Ingram Micro Unveils Second Annual SMB 500 Ranking

New SMB 500 Research Reveals Interesting Shifts in Growth Patterns, Vertical Successes and More

Glendale, AZ (Marketwired) - Celebrating the success of its channel partners, Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM), the world's largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in IT supply-chain, mobile device lifecycle services and logistics solutions, today announced its second annual Ingram Micro SMB 500, facilitated by The 2112 Group, a channel research and consulting firm. The list was announced on main stage at the distributor's 2013 Fall SMB Invitational in Glendale, Ariz.

Launched in the fall of 2012, the Ingram Micro SMB 500 ranks the distributor's top 500 fastest-growing channel partners in the U.S. that are focused on servicing the nation's small and midsize businesses (SMBs) with 250 or less employees. Ingram Micro's 2013 SMB 500 is derived from more than 20,000 U.S. solution providers that work with the distributor's SMB business unit. A complete list of the 2013 Ingram Micro SMB 500 can be seen at http://www.im-smb.com/smb500.

This year's top performers posted a three-year average growth rate of nearly 250 percent from June 2010 to June 2013, approximately 30 percent higher than in 2012. Ingram Micro channel partners that engaged in selling services outperformed those who remained focused on break/fix. Simultaneously, solution providers that specialized their business on a particular vertical, or verticals, grew 380 percent faster than others who served as IT service generalists.

Ingram Micro's 2013 SMB 500 analysis also noted that value-added resellers (VARs) and managed service providers (MSPs) that effectively manage credit lines and financial services saw significant improvements within their businesses. Those partners who participated in Ingram Micro's SMB Alliance, VentureTech Network or System ArchiTECHS communities also reported higher year-over-year growth rates.

"The Ingram Micro SMB 500 has become the 'who's who' in small business when it comes to identifying, benchmarking and learning from the IT channel's top-performing VARs and MSPs," says Jamie Ferullo, director of SMB sales, Ingram Micro U.S. "We expect this ranking will continue to grow in value over the next few years. The research will also continue to improve our insight into, and understanding of, how these businesses adapt and grow in a rapidly changing marketplace. Ultimately, that understanding will drive new and different appreciation and investment into the SMB space by Ingram Micro."

"The superior growth of these 500 IT solution and service providers demonstrates the potential for all technology companies in the marketplace," says Lawrence M. Walsh, president and CEO of The 2112 Group. "Each of these companies excelled during difficult economic times by providing value-based IT solutions to their customers. They are pillars of the IT channel, providing examples of what it means and takes to grow."

Additional takeaways from the Ingram Micro SMB 500, including business analytics, trending reports and best practices, will be shared regularly through a series of quarterly research reports, white papers and articles published by The 2112 Group.

Ingram Micro Launches Rewards Program at SMB Invitational, Shares Business Acumen
During the SMB Invitational, held Sept. 23-25, more than 200 Ingram Micro SMB partners had the opportunity to hear from Ingram Micro Senior Executive Vice President and President of North America Paul Bay and Senior Vice President of Commercial Markets and Global Accounts Kirk Robinson. Both executives shared valuable perspective on the trends, technologies, opportunities and challenges within this growing marketplace. Partners also had the opportunity to network with peers and the nearly 80 vendor partners in attendance, and take advantage of event-specific vendor specials from 19 manufacturers.

Ingram Micro also previewed a new and exclusive Partner Loyalty Program at the SMB Invitational, designed to reward members of its U.S. SMB Alliance community for driving a greater share of business. The new program, which kicks off on Oct. 1, 2013, introduces quarterly revenue goals and rebate rewards for community members who achieve and exceed their numbers.

"The findings from our SMB 500 program position us to better understand and address the needs of our channel partners and put in play the right resources and programs to serve them, such as our new Partner Loyalty Program," says Ferullo. "We understand that taking the necessary steps to achieve long-term growth can be daunting, and this program allows us to further encourage and reward that type of business development in our partners."

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About Ingram Micro Inc.
Ingram Micro is the world's largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in IT supply-chain, mobile device lifecycle services and logistics solutions. As a vital link in the technology value chain, Ingram Micro creates sales and profitability opportunities for vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, outsourced logistics and mobile solutions, technical support, financial services and product aggregation and distribution. The company is the only global broad-based IT distributor, serving approximately 160 countries on six continents with the world's most comprehensive portfolio of IT products and services. For more information, visit www.ingrammicro.com.