Six Heads Are Better Than One

Encouraging and empowering teamwork in Education with Microsoft Collaborative Tools

When we were children, collaborating on a school project usually meant gathering around a piece of paper, pencils in hand, tongues probably sticking out of the corner of our mouths, wishing that we’d been partnered with one of the brainy kids. Someone would eventually be nominated as ‘writer’, someone else as ‘drawer’, and then the most opinionated would hold court, ordaining proceedings in the vein of a miniature dictator. Inter-school collaboration was rare and fragmented. International collaboration almost unheard of.

The developing technology of the last 20 years has brought about no end of changes to the ways in which schools operate, but few provide a more startling contrast than the means of collaboration. Continuing our run down of Microsoft’s educational offerings, today we’re looking at the ways in which our favourite manufacturer’s educational app store could help make teamwork easier in an educational environment, especially when working on a Microsoft Surface.

Online sales: Friend or foe for traditional retail?

As we read that Swedish department store giant Ikea is overhauling its sales strategy to begin selling product on a number of big ecommerce websites, it seems that the dawn of the online sales invasion is no longer that. It’s a full-blown sunrise, and its rays are only set to burn brighter than ever before on the world of in-store retail and sales.

While the move comes is primarily due to a mixture of online demand and a fall in visitors to its out-of-town outlets, Ikea, as it stands, is not alone in deciding to amend its sales strategy to further incorporate online platforms. If we look past the likes of Amazon and Alibaba, which are exclusively online, every major retailer and grocer, from Tesco to John Lewis and Walmart, have to various degrees a defined online presence aiming to ease the lives of consumers across the board. It hasn’t been a speedy process, as stores have had to move beyond their age-old model of driving consumers to impulse purchases via endless lanes of products and confusing layouts, though there’s been a definitive movement regardless. 

Westcoast Bolsters Cyber Security Solutions Business with Thinkmarble

PRESS RELEASE

Westcoast has signed a distribution agreement with information and cyber security specialist ThinkMarble.

The distributor will offer ThinkMarble’s full range of security solutions including managed threat and vulnerability monitoring services ATLAS:, and TITAN:, and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliance consultancy services Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.

Mark Davies Westcoast’s Cloud Services Director, said: “We can’t wait to start working with the experts at ThinkMarble and helping our partners provide their customers - enterprise or SME - with the very best in cyber security services and solutions.”

“The most important part of our role will be around enablement. We want to make sure our reseller partners fully understand the cyber security solutions they are selling as well as the value within that solution.” 

2018 Juniper Partner Advantage – a change for the future

By David Siddall

The technology industry is, by its very nature, one of the fastest evolving verticals. Featuring a new, never before heard of buzzword trending on LinkedIn and elsewhere seemingly on a monthly basis; we throw the words: Wannacry, Petya and hybrid cloud (not to mention GDPR) around as though they were course slang at the pub. Such terms however are representative of the real ways in which our industry has changed the world of business forever.

Juniper Networks has a history of being thought-leading. Indeed, being a viable challenger brand means adapting and evolving to a level above the rest of the market oftentimes including the incumbent leader. Marketing slogans are meaningless on the frontline where incremental revenue is the truest test and at Westcoast we have seen demonstrations and sales of Juniper’s “Software Defined Secure Networks” take off with our Juniper sales specialists evangelising the Policy Enforcer, Security Director and Sky ATP (otherwise known as zero day threat prevention) licenses to help our customers leverage network intelligence for security enforcement. This level of innovation spreads now to the Juniper partner program.

Microsoft 365 – The enterprise cloud suite with teeth

For all their technical and creative wherewithal, it has to be said that Microsoft sometimes struggle with one area: product follow-through. They create genius products and packages, but then forget to let the customer know about them, which is why today we’re going to be discussing Microsoft 365… And it might sound vaguely familiar to some of you, because we’ve sort of been here before with Secure Productive Enterprise (SPE). But, while there are significant similarities, 365 has extra bite.

So, what is Microsoft 365?

Take all of the essential elements that make up Office 365 – Word, Excel, OneDrive cloud storage, PowerPoint, OneNote, the full works – add in Enterprise Mobility + Security for comprehensive identity, access and device management, then tie it all together with Windows 10 Enterprise for full access management across a company’s entire network. That, in essence, is it: an all-encompassing business suite for the on-demand generation… But obviously there’s more to it than that.

