How to avoid printer conversations
Avoid awkward privacy and security vulnerability questions with a secure print set-up.
Network-connected printers can be a route into your company for cyber criminals. For example, if default passwords are still in use or your Wi-Fi network is unsecure, your printing is vulnerable. By failing to tackle these potential weak spots, your business is in danger of GDPR’s heavy-weight penalties.
Just 22% of all businesses surveyed were completely assured their print infrastructure was secure.1
Companies operating a standardised printer fleet are 26% less likely to suffer data loss.1
Make sure printer security doesn’t put your business in peril—download the report by entering your details below
1 Quocirca Managed Print Services Landscape, 2017. European survey results of 180 midmarket (500-999 employees) and large (1000+ employees) organisations in UK, France and Germany using a managed print service.
5 considerations for moving to an All-flash data centre

Simplifying All-flash with HPE Nimble
The path to an all-flash data centre and cloud may be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be disruptive. Like many other organisations, you may be planning to move to all flash as your primary storage technology because of the many advantages over traditional storage.
But there are many obstacles related to application performance, availability, manageability, scalability, investment protection, and disaster recovery that need to be considered first. With a few simple recommendations, your organisation can avoid the most common missteps and make the transition painless.
Download this FREE check list and find out how to overcome the obstacles related to the all flash data centre.
Tried, tested and trusted.
Performing under pressure
Having been put to the test by tough independent testers and business everywhere, the verdict is in on the Brother laser range. Proven to deliver high performance, reliability and great value for money, it’s clear how these machines have helped Brother become the number one brand for laser printers.
Independent testing facility Buyers Lab examined the Brother laser range over 2 months, printing up to 80,000 pages, and the results speak for themselves. With no service callouts required and no post-test servicing needed, the printers proved themselves to be faultlessly reliable and excellent performers time after time. Other areas the printers excelled in included:
- Superior print quality
- Simple setup, operation and maintenance
- Mobile and Cloud connectivity
- High-grade security
- Large paper capacity
- Lower than average energy consumption
Reliability where it matters most
Businesses across the UK have put Brother’s laser range to the test too, and trust them to deliver every time. Here’s what happy customers are saying about these dependable printers.
Colour printers you can count on
Every machine across the colour laser range has been proven to deliver crisp colour prints every time. Whether you need a dependable single function printer or a high-performance all-in-one, you can count on our tried and tested colour laser range to deliver the ‘highly reliable performance’ recognised by Buyers Lab.

HL-L8260CDW
Mono machines that always deliver
With high ratings from Buyers Lab and fantastic customers reviews, the quality, performance and reliability of Brother mono laser printers has been put into black and white too. Whether it’s print, scan, copy or fax you won’t be let down by the robust build quality and tested reliability you’re guaranteed with these machines.
DCP-L5500DN
Whether your plans are to integrate into a managed print strategy in the future or to just help make a difference in the way you operate now, we make printing easy.
Our print specialist are on hand to help, alternatively, buy online at Big Office Little Office.
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Top 5 causes of downtime across the infrastructure stack
When access to your data lags, your business lags. Understand how to apply machine learning in your data center to predict and prevent the problems that cause downtime.
This research by Nimble Storage, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, outlines the top five causes of application delays. The report analyses more than 12,000 anonymised cases of downtime and slow performance. Read this report and find out:
- Top 5 causes of downtime and poor performance across the infrastructure stack
- How machine learning and predictive analytics can prevent issues
- Steps you can take to boost performance and availability
Download the free report by completing the fields below
Beating customer SLA’s
HPE InfoSight took infrastructure management out of the equation for Rent-a-Center, and freed up staff time to execute instead of managing storage. Hear from their Director of Technical Operations on how they transformed.
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The mobile optimised network for small and mid-sized businesses
Explore how an integrated network, built around 802.11ac, can provide SMBs with a higher-performing, secure network for today’s business environment, and how simple – and profitable – setting up such a network really is.

