IT Distributors: We’re Here to Help

IT channel companies coping with a changing marketplace marked by cloud computing, mobility and recurring revenue models don’t need to go it alone. Instead, they can rely more heavily on their distributor partners for support.

“We owe it to you to help you change and transform your business, and we have the capabilities to do that,” Joe Quaglia, senior vice president, U.S. marketing, Tech Data Corp., said Wednesday during the Distributor Power Panel session at Breakaway 2012.

Distributors can “insulate the channel from complexity” so they can work better with their customers, he said. The assistance distributors can provide goes well beyond being a source for products and services, but extends into areas such as lead generation, HR, marketing and pre- and post-sales tech support

Panel moderator Beth Vanni, vice president, Partner-Path, noted that distributors already hold an integral position within IT, bringing technology products and services in market; providing $5 billion in credit; handling five million inbound calls; preparing two million custom configurations; and shipping 150 million items annually.

Asked to describe what the next-generation solution provider will look like, Tim FitzGerald, vice president, cloud solutions, Avnet Technology Solutions, said services are a huge component of how they will define their business.

Brian Wiser, senior vice president, specialty solutions division, Ingram Micro, agreed that the future “should be and is services-led.”

Wiser also advised channel partners to focus on what they know and do best – serve their customers. “You know your end client, you know what problems they have, and you know how to solve them.

Bob Stegner, senior vice president, marketing, North America, Synnex, counseled channel partners to research technologies and markets before jumping in. “Get a good idea of what you want to do.”