Top Tweets From 2012 Ingram Micro Partner Invite

By Jim Roddy, president, Business Solutions magazine

The Data Capture/Point of Sale division of Ingram Micro conducted its annual Solutions Partner Invitational May 15-16 at the Marriott Marquis and Marina in San Diego. The event attracted more than 400 resellers and vendors from data capture, point of sale, mobility, digital signage, general computing, and physical security technologies.

My original plan for this article was to share with you the top 10 or 20 Tweets from the event, but there were so many valuable nuggets of information, I’m not going to put a cap on the number. To help you navigate through the Tweets, I’ve organized them by category.

Total Solution Provider
‏Ingram to VARs: give your customers new techs they need or someone else will. #imspi

We think only selling existing products into existing accounts is not sustainable. Brian Wiser at #imspi

A lot of our resellers are moving into adjacent technologies, and video surveillance is attractive to them. Ingram exec at #imspi

@monocello RT @jim_roddy: Talking w/ resellers at #imspi. Those who added video surveillance are happy they did. More revenue, closer w/ customers.

Sometimes your customer needs a consultant, not technology. @IM_HuyNguyen at #imspi @IngramMicroInc

Mobility
@monocello RT @jim_roddy: All things are becoming mobile. That's an opportunity, not a threat, if we go about it the right way. Brian Wiser at #imspi

‏@ChannelPR Interesting! RT @Jim_Roddy: Consumer attitude: Mobility & connectivity trumps performance. @HP_retail at #imspi @bsminfo

@ingrammicroinc CIO: 95% of conversations at recent CIO conference focused on #mobility. #imspi @bsminfo

@VantageRob "Tablets are here to stay" says Mike Stryczek of American Barcode and RFID #barcode #RFID #IMSPI

‏@ChannelPR RT @Jim_Roddy: Next mobility trend could be "Bring Your Own Device" instead of supplying associates with tech. @starmicronics at #imspi

@VantageRob Great mobile marketing track with Honeywell at #imspi. Consumer/industrial product convergence a threat as well as an opportunity.

"Connect what is at the point of sale today and make it mobile." @starmicronics at #imspi @bsminfo @ingrammicroinc

Ingram rep to VARs: If you want to stay competitive, know that mobility & cloud computing are the future. #imspi

Vertical Markets
Become involved in your new vertical. "Be a member, not a vendor." Thoreson at #imspi @bsminfo

After you secure 15 customers in a vertical, the next 15 will come faster because of your expertise & reputation. Ken Thoreson #imspi

To be successful vertically, you need to be an SOB ... Student Of the Business. Thoreson at #imspi What were you thinking?

‏@IngramMicroInc SMBs offer the most sticky business opportunities for solution providers says @motosolutions #IMSPI #SMB

@IngramMicroInc "Enterprise opportunities will continue 2 dominate" Ex: field mobility, back & front of house says Motorola's Rishi #motorola #IMSPI

Healthcare
For hospital CIOs, the water is so choppy they can't see 5 feet in front of them. Helix exec at #imspi @bsminfo @hctechnology

No matter what happens w/ Obamacare, healthcare will change - paid based on performance, not fees for redundant tests. Helix #imspi

"The only market less tech friendly than healthcare is mining. I'm not joking." Helix exec at #imspi @bsminfo @hctechnology

The info is there (in healthcare). Technology can make it meaningful & actionable by sharing the data. #imspi @bsminfo @hctechnology

Internal integration is a nightmare in healthcare because legacy tech is siloed. #imspi @bsminfo @hctechnology

Once you get a medical customer, they're easier to keep - stick w/ quality products. Bill Nulf of @elotouch at #imspi @bsminfo

Speaker at #imspi: biggest % of financing is in #healthcare -- EHR & EMR especially. @bsminfo @hctechnology

Leadership
@culture_jammer RT @ChannelPR: "A great culture produces the right outcomes," says Keith Bradley @IngramMicroInc #IMSPI #Culture

@IngramMicroInc The Anatomy of a Great Leader: Partner Advocate, Strategy & Vision, Associate Dev & Results Driven #IMSPI #Leadership #Culture

Courage begins when you accept your fear and move forward. Keith Bradley at #imspi #leadership @bsminfo

@PaulaJohns If you want to be a leader w/ charisma: love life, give people hope & share yourself. Keith Bradley at #imspi via @ChannelPR @IngramMicroInc

CIO Perspective
‏@Niceware Bulls eye RT @IngramMicroInc: "Complacency doesn't work in this market - keep reinventing!" says IM CIO Mario Leone #CIO #IMSPI

CIO Panel to VARs: Do your homework on the co., their industry, & regulation. Present a solution that makes sense. Then be patient. #imspi

‏@IngramMicroInc Panel advice: Don't try & sell high (direct to CIO), start w/the decision makers who support the CIO & do your homework 1st #CIO #VAR #IMSPI

@ChannelPR Biggest CIO concerns: mobility, cloud, social media, and big data. #imspi CIO Panel @bsminfo #VAR #mobile #cloud RT @Jim_Roddy

Fox CIO: "I can't use some big vendors because they're not where they need to be. They're too slow to change." #imspi

@VantageRob RT @ChannelPR: CIOs evaluate & embrace cloud to reduce costs & gain agility #Cloud #IMSPI

Qualcomm CIO on Big Data: "It's all hype." #imspi

Pharmaceutical CIO on Big Data: "It's not all hype." #imspi CIO Panel

CIO at #imspi (who will remain unnamed here): "I can't emphasize enough that my company is amazingly cheap." CIO Panel @bsminfo

I Couldn’t Fit These Into A Category, But They Were Still Interesting
Partnering can help a VAR grow sales the equivalent of a salesperson w/o adding to your staff. Ken Thoresen #imspi @bsminfo

Keith Bradley to Ingram VARs: My personal request for you is to hire a vet. #imspi

For more information on the Solutions Partner Invitational, go to www.BSMinfo.com/InsideIngramMicro.