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BrightPoint

rebranded as

Ingram Micro Mobility

Earlier this year BrightPoint was rebranded Ingram Micro Mobility. Africa Outlook learns more. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Donovan Smith

n 2012 IT giant Ingram Micro, the world’s largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in IT supply-chain, mobile device lifecycle services and logistics solutions, acquired BrightPoint for a cool $840 million, including $190 million in debt as part of its strategy to drive convergence across IT and Mobility markets. Ingram Micro’s acquisition of BrightPoint marked an important milestone for both companies, but more importantly it offers tangible benefits to its customers and vendors who now have access to the broadest portfolio of mobility and converged technology products

and the most comprehensive suite of supply chain solutions for mobile devices. Ingram Micro Mobility has positioned itself at the centre of the flow of products and commerce within the mobility industry, which will help them anticipate demand and create connections between manufacturers, retailers and carriers, while helping to enable the convergence of IT and mobility. “We executed the integration against a clear cut plan which has impacted the business more positively than we ever anticipated. The Ingram Micro brand and reputation has been well received by our vendors and our customers,” says Bruce Cockburn, Regional Managing Director, Africa (Mobility & IT).

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Africa is strategically important as it is one of the last untapped markets globallyâ&#x20AC;?

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 and mobile solutions, technical support, financial services and product aggregation and distribution. The company is the only global broad-based IT distributor, serving approximately 160 countries on six continents with the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most comprehensive portfolio of IT products and services.

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The BlackBerry Q10 offers BlackBerry 10 power with a classic QWERTY keyboard

Just released in South Africa, the BlackBerry® Q10 is the first BlackBerry® 10 smartphone to feature a classic BlackBerry® QWERTY Keyboard. Built with precision and offering premium performance in a signature design, the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone combines BlackBerry’s best physical keyboard and a touch screen with the power of the BlackBerry® 10 platform to help you communicate and collaborate faster and more efficiently. The BlackBerry Q10 includes advanced hardware, communications and multimedia features, and provides long battery life that lets you confidently stay ahead and take action all day long. The re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry 10 platform offers a powerful and unique new mobile computing experience. It gives you a faster and smarter experience that continuously adapts to your needs. Every feature, every gesture, and every detail is designed to keep you moving forward towards your goals and includes advancements such as: The ever present BlackBerry® Hub, which brings all your conversations together in one easy to manage place that you can access at any time from any app with a simple “peek”, so you’re always only one swipe away from what matters to you. BlackBerry® Balance™ technology, which protects what’s important to you and the business you work for. BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger), which lets you share things with the people that matter to you in an instant. BBM in BlackBerry 10 includes voice calling and video chat, and lets you share your screen with another BlackBerry 10 contact. BlackBerry® Remember, which helps you tackle tasks quickly with a new way to collect, organize and action all the information sitting in different places across your smartphone. BlackBerry® World™ The BlackBerry World storefront, which now includes 120,000 BlackBerry 10 apps and one of the most robust music and video catalogues in mobile today – with most movies coming to the store the same day they are released on DVD. In addition, Facebook®, Twitter, LinkedIn® and Foursquare apps for BlackBerry 10 are pre-installed, and BlackBerry 10 customers will have access to leading applications from across the globe.

blackberry.com

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RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers With 40 regional hubs and 1447 vehicles, RAM has the largest fleet and widest courier network in Southern Africa. Because we do not subcontract any deliveries, you can rest assured that your package is in the best hands in the business, all the way to its destination. With our well-established connections with a number of international airlines and courier companies, RAM can deliver to almost anywhere on earth, safely, securely and on time.

www.ram.co.za

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In South Africa, BrightPoint previously focused only on the wireless communications environment, but today as Ingram Micro there are three divisions: Ingram Micro Mobility, Ingram Micro Logistics and Ingram Micro DC POS. The DC POS (Data Capture & Point of Sale) division will launch in South Africa in June, 2013 and will be the first of many new business ventures to launch in Africa. “Africa is strategically important as it is one of the last untapped markets globally,” says Cockburn, who joined BrightPoint six years ago to launch its South African operations. The opportunity is massive as IT/mobility convergence is now a reality as tablets, improved data speeds and lower cost smartphones drive market demand. There are always challenges to overcome in

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We executed the integration against a clear cut plan which has impacted the business more positively than we ever anticipated. The Ingram Micro brand and reputation has been well received by our vendors and our customers”

