI, Harmonic focuses on giving security teams visibility into which AI tools are being used, what they are being used for and what data is being shared with them. The platform then enables organisations to put controls and guardrails around that activity without disrupting legitimate AI use. Distology CEO Hayley Roberts said: “Harmonic is a natural fit within our vendor taxonomy and brings real value to our partners and their customers. The significance of the deal goes well beyond adding another tool to the portfolio. Visibility into AI usage is a starting point, not a finished service, and the gap between the two is where partners can build something of their own.” This includes recurring advisory and professional services, from AI usage assessments and policy development through to governance reviews and incident response planning for AI‑related data exposure.
Hayley Roberts
Founded in 2023, Harmonic has developed purpose-built small language models (SLMs) that analyse the context and intent behind AI interactions in real time, helping identify sensitive information and risky activity while allowing employees to continue working with approved tools.
Westcon-Comstor opens flagship London office Westcon-Comstor has unveiled a flagship London office and hub for its activities across Europe. Located at St Martin’s Le Grand near St Paul’s Cathedral, the 6,000-plus sq ft facility is Westcon-Comstor’s first dedicated workspace in central London. Here, Olya Scekaturova, Vice President of Regional Sales, UKI at Westcon-Comstor, answers our questions about the new space. and bring colleagues together from across the business. It will support our operations across Europe, but it is not intended to replace the operational functions performed by our other offices.
Q. How is your business changing and evolving in the UK? OS: The UK is a vital market for us and a significant
Olya Scekaturova
Q. Why are you opening a London office now? Olya Scekaturova (OS): Our UK business is growing and evolving, and we wanted a London presence that reflects that strategic direction. London is a major centre for technology, business and finance, so having our own dedicated office in the heart of the city gives us a strong base from which to bring together employees, partners, vendors and other stakeholders. The timing is also right because the way people work has changed. It’s important that we can offer a flexible space for meetings, training, workshops, briefings and collaboration, supporting our growth in the UK and our wider activities across Europe. Q. Will the investment in your new London office involve any changes to existing offices in the UK or Europe, in terms of size, headcount or function? OS: The London office is an addition to our existing footprint. Our established UK offices in Bracknell, Cirencester and Swindon continue to play important roles within the business. The main change is that we now have our own dedicated central London premises, having previously shared space with our parent company, Datatec. Rebura (the specialist AWS cloud consultancy acquired by Westcon-Comstor in 2024) will retain its separate office in Hatton Garden. Q. Will the London office have any operational function, or is it primarily an additional workplace and a place for meeting customers and collaboration? OS: It will be both a workplace and a European regional hub for engagement and collaboration. The office has been designed for a hybrid workforce, with hot-desking and breakout areas alongside meeting, boardroom and training facilities. That gives our teams somewhere to work, but its wider purpose is to create a central destination where we can meet partners, vendors and customers, run workshops and enablement sessions
part of our wider European business. We employ more than 500 people across the country, with teams based in Bracknell, Cirencester, Swindon and London. Our role is broadening as we develop new ways to add value. With our specialisation in cybersecurity, networking and cloud, we are continuing to build the specialist expertise, services and orchestration capabilities that partners need as the channel becomes more complex and interdependent in the era of AI, marketplaces and platforms. The new London office is another visible sign of that expansion and ambition. It gives us more capacity to connect different parts of our ecosystem, work more closely with partners and vendors and support the next stage of our development in the UK and across Europe.
www.westconcomstor.com
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Your Industry, Your Awards
HEADLINE SPONSOR AWARDS 20 27 Hilton London Bankside Thursday 20th May 2027
Entries and Voting open soon. There are awards for Resellers, Distributors, Vendors, Products & Solutions and Achievments. Plus our Technology Reseller Special awards. The Technology Reseller Awards 2027 will again honour the achievements of businesses throughout the IT channel, highlighting best practice , sustainability and innovation to inspire everyone who works in, or with, this extraordinary, vital industry.
