BRIGANTIA  OPINION


Indies: The fourth emergency service


Iain Shaw reviews 2010 and looks ahead to the coming year with the impending launch of Google Chrome OS...


“There should be lots of opportunities for selling, repairing and showing people how to use new


applications and technologies in 2011.”


I AM SURE everyone reading this column will agree that 2010 was even more trying than 2009. We were sad to see some long standing members fail as a result of the tough economic trading conditions but we were also glad to welcome many new members and associates. The year has seen the merger of the


TCA and CompTIA and the fading away of other smaller trade bodies. NBG has rebranded and Integra has launched a new website. At Brigantia we have strengthened the Computer Expert brand and the Brigantia Forum continues to be a centre for discussion and debate amongst members and allows us to develop new schemes and ideas. More generally, Google has laid


down the gauntlet to Microsoft with the launch of its new operating system. Chrome OS is a direct challenge to Windows in the battle for the future of personal computing. Chrome OS turns on instantly and


allows users to be online within sixty seconds. It will bring users a step closer to being able to store all data online rather than on a local hard drive and will bring the cloud much more easily within the reach of everyone who is connected. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said he believes the cloud will redefine computing as we know it. It is reported that Acer and Samsung will bring the first mainstream computers running Chrome OS to market in 2011 and other manufacturers will follow suit. I expect the launch of the new operating system to intensify the rivalry between Google and Microsoft next year, and if Google’s success with Android in the


80 PCR January


mobile phone market is anything to go by, things should be quite interesting. That said, Microsoft currently has 90 per cent of the operating system market worldwide for PCs and has already sold 175 million copies of Windows 7. Both companies know how important indies are for eulogising about products so hopefully we will see plenty of support for the channel in 2011. As ever there should be lots of opportunities for selling, repairing and showing people how to use new applications and technologies. My call for the coming year is that we will see fast growth in the sale of mobile devices that can easily connect to the internet, allowing ever greater access to new cloud-based applications. I believe independent retailers must concentrate on further building their repairs business and in developing remote support and other SaaS offerings. At Brigantia we are increasingly utilising the cloud, and 2011 sees us introducing a new SIP server and VOIP system that will allow us to add more remote telephone account managers as we seek to build up our central purchasing system and to grow our membership base. We will continue to


introduce our members to vendors and service providers that will offer the best margins and ongoing recurrent revenue streams. We firmly believe that the local computer expert will become ever more the fourth emergency service!


www.pcr-online.biz


CONTACT IAIN SHAW  pcr@brigantia.com  0871 703 4280  www.brigantia.com


Iain invites opinions from PCR readers and will respond though this column


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