Ingram Micro Unveils IBM Managed Backup Cloud

The Services Division of Ingram Micro Inc. unveiled four new cloud-based, managed service offerings available to channel partners throughout North America.

Previewed earlier at the Ingram Micro 2011 Spring VentureTech Network (VTN) Invitational, the new cloud service offerings are managed by industry leaders IBM and Intermedia and include:
IBM Smart Business Cloud Enterprise – A compute-on-demand service available within Ingram Micro’s cloud services portfolio, IBM’s infrastructure-as-a-service offering enables channel partners to provide customers access to a secure enterprise-class virtual server environment on the IBM Cloud. This offering supports development and test activities, as well as other dynamic production workloads.

• IBM Managed Backup Cloud – Fast Protect Online – An offsite data backup solution that protects critical user data – stored on laptops and desktops – against loss and corruption, offering virtually continuous, scalable protection along with easy-to-use restore capabilities.
• IBM Managed Backup Cloud – Remote Data Protection – A managed, offsite data backup and recovery solution for servers that is designed to be automatic, secure and reliable.
• Intermedia Hosted PBX – A hosted, business-grade, VoIP telephone service that integrates with Intermedia’s hosted Exchange offering and can be managed remotely from a single control panel. It offers such features as ‘click to call,’ hunt groups, OCS calling, unique extensions, unlimited calling to the U.S. and Canada, ‘voicemail to email’ functionality, international calling, music on hold and toll-free numbers. The new Intermedia hosted PBX offering is the first VoIP offering featured within Ingram Micro’s cloud services portfolio.

Solution providers and managed service providers can purchase the new Ingram Micro compute-on-demand, backup cloud and hosted VoIP service as part of the distributor’s IT cloud services portfolio.

"Cloud-based services such as compute-on-demand, backup and hosted VoIP represent significant business opportunities for channel partners and offer a great entry point for demonstrating the power, convenience and cost savings of cloud computing to business owners," says Renee Bergeron, vice president, managed services and cloud computing, Ingram Micro North America. "We’re thrilled to expand our relationships with IBM and Intermedia and bring to market high-value business services that make it easy for resellers to buy and sell cloud services to their end users."

"Cloud computing is the future of IT services, and as the trusted business advisor to thousands of solution providers and MSPs, it’s our mission to ensure the IT channel remains at the forefront of the cloud movement and has the tools, technologies, services and resources necessary to thrive in this new IT marketplace," concludes Bergeron.