01732 759725
BULLETIN
4
The Federation Against Software Theft
(FAST) has reconfirmed its commitment to
incentivising Software Asset Management
(SAM) businesses and individual
consultants to whistle blow
on the illegal business use of
software.
This is the first time FAST is
specifically seeking to encourage
members of the SAM practitioner
community to report deliberate infringers who are
thumbing their nose at legal licensing obligations.
Under the terms of the Incentive Payment
Agreement, if a report leads to the successful
conclusion of an illegal software use case, the
whistle blower can claim a payment
calculated as a percentage of the net
damages.
Under the Agreement, a whistle
blower can report illegal software use
to FAST through its dedicated web
site page
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software
BULLETIN
Cyber security breaches cost British
businesses
Research published by Beaming, the business ISP, revealed that more
than half of British businesses fell victim to some form of cybercrime
in 2016. Beaming’s study, which was conducted by researchers at
Opinium, indicates that 2.9 million UK firms suffered cyber security
breaches nationwide last year, at a cost of £29.1 billion.
Computer viruses and phishing attacks were the most common corporate
cyber threats faced by British businesses last year, in both cases impacting
23 per cent of the businesses surveyed. Just under a fifth (18 per cent) of
businesses suffered some form or hack or data breach in 2016.
The risk of cyber security breaches increases with business size. 71 per cent
of organisations with more than 250 employees were victim to some form of
cybercrime last year, compared to less than a third (31 per cent) of enterprises
with fewer than 10 people.
CMA to crack down on cartels
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is targeting illegal
cartels, businesses which cheat their customers by agreeing not to
compete with each other in order to keep their prices high.
The campaign ‘Cracking down on Cartels’ will encourage people who have
witnessed illegal activity to report it, by offering a reward of up to £100,000
as well as promising them anonymity.
Andrea Coscelli, Acting Chief Executive, said: “Cartels are a form of
stealing that cheat ordinary people as well as other businesses by undermining
competition, and we are committed to tackling them wherever we find them.”
CMA research found that, whilst most businesses have a shared ethical
sense that conduct such as price-fixing is unfair or wrong, less than a quarter
said they knew competition law well. This research has led to the creation of
the first advertising campaign run by the CMA specifically designed to stamp
out cartel activity and encourage people to report it to the CMA. Adverts will
appear in people’s social media feeds, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as
on key websites.
ICCE calls on resellers to
be vigilant
Resellers are being warned about the
dangers of buying and selling counterfeit
imaging supplies in a new short video from
ICCE (Imaging Consumables Coalition of
Europe, Middle East & Africa).
With up to $3 billion worth of fake imaging
supplies – including toners, ink cartridges and
ribbons – infiltrating the global supply chain
each year, resellers need to be extra vigilant and
understand the risks of counterfeits.
The newly launched video explains how fake
imaging supply products are not only likely to
be sub-standard but can also damage printers
and potentially expose a reseller’s customers to
dangerous chemicals. Featuring insights from
Interpol and the UK’s Chartered Trading Standards
Institute (CTSI), the video offers advice on how
resellers can help protect their businesses, as
well as useful tips on the identification and
authentication of imaging supplies.
Resellers can report suspicious activities
to ICCE at.
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suspicious-activities/
Printer and MFP market growth
According to IDC’s Worldwide Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker during the fourth quarter of 2016,
the printer and multifunctional peripheral market in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)
region grew 1.9 per cent in unit terms.
Ilona Stankeova, Research Director with IDC CEMA Imaging, Printing and Document Solutions said:
“We expect a slow overall market decline in mature CEE countries like the Czech Republic or Poland,
resembling the trend in the US and Western Europe. That said, pockets of growth will exist, mainly for
smart MFPs with advanced functions or low-cost-per-page devices.”
Amazon Business launches in the UK
Amazon has launched Amazon Business, a new service to meet the
procurement needs of businesses of every size.
Amazon Business customers benefit from a range of business-tailored
features such as free one-day delivery on orders of £30 or more, VAT-
exclusive pricing, VAT invoicing and Amazon Business Analytics to gain
visibility into how their business is spending.
The company says it offers more than one hundred million products in
a wide range of categories, including laptops, office supplies and storage
solutions, through to office furniture and commercial grade printers.
Amazon Business launched in the US in April 2015, serving more than
400,000 businesses and generating more than $1bn in sales in its first year
and in Germany in December 2016. Since its US launch, Amazon Business
has shipped to business customers in more than 60 countries through its US
and German websites.
FAST drive to encourage whistle blowers
