The MSP Angle
At this year’s Ingram Micro ONE in Washington, DC (held Nov 6-8), the channel’s second largest distributor revealed moves to enhance partner engagement and profitability. They also showcased strategic investments in AI and cloud technology.
- Ingram Micro introduced Ultra, an AI-powered loyalty program built into its Xvantage platform, offering personalized rewards for partners.
- With Ingram Micro Ultra, partners can expect an adaptive, AI-powered loyalty program tailored to drive their business goals. Integrated into Xvantage, the Ultra program offers members dynamic, data-informed resources and rewards that evolve with their needs. Members of the newly unified Trust X Alliance will automatically receive elite status in this program, gaining premium access to incentives, training, and support.
- New hyperscaler marketplace integrations within the Xvantage platform, starting with AWS, provide partners streamlined access to major cloud services.
- The inclusion of hyperscaler marketplaces within the Xvantage digital platform means easier access to cloud resources for MSPs managing multi-cloud environments. This feature allows MSPs to streamline cloud offerings, deploy solutions faster, and increase customer satisfaction through a single, cohesive interface.
- Effective January 1, 2025, Ingram Micro’s SMB Alliance and Trust X Alliance will merge into a single, global Trust X Alliance.
- By consolidating the SMB Alliance and Trust X Alliance under one global Trust X Alliance brand, Ingram Micro aims to create a robust network of over 600 partners. This unification is intended to amplify collaborative opportunities, foster peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, and enable MSPs to serve a broader range of clients.
Channel Reaction
“With Ultra, we want to incentivize you and give you more ways to grow your business…we want you to partner with us more deeply. We’re providing personalized business intelligence data, targeted insights, and trends to support your growth. Think of this as a true loyalty rewards program.” — Paul Day, CEO, Ingram Micro
“Xvantage been a huge game changer for us. In the past, getting special pricing on a quote was a painful multi-day process and now it’s very simple and there’s a whole workflow around it. So as soon as it gets approved, we’re able to generate the quote. We’re able to order it right from the platform without speaking to anyone.” — Matthew Nikravesh, CEO, Solarus Technologies
“The partnership with Ingram is incredible. They expose us to hundreds of MSPs. We’re about to announce a partnership program with Trust X. We’ve worked very closely with SMB Alliance as well. So it’s just an opportunity to share what we do differently from most insurers. Which is, let’s not compete. Let’s cooperate. It just makes so much more sense. It benefits the channel and it benefits the end customer.” — Edouard von Herberstein, CEO, SPECTRA
Your Bottom Line
For Ingram Micro partners, the initiatives announced at ONE are great news for the bottom line.
- Ingram Micro’s commitment to AI is profound. By positioning the Xvantage platform as the central hub for all interactions, partners are now accessing AI-driven insights every time they use it. From intelligent purchasing recommendations to customer insights and loyalty rewards, the benefits are undeniable.
- Ingram Micro reinforced its “one-stop-shop” vision with the integration of hyperscaler marketplaces into Xvantage. This announcement was met with strong, sustained applause, as partners recognized the vast potential for expanded cloud sales.
- The relationships forged by SMB Alliance and Trust X Alliance have long been revenue drivers for Ingram Micro partners. While some MSPs expressed initial hesitations about the consolidation, Ingram’s leadership effectively outlined the benefits. By the conference’s end, both groups were enthusiastic about the new growth opportunities.
