FUTURE I am Mark and “we are GADGETS”! Welcome to the latest edition of ContiNEW, our regular TECH update on what’s happening in the world of technology in general and of course promotional gadgets. I was very pleased to be asked to be the guest editor for this issue and introduce both some of the latest trends to hit our market place and give an insight into one of my main roles within the organisation: managing our global supply chain for the business. Intraco has now been trading for over 25 years and I have been with the business for 18 of these years. I guess you could say gadgets are in my blood! I am so proud of what we have achieved and sometimes amazed at the changes that have occurred over the years. Especially in the last three to fi ve years. I am extremely excited about the future and very lucky to be able to help guide the business in terms of products for the future… the exciting stuff! Following our recent product development trips in the earlier part of the year (Las Vegas, Hong Kong, China and Germany), we are seeing a rapid adoption of many new technologies from giant manufacturers such as Google, Apple and Samsung. Our specialist design and supply partners such as Xoopar, Moyoo and Zens also respond to the current trends rapidly. We are observing an explosion in demand in product areas around home automation, Bluetooth 5, VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), AI (Artifi cial Intelligence), Biometric Authentication, RFID, Face ID and now what’s being called products for “The Internet of Everything“. The pace of change and requirement to be “fi rst to market” makes my role a challenging and exciting one. Sourcing a great and innovative product is one thing. Making sure it is fully compliant and fi t for purpose is a whole different game! My team is spread all over the world and works tirelessly to make sure all the new gadgets we are launching this year meet and surpass the stringent regulations across all our global markets. This means checking and updating each of our “Product Files” several times each year as regulations are updated. Product compliance, social & ethical responsibility and management of the supply chain is probably the biggest single market change I have seen over the years. I am pleased and proud to say we have always put this at the heart of our business philosophy. The team includes a wide diversity of skills. Professionals from many business disciplines which includes product designers, engineers, technicians, stock controllers, buyers, social and ethical auditing professionals, legal advisors, packaging designers and cardboard engineers. We also work with external agencies such as the brilliant Product IP in Hong Kong. They keep us updated on all the latest legislation in our market. Together we make a great team and ensure your brand is protected when you choose one of our items. You can rest assured we have designed the product to last, ensure your logo is reproduced correctly, the product has been made in an ethical manufacturing facility and the product arrives when you expect it to. In summary, we are GADGETS, and therefore we are one of the very few specialists in our area. I hope you enjoy our ContiNEW magazine and I am certainly looking forward to the next 18 years. Warm regards, MARK
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