pcr awards finalists

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Thursday March 25th Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London The Finalists

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Guide to the final selection for the PCR Awards 2010

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Thursday March 25thRoyal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London

The Finalists

Sales: 0871 622 7500 www.vip-computers.com/uk© Copyright VIP Computer Centre Limited. 2010. Information correct at time of publication E&OE

VIP Computers is proud to be the Drinks Reception Sponsor at the

2010 PCR Awards ceremony.

As the UK’s largest independent distributor of PC components, peripherals and associated products, VIP Computers has an extensive vendor portfolio including

world renowned brands such as:

To view the full VIP Vendor portfolio, please visit www.vip-computers.com/uk.

Good luck to the finalists

We look forward to seeing you on the night!

PCR AWARDS 2010 | 03www.pcr-online.biz

FINALISTS

The lowdown on the companiesbattling it out for a PCR Awardthis year...

FRONTLINE AWARDS

Independent Retailer ......................................Page 7

Retail Chain.......................................................Page 7

Store Manager..................................................Page 8

Online Retailer .................................................Page 8

Value Added Reseller......................................Page 9

Service and Support........................................Page 9

DISTRIBUTION AWARDS

Sales Team ......................................................Page 12

Marketing And PR ..........................................Page 12

Specialist Distributor .....................................Page 13

Distributor Of The Year ................................Page 13

VENDOR AWARDS

Software Publisher ........................................Page 16

Hardware Manufacturer...............................Page 16

Gadget Of The Year.......................................Page 17

Campaign Of The Year .................................Page 17

Specialist Vendor...........................................Page 20

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

Grand Prix.......................................................Page 20

NEED TO KNOW

A Word From Our Sponsors........................Page 22

The PCR Awards are animportant part of ourindustry’s calendar,recognising andrewarding the hard workby all of us over a verydifficult twelve months.All of the nomineesshould feel very proud

to be recognised by industry peers, andwe look forward to celebrating with thewinners on the night.

It’s great to see such diversity amongthe nominations, with excellent work fromnewer players in the market and largerbrands being recognised for continuedcommitment to the industry.

Symantec is delighted to be thePlatinum Sponsor of the Awards,continuing our long-term relationship withPCR. We would like to extend ourcongratulations in particular to all of ournominated channel and retail partners.

We are very hopeful of taking home agong this year, but we also wish thenominees all the best!

Farhana RafiUK Marketing Manager, Symantec

PCR AWARDS 2010Thursday March 25thThe Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London

TICKETS:£185 + VAT per seat, £1,750 + VAT per table of 10

For ticket and table information, contact:[email protected]

For sponsorship opportunities, contact:[email protected]

Gold Sponsor Gold Sponsor Gold Sponsor Gold Sponsor

Frontline Category Sponsor Vendor Category Sponsor Distribution Category Sponsor Event SponsorDrinks Reception Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

CONTENTS

For sales enquiries or to

open an account with

Gem please contact our

sales team on

01279 822822.

For more information

on Gem Creative,

please contact:

Neil Handa on

01279 459072or [email protected].

For more information on

Gem Logistics, please

contact Alan Lynch or

Douglas Yarker on

01282 684800 or

[email protected].

Visit www.exspect.co.uk

for full product

information. For sales

enquiries please contact

our sales team on

01279 822822.

OneIntegrated Solution

www.gem.co.uk

FRONTLINE SPONSORBest of luck to all the finalists

pcr_goodluck_ad_2010.ai 1 11/01/2010 14:42

PCR AWARDS 2010 | 05

Frontline Category Sponsor

INDEPENDENT RETAILER

RETAIL CHAIN

STORE MANAGER

ONLINE RETAILER

VALUE ADDED RESELLER

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

FRONTLINE FINALISTS

www.pcr-online.biz

The Frontline Awards willonce again recogniseexcellence in customer-facingorganisations, be they on theHigh Street, the internet ordealing with businesses. Thewinners of these awards willbe those organisations thathave best represented the UKtechnology industry to theoutside world.

LAST YEAR’S FRONTLINEWINNERS WERE:HIGH STREET INDEPENDENTNOVATECHHIGH STREET MULTIPLEJOHN LEWISONLINE RETAILERAMAZONVALUE ADDED RESELLERBEAR ITBEST TECHNICAL SUPPORTGEEKS-ON-WHEELS

FRONTLINE

PCR AWARDS 2010 | 07

Frontline Category Sponsor

INDEPENDENT RETAILER

RETAIL CHAIN

STORE MANAGER

ONLINE RETAILER

VALUE ADDED RESELLER

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

FRONTLINE FINALISTS

www.pcr-online.biz

INDEPENDENT RETAILER

ANGLIAN INTERNETAnglian Internet has been in business for overten years and has three retail operations inNorwich, its main 5,000 square footwarehouse, and shops in Diss and Sheringham.Anglian Internet claims it keeps its prices askeen as Norfolk mustard, and gets most of itsnew business through the personalrecommendation of customers.

