Specialism: Broadliner
Key vendors: Apple, Cisco, Dell, HP, HPE, Lenovo, Microsoft
UK revenue: £1.64bn (-7%)
UK headcount: 1,210
The world’s second largest IT distributor is the fourth largest in the UK, going by its latest filed accounts.
Its main UK trading subsidiary, Ingram Micro (UK) Ltd, generated calendar 2023 revenues of £1.43bn, with CommsCare Group Ltd and Ingram Micro Services Ltd chipping in £34m and £182m apiece. In line with Westcoast, TD Synnex and Exertis, its £1.64bn total was 7% down year on year.
UK&I SVP Matt Sanderson picked out AI-driven solutions as the standout for the broadliner in 2024 (see Q&A below).
Ingram’s IPO last month valued it at nearly $6bn.
It remains almost 90% owned by Platinum Equity, which acquired Ingram from Chinese conglomerate HNA for around $7.2bn in 2020.
On a global basis, the NYSE-listed outfit’s net sales hit $48bn in calendar 2023, down from $50.8bn in 2022 and $54.5bn in 2021, its form S-1 showed.
“AWS Marketplace is a procurement method, whereas distribution brings together incremental elements”
Quickfire Q&A with Matt Sanderson, SVP & MD UK & Ireland
What is your sweet spot?
Exceeding our customers’ expectations by providing the support they need to grow. This comes through our extensive portfolio of products and services, along with our specialisations and a platform designed to deliver efficiencies and business insights. It’s all about helping our partners scale with ease and proficiency, improving their businesses every step of the way.
Which product, service or vendor has stood out for you in 2024?
AI-driven solutions have truly stood out for us this year. AI is increasingly becoming the cornerstone of the technology industry, with substantial investments and strategic initiatives being undertaken by companies to harness its potential. These advancements are enabling resellers to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions to their customers, driving real value across the board.
At its Channel Forums EMEA in October, Canalys characterised AWS Marketplace as one of the world’s largest distributors, owing to its growing third-party software business. On balance, do you agree?
AWS Marketplace is a procurement method, whereas distribution brings together incremental elements. For example, the vendor knowledge and support, bringing technologies together to provide solutions, credit lines, payment terms, etc. AWS themselves have created the DSOR model which brings distribution & Partners together to create added value.
If you could undertake a secret, two-week apprenticeship at another distributor to see how they roll, which would you choose?
I would continue to focus solely on what we can do ourselves internally to improve every day. It’s about building on our own strengths, refining our processes, and finding new ways to better serve our partners. That’s where we see the greatest value.
See who made the wider Oxygen 50 Must-Know IT Distributors 2024 here.
