Episode Details

By Doug Green

“A buyer isn’t paying for the deal you did yesterday. They’re paying for the certainty of tomorrow.”

In this Technology Reseller News podcast recorded at MSP Summit, Patrick O’Dell of Ingram Micro discusses the shift from traditional managed service provider to what he calls the strategic service provider — and how distribution can help partners make that transition faster and with less risk.

Ingram Micro has evolved far beyond its traditional role as a hardware distributor. Today, O’Dell says the company supports partners across the broader IT lifecycle, including cloud services, hyperscalers, software, professional services and AI-enabled tools through platforms such as Xvantage.

That evolution mirrors what is happening to MSPs.

O’Dell says managed services remain a strong foundation, but many partners are being pushed toward a more strategic role with customers.

The challenge is getting there without dramatically increasing operating expenses.

MSPs can try to build every competency internally, hire specialized staff and maintain certifications themselves, but that can be expensive, slow and risky.

O’Dell says Ingram Micro can serve as a scale engine.

Partners can draw on Ingram’s technical resources, certifications, project management, sales enablement and expertise rather than adding every capability to their own payroll.

That can be particularly valuable for smaller MSPs.

“The qualification question isn’t how big you are,” O’Dell says. “It’s what you’re trying to accomplish.”

Ingram can work with partners from initial consultation through project delivery and ongoing governance, allowing smaller providers to tap into resources that might otherwise be difficult to build internally.

The transition is also about more than technology.

O’Dell says becoming a strategic service provider can require changes in mindset, sales processes, training and corporate culture.

The economic goal is to create more recurring, higher-quality revenue.

For MSP owners thinking about future valuation or M&A, that matters.

One-time transactions and hardware refresh cycles can produce revenue, but recurring services can create greater predictability — and predictability can translate into stronger enterprise value.

O’Dell’s message to MSPs is that they do not have to make the transition alone.

Visit IngramMicro.com or connect through Xvantage to learn more.