UTOPIA COMPUTERSNow one of Scotland’s best known computerretailers, Utopia has built an unsurpassedreputation for offering free lifetime technicalsupport on all products. Utopia also works veryclosely with the community, offering localschools and colleges products and IT support, aswell as work placements for students. A familyrun business, the original founder’s son CraigHume continues to improve the business 16years after its creation, maintaning the loyalcustomer base that has developed in that timeand seen the rise and fall of potential rival stores.

IMAGITECImagitec, the Forest of Dean‘s largest ITretailer/service provider for the past six years,has previously won awards titles including ‘BestRetail Outlet’ and ‘Outstanding Staff Members’.The business caters for IT sales, servicing,business support contracts and more. Withdegree qualified engineers, the firm says: “Westrive to be one of the best.”

JENNINGS COMPUTER SERVICESJennings was established by Mike Jennings in1980, mainly supporting local pre-press andprinting press production. Since then, Jenningshas evolved into the ‘total solutions’ IT providerof today by recruiting and training specialists inall areas of the IT spectrum. As a result, itprovides a wide range of services and products,catering for domestic, business and corporatecustomers throughout the north of England.

YOYOTECHA former award winner, YOYOTech has onceagain been shortlisted for the quality of its rangeand services. Since 2008, the company hasmade a number of improvements, including theaddition of support forums to its sites such asDriver Heaven and the introduction of a Reserveand Collect scheme, guaranteeing online pricesin stores for its customers. Situated just offTottenham Court Road, YOYOTech is an oasis ofhigh performance personal computing in anincreasingly commoditised market. The firm isalso strong in combining retail with online sales.

TESCOIt was another bumper year for the grocerybehemoth in 2009, with the super competitivesupermarket chain also continuing to makegreat strides in the PC/IT sector – much tospecialists’ chagrin. And that looks set tocontinue in 2010, with Tesco having kicked offthe year with a move into in-house softwareservices via a new deal with Tribeka.

JOHN LEWISEnabling customers to buy great valuecomputers without the fear factor has been awinner for John Lewis this year, with marketshare growing yet again. Honest, impartialadvice is cited as helping a highly successfullaunch of Windows 7. The website ranges have been extended to broaden its customerbase and the firm has added new interactivebuying guides.

COMETFrom humble beginnings as a local batteryservice in 1993, Comet has spread beyond theboundaries of Hull and established itself acrossthe nation with over 250 stores throughout theUK, plus a formidable online presence.

STAPLES Staples is the world’s largest office supply retailstore chain, with over 2,000 branchesworldwide in 27 countries. It sells supplies,office machines, technology and businessservices both in stores and online viaStaples.com. The success story of Staples inEurope began in 1992 with the purchase of a48 per cent share in Maxi-Papier in Germanyand at the same time entering into a jointventure with Kingfisher in the UK. StaplesInternational was born. In 1993, the chainopened its first site in Swansea. Since then,Staples has opened 135 stores in the UK. Todayit’s growing at a rate of five stores per year andit’s now a wholly-owned subsidiary of StaplesIncorporated. The headquarters of Staples UKStores is based in High Wycombe.

PC WORLDNo longer solely the domain of PCs and relatedproducts, PC World continues to providecustomers with quality service and a widerange of consumer electronics, facing everychallenge in an increasingly crowded market.Over the past year the retail chain has hugelygrown its presence and awareness amongstconsumers, thanks to its ‘Whatever Your World’TV campaign – which is also a PCR Awardsfinalist this year.

RETAIL CHAIN

08 | PCR AWARDS 2010

INDEPENDENT RETAILER

RETAIL CHAIN

STORE MANAGER

ONLINE RETAILER

VALUE ADDED RESELLER

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

FRONTLINE FINALISTS

Frontline Category Sponsor

www.pcr-online.biz

STORE MANAGER

GRAEME CLARKE Kustom Graeme started Kustom while still at school,with the idea of creating the kind of store hewould love to use himself. Kustom caters forthe hobbyist market – offering all theinformation and products needed to create aPC setup for gaming, creativity or lifestyleapplications. Through hard work promoting atLAN gaming events around the country, it’sbuilt up a lot of loyalty on both local andnational levels.

MALCOLM DAVISON Jennings Computer ServicesMalcolm joined Jennings in 1999, and plays amajor part in the continuing expansion andsuccess of the business, and is fully responsiblefor ordering all Jennings stock and parts as wellas managing most of the day to day aspectsof the business. Jennings’ early years focusedon providing support to the printing andgraphics industry. Since then, it has evolvedinto a ‘total solutions’ IT provider by recruitingand training specialists accross the IT spectrum.

