news-and-insights

Andrew Downes

With broad expertise of both Corporate and Public Sector challenges, Andrew specialises in translating complex technology concepts—from Datacentre and Cloud to Cyber Security and AI—into clear, services-led solutions that differentiate the business and deliver genuine value to the customer.

The global IT channel is facing a new supply chain bottleneck, and it might be from an unexpected place. We’re talking about a shortage of helium.

Recent geopolitical events in the Middle East have severely disrupted operations at Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, a facility responsible for roughly one-third of the global helium supply. Compounding this, the closure of commercial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz has forced specialised cryogenic transport ships to take much longer routes, causing liquid helium to boil off and degrade during transit.

While helium is known to most as a lighter-than-air gas, it is critical to the IT channel and global technology infrastructure. Here is why this shortage matters to public and private sector organisations.

The Role of Helium in IT Hardware

Helium has properties that make it irreplaceable in two key areas of technology manufacturing:

Semiconductor Fabrication: The production of advanced processors—particularly the high-performance components required for intensive workloads—relies heavily on helium for wafer cooling and photolithography. Without an adequate supply, fabrication plants must ration their use, leading to an immediate slowdown in output.

High-Capacity Storage: Enterprise-grade hard disk drives (HDDs) of 10TB and above are hermetically sealed with helium. Because helium is significantly less dense than air, it reduces internal turbulence, allowing manufacturers to fit more platters into a single drive. This lowers power consumption and operating temperatures in data centres.

Impact on the Channel and Customers

With major manufacturing hubs drawing down their reserves, the IT channel is preparing for extended lead times. As production slows, the market is expecting pricing volatility and constrained availability for high-capacity storage drives and advanced computing components. For organisations planning data centre expansions or large-scale device deployments, these upstream constraints will translate into longer project timelines.

How XMA is Responding

At XMA, we are actively monitoring the situation to protect our customers’ project delivery schedules. Our managed IT services and infrastructure solutions use hardware from our global technology partners, and our supply chain teams are working daily with these vendors to secure allocations.

Instead of leaving our public and private sector customers exposed to unpredictable market shifts, we are adapting our procurement strategies. If you have significant hardware refreshes or data centre updates planned for 2026, we advise engaging with your XMA account manager early to forecast your requirements and secure the necessary inventory.

Educational institutions are currently caught between shrinking IT budgets and rising hardware costs. Traditionally, this leads to delayed investments, leaving staff and students with aging, unreliable technology. At XMA, we believe that education organisations do not need to wait for a budget increase to modernise. Instead, you need a connected approach to funding and lifecycle management.

Turn Old Tech into New Budget

Lenovo ConnectEd offers a smarter way to refresh your classroom technology by turning your old equipment into a financial asset.

How it works:

Trade in any brand: You don’t need to be trading in old Lenovo kit. We accept qualifying devices from any manufacturer.

Get up to £150 back: For every qualifying new Lenovo device you purchase, you can receive up to £150 from your old trade-ins.

Move to Lenovo: Use the value you’ve recovered to upgrade to Lenovo hardware – the brand favoured by educators for its durability and classroom performance.

Flexible payments: Use Lenovo Financial Services to spread the remaining cost, making your budget work harder and go further.

And we’re making it even more rewarding to upgrade your institution’s IT infrastructure. For a limited time, enjoy a bonus 10% Cashback when you choose AMD accelerated devices bundled with Microsoft Shape the Future discounted Windows 11 licenses. Lenovo’s Display Boost adds to the savings, with £10 – £25 cashback when purchased with a qualifying product. The same goes for accessories, and save up to a massive £500 when you purchase qualifying servers.

Security and Sustainability, Simplified

Managing the end of a device’s life can be a headache, but we’ve made it simple. It delivers peace of mind as well as value for money:

Certified Data Security: Ensure your legacy technology is completely wiped. We employ National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) fully accredited Blancco secure data erasure to meet your strict data protection compliance requirements.
Responsible Sustainability: XMA and Lenovo handle the complete Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) hardware collection and recycling process. We repurpose or recycle your old kit responsibly, resulting in millions of kilograms of CO2e saved and 0% waste sent to landfill. This helps your school hit environmental targets without additional administrative work
Predictable Cycles: By recovering the value of your assets now, you can plan your next refresh with confidence rather than waiting for a budget windfall.

