Ingram Micro Breaks Ground in 3D Printer Market
SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 22 -- Expanding its solutions portfolio, Ingram Micro Inc., the world's largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in supply-chain and mobile device lifecycle services, today announced its U.S. Document Imaging business unit (BU) is now marketing, selling and supporting 3D printers. Among the first 3D printer vendors to market with Ingram Micro are industry leaders 3D Systems and MakerBot.
"Document imaging solutions -- and in particular 3D printers -- represent a growing and widely untapped sales and service opportunity for our channel partners who sell into vertical markets such as education and retail, as well those targeting the needs of SMBs," says Ryan Grant, senior director document imaging and managed print, Ingram Micro U.S. "What's more is that 3D printers complement a variety of specialized software applications that are utilized in the design space, and offer channel partners a differentiated sales and ongoing service opportunity that many don't realize is available to them."
Managed by the distributor's well-established Document Imaging BU, Ingram Micro's 3D printer portfolio is founded in the sub-$5,000 3D printer category and includes two flagship offerings -- 3D Systems Cube, which is a consumer-grade 3D printer certified for home use and safe for children to play with, and the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer, an award-winning 3D printer that provides professional quality at an affordable price. Additional products and vendors will be announced in 2014.
"Teaming with Ingram Micro in the U.S. provides an opportunity to expand the MakerBot 3D Printing Ecosystem and expose even more professionals and consumers to the power and potential of 3D printing on a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer," noted Mark Schulze, vice president of Sales with MakerBot. "The MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer is an award-winning product, and we are very proud that engineers, architects, designers, artists, teachers, students and creative consumers use a MakerBot in their work and daily life."
Ingram Micro Aligns 3D Business with Vertical Markets to Maximize Sales Potential
According to Gartner's recent Forecast: 3D Printers, Worldwide, 2013 report, "the total number of consumer and enterprise 3D printer shipments will grow from 38,002 units in 2012 to 1,083,496 units in 2017, a compound annual growth rate of 95.4%. The end users in these markets will increase spending on 3D printers from almost US$288 million to more than US$5.7 billion during the same period, an 81.9% CAGR."
To further accelerate success, Ingram Micro has aligned its 3D printer business with select verticals including consumer, education, healthcare, retail, manufacturing and design. The move is expected to generate greater awareness for Ingram Micro's 3D printer vendors and the market opportunity overall, as well as make it easier for the distributor to target, educate and train the right mix of channel partners.
"Ingram Micro's new 3D portfolio is supported by the expertise, enablement and resources channel partners need to more effectively and efficiently sell 3D printer solutions as part of their total solutions portfolio," says Kirk Robinson, senior vice president and general manager, Commercial Markets and Global Accounts, Ingram Micro U.S. "This new product portfolio will help drive new sales opportunities for our channel partners and inspire more cross-selling throughout our organization and within the vertical markets we serve and specialize in."
About Ingram Micro's Document Imaging Business Unit
Ingram Micro's Document Imaging BU was established in 2011 and is supported by a team of dedicated marketing, sales and technology experts. Top vendors supported by the fast-growing BU include brand names such as Xerox, HP, Lexmark, Ricoh, Canon, Fujitsu, Canon, Brother and Kofax.
About Ingram Micro Inc.
Ingram Micro is the world's largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in IT supply-chain and mobile device lifecycle services. 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 world's most comprehensive portfolio of IT products and services. Visit IngramMicro.com.
About 3D Systems Corporation
3D Systems is a leading provider of 3D printing centric design-to-manufacturing solutions including 3D printers, print materials and cloud sourced on-demand custom parts for professionals and consumers alike in materials including plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles. The company also provides integrated 3D scan-based design, freeform modeling and inspection tools. Its products and services replace and complement traditional methods and reduce the time and cost of designing new products by printing real parts directly from digital input. These solutions are used to rapidly design, create, communicate, prototype or produce real parts, empowering customers to manufacture the future.
About MakerBot
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys, Ltd., is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing. Founded in 2009, MakerBot has built the largest installed base of desktop 3D printers sold to innovative and industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects, designers, educators and consumers. The MakerBot 3D Ecosystem drives accessibility and rapid adoption of 3D printing and includes: Thingiverse.com, the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, the MakerBot Replicator line of Desktop 3D Printers, MakerWare software,MakerCare, the MakerBot retail store, and strategic partnerships with top-tier brands. Visit makerbot.com.
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Source: Ingram Micro
