Ingram Micro Hosts 2011 Vertical Market Symposium

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwire - Jul 13, 2011) - Enabling channel partners to capture the growing IT services opportunity within the U.S. public sector and healthcare markets, Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM) is pleased to announce its 2011 Vertical Market Symposium.

Taking place July 13-14 in Dallas, the Ingram Micro partner training and education event provides attending channel partners with valuable market insight on how to capitalize on the growing sales opportunity for IT solutions and services within the public sector and healthcare verticals. Event sponsors and speakers include representatives from Canon USA, Ergotron, Fujitsu, IBM, Kodak, Lenovo, Motorola Solutions, Promethean, Research in Motion (RIM), Visioneer and VitalSource Technologies Inc.

The event is being hosted by Ingram Micro's Senior Director of Vertical Markets, Michael Humke, and was created to help channel partners specialize their practices and partner smarter to win more business. "We're here to help our channel partners learn how to leverage the resources, support and market expertise Ingram Micro and our technology manufacturers bring to the table so that they can grow their businesses faster, smarter and more profitably," says Humke.

To reach this goal, the Ingram Micro Vertical Market Symposium agenda addresses a variety of customer concerns and business case scenarios associated with the public sector and healthcare market and features a technology fair where attendees can learn more about in-demand technology platforms such as cloud services for both public sector and healthcare, digital signage, document imaging, IT security and mobility.

"Education, government and healthcare are three established marketplaces hungry for greater efficiency, service value and the demonstrable return IT solutions bring to the mix," says Humke. "The challenge is that most schools, agencies, hospitals and private practice physicians are looking for guidance and recommendations on best practices for developing the best solutions and lowering their overall support costs. It's a national dilemma that spells big opportunity for those channel partners that can step up and provide unique services to differentiate themselves in the market with leading services and consulting support."

In addition to participating in targeted breakouts and general sessions, attending solution providers will also have the opportunity to network with one another, with manufacturer partners and with Ingram Micro's team of public sector and healthcare sales, marketing and technical services experts.

"The public sector is a great marketplace for solution providers who aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the business as well as the technology solutions," says Kirk Robinson, vice president, consumer and commercial markets, Ingram Micro U.S. "The more we do to help our solution providers better understand the market dynamics and distinct needs of these verticals, the more valued they become in the eyes of their customers, and that's what we want to see."

Activity from the Vertical Market Symposium will be featured on the Ingram Micro Facebook page and reported on Twitter by attendees using #IMVMS2011.

For more information about the Vertical Market Symposium and Ingram Micro's vertical market strategy, solution providers and IT vendors should contact their Ingram Micro sales representative.

For more information on Ingram Micro visit www.ingrammicro.com.

Follow Ingram Micro Inc. on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IngramMicro and Twitter at www.twitter.com/IngramMicroInc.

About Ingram Micro Inc.
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, technical and financial support, managed and cloud-based services, and product aggregation and distribution. The company is the only global broad-based IT distributor, serving more than 150 countries on six continents with the world's most comprehensive portfolio of IT products and services. Visit www.ingrammicro.com.