T E C H NOLOGY

to keep your business turning Has your courier got the goods to deliver on your business needs – no matter how big the job? With 40 hubs, 1447 vehicles, and 2622 safe pairs of hands at your service, RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers has what it takes to deliver every time, on time, countrywide – without subcontracting a single delivery. Our advanced track-and-trace technology keeps you up to speed every metre of the way. From same-day letter delivery to nationwide merchandise distribution, RAM gets it done. Think big. Rely on RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers. deliveries • distribution • warehousing www.ram.co.za

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penetrating developing markets; however, Ingram Micro’s ability to be adaptable with its business models and routes to market has proved to be a winning formula. “Our ongoing focus on customer service, delivering value through our solutions and services, and our ever increasing logistics footprint will allow us to expand into the IT sector,” adds Bradley Lapin, Managing Director of Ingram Micro Mobility in South Africa. The combined capabilities and reach of both these companies position Ingram Micro as the leading global provider of technology, mobility services and products, providing current and prospective customers with access to new manufacturers and solutions. To learn more visit www.mobility.ingrammicro.com.

10/05/2013 15:11

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Q&A: Bradley Lapin Managing Director of Ingram Micro Mobility in South Africa

Courier it Courierit was founded in October 2001. Courierit services a multitude of customers from corporate business to online stores and is well established in supporting and assisting with the fulfilment of the rapidly developing ecommerce sector. Courierit offers a door to door service aimed at fulfilling the direct to market industry. We believe with the combination of our highly experienced and skilled management team, coupled with our wide range of services offered has been an advantage to our continued growth and success to date. Tel +27826005568 Email shelaghh@courierit.co.za

www.courierit.co.za

Continuing our focus on Ingram Micro Mobility, Bradley Lapin, Managing Director of Ingram Micro Mobility in South Africa, answers our questions. What’s behind Ingram Micro’s Brightpoint acquisition? Ingram Micro acquired Brightpoint as part of its strategy to drive convergence across the IT and Mobility markets and, as such, Brightpoint has been branded Ingram Micro Mobility to identify the market segment it services as a division in the group. The deal has been described as a “game changer” – why is that? The overarching strategy has been to optimise the opportunities of the ever-converging world of IT and Mobility. If one looks at the computing power that consumers have today in their hands by virtue of the smartphone and or Tablet, access to apps, web browsing, mail etc., a total mobile revolution has taken place. You can access virtually your entire computing world on your mobile device. Will the move open new markets? It will. In South Africa previously we were only focused on the wireless communications environment and today as Ingram Micro we have three divisions: Ingram Micro Mobility, Ingram Micro Logistics and Ingram Micro DC POS. We will expand into the IT sector, cloud computing and increase our third party logistics footprint, and a key focus will be to grow into cross border territories such as Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana and Mauritius.

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What do you hope to achieve through all this? Drive overall growth, expand on new market opportunities, and focus on improving our customer engagements and relationships by adding value as a distributor of premium products and services. We have grown significantly over the past five years in the South African market and the integration of the two companies has been relatively seamless here in South Africa.

You can access virtually your entire computing world on your mobile device”

T E C H NOLOGY

Johannesburg: Tel: +27 (11) 928 8300

Fax: +27 (11) 928 8333

www.courierit.co.za

Is this a good time for Ingram Micro Mobility? Yes, it most certainly is: we have attracted many new customers and channels and enquiries are growing by the day. This is an exciting and ever-changing industry. The mobile operators and handset manufacturers are constantly evolving from a products and services perspective, which leads to new opportunities. We are able to offer our existing customers access to many opportunities and products that were not previously available, our global footprint allows us to leverage opportunities in a much more effective manner. What’s the secret to the company’s success? Our focus on customer service, delivering value through our solutions and services, and our relationships with our vendor partners and customers. Image:Thinkstock

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E n q u i r i es Tel (UK): +44 (0) 1603 559 151 Tel (SA): +27 (0) 21 527 0053 ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com

32 Milkyway Avenue JOHANNESBURG Gauteng, 2090 Tel: +27 (11) 553-2600

S U B S CRI P TIO N S

Fax: 11 553-2700

Tel (UK): +44 (0) 1603 559 144

uk.ingrammicro.com

ian.armitage@outlookpublishing.com