Data, data everywhere - Securing the Internet of Things Q+A

By Lee Prior & Paul Harman






















Take a look around the typical home 10 years ago and you could probably count the number of devices connected to the internet on the fingers of one hand for the most part, but take a look around that same home today and you’re likely to run out fingers before you run out of devices. Computers, Phones, Games Consoles, TV’s even ligtbulbs, thermostats and doorbells in some cases, and these are going to be joined by a whole host of other things in the coming months and years.

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.

GDPR: Don’t let print provide a weak spot

KYOCERA Guest Post














A hot topic over the coming months is GDPR – General Data Protection Regulations.

GDPR is the result of four years of work by the EU to bring data protection legislation into line with the previously unforeseen ways that data is used.

The UK relies on the Data Protection Act 1998, introduced following the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive, long before digital technology became the norm. As well as addressing a need for clear rules in line with today’s workplace, GDPR introduces tougher penalties including fines of up to €20 million, or 4% of businesses global annual turnover (whichever is greater) for any breaches or non-compliance.

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.

Westcoast Unveils New CSP Business Boosting Initiative

PRESS RELEASE

Distributor Westcoast has launched a brand new programme offering exclusive, long-term support for its CSP (cloud solutions provider) partners.

The Westcoast Cloud Development programme offers resellers a range of tailored benefits all designed to help support their CSP business and accelerate their growth in the cloud.

Partners signing up for the programme will move through a series of development levels - supported by Westcoast every step of the way. As they progress they will have opportunities to unlock additional benefits and rewards to further aid their cloud journeys.

Looking to 2020 – IT trends in the Media Sector

By Loren Stow

The International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts global IT spend will exceed £2tn by 2020, and while PC, tablet and smartphone sales show signs of plateauing, the market’s 3.3 percent upward trajectory over the next four years will be sustained by the digital transformation found on third-party cloud and mobility platforms.

Healthcare will remain the fastest growing sector in the run-up to 2020 with a projected 5.7 percent rise in IT spending, followed by the banking, media and professional services sectors at 4.9 percent each. So where are the opportunities in each of these sectors? Where do their technological challenges lie? And, what technology-specific solutions will each sector look for as 2020 looms large on the horizon?

In this blog series we take a look at each sector in more detail in the coming weeks, however if you’d like to request a copy of the complete white paper, please click here. In case you’ve missed them, we’ve already taken a look at the Healthcare & Banking sectors.

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.