Why is the pool empty? Because a few hundred channel partners are inside at Ingram Micro's TrustX Alliance conference here in Orlando, Fla.
Trust X Alliance is a network of Ingram partners who work closely with one another to drive successful customer outcomes. The members are "individually strong but collectively exceptional," according to Ingram.
Among the metrics to note: Trust X Alliance includes 330 of Ingram's top-performing channel partners across the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Those partners represent more than $15 billion in annual IT spend and IT services revenues.
Ingram Micro TrustX: What We'll Cover
Our live blog from the conference -- featuring exclusive interviews with Ingram executives and technology industry leaders -- starts around 10 a.m. ET today. (Maybe sooner.) Keep checking this blog for ongoing updates today.
TrustX Alliance: Chatter So Far
- Cisco Spark Deployment: Ingram Micro TrustX Alliance is set to standardize on Cisco Spark for community collaboration. The beta is starting now with a production rollout expected later this year. Ingram and Cisco together have been promoting Spark in multiple ways.
- Ingram Financing: It sounds like Ingram's back office team is here in full-force. We'll be poking around to learn about the financial programs that are moving front and center.
- Cisco's Andres Sintes: Cisco's global senior director for partner go to market, described how digital disruption will redefine every key vertical market. The usual Uber and Amazon examples popped up. But Sintes offered a key warning: The technology vertical faces the biggest disruption, and partners need to get ahead of that disruption. (On a related note, here's why it's so hard to get ahead of the disruption wave, according to Forrester.)
- Cisco's Top 100 Partners: How are Cisco's top 100 partners profiting from digital transformation? Here's the math:
- Shawn Fitzgerald, research director at IDC: Fitzgerald described digital transformation as "Transformed decision making with technology." The image below more fully describes what Fitzgerald is covering.
- Stephen Miller, Lenovo: Miller described four major inflection points and IT trends that are reshaping the industry. We'll share more details soon.
- The Ingram Perspective: Multiple executives described how the company is focused on talent, agility and One Ingram. We'll share more details from interviews later today.
- Ingram Partner Growth Opportunities: The company is describing key opportunities across Advanced Solutions, Finance, Tools, Cloud, Integration, Internet of Things (Product, Platform and Professional Services), and professional+training services. We'll share more later today.
- Ingram Micro Finance: Expect a big conversation around Project to Annuity, Cash Flow and Technology as a Service. Also, check out programs involving Hardware as a Rental (hmmm... checking to see if GreatAmerica owns that term), Hardware as a Service and more.
More: Keep checking back for more updates throughout the day.
