Feature: HANNspree paper‑like panels to redefine sustainable displays

Martin Kent, Territory Manager at HANNspree, argues that paper‑like panels are set to shift the display market away from its long‑standing focus on brightness and resolution. With energy use and screen fatigue becoming harder to ignore, new panel technologies promising up to 80% lower power consumption signal a meaningful step toward more sustainable, human‑centric displays.
For the last decade, panel makers have pushed relentlessly for higher brightness, higher resolution, and higher refresh rates in a bid to serve the digital work expansion. But the demands of hybrid workforces, 24/7 connectivity, and energy-aware businesses have exposed a deep contradiction: the more time we spend in front of screens, the less sustainable, and less human-friendly, traditional display technology has become.
That is about to change. No longer will display sustainability progress come from amplifying what already exists, but from rethinking the relationship between screens, people, and energy consumption altogether. Major advancements in paper-like panel tech development offering up to 80% lower energy consumption, are not only introducing a whole new product category, but also marking a turning point for IT sustainability.
The sustainability gap that standard displays can’t close
Corporate sustainability teams, government bodies, and ESG-driven procurement groups are all pushing for energy reduction across digital estates. Yet few organisations recognise just how large a contributor displays are within end-user device energy budgets. Office monitors typically consume 20–40W during normal use. Global monitor shipments surpass 130 million units annually. With average usage exceeding 8 hours per day, displays quietly become one of the most persistent energy drains across corporate infrastructure.
Even aggressive improvements in LED efficiency or brightness control can’t overcome a fundamental limitation: LCDs and OLEDs rely on artificially generated light. To maintain visibility in bright environments, they must fight sunlight, powering backlights harder, not softer. This model is inherently unsustainable. It works against physics rather than with it.
Paper-like displays: a good idea with bad performance, until now
Reflective displays have long promised a more natural and sustainable approach. By using ambient light instead of artificial illumination, they mimic the readability and low power consumption of real paper. But historically, these displays carried unacceptable trade-offs for IT environments. They were too slow for scrolling, editing or motion, limited in colour fidelity, dull for dynamic work and too restricted to static content and e-reading.
For CIOs, procurement leads, and IT sustainability strategists, paper-like displays simply weren’t viable as primary work devices. That barrier is finally being broken.
Paper meets performance
The world’s first paper-like display capable of true real-time, full-colour, full-motion performance, reaching 75Hz at 5ms response time with True 8-bit colour reproduction is coming to market. Organisations no longer have to choose between sustainability, user comfort, and display performance. A single panel can finally deliver all three.
An architecture that works with the environment, not against it
At light levels of 1000 lux and above, typical for offices, classrooms, and new hybrid workspaces, new Transflective LCD panels, which will be seen in new monitors and Tablets from HANNspree, utilise ambient light as its primary illumination source. Instead of cranking up a backlight to compete with sunlight, it reflects that light to produce clear, high-contrast visuals. The result is up to 80% lower energy consumption (as little as 5.2W), as well as zero blue light in reflective mode, flicker-free viewing, sunlight readability without brightness battles and a natural paper-like visual experience that materially reduces eye fatigue. In fact, the brighter it is, the better the visual performance. These new products also include backlights which an intelligent sensor activates when ambient light drops.
For IT teams tasked with delivering healthier work environments and lower carbon footprints, TLCD hybrids represent the rarest kind of technology shift: a sustainability gain that improves user experience rather than constraining it.
The human cost trade-off of traditional displays
Sustainability is not the only driver for paper-like advancement. Employee well-being which has long been a soft metric, has become a quantifiable productivity factor.
Due to the amount of time being spent behind a screen, more than half of knowledge workers report some form of screen-related strain, including dry eyes, headaches, digital eye fatigue, and Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
Traditional approaches such as blue-light filters, dark mode and brightness control treat the symptoms, not the cause. The fundamental challenge is that standard LCDs emit light directly into the eyes. Paper-like displays, especially those that eliminate blue light entirely in reflective mode, invert the experience, so that rather than pushing light at users, they use existing light within the environment. This represents a categorical shift in digital ergonomics.
A differentiator for IT B2B: sustainability that employees can feel
Sustainability in IT is often invisible. Users don’t feel a greener network switch or a more efficient server deployment. But they do feel a display that’s kinder to their eyes, more comfortable in bright environments, and easier to use for long sessions. Paper-like hybrid displays connect ESG strategy with tangible daily experience.
For businesses, including healthcare, education, coding-intensive environments, and high-screen-time workforces, that connection is powerful. It strengthens employer brand, reduces fatigue-induced errors, and supports digitally dependent employees with a technology built around human physiology rather than against it.
A new display category for a new era
Advancements in appear-like panel technology signal the beginning of a structural shift in the display market. As TLCD and reflective-hybrid technology mature, procurement criteria will change from brightness to ambient light utilisation, from wattage to energy-per-hour-of-use under real lighting conditions, from blue-light filtering to blue-light elimination, from static e-paper use cases to full multimedia capability.
This is the inflection point where paper-like becomes a practical alternative to traditional LCD.
As IT leaders face pressure to reduce emissions, extend device life cycles, and improve employee well-being, the new paper-like displays offer a way to make meaningful progress on all fronts.