NEIL STEWART CCL ComputersNeil joined CCL in 2003 as a sales assistant andworked his way up through the company to hiscurrent position. He has been at CCLComputers for just over six years and therehave been many changes since he began, inboth its business and in the IT hardware sector.

GEORGE NICOLA Tiptree ComputersGeorge claims that customer satisfaction is firstand foremost. He ensures Tiptree Computersgoes the extra mile to make sure all customersleave fully satisfied, from someone buying amouse, to a top-end system, or even if theyonly pop in for advice. He implemented thefixed fee labour charge on all repairs, so thatcustomers will always know what theirmaximum labour charge will be without havingto worry about a huge repair bill.

DARREN FALKNER Falcon ComputersDarren started Falcon Computers from hisbedroom 14 years ago. The business has justopened a large-scale retail outlet (5,000 squarefoot), which used to be occupied by Comet.The business now employs ten people andowns one of the largest independent computerhardware shops in the whole of the North Eastof England.

AMAZONOne of the world’s leading online retailers,Amazon continues to dominate the e-taillandscape, offering a wide range of consumerelectronics and computing products,encompassing both hardware and software.Last year the retailer’s UK business saw theintroduction of an MP3 music service and anew 800,000 square foot fulfilment centre.

OVERCLOCKERS UKAs the name implies, Overclockers UK hasdedicated itself to servicing the highperformance and enthusiast end of the market.It has built a reputation for consistently beingone of the first to stock the latest components.

DABS.COMDabs.com is part of the Dabs Group ofcompanies, originally founded in 1987 byentrepreneur David Atherton in partnershipwith a writer called Bruce Smith (the name‘Dabs’ comes from the combined initials oftheir two names). In April 2006, the Dabs Group was sold and dabs.com became awholly-owned subsidiary of BritishTelecommunications (BT). It stocks a widerange of hardware and software covering awide area of the industry.

NOVATECHNovatech not only boasts an impressive onlinepresence within the UK, it also ships productsto customers in various countries throughoutEurope. Novatech is constantly improving itswebsite, often being among the first to bringproducts to market. It also features a successfulonline order store collection service.

PLAY.COMAnother strong player in the online retailmarket, Play.com lists over seven millionproducts, including an impressive variety underits electronics and computing categories. Asthe company endeavours to further refine itscustomers’ shopping experience, the firmrecently introduced a complete redesign of itswebsite, improving the browsing process andshopping basket system.

FIREBOXFirebox.com began life in early 1998 ashotbox.co.uk. Now one of the leading UKinternet stores for quirky gifts and gadgets,Firebox also boasts a good selection oftechnology products.

ONLINE RETAILER

VALUE ADDED RESELLER

PCR AWARDS 2010 | 09

Frontline Category Sponsor

INDEPENDENT RETAILER

RETAIL CHAIN

STORE MANAGER

ONLINE RETAILER

VALUE ADDED RESELLER

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

FRONTLINE FINALISTS

www.pcr-online.biz

BEAR ITBear IT supplies, installs and supports ITinfrastructure (Microsoft and Apple Macintosh),for SMEs all over the UK. The company’s visionis to be the preferred local partner for completeoutsourced IT solutions. In order to achieve this,Bear IT strives to build long-term relationshipswith both customers and suppliers. Its entireteam – from technical support to finance –centres its work around its core values ofinnovation, value and service.

AINDALE With its reputation for providing a strongindividual IT service, Aindale’s wealth ofbusiness and consumer experience, coupledtogether with its first class IT andcommunications knowledge, IT products and services, Aindale provides any individual or organisation with outstanding IT value and service.

LONDON COMPUTER CENTRELondon Computer Centre began trading in1977 as a retailer and distributor of computersystems. In a world of rapid change where thereliability of systems used, the skill of thesystem operator and efficiency of relevant dataaccess decides the longevity and success of abusiness, LCC has established itself as a leadingservice provider of IT Infrastructure.

KEEN COMPUTERSOne of Keen Computers’ specialities is cateringfor any companies looking to improve theironline presence, offering a friendly and thoroughservice by assisting companies in setting up theirown websites. Everything from hosting todomain names is covered, with all sites andcustomers supported by Keen’s own servers.

FORM IT SOLUTIONSA veteran of over 25 years, Form IT wasformerly Premier Computer Supplies. Form ITprovides a service to small to medium-sizedbusinesses, as well as dealing with retailers andcompanies within a wide range of industries.

STONE COMPUTERSAs long-established UK hardwaremanufacturers, the Stone Group has built up anenviable reputation for its superior after-salesservice as well as the stability and reliability ofits desktops, laptops and servers, earning theconfidence of its customers. Since May 2008,with the acquisition of Rock Computers, theStone Group has offered high-end businessand gaming notebooks to all sectors.

