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SQUARE ONE ANNOUNCES DATES FOR TECHNOLOGY EXPOSED 2012

Major technology event returns to Ascot Racecourse
by Bruce Barbour

This year’s Technology Exposed event will take place once again at the prestigious Ascot Racecourse on the 19th and 20th of September. The event will be jointly hosted by Square One Distribution, True Colours Distribution, Invision UK/Express, Owl Visual, Synergix, SIDEV, Midwich, Midwich Security, and MidwichHome, a family of distributors that work together to create solutions in connectivity, security, video conferencing, AIDC, large format displays, projection, digital signage, custom installations, consumer electronics, professional audio and much more.

Serving customers in Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe, the Midwich group of companies has a diverse customer base in markets including education, leisure and hospitality, physical security, retail, logistics, public sector, office and home automation, and corporate. Admission and parking are free and, as usual, there will be no trade pricing on display. Resellers are, therefore, actively encouraged to bring their customers along so that they can see the various technologies in operation and get a better idea of how they can benefit from the solutions on offer.

To register and find out more about Technology Exposed visit www.technology-exposed.com or follow @tech_expo on Twitter.

PROSCREENS AWARD-WINNING VIRTUAL MANNEQUINS AVAILABLE FROM SQUARE ONE

Virtual mannequins enhance customer experience in a range of applications
by Bruce Barbour

Square One Distribution, the Irish trading division of Midwich and a major distributor of AV, consumer electronics, print, digital imaging, and security products, can offer its resellers the latest virtual mannequins from Proscreens Ltd.

Highly commended in the ‘Most InAVative Digital Signage Product’ category at the InAVate awards, two models are available. The Cube and The Dolphin both produce the same stunning effect. That is to say, an image is projected on to a 15mm thick acrylic screen from behind to create a convincing representation of a human being. The major difference with The Dolphin is it features a much smaller cabinet which is hidden behind the mannequin rendering it virtually invisible for a more realistic user experience.

The virtual mannequin is suitable for a range of applications; it can be used to provide information and directions, announce promotions, greet visitors, and even sign to the deaf. It is, therefore, ideal for use in markets such as retail, hospitality, education, and corporate.

According to Proscreens Ltd, users can expect a quick return on investment because of the mannequin’s low running cost, maintenance free operation with three years’ worth of replacement lamps included, no breaks or holidays needed, and increased take up on the messages presented.

Find out more about Proscreens virtual mannequins by calling Square One on 01 274 3070 or visit the website at www.virtualmannequin.co.uk.

Square One Gets Exclusivity on Brother PocketJet Series

Brother’s latest mobile print device is small in size but big in performance
by Bruce Barbour

Square One Distribution, the Irish trading division of Midwich and a major distributor of AV, consumer electronics, print, digital imaging, and security products is proud to announce that Brother has given the distributor exclusivity on the PocketJet range of mobile printers.

Mobile printers are being used by more and more modern businesses as a means of increasing worker productivity and consequently improving customer satisfaction. They are recognised as an important tool in the field worker’s apparatus as they offer freedom and mobility, minimise the need for follow up and communication back to the office, and they enable sales people to close deals on site while the customer’s interest is still high.

The PocketJet 600 is a rugged and durable mobile printing solution producing A4 sized prints at a fast 6ppm and capable of a resolution of up to 300dpi. It is, therefore, perfect for printing documents where more detailed information is required, such as invoices, service reports, and delivery notes. And with a full range of accessories available, PocketJet can be tailored to exactly meet the needs of the user.

A truly mobile solution, it can connect to PDAs, smartphones, tablet PCs and laptops via USB or Bluetooth, and can be mounted in vehicles. Because the PocketJet is a thermal printer, it can be mounted in any orientation without the risk of spilling ink. It also means that the user is spared the inconvenience and added cost of purchasing ink, toner, or ribbons. Another advantage, that users of PocketJet range have found is that thermal printing is ideal for in-vehicle use as it is less susceptible to fluctuating seasonal temperatures and humidity extremes.

The Brother PocketJet 600 has been designed with several vertical markets in mind. Used in field sales, the user can print invoices, quotations, financial plans and contracts without having to communicate back to the office, giving them more time to visit customers. In field service, mobile engineers can increase overall efficiency by issuing invoices, and service reports on the spot. For logistics and delivery businesses, the PocketJet can help busy delivery drivers by quickly printing order sheets, and delivery notes. Also useful in the fields of public safety and emergency services, the PocketJet reduces the potential for clerical error in the production of citations, incident reports, patient reports and warning notices.

