Trust X Alliance: Maintaining Community within the IT Industry

Right now, with many companies still operating remotely, maintaining a sense of community within the IT industry is challenging. The Trust X Alliance, a network created by Ingram Micro to foster a sense of community among the industry’s top IT solution providers and the world’s leading technology vendors, is working to maintain that sense of community through virtual events and active outreach. We believe this is more vital now than ever.

In keeping with our motto, “Individually strong, collectively extraordinary,” the network, founded in 1998, brings together a group of like-minded companies–resellers, vendors and Ingram Micro–that learn from one another and partner purposely to grow the value of their respective businesses and their end customers’ businesses.

Adapting to Partners’ Changing Needs

While its mission has remained the same, Trust X Alliance has evolved over the years to keep pace with the dynamic IT industry. In 2018 we decided to restructure to meet the expressed needs of the members. Since our partners are at different levels in their businesses, they’re looking for different things from the community. So we developed “Trust X Alliance on your terms,” which allows for different levels of involvement. These range from simple networking and socializing opportunities to Affinity Group membership, which focuses on growth opportunities for respective members who share similar business models, to Master Mind groups, with a board of directors actively involved in the business plan and financials of each participating member.

 Regardless of their level of participation, members make lasting contacts and friendships, share insights and best practices, and find opportunities to partner together to win new business or supplement their resources to service existing customers.

Ingram Micro’s vendor partners benefit, as well. They have the opportunity to engage more strategically with solution providers, especially the “first-movers” in the industry–to test out new ideas, solutions and go-to-market programs.

Rising to the Challenges of the Moment

When the pandemic hit, and businesses in every industry were scrambling, Trust X Alliance reached out to engage with members quickly, providing them with resources so they didn’t have to say “no” to business. As a result, by April 2020, partners went from recovery to growth and were already looking past COVID-19.

Still, Trust X Alliance will continue to adapt to meet the new IT industry realities presented by the pandemic. One of the most difficult challenges is the reluctance or inability to travel to events and see each other eye to eye. So, social selling is more important than ever, and Trust X Alliance is leveraging virtual events to continue that vital sense of community and keep personal interactions going. One thing’s for sure: Trust X Alliance partners won’t be left in the dark. We’ll continue to lead the way.

Holly Niedzielski is Ingram Micro’s Director of Event Marketing and Partner Communities

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.