 

Synaxon and Acer partner to support SMB and education resellers

Synaxon UK has entered into a new partnership with Acer aimed at strengthening support for resellers operating in the SMB and education sectors. The agreement adds Acer to Synaxon UK’s vendor portfolio and is intended to broaden the options available to partners seeking growth in these key markets.
According to Synaxon UK Managing Director Mike Barron, the collaboration will focus on helping resellers identify and compete for new business opportunities. He said Acer’s addition provides partners with further choice backed by Synaxon’s established account management and support services.
Acer’s Senior Distribution Account Manager, Shammi Mistry, noted that the companies share similar target markets and said the partnership is expected to help more UK partners engage with Acer’s product range.
As part of the agreement, Synaxon will provide access to Acer promotions, including the Acer STEM Rewards Programme, which offers schools a £10 reward for each eligible Chromebook or Windows device purchased.

 

Commvault names Smith as partner lead for North Europe

Commvault has appointed Dale Smith as Senior Director of Channel Sales for North Europe, adding another senior hire to its expanding regional leadership team. Smith’s arrival follows the recent appointments of Martin Gittins as Area Vice President and Mark Molyneux as Field CTO.
Smith will oversee channel strategy and partner ecosystem development across the UK, Ireland, Benelux and the Nordics. His remit includes strengthening alliances and supporting partners as they address growing customer demand for cyber‑resilience capabilities.
He joins Commvault after more than a decade in senior channel roles. At Juniper Networks, Smith served as UK&I Channel Director before becoming Senior Channel Director for EMEA in 2022. His earlier career includes leadership positions at Exclusive Networks and Arrow ECS.
Speaking about his appointment, Smith said he aims to support partners as they help organisations maintain business continuity amid rising cyber threats. Jamie Farrelly, EMEA VP Channel Sales at Commvault, said Smith’s experience comes at a significant moment for the company, following the recent launch of its Commvault Cloud Unity platform.
The platform was unveiled in November at SHIFT, Commvault’s annual end‑user conference in New York. The company will continue its event series with the SHIFT Roadshow in London on 25 February at The Pelligon, Canary Wharf, where Smith is scheduled to appear alongside regional and global executives.

 

Cisco launches Cisco 360 partner programme

Cisco has introduced the Cisco 360 partner programme, a major update to its global partner framework developed over more than a year of work with partners. The company says the new structure is intended to reflect how customer needs are shifting as organisations move deeper into AI adoption, and to give partners clearer ways to demonstrate capability across areas such as AI‑ready data centres, workplace modernisation and digital resilience.
The programme brings together several strands of Cisco’s previous partner initiatives and places greater emphasis on recognising the expertise partners contribute throughout the customer lifecycle. It also introduces a new Partner Locator tool that allows customers to search for partners across Cisco’s core portfolios, including security, networking, collaboration, services, Splunk and cloud and AI infrastructure.
Tim Coogan, Cisco’s Senior Vice President of Global Partner Sales, said the redesign strengthens the company’s long‑standing ecosystem model and supports customers navigating rapid technological change. Partners involved in the co‑design process echoed that view, noting that the new structure places more weight on demonstrated capability and the value delivered to customers.
Cisco’s recent AI Readiness Index suggests that organisations with strong AI foundations are better positioned to compete, and the company argues that partners play a central role in building those foundations. The new programme is intended to reflect that reality by aligning incentives, measurement frameworks and partner development resources with the skills required to support AI‑driven transformation.
At launch, Cisco is introducing updated incentives, expanded measurement indexes and new development funds intended to support different partner types, including developers, advisors, mass‑scale infrastructure specialists and distributors. The company has also updated its AI Assistant within the Partner Experience Platform to streamline partner workflows.
Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, who leads Cisco’s partner programme organisation, said the redesign is meant to make the value of Cisco’s ecosystem clearer to the market and to give partners a structure that supports long‑term growth. Early reactions from partners and analysts suggest the programme’s emphasis on clarity, capability and lifecycle value has been well received. Several partners involved in early testing said the new tools have already helped with planning and customer engagement, while analyst Anurag Agrawal described the programme as a shift toward a more outcome‑focused, AI‑ready partner model.

