Michelle Would appointed Agilitas’ new Chief Operating Officer

Appointments

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Agilitas IT Solutions has appointed Michelle Would as chief operating officer (COO), the latest in a series of executive appointments at Agilitas.
In recent months, Sara Wilkes was appointed CEO, Angela Whitty joined as non-executive director, Gary Lomas assumed the role of chief revenue officer, and Kirsty Walker was named chief financial officer. Michelle’s appointment completes the company’s new executive team.
With more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry, Michelle joined Agilitas as director of customer experience in June last year. In this role, Michelle has been responsible for leading Agilitas’ customer experience strategy, as well as launching the company’s new Voice of the Customer programme which helps to shape Agilitas’ strategy from a product, service and industry perspective. She has also been instrumental in delivering customer excellence and championing a passionate company culture that drives value and growth.
Prior to joining Agilitas, Michelle designed and led the European Service Centre at SCC, bringing a wealth of experience in driving innovation through services and operational excellence.
As COO, Michelle will continue to be the driving force behind Agilitas’ customer experience strategy, while ensuring that customers remain at the forefront of everything the company does. She will work closely with the executive team to support the wider business, enhancing resilience and strengthening the company’s position as a leading partner in the technology channel.

“Having joined the company last year, we have made significant progress when it comes to delivering value to our customers, partners and employees, whilst strengthening our position in the industry,” said Michelle. “I’m excited to continue working alongside our talented team to deliver operational excellence, innovation and sustainable growth.”

Sara added: “Michelle’s extensive knowledge in operations and customer experience, as well as deep understanding of the IT landscape make her the perfect fit to drive the next phase of our growth strategy. Her leadership will be instrumental in optimising our operations, further enhancing our customer experience and accelerating our company values.”The post Michelle Would appointed Agilitas’ new Chief Operating Officer first appeared on News in the Channel.

Exertis Enterprise Summit 2025

Events

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The Exertis Enterprise Summit 2025 promises to be more than just a conference – as well as providing expert insights into some of the most pressing issues facing the sector, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in some unforgettable experiences too.
Artificial intelligence (AI), data and security are three of the biggest issues facing the tech sector, with the technology developing at a tremendous pace and providers, resellers and customers all fighting to keep up.
These will form some of the main topics at the Exertis Enterprise Summit 2025, which is being held in Barcelona from 28-30 April. Exertis Enterprise has assembled a roster of some of the most respected names in the industry to provide their insight and expertise to address these challenges.
There will be more than 30 leading vendors attending, who will be there to provide their own insights, as well as networking opportunities.
Leading names
The keynote and conference sessions bring some of the leading names in the sector together to talk about the most pressing issues facing the sector today and in the future.
For instance, Nvidia and Supermicro will be talking about AI and high-performance computing, while Object First will address the topic of security and why traditional zero trust models will not be adequate for the future. Elsewhere, Seagate will talk about addressing the explosion in data and how storage solutions can deal with this.
This is just a flavour of what is happening over the event – there are also a range of panel discussions, Q&As and networking opportunities to be enjoyed across the three days.
More than the average conference
But the Summit has been designed to offer much more than just a conference to people who have been invited to attend.
There are plenty of other activities to keep delegates engaged and entertained throughout. For instance, there is the Exertis Enterprise F1 VR Simulator, which gives the players the chance to channel their inner Lewis Hamilton and compete for the chance to win exclusive prizes. There will also be a caricaturist in attendance, meaning attendees can have a caricature drawn live, providing a one-of-a-kind memento from the event.
There will also be a large Exertis Enterprise delegation on hand, including members of the design and marketing teams, who can give you a different perspective on the event, and ideas for how to make your next event stand out from the crowd.
Designed to be different
Indeed, the design of the Exertis Enterprise Summit branding was chosen to make it stand out as not just another conference. The traditional corporate look has been abandoned, instead favouring mixing bright colours with a design influenced by the Bauhaus era. Another idea of the branding was to make it look more like a festival – reflecting the relaxed mood and range of experiences on offer at the event. Additionally, the logo comprises different fonts and formation, representing how vendors come together under the Exertis Enterprise banner to work in harmony together.
To go along with this, the summit is being held at W Barcelona, a destination hotel designed by renowned architect Ricardo Bofill. It cannot be missed – it is shaped like a sail and leads right onto the beach.

