A quick update on topics that may affect your business — a planned change to Outlook, and a heads-up on the global memory shortage affecting hardware pricing and availability.

Announcement

Introduction of our Chief Growth Officer

James Blair, our Chief Growth Officer, has started this month. As ABit Systems looks to continue to grow, James will be at the frontline of new initiatives to help make that possible. James has an extensive background in cybersecurity and has been in sales environments for over 11 years. He brings new eyes, creativity and plenty of experience to our exciting, growing business.

Please keep an eye out for any emails from James as he makes his way around to introduce himself to you all.

Microsoft 365

Notice of a Price Increase from Microsoft

Microsoft have informed us of an upcoming price increase to all product packages in the M365 Suite. These price increases will be effective from the 1st July 2026, but ABit Systems will be holding off the implementation of these increases for our customers until 1st September 2026. The change comes on the back of some additional capabilities Microsoft are advertising as part of its focus into its own AI-platform, Copilot.

Further information can be found here Microsoft to increase Office suite prices across the board starting July 2026

Questions? If you require any further information on this, please don't hesitate to reach out to us and we can step you through what steps we will be taking over the next few months.

Sophos XGS

Notice of a Price Increase from Sophos

Sophos have informed us of an upcoming price rise, effective 1st July 2026, relating to their Sophos XGS Series firewalls. This price rise will be implemented in July 2026 by ABit Systems per the below information. This price rise comes from global cost pressures and continuous reinvestment from Sophos into their technology stack to ensure they stay at the forefront of the cybersecurity landscape.

Questions? If you require any further information on this, please don't hesitate to reach out to us and we can step you through what steps we will be taking over the next few months.

Hardware Advisory

Global Memory Shortage — What It Means for You

A reminder that the global memory market is still under significant strain. AI infrastructure and data centre expansion are absorbing DRAM and NAND supply faster than manufacturers can redirect production — and the downstream effect is hitting enterprise hardware availability and pricing.

+172%

DRAM prices year-on-year, driven by AI demand

15–20%

Projected system price increases from major OEMs in 2026

Months–Years

Estimated duration of supply constraints per vendors at CES

Memory suppliers are prioritising server DDR5 and HBM for AI workloads, leaving fewer units for standard enterprise and PC configurations. High-capacity servers and professional workstations are the most affected.

What this means practically:

●Higher system costs, particularly for RAM-heavy configurations such as servers and workstations

●Longer delivery windows for specific capacities and speeds (64–128GB RDIMMs, DDR5-5600/6400)

●Reduced configuration options as suppliers constrain lower-priority SKUs

Recommended steps — we can help with all of these:

Pull forward planned hardware refreshes and new purchases to lock in current availability and pricing before further increases take hold.

Right-size memory specifications where possible — validate actual RAM headroom and consider balanced upgrades (CPU, GPU, SSD) to meet performance targets cost-effectively.

Evaluate procurement strategies: multi-quarter commitments, leasing arrangements, blanket POs, or buffer stock for business-critical hardware.

Plan for alternate configurations — approved alternate RAM speeds or densities — to reduce risk if preferred parts face allocation constraints.

If you have hardware refreshes or new projects planned in the next 6–12 months, now is a good time to start that conversation with us.

Questions? Reply to this email and we'll call you back.

We appreciate your ongoing partnership.

ABit Systems