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In the 25th year of the CRN Channel Awards, it is with immense pride that we officially announce XMA has been named Public Sector VAR of the Year for the 2nd year running.

Ian Cunningham, Director of Sales & Marketing at XMA, who accepted the awards with the rest of the XMA Board commented “‘The level of competition this year was extremely tough and we were up against a range of industry peers who we admire and respect and who we knew would be formidable opponents, so winning against them makes it even more special.

I am beyond delighted XMA have been named CRN’s Public Sector VAR of the Year, proving that all of the hard work and determination across our company this year from top to bottom has really made a difference and is now publicly recognised.  The proposals to win these awards told the story of our people and the tremendous service they have provided our customers across the year, but also it is a story of transformation and change in our company. We are being rewarded for investing in our people, evolving our systems and processes, to ultimately give our customers best in class solutions, products and services at the right time, right price and with fantastic service and relationships driven by our staff.

I’d like to extend a huge thank you not just to our staff, but to all our customers, partners and associates without whom we could not have reached such a fantastic milestone.  And the good news – we are by no means finished.

Success breeds growth and XMA are growing strongly for the future.”

One team, one dream

We are tremendously proud of our achievements over the past 12 months of which much is credit to our people who continue to go the extra mile. They are critical to our success and we recognised this through the introduction of a number of training and development programmes to help them reach their full potential.

Our investment in digitally transforming our business has enabled the development and implementation of new systems, helping streamline how we work and service our customers.

Working together with one common goal, we have achieved huge growth across our Corporate, Public Sector and Ecommerce business, achieving an extended route to market and an empowered workforce.

XMA would like to extend a huge congratulations to all the finalists and winners at this year’s CRN Channel Awards. We are proud to be part of such an exciting and innovative industry and look forward to continuing to exceed expectations by delivering the best IT solutions to our customers throughout 2019.

With the unveiling of the 2018 budget last week, it was announced that the government would be investing an additional £400m into schools across England and Wales.

This additional investment was described as giving schools the extra budget for “the odd little piece of kit that they need*” – more specifically, “whiteboards and a couple of computers*”. This will be a one off capital payment direct to schools, averaging £10k per primary and £50k per secondary school.

The government have experienced a huge backlash across the country, with Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, saying “It is a sign of the government’s priorities that it is spending more on fixing potholes than on fixing the school funding crisis.”**

We agree that it is a small investment, and it certainly isn’t enough to help schools stretch to all the necessities they need. However, with our help we can make that additional budget go a lot further than just “a few little extras”. Our experience in doing more with less has supported schools in meeting their goals despite restricted budgets. Innovative technology solutions needn’t cost the earth. They just require careful planning, consideration and future proofing.

We pride ourselves in taking a consultative approach, by taking the time to understand your environment, challenges you currently face, and what your objectives are as a school.

Our specialist Schools team are ready to help you do a little extra with your “little extras”. Get in touch with us today so we can help your budget stretch further.

If you would like a member of our Schools team to contact you to discuss doing a little extra with “Little Extras”, please complete the fields below:

*The Guardian, 2018

** Schools Week, 2018

Today’s organisations must have the infrastructure in place to handle both current and emerging workloads.
 
Here are 5 ways that organisations can look at to meet changing demands in IT.

1. Flexible architecture

Meet today’s workload demands and easily reconfigure your system to respond to changing needs without disruption.

2. Agile IT management

Get unified control, simplified administration and intelligent automation of all system resources across 1000s of nodes and 100s of chassis with Dell EMC OpenManage Enterprise – Modular Edition.

3. Storage density for data-intensive applications

Optimize storage capacity at a granular level for specific workloads, and add solid-state flash and hard-disk drive resources as needed.

4. Responsive design

Responsive Design. Protect your investment with support for at least three future technology cycles with Multi-Generation Assurance.

5. Scaleable fabric and fast networking interconnects

Transfer even the largest data sets quickly and efficiently with support for high-speed interconnects such as PCI-e Gen 4, 25/50/100 Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCOE).
 

Download this FREE report and find out how the modular design of Dell EMC PowerEdge MX can help you scale, secure and simplify your IT.

We’ve got more than 30 years’ experience providing IT solutions for organisations of all sizes.

Newer midrange storage designs such as Dell EMC Unity All-Flash and SC Series storage provide small and midsize companies with easy-to-use enterprise-class functionality that’s scalable, agile and affordable.

Here’s 5 advantages of modern data for midsize companies.

1. Agile scaling balances performance and capacity for your specific workloads

The flexible configuration options of Dell EMC Unity and SC Series storage solutions allow small and midsize organizations to scale to multi-node clusters (all managed from a single pane of glass) to support up to 60PB of raw capacity per cluster and over 1M IOPS on some models.

