GTDC Executive Conference Underscores How Distribution Enables and Accelerates Innovation

ACCESSWIRE 8-Feb-2024 4:01 PM

OCEANSIDE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 8, 2024 / Leaders from global technology and distribution assembled this week to learn, share and discuss future IT channel developments at the 22^nd GTDC Summit North America. Hosted by the Global Technology Distribution Council, the world's largest consortium of technology distributors, this year's event highlighted the shifts in business models, global economic changes, and financial returns from indirect go-to-market partnerships.

"New technologies are driving productivity and efficiency to new heights in the business community, fueling tremendous growth opportunities across the entire IT industry," said Frank Vitagliano, CEO of the GTDC. "Distributors are uniquely positioned to empower innovation, providing channel vendors and partners with the systems, programs, and connections required to successfully launch and scale new and advanced offerings. Combining valued traditional services with the latest digital platforms and extensive integration capabilities, distributors have become indispensable allies for emerging technology providers."

In his keynote address, Vitagliano recognized the growing complexities in IT services offerings and business models, with an increasing focus on the buyer's journey and the expansion of ecosystem participation.

"Distributors continue to strengthen their upstream and downstream relationships and expand procurement and fulfillment options, putting them in the best position to drive positive business outcomes for everyone," he said. "Empowering partners with multi-vendor solutions and a plethora of support options creates additional sales opportunities, increases customer satisfaction, and drives higher client retention. Distributors make that possible."

Vitagliano also shared some key findings from Distribution Value Perspectives, the latest report from Channelnomics. In that survey, nearly 90 percent of partners expressed satisfaction with IT distribution, with very high marks for account management, technical support, training, logistics and financing.

"Channel partners rely on these invaluable services to enhance their sales and support capabilities and reduce the complexity of delivering innovative technologies to their customers," Vitagliano said. "Distributors are an increasingly essential part of the IT ecosystem, delivering the tools, programs, and services that greatly benefit the solution provider and vendor communities today."

Other GTDC Summit NA Highlights

While innovation took center stage at the 2024 GTDC Summit North America, this year's event covered a variety of channel-centric topics, from industry trends and global economics to AI and data intelligence. Highlights of those sessions included:

• A global distribution leadership panel with Marty Bauerlein, Chief Commercial & Consumer Officer, D&H; Kirk Robinson, EVP & President NA, Ingram Micro; Kristin Russell, President Global ECS, Arrow Electronics; and Patrick Zammit, COO, TD SYNNEX.
• Distinguished economic and fiscal policy expert Douglas Holtz-Eakin discussed the shifting regulatory and market trends and their short- and long-term impact on the global IT community.
• IDC President Crawford Del Prete discussed the state of the industry, including the peaks and valleys of the past few years, the outlook for 2024 and beyond, and how AI could reinvigorate hardware sales and refresh cycles.
• Dave O'Callaghan, Managing Partner of Vation Ventures, moderated a discussion on the expanding role of distributors in AI sales and adoption. Panelists included Mike Arrowsmith of NinjaOne, an all-in-one IT platform developer; Darren Williams of BlackFog, a global cybersecurity provider; and Dan Campbell of Arrow ECS.
• IDC's Eric Prothero led a group discussion on how IT companies can get the most value from data. His panelists included Mark Taylor of AMD, Hervé Tardy from Eaton and Craig Powers with IDC.

Save the date for the 2024 GTDC Summit EMEA, June 4-5, at the Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin in Noordwijk. More details for this event will be available soon.

About the GTDC

The Global Technology Distribution Council is the industry consortium representing the world's leading tech distributors. GTDC members drive an estimated $160 billion in annual worldwide sales of products, services and solutions through diverse business channels. GTDC conferences support the development and expansion of strategic supply-chain partnerships that continually address the fast-changing marketplace needs of vendors, end customers and distributors. GTDC members include AB S.A. (WSE: ABPL), Arrow Electronics (NYSE:ARW), CMS Distribution, Computer Gross Italia (MI: SES), D&H Distributing, ELKO, Esprinet (PRT.MI), Exclusive Networks (EPA: EXN), Exertis, Infinigate, Ingram Micro, Intcomex, Logicom (CSE:LOG), Mindware, Siewert & Kau, SiS Technologies (HKSE: 0529), Tarsus, TD SYNNEX (NYSE:SNX), TIM AG and Westcon-Comstor.

GTDC MEDIA CONTACT:
Taylor Gaines (813) 727-6871
tgaines@commcentric.com

SOURCE: Global Technology Distribution Council