Ingram Micro today announced that a revamped Ingram Micro Business Transformation Center (BTC) located in Buffalo, New York, is now formally open.
The BTC is primarily focused on highlighting repeatable solutions that address a variety of opportunities challenges across a range of vertical industries, says Greg Richey, director for training and professional services for Ingram Micro.
For example, Ingram Micro is showcasing solutions for the healthcare, retail and education sectors that make use of advanced analytics to drive a specific business outcome, says Richey. Previously, the facilities Ingram Micro made available to channel partners were mainly focused on providing partners with hands-on access to products for comparison purposes, says Richey.
The 3,500 sq. ft. BTC includes three dedicated vertical customer-focused areas, a data center with hands-on capability, a training classroom and a unified communications and collaboration area. Supported by six full-time engineers, the BTC features products from more than 30 vendors.
Ingram Micro is inviting partners to bring customers to a facility where they can demonstrate IT solutions that will drive digital transformation across their business, says Richey. Driving digital transformation will be a major theme of the Ingram Micro ONE conference in Washington, D.C. next week.
Digital business transformation is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. Most end customers don’t issue a request for digital business proposals. There may sometimes be someone in an organization savvy enough to create a digital transformation strategy. But by and large, it’s incumbent of solution providers to educate customers on what’s truly possible using modern IT technologies. For example, Richey notes it’s now possible to install a rack from APC by Schneider Electric that is completely soundproof, which in turn makes it possible to deploy servers and server well outside a traditional data center environment.
Arguably, the biggest challenge solution providers now face is getting close enough to a customer to proactively recommend IT solutions that are relevant to their business. Otherwise, the solution provider will always find themselves in the unenviable position of competing to sell a product on price versus proactively selling a complete solution.
“We’re not leading with technology,” says Richey. “We’re asking about the outcome for the business.”
There now tends to be a direct correlation between how much a channel partner understands a vertical industry segment and the health of the partner’s business. There may still be room for partners that want to focus on technology. But as IT continues to evolve, it’s clear the customers that generate the most value for partners are trying to move beyond simple technology refreshes.
Be First to Comment