Why Ingram is betting on a ‘Great Migration’

Ingram Micro Australia is positioning the next commercial device refresh cycle as something bigger than a routine hardware upgrade, arguing that AI is creating a new wave of urgency — and a new opportunity for partners.

Ingram Micro general manager Caleb Leung said the distributor has launched what it calls “The Great Migration” to help partners capture demand as customers reassess ageing fleets, AI workloads and the return on technology investment.

“It’s certainly a big opportunity,” Leung said. “That’s why we came up with The Great Migration because when you think about the concept, there’s always a reason for animals to migrate. There’s a need. There is urgency, and we want to create an urgency for it.”

More than a refresh

Leung said the shift isn’t just about replacing old PCs, but helping partners match devices and AI capabilities to real-world workloads, use cases and industry needs.

“In the past, everyone talked about budget first,” he said. “This year, it’s a major shift. The specification matters because it has to be a meaningful upgrade. What applications am I going to use? What workload is this going to reduce?”

That, he argued, is changing the role of the channel. Rather than simply quoting a device refresh, partners increasingly need to connect the right commercial PC, silicon, software and services to a customer’s specific use case.

The ROI question

Leung said AI investment is also pushing customers to ask harder questions about commercial return.

“Everyone talks about AI, but what is the ROI?” he said. “Commercial is a big thing because it’s all about return.”

According to Leung, that makes the commercial PC category particularly important as customers look for more tangible and measurable outcomes from AI adoption.

A channel-wide push

Ingram’s answer is a multi-year migration program spanning data, funding, enablement and ecosystem support. Leung said the distributor is combining broad market insights with customer-level data, dedicated migration specialists and investment to help partners build pipeline and use cases.

“We act like a technology enabler,” he said. “We have the software, hardware, pre-sales and engineering resources behind the project to help partners transition.”

Leung said the success of the program will also depend on a broad ecosystem spanning vendors, silicon partners and OEMs.

“We believe the ecosystem can work together,” he said. “This is a very small industry. We have to learn from each other.”

The discussion will continue at Ingram Experience 2026, Ingram Micro Australia's flagship technology conference, taking place on Wednesday, 5 August at ICC Sydney. Bringing together more than 1,200 technology leaders, partners, vendors and customers, the event will showcase the latest innovations in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, infrastructure and endpoint technologies, with dedicated sessions and live demonstrations exploring the opportunities created by Windows 11 Pro, AI PCs and the future of the AI-powered workplace.