Latest news with #ChrisBell
Channel Post MEA
20-05-2025
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
Sophos Launches MSP Elevate For Partner Growth
Sophos has launched MSP Elevate, a new business-accelerating program for managed service providers (MSPs). With the new program, Sophos enables MSPs to expand their business with high-value, differentiated cybersecurity offerings that elevate their customers' cyber defenses and rewards growth with additional investment to fuel further success. With the increasing complexity and sophistication of today's cyberattacks, organizations are increasingly turning to MSPs for 24/7, human-led monitoring and management of their cybersecurity environments. This has made Managed Detection and Response (MDR) a major focus for MSPs with 81% currently offering a MDR service, according to the Sophos MSP Perspectives 2024 report. MSP Elevate helps MSPs to differentiate themselves as a high-value provider to customers by delivering unique business-enhancing benefits, including an exclusive high-value Sophos MDR service offering. Managing multiple cybersecurity platforms is a major overhead for MSPs and consumes valuable billable hours. MSPs estimate that consolidating on a single platform would slash their day-to-day management time by 48%. MSP Elevate includes Network-in-a-Box bundles that enable MSPs to manage the full network stack through the unified Sophos Central platform, freeing-up staff for business generation activities. Furthermore, the single biggest perceived risk to MSP's businesses is the shortage of in-house cybersecurity expertise*. Sophos' network solutions respond automatically to threats across the customer environment, enabling MSPs to elevate their customers' defenses without adding workload. 'MSP Elevate is the first of many business-driving MSP programs following the powerhouse union of Sophos and Secureworks,' said Chris Bell, senior vice president of global channel, alliances and corporate development. 'As a channel-first organization that defends more than 250,000 customers of MSPs, we are constantly looking for opportunities to reward our partners and invest in their success when they grow their business with us. MSP Elevate fuels long-term growth for our partners by providing MSPs with exclusive solution access, discounts, rebates and training to deliver the best possible value to customers.' Sophos MSP Elevate program benefits include: Exclusive Access to the Sophos MDR Bundle for MSP: Includes access to Sophos MDR Complete premium service tier with 24/7 incident response, 1 year data retention, Sophos Network Detection and Response (NDR), and all Sophos integration packs, enabling defenders to leverage all available telemetry from across the customer environment to accelerate threat detection and response. Simplified Sales Process: Speeds up time to deployment and reduces MSP overhead. With the new MDR Bundle for MSP, partners can quickly and easily allocate a single SKU to the customer for all their current and future MDR needs. Discounted Network-in-a-Box Hardware Bundle: Access to Sophos' advanced network security solutions, including Sophos Firewall, Sophos Switch and Sophos Wireless Access Points at a significant discount. These products work together to automate threat response and are managed through Sophos Central. Growth-Based Rebates: As part of our commitment to grow with and invest in our partners, the program will recognize and reward MSPs that increase their Sophos MSP monthly billings. Architect-Level Training Courses: Equip MSPs to increase their in-house services delivery capabilities with trainings on Sophos Endpoint and Sophos Firewall. Invite-Only Access to Sophos Summits: Gain exclusive access to hands-on training and enablement, Ask the Experts sessions, attend exclusive Sophos events and meet with Sophos executive leadership to influence the Sophos roadmap and MSP strategy. Future benefits: Introduction of new program benefits to increase MSP's profitability, customer defenses and overall value as a service provider. 'MSP Elevate enables MSPs to quickly deploy a comprehensive MDR service that eliminates blind spots by leveraging all available telemetry from across the customers' environment,' said Raja Patel, chief product officer, Sophos. 'This enhanced visibility accelerates threat detection and response while delivering improved return for customers on their existing technology investments. Furthermore, the service adapts seamlessly as the technology environment evolves over time, future-proofing customers' defenses and providing both commercial and cybersecurity peace of mind.' MSP Elevate is a non-exclusive commitment to sell Sophos' best-in-class cybersecurity solutions available on the Sophos Central platform, including Sophos MDR, Sophos Endpoint powered by Intercept X, and Sophos Firewall. To access the program benefits, MSPs need to commit to a minimum monthly spend for a 12-month period. As a pre-requisite to joining MSP Elevate, partners need to be part of the MSP Flex program, which enables MSPs to offer Sophos solutions on a monthly billing basis. 