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Say “hello” to a secure, simple, cloud-ready future

Modernise with the latest versions of Windows Server on HPE Gen10 and benefit from improved security, greater efficiency, and access to the cloud.

Windows Server 2008 went end-of-support January 14th, 2020.

Windows Server 2008 is an operating system produced by Microsoft. In the past, if you had a problem with your server, either you, your IT partner, or your software vendor had the ability to reach out to Microsoft to get:

• Technical support
• Help troubleshooting issues
• Patches or updates

Microsoft will no longer provide this support.

If your business runs software on the Windows Server 2008 operating system, neither you, nor your IT vendors, IT service providers, or custom/third-party software application developers will be able to contact Microsoft for help even if the issue originates in Windows Server 2008.

Upgrade to Windows Server 2019 today with Windows Server on HPE Gen10

The Benefits

In addition to cybercrime protection, new systems are significantly more efficient. With Windows Server 2008, virtual machines consume so much CPU and memory that only a small number of VMs can run on each physical server. With modern Windows Server technology, it’s possible to run hundreds or thousands of containers on each server. Fewer servers = lower costs and less complexity.

Old servers play a large role in rising IT costs because they drive up the #1 cost issue for most data centers: software license and support fees. Moving to the latest HPE Gen10 servers will help control this significant expense. Since most software is licensed according to the number of processor cores:

faster servers = fewer cores = lower software license costs.

Download our InfoGraphic to find out more

Migrate straight to the cloud?

Microsoft will offer extended security updates for customers who migrate their legacy applications to the Azure cloud and run them on virtual machines. Is that the best solution for you?

Migrating your entire legacy environment to run in virtual machines in the public cloud still leaves you with outdated applications on an OS that loses support as soon as you leave Azure. And VMs in the cloud require extensive ongoing management for many of the features that are automated in cloud-based applications, including configuration sizing, securing, patching, and maintaining. A migration of Windows Server 2008 to VMs in the cloud is a short-term fix that will need to be resolved for your business to truly benefit and move forward.

The better alternative

When a legacy Windows Server 2008 environment is modernised on HPE Gen10 Servers with a current version of Windows Server, you get the added security against cybercrime, the efficiency of cost-saving technologies, and the benefits of a hybrid cloud platform. Exciting HPE products like Synergy, SimpliVity, and the Apollo System for AI and Deep Learning provide powerful tools so that you can successfully address the IT challenges that were never imagined back in 2008. It’s time to move forward.

Contact us today to find out more about which solution is best for your business

1919, 2020, 2121

Unless we technologically advance rather ferociously in the coming years, this is the last time we will see a double figure year in our lifetime, so it’s pretty special!

An iconic year for us all to really make an impact.

Let’s jump straight into our technology predictions for 2020: sustainable innovation, experiencing technology, time limits, specialised talent, and transhumanism. 

Sustainable Innovation 

Change is upon us, effective change is imminent.

Being sustainable is at the core of every business. As businesses, we want to be seen making positive changes, but how far are we all actually going to make an impact? Is there any evidence to analyse? Any substance behind the claims?

We can expect to see greater investments in reuse and recycling for closed-loop innovation and expect to say goodbye to the days of bulky hardware, as just like the nano SIM, hardware are becoming smaller and more efficient and we will be more reliant on the Cloud. We can expect more organisations to source new sustainable materials for example being built with recycled and reclaimed goods.

In 2018, HP used 21,250 tonnes of recycled plastic in HP products – including 8,360 tonnes in their personal systems (a 3.5% increase from 2017); 4,790 tonnes in their printers (a 280% increase from 2017); and more than 8,000 tonnes in their ink and toner cartridges.

“As of September 2019, HP sourced about 450 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic bottles (equal to roughly 35 million bottles) that are recycled and used to make Original HP ink cartridges and hardware, including the HP EliteDisplay E273d Docking Monitor (announced in June 2019) – the world’s first display manufactured using ocean plastic. Display manufactured with 5% ocean bound plastic materials by weight, the equivalent of more than three 16 oz. recycled plastic water bottles.” (HP, 2019).

So an absolute #GameChanger is the HP Elite Dragonfly, after launching in September 2019, this beautiful, slimline device has been the talk of Tech Town. Not only is the HP Dragonfly the world’s most lightweight 13” laptop, it is also the world’s first notebook with ocean-bound plastics, including 5% in its speaker, and has started a standing-ovation-worthy cybersecurity revolution…

The motherboard is where the magic happens, but with the Dragonfly, it’s more than magic, it’s where their intelligence driven superpowers are challenged. Sure Sense, required with Windows 10, is trained to seek and analyse trends in Malware. Unlike Norton for example, which detects known malware, Sure Sense looks for codes and changes in malware that Norton would not be able to spot. This is next level. This is now. This is the answer to your cybersecurity concerns.

We predict that the HP Dragonfly will have a snowball effect on other organisations and we will see more plans and launches of devices which use sustainable materials in their products. It’s all part of the sustainability grape vine. Find out why this is so important to us here. 

