With enterprises technology spend grinding to a halt and average selling prices plummeting in the consumer segment, the small and medium sized business sector has become an attractive new target market for the IT industry’s larger resellers and technology retailers.

This has meant that the small and medium sized business market faces the strong possibility of being snatched away from the small, one or two man reseller shops that have traditionally made a modest, yet stable living from the provision of ultra tailored solutions.

“Some of these resellers will see this as a death sentence and batten down the hatches for a tough couple of months ahead,” says Traci Maynard, general manager of Tarsus Technologies’ software division.

“Others will see it as an opportunity to provide their customers with reinforced motivation for the value they provide,” she says.

“And being part of the latter group of resellers comes down to providing the right solutions for the right customer needs,” she says.

Maynard says there’s a historical reason the small and medium sized business sector has been service by specialist players.

“And that reason isn’t difficult to find. To be blunt, it’s quite simply that one size doesn’t fit all.”

Unfortunately, larger resellers and technology retailers have traditionally made their money from the provision of relatively generic products and services for the masses.

And that’s something that flies directly in the face of what small and medium sized businesses require from their technology partners.

“Small and medium sized businesses require individual attention and tailored solutions,” she says.

“It’s something that takes specialist expertise, and by providing their customers with the right solutions, small and medium sized resellers will continue to be successful,” she says.

Maynard says she’s just returned from a Microsoft conference held in Los Angeles and that one of the key messages delivered was that there’s a ton of opportunity within Microsoft’s product portfolio that small and medium sized resellers can use to excite and delight their customers.

“Solutions that help resellers achieve on goals such as server virtualization, simplified infrastructure management and even hosted or cloud-based delivery for applications are at the forefront of what’s on offer,” she says.

“Add to that the fact that Microsoft has realised how dependent small and medium sized businesses are on out-of-the-office connectivity and in turn, that it’s started working with vendors in the portable computing (notebook, netbook and slate) space to create seamless solutions to this challenge and there’s another opportunity on offer,” she adds.

“Lastly, round that out with small and medium sized business specific tools, such as a bespoke portal that allows smaller resellers access to customisable, ready-made marketing materials that can drive their value proposition to the market and it’s clear that Microsoft is becoming serious about this sector of the market.

“All things considered, where some small business resellers see a threat, I see an opportunity. And those that focus on the latter will reap the rewards,” she concludes.

The MB Technologies Group, Africa’s leading value-add distribution group, which includes, A.C.T, Channel Capital and Channel Risk Management, Platinum Micro, Printacom and Tarsus Technologies among its operating companies, has announced a change of distribution strategy for the Samsung printer brand within the group.

This change sees the repositioning and transfer of the Samsung Printer Distribution agreement from Tarsus to A.C.T. This is in line with the group’s strategy to position A.C.T. as a value added printer distributor offering customised printing solutions to its resellers. A.C.T. has been a Samsung consumables distributor for the past two years. This change will enable the MB Technologies Group to maximise the full potential of this leading brand in the printer industry.

“A.C.T. will assist our partners to market Samsung’s excellent range of business printers by focusing on the competitive total cost of ownership offering” says Gary Pickford, Managing Director at A.C.T.

Samsung currently holds the number one position for Laser Printer in South Africa with annual sales in excess of R350 Million. With a broad, expanding product range and a focused market segmentation strategy, A.C.T. provides Samsung with a great opportunity to grow its business range of printers and multifunction printers into the corporate, government and enterprise market.

“We are delighted to welcome A.C.T. on board as our newest Printer Distributor” says Dennis Brett, Samsung IT/OA Division Head. “A.C.T. is a leading national Printer Consumables Distributor with a reputation for sales and service excellence. With the addition of the Samsung printer brand to their portfolio, they can now offer a complete printing product offering.”

A.C.T. officially commenced distributing Samsung Printers from 1 March 2011.

Toshiba has appointed Tarsus Technologies, South Africa’s leading distributor of the world’s foremost PC brands, as an official distributor for its entire range of laptops and peripherals in SA.

This landmark agreement marks an important step in Toshiba’s commitment to its reseller channel, because it makes the company’s products and services more widely available to resellers and end-users, where there has been a growing demand for the Toshiba brand.