'Joining MSP Elevate is a no-brainer. This new program adds further rocket fuel to the MSP growth trajectory we've enjoyed with Sophos over the last 17 years. Not all MDR offerings are the same, and I'm excited to be able to offer a superior service based around value and quality of outcomes that will elevate my customers' defenses and differentiate my business in this increasingly crowded market,' said Craig Faiers, sales director, Arc. With 80% of MSPs offering MDR through a specialist vendor for delivery*, partners can choose to have Sophos fully deliver the MDR service or to use Sophos to augment in-house teams, including for the provision of out-of-hours coverage. This is particularly important considering 88% of ransomware attacks start outside of standard business hours, according to Sophos' Active Adversary report. Sophos MDR is the service most trusted by MSPs to secure their clients and currently defends more than 18,000 MSP-managed customer environments against advanced threats, including ransomware. This unmatched breadth of customer coverage delivers unparalleled insights into attacks on MSP-managed environments that are continually leveraged to update customers' defenses in real-time, optimizing their protection from ever-evolving attacks. 0 0
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
How to get a free boiler or cheap home heating upgrades to cut your energy bills
An investment now could lead to major long-term savings ON THE BOIL How to get a free boiler or cheap home heating upgrades to cut your energy bills Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THINKING about upgrading your home's heating to save on energy bills? Installing things like solar panels and heat pumps can save you thousands of pounds in the long term - but cost a small fortune to install. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Could you access finance to help you install cost-cutting heating devices? Credit: PA Help is at hand from new funding schemes to get Britain to Net Zero, but the government has yet to confirm the details. Harriet Cooke glimpses into the future of home heating systems - and the decisions you'll soon be making. Boiler off the boil? Gas boilers in new homes could be banned as soon as next year, it emerged this week. It means newbuilds will be equipped with electric heat pumps or other non-gas heating systems, rather than gas. Those with existing gas boilers can keep on using them and there is no planned ban on selling them. So if you're thinking of getting an old boiler, you can still buy a new more efficient one, which might typically cost between £600 and £2,500 depending on the model and system type. The government's Energy Company Obligation scheme, and The Great British Insulation Scheme (also called ECO+), both provide funding, and you don't necessarily have to be on benefits. Talk to your energy company to see if you qualify. Upgrading an old boiler could save you around £300 a year on gas bills, figures from the Centre for Sustainable Energy shows, and it will last around 10 to 15 years. Case study: 'Our monthly bill has been cut from £90 to £35' Chris Bell, 69, a retired Royal Navy chief engineer, and wife Kim, 68 Chris Bell, 69, a retired Royal Navy chief engineer, and wife Kim, 68, have installed eight solar panels and a solar battery at their three-bedroom home in Gosport, Hampshire. He said: 'We didn't want all our money going on energy bills every month - that was our reason for doing it. 'We've still got our gas boiler for heating the radiators, but the real change for us is having free electricity. 'Our monthly energy bill has gone from £90 to £35, and this includes standing charges and a daily tank of hot water. 'We're also getting payments from our energy supplier for the solar power we sell to the grid, which we estimate will cover a good portion of the winter gas bill. 'The panels, battery and iBoost (a solar water heater) took a day to set up by a local company called EE Renewables and cost us just under £8,000. 