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In This issue: 

News: UK SMEs lead the way in security investment

Partner Programmes:  This month’s new vendor partner programmes

Distributor News:  Pax8 acquires Bam Boom Cloud

Working Together: A round-up of the month’s new distribution agreements

Reseller News:  FluidOne targets SMEs with Highlander acquisition

Distribution: Ingram Micro making life easier for partners with Xvantage launch

Cybersecurity: New research tool for cybersecurity sales teams

Q&A: We talk to Colin Blumenthal, MD of Sharp IT Services, about the challenges of diversification

I couldn’t do my job without… Node4’s Hannah Birch on the five things she relies on during her working day

Technology Reseller Awards: Vote now for the Distributor Award categories

View from the Channel: With Justin Harling, CEO of CAE Technology Services

ESG: Microsoft Tech for Social Impact: what’s in it for resellers?

Managed Networks EvolveODM to reinvigorate reseller network in new growth drive

60 seconds with… Dominic Ryles of Exertis Enterprise

My Life in IT: Erik Nicolai, Founder of Workspace 365, on his career in IT

People: New faces, new places

Comment

Welcome to the March issue of Technology Reseller. As ever, there’s a rich mix of news and features, all generated in-house without the assistance of ChatGPT (as far as I know).

News of Microsoft’s expanding relationship with OpenAI, developer of the ChatGPT chatbot, had everyone reaching for superlatives. Rodrigo Liang, co-founder and CEO of SambaNova Systems, described AI as “the fastest industrial revolution in history” – scary but probably true – before softening the blow by adding “the current developments in AI are going to be
as impactful as the GUI in the 1980s and the internet in the 1990s”. Which I interpret as transformative but beneficial.

Somehow, the AI revolution feels more disruptive than that, more worthy of the reaction of David Carvalho, Co-Founder & CEO of Naoris Protocol, who wrote: “How Chat GPT crashed into the market can be compared to Superman’s arrival on planet Earth from Krypton. We had no clue of his existence before he arrived; we were not sure how his powers would impact the world as he grew up, and we were not sure how dark forces (Kryponite) could affect the outcome of his behaviour. It would be presumptuous, if not arrogant to suggest that anyone really knows how this is all going to play out. The only thing we know for sure is that some aspects of the way the world functions will change irrevocably”.

I have a lot of sympathy with this viewpoint (as much as my Superman knowledge allows), except that I think we do know how this is going to play out, because we’ve seen with social media what a powerful tool technology is for bad actors – and how willing people are to collude with those who would harm them (including some politicians). In the age of AI who is going to protect truth, but more fundamentally does anyone really care?

That’s a concern, but at the same time who isn’t hugely excited to see where this technology will take us? AI and machine learning was already a big thing – just look at Ingram Micro’s Xvantage platform (see page 18) – but news of Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI has clearly accelerated companies’ plans in this area. And not just Google’s. In the MSP space, ConnectWise is bringing forward plans to add AI into its Asio platform and is soon to integrate its RMM tools with ChatGPT. It will not be alone. I am looking forward to writing about this and other developments over the coming months, that is before ChatGPT takes over.

James Goulding – Editor, Jamesg@binfo.co.uk

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