Dell announced their new Partner Direct structure in May 2011, which saw all top level Dell Certified partners reclassified to either Preferred or Premier Partners based on training, accreditations and revenue, with only a handful of the larger partners making it to the highest premier tier.

To achieve Premier status partners must hold specialist certifications on at least two of Dell’s four technology tracks (servers, storage, networking and security, and systems management). In addition to the accreditations, partners are also required to reach a revenue target, which is substantially higher than Preferred partners.

Following an exceptional growth period in 2011, along with further investment in Dell training; Krome, who were previously classified as a Preferred partner with Enterprise Architecture certifications, has now been confirmed as one of only 20 UK Premier Partners. Krome’s Dell specialisations are for Dell Server and Storage technologies, including the range of Dell Equallogic and Compellent solutions.

“Dell’s Premier Partner tier is reserved for a small number of partners in the UK. These are our partners that have strong Enterprise (Storage, Servers & Networking) capability and have invested significantly in our Partner Direct program. We have a strong relationship with these partners and truly believe that they extend a top class service to their customer base”, said Bill O’Shea, Dell’s UK Commercial Channel Director. “We are delighted that Krome Technologies have joined this elite group as this organisation fits the criteria perfectly and is an important strategic partner for Dell in the UK.”

By accomplishing the Premier partner status Krome will now receive an enhanced level of service and support from Dell, improved deal protection along with a higher level of discount on pricing. Working in partnership with Dell at this level allows Krome to offer its clients a superior level of service, in addition to exceptional pricing and support.

Krome’s Sales Director, Sam Mager commented, “Krome are committed to providing clients with the highest possible quality of service; when Dell announced the changes to their partner program in May, it was important to us to gain the premier status as quickly as possible. By aligning ourselves as a top level premier partner with an organization such as Dell, we are able to guarantee that our clients receive a supreme service, including comprehensive advice on the latest technology advancements, products, pricing and support.”

If you would like further information on how working with Krome and Dell could benefit your organisation please call us on 01932 232345.

Further Information

• About Krome
• Back to Krome News

When infrastructure support issues and unplanned downtime started to affect business productivity, leading Independent Financial Advisors HFM Columbus turned to Krome Technologies to provide them with comprehensive technical support services, and an extensive upgrade of their IT infrastructure.

HFM Columbus provide independent financial advice to clients based internationally and in the UK. With 70 employees based across three UK sites, HFM Columbus operates from headquarters based in Weybridge Surrey, with their private wealth management division currently located in Tunbridge Wells.

Previously, HFM Columbus had relied on one point of contact to help them with their support issues, but as the number of incidents escalated, it became apparent that it was not only their existing support resource that was failing; so too were other aspects of their IT framework.

HFM Columbus realised that they needed to make some positive infrastructure changes; focusing initially on finding an organisation that they could rely on to resolve their existing IT issues, and provide a complete review of their existing infrastructure, with a plan for the future. It was then that HFMC called on the services of Krome Technologies.

Krome provided HFMC with a fresh new direction for their IT support infrastructure, with an immediate short-term strategy that involved upgrading and rebuilding their existing servers and client devices, so that they could be proactively and efficiently maintained, as quickly as possible.

The initial phase was implemented successfully, dramatically reducing the level of reactive support required in the first instance. Krome gradually implemented a number of processes, and through the provision of regular maintenance, service support, and with the continuous improvements made to HFMC’s IT environment, Krome successfully and significantly reduced the hours of unplanned downtime that had previously been experienced on a regular basis.

“We feel that Krome are on our side; they actually feel like partners rather than people we employ; we trust Krome completely. Their positivity, helpfulness, technical expertise, and ultra personal customer service are key for us, Krome genuinely care about our business”. Director, HFM Columbus.

• Read the full case study

In a challenging economic climate, systems integrator and reseller Krome Technologies announces growth of 23% in their second year of trading.

Founded in November 2009, Krome Technologies have continued to build on their strengths; achieving £7.9million Turnover in their second year of independent trading, an increase of 23% year on year. This exceptional year was sealed with a record month of business processed throughout October.

2011 has been a successful year for Krome across the board; with the relocation to new, larger premises at the start of the year, providing 14,000sq foot of office space and warehousing facilities, with scope to develop an onsite customer technology demonstration centre. A number of new employees have also been recruited, extending Krome’s technical, sales and back office departments, with an increase from 30 to 40 employees this year.

