Tag Archives: Small Businesses

Computers

What Microsoft's Earnings Report Means for Small Businesses

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Microsoft unveiled its earnings for Q4 2013 on Friday, and the results left some investors uneasy.  What matters on Wall Street, however, isn’t the same as what matters on Main Street, so small and medium businesses need to analyze the news through a different lens.

Microsoft actually had a decent quarter to cap off a very successful fiscal 2013. Revenue for Q4 was up 10 percent over Q4 2012, and profit was almost $5 billion (USD) compared to a $492 million loss in the same quarter last year. Revenue was also up for the year, and Microsoft profit was nearly 30 percent higher than 2012.

Despite declining PC sales, adoption of Windows 8 is on pace with that of its predecessor. There has been some backlash over the dramatic redesign of Windows 8, and Microsoft’s attempt to convert the OS to a touch-based interface, but most of the major complaints are addressed with the Windows 8.1 update, which will be officially available later this year.

Another silver lining from the Microsoft earnings report is the fact that the Business Division and Server and Tools units both reported solid increases in both revenue and profit over the previous year. Office 365 is a cost-effective way for SMBs to acquire Microsoft Office, along with hosted Exchange and SharePoint, and it has quickly grown into a $1.5 billion source of revenue for Microsoft.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Canon Demonstrates Imaging Solutions for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses at GROWCO 2013 Conferenc

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Canon Demonstrates Imaging Solutions for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses at GROWCO 2013 Conference

MELVILLE, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, will be one of a select group of exhibitors at Inc. Magazine’s GROWCO: Grow Your Company Conference, an annual event aimed at helping businesses continue to grow and develop, on April 10-13, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency, New Orleans. Canon will demonstrate several solutions, including some of its multifunction printers and document scanners that can help increase office efficiency and productivity.

During the three-day event, Canon plans to meet with entrepreneurs and business leaders who want their organization to achieve sizable growth. The conference provides an opportunity for Canon to showcase affordable imaging solutions that feature user-friendly designs and help produce the high-quality output essential for small office/home office professionals to stay competitive in their industries.


Innovative Design, Flexible Capabilities

Quick access to important documents and files is critical to a successful business environment. The wireless1 functionality in the Canon PIXMA MX922 and MX452 Wireless Office All-In-One Printers helps users to easily manage print jobs from virtually anywhere in the home or small office. To help increase productivity and reduce overall printing costs for large-volume jobs, the PIXMA MX922 printer has a 35-page Automatic Duplex Document Feeder while the PIXMA MX452 printer is equipped with a 30-sheet Automatic Document Feeder. The PIXMA MX922 printer also utilizes a high-capacity 250-sheet paper cassette to help limit the disruption of reloading paper. The sleek, compact design can easily fit in most home offices and handle a range of printing jobs, including CD or DVD projects due to the Direct Disc Print capabilities, which removes the need for additional and often times expensive software solutions for printing labels. The PIXMA MX452 printer incorporates the FastFront loading functionality to help employees save valuable time with quick and easy paper and ink cartridge loading without having to open the printer lid.

The Color imageCLASS MF8580Cdw and imageCLASS MF4890dw laser multifunction printers feature wireless1 capabilities and convenient print, copy, fax and scan functionality in a fully networkable device. The Color imageCLASS MF8580Cdw printer features a new seven-line color LCD Display and delivers high-quality color output. Additionally, the MF8580Cdw printer is equipped with Secure Print to help ensure confidential documents end up in the right hands. Users also have the ability to send scanned documents and forward

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

SED International Holdings Appoints Derrek Hallock SVP and GM U.S. Commercial Division

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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SED International Holdings Appoints Derrek Hallock SVP and GM U.S. Commercial Division

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SED International Holdings, Inc. (NYSE MKT: SED), announced today that the Company has appointed Derrek P. Hallock as SVP and GM of the U.S. Commercial Division. The Commercial Division has responsibility to grow SED‘s business among the VAR, MSP and OEM communities. Mr. Hallock will be based in the company’s Atlanta area headquarters and will manage both the client sales and vendor management functions of the Commercial Division.

Last week SED announced that it is focusing its business on three areas: IT storage systems, small business IT solutions and merchandized e-commerce fulfillment. A major focus among these areas is the small business solutions market served by IT VAR‘s and MSP‘s. “Derrek is the ideal candidate to grow SED‘s penetration of the Small Business market in the U.S.,” said Bob O’Malley, President and CEO. “His experiences in supply chain management, VAR sales and Distributor Marketing Services are a perfect fit to our new focused strategy.”

Most recently Mr. Hallock was Tech Data’s Vice President of TDAgency, with direct responsibility for managing a $60 million full service marketing and advertising agency. TDAgency creates channel enabled marketing programs that bridge the demand connection between IT manufacturers and channel client objectives. Prior to TDAgency, Mr. Hallock had responsibility for Tech Data’s SMB VAR Sales managing operations in the U.S., Canada and Costa Rica. He has also held management positions at CompuCom Systems, Dixie Aerospace and American Airlines.

“I am delighted to be joining the SED International team and returning to a leadership role in the Small Business IT marketplace,” said Derrek Hallock. “Small Businesses across the U.S. have the same appetite for technology as large enterprises. With the right support from SED and our channel partners, they have the ability to implement leading IT solutions much faster. SED‘s strategy to leverage cloud services, storage applications and demand for mobile solutions will enable our clients to achieve profitable growth and further penetrate the SMB marketplace.”

ABOUT SED INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.

Founded in 1980, SED International Holdings, Inc. is a multinational, preferred distributor of leading computer technology, consumer electronics, small appliances, housewares, and personal care products. The company also offers custom-tailored supply chain management services ideally suited to meet the priorities and distribution requirements of the e-commerce, Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer markets. Headquartered near Atlanta, Georgia with business operations in California; Florida; Georgia; New Jersey; Texas; Bogota, Colombia and Buenos …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance