Three Solution Providers On Why Ingram Micro Is Their Trusted Partner

Executives from KME Systems, Applied Tech and M&N Communications say that the distributor stands out by standing up to help them any way it can.

Executives from KME Systems, Applied Tech and M&N Communications all agree that what sets Ingram Micro apart is the team by their side and the resources they can leverage. For these three solution providers, what makes Ingram Micro stand out is its team of people who care and want to see their businesses grow.

Whether the partner is a Trust X Alliance member who can leverage a pool of more than 350 peers or one simply ordering hardware through Ingram Micro’s Xvantage portal, these solution providers know they can tap into Ingram Micro’s team, and its resources, if they ever run into an issue.

From quarterly meet-ups with Ingram Micro executives or a Trust X Alliance is a global network of more than 350 IT professionals who connect and collaborate to solve problems they each face in their business. The latest collaboration initiative is through “Thyme Zones,” where Trust X partners meet up in different time zones to have dinner.

Essayian recalled one of these meetings in particular.

[RELATED: Building And Enhancing Xvantage Platform Is A ‘Perpetual Journey’: Ingram Micro’s Kirk Robinson]

“All of a sudden Kirk Robinson [executive vice president and vice president of North America] shows up, and Paul Hager [vice president of services] and Jennifer Anaya [senior vice president of global marketing] show up and they say, ‘Hey, we just want to talk with you,’” Essayian said. “And there was no agenda.”

The executives wanted to discuss the distributor’s goals and where they were headed. That’s it.

“I like that level of engagement,” Essayian said. “If you’re a partner and you’re stepping up and engaging and becoming a business partner with Ingram Micro, they are truly doing their best to become a business partner of ours.”

The fact that the team at Ingram Micro comes to the table and shares that they’re not perfect but that they’re always working to better themselves is what impresses Essayian.

“They help you throw people at the problem if people are the issue, and they throw technology at the problem when technology is the issue,” he said.

Ingram Micro is developing an experience for everyone inside and outside the company so they can use and live inside the Xvantage platform. And the team cares about customer feedback.

“They’re asking, ‘Do you like the experience? Do you like how it feels?’” he said. “I can’t believe how focused Sanjib [Sahoo, executive vice president and chief digital officer] is on, ‘If you don’t like how this works, how this looks and how this feels then you won’t use it.’ It’s uncommon for me to hear from a vendor, ‘What do you really need to make our job mutually better together?’”

The Power Of Ingram Micro’s Certified Engineers

It’s one thing to be one of the largest distributors in the world and have a multitude of vendors on its line card, but for David DeCamillis, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Madison, Wis.-based Applied Tech, it’s that talent, tap into that leadership and expertise, which just expands our ability to deliver better services to our customer base.”

And what drew him to Ingram Micro in the first place was just that—the ecosystem and the people.

“They care,” he said. “I know if we’re having trouble with anything in our business, I can reach out to someone at Ingram Micro and get help. It doesn’t matter what the issue is, what the need is, when or where, I know I can depend on Ingram Micro and their people. They continue to check that box.”

Whether it be a Microsoft issue or tapping into more of Ingram Micro’s security offerings through its marketplace, “they’re helping us stay ahead of our competition.”

“They’re always forward-thinking, and they listen,” he said.

Xvantage Insight: Asking—And Answering—The Right Questions

The ease of navigating the cloud marketplace, marking up products to turn a profit and helping Melvin Williams’ business grow is why he remains an Ingram Micro partner.

“It’s allowing us to have Hardware as a Service as one of our product lines, and it’s also allowing us to have a bunch of servers at our access at any point in time,” Williams, CEO of Blue Bell, Pa.-based M&N Communications, told CRN. “We just have to go into the portal, purchase it and get it out to us, and our delivery is really good too, as well as if we have any problems. I’ve had a really good experience with them as far as getting credit and getting things taken care of on the back end.”

But it’s not just about product delivery. Williams taps into Ingram Micro’s team to help him stand out from the competition. They ask him where he’s looking to take his company and what products can complement those in his portfolio so that he can show his customers different types of solutions.

“They asked me, ‘What are you trying to accomplish? Where are you looking to take your business? How are you looking to do Hardware as a Service? What exactly are you looking to do?’” he said.

The team at Ingram Micro was then able to demonstrate the value of the hardware marketplace.

“Our general conversations have been about what goals are we looking to accomplish and how they can steer us in that direction,” he said.

He also has high praise for the Xvantage portal and said he appreciates the data insight on products he should be buying that he didn’t even consider.

“As soon as you log into the portal, there’s a recommendation on what’s going on, what you might purchase,” he said. “I’m definitely getting more suggestions on what I should be buying.”