Throughout 2011, Krome has succeeded in maintaining their existing client relationships while also securing a number of new clients and project wins, by providing clients with competitive pricing, combined with high service levels, and comprehensive technical expertise.

Krome’s Managing Director, Rupert Mills comments “Krome are committed to providing clients with the highest possible quality of service; in a struggling economic market, organisations are having to be vigilant when investing in new technology and engaging supply partners, our financial growth confirms that we are meeting client demands, and achieving service level expectations.”

As an organisation Krome have historically been known to work closely with leading Vendors such as Dell, HP, VMware and Citrix. Throughout 2011 Krome have formed new reseller partnerships with emerging vendors such as Xsigo Systems, Tintri and Veeam, further complementing their established portfolio of solutions expertise.

In addition to its Vendor relationships, Krome has also recognised the need to build a good reputation with channel distribution partners; by ensuring that senior financial communication lines are open, and that payment terms are adhered to, which has resulted in the financial support that is required from the channel in order to sustain growth.

Keith Payne, Senior Credit Analyst at Westcoast comments ‘Westcoast is proud to have supported Krome from day one. The level of close communication and professionalism has provided us with the confidence to increase credit facilities when required and accordingly this has contributed towards Krome’s successful growth.’

As 2011 closes on a high, focus has already changed to further expansion and continued growth for 2012.
“As a relatively young organisation, in a tough market, we seemed to give ourselves fairly ambitious targets, but as we continue to achieve and exceed our goals, we are positive that 2012 will be another exciting year for Krome,” concludes Mills.

Further Information

• About Krome
• Back to Krome News

Enhance your Virtual Data Centre with I/O Virtualisation, VM aware Storage and Agentless Cloud Backup.

Legacy networking, storage and backup solutions were not designed for the new virtual era, join us at this not to be missed event where we will be showcasing some of latest revolutionary solutions, designed and optimised specifically to accelerate and simplify the dynamic virtual datacentre.

Join us onboard the HMS President at Victoria Embankment on the 6th October and learn how the latest solutions from Xsigo, Tintri and Asigra can boost data centre efficiency whilst improving responsiveness to growing business pressures.

Enhance your Virtual Data Centre with Next Generation Dell EqualLogic Storage, VMWare VSphere5 and Veeam Backup and Replication 6.

Learn how next Generation Dell EqualLogic storage with VMware VSphere5 Integration and Veeam Intelligent Backup and Replication can boost data centre efficiency whilst improving responsiveness to growing business pressures.

Dell have recently announced a new range of EqualLogic storage solutions along with an updated version of firmware (5.1) that will help customers address the data management requirements of increasingly dynamic, virtualised data centres. Dell has also released details of new integration across its storage portfolio with the forthcoming VMware vSphere5 virtualisation and cloud infrastructure platform.

Over the years Dell, VMware & more recently Veeam have forged strong collaborative partnerships, designing and developing their solutions with complete solution integration in mind; working together they are now able to deliver highly virtualised data centres and storage solutions that meet combined customer requirements.

Join us onboard the HMS President at Victoria Embankment on the 6th October and find out the latest product developments from Dell including new EqualLogic Product Lines, Firmware Updates and VMware Vsphere5 features, along with a look at the latest version of Veeam Backup & Replication V6.

Nescot, Epsom’s college of higher and further education, has truly embraced technology. From its interactive whiteboards, to its virtual learning environments; this state-of-the-art college has a technical specification well worthy of its Technology Exemplar status, as awarded by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency in 2009. Nowhere is this commitment more evident than in the Preparation for Life and Work department, where innovative AMX technology is helping young people with learning difficulties and disabilities achieve their full potential.

The North East Surrey College Of Technology (NESCOT) is a large further education and higher education college in Epsom, Surrey, which attracts students from the local community, nationally and overseas.

Working with 16 – 19 year old students who have mild to moderate learning difficulties, as well as adults who have more severe disabilities, Nescot’s Preparation for Life and Work department helps students acquire invaluable life skills through the acquisition of accredited qualifications in subjects such as catering and cookery.

In 2010, following a successful bid for funding from the South East Action for Inclusion project, the department was able to further enhance its resources through the integration of AMX technology. Installed in the college’s teaching kitchens by AMX accredited partner, Krome Technologies Ltd, this innovative solution allows for the recording and playback of practical cookery demonstrations.

