Distribution Watch: Arrow Electronics, Tech Data, Ingram Micro

Happy Tuesday everyone, and welcome back to Distribution Watch. We hope you enjoyed the extended weekend and got to spend time with friends and loved ones. Now that you're back in the office, check out the latest IT distribution news from our friends at Arrow Electronics (ARW), Tech Data (TECD) and Ingram Micro (IM).

Arrow: Arrow will now distribute Connect One’s IoT product portfolio in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, expanding upon the two companies’ previously established North American agreement.

The partnership is expected to help Connect One reach a wider customer base in EMEA and bring awareness to the company’s IoT portfolio outside of North America. Connect One and Arrow have been partners in North America for the past 15 years.

“We see an exciting opportunity in the IoT space for Connect One’s technology and innovation,” said David Spragg, Arrow’s vice president of Semiconductor Marketing and Engineering for EMEA, in a statement. “Many of our customers are asking us for IoT modules that are simple to integrate and have built-in cloud connectivity. We believe Connect One can help us fill that need with its products and vast IoT experience.”

Tech Data: Tech Data saw a slight increase in revenue for Q1 2017 compared to last year’s earnings, according to the company’s recently released earnings report.

This year’s Q1 net sales totaled 6.0 billion, which marked an increase of one percent compared to the same period last year.  Net sales in the Americas totaled $2.4 billion for an increase of two percent over the same period last year. Gross profit increased by 6.7 million, for a total of $298.6 million, marking a two percent increase over the same period last quarter.

“Tech Data’s Q1 results are a testament to the strength of our geographic, vendor, product and customer portfolios and to the flexibility of our business model,” said Robert M. Dutkowsky, chief executive officer at Tech Data. “Our diverse, end-to-end portfolio of IT Solutions enables us to capture opportunities in the evolving IT marketplace, deliver differentiated value to our customers and vendor partners, and produce strong results for our shareholders.” 

Ingram Micro: Ingram Micro’s US partners can now purchase Microsoft Azure through the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace, as the company looks to emphasize its commitment to driving the growth of cloud sales.

Partners can access Azure through the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider program, which is built on a consumption-based model, according to the announcement.

"The addition of Azure to the Cloud Marketplace further cements our unsurpassed commitment to providing channel partners with the top-tier solutions needed to accelerate their success in the cloud," said Renee Bergeron, vice president Global Cloud, Ingram Micro. "We're pleased to enhance our offerings and deliver an industry-ranked cloud platform that can achieve true hyperscale computing capability and allow our channel partners to expand on their services with less investment."

Thanks for reading, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your week! Until next time, keep on distributing.