Ingram Micro is accelerating its transformation into a platform company with a global innovation mindset that benefits local markets, including Australia. Paul Bay, the company’s EVP and Asia Pacific President, emphasises how the firm’s cutting-edge initiatives, particularly through its flagship Xvantage platform, are designed to empower channel partners with AI-driven tools that enhance productivity, customer experience, and security.
Central to this vision is the recently introduced Xvantage Enable | AI platform, launched locally to help customers and vendors navigate the complexities of AI adoption. The platform provides a “step-by-step guide for AI success,” offering practical, industry-relevant use cases that assist channel partners in understanding, selling, and supporting AI-powered services and solutions. Bay highlights that while localisation for Australia remains key, the benefits gained from Ingram Micro’s extensive global research and development investment mean local teams can scale faster without reinventing solutions for each country.
A notable feature of Xvantage is the Intelligent Digital Assistant (IDA), an AI model set to debut in the Australian market. IDA personalises business insights by analysing quoting and purchasing patterns at the user level, helping partners tailor their offerings more effectively. Across the company, Ingram Micro utilises about 300 AI models to streamline operations and reduce friction. What once took days—such as special pricing decisions—now happens in minutes or seconds, unlocking significant efficiency gains.
Diego Utge, EVP and Asia Pacific group president, underscores that removing operational friction through AI frees the company’s go-to-market teams to better focus on supporting partners as they adopt complex new technologies. This is crucial in markets like Australia, where technology adoption rates have traditionally been high, and where partners increasingly rely on distributors for training, skills, and specialisation to meet evolving customer demands in areas spanning AI, cloud services, and cybersecurity.
Ingram Micro has also expanded its talent pool recently with key hires like Kaaren Lewis and Mo Kandeel to bolster its Advanced Solutions Group (ASG), which specialises in complex technology stacks. Managing Director Alison McGarry stresses the company’s commitment to augmenting partner capabilities, providing expert pre-sales support, solution architects, and sales engineers. The strategy is to act as a trusted adviser and a “safe pair of hands,” enabling partners to scale and improve profitability without making premature investments themselves.
Beyond Xvantage Enable, Ingram Micro has launched the AI-powered loyalty program Ingram Micro Ultra. This program integrates technology-specific growth tracks—including Xvantage Enable—offering partners centralized business and technology activities alongside real-time insights and rewards to drive business growth.
The broader Xvantage platform addresses common IT business challenges through AI-driven insights, process automation, a rich digital marketplace, efficient quoting and ordering, and real-time order tracking. This suite of tools helps partners and vendors streamline operations, accelerate time to market, and adapt swiftly to changing market conditions.
Ingram Micro’s Xvantage Integrations Hub further reduces complexity by enabling near-instant access to prebuilt applications and secure workflows with platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho. Tasks that previously took months can now be completed within minutes, significantly accelerating digital transformation efforts.
For managed service providers (MSPs), the platform automates time-consuming activities, allowing them to dedicate more time to consulting and sales. The platform also customises user experiences by tailoring insights and recommendations to specific roles, boosting productivity and decision-making.
Through these initiatives, Ingram Micro leverages a rich ecosystem of AI modular solutions, platforms, hardware, and services from leading vendors such as Microsoft and AWS. This comprehensive approach supports business growth by enhancing productivity, improving customer experiences, and strengthening cybersecurity defences.
Overall, Ingram Micro’s platform-centric strategy, powered by AI and deep global expertise, positions it as a pivotal partner for businesses and channel partners aiming to navigate the fast-evolving technology landscape, both in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region.
Source: Noah Wire Services
