Bytes Technology Group issued a trading update yesterday ahead of its AGM, which made its share price dive. The company said, due to deferral of customer buying decisions, and a “longer than expected” readjustment period following the company’s overhaul of its corporate sales division, operating profit for the first half of FY26 was expected to be “marginally lower” than the same period last year.
Bytes did however forecast a return to “more normalised growth” in the second half of the fiscal year. But, coming after the company stated in May that it was expecting to deliver another year of double-digit gross profit growth, and “high single-digit” operating profit growth, over the year, as we previously reported, the market didn’t take kindly to the update - shares crashed 30% by the end of the day.
Rival UK-listed VARs Softcat and Computacenter also saw their share prices down around 6% on the day.
TechMarketView analyst Craig Wentworth said of the situation: “This year’s changes to Microsoft’s Enterprise Agreements (EA) licensing model and restructuring of partner incentives are having an impact right across the channel.
“There’s less of a partner earnings skew to upfront deal sizes now, and Microsoft is reclaiming direct control of EA renewals. Byte’s sales restructuring is designed to better align with the new order of things, but it’s taking time to sort out - plus some customers are pausing large renewals to reassess deal structures.”
He added: “The market is waiting to see how VARs generally adapt to these shifts – though a fuller picture won’t become clear until the second half of the year.”
-Nasdaq-listed Progress Software, a provider of AI-powered digital experience and infrastructure software, has acquired Nuclia, an innovator in agentic Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) AI solutions. Nuclia provides a “unique” agentic RAG-as-a-service product, enabling organisations to automatically leverage their own proprietary business information to retrieve verifiable, accurate answers using GenAI.
“Nuclia’s easy-to-use, self-service SaaS product democratises the use of trustworthy and verifiable GenAI,” said Yogesh Gupta, CEO of Progress Software. “Small- to mid-sized businesses, as well as large global corporations, can quickly and easily reap the benefits of sophisticated agentic RAG capabilities using Nuclia SaaS without the need for significant upfront investment.”
-Gamma Communications has announced the launch of Gamma Edge, a new channel initiative designed to “empower growth-focused partners” with the tools, insight, and incentives to “scale confidently and profitably” in a changing market.
Gamma Edge is said to deliver data-led planning, “simplified” commercial tools, and full-stack solutions that make scaling “easier”, with reward models and product innovation covered by one integrated framework.
“Gamma Edge is a shared commitment to growth,” said Will Morey, managing director of Gamma Business. “We’ve listened carefully to our partners, what they’re up against, what they value, and what they want from us. This is our response, not just another promotion or a set of incentives, but a structured, strategic programme that helps partners grow with Gamma.”
-Advania has acquired The AI Framework, an AI consultancy with “deep domain expertise” in AI transformation. The consultancy emphasises strategic value delivery through actionable roadmaps, responsible data governance, and scalable implementation models.
“This acquisition perfectly aligns with our philosophy that successful AI transformation begins with strategy, not tools," said Henrik Foyn-Laukvik, head of M&A at Advania. "The AI Framework's proven ability to guide organisations from initial strategy through to scaled implementation - always with business value at the centre - makes them the ideal partner for clients seeking responsible AI adoption with measurable outcomes."
-Xerox Holdings has completed its acquisition of Lexmark International from Ninestar Corporation, PAG Asia Capital, and Shanghai Shouda Investment Centre.
The transaction is valued at $1.5 billion inclusive of net debt and assumed liabilities.
“We've long admired Lexmark’s strong print and managed print services reputation, robust client and partner base, and global presence. Over the years, we’ve built a collaborative partnership, and today, we take our business to the next level,” said Steve Bandrowczak, chief executive officer at Xerox. “Together, we will drive greater success for our clients and partners through a broader portfolio of print and managed print solutions, solidifying our path toward long-term profitable growth.”
“Today is a pivotal moment for Xerox and Lexmark as these two great companies combine to shape the future of the printing industry,” said Allen Waugerman, who is stepping down as Lexmark president and chief executive officer with the close.
Steve Bandrowczak will remain CEO of Xerox with an executive team comprised of Xerox and Lexmark leaders.
The combined organisation will serve over 200,000 clients in over 170 countries, and operate 125 manufacturing and distribution facilities in 16 countries.
-TD SYNNEX has acquired Apptium, a software development company and provider of a cloud commerce platform that connects applications, data and devices. The acquisition is said to reflect a “critical investment” in the global distributor’s technology solutions orchestration strategy, and expands the company’s depth and breadth of cloud and “everything-as-a-service” offerings.
StreamOne is the foundation of TD SYNNEX's digital business orchestration strategy, which puts ecosystem partners in control through data-driven decisions, customer insights and solutions aggregation. Prior to the acquisition, Apptium acted as a key partner and enabler to the StreamOne platform, and the combination of this technology, and industry and technical expertise, will further advance the platform’s development, promised the distributor.
-Denmark-headquartered Pandora is leveraging SAP to support its jewellery growth.
As an omnichannel retailer with ambitious growth plans, Pandora’s digital strategy is focused around enhancing consumer experience. Pandora selected RISE with SAP to support its digital journey.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud will serve as the core of Pandora’s new ERP system, which will enable the company’s business processes to be standardised, simpler to manage, and more connected, said SAP.
-Zebra Technologies is opening its Industrial Automation Centre of Excellence in the UK, with the support of industrial automation partner Clearview.
Located in Oxfordshire, the centre will offer training, advisory services, and practical demonstrations for manufacturing and logistics organisations and machine vision specialists across the EMEA region.
The centre will support end users, machine builders and systems integrators looking for machine vision, 3D and AI solutions needed to secure greater asset visibility, and will support intelligently automated operations.
“Automotive, electric battery, electronics and semiconductor manufacturers and logistics organisations face new quality, compliance and safety challenges, requiring frontline engineers, machine builders and systems integrators to think and act in new ways,” said Donato Montanari, vice president and general manager, machine vision, Zebra Technologies. “They need a professional network that can show how technologies like AI and 3D can be used together to achieve goals and prepare for future growth.”
-Europe’s manufacturing sector is under pressure. Mid-sized factories - long the engine of the continent’s economy - are facing twin pressures: on one hand, rising global competition and supply chain complexity, on the other, an urgent need to modernise with limited time, talent, and tools. Yet many manufacturers remain stuck with outdated ERP systems that were never built for their pace or precision.
Bonx, a French startup building operational software for European industry, is trying to change that.
The company has announced an $8.6m seed round led by 9900 Capital, with participation from Kima Ventures, Purple, OSS Ventures, and Dynamo Ventures.
Founded in 2022 by Alexandre Barroux and Rémi Beges within OSS Ventures, Bonx says it is a modern ERP platform purpose-built for manufacturing. By combining no-code configuration, advanced AI capabilities and rapid deployment, the company says it enables mid-market manufacturers to digitise operations “in weeks, not years”.
Bonx is said to integrate “seamlessly” into existing environments, offering visibility and control across production, logistics, procurement, and quality systems, without replacing core finance or CRM systems.
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