BDS Observatory : The new era of AI-powered PCs

BDS Observatory provides a fascinating insight into the global adoption curve of intelligent computers powered by artificial intelligence (AI). In this article we explore the predicted trajectory, the priorities of our key partners, the conceptual evolution and the impact of this technological revolution on our business.

Global adoption curve for AI-powered smart PCs

According to our analysis, intelligent computers with AI capabilities are expected to become the norm by 2025. We estimate that two out of three PCs will be equipped with this technology by 2027. In 2024 we’re already observing a 19% adoption rate of intelligent PCs!

Priorities for our partners

As a market leader and influencer, Microsoft is focusing its strategy on hybrids as an evolutionary model. There are indications that Microsoft is collaborating with PC manufacturers to design products with over 40 TOPS of performance to meet the requirements of the next-gen CoPilot system on Windows, potentially setting a new standard for AI-PCs in the Windows ecosystem.

Lenovo identifies opportunities in excess of €500 million in the field of AI across the EMEA region. With its visionary message “Imagine 2023,” HP is announcing that new PCs will showcase their expanded capabilities thanks to the integration of AI.

Conceptual evolution

Dedicated chips to accelerate AI are currently the norm. In the medium term, NPU (Neural Processing Unit) performance of 10 TOPS is anticipated and in the long term, the generation of text and images with language models of up to 13 billion is envisaged!

What are the potential impacts for Econocom and our sector?

Premiumisation: Advanced hardware specifications and productivity-enhancing capabilities will result in smart PCs being priced 10% to 15% higher than similar commercial models without embedded AI.

Faster renewal cycles: The rapid development of internal and external AI tools coupled with more frequent hardware upgrades will drive organizations to seek out the best experiences for smart PC deployments.

Associated AI services: Smart PCs will act as another point to deliver holistic AI services and solutions, playing a crucial role without mitigating the security and privacy concerns associated with running AI workloads on potentially sensitive enterprise data.

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2023 RESULTS MAKE HEADLINES IN THE BELGIAN MEDIA OUTLET DE TIJD

2023 Results. What the take of the press ?

The financial and technology media, such as Distributique, Le Monde Informatique and Channel News, gave extensive coverage to the Group’s 2023 results, with articles of a generally positive tone. They emphasise organic growth, demonstrating the robustness of the diversified businesses. The solid performance of the Products & Solutions division, the 11.2% growth in the financing of technology assets, and the increase in sales of services were also praised.

This is the percentage of the Group’s employees who have received ethics training in the past year. Mainly taken online via ad hoc modules, these training courses focus on integrity, respect for the law and professional ethics – all key concerns at Econocom. To find out more, visit the dedicated web page.

At ISE 2024 (Integrated Systems Europe, Europe’s largest trade fair dedicated to audiovisual technologies), which was held in Barcelona at the end of January, the Group made its mark with a delegation of over 60 representatives from 8 countries. The event provided Econocom with a concentration of 850 exhibitors: perfect ground for exploring the latest cutting-edge audiovisual innovations. To discover more, read our full article on the subject on Onelink.

The article, published in Le Parisien / Aujourd’hui en France, the leading daily newspaper for the general public, highlights the importance of choosing a refurbished smartphone wisely. While the refurbished smartphone market is growing in popularity, the paper points out that the choice is not limited to price alone. It advises taking into account factors such as the battery, cosmetic and functional condition, and the warranty.

To facilitate access to internal resources, the Group has decided from March 19th to make ONELINK the homepage when users open their sessions via Microsoft Edge. ONELINK is thus becoming the central hub for employees, offering quick and intuitive access to essential tools and information. That’s all the more reason not to miss out on any of the Group’s news !

VALERIE PLASSE, HR DIRECTOR FRANCE

After studying law, Valérie developed a passion for human resources and themes of transformation. Appointed HR Director France at the end of summer 2023, she tells us about her career, her first steps at Econocom and shares her views on current developments in the job market.

AI: A $120BN MARKET BY 2030

The world of data is evolving rapidly, with a tenfold increase in the amount of data collected between 2016 and 2025. Digitalisation is everywhere, and new technologies are the first signs of future disruptions. We take a look back at a talk given by consultants from BCG (Boston Consulting Group) on Octobre 2nd 2023 at our head office in Puteaux in order to provide an update on these developments and also on the challenges facing companies in integrating this new way of thinking.

BDS Observatory: Diving into ISE 2024 with Econocom Teams !

At ISE 2024, Europe’s largest audiovisual systems integration exhibition,which came to a close at the Fira Barcelona-Gran Via on February 2nd 2024, Econocom made its mark with a delegation of over 60 representatives from 8 countries determine to explore the latest innovations proposed by 850 exhibitors. Econocom Stories was also on hand to collect and share the key trends in this highly dynamic sector!

E-Paper display solutions attracted particular attention. These innovations focus on offering environmentally-friendly signage solutions. Highlights include full-colour E-Paper screens and a variety of sizes ranging from 13″ to 42″. Major players such as Sharp/NEC, Philips and E Ink are involved in these innovative solutions.

Significant developments in LED Walls were also noted. Samsung introduced its Transparent MICRO LED solution in Europe with a pitch of 0.6 mm, a first in Europe. LG, meanwhile, unveiled its Kinetic Led solution, specifically designed for public media art, and presented its all new large all-in-one LED screens for meeting rooms.

Econocom explored advances in conference room technology. Barco showcased its ClickShare system, offering advanced features for wireless collaboration and sharing during meetings. This technology aims to improve the efficiency of collaborative working environments.

Econocom’s participation at ISE 2024 provided a hands-on immersion into these technological advances, underlining the group’s ongoing commitment to staying abreast of major industry developments in order to offer the best services to its customers. As part of this commitment, Jean-Pierre Overbeek, Chief Executive Officer of Gather, expressed, “This 20th ISE showcased the latest technology and proved that the AV and Digital Signage industry have a bright future ahead with lots of innovation and show cases. The energy at the show was in 1 word terrific. Gather is looking forward to serve our customers with the best possible solutions from the industry.”

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GROWTH IN SALES AND OPERATING MARGIN

The Group ended 2023 with solid results, with turnover growth of 3.5% to €2,681 million, including 1.2% organic growth. The operating margin is slightly up on 2022, at €116.2 million. The 2023 results are therefore perfectly in line with the assumptions of One Econocom’s 2024-2028 strategic plan.

The press release announcing the 2023 results was sent to the economic, financial and business press on Wednesday 14 February after the close of trading on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange.

On the morning of Thursday 15 February, Jean-Louis Bouchard, Angel Benguigui and Patrick Van Den Berg also attended an analysts’ and investors’ meeting at the Pullman Centre Midi in the Belgian capital to comment on the results.

The ambitious target of achieving turnover of €4 billion and net profit of €130 million by 2028 remains unchanged for the coming year. Econocom will remain focused on capitalising on market growth opportunities while strengthening its commitment to extra-financial performance.

These prospects point to a stable and progressive future for the company, which is anchored in a long-term strategic approach.

To find out more, here’s the link to the Group’s press release.

The proportion of the Group’s employees in France who have received training in cybersecurity issues by 2023.

BUREAU (VERITAS)

Bureau Veritas has just awarded ISO 14001 certification to Econocom Belux. This certification demonstrates compliance with international environmental management standards.

(VERITAS)

The first significant gain from the EASI (Econocom as a service for impact) offering concerns IN VIVO, an organization specializing in agricultural transition with over 185 members. A contract worth 5 million euros for 11,000 devices (PCs, meeting room equipment, smartphones) in 39 countries, with an end-to-end approach to the workplace (distribution and associated services, financing, reconditioning). A perfect illustration of One Econocom’s value proposition. What’s more, with this clearly CSR-oriented offering, which favors use over ownership and includes the Ecocarbon offer, Econocom is supporting InVivo in its drive to measure and reduce the environmental footprint of its digital assets.

This is the amount in billions of dollars that global IT spending is expected to reach in 2024: an increase of 6.8% compared to 2023. However, this increase in spending doesn’t necessarily translate into larger IT teams. Labour and skills shortages mean that IT teams have limited resources to keep up with the rapid pace of technological innovation. Organisations need to invest in technologies which contribute to profitability and productivity and close the IT talent gap to achieve the goals of digital transformation in 2024. Read the article here.