“The Summit is all about unlocking potential – whether through collaboration, innovation, or rethinking the way we tackle today’s challenges,” says Jason Chibnall, managing director of Exertis Enterprise. “It’s an opportunity to explore new ideas, connect with industry leaders, and walk away with actionable strategies to shape the future of your business.”

The Exertis Enterprise Summit 2025 promises to be an unforgettable experience for all who attend – not just from the insight and information they receive from attending sessions, but the contacts they make in networking and the experiences they have while present in Barcelona.
One thing is for sure – if you miss out on this event, make sure you’re on the list for the next Summit in 2027!The post Exertis Enterprise Summit 2025 first appeared on News in the Channel.

Grasp the Full Potential of AI in under 15 minutes with Dell

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Dell has designed an 8-part video series, released every Tuesday at 9am (GMT-5 hours)
Hosted by John Roese, Dell’s Global Chief Technology and Chief AI Officer
Designed to help grasp the full potential of AI in under 15 minutes per episode

Hosted by John Roese, Dell’s Global Chief Technology and Chief AI Officer, the 8-part series delivers razor-sharp insights on the future of AI, from market shifts and predictions for 2025 to practical strategies for accelerating adoption. Whether you’re a business leader, a tech enthusiast or simply curious about where AI is headed, these videos offer the answers you need to stay ahead.
Dell are half way through the series, having released 4 short videos to date:
1. Welcome to “AI Insights with John Roese” – 3min 3sec

2025: Top Tech Predictions You Need to Know – 14min 52sec
The Three AI Markets Shaping Our Future – 4min 21sec
What is Enterprise AI? – 1min 30sec

Dell have alluded that future videos will explore takeaways from GTC (Game Time Cards, or Global Trade Compliance?), ROI (Return on Investment) strategies and much more.
We’re left wondering what video will be released tomorrow?The post Grasp the Full Potential of AI in under 15 minutes with Dell first appeared on News in the Channel.

Insights from Xerox’s Global Partner Summit 2025

Events

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Image: Terry Antinora, Head of Product and Engineering, part way through presenting the roadmap for future Xerox offerings

Partners given an insight into how Xeros’s reinvention plan is progressing
CEO Steve Bandrowczak’s addressed new partner offerings in IT and digital services

The Xerox Partner Summit was held between 10 and 12 March 2025, in Resorts World Las Vegas, and left partners, and Xerox employees, with a renewed sense of energy and passion. Innovation was showcased, strategies were discussed, past achievements were celebrated, relationships strengthened and collaboration was all around.The Diamond Sponsor was TD SYNNEX, and Platinum Sponsors were Distribution Management and Ingram Micro. As part of Reinvention, Xerox is transforming into a services-led, software-enabled organisation, while investing in transformative technologies and systems to fast-track partner success.
During the summit, Xerox announced a streamlined Global Partner Program that prioritises simplicity, flexibility and differentiation. In addition, Xerox launched Learning Central, a platform designed to provide partners with personalised skills development, and Xerox unveiled the new Partner Connect Portal, created to improve accessibility and support business growth through the latest innovations and solutions

Steve Bandrowczak, CEO commented, “This transformation is not possible without our Partners, and while it won’t happen overnight, we are moving at an accelerated pace.”

