eSP - IT Solution Providers in Europe

IBM announces all non-mainframe storage array offerings-- be it entry-level, mid-range or high-end-- now fall under the FlashSystem product line, reducing complexity and helping customers better control costs.

The FlashSystem line aims to address the storage requirements of organisations ranging from startups to large-scale enterprises. Nearly all products are based on NVMe flash, with only the lowest-end entry-level arrays using SAS-connected flash, and all run on Spectrum Virtualise. The platform features storage virtualisation capability the company claims can pool storage from over 500 products from other vendors, with the same software, API and management covering on-premises to hybrid multicloud deployments spanning bare metal, virtualised container and hybrid cloud environments.

According to IDC, global IT spending is set to grow by 5% in 2020, as software and services investment remains stable while 5G drives smartphone sales growth-- but the uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus outbreak affects growth, at least in the short term.

As such, the analyst updates forecasts to show ICT spending, including IT spending in addition to telecom services (1%) and new technologies such as IoT and robotics (+16%) will increase by 6% in 2020 to $5.2 trillion.

However, excluding smartphones, IT spending growth will drop from 7% in 2019 to 4% in 2020. Software growth is to decelerate slightly to less than 9%, while services growth will dip from 4% to 3%, but most of the slowdown comes from a PC market at the end of the recent buying cycle. As a result, 2020 PC sales are set to fall by -6%, down from the 7% growth seen in 2019.

The European Ingram Micro service offering gets an enhancement with the acquisition of Ictivity, the Dutch provider of services including consulting, implementation and managed services.

Based in the Netherlands with offices in Eindhoven and Vianen, Ictivity will continue operating independent, if as an Ingram Micro company. Ictivity management and employees should remain in place, with managing director Wilbert van Beek reporting to Ingram Micro VP Eric Segers.

Global worries involving the coronavirus-- aka Covid 19-- not to mention travel concerns and "other circumstances" lead to the cancellation of MWC 2020, the largest mobile trade show in the world.

Originally taking place on 24-27 February 2020, the show attracts over 100000 attendees from 200 countries to Barcelona. Previously the organisers sent a lengthy coronavirus-related email to registered attendees stating it was going to ban travelers from China's Hubei province. It also had plans for temperature screenings, while visitors who have been in China would have to demonstrate proof they have been outside of China for 14 days.