www.technologyresellerawards.co.uk
In association with:
MAGAZINE & WEBSITE
Q&A Q&A
Q&A with Jason Chibnall, Managing Director of Hammer Distribution
remembered the unique nature of Hammer Distribution and what we stood for. The response to our return has been overwhelmingly positive, and we have been welcomed back across the market with a great deal of warmth and support. For me, it feels like we have re- anchored the business in its heritage while establishing a solid, modern foundation for our next phase of growth. TR: How has Hammer positioned itself since returning to its original name? JC: We have continued to build on our deep pedigree in storage and storage media, leveraging our long-standing vendor partnerships and established customer base. That has been particularly important over the last 12 months, when the market has been extremely constrained. Our relationships, market knowledge and understanding of our customers have enabled us to secure product and continue supporting them when availability has been challenging. At the same time, we have continued to develop what we believe is a very differentiated approach to distribution. We are an outcomes-driven distributor. Rather than simply asking what product a customer wants to buy, we listen to the system or solution problem they are trying to solve and then use more than one of the technologies in our portfolio to help provide the answer. Around 18 months ago, and going live broadly alongside the Hammer rebrand, we launched AI Works. The proposition was created to help customers who wanted to understand and implement AI infrastructure but were often unsure about where to start. We have built a network of partners with expertise across different aspects of AI, while also providing access to key vendors in the market. That gives customers a way of thinking about their AI journey and, importantly, understanding the infrastructure they need to support it. We have built a portfolio that can address the full AI infrastructure journey. If a customer wants to deploy a complete AI installation in its data centre, we can bring together everything from the non- compute elements, such as racks and
PDUs, through to GPU-centric servers, differentiated storage platforms and high- performance AI networking. We then complement that with our cloud and cyber capabilities. Ultimately, we can help customers think beyond the AI infrastructure itself and consider the business-critical applications they are building, including backup and recovery, cybersecurity and threat detection to protect those applications. TR: How has trading been for Hammer? JC: Like many businesses in our part of the market, we are clearly benefiting from the AI and infrastructure boom. However, we have also been fortunate to be in a position where our vendor relationships, market knowledge and internal expertise allow us to leverage that opportunity and support our customers particularly effectively. Importantly, we are beginning to see significant wins from the solutions side of the business, particularly around AI and data centre-centric solutions. Trading performance has been exceptionally robust, delivering substantial growth across both top-line revenue and overall commercial performance compared to the prior year. We carry considerable momentum as we head toward the close of our financial year. TR: Where is that growth coming from? JC: Our growth is driven by several complementary pillars. The first remains our traditional heritage in enterprise storage media. We hold long-standing relationships with the world’s tier-one storage vendors, alongside an established ability to match critical supply with the right enterprise use cases during tight market conditions. That core business has expanded significantly, with project scale and deployment sizes reaching historic highs. The second major driver is our consultative, outcomes-led model. The channel is increasingly demanding more than hardware fulfilment; partners want a distributor that functions almost like an integrator with a distribution card. We help partners define technical outcomes and curate the multi-vendor stack required to solve them.
Jason Chibnall
It’s been an eventful 12 months since Hammer Distribution’s rebrand on October 1 2025, culminating in DCC’s sale of distribution business Nexora (comprising Hammer Distribution and sister brands Almo, Azenn Connect, CapTech, COMM-TEC and JAM) to private equity firm OneEquity Partners on October 9. In this Q&A, Managing Director Jason Chibnall, looks back over the successes and challenges of the last year and explains why Hammer’s positioning as an outcomes-driven, differentiated value-added distributor has struck such a chord with customers. Technology Reseller (TR): It’s been 12 months since you rebranded back to Hammer Distribution, your original name. How do you feel looking back on that milestone? Jason Chibnall (JC): I personally feel an incredible sense of pride. Returning to the Hammer Distribution name was the culmination of a deliberate two-and-a-half- year journey, and it has been particularly meaningful because so many colleagues have such a deep, fond association with Hammer and its heritage. It also became abundantly clear throughout the process that the channel
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That capability is especially valuable to specialist value-added resellers looking to expand into adjacent technical categories without heavy upfront overhead. We also collaborate closely with systems integrators to augment their design and delivery bandwidth. Third, we are seeing immense demand from data centre operators managing the exponential data generation tied to AI models. They need to rapidly scale existing