UTOPIA COMPUTERSUtopia performs approximately 100 successfulPC repairs every week. It claims its reputationfor accurate advice and IT support is flawless,with customers travelling from all over Scotlandto have their PC repaired by the firm. It has neverneeded to advertise locally, believing word ofmouth to be the most powerful advertising.

PC PAL PC PAL provides on-site computer repairs forhomes and small businesses. It prides itself onsupplying a fast, friendly, affordable service,fixing 99 per cent of problems on the spot. Allengineers are Microsoft and CompTIA qualified,experienced and insured. It is committed toproviding all customers with big companyreassurance and small company service.

BEAR ITBear IT supplies, installs and supports ITinfrastructure (Microsoft and Apple Macintosh),for SMEs all over the UK. Its diverse client basemakes the firm well placed to offer fullyrounded support, utilising the wide range ofskills within the team. Its vision is to be thepreferred local partner for completeoutsourced IT solutions and Bear IT’s corevalues are centered around innovation, valueand service.

GEEKS ON WHEELSWith six years of trading under its belt, GeeksOn Wheels claims it has consistently met andoften exceeded its customers’ expectations.With the majority of its business earnedthrough recommendations and a number ofcustomer service awards already to its name,the company even attends to its clients athome, in addition to online correspondence.

JUST PC REPAIRSAs the name suggests, Just PC Repairs is aBerkshire-based outfit which provides a varietyof services for desktops, laptops and Macs. AMicrosoft Partner, the company boasts ofqualified staff, a fast turnaround andguaranteed work.

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

Distributors are a vital cog inthe technology channelmachine – linking vendorswith the people at thefrontline: retailers andresellers. The distributionawards are designed toacknowledge the hard workput in by these unsungheroes of the channel. Thesales and marketing teams atdistributors are a key linkbetween vendors andretailers, without whom thechannel would grind to a halt.

LAST YEAR’S DISTRIBUTIONWINNERS WERE:SALES TEAM: HOMEVIP COMPUTERSSALES TEAM: BUSINESSENTATECHSALES INNOVATIONENTATECH MARKETING & PR TEAMGEM CREATIVESPECIALIST DISTRIBUTORTARGET COMPONENTS

PCR AWARDS 2010 | 11

SALES TEAM

MARKETING AND PR

SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR

DISTRIBUTION FINALISTS

www.pcr-online.biz

Distribution Category Sponsor

DISTRIBUTION

12 | PCR AWARDS 2010

SALES TEAM

MARKETING AND PR

SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR

DISTRIBUTION FINALISTS

Distribution Category Sponsor

www.pcr-online.biz

SALES TEAM

ENTATECH EntaTech’s award-winning sales team providesresellers with dedicated account management,allowing relationships to be built and staff toget to know the specific requirements of theircustomers. Product specialists offer expertknowledge so that product requirements are metwith suitable recommendations. On-going stafftraining is an integral part of EntaTech’s ethos.

REALTIME DISTRIBUTION Realtime Distribution claims to have the leadingUK sales team for enthusiast gaming PCcomponents and peripherals. It has been ableto achieve this through excellent productknowledge and a superbly tailored service thatis unique to each and every customer, all builton the back of solid relationships withmanufacturers.

VIP COMPUTERS VIP’s sales team has almost 20 years’ experiencein the business and believes that no oneunderstands PC components like it does. Thesales team provides a flexible and reliable serviceto its customers, which range from independentretailers and etailers to major High Street chains.

GEM Gem’s sales team supplies products to a widecustomer base including High Street retailers,online e-tailers, mass merchants, catalogues, ITresellers and independents. A key element ofthe company’s success is the structure of itssales department. Each sales team is focussedon a specific type of customer. This ensures itssales staff possess invaluable product andmarket knowledge.

AVNET As a leading distributor of enterprise computingproducts, software and services, AvnetTechnology Solutions connects its BusinessPartners to more customers and moresolutions. Its customers include independentsoftware vendors (ISVs), original equipmentmanufacturers (OEMs), system builders, systemintegrators, and value-added resellers.

INGRAM MICRO Ingram Micro believes that people buy frompeople. With this in mind it has increased staffresources over the last 12 months to guaranteethat important personal touch. The sales teamsform part of a whole range of sales supportfrom knowledgeable specialists to e-commssolutions, enhanced credit facilities andcompetitive pricing across its portfolio.

GEM CREATIVEGem Creative further enhances the Gempartnership proposition and features a uniquein-house design team, producing innovativeretail solutions to maximise product sell-through in-store.

COMPUTER 2000Computer 2000 is a large broadliner, but hasrisen to the challenge of keeping its servicerelevant and its relationships personal. It hasinvested heavily in adding value throughservices such as logistics and prides itself onstaying on top of latest product developments.