Behind the scenes, a dedicated team worked tirelessly to ensure the summit’s success, with a guest line up that included Tiffani Bova, Chief Strategy and Research Officer of the Futurum Group, who focused on critical role of Customer Experience (CX) and Employee Experience (EX) in driving business success, and Rob Bloom, Chief Marketing Officer at Aston Martin F1 Team, who discussed the Xerox / AMF1 partnership.Jacques-Edouard Gueden Executive Vice President & Chief Channel and Partner, enthusiastically stated: “Now is the time to leverage the insights and relationships forged at the summit. Let us apply the strategies discussed, embrace the innovations showcased, and continue to collaborate with our partners to drive meaningful growth. The journey ahead may be challenging, but armed with the energy and passion ignited at the Xerox Partner Summit, we are more than ready to take it on.”
Day 1Partners kicked off the day with exciting activities and the Showcase opened its doors with hands-on demos, sustainability solutions and much more.
Day 2 Packed with insights, innovation, and celebration, Xerox kicked off with inspiring welcomes, reflecting on Xerox’s Reinvention. Day3

Xerox hosted Women in Tech Breakfast featuring Kelsey Morgan, PhD, CEO & Co-Founder of EverFree
Keynote from Aston Martin F1 Team CMO Rob Bloom – insights, strategy, and a Q&A session Offerings Showcase – bringing innovation to life
Terry Antinora, SVP, Head of Product and Engineering, shared the roadmap for the future of Xerox offerings
Deena LaMarque Piquion, Chief Growth and Disruption Officer, discussed strategic partnerships and future opportunities
Munu Gandhi, President of Xerox IT Solutions, shared key insights on industry trends
Partner Perspectives Panel featured Karl Boissonneault, President, North America Partners; Mariola Martínez González, President, Western Europe Partners Operations and David Dyas President, Global Distribution Operations
Closing remarks by Steve Bandrowczak, CEO, and Jacques-Edouard Gueden, Chief Channel and Partner Officer, celebrating partners and looking ahead

The post Insights from Xerox’s Global Partner Summit 2025 first appeared on News in the Channel.

TD SYNNEX UK Appoints Data and Applications Lead

Appointments

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TD SYNNEX has appointed Andy Brown as senior business unit director – data and applications, UK and Ireland. As well as overseeing this fast-developing area of the Advanced Solutions portfolio, Brown will take responsibility for TD SYNNEX’s Destination AI strategy.
Major vendor partners are making significant joint investments with TD SYNNEX to support Destination AI, TD SYNNEX’s all-in-one programme that takes reseller partners on a tailored journey of discovery and enablement and equips them to articulate the benefits of AI with customers, uncover new potential and deliver solutions.
Simon Bennett, managing director, Advanced Solutions, UK and Ireland, said: “This appointment and the additional joint investments that TD SYNNEX is making with vendor partners, underlines our total commitment to supporting partner growth in AI and in data and applications – all of which are fast-growing areas of opportunity for us and our partners.”
Andy will oversee TD SYNNEX’s data and analytics, line-of-business applications, and AI-driven solutions business, and manage relationships with key vendors. “I am honoured to have been given this opportunity to lead our efforts in these vitally important areas of huge potential,” he said.
“With the significant resources already in place and more investments being made, TD SYNNEX is ready to drive real partner success. In Destination AI we have a unique programme – I’m excited to be taking the lead on that and helping more partners to chart their own journey to AI enlightenment.”
For the past eight years, Andy has been technical services director, Advanced Solutions, UK, at TD SYNNEX and brings more than two decades of experience to this new position.The post TD SYNNEX UK Appoints Data and Applications Lead first appeared on News in the Channel.

