SANTA ANA, Calif. and ROSEMONT, Ill., Aug. 17, 1998 /PRNewswire/ -- Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM)
, the world's leading wholesale distributor of technology products and services, and Comdisco, Inc. (NYSE:CDO)
, a technology services company, today announced an alliance to offer government and education resellers a customized leasing program. This is the first stand-alone government leasing program available through a distributor that provides options for Federal, state/local and education resellers that are responding to public sector Request for Proposals (RFPs) and other government procurement opportunities, the companies said.
The new offering, Partnership America Leasing Solutions, gives resellers the flexibility to offer customized leasing for each procurement opportunity. Combined with lease pricing, resellers can integrate a comprehensive financial service with their technology solutions.
The leasing program is affiliated with Partnership America(TM), Ingram Micro's flagship government and education reseller program. It is being delivered through Ingram Financial Services Company, a division of Ingram Micro.
"Today Federal, state/local and educational entities are increasingly demanding leasing requirements in their RFPs. Our resellers have been telling us they need to be even more competitive in the bidding process," said Shelly Talbott, vice president and general manager of Ingram Micro's Government and Education Division. "In response to their requests, we have joined with Comdisco to design a leasing program that offers our resellers a customized approach for each opportunity -- allowing for a high degree of versatility and competitive lease pricing that will help them grow their business."
"We're excited about this partnership because it focuses our joint resources on adding value and flexibility to Ingram Micro's reseller offerings, while expanding our opportunity in the government marketplace," said William Stuckert, vice president, Comdisco's Government Marketing group. "Today leasing is increasingly viewed as the government procurement vehicle of the future because it provides both financial flexibility and a means to fight technological obsolescence."
How It Works
Comdisco will have the option to provide leasing services on each government opportunity Ingram Micro receives from a reseller, VAR, or integrator customer that indicates they want a lease integrated with their technological solution. Comdisco will provide a wide variety of financial options, depending on the customer's business, technology and financial needs. The alliance will also extend leasing services for state and local catalogs and multiple award schedules in Texas, California and other states. Through Partnership America, Comdisco can provide Ingram Micro resellers creative, flexible lease terms to help them meet customer budget requirements.
"This alliance brings together two leading financial organizations in the technology industry," said Lino Martin, senior director of financial services and U.S. treasurer for Ingram Micro Inc. "We now have the most comprehensive financial service offerings for government and education resellers."
A Partnership that Makes Sense
Ingram Micro and Comdisco already have worked together on common client relationships in the government and commercial sectors.
Gary Sorkin, president of Rockville, Md.-based ComTeq Federal, which has relationships with both companies, said, "Ingram Micro and Comdisco are both leaders in their respective markets, and now they have come together to allow resellers like us to be more competitive in bidding for government contracts. Previously, we sourced product at Ingram Micro, and bid leasing at Comdisco, but now we can do it all in one place -- which will greatly reduce our costs for preparing RFPs. This is definitely a winning combination for resellers and government entities."
About Partnership America
Partnership America offers VARs and systems integrators a wide range of services to assist them in selling to the government and education markets. Such services include bid pricing, proposal support, manufacturer discounts, contract management and processing support, state/local programs, state term schedule support, dedicated account managers, technology refreshment, credit services and configuration support. Since it started in 1995, Partnership America has recruited nearly 300 manufacturers to serve the federal and state/local governments as well as the academic community.
About Ingram Financial Services Company
Established in 1995 as a division of Ingram Micro, Ingram Financial Services Company develops and markets financial services and products -- such as asset-based lending, purchase order financing, end-user receivable financing and leasing -- to Ingram Micro resellers.
About Ingram Micro Inc.
Ingram Micro Inc., headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., is the world's leading wholesale distributor of technology products and services, and a leading provider of assembly and integration services, with sales of $19.3 billion for the last four quarters. The company and its affiliates operate in 31 countries and distribute more than 145,000 products to more than 100,000 resellers in 120 countries. Ingram Micro can be found at http://www.ingrammicro.com/.
About Comdisco, Inc.
Comdisco, Inc., a technology services company, is one of the world's leading providers of solutions that help organizations reduce technology cost and risk. These services include asset management, equipment leasing and remarketing, business continuity, and network services. Comdisco's revenue for the 12 months ending June 30, 1998, totaled $3.1 billion. For more information, visit Comdisco's Web site at http://www.comdisco.com/.
1998 Ingram Micro Inc. All rights reserved. Ingram Micro is a trademark used under license by Ingram Micro Inc. All other logos, brand names and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
Source: Ingram Micro Inc.
Contact: Cindy Ragland of Ingram Micro, 714-382-3364, or
cindy.ragland@ingrammicro.com; or Holly Crilly of Comdisco, 847-518-5616, or
hxcrilly@comdisco.com
Website: http://www.ingrammicro.com/ http://www.comdisco.com/