'That's a chunk of our children's inheritance, but we spoke to them and they wanted us to go ahead. You hope that it will pay for itself in time, as well as adding to the value of the property.' Pump up your heating The government is super keen on replacing our gas boilers with heat pumps - although uptake has been low. The pumps work by gathering warmth from the air or ground and funnelling it into home radiators using electricity rather than gas. The average British Heat pump installation costs £4,415, after the government grant of £7,500 is applied. As well installing the pump, it may be necessary to fit bigger radiators, new pipes and improve the property's insulation, so planning permission may be needed. Servicing the pump usually costs around £200 a year, and it will typically last around 20 years. Suppliers like British Gas have online calculators to predict your future running costs with a pump, which will vary between properties. Although pumps are three times more efficient than boilers, electricity is four times more expensive than gas - but the price is predicted to fall. Octopus said the average home saves £280 by switching from a boiler to a heat pump run on a Cosy Octopus tariff, although savings can be up £545 depending on your type of home, heat pump, tariff, installation type and if you remove your gas meter. The government is considering plans to subsidise households to lease their heat pump until they paid off the cost, although this might work out to be more expensive in the short term, and for workers to pay for the installation through a salary sacrifice scheme. Solar panels They save money on your bills and can make you cash - but solar panels aren't cheap to install at an average £7,000. A typical household could save between £140 and £340 a year on energy bills — and make extra cash signing up to an export tariff to sell solar electricity back to the grid. This might be between £270 and £400 a year based on a 15p per kWh rate, but some tariffs pay more. The Energy Saving Trust estimates it could take between 11 and 14 years to recoup the cost of installing panels, so it's not a good financial idea if you're planning to move. Grants of up to £14,000 are available from the Energy Company Obligation scheme, but it isn't open to everyone. To be eligible you'll need to have household income less than £31,000 and be receiving certain benefits. Also check out the Home Upgrade Grant and Warmer Home Nest Scheme Wales. Case study: 'I'm saving about £500 a year' Conrad Hart-Brooke, 51, from Leeds Conrad Hart-Brooke, 51, from Leeds, spent £15,000 on 18 solar panels and a storage battery at his home in Leeds two years ago and reckons he'll make the money back in about six or seven years. The civil servant said after that he'll probably be making around £1,500 to £2,000 a year by selling electricity back. Last year he had a heat pump installed for £1,600, after getting a £7,500 government grant. For Conrad, the pump alone would not result in huge savings, he said, but combined with his solar panels and batteries he is saving about £500 a year compared with what he paid with his old combi gas boiler. Heat batteries Heat batteries, otherwise known as zero-emission boilers, are another green option if heat pumps are not suitable for your home. They are currently not eligible for the £7,500 grant in the boiler upgrade scheme or for VAT exemption, which heat pumps get. But the government is considering whether they should be. A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it is monitoring the use of heat batteries in fifty homes as a low-carbon alternative to gas heating, and the results would be published later this year. Common myths around energy consumption Gwilym Snook, appliance expert at quashed some commonly believed myths around appliances and energy consumption. MYTH – Your fridge freezer is cheaper to run when empty A commonly held belief is that your fridge freezer is more energy-efficient when it's empty as there isn't anything to cool. However, the reverse is true – Your fridge will operate most effectively when all its shelves are well-stocked. MYTH – Washing your clothes at higher temperatures cleans them better Most households across the UK wouldn't trust to wash their clothes at 30°C as they wouldn't believe it is an adequate temperature. But in fact, 30°C is more than sufficient for most of your clothes and will significantly help to reduce your energy costs by up to 50 per cent when compared to a 40°C wash. MYTH – Tumble dryers aren't eco-friendly Older models of tumble dryers were indeed energy guzzlers yet this myth that tumble dryers can't be energy-efficient has been blown out of the water in recent years. Enter the heat pump tumble dryer, a specially designed appliance that recycles warm air to dry your clothes at a much cheaper rate than their older counterparts. Did you know that running this dryer will cost 63p a cycle on average? A small fee which can be reduced even further