ENTATECHEntaTech provides tailored support to vendors,customers and internal staff. In 2009, it launchedthe Resource Centre, organised resellerroadshows and training events, held its annualteambuilding event for staff and implementedinnovative campaigns to launch new vendorsand provide ongoing support for product lines.

KOCH MEDIAKoch Media has been working in the softwarecategory for over 15 years, servicing the retail,reseller and independent sectors. PC Indie was Koch’s investment into the independentsector and a back-end investment into vendorsand customers.

INGRAM MICROFrom tried and tested vehicles to cutting edgecampaigns – the marketing and PR team atIngram Micro ensures its resellers get the bestsupport to help grow their business. AIM is justone of the latest innovations, allowing resellersunrivalled access to bespoke branded end-usermarketing – all for free.

VIP COMPUTERSThe VIP marketing team offers a wide range ofspecialist services, from design and advertising,to PR and web management. The team can tailorindividual vendor marketing communicationsand PR campaigns. The PR team providessupport such as copy writing, press releases,media relations and crisis management.

INTERACTIVE IDEASInteractive Ideas is a leading value-addeddistributor of software and technologyproducts. In the past two years Interactive Ideashas doubled in size, achieving record revenueof £16.2 million in the last financial year, and ithas recently purchased new £1 million premises.

MARKETING AND PR

SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR

PCR AWARDS 2010 | 13

Distribution Category Sponsor

SALES TEAM

MARKETING AND PR

SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR

DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR

DISTRIBUTION FINALISTS

INTERACTIVE IDEASInteractive Ideas is a leading value-addeddistributor of software and technologyproducts. In the past two years Interactive Ideashas doubled in size, achieving record revenueof £16.2 million in the last financial year, and ithas recently purchased new £1 million premises.

MERONCOURT Meroncourt prides itself on the ‘unique andinnovative way’ it meets customer demandsand expectations, and has celebrated its salesteam, “who have handled the current difficulttrading conditions with an outstandinglypositive attitude”.

CCI DISTRIBUTIONBuilding on its highly successful consumerstorage operations, CCI launched itsProfessional Storage Division in 2009 toprovide customised, pre-integrated SMB andenterprise value-added IT solutions fororganisations seeking new means of optimisingtheir IT infrastructure in the midst of the UK’seconomic downturn.

M2M DIRECTM2M is a focused distributor and reseller ofcore IT products that have been carefullyselected from best-in-class manufacturers tooffer best-in-class IT solutions to its customers.M2M is an ethical, established, and reliablepartner that delivers on its promises and willwork with partners on their immediaterequirements and also on long-term projectcycles and roll-outs.

VARLINKVarlink distributes a range of products whichenable resellers to meet the evolving needs ofend users for reliable, flexible and cost effectiveMobile Computing and Data Capture systems.It has partnered with manufacturers who havedemonstrated not only the ability to bring tomarket products that meet the operationalneeds of end users, but who clearly understandthe role and requirements of resellers.

TARGET COMPONENTSTarget Components deals direct with theworld’s leading IT manufacturers to give itscustomers an extensive range of qualityproducts and pass on economies of scalethrough competitive trade pricing. Thecompany’s portfolio covers hardware,peripherals, software, audio visual,consumables, storage devices and more.

COMPUTER 2000Computer 2000 is a large broadliner, but hasrisen to the challenge of keeping its servicerelevant and its relationships personal. It hasinvested heavily in adding value throughservices such as logistics and prides itself onstaying on top of latest product developments.For all of this to be implemented requires asales team operating at the peak of its abilities.

MIDWICHMidwich is now the UK’s leading trade-onlydistributor of audio visual products, printers,barcode solutions and consumables. With over30 years’ experience, Midwich offersoutstanding customer service, access to skilledproduct specialists, dedicated accountmanagement and over 50 brands.

INGRAM MICRO With 30 years in the business, Ingram Micro isthe world’s largest technology distributor. As avital link in the technology value chain, it createssales and profitability opportunities for vendorsand resellers through unique marketingprogrammes, logistics services, technicalsupport, product aggregation and distribution.

VIP COMPUTERSVIP specialises in providing components andsoftware that system integrators need to buildPCs. The VIP Group has seen strong andcontinued growth since 1990 and was ranked forthe third consecutive year in the The SundayTimes Top Track 250 league table, 2008. VIP hasover 18 years’ experience of providing a flexibleand reliable distribution service to customers.

ENTATECHCelebrating over 20 years in business, EntaTechhas come a long way since its beginning in1990. It now distributes over 6,500 productsfrom over 60 vendors. In 2009 EntaTechpartnered with new vendors, welcomed newproduct specialists and introduced even morepromotions and free sales tools so thatcustomers can maximise opportunities.