Download your FREE eBook by Aruba by completing the form below.
Have you been tricked into buying counterfeit HP print cartridges?
It can seem to take forever to scan through the endless amount of HP print cartridges available online. As a job that is always left until the last minute, a rush to order means that some buyers may not pay as much detail as they need to the purchase.
Despite many reputable e-commerce websites to buy from, there are still third-party traders selling thousands of counterfeit goods – and HP print cartridges are no exception.
The cost of counterfeit
In fact, counterfeit goods are so much of an issue, that The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that the annual value of international trade in all counterfeit goods at $200 billion (£158 billion).
Easy to be tricked
In the printing world, counterfeiting consists of the manufacturing/remanufacturing or refilling of a print cartridge, with the intention to promote it in a way which suggests it is an original brand name product.
This usually involves an unofficial print cartridge being put into a box that closely resembles genuine HP packaging – deceiving the customers into paying a higher price as they believe the product is legitimate.
The disadvantages
As well as being deceived on price, the potential risk of using counterfeit print cartridges could play havoc with your printer. Problems you may incur, include:
• Poor quality print-outs
• Reduced page yield
• Damage to printer
• Premature fail or do not work
• Interruption of print infrastructure
• Invalidation of hardware warranty
Protecting yourself against counterfeit
Just like all counterfeit products you’ve probably witnessed, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. To avoid falling victim to questionable offers, you should look to buy from authorised resellers only. For HP, this includes us here at XMA.
For existing cartridges that you may have that you are dubious about, you can action this three-step plan.
- Check the security label – Tilt box front to back to see “OK” and “√” move in opposite directions. Then tilt box right to left to see “OK” and “√” move in the same direction. If it doesn’t, this is not a HP print cartridge.
- Scan the code – Use the HP SureSupply app or a generic QR code reader to scan the QR code on the cartridge’s security label. Or go to www.hp.com/go/ok to validate online.
- Report counterfeit – Keep the cartridge, packaging and any documents relating to the product, such as invoices, etc, and report it on the HP website.
Beating counterfeit cartridges
Unofficial traders have become smart in how they package and sell counterfeit cartridges online. Whilst HP and other companies are combatting the global issue, with this information, you can ensure that you are buying the right cartridges for your printers – delivering the quality, performance and value that you expect from a HP printer cartridge.
For more information on buying official HP printer cartridges from XMA, an approved HP reseller, speak to your Account Manager today.
The sustainability benefits of buying genuine printer supplies
Businesses, large and small, are now taking a considerable interest in the environment. ‘Sustainability’ has become a buzzword as many businesses look to become more socially responsible in how they buy and work.
Companies such as HP, are no exception. HP is leading the shift to more environmentally friendly printing by introducing key sustainability initiatives that helps both themselves, and end users become more aware of the environment.
Sustainable printer supplies
A key part of HP’s product innovation involves developing and delivering print cartridges that help reduce environmental impact and are manufactured and recycled responsibly – promoting good corporate citizenship. From the outset, HP’s Design for Environment (DfE) programme ensures HP cartridges are designed with the environment in mind.
Also, HP requires its suppliers to certify that all HP printing supplies and their packaging comply with the HP General Specifications for Environment (GSE) – a set of guidelines that prohibits the
use of specific substances that are potentially harmful to the environment.
Recycling empty cartridges
Developed over 20 years ago, HP Planet Partners Programme pioneered a simple and free-of-charge system for customers to return and recycle their used Original HP LaserJet toner cartridges through state-of-the-art ISO 14001 certified facilities.
This programme has since expanded to include Original HP ink cartridges and is now available in more than 60 countries and territories around the world. Through our Planet Partners Programme, HP guarantees that it will never refill or resell print cartridges, or send them to a landfill. The results of this recycling have been phenomenal.
HP has produced more than 2.6 billion original HP ink and toner cartridges with recycled plastics since 2005. 628 million HP cartridges have already been recycled since 1991. This has resulted in:
- A 33% carbon footprint reduction
- A 54% reduction in fossil fuel consumption
- A 75% reduction in water used
This has assisted HP in being awarded the Green Apple Award in 2014 and the Green World Ambassador Award in 2015 – both to recognise their efforts towards sustainability.
Sustainability in the future
Of course, HP cannot achieve these sustainability and recycling results without customers buying original and genuine printer supplies from HP. It is this support that is helping both the company and its customers look after the environment.
Counterfeit products that are not purchased from an authorised resellers, as we’ve spoken about in a previous article, can be detrimental towards our shared sustainability goals. Only buying your HP printer supplies from an authorised seller, like XMA, can guarantee that the company continues to fight sustainability in order to look after the environment.
For more information on buying your next HP printer supplies, speak to your XMA Account Manager today.