this winter by looking to dry your clothes between 10pm and 8am during off-peak electricity hours. MYTH – Boiling water in your kettle is always energy-efficient While kettles are energy-efficient appliances, did you know it's easy to waste energy when bringing it to a boil accidentally? This can be done by filling your kettle to the brim every time you're brewing up. Instead, try to boil only the amount of water you need this winter. In the long run this small hack can help you save your money! MYTH – Energy-efficient appliances don't make a difference It's often believed that the A-G energy rating scale doesn't make any difference to your overall energy consumption. This isn't the case. Energy-efficient appliances such as those with high A ratings can significantly reduce your energy bills when compared to older, less efficient models. For example, replacing your old fridge-freezer with a newer energy-efficient one could save up to £100 a year on your electricity bills, which in the long run helps it pay for itself! Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
How to get a free boiler or cheap home heating upgrades to cut your energy bills
THINKING about upgrading your home's heating to save on energy bills? Installing things like solar panels and heat pumps can save you thousands of pounds in the long term - but cost a small fortune to install. 1 Help is at hand from new funding schemes to get Britain to Net Zero, but the government has yet to confirm the details. Harriet Cooke glimpses into the future of home heating systems - and the decisions you'll soon be making. Boiler off the boil? Gas boilers in new homes could be banned as soon as next year, it emerged this week. It means newbuilds will be equipped with electric heat pumps or other non-gas heating systems, rather than gas. Those with existing gas boilers can keep on using them and there is no planned ban on selling them. So if you're thinking of getting an old boiler, you can still buy a new more efficient one, which might typically cost between £600 and £2,500 depending on the model and system type. The government's Energy Company Obligation scheme, and The Great British Insulation Scheme (also called ECO+), both provide funding, and you don't necessarily have to be on benefits. Talk to your energy company to see if you qualify. Upgrading an old boiler could save you around £300 a year on gas bills, figures from the Centre for Sustainable Energy shows, and it will last around 10 to 15 years. Case study: 'Our monthly bill has been cut from £90 to £35' Chris Bell, 69, a retired Royal Navy chief engineer, and wife Kim, 68 Chris Bell, 69, a retired Royal Navy chief engineer, and wife Kim, 68, have installed eight solar panels and a solar battery at their three-bedroom home in Gosport, Hampshire. He said: 'We didn't want all our money going on energy bills every month - that was our reason for doing it. 'We've still got our gas boiler for heating the radiators, but the real change for us is having free electricity. 'Our monthly energy bill has gone from £90 to £35, and this includes standing charges and a daily tank of hot water. 'We're also getting payments from our energy supplier for the solar power we sell to the grid, which we estimate will cover a good portion of the winter gas bill. 'The panels, battery and iBoost (a solar water heater) took a day to set up by a local company called EE Renewables and cost us just under £8,000. 'That's a chunk of our children's inheritance, but we spoke to them and they wanted us to go ahead. You hope that it will pay for itself in time, as well as adding to the value of the property.' Pump up your heating The government is super keen on replacing our gas boilers with heat pumps - although uptake has been low. The pumps work by gathering warmth from the air or ground and funnelling it into home radiators using electricity rather than gas. The average British Heat pump installation costs £4,415, after the government grant of £7,500 is applied. As well installing the pump, it may be necessary to fit bigger radiators, new pipes and improve the property's insulation, so planning permission may be needed. Servicing the pump usually costs around £200 a year, and it will typically last around 20 years. Suppliers like British Gas have online calculators to predict your future running costs with a pump, which will vary between properties. Although pumps are three times more efficient than boilers, electricity is four times more expensive than gas - but the price is predicted to fall. Octopus said the average home saves £280 by switching from a boiler to a heat pump run on a Cosy Octopus tariff, although savings can be up £545 depending on your type