UK IT Channel News | IT Channel Oxygen
  • News
  • Topics
    • Vendor
    • Distributor
    • Partner
    • Indepth
    • Sustainability
    • M&A
    • People Moves
    • AI
    • Tech trends
  • About Us
  • Partner with us
  • KOcycle Zone
Members
Must-Know Distributors
Oxygen 250
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Topics
    • Vendor
    • Distributor
    • Partner
    • Indepth
    • Sustainability
    • M&A
    • People Moves
    • AI
    • Tech trends
  • About Us
  • Partner with us
  • KOcycle Zone
No Result
View All Result
UK IT Channel News | IT Channel Oxygen
No Result
View All Result
Home AI

Ingentive doing ‘what 99% of Microsoft partners aren’t’ on Copilot, new CEO claims

Most Microsoft partners missing "exciting part of AI story", Stuart Fenton claims

Doug Woodburn by Doug Woodburn
27 August 2024
in Big Interview, AI, Indepth, News, Partner
Stuart Fenton, Ingentive

Stuart Fenton

Share on LinkedinShare on Twitter

Ingentive is doing what “99% of partners” aren’t when it comes to Microsoft Copilot, Stuart Fenton claimed as he took the reins of the low-code and pro-code-specialised partner.

The Ingentive brand was born last October after Fenton acquired Scottish Microsoft partner Akari Solutions nine months earlier.

In December 2023, it made a bolt-on acquisition in the form of Software Solved, and now has around 60 staff.

Fenton moved from the Chairman to the CEO role last week after previous CEO Angela Bright resigned.

“Most Microsoft partners missing exciting part of AI story”

Talking to IT Channel Oxygen, Fenton said that Ingentive is now carrying out around 25 Microsoft Copilot workshops a month.

He claimed Ingentive is taking a different tack from its peers, however.

“AI has become a central pillar of low-code and pro-code, so our approach has been to become an expert on AI – and not just knowing how to turn it on and configure it a bit, as I think 99% of partners are doing,” Fenton said.

“What we’re really looking at is organisational-wide solutions. That’s how we’re differentiating from everyone else. If you look at the big LSPs [Microsoft licensing solution providers], they’re giving clients a two- or three-hour workshop on how to set up AI and how it can document your team’s meetings.

“We’re giving our clients a full-day workshop and ideation sessions where we’re identifying areas of their business where they can make a transformative difference, and helping them build business cases and prototypes which lead into projects.”

Satya Nadella at Microsoft Inspire 2023

Most Microsoft partners are using Copilot to help clients boost individual or team productivity, Fenton claimed.

“But I just don’t think that’s the exciting part of the AI story,” he said, however.

“There’s no question in my mind that these small productivity enhancements on a per-person basis pale into insignificance compared with the extensible potential of AI when you look at organisations that might have thousands of people in customer service.

“You can reduce headcount materially – by 50% or even 80% – using agentification.

“Most of our projects are extensible projects where we are doing organisational-wide AI solutions, working with, say, large insurance or large transportation companies.”

“If a large acquisition comes along, I won’t shy away from it”

Andrea Bright, Ingentive
Andrea Bright, Ingentive

Fenton “reluctantly” accepted Bright’s resignation after she opted to step into a non-exec role.

Despite previously indicating another small acquisition was on the cards, Fenton said further M&A is now unlikely for the time being.

“We were looking at a third, but our experience of buying two small companies is that it is just as difficult as buying a really big one,” he said.

“We’ll probably avoid future M&A now, certainly for the next 24-36 months, and really focus on organic growth.

“However, if a large acquisition opportunity comes along – and we would raise money for that – I wouldn’t shy away from it. But it would have to be transformative.”

Ingentive’s business plan remains largely the one Fenton and Bright originally agreed on, with the exception that its focus on low-code technology has broadened to encompass Microsoft Copilot and AI, Fenton said.

“I imagine that’s true for everyone right now – you pick up a pencil today and people say it’s an ‘AI pencil’,” Fenton said.

“Everything everywhere is AI, and that’s no different for us. The entire industry has gone in the same direction. The only difference is, actually, we have the skills. Where I believe most other partners just talk about them, we’ve actually got a depth and breadth of skills across the organisation through the investment and the acquisitions.”

Doug Woodburn
Website |  + postsBio

Doug Woodburn is editor of IT Channel Oxygen

  • Doug Woodburn
    https://itchanneloxygen.com/author/itchanneloxygen-com/
    ‘We needed to make a clear distinction’ – e92plus CEO on ‘e92spark’ launch
  • Doug Woodburn
    https://itchanneloxygen.com/author/itchanneloxygen-com/
    ‘How’s this not been done before?’ – channel talent pros unite to tackle common challenges
  • Doug Woodburn
    https://itchanneloxygen.com/author/itchanneloxygen-com/
    ‘The excitement is palpable’ – HP reveals dual channel ploy for refurbished PCs
  • Doug Woodburn
    https://itchanneloxygen.com/author/itchanneloxygen-com/
    ‘We redesigned the whole business’ – LIMA CEO on services reinvention
Tags: AIfeatured
Previous Post

Westcoast claims UK distribution first with e-waste pact

Next Post

‘Our prediction is holding’ – Tackle.io CEO doubles down on $100bn cloud marketplace bet

Related Posts

‘Vendors without a channel focus were quite lonely’ – 6 leaders give their Infosec 2025 verdict
Cybersecurity

‘Vendors without a channel focus were quite lonely’ – 6 leaders give their Infosec 2025 verdict

5 June 2025
Hege Store, Advania
Sustainability

‘Refurbished IT the primary choice, not a compromise’ – Advania CEO on Dreamhouse opening

5 June 2025
‘An important moment’ – Microsoft partners hail government Copilot experiment showing 26-minute daily saving
AI

‘An important moment’ – Microsoft partners hail government Copilot experiment showing 26-minute daily saving

4 June 2025
Change at the top for channel quartet
People Moves

Change at the top for channel quartet

3 June 2025
John Hayes-Warren, Intec
Distributor

Intec Micros unveils new networking and connectivity focus

3 June 2025
Mukesh Gupta, e92plus
Cybersecurity

‘We needed to make a clear distinction’ – e92plus CEO on ‘e92spark’ launch

2 June 2025
Elisha Kirkham, Softcat
Careers & Skills

‘How’s this not been done before?’ – channel talent pros unite to tackle common challenges

30 May 2025
Klaus Schlichtherle, Infinigate
Distributor

Infinigate outgrows its 11 major peers, reaffirms €5bn target

29 May 2025
Next Post
‘Our prediction is holding’ – Tackle.io CEO doubles down on $100bn cloud marketplace bet

‘Our prediction is holding’ – Tackle.io CEO doubles down on $100bn cloud marketplace bet

Follow Us

IT Channel Oxygen keeps you informed on the UK IT channel and its sustainable transformation. Learn more

  • About
  • Our Team
  • Partner with us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • News
  • Cookie Policy (UK)

© 2025 IT Channel Oxygen

Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • Oxygen 250
  • Must-Know Distributors
  • Member area
  • KOcycle Zone
  • Big Interview
  • News
  • Indepth
  • About
  • Partner with us

© 2025 IT Channel Oxygen