Ready to see how much your legacy estate is worth? Explore the full terms at https://lenovoconnected.com/ or contact your XMA account manager to discuss a joined-up strategy for your school. You can also contact us at enquiries@xma.co.uk.

We understand that the business of creating, providing and maintaining technology all has a footprint. At XMA, we are committed to making that footprint a positive one. That’s why we’re taking our sustainability efforts back to the roots – literally!

A New Grove for the Future

We are proud to announce our partnership with the National Forest to plant a dedicated grove of trees. This initiative is a core part of our goal to support the environment while we provide the IT infrastructure that keeps the UK running.

Spin to Plant: Interactive Sustainability

You won’t just hear about our trees – you’ll help us plant them! Throughout the year, we’ll be taking this initiative on the road to various events. If you visit an XMA stand, you’ll find our Sustainability Wheel.

Here’s how it works:

Spin the Wheel: Give it a whirl to determine exactly how many trees XMA will plant on your behalf.

Choose Your Tree: You’ll receive tokens to vote for the species you’d like to see in our grove.

The Options: Pick between a variety of tress including Oak, Silver Birch, or Hazel.

Why We’re Doing This

Our aim for the year is simple: to plant as many trees as possible. By integrating this into our events, we turn sustainability into a shared goal with our customers and partners. We provide the solutions that keep your organisation resilient, and together, we help make the UK a little bit greener.

Come find us at our next event and take a spin!

If you’re interested in XMA’s ESG goals and how we can help you achieve yours, visit our ESG page

Modern education requires more than a simple mobile device, it demands a secure, intelligent, and resilient ecosystem. Is your institution currently managing a fragmented fleet of hardware, or are you benefiting from a unified system where the hardware, silicon, and OS are designed by a single source?

At XMA, we bridge the gap between technical innovation and the functional requirements of the UK classroom. We help schools achieve flagship performance at a sustainable cost by using integrated technology from our partner, Google.

Why Ecosystem Integration Matters

Verified Security: Google Pixel achieves a 100% score for security updates and hardware security.

Identity Protection: While leading competitors often score 75% in critical security categories, Google Pixel reach 100% for identity protection and secure backups.¹

Sustainable Lifecycles: Reduce your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with 7 years of guaranteed OS and security updates.²

Is your fleet ready for the “backpack environment,” or are repair costs draining your budget? Download our latest eGuide to see how XMA simplifies digital transformation through frameworks like CCS and G-Cloud.

Mobile Device Security Scorecard – 2025 Report Omdia
Pixel updates for 7 years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US. See g.co/pixel/updates for details.

Bulletin

Global Component Shortage

Helping you stay ahead rather than react to disruption

In today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, global supply chains continue to face significant disruption. Ongoing shortages of critical components—ranging from semiconductors to networking hardware—are impacting product availability, lead times, and pricing across the IT industry.

As your trusted IT reseller, we are committed to keeping you informed and prepared. This bulletin has been created to provide timely updates, market insights, and practical guidance to help you navigate these challenges with confidence.

Our goal is to ensure transparency, minimise disruption to your operations, and support smarter planning and procurement decisions in an unpredictable supply environment.

What’s Next for the Global Component Shortage?

This bulletin is designed to:

Provide regular updates on global component availability and supply chain conditions
Highlight products, categories, or vendors currently affected
Share realistic lead times and pricing trends
Offer alternative solutions or product recommendations where possible
Help you plan ahead and reduce risk to your IT projects and operations

We aim to act as both an information source and a strategic partner—helping you stay ahead rather than react to disruption.

Speed Bulletin – 30/04/2026

Speed Bulletin – DD/MM/YYYY

Current status: Stable / Constrained / Critical Key impacted categories (e.g. servers, networking, laptops) Biggest change since last update One-line recommendation

Our eXpert Insights

5 Realities of the Current UK IT Market

Here is how you should navigate this supply-led landscape to avoid order disruption and budget overruns.

Navigating Lead-Time Uncertainty with the Scottish Web and Proprietary Framework

Learn how XMA helps manage component shortages, reduce lead-time risks, and keep projects on track.

