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Ingram Micro helps Australian partners lead the AI workplace transition with 'The Great Migration' Ingram Micro Australia | Published 5 Aug 2026 Initiative unifies major tech vendors and offers channel partners a proven framework to help organisations transform productivity, strengthen security and modernise for the age of AI Ingram Micro today announced expansive support for Australian partners to help them guide organisations through the AI workplace transition: The Great Migration. Officially launched at Ingram Micro Experience 2026 today at ICC Sydney, The Great Migration connects Microsoft, technology vendors, silicon partners, OEMs and channel partners under a coordinated framework focused on helping organisations to transform AI deployment and achieve real returns on their investments (ROI). Through a coordinated approach, the program brings together security, productivity and AI innovation. The technology market inflection point Australia's technology market is at an inflection point driven by three converging trends: * Productivity: AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to everyday business use, creating demand for modern devices and platforms capable of supporting AI workloads. * Security: Millions of ageing devices and unsupported Windows 10 PCs being refreshed as organisations strengthen cybersecurity and modernise legacy environments amid heightened risks. * ROI: Organisations are seeking to scale AI sustainably, balancing productivity gains with performance, security and long-term operating costs. This shift comes as organisations increasingly embed AI into everyday work. The Microsoft 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report found organisations are moving beyond AI pilots by integrating AI into core business processes, redesigning workflows and reshaping operating models to support new ways of working. Developed and led by Ingram Micro in collaboration with Microsoft and supported by Intel, AMD, Qualcomm Snapdragon, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, MSI and Microsoft Surface, the initiative provides partners with access to education, technical enablement, customer engagement programs, funding opportunities and ecosystem expertise designed to help customers modernise with confidence. "The conversation we're having with partners today is fundamentally different from the one we were having even two years ago," said Mo Kandeel, Director Consumer, Client and Endpoint, Ingram Micro. "Australia has largely moved beyond asking whether AI matters. The next challenge is deploying AI in ways that improve productivity while strengthening security, supporting governance and managing cost. "That means organisations are increasingly reassessing where AI workloads should run across cloud, edge infrastructure and workplace devices. Rather than treating device refreshes, operating systems upgrades and AI adoption as separate projects, organisations are bringing them together as part of a broader workplace transformation." "Hybrid AI gives organisations greater choice over where AI workloads are processed. Some will continue to require cloud-scale computing, while others can run closer to the user on AI-ready devices, providing greater flexibility where responsiveness, privacy or local processing matter." "The Great Migration was created to help partners lead those conversations. Our role is to bring together the ecosystem and provide a framework that helps partners turn technology change into measurable business outcomes." A long-term industry initative Designed as a long-term industry initiative, it provides partners with a coordinated framework spanning education, enablement, funding, customer engagement and ecosystem collaboration, helping simplify the transition to AI-ready workplaces. Building on the success of Ingram Micro's 2025 Race to Upgrade, the program expands the conversation beyond Windows 10 upgrades to encompass AI readiness, modern workplace transformation, cybersecurity and long-term business value. 'The Great Migration' benefits include: * Sales and technical enablement * End Customer workshops and executive briefings * AI PC and Copilot+ PC demonstrations * Marketing and demand generation programs * Migration Acceleration Funds to support End User deployments * Partner incentives * Customer success stories * Ongoing ecosystem collaboration Andy Malakooti, Go To Market Lead, Device Partner Sales, Microsoft Australia & New Zealand, said organisations increasingly require a coordinated ecosystem to help them move from AI experimentation to practical adoption. "We're seeing strong interest from organisations looking to combine AI, modern devices and security capabilities into a cohesive workplace strategy. The Great Migration brings together the technology, skills, expertise and ecosystem support needed to help partners guide customers through that transformation and prepare for the next generation of work." Kandeel said the initiative reflects a simple reality: major technology transitions succeed when the industry works together. "The future of work will be defined by intelligent computing, modern security and AI-enabled productivity. Every great migration begins with a shared destination and The Great Migration gives partners a shared framework to help customers reach the AI-ready workplace." Australian partners can learn more and access program resources through the dedicated Great Migration Hub on Ingram Micro Xvantage(TM). About Ingram Micro Ingram Micro is a leading technology company in the global information technology ecosystem. With the ability to reach nearly 90 per cent of the global population, we play a vital role in the worldwide IT sales channel, bringing products and services from technology manufacturers and cloud providers to a highly diversified base of business-to-business technology experts. Through Ingram Micro Xvantage(TM), our AI-powered digital platform, we offer what we believe to be the industry's first comprehensive business-to-consumer-like experience, integrating hardware and cloud subscriptions, personalised recommendations, instant pricing, order tracking and billing automation. We also provide a broad range of technology services including financing, specialised marketing, lifecycle management and technical pre- and post-sales professional support.

