Distribution Watch: Ingram Micro, Avnet, Tech Data

Welcome all to Distribution Watch, where we count down the hottest distribution stories of the week with no frills attached. In this week’s Watch, we’ve got the latest from Ingram Micro (IM), Avnet (AVT) and Tech Data (TECD). All aboard!

Ingram Micro: Ingram Micro Australia has signed a distribution agreement with AirTight Networks, the providers of cloud-managed social Wi-Fi solutions.

“AirTight Networks is a hugely innovative company,” said David Lenz, Ingram Micro senior director, Enterprise Technology Group, in a statement. “Not only are its products world-leading from a quality, scalability and reliability perspective, but Airtight Networks is also pushing the boundaries and using cutting-edge technologies and ideas.”

AirTight’s Social Wi-Fi allows users the ability to log in to free Wi-Fi by using their credentials from social media to receive coupons, vouchers and other rewards. This, in turn, will allow Ingram Micro to use customer insights to understand shopping patterns and increase micromarketing possibilities.

Avnet: Avnet has opened two joint application design centers with Microsemi Corp. (MSCC), both of which will concentrate on developing application-specific reference designs to solve OEM customers’ major technical design challenges. Customers will have the opportunity to work with Avnet specialists and Microsemi’s field application engineers and system solutions experts to provide critical support for customer tools and design platforms.

“By initiating the new collaborative design centers, Avnet management recognizes the significant advantage Microsemi’s innovative technologies and competitive products provide OEM application development,” said Hichem Belhadj, vice president of Applications Engineering at Microsemi, in a statement. “Avnet continues to be a major strategic sales channel partner for Microsemi, and this expanded and strengthened relationship will provide our customers streamlined and simplified design and development solutions, as well as reduced time-to-market advantages.”

The two design centers will be located in San Jose and Aliso Viejo, Caif. Avnet has not said whether it plans to open additional locations for its East Coast OEMs.

Tech Data: Information integration solutions provider Cleo is partnering with Tech Data to market its advanced integration technologies through the TDCloud business unit in the United States. The partnership will officially make the Cleo LexiCom and Cleo VLTrader managed file transfer products available through Tech Data’s portfolio of products.

“We are extremely excited to announce our partnership with Tech Data,” said Dr. Mahesh Rajasekharan, chief executive officer of Cleo, in a statement. “Cleo solutions are able to quickly add tremendous value to Tech Data customers who need to see their businesses become more agile with information integration solutions that can move data securely and efficiently between end-points both within and beyond company boundaries, while providing timely visibility to enable the right business people to act confidently using data-driven decisions.”

The announcement came during Channel Link, Tech Data’s semi-annual conference for resellers, which was held at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino this week.

It looks like we’ve reached the end of the line for this week everyone. Thanks for joining us, and remember to stop by again next Friday for even more news from the wide world of IT distribution. In the meantime, keep on reselling.