A New Supply Chain Shortage Is Here, Let’s Talk About Helium

The global IT channel is facing a new supply chain bottleneck from an unexpected place. We’re talking about helium.

Get in touch for support with the shortage.

Let’s Talk

Every project starts with a call or email to our team. Ready to revolutionise the way you work?

From expert assessment, procurement and deployment XMA has the solution for you.

By submitting this form, you consent to be contacted about products and services from XMA – XMA is committed to safeguarding your privacy. If you want more information on how we collect and use your personal data, please read our Privacy Policy.

The UK IT market is currently a high-stakes environment where traditional demand signals have been replaced by supply-side volatility. For organisations planning their 2026 technology investments, understanding this shift is the only way to ensure project delivery and cost certainty.

As our Industry Expert notes, the market is no longer behaving in a traditional demand-led way:

“Availability, component mix, and cost coverage are increasingly the factors that determine what can be sold, when, and at what price.”

Here is how you should navigate this supply-led landscape to avoid order disruption and budget overruns.

Distorted Demand Signals

Recent data suggests growth in the commercial PC sector, but true end-user demand is currently difficult to read. Several factors are creating “noise” in the market:

Pull-forward behaviour: Organisations are bringing purchases forward to bypass anticipated price hikes or supply risks.
Pricing volatility: Frequent changes make quarter-to-quarter comparisons difficult and blur the line between real incremental demand and simple timing effects.
Inventory positioning: Reported growth often reflects stock positioning by partners rather than actual sell-out to customers.

Configuration is the Primary Driver of Cost

The operating environment is currently being shaped by component cost pressure, specifically in memory and storage. According to our Industry Expert:

“Pricing and lead times will continue to vary by configuration rather than by product family alone, and changes are often driven by factors outside of any single vendor’s direct control.”

Higher-spec configurations are the most exposed to these pressures. This means that two similar devices from the same technology partner may have vastly different delivery timelines based purely on their internal components.

Predictability Requires Standardisation

Historical cycles of pricing stability are being replaced by a more reactive model.

Where stability exists: Pricing is most reliable where supply is broad and the component mix is standardised.
The risk of bespoke builds: Niche or high-performance configurations are highly exposed to late re-quotes and delays.
Alignment is key: Longer price holds are only possible when the configuration and availability are perfectly aligned from the start.

Lead with Availability, Not Just Specification

The most effective way to manage your technology pipeline is to prioritise what can be delivered today. As our Industry Expert explains:

“Customers value clarity upfront more than locked pricing that cannot ultimately be honoured.”

We recommend starting procurement conversations with standard configurations that have a reliable supply chain. Being transparent about the risks associated with non-standard builds reduces surprises and allows for better long-term planning.

The Outlook for the Rest of the Year

We expect continued variability in supply and cost through the end of October and the remainder of the calendar year. While availability is improving incrementally, it is not uniform across all builds. Our Industry Expert summarises the strategy for success:

“In a market shaped by supply, cost and OEM behaviour rather than clean demand, predictability comes from alignment, not rigidity.”

Secure Your Technology Pipeline

Navigating a changeable landscape requires a partner who prioritises transparency over rigid, unachievable promises. XMA’s agility as a privately-owned business and deep relationships with technology partners allow us to steer your requirements toward available supply, ensuring delivery confidence for your critical projects.

Contact your XMA Account Manager today to align your configurations with current market availability, or talk to us at enquiries@xma.co.uk.

85% of the workday now takes place inside a browser*. So why is your security infrastructure still anchored to a network edge that your employees have long since left behind? This isn’t just a technical misalignment, it could be leaving UK IT leaders completely blind to the risks of a modern workforce. While the way we work has evolved, the way we secure that work has remained static, creating a significant window of opportunity for modern threats.

Standard browsers are not designed to protect against risks like Shadow AI, where proprietary data is pasted into unapproved LLMs, or visual leaks via smartphone photos. If your security doesn’t live where your employees actually work, how can you expect to see the danger coming?

Cutting the “Legacy Tax”

Many UK organisations remain tethered to expensive VPNs and resource-heavy VDI environments just to support one or two “heritage” Windows applications. This “Legacy Tax” results in high licensing and hardware costs for a fragmented environment that is notoriously difficult to secure.