Reon Coetzee, Head of Sales for Toshiba Africa, says that with Toshiba’s renewed focus on servicing the corporate and business-to-business space, Tarsus was a natural choice of distributor to partner with.

“Tarsus is South Africa’s longest-established IT distributor and has built an amazing track record in terms of logistics, skills and value-added services for large-scale IT rollouts at some of South Africa’s biggest corporates.

“We’re aware of the growing demand for Toshiba’s solid products from both consumers and corporates, and, in terms of our evolving channel strategy, our aim is to appoint the best partners in their respective fields to ensure that this demand is fed.

“In addition,” he says, “we want to ensure that our end-users benefit from the values that Toshiba stands for – quality and excellence – both of which have been strong attributes of Tarsus in its long history as South Africa’s leading IT value added distributor.”

“Tarsus is delighted to add Toshiba to its already comprehensive portfolio of products,” says Pierre Spies, CEO of Tarsus Technologies.

“Tarsus carries one of the widest ranges of PCs and laptops in South Africa and having Toshiba join that portfolio adds a new level of strength to our overall product and service offerings.

“We’re proud to be able to offer Toshiba’s legendary reliability and quality to our channel and corporate customers,” he says.

With Tarsus joining the ranks of Toshiba partners alongside Mustek, both Coetzee and Country Manager for South Africa Jorge Da Silva, are confident that Toshiba will become the brand of choice amongst consumers and corporates alike.

“Toshiba is known for its innovation and ability to deliver top quality products,” Coetzee says.  “Our qualification process has proven this and with the competitive offering, we expect to take a sizable chunk of the South African market in the next 12 months.

“We’re also excited to be able to offer our channel partners and resellers the opportunity to grow their revenues, and to support them with the products and services that they have been [patiently] waiting for,” he concludes.

Tarsus Technologies has announced the arrival of Dell’s world-renowned Alienware range of gaming notebooks in South Africa and that the brand will be officially launched at the rAge gaming expo which will be held at the Coca-Cola Dome between the 1^st and 3^rd of October.

“The Alienware brand is one of the most anticipated technology arrivals in South Africa, since it’s the only brand of notebook in the world that prides itself on providing mobility to the most hardcore gamers in the market, with no-compromise on performance,” says Brett Bygate, Dell product manager at Tarsus.

“And even though the entire range is something to behold – robed in cutting-edge designs, lighting configurations and the best hardware money can buy, one model in particular, namely the M11x goes even further, dispelling a number of myths around the weight and size of a gaming notebook,” he continues.

With the M11x, Bygate says Alienware has crammed an Intel Core i5/i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M with 1GB of GDDR3 memory, 4GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory and 500GB of SATA hard disk storage into an 11-inch notebook that comfortably slips into any backpack and doesn’t weigh the earth.

“It’s an absolute marvel,” he enthuses, “and because of its size, competitive price and cutting-edge design, it is something I can see the local reseller channel becoming pretty excited about.”

Bygate acknowledges that the primary route to market for the Alienware brand will be South Africa’s specialist retailers; however, the entire range will also be available to the reseller channel.

“This is great news for local developers and niche-market computer users, since those who haven’t made the switch to a notebook because of the disparity between desktop and notebook performance can now also benefit from mobility while no longer compromising on performance,” he says.

“These machines open a window of opportunity in the market and in my opinion, resellers should be looking for opportunities to convert their more performance-demanding customers to the Alienware brand, since what they will gain in the long run from a productivity perspective is huge,” he says.

“There’s also no need to wait – the entire range of Alienware 11-, 15- and 17-inch notebooks is available and in stock,” he concludes.

Tarsus Technologies has announced the local availability of Dell’s Zino HD mini-desktop, a diminutive 8-inch by 8-inch square computer that’s the perfect companion for cutting-edge home users who want to make the most of digital audio and video.

A little larger than a stack of optical discs and finished in a choice of glossy coloured covers, the Zino HD strikes the perfect balance between performance, power-efficiency and competitive pricing.

“Apart from a choice of colourful chassis, users can choose from a variety of AMD Athlon Dual-Core processors, between 2GB and 8GB of RAM and between 160GB and 1TB of storage,” says Brett Bygate, Dell product manager at Tarsus.