WESTCOASTEstablished in 1984, Westcoast has become aleading national wholesale distributor withinthe UK. Westcoast has built a product portfoliospanning the whole computing spectrum,ranging from desktop PC and notebookproducts through to high end server solutions,network products, printers, peripherals andrelated accessories and consumables.

DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR

www.pcr-online.biz

We wish everyone the best of luckand look forward to a great evening!

Ingram Micro are proudto have been nominated for

‘Distributor Sales Team’‘Distributor Marketing and PR Team’

‘Distributor of the Year’

0871 973 3000www.ingrammicro.co.uk

No technology industryawards event would becomplete without rewardingthe companies who actuallymake the kit. Whileacknowledging theimportance and hard work ofretailers, resellers anddistributors, the PCR Awardscontinue to reward thechannel-facing arms of thevendor community.

LAST YEAR’S VENDORWINNERS WERE:SALES TEAM: HOMEBULLGUARDSALES TEAM: BUSINESSACERMARKETING & PR TEAM: HOMETOMTOMMARKETING & PR TEAM: BUSINESSMICROSOFTSPECIALIST VENDORKINGSTON TECHNOLOGY

SOFTWARE PUBLISHER

HARDWARE MANUFACTURER

GADGET OF THE YEAR

CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

SPECIALIST VENDOR

VENDOR FINALISTS

VENDOR

Vendor Category Sponsor

PCR AWARDS 2010 | 15www.pcr-online.biz

16 | PCR AWARDS 2010

SOFTWARE PUBLISHER

HARDWARE MANUFACTURER

GADGET OF THE YEAR

CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

SPECIALIST VENDOR

VENDOR FINALISTS

Vendor Category Sponsor

www.pcr-online.biz

SOFTWARE PUBLISHER

SYMANTEC2010 Norton products use a new model ofsecurity, founded on reputation-basedtechnology, to attain what Symantec believes isunmatched detection of new malware,advancing far beyond traditional signature andbehaviour-based detection. This reputation-based security takes the greatest weapon cybercriminals have and turns it against them.

ACCOUNTZ Accountz started its life in 1985 as aCambridge-based company called ApricoteStudios, a specialist in creating music andbusiness software for the, at the time dominant,Acorn computer market, and has grown tobecome one of the foremost developers ofaccounting software today.

BULLGUARD BullGuard is one of the fastest growing securitybrands in the UK market. It supplies its productsto over 800 resellers, all of which enjoyBullGuard’s industry leading revenue sharescheme offering customers a 25 per centrebate. In 2009, BullGuard launched theReseller Lounge, a unique transparent onlinerevenue tracking system and support centre.

MICROSOFTHaving launched Windows 7 late last year,Microsoft is in the midst of one of the busiestperiods of its history, with a host of furtherproduct launches on the way. Having steppedup its ‘I’m a PC’ ad campaigns this year, the firmhas capitalised on its position as the world’slargest software vendor by keeping its name onthe lips of consumers and the trade.

ESETESET develops software delivering instant,comprehensive protection against evolvingsecurity threats. The company claims to havepioneered and continues to lead the industry inproactive threat detection. ESET NOD32 Antivirus,consistently achieves the highest accolades in alltypes of comparative testing.

KASPERSKYIn 2009 Kaspersky Lab celebrated its 12thanniversary, though MD Eugene Kaspersky’sgroup of experts claim to have been developinganti-virus software for nearly twice as long. Thecompany says its most valuable asset is thewealth of experience and knowledge it hasgained in those years of combating viruses andother IT threats, enabling it to pre-empt trendsin malware development.

AMDMicroprocessor giant Advanced Micro Devicesis an innovative technology company dedicatedto collaborating with customers andtechnology partners to ignite the nextgeneration of computing and graphicssolutions at work, home and play.

SANDISKSanDisk, a global leader in flash memory cards,launched a number of innovative products in2009. SanDisk also works closely with itspartners and launched its Channel Portal,providing a one-stop shop for marketing andproduct information.

ACERAcer has successfully grown to become thesecond largest PC brand in the world, with thefastest growth among the top-five players.Today, Acer Group employs over 7,000 peopleworldwide working in 70 countries, and hassome of the best-selling systems under its belt

SAMSUNGSamsung is proud to be nominated for thisaward. Over the past year Samsung hasenjoyed a strong 12 months, in which it hasstrengthened relationships with retail partnersand distributors, and has grown market share inboth the notebook and netbook segments.

ASUSASUS is a leading company in the new digitalera, with an extensive product portfolio thatincludes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards,graphics cards, displays, and numerous others.Driven by innovation and committed to quality,Asus designs and manufactures products that itsays perfectly meet the needs of today’s digitalhome and office.