of home, heat pump, tariff, installation type and if you remove your gas meter. The government is considering plans to subsidise households to lease their heat pump until they paid off the cost, although this might work out to be more expensive in the short term, and for workers to pay for the installation through a salary sacrifice scheme. Solar panels They save money on your bills and can make you cash - but solar panels aren't cheap to install at an average £7,000. A typical household could save between £140 and £340 a year on energy bills — and make extra cash signing up to an export tariff to sell solar electricity back to the grid. This might be between £270 and £400 a year based on a 15p per kWh rate, but some tariffs pay more. The Energy Saving Trust estimates it could take between 11 and 14 years to recoup the cost of installing panels, so it's not a good financial idea if you're planning to move. Grants of up to £14,000 are available from the Energy Company Obligation scheme, but it isn't open to everyone. To be eligible you'll need to have household income less than £31,000 and be receiving certain benefits. Also check out the Home Upgrade Grant and Warmer Home Nest Scheme Wales. Conrad Hart-Brooke, 51, from Leeds Conrad Hart-Brooke, 51, from Leeds, spent £15,000 on 18 solar panels and a storage battery at his home in Leeds two years ago and reckons he'll make the money back in about six or seven years. The civil servant said after that he'll probably be making around £1,500 to £2,000 a year by selling electricity back. Last year he had a heat pump installed for £1,600, after getting a £7,500 government grant. For Conrad, the pump alone would not result in huge savings, he said, but combined with his solar panels and batteries he is saving about £500 a year compared with what he paid with his old combi gas boiler. Heat batteries Heat batteries, otherwise known as zero-emission boilers, are another green option if heat pumps are not suitable for your home. They are currently not eligible for the £7,500 grant in the boiler upgrade scheme or for VAT exemption, which heat pumps get. But the government is considering whether they should be. A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it is monitoring the use of heat batteries in fifty homes as a low-carbon alternative to gas heating, and the results would be published later this year. Common myths around energy consumption Gwilym Snook, appliance expert at quashed some commonly believed myths around appliances and energy consumption. MYTH – Your fridge freezer is cheaper to run when empty A commonly held belief is that your fridge freezer is more energy-efficient when it's empty as there isn't anything to cool. However, the reverse is true – Your fridge will operate most effectively when all its shelves are well-stocked. MYTH – Washing your clothes at higher temperatures cleans them better Most households across the UK wouldn't trust to wash their clothes at 30°C as they wouldn't believe it is an adequate temperature. But in fact, 30°C is more than sufficient for most of your clothes and will significantly help to reduce your energy costs by up to 50 per cent when compared to a 40°C wash. MYTH – Tumble dryers aren't eco-friendly Older models of tumble dryers were indeed energy guzzlers yet this myth that tumble dryers can't be energy-efficient has been blown out of the water in recent years. Enter the heat pump tumble dryer, a specially designed appliance that recycles warm air to dry your clothes at a much cheaper rate than their older counterparts. Did you know that running this dryer will cost 63p a cycle on average? A small fee which can be reduced even further this winter by looking to dry your clothes between 10pm and 8am during off-peak electricity hours. MYTH – Boiling water in your kettle is always energy-efficient While kettles are energy-efficient appliances, did you know it's easy to waste energy when bringing it to a boil accidentally? This can be done by filling your kettle to the brim every time you're brewing up. Instead, try to boil only the amount of water you need this winter. In the long run this small hack can help you save your money! MYTH – Energy-efficient appliances don't make a difference It's often believed that the A-G energy rating scale doesn't make any difference to your overall energy consumption. This isn't the case. Energy-efficient appliances such as those with high A ratings can significantly reduce your energy bills when compared to older, less efficient models. For example, replacing your old fridge-freezer with a newer energy-efficient one could save up to £100 a year on your electricity bills, which in the long run helps it pay for itself!