“Add to this a DVD-RW drive, a built-in media card reader, 5.1 surround sound, wired and wireless networking, and an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card that offers both a VGA and HDMI output and it’s clear that this little machine is in its element in a home theatre environment,” he says.

Unlike many of the computers in this category, which tend to be rather static in their configuration, Bygate says the Zino HD is upgradeable in a number of ways.

“For starters,” he continues, “if the embedded Radeon HD 3200 graphics card isn’t sufficiently powerful, users can add a discrete graphics card to the machine through a single PCI-Express 16 slot.

“Additional storage can also be added to the Zino HD by attaching an external hard disk to the two eSATA or USB 2.0 ports available on the rear of the machine.

“If a hard disk is connected to one of the eSATA ports, however, no performance degradation is experienced. The drive will operate at the same performance level as if it was connected to the Zino HD internally,” Bygate explains.

“Small, good looking and feature-rich, Tarsus believes the Zino HD is well placed to embrace the need for digital audio, video and computing gaming being expressed by modern households,” he says.

“We believe it will be very successful over the coming months,” Bygate concludes.

While LCD monitors have become commonplace additions to any desktop, it’s not uncommon to see creative specialists in the graphic design, engineering, CAD/CAM and print/production markets still making use of older, conventional CRT monitors.

“That’s because there aren’t a great deal of flat panel monitors available today that are capable of delivering the kind of accurate colour reproduction these experts rely on daily,” says Sophia Evans, HP product manager at Tarsus Technologies. “

Exacerbating the issue, Evans says that those LCD displays that are available with this level of colour accuracy cost a pretty penny.

“That’s why the arrival of HP’s ZR22w and ZR24w performance series monitors is so significant,” she adds.

“As their name suggests, these monitors are available in 22-inch and 24-inch derivatives, and are capable of reproducing the colours used by creative professionals with upwards of 96% accuracy,” she says.

“They feature a 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratio respectively, offer a dynamic contrast ratio of 30 000:1 and support inputs for HDCP-compliant DisplayPort and DVI, as well as VGA,” she says.

However, the HP Performance Series’ party piece is its super configurable 8-way comfort-adjust stand.

“The stand provides tilt, pivot, swivel, and height-adjustability in the column, helping increase comfort and productivity throughout the day,” says Evans.

“Apart from standard adjustments, these screens can even be reconfigured in portrait-mode for certain niche needs,” she continues.

Rounding off the features, all the models in the Performance Series range have an integrated four port USB 2.0 hub and an integrated cable management system located inside the framed stand which keeps clutter to a minimum and adds to the overall aesthetics of the user’s desk with a snap-on cable cover.

“Tarsus is delighted with the arrival of the HP Performance Series of monitors, since it addresses the dire need for cost-effective, professional LCDs in the creative market,” she concludes.

Tarsus Technologies has announced the local availability of Samsung’s latest line up of LED projectors, packed with technical innovations that enhance the brightness, colour and accuracy of the projected visuals whilst at the same time providing the functionality needed for academic, corporate, professional or home use.

“The latest projector offerings from Samsung concentrate on exactly what customers are looking for,” says Levina de Matos, Samsung product manager at Tarsus, “delivering faithful, colour-perfect performance, distinctive contemporary designs, an almost whisper-silent operation and multiple connectivity options.”

The new line of data projectors is furthermore also suited to a wide variety of disciplines. For example, of particular interest in the field of home entertainment is the Samsung SP-A600 – a full HD projector that features Digital Light Projection 1080p film technology, which is the same technology used in top-of-the-range high-definition television displays. 

The SP-A600 has a wide variety of connectivity options and offers video support for Blu-ray as well as an input for a PC, making the home entertainment centre possibilities vast.

“With guaranteed colour accuracy, this projector provides the perfect colour gamut for each broadcasting standard. The SP-A600 truly is a dazzling LED data projector with groundbreaking 1,000 ANSI lumens, which lights up the screen with your favourite TV channels, movies and games,” de Matos adds.