This is the approach conveyed by the GATHER offer and which is supported by Jean-Pierre Overbeek in the columns of INAVATE, the benchmark media dedicated to audiovisual professionals. In a wide-ranging article published a few weeks ago, the CEO expresses his desire to “expand rapidly in the UK and Germany.” Jean-Pierre Overbeek also details his vision for Gather: “The (audiovisual) industry is still very much focused on the technology itself, on what it can deliver and on specifications. We believe that the opposite should be the case: we need to explain what it can do for users. In our discussions with customers, we start by asking them what they want, how they use it, what the use cases are. What scenarios have they put in place? We’re trying to completely reverse the situation.”

GROUP SALES ACADEMY

The first edition of the Group’s Sales Academy was held in Puteaux between 29 January and 1 February 2024. This event was an opportunity to bring together no fewer than 22 TMF sales representatives from 6 countries (all recent arrivals) to develop their skills, introduce them to the Econocom group and develop their internal network.

Designed as an immersive, personalised learning programme, the Academy consists of a number of seminars designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of TMF’s business. If you missed it, check out this article on Onelink.

D-CARB

We talked about this in our previous edition of the Econocom Stories newsletter. After being communicated internally, the Group’s decarbonisation commitments are also available on our website :

AND A ONE, AND A TWO, E-CO-NO-COM !

Who hasn’t dreamt of kissing Fabien Barthez’s head before the referee blew his whistle? Of doing Zinédine Zidane’s roulette past 3 Brazilian opponents? Of being the one who “brought the light” like Laurent Blanc against Paraguay? Have you dreamed of it? An Econocom delegation did just that on Wednesday 12 July 2023 in Aix-en-Provence with the France 98 Association, which brought together most of the 98 world champions to celebrate the 25th anniversary of France’s first world title. Of course, Econocom stories was there to tell you all about it…

First edition of the Group TMF Sales Academy

We were proud to hold the first edition of the Group TMF Sales Academy in Puteaux from January 29^th to February 1^st.

This event was the opportunity to gather no less than 22 TMF sales from 6 countries (mostly recent joiners) to develop their skills, make them discover Econocom Group and grow their internal network.

Sandrine Fievet, TMF training manager in charge of the French Sales Academy since 2014, explains: “designed as an immersive and tailored learning scheme, the Academy consists in several seminars aiming to provide a comprehensive knowledge of the TMF business. For this first 4-days seminar, the newcomers receive intensive trainings, presentations and best practices on sales skills (e.g. prospection, selling technics) from experienced trainers across different Group functions.”

“As one of the main levers of our strategic plan is to massively recruit salespeople, we are convinced that their onboarding is crucial to achieve our ambitions” comments Pâquerette de Poncins, BDS senior manager and ESA co-organizer.

The organizing team would like to thank Patrick Van Den Berg, Mathilde Saint-Pol, Christoph Blaeser, Philippe Hemmings, Jaroslaw Schwinge, Elzbieta Manjurka, Amine Belfakir, Antonella Porta, Luca Nanni, Guillaume Steible, Nicolas de Lepinay, Pierre Toussaint, Lionel Slama and Stéphane Pailler for their interventions and exchanges with the audience.

We would like also to thank all the attendees for their active involvement and look forward to seeing them again for the next steps of their training program.

A dedicated post has been published on Econocom Group LinkedIn account, please do not hesitate to comment and share.

We invite you to respect the privacy and not to publish on social networks photos of other people without their prior consent.

The Econocom group speeds up its decarbonising commitments

The group recently published a letter outlining its decarbonising pledges as part of its ambitious strategic plan ‘One Econocom’. These commitments can be passed on to Econocom’s stakeholders.

This letter is specially designed to go hand in hand with our sales offers. Its purpose is to illustrate our positioning as a committed player in the circular economy. It is an extra tool that can be used to promote our approach, with an underlying commitment from our senior management based on three pillars as part of the ‘One Econocom’ strategic plan.

The first pillar is a reduction of our direct emissions. Indeed, Econocom has undertaken to reduce its emissions by 60% by 2028, compared to its emissions in 2018. This process will reduce our emissions by around 6% per year on average. Moreover, the group is committed to an energy transition: it plans for 90% of its energy sources to be green by 2028.