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Marsden Moor wildfire cause 'not yet known'
The cause of a large moorland fire that developed during this week's spring heatwave is not yet known, according to the National Trust are now supervising work at Marsden Moor, near Huddersfield, following the wildfire near March Haigh Reservoir on crew from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) remained at the scene on Friday and staff from wildlife charity the RSPB were also commander Chris Bell said there was no current indication of the cause but police would investigate if they "deemed it appropriate". He added: "These incidents are particularly challenging for our crews."We have invested heavily in getting the right equipment, but they are massively labour intensive and difficult to manage."Firefighters used beaters and blowers to combat the fire and the public are being asked to stay away from the area. A spokesperson added: "We'd like to thank all our partner agencies and the public for their help and patience while we tackled this fire."In late March, more than a dozen fire crews tackled a moorland blaze measuring an area of six miles (10km) by three miles (5km) in a similar to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Web Release
10-04-2025
- Business
- Web Release
Sophos Names Chris Bell as Senior Vice President of Global Channel, Alliances and Corporate Development to Lead Next Evolution of Global Channel Strategy
Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today announced it has named Chris Bell as senior vice president of global channel, alliances and corporate development, where he will lead the evolution of Sophos' global channel strategy. This key appointment reinforces Sophos' channel-first commitment to deliver a world-class partner experience. Bell joined Sophos following its acquisition of Secureworks, where he served as chief strategy officer, responsible for long-term vision, strategic partnerships, corporate development and strategy. Building on his career of more than two decades working in the technology industry, including nearly a decade in cybersecurity and channel; Bell's leadership will focus on developing and executing a channel strategy that prioritizes expanding reach, empowering partners and driving growth. Key priorities for Bell at Sophos will include: · Enhancing Sophos Partner Experience to make it seamless for partners to do business with Sophos at high velocity, while streamlining operations. · Continued Innovation for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) with Sophos' industry-leading cybersecurity platform, enabling superior cybersecurity outcomes for customers, enhancing operational efficiency for security analysts, and boosting profitability for partners. · Fueling Partner Growth with service delivery competencies, expanded partner enablement programs including persona-based training and fast-track training to expand partners cybersecurity expertise. · Increasing Sophos' Market Reach by leveraging the unified portfolio of Sophos and Secureworks to deliver best-in-class security technologies and services, empowering partners to enhance cybersecurity and strengthen the security posture of organizations, from commercial to enterprise. · Expanding Routes to Market by bolstering Sophos' presence across technology alliances, marketplaces and the cyber insurance ecosystem. Sophos will also continue to maintain its focus across resellers, service providers, and OEM channels. 'Partners need adaptable strategies that prioritize flexibility to stay ahead of the increasingly complex threat landscape,' said Bell. 'Unifying Sophos' and Secureworks' portfolios presents a unique opportunity to accelerate a future-ready channel program that arms partners with the technology, services, insights, and enablement needed to protect customers and fuel long-term growth.' A core piece of Sophos' channel strategy is to better equip partners in addressing the evolving security challenges faced by businesses of all sizes. By aligning more closely with partner needs and prioritizing an open ecosystem, Sophos aims to create a stronger partner network that supports customers from strategy to technology and deployment. 'Evolving our channel business to consistently deliver excellent customer outcomes is at the core of our partner go-to-market approach,' said Torjus Gylstorff, chief revenue officer at Sophos. 'We are thrilled to have Chris' strategic vision and deep channel and cybersecurity expertise to shape Sophos' channel strategy and build programs to empower partners to scale their security business.' Sophos consistently expands its service delivery capabilities and is recognized for its leadership in implementing partner feedback into its products and enablement offerings. Following the acquisition of Secureworks, Sophos is the leading pure-play cybersecurity vendor of managed detection and response services, protecting more than 28,000 global customers. Sophos also strives to streamline partner operations through initiatives like Sophos Partner Care, a 24×7 team dedicated to providing quoting, licensing and general partner account support, and Sophos Customer Success, a single point of contact for maximizing customer onboarding, retention and growth throughout the post-sales experience. Sophos Channel Recognition Sophos has been recognized as a Champion in the Canalys Global Cybersecurity Leadership Matrix 2025, underscoring its excellence in channel management and market performance. Additionally, Sophos received a 5-Star Award in the 2025 CRN Partner Program Guide and has been a recipient of the 5-Star Award for the past 12 years. The CRN Partner Program Guide is a key resource that helps solution providers identify vendor programs aligned with their business goals and committed to delivering high partner value. To learn more about the Sophos Partner Program, visit:
