IT distributors play a pivotal role in the success of any brand. They work diligently to enable brands to establish a robust presence in the fast-evolving digital world. Ingram Micro is one of the leading national distribution companies helping tech brands grow at rapid pace. It streamlines the entire technology lifecycle, from acquisition to deployment and optimization, facilitating rapid growth for tech brands. Ingram empowers companies to concentrate on their core competencies and business expansion. Their expertise in distribution and their commitment to efficiency make them an indispensable partner for tech companies looking to thrive in the digital age.
Rajeev Ranjan, Editor, Digital Terminal recently interacted with Navneet Singh Bindra, Senior Vice President & Country Chief Executive, Ingram Micro India. He shared crucial insights about digital transformation, their efforts in assisting companies in technology deployment and growth plans. Read below the excerpts:
Rajeev: How do you see the current state of digital transformation across industries?
Navneet: Well, the current state of digital transformation across industries in India is marked by the adoption of a digital-first approach. As organizations across verticals aspire to achieve a higher level of efficiency and agility, they willingly embrace digital technologies and work towards enhancing their digital capabilities. Though COVID-19 acted as a catalyst, we must acknowledge the fact that organizations have been integrating digital technology in multiple aspects of business way before that. Moving forward to the post-pandemic era, digital transformation has become the cornerstone of growth and success for businesses.
However, we must not forget that digital transformation is not a one-time initiative; it demands continuous investment and optimization. Given the fact that each vertical has its own set of constraints and challenges, we need to think innovatively about enabling every organization to join the digital bandwagon. Also, different organizations are at different stages of their digital evolution journey, therefore technology stalwarts must come together to draft a much more inclusive digital transformation plan for organizations across industries.
Rajeev: How has Ingram Micro adapted its strategies to align with the evolving role of technology distributors in the digital age?
Navneet: At Ingram Micro, we are taking multiple strategic actions that can help us stay relevant in the digital age. The launch of Ingram Micro Xvantage speaks volumes about our commitment to going digital. With Xvantage, we aspire to completely redefine the way we interact with our partners, vendors, and associates, empowering them with the necessary digital tools, knowledge, and insights necessary to success. Our intelligent, self-learning digital experience platform offers a wide range of features, functionalities, and capabilities that can enable our partners, vendors, and associates to get ready for the new digital era of doing business.
Additionally, we also offer a wide range of Value-Added Services, Professional Services, Financial Services, and IT Asset Disposition and Lifecycle Management Services to provide our partners with one-stop destination for all the needs of end customers. As digital transformation is at its peak across industries with each organization having a unique set of priorities and preferences, our Value-Added Services enable our partners to cater to the evolving digital needs of end customers competently.
Rajeev: Please tell how does Ingram Micro simplify technology deployment process to enable companies to focus on their core competencies and business growth?
Navneet: In order to ensure superlative experience to customers, we need to simplify the overall process of technology acquisition, deployment, and optimization. Therefore, we pay due attention to pre-configuration and customization of solutions even before delivery. Our Professional Services experts take care of end-to-end installation, configuration, deployment, optimization, and even post-implementation on-site support for customers who need hands-on assistance with any aspect of digital transformation.
Moreover, our close collaboration with technology vendors also plays a critical role in streamlining the deployment processes and ensuring seamless interoperability during the transition. We also host a wide range of training sessions and workshops for partners so that they can gain the necessary skills and knowledge required to handle, manage, and execute any large-scale or enterprise-wide technology deployment. With these strategies, we enable our partners to focus more on their core competencies while we take care of all their technology-led business solutions.
Rajeev: Can you share some specific initiatives or programs that Ingram Micro has undertaken to help channel partners grow and thrive in the market?
Navneet: We undertake multiple initiatives to educate, enable, and empower our channel partners that can help them grow and thrive in the market. Our initiatives around partner education focus on providing them with the necessary insights and understanding of how to optimize their growth and expansion strategies. Moreover, we also focus on providing technical trainings and certifications that can help them acquire the skills and expertise to envision and implement any transformation strategy.
We enable our partners with a complete package of bundled solutions from a wide range of technology vendors so that they can deliver customized solutions to the end customers. We also collaborate with multiple partners to undertake co-marketing initiatives, wherein we support partners with necessary resources, data, and marketing assets that can help them reach out to new market segments. Through our technical trainings, digital tools, and analytics-driven business insights, we have empowered many partners to expand their geographic presence and achieve greater heights of success in business.
Rajeev: What opportunities do you see in tier 2 and 3 cities? What are your strategies to capitalize on the opportunities to accelerate your growth?
Navneet: In my opinion, Tier 2 and 3 cities in India possess several opportunities for any IT distribution company. As the digital divide in India is slowly diminishing, several cities are emerging as significant markets for technology products and technology-led business solutions. An interesting fact is most of these substantially markets are yet to be untapped or explored. As these cities have numerous emerging small and medium-sized enterprises, it is quite obvious that they would require IT solutions and support to grow.
One of the most effective ways in which we can capitalize on these opportunities is by providing the necessary support, knowledge, skills and expertise to local businesses in these cities. That’s where Ingram Micro Xvantage can be a game-changer! The platform provides a seamless experience to all the partners, irrespective of their size and geographic location. This means that a partner in a Tier 3 city will enjoy the same level of accessibility to technologies, resources, and insights as a partner in any of the metropolitan cities. This will make it more convenient for businesses in Tier 2 and 3 cities to acquire technologies and achieve their digital ambition expediently.