“Westcoast Have Made Us Invincible!”

There are some customer testimonials that just make you smile. The above from Mirus IT Solutions does it for us; it’s not every day that you’re able to bestow a super power on someone!

Technology is changing rapidly at the moment and any company offering IT support needs to stay ahead of the information curve. It’s not just products that need to be cutting edge; it’s the service provided by those both within the industry and catering for the industry that matters too. And to deliver what clients and end-users need, IT solutions specialists need to be able to act fast. It’s that winning combination of speed and service that has made Mirus feel INVINCIBLE!

Find out how one vendor is changing the landscape of audio management

Everywhere things are getting smarter, from self-driving cars to supermarket shelves that analyse how we shop (yes, really), and everything in between. So why should headsets get left behind, especially when they’re so important to the business environment?

That’s where Sennheiser’s aptly named HeadSetup Pro Manager comes in. It’s a powerful cloud-based solution that lets an IT administrator manage, update and configure settings for every Sennheiser headset and speakerphone in the organisation, from one central location.

When unbeatable service meets improbable speed

The Westcoast CSP and Keybridge IT Solutions story…

Every client is different. Every one. It’s this understanding that Keybridge IT Solutions and Westcoast have in common.

Supplying IT solutions for the recruitment industry, Keybridge have very particular needs for their clients. Reliable, intuitive software; consistent, trustworthy service; and speed. In a sector where change happens constantly, Keybridge need the ability to react almost instantly, and that’s what they have found in Westcoast CSP.

Take your cloud business to the next level on the 12th of October

By Katy Maley

The date has been set …… The 12th of October:

The world of Cloud is growing at an expanding rate and it is hard to keep up with all the new products and demands thrown at us daily. How do we Migrate? What is GDPR? Is our system safe? These are all questions resellers are asking our team of experts on a daily basis.

Our Nebula programme is all around enablement, education and ensuring you have the right solutions to showcase to your customers. Nebula has been running for two years successfully, and this year it’s my turn to run the event. After many cappuccinos and meetings, I’ve put together an agenda that promises a great day – I hope you agree.

Coming Up for Air – All You Need to Know About Surface in Education

 ‘Our aim is to empower every student on the planet to achieve more.’ Steve Beswick, Business Development Director – Education Industry, Microsoft.

That, in a nutshell, is what Surface in Education is all about.

Anyone who has paid attention to Microsoft over the years will be aware of the company’s long-term commitment to education. Right from the days of Bill Gates, Microsoft has invested in education; it’s one of the key tenets at the heart of the business. Consequently, as a reseller, if you’re looking to expand your target market, the education sector is the ideal area to set your sights, because Microsoft – and Westcoast – are already prepared to help you. 

Can you be the F1rst Among Equals?

There’s always something special about being the first. You may carry the honour with a devil-may-care nonchalance, but whether you’re the first to own a new piece of tech, or you’ve come first place in the parent’s egg ‘n’ spoon race at your kid’s sports day, there’s a certain swagger that you just can’t shake off.

Imagine, then, the feeling not only of coming first, but of winning a corking prize for doing so. Oh! The smugness would overflow! Well, that’s the opportunity you get with Westcoast F1rsts, in collaboration with Microsoft.

Window 10 Pro for Workstations

By Owen Hutchinson

Windows 10 Pro for Workstations is coming: find out everything you need to know and avoid paying extra

This Autumn Microsoft is rolling out Windows 10 Pro 64 for Workstations: an OS variation that’s optimised for professional users. This isn’t just a vanity update, with the new features covering a range of areas that are a boon for hardware that has to support critical workloads.

Specifically, the new features include support for:

● Up to 4 Physical CPUs

● Massive memory (up to 6 TB)

● SMB Direct/RDMA capable network cards

● Persistent Memory (NVDIMM) and Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), so you can blast through file transfers and advanced workloads

● Creation of Resilient File Systems (ReFS) volumes so that data is mirrored to multiple drives, while being monitored and repaired if degradation is detected

Why we need another HPE access point

By David Anthony

I must admit, I thought to myself “why are HPE pushing an Office Connect access point? Isn’t this just going to take business away from Aruba and confuse the issue?”

