Avnet has announced Avnet Services which rolls existing Avnet operations into a single team with a single strategy, focusing on software, life cycle and education services – because it feels IT services are underrepresented in the channel.
It will continue to work with VARs, ISVs, SIs and OEMs at both point of sale and delivery, while partners are promised benefits such as extended reach and scale as well as variable cost models and extended capabilities.
Avnet Technology Solutions president Phil Gallagher boasted in a statement that IT services is expected to reach $674.9 billion but the channel is not taking advantage. He enthused that Avnet will be well positioned to take advantage of the opportunity by building a single services business with common processes and tools, that will let it deliver multiple lines of services from different business units to channel partners.
Avnet Services will primarily look at software services, such as infrastructure and application management, lifecycle services, like integration and end of life options, and education services, for example, vendor training.
Previously senior veep of Avnet Integrated, Bill Wentworth will head the team as senior veep of Avnet Services. Regional services teams will report to Wentworth, while the EMEA team will be led by Christian Magirus.
“This alignment will enhance project success and return on investment for customer deployments throughout the IT lifecycle, creating more stickiness for our partners and suppliers,” Wentworth said. “It will also extend our partners’ reach and resources with reliable service delivery offerings for their non-core service needs.”
