Ingram Micro Cloud Launches for VARs and MSPs
Ingram Micro continues to accelerate its cloud strategy, today launching Ingram Micro Cloud and a related marketplace for VARs and MSPs that are seeking a range of SaaS and cloud solutions. In an MSPmentor FastChat Video, Ingram Micro VP Renee Bergeron says the distributor’s cloud strategy is a natural extension of Ingram’s services strategy for partners. Here’s the update plus some perspective from MSPmentor.
First, a little background. Bergeron joined Ingram Micro roughly two months ago as VP of managed services and cloud computing, Ingram Micro North America. She succeeded former Ingram VP Justin Crotty, who joined NetEnrich. In recent weeks, Bergeron has been soaking up information about the managed services and cloud market trends. MSPmentor met with her during the recent Rackspace Partner Leadership Summit in October and last week’s ConnectWise IT Nation conference in Orlando, Fla.
Today’s News: Ingram Micro Cloud Arrives
Fast forward to today, and Ingram Micro has launched Ingram Micro Cloud, a portal that includes a SaaS applications marketplace, education, cloud discussions and collaboration opportunities. According to an Ingram Micro spokeswoman, the cloud marketplace includes information and offerings from:
AlertLogic, Autotask, CA, GroupSpark, IBM, Intermedia, Level Platforms, McAfee, Microsoft, MX Logic, NetEnrich, Nimsoft, PrintAudit, Rackspace Hosting and Vaultlogix. Ingram Micro Cloud affiliate vendors featured as part of the Ingram Micro Cloud include Advanced eMedia, Awareness Technologies, GoGrid, Jive Communications, LeadMaster and Workspace Communications.
FastChat Video
What is Ingram Micro’s overall strategy for the cloud marketplace? Bergeron shares her perspectives in this MSPmentor FastChat Video:
Latest of Many Steps
To be sure, Ingram Micro’s cloud strategy continues to evolve. Plenty of questions remain. For instance…
- How will Ingram potentially profit by offering VARs and MSPs access to third-party cloud applications?
- Will Ingram (and its channel partners) face squeezed cloud margins as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Rackspace and others continue to apply pricing pressure on their offerings?
- How will rival distributors react to Ingram Micro Cloud?
We’ll be exploring those questions in the days and weeks ahead. In the meantime, Ingram is raising its cloud visibility. We’ll be watching to see how channel partners react.
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I, myself am also wondering not only how Micro Ingram will profit from this, but also how MSPs can be competitive in this market with a middle man involved. Wouldn’t they be better off purchasing a software that would allow them to offer any services they choose to their customers, providing integration with services they already offer them? What about orchestration?
Eileen: We’re early in the cloud game so I don’t have exact answers. But where I sit I think it would be wise for MSPs and VARs to take a close look at online marketplaces (Ingram Micro Cloud, Google Apps Marketplace, Windows Azure, Rackspace App Matcher) to see which apps might be of use to end-users. If you’re deploying on-premises apps today you should try to determine how those apps will look in the cloud computing age…
Again, sorry for such generic advice. We’re early in the game here.
-jp