Ingram Micro recently announced the expansion of its Xvantage platform. The Xvantage Integrations Hub now consolidates its digital experience across cloud, device, and marketplace ecosystems. But beyond the headline, what does this mean for MSPs on the front lines — especially those looking to grow their businesses without adding complexity?
ChannelPro recently caught up with Jennifer Anaya, Ingram Micro senior vice president of global marketing. She shared her insights on what elevates the Xvantage platform to more than a marketplace, and how its AI-powered capabilities are helping partners get time back, act on smarter insights, and focus on higher-value work. Here are some highlights from that conversation:
How Does AI in the Xvantage Platform Make MSPs More Efficient?
Anaya: We like to think of AI as a time machine. That’s not in the sense of going back, but in terms of giving you more time in your day, week, month, or year. We’re using AI in Xvantage to take transactions that used to take days — or even weeks if they were complex — and move them into minutes or seconds. That includes deals with special pricing or multivendor components that traditionally required a lot of back and forth.
Jennifer Anaya
What we’re hearing from our customers is that the more they use Xvantage to manage their business, the more time they get back, especially for their salespeople. Sales reps don’t just sell; they make sure deals get implemented. That usually means a lot of calls and emails that take them away from actual selling time. Some MSPs have told us they’re getting back as much as half a day. Imagine multiplying your productivity without adding headcount. That’s how we want MSP and SMB customers to think about AI. It helps them save time and focus on what they do best: selling, consulting, and billing.
How Is Xvantage Different from a Traditional Marketplace?
Anaya: There’s a huge difference. A marketplace is transactional. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s mainly a place to buy and sell. A platform, especially the one we’re building with Xvantage, is much more. It’s where you go to learn, gain insight into how to grow your business, and find resources — not just product catalogs. And yes, you can transact there, too. But it’s really a business operating system, not just a storefront.
What’s an Example of How AI in the Xvantage Platform Is Driving Smarter Decisions?
Anaya: One great example is a tool we call IDA, our Intelligent Digital Assistant. IDA helps us and our partners cut through the noise of all the pricing and sales quotes that get generated. Sometimes, multiple quotes are created for the same deal in different formats or configurations. It can be hard to know which version is best positioned to close. IDA identifies the quotes that are most likely to convert and prompts sales teams to focus there. We’re literally surfacing sales opportunities from the data our partners already have.
Another example is how we personalize the experience for different users. If you’re a business owner, Xvantage shows you a high-level view — your transactions, recommendations for new services, customers you could target, and growth insights. For an engineer, it highlights certifications that are expiring or new training tracks. If you’re in finance, you’ll see what your accounts are doing and where your spending is trending. It’s tailored by role so every persona sees what’s most relevant to them.
Featured image: DALL-E