XMA provides a unified control plane that moves security directly to the browser tab. We partner with industry leaders like Google Chrome Enterprise Premium and Cameyo to deliver this solution, allowing legacy applications to run as individual tabs within a secure browser environment. It is time to stop supporting expensive legacy anchors and start securing the modern workspace.

Tangible Outcomes for UK IT Leaders

By shifting to a browser-based approach, you can implement context-aware actions and robust data loss prevention (DLP) policies:

GenAI Guardrails: Use contextual prompts to block data transfers to unapproved AI tools.

Visual DLP: Protect sensitive information with dynamic watermarking and screenshot blocking.

Cost Efficiency: Access a complete security solution for £6 per user per month while extending the life of your current hardware.

Zero-Provisioning: Remove the need for VPNs or client-side agents on endpoints entirely.

Build Your Roadmap

Modernising your security posture does not require a “big bang” migration. XMA recommends a phased approach, starting with a 60-day Proof of Value.

This allows you to test premium features (including deep malware scanning and URL filtering) for up to 5,000 users. There is zero cost to begin, and crucially, there is no impact on end-user productivity during the testing phase. Why remain blind to your risks when you can see the solution for yourself?

*https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/Omdia-state-of-workforce-security

UK Universities face constant pressure to maintain complex software environments while adhering to strict procurement regulations and demonstrating value-for-money. Navigating these requirements requires a partner with a proven track record in the public sector and deep expertise in licensing compliance.

XMA is pleased to announce we have been re-awarded a place on the Framework Agreement for Software License Reseller & Consultancy Services Agreement (SLRA). This framework provides UK Higher Education (HE) institutions with a compliant, efficient route to procure essential software and consultancy services.

Awarded Lots and Expertise

As of 20 March 2026, XMA is authorised to supply software under the following Lots:

Lot 2a – Adobe ETLA: Managed enterprise-level Adobe licensing.

Lot 2b – Adobe VIP & CLP: Flexible Adobe subscription and volume licensing programs.

Lot 3 – VMWare: Infrastructure and virtualisation solutions.

Lot 4 – Commercial Off the Shelf Software (COTS): Access to a wide range of standard software applications.

Ranked First for Adobe ETLA

For Lot 2a (Adobe ETLA), XMA achieved the first-place ranking. This ranking is significant for university procurement teams as it allows for Direct Award. This removes the need for a lengthy further competition process, allowing institutions to secure their Adobe Enterprise Term License Agreements quickly and with confidence in the pricing and service levels.

Supporting Higher Education Procurement

Beyond Adobe, our presence across multiple lots enables XMA to provide HE customers with a broad range of software solutions. We understand the specific operational landscape of UK universities, from data security requirements to the need for long-term stability in vendor relationships.

By using the SLRA framework, universities can reduce procurement timelines and ensure they are meeting the stringent security and social value requirements expected of public sector bodies.

For more information about our full range of frameworks we operate in, click here.

To talk directly to our frameworks team, email us at frameworks@xma.co.uk

XMA has secured a place on the new Welsh Government Commercial Delivery (WGCD) – IT Products and Services Framework (iii). Commencing April 1, 2026, this framework provides all Welsh public sector organisations with a compliant and efficient route to procure essential Technology and Managed Print services.

Public sector procurement is often defined by the need to meet stringent security and value-for-money requirements. By using this framework, Welsh organisations can simplify their supply chain while ensuring adherence to government standards.

Broad Capability Across Four Critical Lots

XMA are one of only three companies appointed to four of the five available lots. This position allows us to act as a consolidated provider for the entire IT stack alongside the provision of Managed Print services, reducing the administrative burden of managing multiple vendor contracts.

We have been awarded places on the following lots:

Lot 1 – Hardware:Provision of end-user devices, infrastructure, and peripheral equipment.
Lot 2 – Software:Licensing, management, and software-based solutions.
Lot 4 – MFDs / Print:Managed print services and multi-functional devices.
Lot 5 – Integrated Solutions:Delivery of complex, multi-technology projects.

All Lots do allow for Direct Award alongside quotation and tender requests

Supporting the Welsh Public Sector

This award reinforces XMA’s status as a Compliant Specialist within the public sector. Our focus remains on delivering value-for-money and operational resilience to schools, local authorities, and NHS bodies across Wales.

