News in the Channel - November 2022

INGRAM MICRO FESTIVAL OF TECHNOLOGY

The other specialist units highlighted were the AV business, which has been growing strongly year-on-year as customer demand increases; unified comms, which has seen huge investment from the company as it capitalises on the move to hybrid working and physical security, which is the company’s newest area, but one that is being heavily invested in. While this is the first time Ingram Micro has hosted a large event such as this, the company has regularly run bootcamps for individual resellers, where they talk about trends in the marketplace, look at data on their customers and the areas they are missing out on selling. “When we ask why they don’t sell certain technologies, the answer is always the same – they don’t have the expertise or skills set,” says Raj. “But we bring in our own skill set, we have pre- and post-sales in all areas, we have Comm-care, an Ingram Micro company, that can do the installation. In this area one of the biggest areas is financial solutions; no one wants to own this as the depreciation is nuts, but we come up with unique financial solutions. It is not just about the technology we are financing; we will buy back and recycle and dispose of it. “Customers increasingly want one company to do everything and we can do that. Resellers are experts in their field, we are here to bring expertise in areas they should be doing.” Raj wants more resellers to go out to customers and say ‘we will help you to develop in these areas’ because they know they will have back-up of specialists from Ingram Micro who can go into a customer for a reseller and provide training and expertise as necessary. LED One growing area of technology, which was covered at the Festival of Technology, was LED. While LED as a technology has been available for some time, it is only now, as its cost is coming down dramatically and a narrative can be formed around total cost of ownership, that it is being considered by businesses as a mainstream option. To this end, Ingram Micro has recruited a team, including a business development manager, internal sales manager and product manager, along with best-in-class vendors, to enable resellers to capitalise on this growing area of opportunity. “We have invested in a demo area so resellers can bring customers in to see in real life action what total cost of ownership looks like in a corporate environment – we have 136-inch LED screen in our HQ,” says Raj. “We will start to invest in value-added training, upskilling and rolling out a suite of financial solutions in Q1 of 2023.” Demand for LED solutions is increasing globally,

Raj adds. “We speak to our European and global colleagues and often the US starts with a technology and we follow about six months later. That’s what we are seeing now with LED,” he says. “We have a huge amount of conversations going on at corporate and public sector level and with hospitality and outdoor event companies about LED and we expect to see those sectors transitioning to that technology in the next 12-18 months. “An LED wall is now a mainstream technology and now it is more affordable and has a total cost of ownership story that is very easy to explain, it is a great solution, and we will continue to develop it in the next year.” Raj adds that it is not just about the product but how Ingram Micro and resellers can add value for customers. “You don’t need to own this equipment, we will do all the installation and after- sales maintenance and provide you with financial solutions to take it off your balance sheet,” he says. “In the current climate of B2B that is music to everyone’s ears. We are taking a different approach which is leading with the service rather than the product set. That’s what the vendors want to see and why they are coming to work with us. Vendors know that an LED panel is an LED panel, but we are wrapping around services that should make it easier for an SME to want to invest in this technology. It is all about providing it ‘as a service.’

POLY: At the Festival of Technology, we presented our hybrid working solutions including MTR, headsets and handsets from our portfolio. We showcased how our hybrid working solutions work and discussed the need for them in today’s changing landscape of work. It was a great day where we had lots of engaging conversations with resellers and it gave us a chance to update people on new product solutions, what was new with Poly and have a chance to network with the channel. Events like these are super important as it helps us drive our key messages through the channel and network with key contacts.

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