Kevin O’Dowd, print and imaging business development manager at Square One commented: ‘We are delighted to get exclusivity on the first truly A4 mobile printer. We are seeing extraordinary growth in our mobile business and the new PocketJet range from Brother completes our mobile solution.’

Call Square One on 01 274 3070 to find out more about the PocketJet range, or visit www.squareone.ie to discover other great products from Square One.

Samsung celebrates its 20th Year in print

General Manager of Samsung Print UK, Dion Smith talks about celebrating 20 Years in Print and what the future holds for Samsung within the ever evolving business arena we work in today.

"At Samsung Electronics, we recently celebrated our 20th Year in Print with business and consumer products. This monumental milestone provided the perfect opportunity to reflect not only on our own progress over the last 20 years, but also the changes within the wider technology industry.

"We commissioned research of over 1,500 UK office workers to find out what technologies they think their offices wouldn’t be able to function without over the next two decades. Printers, along with the Internet and WiFi, computers, email and video conferencing were all voted as office essentials, topping the poll.

"Almost half (45%) of the UK office workers we spoke to believed they would still be using printers over the next 20 years. Samsung will be driving the evolution of printers, with more and more innovative features, and believe they will continue to be at the heart of every business.

"We have seen a considerable change in printers over the past two decades – from original inkjet & laser printers, MFPs and untidy cables to laser printing and WiFi connectivity, enabling our printers to talk intuitively to other office devices. However, one thing has remained the same, and that is the importance and value of printers in the office and home.

"As we move to a more mobile workforce, it’s inevitable that we are seeing a rise in the demand for wireless and mobile printing and we believe that flexible working, cloud printing and wireless mobile printing will be some of the key demands of our customers in the future. Samsung’s latest business devices, include Samsung’s MobilePrint feature and offer network connectivity and WiFi printing capabilities with a simple set up. Users can simply download the “Samsung MobilePrint” application software from the Application store to their mobile device and then print materials anytime, anywhere from their Smartphone, tablet or PC via a Wi-Fi connection.

"Statistics* show that Samsung Print is far ahead of its competitors selling 35% more Colour Laser Products than its nearest competitor and 7% more Mono Laser Products. We’ve packed all our printers with innovative technologies that make them network-friendly, easy to install, environmentally responsible and economical to run. You’ll find Samsung printers are reliable, trouble-free and simplify your printing experience, leaving users to focus entirely on the business. All of this is built from Samsung’s 20 years of knowledge, experience and credibility in manufacturing high quality and award winning laser printing technology."

*IDC Ratings, 2010

Square One to be Exclusive Irish Supplier of Samsung SUR40 (Surface II)

Square One, the Irish distributor of the Midwich group of companies and a major distributor of AV, consumer electronics, print and imaging technology products, has been appointed exclusive supplier of Samsung SUR40 in Ireland.

The Samsung SUR40, also referred to as Surface II is an all-new 40-inch multi-touch table solution that allows digital content to be directly manipulated by touch. It has been jointly developed by Microsoft and Samsung and incorporates a 360° interface. This combined with the software’s ability to process more than fifty touches at a time, means that a number of users can interact with each other simultaneously.

True to its multi-touch and multi-user principle, object recognition is a core feature of SUR40. A major change in this latest version is the adoption of Microsoft Windows 7, making for easy portability to all types of hardware running the same operating system.

The perfect solution for a number of vertical markets including education, healthcare, hospitality, advertising, retail and professional services, SUR40 can be used by resellers to attract new customers, improve brand perception, and increase customer loyalty. Being only 4 inches thick, it can be conveniently mounted vertically as well as used as a horizontal table solution.

Garnett Stewart, general manager at Square One, commented: “We’re thrilled with this opportunity. Our solution driven approach, allied to our group wide relationship with Samsung, will be of great benefit in bringing this to market. We’ve a vast amount of AV and IT experience in our technical solutions division that enables us to successfully engage with our resellers on projects from pre-sales specification right through to implementation.”

Resellers who would like to find out more about Samsung SUR40 can call Square One on 01 274 3070 or email mark.oduffy@squareone.ie.