Maximizing the Value of Technology with Ingram Micro

Aviram Cohen spearheads the strategy & emerging technologies segment under the emerging business group at Ingram Micro and is a high-tech industry veteran with business development, strategy, and R&D leadership roles at EMC, Centerity, NUIC, and others. Outside of work, spending time with his wife and three kids is a high priority, which he balances with activities like reading, cycling, hiking, wine tasting, art crafting, and music.

Ingram has a very rigorous vendor selection process. Can you tell us more about it?

AC: Indeed, the process is rigorous and comprehensive, but it’s highly beneficial to the technology vendors, the partner community, and Ingram. There is a single objective in mind: a successful joint GTM that will serve the trio, and this is the reason for the rigorous approach.

At Ingram, we craft strategies that span across many technology areas. We then scout for the vendors that meet these strategies and the qualifying criteria. The onboarding process is a bi-directional due-diligence activity that aims at identifying the best GTM approach, smooth collaboration, and effective execution in the marketplace. Alkymi’s advanced technology with its wonderful people across the board check-marked it all. Such a match to join Ingram.

What made you excited about working with Alkymi?

AC: We mentioned Ingram’s strategies in the hi-tech arena. One of them focuses on the hyperautomation market. Alkymi—a unique technology, very sophisticated yet easy to use—is a perfect fit and an integral part of this strategy. Furthermore, Alkymi’s technology complements other offerings that are part of Ingram’s line card in this space. With Alkymi, Ingram presents its partners and their end-users best-of-breed solutions that accelerate the digital transformation journey while enhancing business performance with these expanded RPA services.‍

Tell us more about your hyperautomation practice?

AC: The hyperautomation strategy incorporates five pillars. These cover everything related to the business efficacy while allowing the workforce to be more productive and deliver better results. Important to note is that the whole notion of automation is to manipulate data to best serve the business needs.

As to the five pillars:

1. Business process management: Modeling tools, design, execution, and optimization services of business activities for maximum efficiency/productivity. 
2. Data extraction tools: Data retrieval from various sources into a single repository for further analysis, enhancement, and processing.
3. Data analytics
4. Natural language processing/understanding tools: The analysis and understanding of large amounts of natural language content (AI, ML).
5. Digital reasoning tools: Deep learning and understanding, automated reasoning, question answering, content development.

Tell us about the innovative things you do at Ingram Micro?

AC: While excelling and enjoying what we do, scaling the business of our overall partner community and promoting growth is one of Ingram’s main goals. In the US alone, we serve close to 50,000 partners in various market segments. Among them are VARs, system integrators, NSPs, consulting firms, and others. In addition, we promote many technology vendors of all sizes that cover the entire spectrum with solutions that address any aspect of the business. That’s why we’re centered around being a value-added distributor (VAD), focusing on delivering a variety of services to the business community.

For example, when it comes to business intelligence (BI) and data analytics, we have a “TAM accelerator” that allows Ingram can pinpoint business opportunities for both the resellers and tech vendors. Another example is the emerging business group (EBG) that welcomes emerging technologies to Ingram. The VAD may be overwhelming to the naked eye and the newcomers. Ingram’s EBG, with its 60 dedicated professionals, welcomes these vendors, introduces them to the larger Ingram family and its scaling ability, and handles the emerging line of business.

These are just a few ways of how we ensure everyone’s success.‍

What technological trends do you see as imperative for 2022 and beyond?

AC: In 2022, Ingram will continue promoting cyber security technologies. For those unfamiliar with our offering, here is a glimpse of our security line card. Additionally, digital transformation drives our clients to embed automation across the business. Promoting such technologies like Alkymi and automation solutions, in general, will be a major focus. Cloud migration/services, SAS solutions, and work-from-home technologies will continue to dominate the market needs. These will require Ingram to deliver them all and provide related professional services. 

To learn more about Alkymi and our partners, visit our partner page.