quote a product today and necessarily expect that price to remain valid three or four weeks later. In some cases, a quotation may only be valid for the week in which it is issued, meaning we have to re‑quote regularly to keep pricing aligned with the market. So, the business environment is very positive but maintaining that business in the current market requires significantly more work and agility than it did previously. TR: What internal investments have you made over the past year to support this scale? JC: Clearly, a major area of investment has been the return to the Hammer brand. We have invested significantly in ensuring that the market understands who Hammer is today, from the rebranding of our website through to communicating our position as an outcomes-driven, differentiated value‑added distributor. We have been telling the market about our heritage and our 35 years of pedigree in storage media, while at the same time introducing new propositions such as Hammer AI Works and building the customer and partner network around it. We have also invested in expanding the physical business. We have opened larger offices in both Germany and the Netherlands. In the UK, we have moved our large sales and commercial organisation into a brand-new facility. At the same time, the expansion of the business has enabled us to relocate and expand our Netherlands-based Central European logistics and warehouse operation. Technology and sales enablement have been another major area of investment. Over the last 12 months we have implemented a new company-wide CRM system, and everyone in the business is now using it to manage customer interactions
based marketing and becoming much more sophisticated in understanding our customers’ digital behaviour and areas of interest. That enables our sales teams to engage with customers at a much more relevant point and bring our consultative approach to the specific technology areas they are showing an interest in. TR: How has the broader distribution landscape evolved over the past 12 months? JC: The transformative impact of artificial intelligence across the technology sector is undeniable. The important difference today is that AI is no longer somebody else’s dream. We are seeing businesses of all sizes begin to realise its benefits. What was previously something that perhaps only the largest multinational organisations could afford is increasingly becoming a reality for many more businesses. That is clearly driving a huge amount of the activity we are seeing across the distribution market. At the same time, I think we are seeing a continuation of the polarisation within distribution. On one side, there are the large multinational broadline distributors that dominate the transactional supply market. On the other, there is growing recognition, even among some of the largest resellers and partners, that there is a different type of opportunity around genuine value-added distribution. Customers increasingly want help with emerging categories. They want access to disruptive technologies rather than simply the next version of a conventional product. And they want distribution partners that can augment their own capabilities and help them solve customer problems. That plays directly to Hammer’s strengths. Our deep technical understanding of our portfolio means we can take technologies from more than one part of the business and bring them together into a solution. We can then go a step further because we have the ability to design and build those solutions on behalf of our reseller partners. For me, that is the increasingly important role of value-added distribution: not simply being the route through which a product gets from a vendor to a reseller, but understanding the technology, understanding the customer’s outcome and helping our partners turn that into a deliverable solution. https://www.hammerdistribution.com
footprints while evaluating emerging AI‑optimised storage architectures. Finally, we are seeing significant
demand from OEMs engineering dedicated AI appliances. These partners rely on our certified integration and production services facility to build, configure and validate complex multi-node systems, delivering far greater technical value than conventional logistics distribution can provide. TR: What market dynamics have defined the last 12 months, and how have they shaped operations at Hammer? JC: There are two significant changes that have affected our business. The first is that AI has moved from being a future concept to a very real and significant infrastructure investment. Hyperscalers and other organisations
are investing billions, and that has created enormous demand for key technology categories.
As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to source many of the enterprise components we represent. Forecasting and allocating product to customers has become more challenging, and we have seen significant price increases across a number of categories. In some areas, prices have approached double the levels we were seeing 12 months ago. The positive side of that dynamic is that, when we are able to source the right products for the right customers, we can maximise the value of those transactions and our profitability. The same pressures are affecting the solutions side of our business. Whether it is a storage platform, a traditional CPU-based server or a GPU-based AI server, those systems are all competing for the same underlying supply of memory, processors and storage media. OEMs are therefore experiencing the same volatility in both availability and pricing. From a business perspective, that creates opportunities, but it also makes the business much more demanding to manage. Every order now requires considerably more attention to close. We can no longer
and relationships. Being AI‑enabled, it is helping our sales teams quickly
understand previous conversations, capture commitments and follow up with customers in a much more timely and accurate way. From a management perspective, it gives us a level of visibility we have never previously had within Hammer. We can understand how our business is segmented, what we expect from individual accounts, and how that rolls up across sales teams and geographic locations. It gives us a much better understanding of what our customers are telling us and what we are committing to them. Finally, we have invested in our marketing capabilities. We are moving beyond traditional email and contact-
