Effort aimed at helping resellers capture share of $10 billion opportunity
SANTA ANA, Calif., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM)
, the world's leading wholesale distributor of technology products and services, announced today a line-up of specialized services to help its domestic resellers capitalize on new sales opportunities for schools and libraries. The opportunity is called the Education Rate, or "E-Rate," a federal program that was launched to help connect schools and children to the Internet.
E-Rate provides funds to K-12 schools and libraries for installation of Internet access at their facilities. This year, $2.25 billion in funding will be given to eligible schools and libraries. More than $10 billion has been earmarked over a five-year period. The funds are used for the technology needed to establish the hook-up, including internal connections, Internet access and telecommunications services. Computer desktop hardware is not covered by E-Rate.
Starting immediately, Ingram Micro is offering sales leads, bid support, product discounts, special financing and credit options for resellers that want to participate in E-Rate sales opportunities. These services are led by Ingram Micro's Government and Education Division, which provides resellers dedicated sales and financing resources.
Shelly Talbott, vice president and general manager of Ingram Micro's Government and Education Division, said, "E-Rate has brought schools and libraries increased purchasing power for Internet solutions, which represents an enormous opportunity for our resellers. The opportunity is not just the initial fulfillment of Internet-related products, but also the installation and long-term services. We are committed to helping our resellers succeed with E-Rate, so we've partnered with key vendors to provide a targeted, strategic offering to educate resellers about these opportunities and how they can profit from them."
Added Laura Skinner, vice president and general manager of Ingram Micro's Telecom Integration Division, "Telecommunications solutions are turnkey today, and Ingram Micro offers all of the products resellers need to connect these schools to the Internet. The concept of E-Rate is closely aligned with our commitment to provide complete integrated solutions to our resellers. This is a great opportunity for resellers to establish or deepen their presence in the telecommunications sector."
E-Rate Discounts from Partnership America(TM) and Vendors
Ingram Micro resellers servicing public schools, libraries and school districts are eligible for product discounts through Partnership America(TM), Ingram Micro's government and education reseller program. More than 260 vendors participate in Partnership America. The majority of these offer discounts to resellers that service the government and education market. In addition, select vendors offer additional E-Rate discounts beyond those available through Partnership America. This list currently includes 3COM, Cisco, Intel and Allied Telesyn.
Qualified E-Rate Sales Leads
Resellers can receive qualified, E-Rate sales leads from their Ingram Micro sales representative. These leads are pulled from a database that was developed by Ingram Micro to easily access and sort public end-user leads. Leads are sorted by the resellers' specific criteria, such as city, state or area code, and are sent to the reseller via fax.
Proposal Support
Resellers can bid on sales leads with the help of Ingram Micro. Through the Partnership America program, resellers can receive bid pricing, proposal support, contract management and processing support. This makes the bidding process more efficient for resellers.
Financing Options
Ingram Micro offers a wide range of financial services to help resellers maximize their business opportunities. The company's Purchase Order Financing program allows resellers to finance an order based on its customers' purchase orders. In this case, the order is secured on the credit worthiness of the end-customer, not the reseller. This allows resellers to fill an order above and beyond its Ingram Micro credit line. Ingram Micro also offers 45-day interest-free financing.
Ingram Micro E-Rate Sponsors
Twelve Internet-related vendors are sponsoring Ingram Micro's reseller awareness and education program on E-Rate. The sponsors are 3COM, ADC Kentrox, Asante, Allied Telesyn, Cisco, Compaq, D-Link, DNPG, IBM, Intel, Paradyne and SMC.
The History of E-Rate
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 deregulated several telecommunications services. In May 1997, the Federal Communications Commission issued an order to ensure that all eligible K-12 schools and public libraries have affordable access to modern telecommunications and information services. The FCC established a fund of up to $2.25 billion annually to provide eligible schools and libraries with discounts for telecommunications services, internal connections and Internet access. The funds subsidize 20-90 percent of the cost of technology equipment. The percentage is based on the economic need and location of the school or library.
To Learn More
Resellers who want to learn more about E-Rate discounts or special financing options should call their Ingram Micro sales representative at 1-800-456-8000, or visit the U.S. Reseller Business Center at http://www.ingrammicro.com/erate.
About Ingram Micro Inc.
Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM)
, 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 1997 sales of more than $16.5 billion. The company and its affiliates operate in 31 countries, distributing more than 145,000 products to more than 100,000 resellers in 120 countries. Ingram Micro can be found at http://www.ingrammicro.com/.
(C)1997 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.
CO: Ingram Micro Inc.
ST: California
IN: CPR MLM EDU
SU: PDT
Source: Ingram Micro Inc.
Contact: Cindy Ragland, Media Relations of Ingram Micro Inc.,
714-382-3364, cindy.ragland@ingrammicro.com
Website: http://www.ingrammicro.com/
Website: http://www.ingrammicro.com/erate