Brigantia’s MD admitted he might suffer a linguistic lapse this morning as he unveiled its full Elovade rebrand to over 150 of its vendor and reseller partners.
The Thirsk-based cybersecurity distributor officially became Elovade at 10am, 17 months after it was acquired by the German VAD.
Talking at its Annual Partner Conference 2026, Angus Shaw outlined plans to expand its marketplace and training capabilities under the enlarged, 260-employee company, which is headquartered in Wetzlar.
In his new capacity of UK&I Managing Director at Elovade, Shaw acknowledged it will be “tough” not to inadvertently name-check ‘Brigantia’, which is now in its 30th year.
“That’s my first slip,” he said after making this very gaffe during his keynote.
“I wonder how many times the team have gone wrong on the phone… They were meant to change at 10 o’clock. I’m sure there’s been a few slip ups already.”
Marketplace “has been on my mind”
Shaw said he had had “absolutely nothing but support” from his new German colleagues, as he outlined the benefits being part of a bigger, pan-European VAD might bring.
Adding a marketplace capability is something that’s “been on my mind” but that Brigantia previously lacked the financial clout to pursue, Shaw said.
Being part of a larger group will give it an opportunity here, he claimed.
“This idea of a 24/7 shop… the concept of having our marketplace – but without losing the human touch – is something we’ve thought about for a long time,” he said.
“With the acquisition of Zen earlier this, we do now have our first online shop, but it has a very limited vendor portfolio. There is much more to come.”
Shaw also touted a move into reseller training, something he said “our German colleagues already do extremely well”.
Elovade’s EL Learning Base offers on-demand training on its vendors, and will hopefully “in time” help UK partners “onboard new members of staff and help the really develop as individuals”, Shaw said.
“I’m not sure the UK will ever get there”
Shaw also outlined three growth opportunities for Elovade’s partners, who tend to be MSPs serving SMB.
Shaw said being part of a European group had exposed him to the heightened focus on data sovereignty in Germany and France, where he noted some local government organisations are moving off Microsoft technology.
“I’m not sure the UK will ever get there, but we’re seeing more and more concern, particularly relating to US over-reach through the Cloud Act – and I think the opportunities that might bring for the channel are very interesting.”
Just 17% of smaller businesses are actively using AI in some form, presenting a “huge opportunity for the channel”, Shaw said of his second growth hotspot.
He flagged simplification – specifically the desire among partners to work with fewer suppliers – as his final growth tip.
Shaw admitted those who registered for the ‘Brigantia Partner Conference’ weren’t quite getting the event they signed up for as he showcased the new Elovade branding.
The new Elovade.co.uk website is also live, he stressed.
“Please don’t go and crash it,” he said.
Doug Woodburn is editor of IT Channel Oxygen
