Ingram Micro announced the Cloud Conduit Initiative at Cloud Summit. A new services initiative that connects Ingram Micro’s North America channel partners with cloud computing vendors including ISVs, cloud hosting companies and system integrators.

Part of this new initiative will be  three new relationships with cloud hosting companies Amazon Web Services, Rackspace Hosting and Salesforce.com.

“The blending of the managed IT services model and cloud computing is an evolutionary step in the advancement of IT services,” said Jason Beal, director, service sales, Ingram Micro North America. “Cloud computing introduces a new playing field for solution providers and managed service providers. With the advent of cloud computing comes tremendous opportunity for our channel partners to add high value managed solutions and services from the cloud into their services portfolio and ultimately earn more business. Ingram Micro introduced the Cloud Conduit to help our channel partners take advantage of and maximize the business opportunities the cloud brings to the table.”

As part of the Cloud Conduit initiative, Ingram Micro wants to provide better cloud hosting products to everyone around the globe.  “We created the Cloud Conduit Advisory Council to establish a common ground for the IT industry’s cloud innovators to share their vision, seek new alliances and drive greater visibility into the opportunity, challenges and benefits that cloud computing brings to the IT channel at large,” said Justin Crotty, vice president, services, Ingram Micro North America. “Together we will further enable our channel partners to clearly articulate and demonstrate the benefits of cloud computing to their customers.”