Technology Experience – learning how to use technology more creatively to go the extra mile. 

We predict that 2020 will create a new wave of fun for technology users. Consumers will use their devices and software to a fuller extent, producing a richer experience. Technology Education will make a breakthrough from younger ages through to adults and a better understanding of technology and it’s possibilities will be explored. Technology consumers will move forward and develop more creatively – beginning to safely experiment and enjoy the dormant or ‘unknown’ features to a fuller extent.

Time limits Apps/Personal

After studies suggest social media is addictive to younger consumers, we predict apps like Instagram and Facebook will set up ‘recommended screen time’ to present themselves as transparent and responsible media owners. At first, this could be promoted via a push notification, followed by a hideable banner on the homepage if not actioned by the user.

As well as apps encouraging this, we predict that tech users will start taking more of an active role to their technology intake and allocate certain time slots for apps.

As a side note, media giant Instagram appears to have the user at the forefront of their minds. Recently after a trial period in the UK, Instagram removed the amount of likes on photos to other users, only the photo owner can see the total number of likes; however this does not stop savvy users counting the profiles that liked it. The move was designed to promote positive well-being and to downplay the importance of users receiving ‘social validation’ on their posts after concerns of growing online anxiety, and instead to shift focus to the content they freely want to share.

Training for Specialised Talent

As I’m sure you’re aware, ICT is a rapidly growing industry, and after every layer is peeled, another 500 appear. Because of this, there is talent in special areas, we have seen the Facebook Content Manager and Social Media Community Manager, but we can expect to see wild job titles entering the mix. Perhaps Linkedin Automated Message Developer, Instagram Beauty Hashtag Expert, or Website Header Transition Engineer.

Technology has a major role to play in learning and in preparing students for the world and careers they’ll be responsible for in the future – a future where 65% of jobs they will apply for do not exist today. (World Economic Forum, “The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” January 2016).

In May 2017, BBC Sounds podcast covered this and even though this circulated figure is debatable, it creates a thought whirlwind… will technology in education create more doors to open with more space to explore? How is technology training in schools being implemented effectively to prepare for these changes? If you’re interested in finding out some more, sign up to one of our Google Interactive Learning Experiences at BETT 2020 here.

Transhumanism

How would you feel about opening your front door by the swish of your index finger? What about picking up loose change from behind the sofa with a magnetic middle finger? Would you find it helpful having a chip in your wrist which is full of your medical information? 

Introducing… Transhumanism.

The belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology.

When we think of transhumanism and technological developments into our bodies, we could think of a certain alien invader – cyberhumans. And hello 2020, we can liken this concept to BBC’s hit drama ‘Years and Years’, where student Bethany is obsessed with transhumanism and the culture of integrating humans with technology. If you haven’t seen it yet, it is definitely worth a watch to examine life in possibility.

‘I’m going to escape and become digital’.

Granted, talk of removing the brain with all your life’s information and storing it into the Cloud is a tad extreme, however that is transhumanism in its ultimate form. Saying this, Winter Mraz, 31, labelled as a ‘Tech Geek’, with a degree in Games Modelling, Animation, and Effects, began augmenting herself after a car crash in the United States. 

With ‘bionic’ implants inserted around her body, she argues over popular contraceptive implants, presenting conflicting ideas of ‘what’s the difference between a contraceptive implant and a microchip?’
Working as an engineer, she said her magnetic and data-fuelled implants allow her to sense electromagnetic fields and help avoid touching live wires at work. 

Some argue that either through genetics or artificial intelligence, humans will be able to create a human being that is far superior to what we are now. From robotic hearts which don’t stop ticking, to saying ‘see ya’ to Rapid Wrinkle Repair cream and welcoming in genetic enhancements to make us not age or stay young forever, and let’s not forget about the development of bionic eyes that immediately download TV shows.

Overall, the concept of transhumanism is to collaborate humans and technology to make us more functional beings which live longer and more efficiently.

Will humans be free thinking, decision making entities in the Cloud?

Will we upload different versions of ourselves? 

What if our Cloud personas are hacked? Rewind to this iconic episode of Doctor Who and The Rise of The Cybermen.

Is this a work of art? Or work for reversal?

Making things easier for virtualised businesses: It’s HPE Nimble Storage dHCI, delivering the simplicity of HCI with the flexibility of converged

What’s new

• Disaggregated HCI extends hyperconvergence to workloads with unpredictable growth, scaling compute and storage independently.

Features

Intelligently Simple

How XMA can help

XMA are an HPE Platinum Partner in the UK.  In order to hold the HPE Platinum Partner accreditation, we must be able to demonstrate our commercial and technical ability to understand, design and implement the HPE Hybrid IT portfolio. XMA are an HPEFS Platinum Partner and the largest UK HPEFS partner for Asset Lifecycle Services / Circular Economy.

XMA have a clear strategic alignment and one with HPE, both at commercial and technical levels.

