Ingram Micro Readies System Builder Community

Ingram Micro is recruiting systems builders to become members of a new community akin to its successful VentureTech Network.

The invitation-only community, called Systems ArchiTECHS, will be comprised of about 700 system builders. Executives in charge of the group are considering candidates now based on recommendations by Ingram’s sales force.

Benefits of the group include preferred pricing on some components, manufacturer exclusive offers, dedicated sales and technical support resources, an annual conference and financial services, said the Santa Ana, Calif., distributor.

“We came up with System ArchiTECHS as a way to bring [system builders] together with the manufacturing community to say this is where [each of] their needs are, where they’re focused, where they see technology moving,” said Doug Crandall, Ingram’s director of sales for U.S. components. “Hopefully the manufacturers will get more involved with how their products are integrated into the solution. We will provide the framework for that.”

Because it is based on VentureTech, the distributor also expects system builders to learn from and partner with each other, said Mike Beyersdoerfer, Ingram’s director of vendor management for U.S. components.

“Manufacturers have done the market research about vertical markets, but the hard part is they don’t understand how to get to that market. That’s where our customers play,” he said. “We don’t want manufacturers to come in to talk about their products, but about here’s where we see a vertical fit for our product, here’s where it ties in to the solution and how the customer can relate to that.”

Ingram invited two of its high-profile system builders to VentureTech’s Fall Invitational last fall to gauge their interest in a similar group for system builders. “I was very impressed. Everyone was keeping an open line of communication, which provides us with a new perspective on vendor experiences,” said Dana Chang, vice president of technology at Microtech Computers, Lawrence, Kan.

“In today’s market, resellers can’t work in solitude anymore. The computing environment is more complicated, and building computers does not provide a complete solution. We can learn more about different technologies and different aspects of the business. We can provide our expertise, how we select products, qualify the parts, that knowledge we can share with the partners,” Chang said.

Cyberpower, a gaming PC builder in Baldwin Park, Calif., hopes System ArchiTECHS can help it expand into the home entertainment and workstation markets, said CEO Eric Cheung. “[VentureTech] has a good sense of community. We do not [partner] now, but that’s what we are looking to do. [System ArchiTECHS] can help me learn from others and also provide better buying power.”

Tweet

   

More