DELLDell says a key part of its strategy is to listen tocustomers’ feedback on its products. Whateverthe requirements, Dell prides itself on providingreliable, easy-to-use products that meets thoseneeds – whether it’s a netbook or the ultimategaming systems.

PANASONICOne of Panasonic Computer Products Europe’sbiggest recent successes has been itsToughbook range. Aimed at businesses thatneed mobile computers that ‘offer a uniqueformula of connectivity, reliability and mobility’,the firm says the range helps drive down totalcost of ownership and equipment downtime.

HARDWARE MANUFACTURER

PCR AWARDS 2010 | 17

Vendor Category Sponsor

SOFTWARE PUBLISHER

HARDWARE MANUFACTURER

GADGET OF THE YEAR

CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

SPECIALIST VENDOR

VENDOR FINALISTS

GADGET OF THE YEAR

LIVESCRIBE PULSE PENLivescribe is fundamentally changing the waypeople capture, access and share informationwith pen and paper. Since its UK launch in2009, the unique Pulse ‘smartpen’ has alreadyreceived widespread critical endorsement,winning many awards. It works by recordingand syncing audio to your notes, meaningyou’ll never miss a word again. Additionalfeatures include an innovative application storeand online community.

ELONEX IGAMEDesigned in the UK, iGame is a convergenceproduct that takes the best functionality froman iPod dock and combines it with the bestabilities of a wireless games console to create ahome entertainment system that is fun for allthe family.

NVIDIA GEFORCE 3D VISIONWhat the firm describes as the foundation for anew consumer stereoscopic 3D ecosystem forconsumer gaming and home entertainmentPCs, NVIDIA 3D Vision is a combination ofhigh-tech wireless glasses, a high-powerinfrared (IR) emitter and advanced software thatautomatically transforms hundreds of PCgames into full stereoscopic 3D experiences.

APPLE IPHONE 3G SApple’s trailblazing device has paved the wayfor waves of touchscreen smartphones inrecent times, and is one of the most popularand iconic consumer electronic products ofrecent times. Access to thousands ofapplications, internet connectivity and wellimplemented touch technology make theiPhone the product to beat in the consumersmartphone sector.

SAMSUNG MP3 YP-P3The Samsung MP3 YP-P3 is a widescreenportable multimedia player. It has anevolutionary EmoTure interface with true hapticfeedback and stylish design. The P3 wasselected as a CES Innovations 2009 Design andEngineering Award honoree.

IRIVER STORYRepresenting a powerful rival to e-readerleaders such as Sony and Amazon, the Storyboasts a revolutionary E-Ink display, whichtakes no power to present a page – only using energy when a page is turned. A host ofother features make this as a key contender inthe category.

SYMANTEC – EVERY CLICK MATTERSAlong with its 2010 products, Symanteclaunched a new, stand-out marketingcampaign called ‘Every Click Matters’. Until now,security vendors had suggested that the worldwas a safe, bright, clean place once you hadsecurity software installed. Symantec wanted toreveal the depths of cybercrime and permitend-users to stand up to the threats fromcybercriminals. The microsite created for thecampaign contains amusing videos, a quizwhere end-users can calculate their digital risk,and hard facts on how prevalent cybercrime is.

MICROSOFT – WINDOWS 7LAUNCH CAMPAIGNFor its latest operating system, Windows 7,Microsoft was quick to implement a highprofile, cross-format campaign to maximise theimpact of the launch. The TV ads were basedon the long-running ‘I’m a PC’ campaigns, inorder to educate and win over consumers tothe new software.

PC WORLD – WHATEVER YOUR WORLDDSGi’s recent advertising strategy across theboard has been to ask customers to re-evaluatethe brand, breaking away from the image ofprice promotions, and instead presenting itself as offering a more holistic service. PCWorld’s latest campaign is very much of thismould and has taken some very prominent TVspots recently.

DELL – TREAT YOURSELFDell’s ‘Treat Yourself’ campaign addressedconsumers’ motivation for purchasingtechnology, positioning it as affordable,accessible, and fun. It comprised of TV, print,online and outdoor, inviting people to ‘treatthemselves’ to one of Dell’s colourful Inspironlaptops. The aim was to showcase Dell’s abilityto deliver PCs that reflect the personalities,attitudes and desires of its consumers.

APPLE – GET A MACApple’s ‘Get A Mac’ campaign has the missionstatement of winning over consumers bypushing the idea of a more holistic computingexperience – one that is built on the firm’sproprietary hardware and software. It has been a much talked about issue in thetechnology industry over the last year, and akey factor in forming Apple’s image to thewider consumer base.

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Congratulations to all nominees and good luck to all fi nalists for the 2010 awards from Symantec

We’ll see you on the night when everyone fi nds out

Could it be yours?

