CompTIA’s UK Channel Community (UKCC) came together in Liverpool on 20 to 21 June with one goal in mind – to address the mysterious and unknown, and build the channel of the future. As a setting, Liverpool offered great inspiration for our work. Home to the Mersey Beat and the Cavern Club, the birthplace of the Beatles, Liverpool has a rich history of innovation and breaking boundaries. In recent years, the industrial Albert Docks have been transformed from an industrial bygone era of shipbuilding and ocean-going trade into a desirable city-center full of shops, museums and attractions. Effortlessly mixing the old with the new, this 800-year-old city’s longevity and ability to keep reinventing itself is a great example of both the need to innovate and the benefits for those brave enough to take a risk to do so.
The opening keynote by Paul Birkett of Samsung set the stage for the day on the opportunities surrounding IoT. Like Liverpool itself, the inspiration to innovate sometimes comes from unlikely places. Birkett walked us through a case study of a print reseller that implemented a comprehensive, cutting-edge solution for a university that integrated workflows, cloud applications, diverse data sources and a myriad of sensors in printers to deliver solutions that meet the diverse needs of students and faculty alike. As a result, this reseller saw his business value sore, offering far more than just reselling OEM products but innovative business solutions delivering real value.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) deadline of May 25, 2018 also occupied much of the communities’ thinking. Helena Wooton of Browne Jacobson and Gary Hibberd of Agenci walked members through the implications of GDPR, the single biggest change to data protection in a generation. While some of the implications of its implementation are unknown, the time for thinking about GDPR is over. Planning and action is required now in order to be compliant and avoid large potential fines. Innovation and progress takes effort. With this in mind, the UKCC is rallying its members to complete Cyber Essentials as part of its CyberChallenge initiative. In addition to the many members who have already completed Cyber Essentials, UKCC aims to have 100-plus additional members complete the program this year. Completion of Cyber Essentials will go a long way to preparing businesses to be compliant with GDPR.
In a follow-up workshop, Wooton and Hibberd along with Richard Nicholas, also of Browne Jacobson, fielded a myriad of questions helping members wrap their arms around this important subject. Not only is it essential that MSPs understand GDPR and its implications for their business, they also need to be able to help their customers navigate this new data protection landscape. CompTIA will be working closely with its members and experts over the next few months to equip the channel with all it needs to be successful. One thing is certain, the channel and tech industry will need to lead the charge in this new world.
The day was capped off by cybersecurity expert Ian Trump of ZoneFox walking members through the current threat landscape, and tools and resources available to stay current and secure their customers’ businesses. While it is a scary time for cybersecurity, there is clear guidance on what to do in the form of Cyber Essentials, UKCC’s CyberChallenge and CompTIA’s Cybersecure (an end-user cybersecurity training program). Taking things a step further, Ian Trump walked through security credentials such as CompTIA’s Security+, CSA+ and CASP, and industry initiatives like CyberPatriot and Cyber Titan. Securing the channel of the future is vital to our collective success.
In addition to keynotes, the day was peppered with forward looking workshops and discussions aimed at helping solutions providers grow their businesses. Successful MSP Paul Tomlinson of Mirus IT Solutions led a session on adding new recurring revenue to your business. Steven Pretlove of CCS IT Solutions lead an open discussion group of MSPs on ways to improve their businesses and address challenges, and Jarmila Yu, a consulting CMO, taught attendees how to maximize their returns on social selling.
Perhaps my favorite part of the day was when Robin Christopherson, head of digital inclusion from AbilityNet, along with TeenTech, our 2017 community charity, spoke about how tech can make a huge difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Christopherson demonstrated the difficulties tech like Captcha makes for blind users, but also how a smart phone with a camera and some cool software can analyze a scene and provide a helpful verbal description to its user. It was a fitting reminder of the seeming magic tech can bring to those who need it most and a great way to wrap up our tour in Liverpool.
The future is now – and all are welcome to join us as we build it. CompTIA’s communities are open to all who participate in the IT channel. Be sure to join us for our next UKCC meeting at EMEACon in October.
