Leveraging the surge in demands, Ingram Micro dedicatedly provided reliable and dynamic solutions to maintain productivity and stay connected as well as competitive during the pandemic
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“We provide streamlined and convenient training options aligned with key vendors, but also work directly with solution providers to map business and individual professional development strategies that deliver a competitive edge.”
Navneet Singh Bindra,
Senior Vice President and Country Chief Executive,
Ingram Micro India
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The Collaboration Technology industry witnessed a significant uptick in the demand due to the massive digital adoption triggered by the pandemic. As part of our effort to make the voices of major Collaboration technology players heard by the channel community, SME Channels embarks upon recording the voices of the who’s who of the Collaboration Technology landscape.
In a special interaction with SME Channels, Navneet Singh Bindra , Senior Vice President and Country Chief Executive, Ingram Micro India, reveals his organization’s strategy to address growing demand for Collaboration solutions from customers, his predictions for the Collaboration Solutions industry in 2022 and his vision and plans for the channel community. Edited excerpts…
There has been a significant uptick in the demand for Collaboration Technology Solutions triggered by massive digital adoption due to the Pandemic. How has your company been leveraging this hike in demand?
The surge in the global coronavirus pandemic has given us the unprecedented opportunity and real challenge to figure out how to provide IT support to our associates and partners across India when they all started working from home. To continue providing that same degree of support to a distributed workforce, Solution providers came across the collaboration and Unified-Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) systems like Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex by bundling in additional services.
Videoconferencing always felt that in-room systems were never easy enough to use. But Collaboration Technology Solution’s as-a-service delivery model with a simple and safe interface has changed that narrative. Considering the situation, Ingram Micro leveraged these demands with the help of their professional team who dedicatedly provided reliable and dynamic solutions to maintain productivity and stay connected as well as competitive during the pandemic. It was becoming the norm for technology companies to use these collaboration technologies, and we are typically the early provider of great products to our customers and partners across the country.
What key megatrends do you foresee in the Collaboration Technology Solutions market?
- Unparalleled security and privacy capabilities are necessary
- With collaboration technology solutions, the user experience will continue to improve
- Video and audio quality will take Centre stage
- Making video conferencing more efficient and cost-effective by integrating tools and technology.
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning advancements.
- Using video conferencing technology to track audience behaviour and measure performance.
What are your major Product/Service offerings?
Ingram Micro India is a leading national distributor of technology and mobility solutions, professional services and capabilities, making us the one-stop shop. In the modern channel ecosystem with the strategic association of partners, we serve our customers as a solution provider where we offer a large pool of comprehensive portfolios that help us to advance on our digital transformation journey.
We aim to be at the forefront of technology evolution, where we continuously innovate. Our go-to-market closely surrounds our four main transformation pillars: IT, Security, Digital and Workforce. It is also our mission to provide support to our partners to join us in this journey.
Ingram Micro’s key products/services offerings include:
- Advanced Solutions
- Server and Storage
- Network Infrastructure
- Security
- Office Equipment
- Unified Communication & CollaborationData Capture/POS
- Consumer and Commercial
- Appliances and Consumer electronics
- Passive Networking
- Notebook & Desktop
- Power Management
- Printers and consumables
- Solar
- Cloud
- Mobility
- Mobiles & Tablets
- Mobile Accessories
- Audio Category
- Fitness and Lifestyle
Services For Unified Communication & Collaboration and Unified Video Computing offering, apart from products like MS Teams, Cisco Webex, Blue Jeans, we have partnered with multiple vendors such as Wacom, Zebra, Dolby, Infocus, Lifesize, Logitech, Tandberg-overland, Lavelle Networks, TeamViewer, Milestone, Google and Videonetics.
Collaboration techs should provide the platform to connect with external partners, customers, and vendors through seamless and high-impact communication. How have your clients as well as partners been benefitted from them?
We assist SME businesses in crafting sales pitches for their clients, as well as educating engineers and obtaining certification. We assist in the creation of solutions that meet the project’s needs. POC / Demo is another important area where we contribute to business growth.
Clear, easy to understand, user-friendly End-User Interface is pivotal for the success of any Collaboration Solution. What sort of Product differentiation do you bring onto the table to ensure greater traction for channel partners?
Ingram Micro India e-commerce has many facets to it – the first one is the IMEcom B2B self-service portal for our partners, where we offer a huge range of technology products with the ease of doing business, partners can log in to the portal and check the product details, availability and pricing on a real-time basis and place their orders. Over 13,000 partners are already onboarded on this portal purchasing directly from this portal. It eliminates a need to conduct business through physical mode or email for order placement, Query handling, all operational support about Delivery Status Information, Account statements Order status etc.
What are the major factors that are impacting the growth of the Collaboration tech sector? Is cannibalization of revenue, a major challenge?
Yes, Cannibalization can be a challenge in the modern world, for impacting the growth of the Collaboration tech sector. Market cannibalization can occur when a new product is similar to an existing product, and both share the same customer base. But as long as one provides differentiation to the solutions, there is room for growth. Collaboration Tech sectors focusing on disruptive technologies or nascent markets do better in the form of joint ventures or smart investments, as such forms insulate experimental activities from complex processes or resource cannibalization that can occur when larger firms evaluate risky ventures based on their existing core business. Moving to new business models requires a cultural change that makes innovation the focus of the business strategy. Concerns on cannibalization of existing businesses need to be addressed by concentrating on overall consumer demand.
Collaboration Solutions business is highly tech-intensive. How do you upskill your partners to help them tap more into the market opportunities?
- Through our Professional Services we provide top training courses from 65+ Industry Leaders to fit every business need on your schedule with our training and education services.
- Conducting monthly Webinars for Enterprise, Cloud Partners and end customers.
- Run Partner Incentive Programs for partners to win exciting rewards.
- Support lead generation activities.
- Pinnacle Program for IM’s Elite partners.
- Proactive Credit support to meet large deal execution and manage business peak cycles.
Have you recently made or plan to make any major investments in terms of channel expansions or product development in India and SAARC?
Ingram Micro intended to provide a path to increased expertise and a broader core focus, as well as the background required to maximize full solution implementation. Ingram Micro offers industry-leading vendor training to meet every business need. We provide streamlined and convenient training options aligned with key vendors, but also work directly with solution providers to map business and individual professional development strategies that deliver a competitive edge.
We planned to expand the portfolio and work with a variety of brands to bring them on board in the areas of business adjacencies, which we will continue to accomplish as part of the business development project. We’re working hard to develop the company while also generating new long-term revenue streams.