“Looking at the portable powerhouses in Samsung’s new line-up, the SP-P400 and SP-410M (differing only in brightness – 150 and 170 respectively) are both LED-based DLP Pocket Projectors that offer the user convenience and mobility by fitting neatly into a laptop bag or briefcase.

“Featuring a USB port and auto play functionality, these projectors support Microsoft PowerPoint, PDF and JPG playback capabilities, allowing road warriors to leave their notebooks at the office and carry nothing more than a USB Flash Memory Stick to their presentations,” de Matos continues.

The LED lamp on these projectors is eco-friendly and never requires replacement, reducing operational costs. It also has a 30,000-hour lifespan with an auto power on/off functionality to preserve the bulb.

With stereo speakers, a remote control and support for USB multimedia with instant media play, as well as an 80-inch maximum screen size, this really is a pocket projector with some serious power.

For academic or corporate environments, such as classrooms and conference rooms, the units in the Samsung L Series (L200, L220, L250, L300, L350) are complete stand-alone multimedia projectors capable of providing sharp colour-true images and sound from any AV or PC source, including HDMI. They come with a full range of inputs and support for USB multimedia, as well as a full range of input options.

Rounding out the new Samsung projector line-up in the mobile professional field, the SP-H05 is a portable handheld device that’s the latest must-have accessory for travel and impromptu presentations.

“It’s small enough to fit in your pocket and it has a built-in player for Microsoft Office file formats, PDF, movies, music and video. It also works with any mp3 player, personal gaming device, cell phone or notebook and has its own built-in battery and speakers, as well as a MicroSD card slot,” de Matos says.

“Samsung’s new line of data projectors offers something innovative for every sector of the market – right from home entertainment, to the classroom, through to the mobile professional – delivering convenience, high performance and practicality,” de Matos concludes.

Tarsus Technologies has announced the local availability of HP’s MultiSeat computing solution – a unique product aimed at the educational and call centre markets that’s designed to allow up to 10 users simultaneous access to a single PC, with one quarter of the energy and management costs.

“The HP MultiSeat t100 Thin Client allows schools and call centres to double their seats without affecting their budget,” says Fulvio Donà, HP product manager at Tarsus Technologies.

“It does this by accessing the excessive leverage capacity of one PC, and using it to deliver a Windows experience that can be shared between up to 10 users per unit,” he says.

This system is powered by a single, dedicated HP Compaq MultiSeat ms6000 Desktop with Windows MultiPoint Server 2010. The ms6000 desktop used for the solution is a small form factor using an Intel Core 2 Quad Processor, as well as Intel Q43 Express Chipset and a 500GB Hard Drive while graphics are powered by an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 integrated card.

“What makes this solution so ideal for the educational or call centre environment is that it is intended to reduce the total number of PCs, while increasing total users – having the direct benefit of decreasing total time spent on management, networking, maintenance and upgrades,” Donà explains.

Despite this, he says, the solution is extremely easy to set up and effortless to use.

“It’s a simple matter of adding more seats with devices that require only unboxing and plugging in,” he elaborates.

“Companies can expect a reduction of up to 80% in energy costs, with the system consuming somewhere in the region of 2.5 Watts per user. The solid-state access drives also have less impact on the external environment as they produce 90% less heat and noise than traditional PCs,” he adds.

Commercial customers will receive a version of MultiPoint server preloaded on the system under an OEM license, while educational customers with existing license agreements with Microsoft are privy to a discounted price on the solution.

“For this reason, it’s imperative that educational customers fully-inform their resellers of their Microsoft license status, since that’s the only way they will be able to benefit from the reduced cost,” he says.

With this computing solution, HP has shown that they’re capable of producing solutions of significant value for educational institutions with limited resources. It shows that the company is committed to providing access to technology where it’s needed most.

“There’s also no doubt that the structure of this system and all its benefits will appeal to call centre enterprises as well,” Donà adds.

“It’s a revolutionary spin on the market and one we believe will fare well in the coming years,” he concludes.

Tarsus Technologies has announced the local availability of Lenovo’s ThinkPad Edge 13-inch notebook, a newly designed, quick-thinking compact notebook with an innovative consumer edge that’s purpose-built to power small businesses.

