Headphone sales to hit US$21 billion in 2018

Research house Futuresource reckons that the global headphones market value will hit US$21 billion in 2018. The appeal of audio headphones continues to attract consumers, with a 4% increase in shipments forecast for 2018 and a 23% growth in retail value, according to a new industry report from Futuresource Consulting. Read full story

Ring partners with PRO TECHnology

Smart home security vendor Ring has partnered with PRO TECHnology. This partnership will help Ring expand its reach across the regional market offering residential real estate developers and homeowners access to Ring’s innovative home security products and solutions. PRO TECHnology will act as a VAR for Ring’s latest suite of smart home security products. Read full story

Tech Data adds Cloudera in Europe

Distributor Tech Data has announced a pan-European agreement with Cloudera, the modern platform for machine learning and analytics optimised for the cloud. Under the new distribution deal, Tech Data’s customers can access Cloudera’s full portfolio of products and solutions. Craig Smith, VP IoT and Analytics Europe, at Tech Data, said: “Data is at the heart of all machine learning and analytics applications. Before the data can be processed by the applications, you first need to give it a scalable home, where it can be sorted, structured and categorised. Cloudera provides a highly effective enterprise-strength platform for this purpose.” Read full story

Exertis bags Hoover rights

Exertis, a leading distributor of technology products for the B2B, mobile and retail markets, has announced its distribution of vacuum cleaners and microwaves from Hoover, a leading brand in household appliances and part of the Haier Group. Harriet Croft, Exertis, general manager, core electricals said, “This is an exciting opportunity for Exertis to work with one of the most iconic brands in the domestic, electricals market as we broaden our portfolio to existing retailers and engage with new customers in this market.” Read full story

DISTREE EMEA drives new distribution deals

DISTREE Events has revealed the findings of its post-event distributor research* for DISTREE Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) 2018, which took place in Monaco in February. Based on this year’s findings, there was an average of 4.02 signed distribution agreements per exhibitor at DISTREE EMEA 2018, with a further 4.27 currently under negotiation for each participating brand. Read full feature

New Structured Wishlist system launched for DISTREE EMEA

DISTREE Events has launched a new Structured Wishlist system for its flagship hosted buyer tech and consumer electronics (CE) channel event. Confirmed exhibitors participating at DISTREE Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) 2019, which takes place on February 19th to 22nd in Monaco, will have access to the new system, which allows them to nominate specific channel partners they wish to hold one-on-one meetings with at the event. Read full feature