PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Five for Friday is a weekly feature to give a brief roundup of our top five stories from the week that you might have missed. Think we left anything out? Let us know your favourite stories of the week by pinging us a tweet @pcr_online.
Andy Murray serves up £1.98 million in investment for two tech start-ups
Tennis ace Andy Murray has served up £1.98 million to invest in two UK tech start-ups. The British number one has backed Goodbox and Zoomdoc with his investment. It takes his UK investment portfolio up to 25 businesses.
Goodbox is a tech firm working with the Church of England cathedrals and museums to ensure contactless payments can benefit charities. Meanwhile, Zoomdoc is a healthcare firm founded by a NHS GP that allows patients to instantly book a GP to arrive at any location within an hour.
A Wimbledon Champion and double Olympic gold medallist, Murray said that he is committed to investing in companies that can make a difference. “I’ve been involved in the digital health space for a while now, primarily getting schools focused on creating digital solutions for health problems, so ZoomDoc interested me,” said Murray.
Record number of UK exhibitors are heading to CES 2018
A record number of British exhibitors are heading to Las Vegas for CES 2018. Topping last year’s total of 56 UK representatives, this year’s show will feature 60 exhibitors from Britain. Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2018 will run 9th-12th January 2018 in Las Vegas, USA. Thirty UK startups will exhibit in Eureka Park, the destination for startups at CES. Of those, ten will be featured in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland pavilion, supported by the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) and sponsored by techUK, the trade association for the UK technology industry.
“The UK is stepping up its presence at CES in a major way reflecting a renewed commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. New this year, the UK is hosting a pavilion in Eureka Park, as well as bringing more exhibitors to CES than years past, up seven percent from 2017,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CTA. “We applaud techUK for sponsoring innovative startups on a global stage and look forward to seeing the cutting-edge technology showcased by these UK exhibitors.”
Facebook’s new London office brings more than just jobs to the capital
Facebook has launched a new office in the heart of London, creating 800 new jobs in the capital. With a focus on engineering, the LDN-LAB at Rathbone Place will bring more than just new jobs to the capital.
By increasing its UK workforce by more than 50 per cent, Facebook’s new office is a timely suggestion that despite Brexit the UK – and London – is still an attractive base for major technology companies. By the end of next year, Facebook will employ 2,300 people in the UK as it continues to grow its workforce this side of the pond.
From Paris to Las Vegas: Interview with CTA CEO Gary Shapiro
CES is the world’s largest consumer tech trade show and effectively defines the agenda for the comming year. Ahead of the event in Las Vegas next month, we sent Marguerite Clark – editor-in-chief of PCR’s sister publication Radio World – along to CES Unveiled Paris to chat with Consumer Technology Association president and CEO Gary Shapiro about ensuring a successful event and what tech is going to be on everyone’s lips in 2018.
PCR Awards 2018: Deadline for nominations extended
The deadline to get your nominations in for the PCR Awards 2018 has been extended. Those looking to enter now have until 5pm on December 22 to complete their entries. With awards for retailers and resellers to distributors and vendors, the PCR Awards cover all areas of the Channel.
In total there are 20 awards up for grabs, with a number of new award categories added to the lineup. In the Channel Services category two new gongs for a Marketing and PR Agency as well as Cloud Services have been created. Meanwhile, there are three new awards for vendors to fight for, with awards for Peripherals and Accessories Vendor, PC Vendor and Specialist PC Vendor up for grabs.
