Ingram Micro VTN: Community Next Steps

By Gennifer Biggs, security, storage, and managed services editor

Although the Ingram Micro VTN Invitational in Chicago kicked off on Sunday night, April 10, with a charity event/opening reception, the true welcome and overview from Ingram Micro executives came at Monday's morning welcome. John Fago, senior director of channel marketing for Ingram Micro, opened the event by explaining how Ingram Micro is working to expand and empower its VTN community. Among those efforts is a continuing push toward a more collaborative community — from the Spotme handhelds being used at the event (you can "spot" the people around you to learn who might be riding the elevator or sitting two chairs down) to an improved VTN website www.IM-VTN.com.

He also explained how VTN is striving to create a community tailored to its participants. "This is not a community off the shelf," says Fago. "We want you to feel it is tied to you, all of you, and unique to you." Lastly, Ingram Micro reemphasized its commitment to offering support for VTN - across the board and under one roof. "We want to offer it all to you, everything you need to grow," says Fago, ticking off contacts, connections, certifications, marketing and training, and team sales support. "We believe there is no deal we can't knock down in this community, and no issue we can't handle in this community." Fago explains that Ingram Micro measures its success with the VTN community along the lines of partner engagement, growth, and deals done. Last year alone, the community's success metrics grew 22%.