 

Northamber names Darren Spence Group Managing Director

Northamber plc has appointed Darren Spence as Group Managing Director as it enters a new phase of organisational change and operational development.
Spence joins the business with more than 27 years of experience in the IT channel, including senior roles across reseller services, emerging technologies and distribution consultancy. His previous positions include Chief Revenue Officer at Smartbox.ai, Managing Director of Bytes Document Solutions, and founder and Managing Director of Boost Technology Group. He has also supported a range of channel organisations on sales and go‑to‑market transformation projects.
Northamber, one of the UK’s longest-established IT distributors, said the appointment reflects its focus on modernising its operations and deepening engagement with partners. Executive Chairman Alex Phillips said the company has “strengthened the executive leadership of the Group to support the next phase of Northamber’s growth,” adding that Spence brings “operational focus, commercial discipline and leadership capability” across its core areas, including AV, unified communications, cyber security and network infrastructure.
Spence described the role as an opportunity to help demonstrate the value distribution can deliver to the channel, noting his intention to develop Northamber as both a strong employer and a partner of choice for resellers.
Northamber non-executive director and strategic advisor Ian Kilpatrick welcomed the appointment, citing Spence’s experience and reputation as assets as the company looks to expand its presence in the UK and internationally.

 

TP-Link names Vineer distribution channel director

TP-Link has promoted Kieran Vineer to Distribution Channel Director for the UK and Ireland, expanding his remit to cover both the company’s networking and surveillance portfolios.
Vineer, who has spent nearly two decades in channel-focused roles with major UK distributors, has been with TP-Link for more than ten years. During that time, he has been closely involved in developing the company’s distribution strategy across the region and supporting the growth of its Omada business networking line.
His new responsibilities bring TP-Link’s VIGI surveillance solutions under the same distribution leadership, a move intended to create tighter alignment between distribution partners, resellers and installers. The company says the integrated structure is designed to support a more consistent route to market for its business technologies.
Speaking on the appointment, Vineer said he welcomed the opportunity to build on recent momentum in the UK and Ireland. “With expanded responsibilities for surveillance across our VIGI and Omada solutions, I’m excited to continue the strong momentum built in the market, working even closer with our incredibly talented team and deepening relationships with partners.”
Ben Allcock, Vice President – B2B, UK&I, highlighted Vineer’s long-standing experience in channel operations and customer development, noting that his background would support TP-Link’s efforts to strengthen its position across both networking and surveillance categories.
In the months ahead, Vineer plans to focus on operational consistency, partner collaboration and ongoing process improvement as TP-Link continues to scale its business in the region.

 

Extreme Networks launches streamlined partner-first framework

Extreme Networks has introduced a new global partner programme, Extreme Partner First, aimed at reducing the administrative complexity often associated with traditional channel frameworks. The programme, effective January 2026, standardises deal registration, pricing transparency, and rebate structures across regions, while incorporating AI-driven tools intended to speed up sales cycles and improve operational consistency for partners.
According to Extreme, the initiative consolidates previously disparate processes into a single global model. This includes one SKU‑ and volume‑based rebate structure, a unified approach to deal registration, and clearer rules around partner protection. The company has also set a 48‑hour target for Service Level Agreement approvals to support faster deal progression, particularly for partners managing international opportunities.
The programme introduces a modernised deal registration system designed to provide consistent criteria and enforce ownership from initial submission through closure. Additional features include role‑based dashboards, automated workflows for opportunity submissions and approvals, and real‑time visibility into deal status and rewards.
AI also plays a central role. A new Partner AI Sales Assistant provides rapid access to product information, case studies, and pricing materials, supporting partners who need to respond quickly to customer requirements.
Training and certification updates accompany the programme launch, with new combined installation and troubleshooting credentials focused on AI‑ready network deployments and use cases within Extreme’s platform portfolio.
Richard Simmons, Director of Network Solutions at Logicalis, said the changes reflect “a more transparent, predictable, and collaborative experience” for partners seeking long‑term alignment with vendors.
Joe Spencer, Senior Vice President of Global Channels and Strategic Initiatives at Extreme Networks, said the programme is intended to remove friction at a time when partners are navigating rapid technology shifts and rising customer expectations. He noted that the unified model and automation capabilities are designed to provide greater clarity and operational efficiency across the partner lifecycle.