2. Automated management features simplify storage operations

Flash storage technology optimised for midsize companies now offers pre-configured settings to automate common tasks like provisioning. Policy-driven response makes storage more “self-managing” with features like vendor-developed and tested workflow templates for recurring operations.

3. Bundled data services and software reduced costs

Instead of paying a la carte for enterprise-class data services and software, mid-size companies can now benefit from a more inclusive, bundled data services and software model that includes compression, in-line deduplication, and zero-detect capabilities — with the base price of an array that’s licensed out to the full capacity of the system.

4. Improved cloud integration optimises availability, functionality and TCO

Cloud-based predictive analytics platforms, such as Dell EMC’s CloudIQ SaaS application, remotely collects detailed data and uses big data analytics to increase availability and functionality, automate operations and lower TCO.

5. Post-purchase investment protection guarantees your storage (and peace of mind)

Comprehensive post-purchase vendor programs can add significant value. The Dell EMC Future-Proof Loyalty Program includes satisfaction, efficiency, data migration and hardware guarantees. This program also provides predictable, low maintenance costs over the life of your storage solution.

Not sure how these storage solutions can help your business? If you would like to learn more about modern Data Storage solutions and discuss the advantages to your business our team are on hand to help.

A well-considered investment in new technology is an investment in your business’ long-term future.

It’s an exciting time for any organisation. The right tech, whether hardware or software, can transform a firm’s growth potential, helping your business take the next step in its success story. However, it can also be a stressful time as smaller firms don’t necessarily have the kind of in-house IT procurement expertise needed to make important tech investment decisions with confidence.

With so many alternatives on offer, working out the best IT solution for your business isn’t always straightforward – and the implications of getting it wrong can be costly. Here are our thoughts on some of the steps that smart SMEs are taking in order to make sure their technology investment decisions have the desired impact

1. Start at the end

Just like any kind of capital expenditure, the intended benefits of the investment should be well understood before the procurement process starts. The primary reason that SMEs buy new technology is the need to improve performance or optimise a business process, so look at the processes in your business and ask, what should or could be done better, more quickly or more efficiently?

Often the best people to identify these pain points are your workforce. A staff survey can be an effective way to work out how much time is being spent on different activities, which can help to identify and prioritise inefficiencies.

Then you can ask yourself, could technology help to address this?

Are staff spending hours on end in team meetings, for example? Perhaps they need a more effective tool for collaborating, like an Instant Messaging system or a project management app?

Are they taking an age to locate customer files in filing cabinets? In that case, a scanning solution could make that process far more efficient and productive, freeing them up to make an impact elsewhere in the business. A business should only invest once it has clearly identified the processes it needs to change and how new technology can effect that change.

2. Consult and report

So, now you know what you want your new technology to be able to accomplish, it’s essential to consult all the staff who will ultimately be using it about the functions they need.

These are not vague ambitions, but clear objectives that tie in to the needs of the business.

You can also ask them about any other desirable features that would help them do their jobs better.

All these factors should also be ranked according to importance, as budget limitations may not allow you to tick every box, so prioritise the most critical.Some of the issues you will want to consider include usability, security, scalability, functionality, reliability, quality, the provision of support and compatibility with existing systems.

Once your analysis is complete, create a written report that lays out exactly what the investment is designed to achieve, that can be shared with, and signed off by everyone that will be affected. This document will prove invaluable when it comes to navigating through the huge variety of potential solutions that are available.

3. A systematic solution

The huge amount of technology aimed at SMEs can be seen as both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, it makes it more likely that there is a product out there that precisely suits your circumstances, on the other, finding it could be a real challenge.

Now you have your comprehensive list of requirements, one option is to create a spreadsheet comparing them against a selection of potential solutions.

You can then start narrowing down the list by working out which option fulfils the most criteria to find the best solution.

Of course, cost will be a factor too, but look beyond the initial investment to consider the long-term value, such as the print cost per page provided by a new printer.

If this still seems a little overwhelming, then teaming up with a technology supplier could be the way forward.

4. A helping hand

Don’t think of us just as a supplier with a sharp salesman who’s trying to sell you the most expensive solution they can, regardless of its suitability.

We function more like a trusted procurement partner, who can support you through the decision-making process, installation and bedding in of any new technology.

We want to build a long-term relationship with your business, so it’s in our interest to ensure we provide the right long-term solution for you.

We work hard to understand what businesses need from their technology and develop integrated solutions that enable customers to achieve their goals. And work with you to understand the challenges you face, then introduce services and products that will help you to work smarter and stay ahead of your rivals.