TD SYNNEX’s Europe Partners can now access CHERRY’s Innovative Peripheral Solutions

Partnerships

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TD SYNNEX has announced an agreement with CHERRY, a global player in computer input devices and peripherals. The collaboration expands TD SYNNEX’s portfolio of premium peripheral solutions, offering partners cutting-edge options to address the growing demand for high-performance, ergonomic and reliable input devices in different market channels, from gaming and office, to B2B and healthcare.
“CHERRY’s innovative products are renowned for their quality, durability, and advanced features that cater to the needs of today’s tech-savvy workforce” said Mara Pereira, vice president, Peripherals, Europe, TD SYNNEX. “This partnership allows us to provide our partners with a wide range of high-performance peripherals that not only boost productivity but also meet the ergonomic and functional needs of modern hybrid work environments.”
CHERRY’s portfolio includes a range of award-winning keyboards and mice, designed for precision, comfort, and efficiency. The addition of these solutions reinforces TD SYNNEX’s commitment to providing partners with best-in-class end-to-end solutions for hybrid workplaces, ensuring productivity, comfort and sustainability.
“We’re excited to collaborate with TD SYNNEX to expand CHERRY’s presence across EMEA. Through this partnership, we can bring our premium-quality input devices to a broader audience, empowering businesses with tools that deliver exceptional performance and reliability,” said Alexander Hecker, Senior Vice President Global Peripherals, CHERRY.
CHERRY products are compatible with leading devices and operating systems, making them ideal for seamless integration across various business environments. Partners can easily explore and procure CHERRY’s offerings via TD SYNNEX’s eCommerce platform, InTouch.The post TD SYNNEX’s Europe Partners can now access CHERRY’s Innovative Peripheral Solutions first appeared on News in the Channel.

Partners can Streamline and Thrive: Giacom’s new Managed Services

Partner Programmes

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Giacom launches Managed Services, offering billing delegation and consultancy with expert support.
Key services include Assist, Premium Assist and RPI Increase.
These services allow partners to outsource billing operations or bulk price change uploads on partners’ customer base systems

Giacom has launched Managed Services, a new range of consultancy services designed to help partners streamline billing operations, enhance profitability and free up valuable time to focus on business growth. These services, available exclusively to partners that use Giacom’s software solutions to manage their billing, allow partners to outsource key elements of the billing process and system maintenance to Giacom’s expert team, ensuring accuracy, efficiency and compliance.
At the heart of Giacom’s Managed Services are Assist and Premium Assist, which offer increasing levels of billing and system administration support. RPI Increase is also available as a specialist service for handling bulk price increases across a partner’s customer base. In addition to these, Giacom offers consultancy services to help partners improve system maintenance and optimise efficiency.
Assist provides a cost-effective way for partners to delegate essential billing tasks to Giacom’s expert team. It covers billing configuration management, supplier file management, comprehensive billing reports and bill run checks. Assist helps partners ensure billing accuracy while reducing the burden of system administration.
Premium Assist includes all the features of Assist, plus additional enhancements for those needing more comprehensive billing and system administration. In addition to the core functionalities, Premium Assist provides new customer creation and in-life customer management, detailed financial reporting, and smarter buying suggestions. It also includes two RPI increases per year, and four migrations or database consolidations as part of its standard offering. With Premium Assist, a dedicated Billing Consultant is assigned who is supported by Giacom’s collaborative team of billing specialists. This enhanced level of support ensures that business processes are not only accurate but also optimised for maximum profitability and business growth.
RPI Increase is a standalone service designed to simplify and implement annual Retail Price Index adjustments across all relevant customer accounts and billing structures. Giacom’s team manages the entire process, ensuring that price updates are accurately applied in line with partner requirements. By handling the complexities of pricing adjustments, this service provides an efficient way for Giacom’s partners to ensure their pricing remains aligned with market conditions.
Giacom’s billing software is capable of processing all rateable communications and connectivity services, as well as service charges, subscriptions, and IT services, consolidating everything into a single, easy-to-understand bill for customers. With voluntary accreditation under Ofcom’s TMBS scheme, Giacom reinforces its commitment to maintaining the highest standards in billing compliance and accuracy.
Outsourcing time-consuming billing operations to Giacom’s specialist team allows partners to focus on strategic growth and improve accuracy while reducing in-house workload. With over 100 years of combined billing experience and £2.5 billion of retail billing processed per annum, Giacom’s Managed Services are set to make their partners lives easier.
Ant Molloy, Managing Director of Cloud Market Tools at Giacom, said: “Our Managed Services are a game-changer for our partners’ billing processes. This service underpins their entire billing profit and optimisation strategy, and collectively, we have the best billing specialists out there. Having this level of expertise and scale in-house is difficult to replicate, so it makes total sense to utilise our TMBS-accredited team to improve billing efficiencies.” The post Partners can Streamline and Thrive: Giacom’s new Managed Services first appeared on News in the Channel.

