Mississauga -- Making IT services easier and more profitable to sell, the world's largest technology distributor, Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM), announces the addition of HP Canada to the current manufacturers driving service renewal opportunity through the Reseller Services Portal (RSP). Powered by MaintenanceNet, a leading provider of maintenance contract management services, Ingram Micro's RSP is a comprehensive software-as-
Offered for the past year at no charge to all Canadian Ingram Micro solution providers and in the US for over two years, the RSP has already helped solution providers and manufacturers to realize dramatic improvements in their service contract annuity businesses.
“We are very pleased to have HP Canada take part in the highly successful RSP,” said Gus Marcelino, Senior Director of Business Development and Operations. “The importance of the RSP as a business-building tool for VARs cannot be underestimated. The Ingram Micro RSP is not only one of the core growth pillars within our services division, but it has also become indispensable to many of Ingram Micro's solution provider communities, including VTN,” he said. “Its capabilities for our supporting vendors’ service renewals and HP registrations are transforming the way our reseller customers drive new revenue opportunities.”
Resellers say tracking renewals can offset money lost through shrinking margins. AgilIT Inc., a solution provider in Markham, Ontario uses Ingram’s portal for tracking renewals and registering their HP warranties and will do more service contract business this year. “It’s a very lucrative business because typically it’s higher margin, anywhere from 10 percent to somewhere in the low 20s. The portal is more efficient and faster to track HP warranties. People know they need to support their mission-critical infrastructure,”
Through MaintenanceNet’
“Higher registration rates not only strengthen customer relationships by ensuring that end customers are not denied the services to which they are entitled, but they also clearly translate into substantial increases in renewals on expiring service contracts,” said Scott Herron, CEO for MaintenanceNet. “The end result is dramatic improvements in service revenues for both vendors and solution providers.”
Unlike competing solutions, the Ingram Micro RSP is designed to support multiple data feeds from a wide range of supply chain sources including systems designed for point of sale (POS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), sales out and customer relationship management (CRM). With built-in tools for complete service contract management, the RSP’s key features include automated registration services, identification of unprotected assets to present new service sales opportunities, discovery of product refresh and service renewal opportunities, and service quoting and ordering.
Through its web-based, SaaS platform, MaintenanceNet provides a “register, renew, refresh” methodology that offers an entirely new approach to service contract lifecycle management, making it easier for manufacturers and their channel partners to recover lost revenue opportunities and sell more services.
About MaintenanceNet
MaintenanceNet is a leading provider of maintenance contract management services. The company’s technology platform provides proven increases in overall profitability and revenue for manufacturers. MaintenanceNet’
About Ingram Micro
As a vital link in the technology value chain, Ingram Micro creates sales and profitability opportunities for vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, outsourced logistics services, technical support, financial services, and product aggregation and distribution. The company serves 150 countries and is the only broad-based global IT distributor with operations in Asia. Visit www.ingrammicro.com.