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Phoenix47 expands global footprint Phoenix47, a provider of professional services, managed services and 24/7 support desk solutions, has reported a 16% year-on-year rise in bookings in FY26, including a 44% increase in IT residency bookings and a 30% rise in support and managed services bookings. Growing demand across Phoenix47’s services portfolio is being driven by increased pressure on organisations to stabilise hybrid estates, accelerate digital transformation and close widening skills gaps across infrastructure, cloud and security, as well as by a strengthening of Phoenix47’s global delivery capability through the opening of a new support centre in South Africa and the establishment of Phoenix47 UAE in Dubai. Phoenix47 is looking to maintain momentum in FY27 with the launch of new capabilities within its agentic AI platform Fusion47. By shifting operations from reactive ticket handling to instant assistance, it claims Fusion47 can boost the efficiency of support engineers by 62%. https://phoenix47.co.uk … Insight to deliver AI advice to Scottish businesses Insight has been appointed to support the delivery of the Scottish Government’s AI Scaling Adoption Programme in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise. Funded by the Scottish Government in support of its AI Strategy 2026-2031, the programme will help organisations in Scotland move beyond experimentation and identify where AI can deliver genuine, sustainable value. Insight has been contracted to deliver the consultancy element of the programme. This includes the provision of AI readiness assessments; consultancy on identifying, prioritising and progressing viable AI use cases; guidance on the critical enablers of successful
Six in 10 Microsoft partners rely on Microsoft funding for marketing
Nathan Selby, Founder of Resultful, said: “Six in ten partners telling us they would reduce or stop marketing if Microsoft funding disappeared should be a real wake-up call for the ecosystem. Vendor funding is a huge advantage, but that doesn’t mean marketing should become entirely dependent on it. “The partners that will be in the strongest position over the next few years are the ones building marketing programmes
More than six in ten UK&I Microsoft partners would reduce or stop their marketing activity if Microsoft funding was withdrawn, claims marketing agency Resultful in its Microsoft Partner Marketing, Measured report. In a UK & Ireland survey of 250 sales, marketing and business leaders in Microsoft partner organisations, 60.6% of those currently receiving Microsoft Co-op or MDF funding said
they would scale back marketing activity if that funding disappeared. Within that group, 14.9% said marketing would stop almost completely. These findings suggest that a significant proportion of partner marketing continues to rely on funding provided by Microsoft and the wider channel ecosystem. Microsoft Co-op funding is currently used by 46% of partners, while 44.4% rely on distributor-
that can stand on their own two feet, regardless of what happens to funding models or incentive schemes.” The M icrosoft Partner Marketing, Measured report also reveals that just 51.2% of UK&I Microsoft partners can measure marketing’s contribution to pipeline and revenue. Under half run basic marketing reporting (47.2%) or use attribution reporting to understand
Everything from setup and onboarding to training, ongoing optimisation and support is handled by Onecom, so businesses don’t need to build or manage AI themselves. Onecom Halo sits alongside other AI- powered solutions from Onecom, including the intelligent voice platform Onecom Vox (see page 39) and automated penetration testing service PenX. onecomhalo.ai what activities influence sales (43.6%). Even so, the average partner is currently running nine marketing activities and plans to add eight more over the next 12 months. https://resultful.agency/press/ ukireport2026
Onecom AI revenues up 1,366% following Onecom Halo launch Onecom has seen its AI revenue surge by 1,366% in the six months since April when it launched Onecom Halo, a fully managed AI agent workforce for businesses with structured, high-volume customer interactions. Aaron Brown, CEO of Onecom Technology Group, said: “We knew when we developed and launched Onecom Halo that we had something special on our hands. The ability to deploy intelligent, decision-making AI agents that can answer and make calls, respond to messages and take meaningful action is transformative for businesses.” Agents, available on a monthly subscription basis, can hold conversations with customers, follow defined processes, update internal systems, manage bookings and trigger workflows. Each one is built for a specific role and trained on a business’s own processes. The Onecom Halo platform integrates with applications (e.g. funded activity and 41.2% use Microsoft MDF. Just 37.2% of partners identified their own P&L as a source of marketing funding. The research comes at a critical time, as Microsoft places greater emphasis on growth within its Co-op funding programme.
Mintivo’s leadership sets course for future growth after completing management buyout Four directors of IT services and solutions company Mintivo have completed a management buyout after a second successive year of 40% growth. Managing Director Alex Jukes, along with The new owners’ priorities are to grow managed services and scale the business without a corresponding increase in headcount through the smart use of technology, automation and AI.
fellow directors Mark Adams, Graham Ford and Jake Jeffries, have completed a share purchase from the two other major shareholders of the nine-year-old Wiltshire company. Ownership of Mintivo, which provides network and infrastructure security, cyber security, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and networking and connectivity solutions and services, will now rest with people closely involved with the business’s day-to-day operation.
Salesforce and Microsoft 365), CRM platforms and communication tools and features secure guardrails and the ability to transfer to human operators.