Instead of navigating fragmented procurement routes, Welsh public bodies can

utilise XMA’s proven track record to deliver secure, stable, and scalable technology.

For more information on how to access XMA via the WGCD framework from April 2026, please contact our dedicated teams at wales@xma.co.uk

Public sector IT procurement is often characterised by complexity, fragmented frameworks, and the pressure to demonstrate value-for-money under strict regulatory oversight. While the Technology Products and Associated Services 2 (TePAS2) framework, was designed to simplify this process, many organisations still struggle to utilise its full potential beyond simple hardware acquisition.

At XMA, we help you move past these hurdles. We provide the technical knowledge and framework expertise required to ensure your projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Little-Known Opportunities Within TePAS2

Most buyers use TePAS2 for standard laptops or servers, but the framework offers several overlooked services that can improve project efficiency:

Lot 8 Direct Award: For low-value or low-complexity items, organisations can use the Purchasing Platform to buy directly from XMA without a lengthy bidding process, saving significant administrative time.

Sustainability as a Service: Under Lot 7, you can procure refurbished and remanufactured hardware. This allows you to meet Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets while reducing the initial capital outlay for new equipment.

Flexible Financial Models: TePAS2 supports leasing and “as-a-service” models. This moves IT spend from a large upfront capital expense (CapEx) to a predictable monthly operational expense (OpEx), which is often easier to secure within public sector budgets.

The XMA Advantage: End-to-End Project Delivery

A common mistake in public sector procurement is treating hardware acquisition as a separate event from implementation and long-term support. XMA’s position on over 40 public sector frameworks, including G-Cloud and various CCS agreements, allows us to handle every aspect of your project.

Consultancy & Design: We use our knowledge and expertise to provide clear technical assessments before you buy, ensuring the chosen technology aligns with your strategic goals.

Mult-Framework Integration: If a project requires cloud hosting (G-Cloud) alongside physical infrastructure (TePAS2), XMA can handle it all. This eliminates the need for you to manage multiple vendor contracts and SLAs.

Lifecycle Management: We can provide configuration, installation, and user training as part of the initial delivery, followed by UK-based support and responsible recycling (ITAD) at the end of the product’s life.

By working with XMA, you are not just “buying boxes.” You are securing a partner with a proven track record of managing projects across the UK public sector. We handle the procurement intricacies so you can focus on delivering essential public services.

For more information about our full range of frameworks we operate in, click here.

To talk directly to our frameworks team, email us at frameworks@xma.co.uk

Who We are

Solution + Services

Search by Solution

Sectors

Technologies

Archive

A New Supply Chain Shortage Is Here, Let’s Talk About Helium

Andrew Downes

Smarter Lifecycle Thinking: How Education IT Can Identify Hidden Budget

Growing Our Impact: XMA and the National Forest

Why a “Device-Only” Strategy Fails the UK Classroom

Global Component Shortage Bulletin

Bulletin

Global Component Shortage

Helping you stay ahead rather than react to disruption

In today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, global supply chains continue to face significant disruption. Ongoing shortages of critical components—ranging from semiconductors to networking hardware—are impacting product availability, lead times, and pricing across the IT industry.

What’s Next for the Global Component Shortage?

This bulletin is designed to:

Speed Bulletin – 30/04/2026

Speed Bulletin – DD/MM/YYYY

Our eXpert Insights

5 Realities of the Current UK IT Market

Navigating Lead-Time Uncertainty with the Scottish Web and Proprietary Framework

A New Supply Chain Shortage Is Here, Let’s Talk About Helium

Get in touch for support with the shortage.

Let’s Talk

5 Realities of the Current UK IT Market

The Browser is Now the Security Perimeter

XMA Re-Awarded Place on SLRA Framework to Support UK Higher Education

XMA Awarded Key Position on New Welsh Government IT Framework

TePAS2 Procurement: Moving Beyond the Hardware List

Frameworks

Partners

ESG

Events

News & Blogs

XMA Careers

Drop Your Message

Fill in the Form to Download the Case Study

Fill in the Form to Download the Case Study

Fill in the Form to Download the Case Study