Resources are scarce in the channel and everyone knows it.
Avnet Inc. (NYSE: AVT) is trying to address this challenge by acquiring IBM solutions for large enterprises and smaller businesses from Ascendant Technology. It can also deploy e-commerce, enterprise portal and collaboration, Web content management, infrastructure automation and cloud computing solutions. The company generated revenue of approximately $90 million in the 2011 calendar year.
Phil Gallagher, Avnet’s global president, said Ascendant will accelerate its global solutions distribution model. “Avnet’s ability to identify new services and solution business opportunities for our partners will greatly expand,” he said in a statement.
Rorke Data
Do you remember Rorke Data? It was one of the companies Avnet acquired from its takeover of Bell Microproducts. Rorke Data has been run as an independent company and this week, it revamped its channel partner program for Canada and the U.S.
Called the Select Partner Program, this plan is designed to assist solution providers in building new relationships and expanding revenue streams through training, demand generation activities, demonstration equipment and co-branded marketing activities.
Joe Swanson, group executive vice-president and general manager of sales and marketing at Rorke Data, said the revamped program tries to create greater engagement and loyalty with top resellers by rewarding joint sales activities.
Participants in Rorke Data’s Select Partner Program must have a qualified, outbound sales team that focuses on value-added sales of data storage systems or other complementary products. Rorke Data offers two levels of partnership for its resellers: Authorized Reseller and Premier Reseller. Authorized Resellers will benefit from deal registration, comprehensive free training, sales promotions and world-class support.
In addition to those benefits, Premier Resellers can gain additional support such as market development funds, joint marketing opportunities, lead generation, discounts on demo equipment and a dedicated account manager. All partners will be able to access the program’s benefits through an online partner portal, which will provide regular communication from Rorke Data on sales and marketing activities.
Avnet also confirmed deals with Hitachi, Fujitsu and Oracle, closing out a hectic week for the Phoenix-based value-added distributor.
Strong numbers from Synnex
Synnex Corp. (NYSE: SNX) released fiscal first quarter results this week and distribution income grew substantially despite reverting $729,000 for an acquisition and integration expenses.
Kevin Murai, president and CEO of Synnex, said he was pleased with the strong profitability in the fiscal first quarter and the overall stability in core commercial IT distribution business.
“Our distribution business mix continued to shift towards higher margin value added products and services. We also had a solid quarter for signing new contracts in our GBS division. We expect these new business wins will ramp up in the coming quarters and are then expected to contribute to margin expansion in the GBS division,” he said.
Revenue was $2.42 billion, a decrease of 1.8 per cent over the prior fiscal year quarter. Distribution income before non-operating items, income taxes and non-controlling interest grew to $62.4 million, or 2.57 per cent of distribution revenue compared with $47.2 million, or 1.91 per cent in the prior fiscal year quarter.
Tech Data celebrates Women’s History Month
Tech Data Corp. (NASDAQ:TECD) hosted its inaugural 2012 Women in Leadership event this week at its Clearwater, Fla. feadquarters. The event, presented by Tech Data’s Diversity & Inclusion Council and Women in Leadership committee in celebration of Women’s History Month, featured an interactive panel of female business leaders who shared their personal and professional journeys with more than 200 attendees.
Caryl Lucarelli, vice-president of human resources at Tech Data, said the company was proud to celebrate Women’s History Month and offer the opportunity for its employees to hear from a remarkable panel of accomplished female leaders. “By bringing this highly successful forum in-house, Tech Data has created an opportunity to invest in personal and professional development by learning from others, sharing experiences, networking with peers and adding new skills,” she said.
New exec at Ingram
Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM) has appointed Michael Romero to vice-president and general manager of the distributor’s new Mobile Business Unit in North America.
Brian Wiser, senior vice-president of the specialty solutions division at Ingram Micro North America said the mobile marketplace — from handsets to smartphones, accessories, tablets, laptops, activation services and fully integrated mobile solutions — has become one of the fastest-growing, high-margin technology segments worldwide and is an area of strategic importance and global growth for the distributor.
Ingram will also be hosting several of its VentureTech Network partners at the Bradmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs in early May.
