With an Annualized $7.5 Billion in E-Commerce Sales, Ingram Micro Highlights New E-Enabling Technologies at COMDEX 2000
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- With an annualized $7.5 billion in e-commerce sales and designation as the leading e-market maker for the industry, Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM)
, the largest global wholesale provider of technology products and services, has invested in strategic e-commerce deployments to drive cost out of the supply chain and create the electronic infrastructure for a true e-business environment in the IT industry.
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According to Gartner's Dataquest, "online operations of brick-and-mortar intermediaries like Ingram Micro dominated the market in 1999." Key programs launched today at COMDEX, as well as the company's strategic initiatives to e-enable the technology supply chain represent Ingram Micro's value as the industry's leading e-market maker.
"Ingram Micro plays an integral role in the technology industry as a commerce service provider (CSP) and a supply-chain management services company," said Guy Abramo, chief strategy and information officer, Ingram Micro. "We are connecting the IT supply chain with the electronic platforms that will bring greater efficiency to the industry, as well as fuel e-business between the buy-sides and sell-sides of the industry."
Ingram Micro: the Commerce Service Provider
Launched today at COMDEX, Ingram Micro's PartnershipAmerica.com now features several new enhancements to better link public sector technology purchasers with Ingram Micro's network of technology solution providers through this online marketplace. PartnershipAmerica.com is a highly targeted CSP providing services that are tailored to the specific e-business needs of the public sector.
PartnershipAmerica.com 2.0 features improvements in technology solution provider storefronts, including a new offering of administration tools that assist solution providers in managing their stores. Key improvements include enhanced multiple catalog tools; catalog customizing capabilities; taxation and freight options assignments to specific contracts; GSA contracts pricing; multiple freight options; specialized order limits; improved email notification; the ability to upload end-user identification; and the capacity to process partial shipments and backorders. Ingram Micro also offers similar and highly targeted community-based, e-commerce platforms such as VentureTech Network (VTN) and National Service Network (NSN) aimed at the needs of small and midsize businesses (SMBs).
In addition, Ingram Micro today announced it is first in the IT industry to offer mobile Internet access through PartnershipAmerica.com for product price and availability, orders and order status for technology products, further demonstrating its leadership as a CSP for the public sector. Mobile Internet access to Ingram Micro's inventory of more than 280,000 technology products is available via Sprint PCS Phones and the Brience wireless technology platform to provide government and education IT purchasers mobile, online search capabilities.
Similarly, Ingram Micro provides CSP services to its vendor partners through specialized vendor stores recently launched for Sony and InFocus, located at ingrammicro.com, featuring new product announcements, promotions and technical information centrally located within the site for one-stop shopping.
These stores are equipped with user-friendly images and navigational tools to simplify product searches and purchasing, with capabilities for sourcing one family of products and simultaneously linking accessories to those products.
Ingram Micro automates the IT supply chain
As a founding member of RosettaNet and the leader in deploying this XML-based platform, Ingram Micro is driving the technology industry's efforts for standardization with a common electronic language. RosettaNet initiatives are a key focal point of Ingram Micro's efforts to integrate its systems with technology manufacturers to create greater efficiency in the industry and drive out costs. Since February, the company has deployed seven Partner Interface Processes (PIPs) with eight different trading partners -- the most in the industry to date. These PIPs are enabling active communication via RosettaNet for order and catalog management including product price and availability, new product information, product discontinuation, shopping cart transfer, purchase order and order status.
Other integrations with technology manufacturers include shopping cart transfer technologies that enable customers to easily bundle technology solutions by moving from product sourcing on a technology vendor's Web site to IngramMicro.com where supporting products, software or peripherals can be added for a complete technology solution purchase.
Ingram Micro is in the process of developing shopping cart transfer capabilities using RosettaNet for its vendor partners. This capability also provides greater service to customers for fulfillment, since Ingram Micro can deliver the entire solution to the end-user customer on behalf of the solution provider.
"These initiatives integrate Ingram Micro's systems with technology vendors to provide the electronic automation that will bring efficiency and cost-savings to the entire industry," Abramo said. "As we continue to Web-enable our business processes with our trading partners, our value to the industry is in providing a seamless flow of information through Ingram Micro to all of the areas of the industry we touch. This capability has tremendous impact since Ingram Micro has the industry's largest customer and vendor base with 1,700 vendor partners and 175,000 technology solution provider customers, as well as the largest product base with more than 280,000 offerings."
Ingram Micro also offers a seamless e-commerce solution to technology vendors and online retailers who partner with Ingram Micro for order management and fulfillment through its proprietary InsideLine connection, the only e-commerce tool in the technology industry to provide real-time access and a direct connection to inventory information. As an e-business intermediary, Ingram Micro provides critical supply-chain connectivity with InsideLine to provide fast and accurate inventory data and order management.
About Ingram Micro Inc.
Ingram Micro Inc. is the largest global wholesale provider of technology solutions, products and services. The company operates in 34 countries with sales exceeding $30 billion for the past four reported quarters. Ingram Micro's global regions offer e-commerce solutions, logistics services, and technology product distribution and marketing to more than 175,000 technology solution providers and manufacturers. The company is focused on maximizing shareowner value and achieving customer satisfaction by continuously innovating the information technology supply chain. Visit http://www.ingrammicro.com/.
Ingram Micro and the registered Ingram Micro logo are trademarks used under license by Ingram Micro Inc.
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Source: Ingram Micro Inc.
Contact: Jennifer Marchetta of Ingram Micro Inc., 714-382-1403,
jennifer_marchetta@ingrammicro.com; or Lisa Falcetti, ext. 234,
lisa_falcetti@benjamingroup.com, or Stefanie Lopez, ext. 239,
stefanie_lopez@benjamingroup.com, both of Benjamin Group/BSMG, 949-260-1300,
Ingram Micro Inc.
Website: http://www.ingrammicro.com/