October 2009NortonTM Internet Security 2010

October 2009NortonTM Internet Security 2010

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20 | PCR AWARDS 2010

SOFTWARE PUBLISHER

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VENDOR FINALISTS

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SPECIALIST VENDOR

BILLIONBillion is a leading manufacturer of high-performance quality xDSL modem/routers,wireless networking devices and securitygateways for the home, SOHO and office user.The Billion portfolio is full of feature-richproducts offering ease-of-use and great valuefor money, including the UK’s most extensiverange of 3G routers for home and business, aswell as expertise in Firewall, SSL/IPSec VPN,VoIP, Powerline and much more.

KINGSTON TECHNOLOGYFounded in 1987 with a single product offering,Kingston now offers more than 2,000 memoryproducts that support nearly every device thatuses memory, from computers, servers andprinters to MP3 players, digital cameras andmobile phones.

ENTANETEntanet is a leading voice and datacommunications provider operating via anetwork of channel partners to providewholesale and resale ADSL and ADSL2+broadband, leased lines, hosting andcolocation, IP telephony, traditional telecomsand bespoke solutions such as IP VPNs, all ofwhich are delivered via the company’s ownnational next generation network.

STARTECHSince 1985, StarTech.com has provided acomplete range of IT and A/V products for adiverse customer base that spans manychannels, including government, education andindustrial facilities.

HANNSPREEHANNspree took bold steps in 2009 to expandits well known TV and monitor productportfolio and enter new unchartered markets.Products such as digital photo frames, noveltygadgets and the acclaimed HANNSnoteNetbook series have contributed to HANNspreebecoming a consumer electronics giant acrossEurope in 2009.

SOTHINThe SoThin suite provides current solutionssuch as repurpose/reuse of PCs and also bringscentralised management and reduced supportcosts while reducing power consumption andimproving green credentials, scalable to any organisation running standard, cloud based,virtual or Thin Microsoft networks. SoThin savestime, money, improves security and reducescarbon footprints.

GRAND PRIX AWARD

Adam Westley, Acer's EMEA trade marketingmanager picks up the Grand Prix award onbehalf of the vendor at 2009's event

Nothing will be revealed about the Grand Prixuntil the big night itself. It takes an overall view,choosing the company considered to havecontributed most to the marketplace over thelast 12 months, not only in terms ofcommercial success, but also in terms ofinnovation and energy.

The Grand Prix award is is decided upon bythe PCR team, with the winner coming fromfrom any of the award categories. It means thatthe smallest UK independent retailer or resellerhas the same opportunity to win as one of theworld’s leading vendor brands.

22 | PCR AWARDS 2010

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A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS

“After the success of last year’s awards,the past year has been tremendous for

us. I’d like to wish all the othercompanies the best of luck, and lookforward to another good evening.”

Michael Breeze, Interactive Ideas

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“The PCR Awards have become an important event in EntaTech’s

calendar as an opportunity to highlightthe hard work and achievements

by all within the IT industry”Jon Atherton, EntaTech

“The consumer team is really looking forward to celebrating the successes of the retailers,

distributors and manufacturers in our industry on the night.”

Farhana Rafi, Symantec

“We thoroughly look forward tocelebrating our successful yeartogether with all the other key

industry manufacturers andcustomers at the PCR Awards 2010.”

Neil Spicer, Sapphire

“It’s wonderful to see so many newnames on the shortlist. The Oscars for

the UK IT industry, the PCR Awardsalways prove to be a fun evening and a

great celebration of our industry.”Andrew Buxton, AMD

"Ingram Micro is delighted to besponsoring the vendor category at

this year's PCR awards. We lookforward to seeing our reseller and

vendor partners on the night."Apay Obangoyway, Ingram Micro

"Our strategies are all based on ourrelationships and commitment to ourpartners. We are looking forward to

seeing old friends and associates andwish everyone the best of luck."

Paul Leaman, Kingston Technology

“Gem is very pleased to show supportfor the PCR Awards, which have

become an important event for the ITchannel. We wish all the awardfinalists the very best of luck.”

Neil Handa, Gem

“The evening offers the perfectopportunity to show solidarity within

the channel and pull together to celebrate our achievements

and those of our peers.”Joanne Meredith, VIP

“From Integra's perspective, theseawards are a good indicator of the

movers and shakers within thechannel. We are looking forward to a

thoroughly entertaining evening.” David Wellington, Integra

WHEN: Thursday March 25th

WHERE: Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington

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2 Requires application support for ATI Stream technology.

© 2009 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, Radeon, and combinations thereof, are trademarksofAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc. Game image © 2009 Digital Illusions CE AB. All rights reserved. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a trademark of EA DigitalIllusionsCE AB. EA and the EA logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarksare theproperty of their respective owners. Microsoft Windows and DirectX are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/orother jurisdictions. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. FINALIST

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