IM Ingram Micro Inc. (delisted)

No. 1 Distribution Partner for Government Solution Providers Enables GSA Schedule Access for Cisco(R) Systems Products SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Helping solution providers successfully sell into the federal, state and local government, Ingram Micro (NYSE:IM) today announced a new alliance with immixGovernment, a subsidiary of immixGroup, Inc., to enable sales of the entire catalog of Cisco Systems products through the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule. immixGovernment selected Ingram Micro as its exclusive outsourcing partner for the execution of the next Cisco GSA Program which is now available for use by all federal and state and local customers. Qualified Cisco solution providers are eligible to participate in the program, which leverages immixGovernment's GSA schedule and Ingram Micro's sales, technical support, and logistics expertise. According to Bob Laclede, vice president and general manager of Ingram Micro government and education sales, obtaining access to Cisco products via the GSA schedule is game-changing news for Cisco partners, as well as Ingram Micro. "Historically, solution providers didn't have a choice when it came down to where to source their Cisco GSA business -- it was really an all or nothing game," says Laclede. "Now, by teaming with immixGroup, our Cisco partners can source their GSA business directly from Ingram Micro and simultaneously take advantage of all our GSA-focused resources which includes access to our highly skilled technical support and government sales teams, as well as our exclusive RFP service and financing programs. There's no doubt this is big news for us, but it's even bigger news for Cisco partners who are looking to capture their share of the federal IT spend and sell through GSA." "In the federal market, having access to the GSA schedule is a big differentiator, and in many cases can make or break a company's ability to participate in any given RFP," says Curt Vinson, president of New Hampshire-based Lyme Computer, a Cisco solution provider and Ingram Micro partner. "We've been doing business with Ingram Micro's government team for more than twenty years and see tremendous value in the addition of the immixGroup alliance for Cisco GSA opportunities -- not only from a pure sourcing engagement, but also from a support standpoint." According to INPUT, the federal government will spend over $70 billion on IT products and services in 2008. That number is expected to exceed $80 billion by 2012, of which approximately 28 percent is anticipated to flow through GSA. "These are big numbers that represent a tremendous sales opportunity for today's government-focused solution providers, manufacturers and distributors," says Art Richer, president, immixGroup, Inc. "Our alliance with Ingram Micro not only offers qualified solution providers access to Cisco's products through the GSA schedule, but does so with a team focused on enabling solution providers to capture this market opportunity and achieve greater success selling to the government." Ingram Micro's GovEd Alliance Enables Government VARs with Business-Building Resources GovEd Alliance is an exclusive partner community designed for Ingram Micro solution providers who sell primarily to government and education markets. With more than 2,300 members, this best-in-class, partner community focuses on providing solution providers access to strategic information, as well as sharing best practices, that enable members improve business efficiencies, driven revenue and increase profitability. As part of its ongoing partner support, GovEd Alliance provides government-focused solution providers a number of resources to help partners manage and develop government business. These include the GSA Pass Through Program which permits schedule holders to receive Letters of Supply, pricing support and product data from approximately eighty IT manufacturers. The leading government distributor also boasts the industry's largest product selection and offers the most government and education discounts. The community's B2B social networking site, The GovEd Alliance Zone, is a popular resource for members looking to connect with other solution providers to share best practices, identify potential teaming partners, or stay up to date with the latest information from industry experts and IT manufacturers. In addition, solution providers who hold small or diverse business certifications may join Ingram Micro's Diversity Partner Network which offers specialized education, training, business support and connections to technology manufacturers, prime contractors and government entities. Ingram Micro also announced that this year's annual GovEd Alliance Invitational will be held in Colorado Springs, Nov. 2 - 4. GovEd Alliance Invitationals offer outstanding networking and partnership opportunities, as well as educational workshops that highlight the latest industry news and trends. These conferences bring together manufacturers, solution providers, and resources from the Ingram Micro GovEd Alliance team focused on driving business in the public sector. For more information contact . About Ingram Micro's GovEd Alliance GovEd Alliance is an Ingram Micro community group consisting of solution providers, technology manufacturers, and Ingram Micro associates serving the government and education markets. GovEd Alliance connects members in order to share strategic information and best practices, improve business efficiencies, and increase revenue and profitability. 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 http://www.ingrammicro.com/. About immixGroup, Inc. immixGroup is one of the fastest growing providers of enterprise technology products and services in the government market, representing more than 150 leading manufacturers, including Cisco, IBM, Oracle and NetApp. In its 11th year of bringing technology solutions to government customers, managing complex government contract processes, and developing high performance government channel sales operations, immixGroup is a recognized leader in the government technology marketplace. For more information, contact immixGroup, Inc. at (703) 752-0610, via email at or on the web at http://www.immixgroup.com/. DATASOURCE: Ingram Micro Inc CONTACT: Marie Meoli of WhiteFox Marketing & Communications, +1-714-680-0335, , for Ingram Micro Inc Web site: http://www.ingrammicro.com/ http://www.immixgroup.com/

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