Distributors Test The Waters Of New Technologies

"Putting together a [technology center is a heavy capital outlay," said Sally Stanton, vice president and general manager of sales at Ingram Micro U.S. "What we've been able to do is put one together for resellers."

Ingram Micro's 2,000- square-foot Solution Center is loaded with nearly $2 million worth of emerging and high-end technologies that solution providers can use to train, create proofs of concept and perform demonstrations for customers.

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A critical component of the testing labs run by Ingram Micro and Tech Data is to ensure interoperability with existing technologies.

Ingram Micro recently signed an agreement with Cisco Systems to test beta products and is running the Cisco Avvid environment in its on-campus Solution Center.

The distributor also performs testing, demonstrations and training on IBM's WebSphere, wireless LANs, convergence products and videoconferencing technologies.

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Tech Data is testing and demonstrating NAS, security, remote-access and voice- over-IP solutions through its on-campus Integration World lab, which got its start three years ago as a traveling network for road shows. Testing is also being done on 40 Cisco products.

Tech Data recently moved the entire network and technology center into a 1,600-square-foot facility in its Clearwater, Fla., headquarters. Integration World can support, test and demo for solution providers any product that Tech Data sells. The distributor also uses the lab to perform demos and training for sales, technical support and marketing representatives.

"Tech Data is very proud of its level of technical support," said Barbara Miller, director of technical services at Tech Data, who oversees Integration World. "We've been doing this longer, and we are known in the channel as the technical distributor. 'Tech' is part of our name."

Both distributors said their testing facilities are frequently booked by solution providers seeking to provide training for themselves and to demonstrate solutions to end-user customers.

Executives from solution provider Information Networking, Irvine, Calif., attended the launch of Ingram Micro's Solution Center last fall and said a technology center is needed for smaller solution providers that can't afford to build one.

"Customers really need to touch and feel and make sure the high-end technologies they are interested in really work," said John Riddle, president of Information Networking.

Ingram Micro and Tech Data executives said the centers are critical for ensuring interoperability among different manufacturers' technologies.

"Interoperability is the key; that's what we promote," said Miller. "As soon as some technology gets hot, we go after the vendor to get the equipment [for Integration World." Tech Data's technical staff has more than 500 certifications in various technologies and products, he said.

Ingram Micro executives said they often add new technologies and solutions to the lab, and 35 manufacturer partners have contributed products to the center to date.

"It's kind of snowballed into something bigger and better," Stanton said. "Vendors are literally blown away."