5. Teething troubles and training

Most IT professionals will tell you that, however well planned an installation is, some degree of teething troubles are inevitable.
For small businesses, any period of downtime can have a huge impact, so ready access to technical support and training is essential, especially in the first few months.

Again, we can provide some added value by managing the installation process.

Training ensures that your staff are getting all they can out of a new technology, using it to its full potential and generating the maximum positive impact on productivity, as well as delivering a better Return On Investment (ROI). We can offer training, so you have plenty of options to get the right solution for your business.

Learn how organisations from various sectors are deploying technology to their advantage by visiting our Success in Action page.

HPE Synergy is the world’s first truly Composable Infrastructure and today’s new hybrid IT engine. Synergy enables you to maintain the structure and security of traditional IT, whilst still having flexibility and speed for new applications.

1. Cloud-like speed Composable Infrastructure enables DevOps teams to spin up new services in minutes to get new experiences into customers’ hands faster, delivering cloud-like speed from your own secure datacentre.	2. Single platform Run traditional applications and cloud-native apps from a single platform that supports everything from bare-metal deployment to virtual machines and containers. This allows IT to align behind a single platform to reduce datacentre complexity and cost.
3. Software-defined Intelligent software recognises and automatically integrates compute, storage, and fabric into resource pools that can be aggregated and disaggregated to meet the needs of any application. Template-driven provisioning helps ensure policy compliance and reduces risk exposure.	4. Operational efficiency Remove the need to stand up separate siloed environments for different applications. Automated provisioning via templates and a unified API enables application infrastructure provisioning in minutes instead of days, bringing cloud-giant efficiency to your datacentre.
5. Continuous development Developers can request exactly the amount of compute, storage, and networking fabric their applications need, directly from code. The unified API aggregates physical resources just like virtual and public-cloud resources, giving developers true infrastructure-as-code capabilities.	6. Fluid IT Accelerate application development by giving DevOps teams more control over their environments. Fluid resource pools allow developers to execute non-disruptive changes and to continuously refine applications to meet customer needs as they arise.
7. IT economics Template-driven provisioning and non-disruptive updates mean IT spends less time maintaining infrastructure, reducing labour costs. Fluid pools of resources that can be aggregated on demand increase utilisation and reduce over-provisioning and stranded capacity.	8. Competitive advantages Bridging the performance and control of dedicated infrastructure with the flexibility of the cloud allows lines-of-business to accelerate delivery of new customer experiences and revenue opportunities to stay ahead of the competition.
9. Future-proofed datacentre Be ready for whatever the future might bring with a scalable and extendable infrastructure and robust partner ecosystem that provides a firm foundation for today’s hybrid IT and the capacity and flexibility to take future innovations in stride.	10. Seamless evolution Starting with as little as a half-rack of gear, Composable Infrastructure can be deployed easily and incrementally, side-by-side with your existing infrastructure. Deploy it as part of your standard refresh cycle to grow your capabilities at a pace that makes sense for your business.

If you would like to learn more about any of the technologies mentioned or discuss other ideas for revolutionising your infrastructure, our team are on hand to help. Contact us at info@xma.co.uk or call 0115 846 4000. Alternatively, you can complete our contact form below.

The uniforms are ironed, the shoes are polished and parents are breathing a small sigh of relief – the summer holidays are over and it’s time to get back to business!

As the new academic year commences, it brings with it a fresh beginning, a blank canvas for new opportunities and endless possibilities. It’s an exciting time as students embark on the next chapter in their educational journey.

But it’s an exciting time for us too! There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing our young learners achieve their dreams, especially now that so much more is possible through the innovative application of IT.

Technology has opened up a whole new world for learning. Students have flexibility over what mediums they can learn with, they have immediate access to information and are no longer restricted to the classroom.

Exciting new technologies are emerging, breaking down the boundaries of traditional learning and enriching the educational experience. With so many new innovations designed to make learning more fun, we have narrowed down the selection to a few of our favourites…

3D Print

Building the vision into a tangible outcome
Print no longer means “Print”! Sitting perfectly within STEAM curricula, 3D print provides a truly creative and immersive learning environment. By producing tangible results, students are instantly engaged, developing a real motivation to learn. This hands-on-learning approach brings complex concepts to life and 3D print helps bridge the gap between traditional classroom concepts and reality.

Virtual Reality

Immerse learners in a simulated learning environment
Virtual Reality (VR) was a thing of the future but now it’s here and making waves through the education sector by changing the way educational content is delivered, allowing users to interact with it within a virtual world.

Students can explore a subject in detail, without having to read up about it. They can develop an understanding of how things work in a more practical environment. And they can scale learning experiences, making them more engaging and dynamic.

