Channel catch-up: News in brief

Westcoast

The distributor has been busy in the past few weeks, adding more vendors to the portfolio. A couple of weeks ago, the channel player signed with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, and has followed that with an agreement with Qualcomm Technologies.

As a result, Westcoast will be carrying devices with Snapdragon X Series processors and making them available to the UK channel, arming them with an option to put in front of customers that are looking for faster, more intelligent and energy-efficient PCs.

“With AI computing accelerating and businesses preparing for the Windows 11 transition, this is the perfect time for our partners to explore devices with Snapdragon X Series. These PCs deliver the performance, power and security needed to drive productivity and innovation in today’s workplace, while expanding and complementing our partners’ existing device offerings,” said Westcoast client director Paul Hamilton.

ALSO

The distributor has added to its security options with the availability of products from CYE in all 32 countries the channel player operates in.

CYE specialises in providing managed service providers (MSPs) with tools that enable them to manage customer risk and establish measures to counter threats.

“With the new CYE products, we are expanding our cyber security ecosystem and democratising advanced cyber security solutions. In this way, channel partners can effectively protect organisations of all sizes and justify investments exactly where protection is needed,” said Jan Bogdanovich, managing director of commercial business at ALSO.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to work with ALSO and its extensive ecosystem, especially with regard to new compliance requirements such as NIS2 and DORA,” said Reuven Aronashvili, founder and CEO of CYE. “Together, we help MSPs clearly see what their clients should focus on to improve cyber security, aligned with their specific industry and business needs.”

TD Synnex

The channel player has relaunched its Cisco Momentum partner programme that helps support growth through a framework of tools, programmes and resources.

The relaunch introduces four key areas – security, lifecycle, managed services and SMB – and helps get partners ready for the move to Cisco’s 360 channel programme, which goes live in February 2026.

“With the reimagined partner programme, we are evolving and adapting to empower channel partners, and supporting them in driving growth and achieving their business objectives. We are also complementing partners’ preparations for a smooth transition to Cisco 360. As part of the TD Synnex Momentum community, Cisco partners will be able to call on the expertise and experience of our team and ensure they optimise all the benefits of being a Cisco partner,” said Jon Sawdon, business unit director for Cisco, UK and Ireland, at TD Synnex.

Joachim Mason, managing director of partner sales at Cisco UK and Ireland, said the distributor’s relaunched programme was “much more all-encompassing and inclusive to a broader set of partners”.

Ricoh Europe

The vendor has indicated it is cutting the ribbon on a fresh partner programme, Ricoh Unity, that will cover EMEA and come into effect from the start of next month.

Unity marks the first time the vendor has introduced an EMEA-wide programme that provides benefits, resources and support across a wide partner base.

Partners will be able to gain rewards through acquiring specialisations and certifications, and the vendor is also increasing its support around services to encourage more resellers to increase their activity in that area.

Caroline Bright, chief strategy and commercial officer at Ricoh Europe, stated: “We believe that strong partnerships are the foundation of innovation and growth, and we are committed to providing our Partners with the programmes, tools and support they need to succeed. As part of this, Ricoh Unity will have a bigger focus on rewarding partners and collaborating with them to provide a seamless customer journey whilst also driving business growth and profitability to enable them to thrive in today’s competitive market.”

Iomart

The cloud services player has signalled its intention to rebrand as Adtech in a move that will unify its activities under a single banner.

Adtech was acquired by iomart in October 2024 and came with a strong reputation in the cloud services market and the decision to retain that brand has been described as a move that supports the strategic development of the business.

“This step is not just a branding name change; it is a further step in our transformation. By uniting the strengths of two exceptional cloud brands under one, we are simplifying how we present ourselves to the world and sharpening how we communicate with our stakeholders, all underpinning our growth strategy,” said Lucy Dimes, CEO of iomart Group.