A central workstation, complete with a dome camera, records the lesson whilst simultaneously relaying the demonstration onto a large screen at the front of the classroom for collective benefit. Individuals can then retire to any one of five playback workstations where they can repeat the practical, replaying the demonstration or any previously archived content on their PCs, as and when they need further instruction.

“The benefits of this system are far reaching.” Explains Lynn Reddick, Head of Preparation for Life and Work, Nescot College. “The technology provides access for all students, including those who may have previously found it difficult to stand and observe a live demonstration at the front of the class. The AMX equipment allows us to provide access for all and empowers students to select and play the parts of the demonstration they need to recap. The potential for the equipment to become an invaluable tool for learning is immense.”

• Read the full case study

The Fight Night event, now in its fourth year raised a total of £41,050 for charity at its last event in 2010. The final figures for the 2011 event are still being calculated, but it is estimated to a similar figure.

Each year industry professionals, with no boxing experience, are invited to apply for a place, following a fitness evaluation, 18 contenders are chosen to participate, each fighting for their own individual charities.

Krome Sales Director Sam Mager choose to pledge his support to The White Lodge Centre who are a local charity to Krome that do fantastic work with disabled adults, children and their families in the community.

The event was held at prestigious London venue, The Brewery, Chiswell Street. With over 450 industry professionals in attendance poised and ready to watch the evening’s entertainment. The black tie event included 9 bouts of boxing along with several charity auctions taking place in between fights. The brave fighters taking part were from a range of channel vendors distributors and reseller partners and included channel names from the likes of HP, IBM, McAfee, Westcoast, Comstor and more.

Sam’s fight was the very last bout of the evening, and was definitely worth the wait, each fight comprised of just 3 rounds and Sam was announced the winner, having been awarded all 3 rounds by the judges.

Mager comments “I was delighted to be chosen to take part in the event, the training was intense but it certainly paid off. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and am proud to have been announced the winner at the end of my fight, all of the fighters worked incredibly hard and considering none of us had stepped foot in a boxing ring before, the whole team gave an impressive performance.”

The proceeds made from the night, a figure estimated to be around £20,000, are to split between the 18 fighters nominated charities. Additionally each fighter raised money through their own individual sponsorship, with Sam raising £1,136.25 through online donations.

A final figure has not yet been released as to the total made but we are pleased to know that with Sam’s sponsorship and the events contributions we are looking forward to making a donation of approximately £2,500 to The White Lodge Centre in Chertsey.

Further information

• The White Lodge Centre
• CRN Official Fight Night Review

Addlestone Surrey – Expert IT consultancy and technology integrator Krome Technologies announces a new partnership with leading storage solution vendor Pillar Data Systems.

To further expand Krome’s portfolio of storage solutions and the expertise offered to its growing client base, Krome have forged a new reseller partnership with Pillar Data Systems, this strategic partnership will enable Krome to sell and support Pillars award winning Axiom storage solutions.

Pillar Data Systems delivers some of the most cost-effective, highly available networked storage solutions on the market. The Pillar Axiom Storage System seamlessly unites SAN and NAS environments, enabling multiple tiers of storage on a single platform, reducing the cost and complexity typically associated with deploying traditional storage systems.

“Organisations are facing ongoing challenges around deploying applications quickly and cost effectively, while meeting performance SLAs and managing their data,” explains Rupert Mills, CTO for Krome Technologies. “We feel that Pillar’s ability to blend both SAN and NAS solutions on their Axiom platform gives some great benefits to organisations looking for a unified solution. This combined with their patented Quality of Service technology gives users the ability to prioritise application data requests based on application priority. This is vital in today’s highly virtualised IT environments and for public, private or hybrid cloud infrastructures, where the SLA is king. Pillar’s 80% utilisation and performance guarantee also enables us to give clients complete confidence in the solutions we implement, while driving down costs.”

Pillar Axiom, who were recently voted ‘Best Cloud Storage Solution for 2011’ at the 3rd Annual Cloud Computing world forum, are delighted to enlist new channel partner Krome Technologies to promote their award winning solutions to an even broader audience.

Jonathan Hebbes Regional Director for NEMEA at Pillar comments: “Krome has shown a phenomenal growth over the past two years which has really impressed us; they have an excellent technical understanding of the storage challenges clients face and value the benefit that Pillar Data Systems can bring to their portfolio. We expect that its strong pipeline of customers and broad selection of services will help to cement a long and prosperous partnership with us.”