We are capable of delivering a full catalogue of professional and managed services, ranging from standard logistical services through to bespoke transformation projects that deliver our customers’ business outcomes. Over 650,000 orders were shipped last year, with over third being HPE into some large organisations.

Contact us today to find out more

The latest model in the HPE hyperconverged portfolio, is now shipping and available worldwide.

Built on the HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 server platform, the HPE SimpliVity 325 provides security and performance in a highly dense, 1U model.

HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen10, based on the HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 Servers, is a compact, scalable, 1U rack-mounted building block that delivers integrated server, storage, and storage networking services. The HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen10 Server is the secure and versatile single socket server for virtualization and I/O intensive workloads is ideal for remote office or space-constrained locations.

This 1P, 1U server delivers an exceptional balance of processor, memory and I/O for 2P performance at 1P TCO.

Get the most out of your virtualized environment with this versatile server delivering a lower hypervisor software cost and better cost per virtual machine (VM).

HPE InfoSight: Now on HPE SimpliVity

HPE InfoSight has been extended to HPE SimpliVity HCI offerings. HPE is integrating HPE InfoSight AI operations to provide customers with global visibility into detailed system, performance and capacity utilisation – enabling predictive data analytics and recommendations for system and performance optimisation. Automatically predicts and resolves 86% of problems before you even know there is an issue.

Check out the specifications below

Nutanix and HPE announced a global agreement in April this year to produce Nutanix Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) available on the HPE ProLiant Server platform known as Nutanix DX Appliances.

This offering will also be available on a consumption-based model utilising HPE GreenLakes Infrastructure as a service. This means more flexibility and cost savings using a pay per use model so you can start implementing this new technology today, without the worry of upfront costs and planned budgets.

Nutanix DX Appliances are now available and ready to ship and will be available as a consumption-based model using the HPE GreenLake solution from October 2019.

Nutanix are market leaders for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) and have added HPE ProLiant Server as a hardware platform choice, with such strong reputations as market leaders in their own rights this joint partnership means Nutanix DX Appliance combines cutting edge technologies to bring this new product to the market.

XMA are a platinum HPE partner and a Nutanix Scaler partner meaning we have strong alliances with both vendors and have unrivalled in-house technical resource, to help plan and implement this new technology across your organisation.

What does it mean for your organisation?

More choice with Nutanix in terms of Hardware platforms from XMA; Nutanix, HPE, Lenovo or Dell as well as broad Hypervisor choice; Nutanix AHV, VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V. Nutanix Software on HPE Hardware, with world class support from both organisations.

Contact us today to find out more about this exciting new announcement

HPE InfoSight and its recommendation engine can pave your institutions path towards an automated, self-learning and self-managing data centre that can free your IT department to focus on creating value and allows your institution to turn exponentially growing data into valuable, actionable insights.

Learn how it ensures 99.9999% guaranteed availability and predicts and resolves 86% of problems before they can disrupt the business of learning, research, and administration. Analysing millions of sensors a second, everyone benefits as the university’s systems grow continuously smarter and more reliable.

Download the whitepaper below to find out more

With many Schools, Universities and Education Establishments needing to provide fast, effective systems, there is pressure on the budgets to upgrade their technology. The good news is Intel have ‘broken the rules’ of previous system memory and introduced breakthrough technology  that allows users to take advantage of unprecedented responsiveness and amazing performance.

When used with HDD, Intel Optane memory offers SSD like PC experience that delivers high speed and responsiveness without compromising on storage capacity. The cost for Intel Optane starts from around £37 which means that you can add an accelerator to your system without the high expense of SSD, especially if you need high capacity storage. Optane is compatible with Intel 7th Gen technology motherboards/processors and later, with so many different types of users that can benefit from this.

What is Intel® Optane™?

Available in 16GB or 32GB modules which simply ‘slot’ into your motherboard, Intel Optane acts as an accelerator for your system. It works with a unique combination of 3D XPoint memory media with Intel’s advanced system memory controller, interface hardware, and software IP. What does this mean?  It means a smart and adaptable system accelerator that adjusts to your computing tasks — making everything you do faster, smoother, and easier. The intelligent software automatically learns your computing behaviours to accelerate frequent tasks and customise your computer experience, meaning faster searching, faster loading, and a faster system.

How does it benefit me?

Performance gains of upto 28% Faster overall system performance, upto 14x Faster hard drive access, and upto 2x faster everyday task responsiveness

Operational excellence with 3d XPoint Technology gives better endurance and faster than previous NAND Memory.

Predictability where Intel Optane learns to prioritise your files accessed regularly to have them available for you when you need them.

Fast SSD like transfer interface to rival SSD storage. Why not look at options to increase your storage capacity with HDD for lower cost than SSD.

How do I buy?

The best way to upgrade to Intel Optane is to speak to one of our specialists who can talk to you more about the benefits and explain the next steps. If however you want to buy Optane without speaking to our team you can make a purchase via the XMA store.

store.xma.co.uk

Contact us on 0115 846 4000 or use the contact form below to get in touch today

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.

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.