If retailers and resellers were expecting just another update to the ThinkPad brand, they’re in for a surprise with this notebook. ThinkPads have typically been aimed at big business, however, Lenovo has shown that it’s ready to take on the budget-conscious small business sector, whilst being cognisant of the need for consumer-friendly features, and the ThinkPad Edge encompasses all of this.

“For the first time ever,” says Alexi Hume Lenovo product manager at Tarsus Technologies, “there’s choice when it comes to colour. The ThinkPad Edge 13” notebook is available in Midnight Black and striking Heatwave Red, with a glossy finish.

“The aesthetical makeover doesn’t end at colour. There has also been a total rethink on the notebook’s keyboard, and the new island-style design has a simplified layout that’s actually based on contemporary usage patterns,” Hume adds.

Lenovo hasn’t only redesigned the exterior, they have looked internally too; the ThinkPad Edge runs on an Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor at 1.3GHz with 800MHz FSB and 3MB cache; or for the first time ever, users have the option of an AMD version, running on the AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core L325 processor at 1.5GHz with the AMD M780G chipset.

“The Intel version has Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics while the AMD version has ATI Radeon HD 3200 IGP with 128MB graphics memory, and this makes everything from video to Microsoft Office run smoothly,” Hume explains.

With the ThinkPad Edge, Lenovo has shown that they understand that small business owners and their employees expect dedicated performance from their notebooks, and this is exactly what the ThinkPad Edge offers. Multiple wireless connectivity options, excellent battery life and Windows 7 Professional 64-bit make this machine a perfect mobile office.

Added features include the Active Protection System, which guards the notebook from shock damage and a spill-resistant keyboard; both protect the ThinkPad Edge from unwanted damage from the knocks and spills it may endure as part of a rigorous business lifestyle.

The goal with the ThinkPad Edge was to match Lenovo reliability with flair, and offer this at an affordable price tag. With the ThinkPad Edge, Lenovo has managed to do this, without losing the robust and durable design that users, resellers and retailers have come to expect from the brand,” Hume concludes.

Tarsus Technologies announces the local availability of the new Dell Inspiron 11z laptop. Thin, light, ultra-mobile and super-efficient, this diminutive computer is aimed squarely at the mobile, professional power-user.

Weighing a mere 1.385kg and measuring a slight 25.8mm, the Inspiron 11z boasts impressive performance for its size and is packed with features like a high-capacity hard drive, a high-definition 29cm display as well as the latest in wireless technology. 

 “The ultimate travel companion, the Inspiron 11z is slim, but powerful, with a 250GB hard drive (optionally expandable up to 500GB) and there is also an option to increase performance by adding up to 4GB of RAM. For additional storage, optional external hard drives are available,” says Terence Barter, Dell business unit manager at Tarsus Technologies.

Designed for ultra-mobility, the Inspiron 11z doesn’t waste any space, boasting a 29cm HD WLED display as well as a new and improved touchpad.

“The Inspiron 11z is designed to fit unobtrusively into the user’s lifestyle, allowing them to experience true mobility with exceptional performance and a long battery life with Intel’s new ultra-low-voltage processors.

“In terms of thinking power, the Intel Celeron 743 processor improves productivity and increases output dramatically,” adds Barter.

The Inspiron 11z will keep the user connected to the world with its vast array of mobile features. The latest wireless connectivity is available in the form of built-in Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth and mobile broadband.

“Users can remain in touch with the office and stay in face-to-face contact with friends, family and colleagues using the integrated 1.3MP camera with microphone,” explains Barter.

The optional 6-cell battery gives the user up to 6 hours and 12 minutes of battery life, when combined with an Intel Pentium SU4100 processor.

Users can also enjoy smart services from Dell as part of the 11z package, such as DataSafe Online, which is an online backup service offering data protection by enabling users to automatically back up data to a safe, remote storage and help protect against software, hardware and catastrophic failure.

“With Dell Remote Access, customers can access their PC from almost anywhere,” he says.

“The Inspiron 11z is slim, sleek and completely packed with thinking power and performance potential, providing mobile users with all the resources they could possibly need when on the road.

“For this reason Tarsus believes the 11z will amaze users, retailers and resellers alike,” Barter concludes.