California-based technology distributor Ingram Micro has established a global IoT centre of excellence to aid channel partners and manufacturers in accelerating IoT market adoption.
 
Under the leadership of Ingram vice president Sabine Howest, the centre should help the company expand its global go-to-market capabilities and portfolio around the IoT and place more emphasis on key verticals and services.
 
“The introduction of a global centre of excellence will smooth and accelerate the road to market for our channel partners and manufacturers specialising in IoT, and pave the way for us to share best practices, new market applications and resources globally,” said Paul Bay, executive vice president at Ingram Micro. “Under Sabine’s leadership, Ingram Micro’s IoT business will scale and further specialise, adding increased and sustainable business value to our partners and manufacturers by helping them extend their expertise, share their experience and meet the varied demands of the market locally, regionally and globally.”
 
As part of its efforts to enable and empower channel partners, Ingram Micro is also teaming with established and emerging IoT, artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed reality manufacturers to broaden its portfolio. Additional resources including financing, development services and market-ready use cases are being made available to channel partners worldwide, especially as demand for select technologies and service capabilities are being prioritised around key markets in high demand.
 
“IoT remains one of the channel’s must have technology practices, and represents an area where channel partners are able to lead and enable their customers with the technology and services needed to proactively pivot, lean into their strengths and learn from real time data, AI and analytics to make more informed business decisions,” said Howest. “Our centres of excellence are proven to optimise operations and help empower our people and our partners. We are in this together, and I am eager to work with my new team and put our business process, portfolio and resources, which now include collaborative engineering, to work for our partners and providers and, in turn, the customers they serve.”
 
In her expanded role as vice president of global partner engagement and IoT, Howest oversees Ingram Micro’s global business development of its top vendor and provider partners. She is also responsible for increasing Ingram Micro’s value-added capabilities within the enterprise and specialty markets, serves as the executive lead for its global centres of excellence, and is a member of the firm’s global executive leadership team.
 
“Sabine’s appointment to lead Ingram Micro’s IoT business is part of our continuing efforts to create and deliver sustainable value for customers in a rapidly growing IoT market,” said Bay. “Our global centres of excellence are and will remain a service differentiator, as well as a competitive advantage for Ingram Micro, our channel partners and our manufacturers.”