Ingram Micro doubles down on AI push with WEKA deal, launches 'Great Migration' initiative. 5 Aug 2026 4 mins WEKA and The Great Migration initiative signal Ingram's intent to position itself at the centre of Australia's next phase of AI adoption. Ingram Micro has expanded its Australian AI ambitions on two fronts, signing AI data infrastructure specialist WEKA as an exclusive distribution partner while launching a new industry-wide 'Great Migration' initiative aimed at accelerating AI readiness. Announced at Ingram Micro Experience 2026 in Sydney, the distributor has added WEKA's AI-native data platform to its local portfolio as organisations move beyond AI experimentation and begin investing in the infrastructure, devices and security foundations required for large-scale deployments. Under the agreement, Ingram Micro becomes WEKA's primary route-to-market partner in Australia, providing channel partners access to the vendor's full portfolio, including its NeuralMesh software platform and WEKApod storage and memory appliance, both designed to support demanding AI workloads. The move comes as Australian organisations increasingly shift focus from simply acquiring AI tools to building the underlying infrastructure needed to operationalise AI and achieve measurable returns on investment. According to Ingram Micro, data movement, storage performance and memory capacity are rapidly emerging as critical bottlenecks for businesses scaling AI environments. "While GPUs have become central to many AI deployments, data movement, storage performance and memory constraints are emerging as critical factors in determining AI performance, infrastructure efficiency, and the overall economics of AI," the distributor said. All WEKA products will be available through Ingram Micro's Xvantage platform, allowing partners to package AI data infrastructure with compute, networking, cloud and services offerings. Ingram Micro senior general manager of strategy, AI and emerging vendors John Brown said WEKA strengthens the distributor's growing AI ecosystem. "WEKA is a standout addition to our AI ecosystem," Brown said. "Its focus on performance, efficiency and simplicity perfectly complements its commitment to equipping Australian partners with the tools to deliver production-grade AI infrastructure that drives real business velocity. "With NeuralMesh and WEKApod, partners can now offer customers high-efficiency, scalable solutions that improve GPU productivity, support agentic AI initiatives and deliver superior economics for the most demanding workloads in research, finance, media and beyond." WEKA chief strategy officer Nilesh Patel said Ingram Micro's channel reach and technical capabilities made it a natural fit for the vendor's expansion plans. "Together, we're helping Australian organisations build the data and memory foundation they need to get maximum AI output from their infrastructure," Patel added. The WEKA signing coincides with the launch of The Great Migration, a new Ingram Micro-led initiative designed to help partners capitalise on a wave of workplace modernisation driven by AI adoption and the approaching end of support for Windows 10. Developed in collaboration with Microsoft and backed by vendors including Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, MSI and Microsoft Surface, the program is designed to help partners guide customers through Windows 11 migrations, AI-ready device refreshes and broader hybrid AI deployments. According to Ingram Micro, Australia's technology market is currently being shaped by three converging forces: growing demand for AI-powered productivity, increased cybersecurity requirements stemming from ageing devices and legacy systems, and pressure on organisations to demonstrate AI return on investment. Ingram Micro director of consumer, client and endpoint, Mo Kandeel said the conversation around AI has changed significantly. "Australia has largely moved beyond asking whether AI matters," Kandeel said. "The next challenge is deploying AI in ways that improve productivity while strengthening security, supporting governance and managing cost." He added that organisations are increasingly evaluating where AI workloads should run across cloud environments, edge infrastructure and endpoint devices. "Rather than treating device refreshes, operating system upgrades and AI adoption as separate projects, organisations are bringing them together as part of a broader workplace transformation," he said. The initiative builds on Ingram Micro's 2025 Race to Upgrade campaign and provides partners with sales and technical enablement, customer workshops, AI PC demonstrations, funding support, incentives and migration programs. Don't miss a thing From its editors straight to your inbox. Get started by entering your email address below. Sasha Karen is a nationally recognised highly commended senior journalist at ARN. With a decade's worth of experience, Sasha serves the local channel community with news and inspiration about channel partners.

Buffalo's talent playbook just landed a Fortune 100 anchor. Ingram Micro and the Golisano Institute ink partnership to build a direct pipeline from Buffalo classrooms to careers. Buffalo's talent story is evolving, and this is what the next chapter looks like. Ingram Micro and Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship have partnered to create a direct pathway between Buffalo students and careers at one of the region's largest private-sector employers. The partnership was brokered by the 43North Foundation and its talent ecosystem pillar, TechBuffalo. The agreement builds a local pathway for high-potential students who want a faster route to a great career, with Ingram Micro at the end of it. It is the kind of employer-led model Buffalo has been working to prove: education that starts with what a growing company actually needs, then feeds local talent directly into open roles. Under the agreement, the Golisano Institute and Ingram Micro will collaborate on curriculum, work-based learning, and hiring. Students at the Institute's new Buffalo campus will have a clear line of sight to in-demand roles at Ingram Micro, with skills that map to what the company actually needs, built through mentorship, project work, and internships that can lead to full-time jobs. "The Golisano Institute was created to give students a faster, more affordable path to high-demand careers," said Jim Dentinger, Executive Vice President & Buffalo Regional Director, Golisano Institute. "Ingram Micro is one of the world's leading technology companies and one of Buffalo's most important employers. This strategic alliance gives our students a direct connection to meaningful work while helping companies find the talent they need to grow." The Golisano Institute, founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Golisano, opened its Buffalo campus center in the former Buffalo News building on Washington Street and will welcome its first students in fall 2026. Its accelerated, two-year business education, along with a one-year Advanced Certificate in AI & Business, is designed to move students from classroom to career faster than a traditional four-year path. Brandel himself is an example of nontraditional paths at work. He joined Ingram Micro in 1997 as an entry-level sales representative and learned the business one role at a time, from the sales floor to leading its operations across the U.S. and Canada. "I started at Ingram Micro in an entry-level sales role and was fortunate to grow into new opportunities over the years. That's why this collaboration is so meaningful to me," said Bill Brandel, EVP, President North America, Ingram Micro. "We believe Buffalo has extraordinary talent, and we want more young people to see that they can build world-class careers right here at home. Investing in that next generation is good for Ingram Micro and it's good for our community." Earlier in 2026, the Golisano Institute, 43North Foundation and TechBuffalo built this kind of employer designed pathway with Odoo. Ingram Micro brings the model to a Fortune 100 anchor. "We are building an operating system for a new economy in Buffalo," said TechBuffalo President & CEO Jeffrey Botteron. "Aligned pathways lead to placements. Placements attract more employers. As momentum compounds, the opportunities for students seeking accelerated pathways will continue to increase."