PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
From Turtle Beach’s latest headset technology to Microsoft responding to reseller requests, here’s a round up of the breakout sessions at PCR Boot Camp 2014.
Transmentum – Road to recurring Revenue
Paul Fileman held an interactive session where the audience reflected on how well their own business is doing, examining business factors from strategy through to sales, marketing and the help desk.
Fileman talked about offering ‘all-you-can-eat’ top level service packages for higher profits, motivating sales people and more.
Edimax – Connect with Edimax
The vendor showcased its portfolio of smart home technology, explaining how technologically advanced Wi-Fi powered homes will become a reality. It also demonstrated a range of IP camera solutions which it says are coming down in cost.
Edimax’s Elliot Herd said: "We’re realigning our pricing structure to give resellers better margins to compete with bigger retailers."
Herd also ran through the reasons for consumers to buy an IP camera: to check in on loved ones, keep an eye on their property while away, show off possessions, monitor your pets, or check up on elderly family members or children.
Transcend – Good memories start here
This was easily the most enthusiastically hosted breakout session we’ve experienced. The host managed to make memory seem like the most exciting thing on Earth. He ran through the vendor’s memory modules, flash memory cards, USB flash drives, MP3 players, digital photo frames, portable hard drives, multimedia products and accessories.
Turtle Beach – Bringing the Turtle Beach audio advantage to retail
The gaming headset specialised showcased its new DTS Headphone X surround sound technology and ran through its range of PC gaming and iSeries headsets, including the upcoming Z60. This is due in August or September this year, with an expected price point of just under £100.
Turtle Beach’s Wayne Friday and Scott Wood also ran through the firm’s history, threw a few gags and hinted that more announcements may happen during E3 this year, including more game licensing partnerships following its Heroes of the Storm partnership with Blizzard. Turtle Beach also said it had a 53 per cent share of the gaming headset market last year.
Turtle Beach had nine of the top ten best selling gaming headsets in the UK last year. @turtlebeach #PCRBootCamp
— PCR Magazine (@pcr_online) May 21, 2014
Microsoft – Life after Windows XP and SBS
Microsoft’s partner sales specialist Triston Brade began with a history of Windows XP and a run-through of the security risks and threats that are currently present for users, life after SBS and on/off premise options.
"Mobile has become the new normal in the workplace," Brade said. "Tablets and smartphones will reach 1.4 billion consumers by 2016. The [software] landscape has also changed."
However, the talk soon turned into a Q&A as retailers pitched all kinds of questions at Brade, who handled the onslaught very well. Some retailers were talking about trying to upgrade XP machines to Windows 7 but the questions soon went off topic as delegates talked about all things Microsoft.
Lots of constructive feedback from retailers aimed at Microsoft in this session. It's turning into a Q&A. Healthy debate. #PCRBootCamp
— PCR Magazine (@pcr_online) May 21, 2014
Office 365
Microsoft also showed retailers how to sell Office 365 on a subscription basis with recurring revenues, rather than just box shifting numbers. It ran training sessions in the James Watt Room throughout the afternoon, with all delegates receiving a free copy of Office 365.
M2M – Why the future is SSD not HDD
M2M looked at issues facing the PC storage market and of the laptop and PC markets for channel reseller.
They expect SATA SSD products to be big with prices coming down in the next few years.
M2M also discussed the tipping point when SSD may fully replace HDD.
"It’s starting to build at the moment, but there still are some failure concerns," M2M said. "We’re still seeing a lot of both – a hybrid solution."
