Ingram Micro Builds Solutions For Financial-Services Market

The move follows a similar initiative the distributor launched earlier this year for the health-care vertical, with services built around helping health-care professionals comply with HIPAA. With the new financial-services program, Ingram Micro is teaming with Cisco Systems, IBM and Citrix Systems, as well as select ISVs, to offer complete solution to the financial-services market, with a special focus on compliance with new legislation requiring increased privacy, information security, document retention and realtime reporting for end users and institutions, the company said.

Kevin Murai, president of Ingram Micro North America, said the new legislation aimed at privacy and data security translates into increased sales and service opportunities for the channel.

Brian Avery, president of I-Tech, an Orlando, Fla.-based solution provider, said that legislation is putting increased pressure on IT managers at banks and accounting, investment and insurance firms. He said Ingram Micro's new vertical focus on financial services will help solution providers better address this market.

As part of the initiative, Santa Ana, Calif.-based Ingram Micro is working with Paul Reymann, a leading regulatory expert for financial institutions, to bring in-depth marketing materials and technology expertise to solution providers. The company plans to build a comprehensive assessment tool that solution providers can use to determine regulatory compliance at customer sites.

Ingram Micro said it plans to provide initial training sessions in the financial-services vertical solutions Oct. 4 at the company's VentureTech Invitational in Hollywood, Calif.