Mintivo directors Jake Jeffries, left, Graham Ford, Mark Adams and Alex Jukes have completed a buyout of the company
Aaron Brown
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UK first for Kubus Kubus, the Cirencester-headquartered provider of managed IT services, networking and infrastructure technology, has been appointed a Verkada Premier Services Partner (VPS) following an evaluation of its end-to-end capabilities by the provider of AI-powered physical security technology. Kubus is one of only six partners in the UK to hold this designation and the only one to hold it simultaneously with Diamond Partner status. Jeremy Keefe, CEO of Kubus, said: “This appointment reflects our
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AI adoption, including data readiness, governance, security, workforce skills and organisational change; and practical support to develop a clear, actionable roadmap for implementing priority AI use cases. insight.com … Intercity signs new tech partnership with Black Country Chamber of Commerce Birmingham-headquartered MSP Intercity has been appointed official technology partner for the Black Country Chamber of Commerce’s Business Club. At a time of unprecedented pace of technological change, its specialists will provide insights, support and guidance to organisations looking to enhance cyber security, modernise their operations, embrace digital transformation and unlock the potential of AI. Intercity CEO Charlie Blakemore said: “The Black Country is an incredibly important region for us. Not only is it geographically close to our headquarters, but it’s also home to many of the organisations we work closely with every day. This partnership is a natural next step in deepening our commitment to the Chesterfield, Derbyshire-based cyber security consultancy Black Swan Cyber Security Solutions has created a series of illustrated stories featuring the cartoon characters Black Swan and Glitch in an attempt to make its customer base of founder-led small and micro businesses more aware of everyday security risks and how to protect oneself from them. Featured across Black Swan’s website and social channels, the stories connect familiar risks, such as shared passwords, forgotten user accounts, delayed restarts, fraudulent emails and assumptions about cloud backups, with technologies and practical actions that can be taken to neutralise them. Founder Kevin Walker, a keen Chesterfield FC supporter, uses a footballing analogy to highlight the series’ central message. “You wouldn’t send a goalkeeper out on their own and expect them to cover the whole
pitch. Yet we sometimes expect a busy member of staff to spot every convincing scam that lands in their inbox. They need a team around them: protection that blocks threats, someone watching for trouble and a clear plan to recover when something gets through.” He added: “A good team makes it easy to ask for help. If someone clicks a suspicious link, I want them to feel comfortable telling us straight away. The sooner we know, the sooner we can act.” Black Swan Cyber Security Solutions is a
continued investment in Verkada’s expertise,
strong service delivery and commitment to providing customers with high-quality deployment and support. Achieving Premier Services Partner status considerably strengthens our relationship with Verkada and further demonstrates Kubus’ ability to deliver trusted and flexible solutions for our customers.” www.kubus.com … Advania wins plaudits for sovereign, governed AI approach Independent analyst firm Omdia named Advania as its Omdia Innovation Partner of the Year at the Canalys Forum EMEA in Barcelona. Jeremy Keefe
trading name of Bitz ‘n’ PC’z Ltd. https://blackswancyber.co.uk/
Black Country and ensuring local organisations have access to the expertise and support they need to thrive.” Intercity has been a Black Country Chamber of Commerce Gold Member since August 2024 and, in the last 18 months, has created 50 new jobs across the Midlands. SPOR acquires Squaredot workplace design consultancy SPOR Group, a Maidenhead-based AV integration specialist supporting more than 1,500 meeting rooms across the UK and Europe (see https://assets.binfo.co.uk/flipbooks/ TechReseller-issue95/28/), has expanded its services offering with the acquisition of workplace design consultancy Squaredot. Over the last 25 years, Squaredot has completed more than 983 projects and achieved 25 British Council for Offices (BFO) Awards and finalist placements, including winning the BCO National Awards 2017 for Fit Out of Workplace (for its work with Birmingham City Council). The business has also received regional BCO recognition for corporate workplace and refurbishment projects. To ensure continuity for clients such as CBRE, SCC, Bristol & Bath Science Park, CareCo, Kimberly-Clark (Madrid), Manchester Airports Group and Savills (Birmingham), Squaredot will continue to operate from its existing base in Stratford-upon-Avon and will continue to be led by Managing Director Kris Krokosz and Business Consultant David Kramer.
SPOR Group Co-Founder Chris Gore will take on the role of Group Strategic Director, supporting the continued development of the combined business and helping to identify opportunities to expand its offering. He said: “We are delighted to welcome Squaredot into SPOR Group. The acquisition is a natural fit for both businesses, bringing together complementary capabilities, talented people and strong customer relationships. Our focus has always been on helping organisations get more from their workplace technology, not simply installing equipment. By combining the strengths of SPOR Group and Squaredot, we can broaden the expertise and support we provide to customers while creating an even stronger platform for future growth.” Kris Krokosz (l), Managing Director of Squaredot, and Chris Gore, Co-Founder and Group Strategic Director of SPOR Group
(l-r) Sean Jackson, Black Country Chamber of Commerce, with Intercity’s Oliver Hayward
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