Intel Appoints Lip-Bu Tan as Chief Executive Officer

Appointments

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Lip-Bu Tan succeeds Pat Gelsinger as Intel CEO
Interim Co-CEO’s David Zinsner will remain EVP and CFO, and Michelle (MJ) Johnston Holthaus will remain CEO of Intel Products

Intel Corporation has announced that its board of directors has appointed Lip-Bu Tan, an accomplished technology leader with deep semiconductor industry experience, as chief executive officer, effective 18 March 2025. He succeeds Interim Co-CEOs David Zinsner and Michelle (MJ) Johnston Holthaus. Tan will also rejoin the Intel board of directors after stepping down from the board in August 2024.
Zinsner will remain executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Johnston Holthaus will remain CEO of Intel Products. Frank D. Yeary, who took on the role of interim executive chair of the board during the search for a new CEO, will revert to being the independent chair of the board upon Tan becoming CEO.
“Lip-Bu is an exceptional leader whose technology industry expertise, deep relationships across the product and foundry ecosystems, and proven track record of creating shareholder value is exactly what Intel needs in its next CEO,” Yeary said. “Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has earned a reputation as an innovator who puts customers at the heart of everything he does, delivers differentiated solutions to win in the market and builds high-performance cultures to achieve success.” Yeary continued:

“Like many across the industry, I have worked closely with Lip-Bu in the past and have seen firsthand how his relentless attention to customers drives innovation and success. We are delighted to have Lip-Bu as our CEO as we work to accelerate our turnaround and capitalize on the significant growth opportunities ahead.”

On his appointment, Tan said, “I am honored to join Intel as CEO. I have tremendous respect and admiration for this iconic company, and I see significant opportunities to remake our business in ways that serve our customers better and create value for our shareholders.
“Intel has a powerful and differentiated computing platform, a vast customer installed base and a robust manufacturing footprint that is getting stronger by the day as we rebuild our process technology roadmap,” Tan continued. “I am eager to join the company and build upon the work the entire Intel team has been doing to position our business for the future.”
Yeary added, “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Dave and Michelle for their steadfast leadership as interim co-CEOs. Their discipline and focus have been a source of stability as we continue the work needed to deliver better execution, rebuild product leadership, advance our foundry strategy and begin to regain investor confidence.”
Tan is a longtime technology investor and widely respected executive with more than 20 years of semiconductor and software experiences as well as deep relationships across Intel’s ecosystem. He formerly served as CEO of Cadence Design Systems from 2009 to 2021, where he led a reinvention of the company and drove a cultural transformation centered on customer-centric innovation. During his time as CEO, Cadence more than doubled its revenue, expanded operating margins and delivered a stock price appreciation of more than 3,200%.
Tan served as a member of the Cadence board of directors for 19 years, from his appointment in 2004 through his service as executive chairman from 2021 to 2023 following his tenure as CEO. He is also a founding managing partner of Walden Catalyst Ventures and chairman of Walden International. He has significant public company board experience, currently serving on the boards of Credo Technology Group and Schneider Electric.
The post Intel Appoints Lip-Bu Tan as Chief Executive Officer first appeared on News in the Channel.

Lenovo Workplace Productivity Survey: the insights are in

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Lenovo’s global report Reinventing Workplace Productivity surveyed 600 IT leaders and found that while 79% believe AI will enable employees to focus on more meaningful work, fewer than half think their current digital workplace solutions effectively support productivity, engagement and innovation.

