Ingram Micro Strengthens Higher-Margin 'Value' Business in Asia Through Acquisition of Asiasoft Hong Kong Ltd.

SANTA ANA, Calif. and NORTHPOINT, Hong Kong, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM), the world's largest technology distributor, strengthened its global presence in enterprise computing last week as it completed the acquisition of Asiasoft Hong Kong Limited, one of Hong Kong's leading value-added software distributors.  Terms of the transaction, which closed July 2, 2010, were not disclosed.

Asiasoft serves a broad range of end-user markets, from large enterprise to small and medium-sized businesses, featuring renowned software vendors such as Citrix, VMWare, Adobe and Symantec.  The company generated $13 million of revenues in 2009 through six specialties – virtualization, security, system and desktop management, networking, business continuity and applications – supported by a dedicated training center and services such as pre-sales consulting, technical support and project management.

"We've been actively building our value-oriented business through both acquisitions and greenfield expansion," said Shailendra Gupta, president, Ingram Micro Asia Pacific.  "Over the last two years, we've purchased four companies in higher-margin adjacency areas – Cantechs in China, Value-Added Distributors in New Zealand, the multi-national Vantex based in Australia, and now Asiasoft – and made significant investments in technology and personnel to strengthen our presence in enterprise computing and enable growth and margin enhancement.  We now have a strong portfolio of enterprise computing products and services available throughout the Asia Pacific region."

Gupta added that Ingram Micro is integrating the acquired operations quickly, with Asiasoft's systems, assets and 33 employees now part of Ingram Micro's Hong Kong business.  David Au Yeung, Asiasoft's managing director, will head the value business, reporting to Kevin Chen, managing director of Ingram Micro Hong Kong.  

"The combination with Ingram Micro will allow us to accelerate growth and improve customer service," said David Au Yeung.  "We will be able to pursue business development opportunities through enhanced access to capital, while our vendors and customers will benefit from the additional services and a broader line card that Ingram Micro can provide."

Gregory Spierkel, Ingram Micro's chief executive officer, added that this acquisition represents another step toward creating a strong global presence in enterprise computing, a key strategic initiative for the corporation.  

"The enterprise market is evolving as businesses demand greater efficiency in their data centers and cloud computing becomes more prevalent," he explained.  "Through our internal and external investments, we are gaining the critical expertise needed to create complete enterprise solutions – from hardware and software to consultative and monitoring services.  Asiasoft is an example of the small yet strategically significant acquisitions we've been making over the last several months, which includes two similar transactions in Europe.  Our enterprise solutions business now spans five continents and reaches all of our regions, positioning us well with manufacturers and customers who want a strong, global partner."  

About Ingram Micro

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 services, technical support, financial services, and product aggregation and distribution.  The company serves more than 150 countries and is the only global broad-based technology distributor with operations in Asia.  Visit www.ingrammicro.com.

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SOURCE Ingram Micro Inc.