About Krome Technologies
Krome provide technologies, services and solutions that work for you now and evolve with your business in the future. From infrastructure design, technical system support, project management to full lifecycle fulfillment services, Krome offer complete technology solutions. Krome consultants have a wealth of experience in solution design and deployment, and have the confidence in technology required to deliver integrated solutions that meet your business demands, however challenging.

Further Information

• Find out more about Pillar Data Solutions
• Back to Krome News

With a recent building expansion completed, The Westgate Secondary School required an upgraded infrastructure, modernising the schools technology environment and enhancing the facilities further. Technology integrator Krome Technologies supplied and installed a range of new equipment including a storage & backup solution, virtualised server estate using VMware, desktop PCs, digital signage & SMART boards.

The Westgate School, based in Slough provides secondary and sixth form education to around 930 full time students, ranging in age from 11-19 years old.

The school, originally founded in 1958, has recently expanded its facilities with a modern two storey technology building, providing students with additional workshops, classrooms and new ICT suites, along with a business area on the first floor.

The primary objective for the technology refresh was to implement a server & storage infrastructure that is capable of supporting the schools expansion, whilst having the ability to scale further in the future. With limited internal IT resource Green wanted a low cost, yet high performing solution that required minimal management moving forward.

Krome implemented a consolidated virtualised server environment for Westgate School, replacing its 6 old servers with 2 new Dell servers, running VMware vSphere 4.0.

This new virtual environment now runs all of the schools critical applications including SIMS school management software, Equitrac print solution, cashless catering system, remote access facilities and Microsoft Exchange 2010, fully implemented by Krome as part of the project.

In combination with the virtualised server estate, Krome installed and configured two replicating Dell EqualLogic PS Series iSCSI Storage arrays. The Dell ISCSI SAN’s provide simple, rapid integration with the schools IP network, and offer simple all inclusive built in functionality, simplifying the management and maximising availability.

As part of the overall project, Krome also installed 182 new Dell Desktop PCs and screens, 8 AMX Digital signage screens and 9 SMART boards. The Krome consultants also configured Microsoft Windows 2008R2, installed Microsoft Exchange 2010, installed and configured Symantec Backup Exec, and migrated all of the schools existing data over to the new system. In addition to the above equipment, Krome also implemented a new HP Switch backbone for the network and a new UPS solution.

• Read the full case study
]]> http://www.krome.co.uk/news-events/technology-refresh-for-westgate-school/feed/ 0 http://www.krome.co.uk/news-events/sam-mager-confirmed-for-crn-fight-night/ http://www.krome.co.uk/news-events/sam-mager-confirmed-for-crn-fight-night/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:06:04 +0000 dmager http://www.krome-tech.co.uk/?p=2852

CRN Fight night is a ‘White-collar’ charity boxing match due to take place at The Brewery London on the 26th May 2011. CRN Fight Night was launched in May 2008, and proved to be a huge success with £25,652 being raised for a host of worthy charities. This success improved with the 2009 event where 18 contenders managed to raise £41,050 for charity.

Each year industry professionals, with no previous boxing experience, are invited to apply for a place, following a fitness evaluation, 18 contenders are chosen to participate.

This year, our Sales Director, Sam “Muhammed, I’m Hard, Bruce Lee” Mager has been chosen to take part, and will be fighting Business Development Manager at Comstor, also known as Derek “The Dynamite” Wilson.

• See the full list of Contenders

When asked why Sam decided to participate in this years event, Sam responded “It’s a great opportunity for Krome to help a local charity, whilst giving the team a good laugh at my expense along the way.”

On the night, there will be a 3-course black tie dinner, an auction and other exciting ways to raise extra money.  All profits raised from CRN Fight Night 2011 will be equally divided between the contenders’ nominated charities.

Chosen Charity – The White Lodge Centre

Sam has chosen to pledge his support to The White Lodge Centre, based in Chertsey, Surrey. Sam explains “The White Lodge are a local charity to Krome, they offer services and support to disabled children, adults and their families and I would like to do what I can to put something back in to a worthwhile charity that gives so much to the people it helps.”

If you would like to help Sam raise even more money for the White Lodge Centre by sponsoring him, you can do so by Donating online.

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