The second pillar is a reduction of our indirect emissions. Our main aim is to ensure that all our key suppliers respect the standards of the Science-Based Targets initiative* by 2028. In doing so, we aim to reduce by 50% our emissions relating to products and services bought by 2032, which will amount to a reduction of 6% per year on average.

Lastly, there is the third pillar: speeding up our development of innovative, eco-friendly offers and services. We are a responsible digital company out of conviction. So we undertake to expand our responsible offers and thereby help reduce our clients’ carbon footprint from digital technology.

Our progress along the path to these aims will always be tracked. A chart mapping the group’s carbon footprint will be published each year. For this approach to be implemented on a daily basis, it requires everyone to act responsibly. We need strong, collective willpower from the whole group to meet the environmental challenges of today and tomorrow.

*The Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is an initiative taken by international experts that uses scientific criteria to assess whether changes in greenhouse gas emissions from a firm or organisation are in line with the aim of limiting the planet’s average temperature rise to 2°C or 1.5°C.

[Econocom Stories #8] The group’s newsletter is available!

For this first edition of the year 2024, the Econocom Stories newsletter is taking the opportunity to evolve. With a wider range of formats, shorter content and a more regular frequency, we hope you’ll enjoy reading these lines as much as we enjoyed producing them!

Would you like to make a suggestion or suggest a topic? Just one address: communication.groupe@econocom.com

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE : IT HAS STARTED !

After launching the Mission Impossible project (recruiting 100 agents in 1,000 days) in Marbella last November, a first update on the figures, 29 sales recruits have been made in 2023 (19 of whom arrived in 2023) and 11 with an arrival planned for 2024. With the Mission Impossible project, the trend is set to accelerate to 58 net recruitments by the end of the year, including 33 agents. The 2024 recruitment targets have been defined by all the business units, and the local communications, human resources and legal teams are working hard to put in place the levers needed to identify future candidates and develop the agent model in the various countries.

Who says Mission Impossible? To support the project’s visibility on all markets, the Group has just decided on the communications agency that will accompany this ambitious project. The lucky choice is JOSIANE – a sparkling independent advertising agency with offices in Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Los Angeles and Montreal – which was selected after a call for tenders by the project team following a competition held at the end of the year.

We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks’ time to share with you, in exclusivity, the external communications campaign currently being finalized…

This is the number of new Econocom employees recruited in 2023. This figure is up on the previous year, which shows how buoyant our group is!

In 2024, the group plans to introduce the gradual return of festive events. These moments of cohesion and shared joy are the group’s DNA.

Econocom Morocco was given a 97% satisfaction rating from its client Nexans for this partnership’s starting phase. Well done to the desk teams and to the on-site support, management and SDI teams!

Econocom Morocco was awarded the certifying label Feel Good through its partner ReKrute, Morocco’s first job board and leading source of recruitment. This label identifies firms in which it is pleasant to work and that look after their employees well, even before they are integrated into the firm. So well done to the Econocom Morocco teams!

On Sunday 7 January 2024, the French television channel TF1 devoted its leading documentary program Sept à Huit to SMAAART, the refurbishing brand of Econocom Factory. This television programme has around four million viewers. For over three minutes, viewers were immersed in our factory in Montpellier, located in the south of France. The programme clearly explained the different stages of refurbishing a smartphone (while showing the efficiency of Econocom’s teams!), before the device is put back on the market.

As part of the One Econocom vision for sustainable development in line with the Science-Based Targets (SBTi) initiative, the Group has just communicated its commitments in this area internally: reduction of direct emissions (60% by 2028 and transition to 90% green energy sources by 2028), reduction of indirect emissions (50% reduction of emissions associated with products and services purchased, by 2032) and, finally, acceleration of the development of innovative and eco-responsible offers and services to contribute to the reduction of our customers’ digital carbon footprint. Please note that these commitments can be passed on to the Group’s customers, suppliers and partners.

Econocom Voices

A few days ago, Nadia Mansour shared some of her life with us through the Econocom Voices podcast.

Discover (or rediscover) this new episode of Econocom Voices with her and find out about her passion for hiking in the countryside around Nice and for Moroccan haute couture

To find out everything about the Mission Impossible project, read this long article that puts in perspective the project team’s vision and the aims and role of the Mission Impossible project in the One Econocom strategic plan.