Not for the first time, I’ll admit I was wrong. I’ve written previously about how smartphones have raised everyone’s expectations about what we should be able to do in the workplace. If we can run our lives from our phones, why not our businesses from our laptops, tablets and phones, wherever we are?

Securing your Hybrid Cloud/Multi-cloud Strategy

By Adam Hartley

Cloud technologies are no longer the leading edge done by early adopter companies. In fact, private clouds, hybrid clouds and multi-clouds are quickly becoming the de-facto standard among organisations across business verticals.

The major drivers for this migration to the cloud is lower price, scalability, global availability and the need for global availability with no downtime.

Unsurprisingly, Cloud Service Provider revenues grew steadily in 2016 with Amazon Web Services (AWS) growing its revenue to more than $12.2 billion, followed by Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and IBM Cloud.

Westcoast and HP Offer Customisation for Education

PRESS RELEASE

Distributor Westcoast has teamed up with HP to launch an exclusive customised-to-order (CTO) initiative for education-focused channel partners.

Created by Westcoast, the HP for Education (HPFE) configuration tool enables resellers, or their end-user schools, colleges and universities, to design and build their own bespoke HP desktop PCs - and then receive delivery within 48 hours of their order.

Paul Hamilton, Client Director, Westcoast, said: “This initiative represents a brilliant market opportunity for our partners and it brings the long-awaited benefit of immediacy to educational institutions.”

Westcoast Ignite – A fresh new vision

By Lee Prior

As the Marketing Manager for all things HPE here at Westcoast I’ve seen a lot of changes over the past 12 months. Acquisitions like Simplivity and Nimble have expanded the HPE offering, and added to an already deep roster that includes Aruba, Synergy, 3Par and Point Next not to mention industry leading Server and Storage products like Gen9/10 and the ever reliable MSA series.

With so much evolution happening so quickly it can be a challenge to keep up and make sure we’re serving up the information our partners need in a relevant and easy to use format, but we’ve been doing our best and think we’ve got a great tool in the shape of our brand new Westcoast Ignite Portal.

Unlock additional marketing funds with these Big Pitch top tips

By Phil Lamplugh

In the world of IT, it can be difficult for organisations to get seen. That’s why last year Westcoast launched The Big Pitch, and that’s why we’ve brought it back again. The premise is simple: we give your Microsoft marketing funding a boost, so that you can carry out bigger and more impactful campaigns.

Resellers can bid for up to £8000 of additional funding, and the process couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is go to our dedicated webpage, fill out the application form and send it to us at MicrosoftMarketing@westcoast.co.uk. We’ll get back to you with some questions, and this will hopefully be followed by us accepting your proposal.

Westcoast scores hat-trick with gaming giants MSI, Gigabyte, and Steel Series

PRESS RELEASE

Trio select the distribution and supply chain specialist for UK wide partnership

UK based distributor and supply chain innovator, Westcoast, today reveals it has signed UK distribution deals with three of the world’s leading players in the gaming market; MSI, Gigabyte and Steel Series.

Gaming laptop manufacturers MSI and Gigabyte and peripherals expert Steel Series have selected Westcoast as their preferred distribution partner for the UK market, further strengthening the company’s standing in the gaming sector.

The Future of Technology in 2020

By Loren Stow

With 2020 just a hop, skip and a jump away and with technology forever evolving it's crazy to think that in just three years time our future could change so dramatically, all thanks to the innovations of new technologies.

Gartner have made some fascinating predictions of what's to come in the next few years and the prospect of a more digital future is really exciting.

Take a look at the infographic below for a short, but fascinating, read.

And if you’d like to know more about where the biggest tech opportunities will lie over the next three years, read our White Paper series on Global IT Trends 2020 here.

Arista - The Master of One

By David Anthony

HPE’s partnership with Arista is the latest stage in the rebalancing of their switching portfolio. Arista’s products focus exclusively on ultra-low latency and software defined data centre switching, ideal for financial services and service provider networks. This is the perfect complement to HPE’s Comware operating system switch range for the traditional, on premise, data centre and Aruba at the ever-evolving intelligent edge.

What makes Arista stand out in these sectors? It concentrates exclusively on that end of the market, focussing all its resources there. Arista has never tried to be a Jack-Of-All-Trades, it just masters one. Arista switches use two specific features to achieve this, EOS and SysDB.