Microsoft Surface Go

Effortless 2:1 computing
The latest addition to the Surface family! The device is a 10-inch screen and 3:2 display with Microsoft claiming it is the ‘smallest, lightest and most affordable Surface yet’. It’s revolutionary 2:1 model enables the mobility of a tablet with the performance of a laptop and includes enhanced lesson customisation with Office 365 and seamless tools like Microsoft Teams enable assignment creation, progress tracker.

Sphero

Teaching students to code
We love this little guy! Sphero is an app-enabled robot which uses basic code to programme its actions – whether that be jumping, moving in a particular direction, dancing or changing colour. With its own Edu App providing heaps of collaborative STEAM activities such as Draw & Drive to learn real JavaScript, Sphero captures and nurture imaginations instantly.

Spongy Elephant

Award winning bite-sized training for schools and trusts
Ok, so it’s not exactly tech but we still see Spongy Elephant having a huge presence in ed this term! Put simply, Spongy Elephant provides your staff with bite-size learning bursts that are easy-to-access, easy-to-consume and easy-to-implement when they need them, rather than have them scheduled for school INSET sessions and offsite formal training.

We are helping schools similar to yours, to introduce the latest and greatest tech to their classrooms, giving them the confidence and reassurance that they are providing their students with the best learning experience possible.

If you would like to learn more about any of the technologies mentioned or discuss other ideas for revolutionising your classroom, our Education team are on hand to help.

In its 25th year, many will have been anxiously awaiting this years’ shortlist for the CRN Channel Awards 2018. The awards are the perfect opportunity to share acheivements and recognise those who have made outstanding contributions to the channel.  XMA are proud to announce our shortlisting at this years awards.

As the current reigning winners of the CRN Public Sector VAR award in 2017, we have continued to deliver value to our public sector customers. As a result, XMA have been named one of the finalists in the running to be named this years winners. Further to this, XMA have also been shortlisted under the ‘Reseller of the Year (£51m+)’ category, a prestigious title for any reseller in the channel.

Ian Cunningham, Director of Sales & Marketing at XMA had this to say on the news of our shortlistings:

“As competition for the CRN Reseller of the Year and Public Sector VAR of the Year awards is so incredibly high, I am delighted XMA have been shortlisted for both awards for the second year in a row. Last year I was incredibly proud to accept the CRN Award for Public Sector VAR of the year on behalf of XMA, particularly in front of an audience of industry peers.”

“XMA is powered by our people and it is them who make these awards possible through their hard work and focus on our customers.  They live our values and make a difference.”

The awards ceremony will take place on the 15th November, where we look forward to celebrating success with other industry peers from across the channel.

There are two rules when it comes to modernising your datacentre but what it boils down to is focusing on a good outcome.

Rule #1: Keep it simple

When technology needs an update, some organisations choose to modernise over time, following the same problem-by-problem approach they used to build the original data centre. This piecemeal approach is complex and can be agonisingly slow. What’s worse, all that time and effort won’t necessarily lead to a better end product or even lower costs.

Instead of focusing on daily problems that arise, hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) lets you focus on the outcome: a simpler data centre that’s cost-effective and easy to manage. HCI takes a building block approach to architecture, consolidating compute, storage, network switching, replication, and backup in a single integrated system. The consolidation of these IT functions onto virtualized hardware can greatly simplify environments that have been divided by siloed point solutions.

VM-centric HCI systems are also simple for IT administrators to manage, and require much less data centre space than traditional IT devices.

Rule #2: Don’t overspend

Hyperconvergence requires some upfront investment, but it can deliver a huge return on that investment. In this study based on research with real world customers, Forrester Consulting found that HCI reduces TCO by 69% on average compared to traditional IT. Converging the entire IT stack – firmware, hypervisor, and data virtualisation software – has additional advantages, according to that same study. Data centre footprint can be reduced 10:1, backups and disaster recovery become simple and straightforward, and upgrades are managed for the whole stack. The most efficient solutions also free up significant staff time, boosting the economic benefits even further. IDC reports an 81% increase in time available to focus on new projects as a direct result of hyperconverged deployment.

Our data centre solutions guarantee high availability, reliability and security for your infrastructure

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Avoid a hidden costs discussion about printers by tackling your expenses head-on.

Companies are throwing money away on unnecessary printing, the needless use of colour and abandoned print jobs. Personnel can print without limitations and lack the training to print in a responsible way.

Shave 10% to 30% off your print budget by actively managing your printing behaviour.

How to avoid printer conversations

Your old printers may have served you well, but how much is your loyalty really costing? The older the printer, for example, the more likely that it consumes significant amounts of energy even when it’s idle.

Modern printers are on average 35.6% more efficient than their predecessors.

Learn more about the hidden costs of printing and how to avoid those awkward printing conversations in this report.

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