Cisco-Powered Ingram Micro HCS Now Available to Cisco Channel Partners in the U.S. and Canada

The demand for pay-as-you-go collaboration services is growing exponentially, along with the need for cloud-based unified communication services as more and more customers are looking to trusted partners to provide cost-effective and standardized cloud-based unified communications deployments.

Cashing in on his trend, the North American services division of Ingram Micro Inc. had released beta version of its Cisco-powered Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS), which was available to only select Ingram Micro (News - Alert) channel partners.

This cloud solution is now available to qualified Cisco channel partners across the U.S. and Canada as well, quoted a recent press release.

Ingram Micro Inc. is a wholesale technology distributor specializing in IT supply. It is a distribution partner for Cisco (News - Alert) technologies as well as a service provider for Cisco HCS.

The new Cisco-powered Ingram Micro HCS is an end-to-end system that facilitates partners to create subscription-based, "as-a-service" offerings around Cisco Collaboration technologies, such as Cisco Unified Communications (News - Alert), Cisco Customer Collaboration and Cisco WebEx.

The HCS is featured on the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace and includes the full range of Cisco Collaboration functions, along with the tools to deliver those functions to the end customer in an automated, standardized and efficient manner.

Designed to augment partner revenue opportunities and lower operating costs, the HCS facilitates partners to: monetize Cisco’s entire portfolio of collaboration applications; reduce time to market and streamline operations with a comprehensive management system; and more.

As stated by Ingram Micro, the HCS featured on the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace now facilitates Cisco channel partners, as well as Ingram Micro channel partners to create differentiated service bundles and offer standardized UC deployments in the cloud while optimizing capital expenditures (CapEx) and lowering operating expenses (OpEx). This ensures services are delivered at the lowest cost, resulting in maximized profits.

Richard McLeod, senior director, worldwide partner collaboration sales at Cisco, said in a statement, "This new HCS service allows Ingram Micro to add value by reducing complexity associated with building and selling cloud collaboration solutions.”

Apart from making the HCS available for a larger audience, Ingram Micro is also taking advantage of the Cisco Advanced Services team to help its channel partners provision and deploy the solution, as well as its 24/7 service management, monitoring and Level 2 and Level 3 technical support.

Jay Miley, VP and GM, advanced technology division, Ingram Micro U.S., said in a statement, "By engaging Ingram Micro, utilizing our dedicated Cisco Business Unit and growing Cloud Marketplace to offer HCS-as-a-service, Cisco channel partners can establish a new recurring revenue stream without having to invest in the upfront capital to get the business moving."

Currently, Amcom Telecommunications Limited – a telecommunications company – is delivering Cisco's Hosted Collaboration Solution, or HCS, to the Australian market.