 

TD Synnex Maverick partners Barco

TD Synnex Maverick has been appointed as a distributor for Barco’s full portfolio of meeting room solutions in the UK and Ireland, expanding the specialist AV and collaboration business’s offering to partners across the region.
The agreement makes the complete Barco ClickShare range, including the newly launched ClickShare Hub for Microsoft Teams Meeting Rooms, available immediately through TD Synnex Maverick. Partners gain access to Maverick’s specialist expertise in collaboration and audio-visual technologies, alongside TD Synnex’s value-added services, stock availability, and flexible financial programmes. The appointment also strengthens the long-standing relationship between the two companies across Europe.
Mark Glasspool, senior director, UK and Ireland, TD Synnex Maverick, described the addition as a strategic enhancement to the portfolio. “Barco is another significant strategic addition to the TD Synnex Maverick portfolio and one that extends our presence in the market for BYOD meeting rooms and enhances our range of collaboration solutions. We’ll be working closely with the Barco team to reach out to the B2B community and maximise the opportunities for all partners with the full ClickShare range, and in particular working to raise awareness of the huge potential for the ClickShare Hub solution for room-based conferencing,” he said.
Anthony Wright, sales director, UK and Ireland and Nordic Territories at Barco, highlighted the distributor’s established market presence. “TD Synnex Maverick is a well-established player in the collaboration and audio-visual markets and is ideally placed to help Barco reach further into the partner community and fulfil the huge potential for ClickShare in both the commercial and public sectors,” he commented.

 

Canon EMEA appoints Saak to lead IPSG

Canon EMEA has appointed Peter Saak as Chief of its Integrated Printing & Services Group (IPSG), the business unit formerly known as Digital Printing & Solutions.
Saak brings more than two decades of leadership experience within Canon’s regional organisations. His previous roles include B2B Country Director for Canon Eurasia, Managing Director for Canon Central & Eastern Europe and Canon Austria, and most recently Executive Vice President of the Developing Regions Business Group. In that position, he oversaw growth initiatives and strengthened Canon’s leading market share across B2B print segments in Southeast Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with a focus on customer acquisition and partner channel development.
In his new role, Saak will lead efforts to integrate Canon’s print portfolio with value-added services, aiming to deliver connected, efficient print and document management ecosystems for customers and partners. He will also steer innovation and channel expansion as Canon targets new markets and emerging opportunities.
The appointment follows the transition of Hiro Imamura, former Executive Vice President of Digital Printing & Solutions, who has returned to Canon Inc. headquarters to take up a new role within the Printing Group. Imamura’s five-year tenure saw notable gains in workspace printing technology, solutions adoption and production print growth across EMEA.
Sam Yoshida, President & CEO, Canon Europe, Middle East & Africa, said he is confident Saak will build on that momentum. “Peter’s extensive B2B experience, customer knowledge and strong leadership across many of our EMEA markets will drive the success of our Integrated Printing & Services Group. I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to Hiro for his outstanding contributions and leadership, which have been pivotal in developing our printing business.”
Saak said he is looking forward to shaping the next phase of the group’s evolution. “I am honoured to lead the newly renamed Integrated Printing & Services Group. Our goal is to build on the incredible foundation that exists, continuing to combine our innovative technology with solutions and applications that meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners. I look forward to working with the team to drive future growth and reinforce our position as a market leader.”

 

Hammer University marks 15 years of building tech sales careers

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the technology landscape, concerns around automation and early‑career job security remain widespread. Yet a growing number of technology businesses are countering this narrative by investing directly in people and long‑term skills development. Among the most established examples is Hammer University, the early‑career programme run by UK enterprise technology distributor Hammer Distribution, now entering its 15th year.
The initiative has become a central pillar of Hammer’s commercial growth, with a significant share of its current salesforce made up of programme alumni. Designed specifically to create pathways into technology sales, Hammer University focuses less on academic background and more on developing practical capability through structured learning, hands‑on experience and close mentorship.
Participants gain exposure to fast‑moving technology markets, including AI, high‑performance computing, cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure. In these environments, sales professionals increasingly act as trusted advisors, helping customers navigate complex solutions, understand emerging technologies and apply them to real business challenges.
Mentorship remains the defining feature of the programme. Candidates work alongside experienced sales and technical specialists who guide them through the realities of the industry, supporting the development of commercial awareness, communication skills and long‑term career direction. Hammer credits this people‑first approach with helping it build a sustainable talent pipeline that has evolved in step with customer needs and rapid technological change.
At a time when public debate around technology employment often centres on risk and disruption, Hammer University offers a contrasting perspective: that innovation can also expand opportunity. As AI adoption accelerates, demand is rising for skilled sales professionals capable of translating advanced technologies into meaningful outcomes for end users.
Applications for the next intake are now closing. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an assessment day at Hammer’s head office on 27 January, marking the next step toward a career in enterprise technology sales.