Key findings:
Only 36% believe their systems support employee engagement “very effectively”A staggering 89% say organisations must first overhaul their digital workplace to fully unlock AI’s potential.Nearly half (49%) of IT leaders surveyed say that creating a productive and engaging employee experience (EX) is their top priority for the year ahead
Key challenges:
While 63% of IT leaders surveyed agree that a highly personalised digital workplace is essential, a lack of configurable devices and applications remains a top barrier. This one-size-fits-all approach leaves employees underserved.61% of IT leaders acknowledge the need for AI-driven IT support automation, but many organisations still struggle to integrate these systems effectively.
Lenovo’s Reinventing Workplace Productivity survey explores the opportunities and challenges that Generative AI presents for the future of work, highlighting the urgent need for digital workplace transformation to ensure its successful adoption. AI is positively viewed, in areas such as:
Enhanced Collaboration: AI-powered tools such as virtual co-authoring and real-time translations break down barriers, enabling seamless teamwork across geographies and languages.Creative Empowerment: By automating repetitive tasks, AI frees employees to focus on more strategic and innovative work, driving creative problem-solving.Productivity Boosts: AI-driven insights streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and accelerate day-to-day operations.
Nearly half (49%) of IT leaders surveyed say that creating a productive and engaging employee experience (EX) is their top priority for the year ahead. This echoes IDC research commissioned and published by Lenovo last month – its global 2025 CIO Playbook, It’s Time for AI-nomics, found that improving employee productivity is this year’s top business priority.

Despite the urgent need to transform the digital workplace around AI, several key challenges remain in its widespread adoption:
Personalisation Gaps: While 63% of IT leaders surveyed agree that a highly personalised digital workplace is essential, a lack of configurable devices and applications remains a top barrier. This one-size-fits-all approach leaves employees underserved.Support Automation: 61% of IT leaders acknowledge the need for AI-driven IT support automation, but many organisations still struggle to integrate these systems effectively.
Lenovo has a vision for an AI-driven future, simply put by Rakshit Ghura, VP and General Manager of Digital Workplace Solutions, as:
“Transforming your workplace is essential to using AI effectively. Simply automating existing workflows will only yield incremental benefits. AI changes the rules of productivity, but to realize its potential, IT leaders must work alongside their executive teams to rethink how AI can augment their organization’s value-creation levers and competitive differentiation. AI must be seamlessly integrated into core operations, creating a personalized and efficient digital workplace that enhances the employee experience and drives long-term productivity.”
Core Recommendations

The report provides three recommendations for businesses looking to harness AI in the workplace:
Simplify and Personalise the Employee Experience: Tailor tools, workflows, and experiences to individual roles, ensuring maximum productivity and innovation.Automate IT Processes: Use Gen AI to efficiently manage devices and meet diverse employee needs, freeing up resources for higher-value tasks.Transform Workflows for Value Creation: Rethink existing workflows and processes to fully capitalise on Gen AI’s capabilities and drive innovation.
Reinventing Workplace Productivity is the first report in the Lenovo Work Reborn Research Series 2025, which will be published throughout the course of the year. For more insights, or to download the report, visit Lenovo Digital Workplace Solutions.The post Lenovo Workplace Productivity Survey: the insights are in first appeared on News in the Channel.

Beaumont Steps Down as MD of Exertis Supplies

People News

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Andrew Beaumont has made the decision to step down from his role as Managing Director of Exertis Supplies. Andrew will be leaving the business on April 30th.
Beaumont stated, “It has been a great honour to lead such an exceptional team and I look forward to seeing the company continue to thrive and grow in the future.”

Rod McCarthy, Group Managing Director added, “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Andrew for his dedication and leadership of the Supplies business and can assure the channel that we remain fully committed to supporting the independent dealer community as we move forward.”

Exertis Supplies has confirmed that further details regarding the new leadership of the business will be shared in the coming weeks.The post Beaumont Steps Down as MD of Exertis Supplies first appeared on News in the Channel.