Trend Micro Singles Out Ingram Micro for Cloud Efforts

Trend Micro has named Ingram Micro its distributor partner of the year, citing Ingram’s cloud and virtualization solution portfolios. What does this mean for the channel at large, and Ingram Micro? Here’s The VAR Guy perspective …

Trend Micro’s praise, beyond virtualization security and cloud solutions, also includes Ingram Micro’s partner incentives and programs that propelled sales and partner growth in Trend Micro’s channel. Trend Micro said Ingram’s offerings have laid “a strong foundation for 2012.”

With cloud technology top of mind, Trend Micro’s adulation of Ingram Micro potentially means a bump in Ingram Micro’s cloud strategies, specifically the Ingram Micro Cloud, which serves as a marketplace for partners to compare and contract cloud solutions.

By naming Ingram Micro its distributor of the year, Trend Micro has gained a bit of notoriety and has better positioned itself as a security power player in the cloud and virtualization markets — a market The VAR Guy believes will become increasingly more competitive and turbulent in the years to come as more big-name vendors such as Symantec are pushing the move to cloud-based security and virtualization security.

The VAR Guy is almost certain an even heavier focus on virtualization and cloud trends will emerge from other distribution players. The VAR Guy will also be on the lookout for these trends as he gears up for the Synnex Varnex distribution event, Nov. 13-16, 2011, in Las Vegas. Viva la distribution!