Arrow Electronics Evolves ArrowSphere into Digital Distribution Platform to Reduce Complexity and Accelerate Growth in the IT Channel
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Insights
The enhancement of Arrow Electronics' ArrowSphere platform represents a strategic move to streamline the procurement and management process for IT solutions. This development could potentially lead to increased efficiency and customer satisfaction for Arrow's channel partners and vendors, which in turn, may translate into a competitive advantage in the technology distribution market. By offering a single interface with applications tailored to the needs of channel partners, Arrow is addressing a critical pain point—complexity in IT procurement.
The addition of applications like ArrowSphere Marketplace and ArrowSphere Deploy could attract new partners and retain existing ones by simplifying quote-to-cash processes and automating product deployment. Furthermore, the sustainability dashboard aligns with the growing trend of environmental consciousness in business, potentially attracting partners with green goals. These improvements may lead to an increase in platform adoption and usage, potentially impacting Arrow Electronics' revenue and market share positively.
However, the full impact of these enhancements will depend on the uptake by channel partners and the actual performance improvements realized. Investors should monitor the adoption rates and customer feedback as indicators of the platform's success and its potential influence on Arrow's financial performance.
Arrow Electronics' decision to upgrade the ArrowSphere platform is indicative of the broader industry trend towards digital transformation and cloud-based services. The inclusion of a deal registration function and advanced cloud assessment tools in ArrowSphere Deploy reflects the increasing demand for agile and sophisticated cloud management solutions. With the IT channel's rapid growth and the escalating complexity of cloud environments, tools that offer cost, security and compliance assessments are becoming indispensable.
The introduction of ArrowSphere's sustainability dashboard is particularly noteworthy. It's a pioneering effort to integrate environmental impact considerations into IT service management, which could resonate well with companies looking to enhance their corporate social responsibility profiles. This feature could become a unique selling proposition, distinguishing ArrowSphere from other platforms and potentially influencing the purchasing decisions of environmentally-conscious organizations.
It's also important to consider the long-term implications of these technological advancements. As ArrowSphere becomes more integrated into the IT channel ecosystem, Arrow Electronics may solidify its position as a key enabler of IT services, potentially influencing stock valuations. The success of this platform could also drive future investments in R&D, setting a precedent for innovation within the industry.
The inclusion of a sustainability dashboard within the ArrowSphere platform is a significant step forward for environmental accountability in the technology sector. By enabling channel partners to measure and manage the cloud carbon footprint, Arrow is empowering businesses to make more informed decisions regarding their environmental impact. This tool could serve as a catalyst for change, encouraging companies to adopt greener practices and contributing to the overall reduction of carbon emissions in the industry.
Given the increasing societal and regulatory pressures for businesses to operate sustainably, Arrow's move may not only enhance its corporate image but also provide a competitive edge. As more companies seek to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and other environmental benchmarks, Arrow's platform could become an essential tool for managing and reporting on sustainability efforts.
The environmental sustainability dashboard could also lead to new business opportunities for Arrow Electronics as demand for green IT solutions grows. This proactive approach to sustainability may attract partners and clients who prioritize environmental considerations in their operations, potentially leading to new revenue streams and partnerships.
Based on customer feedback, the expanded ArrowSphere platform provides channel partners and vendors access to Arrow’s services through a single interface. Containing new applications specifically requested by channel partners to help them better serve customers, the platform enables solutions and services to be quoted, purchased, fulfilled, deployed and managed with any combination of cloud, hardware, software, and professional services.
“ArrowSphere is built for change and can address the complexities and speed at which business is done in the IT channel,” said Kristin Russell, global president of Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions business. “The expanded platform gives our channel partners the flexibility to move between capabilities, solutions, services and functions — when and how they need to — to more efficiently manage their customer relationships while growing their own business.”
The expanded ArrowSphere platform encompasses several new or enhanced applications, such as:
ArrowSphere Marketplace, a digital marketplace where solutions from Arrow’s entire
ArrowSphere Deploy, a premium suite of tools that provides advanced assessments of cloud environments and the ability to view end-customers’ postures relative to cost, security and compliance controls, offering in-platform remediation and other services to fill the gaps. ArrowSphere Deploy also automates product deployment into the four primary hyperscaler clouds (Amazon Web Services [AWS], Google Cloud Platform [GCP], Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure [OCI]).
ArrowSphere Cloud continues to evolve with multiple new dashboards for security, cost optimization, as well as a first-of-its-kind sustainability dashboard, allowing channel partners to measure cloud carbon footprint and gauge how their customers are performing against their green goals.
ArrowSphere Connect offers B2B connectivity solutions, such as API and EDI, to enhance the quote-to-cash process and facilitate efficient data sharing between Arrow and its channel partners and vendors.
ArrowSphere MyBusiness streamlines and significantly speeds the quote-to-cash process and provides channel partners with real-time visibility into all their Arrow business and billing.
“At the heart of every successful digital ecosystem lies a platform that serves the needs of buyers, sellers, contributors and influencers. We have worked with our customers to develop new digital capabilities that give them a more seamless way to acquire and manage the IT solutions they deliver to their customers at scale,” said Shannon McWilliams, vice president, global ArrowSphere.
ArrowSphere is getting high praise for its intuitiveness and ease of use from those within the partner community that participated in early previews of the platform. Christy Kramer-Codner, chief operating officer of Epoch Concepts, said, "I am seriously impressed! I love the search abilities on products, quotes and orders and my dashboard. The ability to streamline deals through automation and reduce exceptions is going to be huge for us.”
Additional functionality including a renewal management application for hardware maintenance, software support, and subscriptions will become available in late 2024.
More information about the new ArrowSphere platform can be found here.
For more information about the respective applications within ArrowSphere, visit:
- ArrowSphere Marketplace
- ArrowSphere Cloud
- ArrowSphere Connect
- ArrowSphere Deploy
- ArrowSphere MyBusiness
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics guides innovation forward for thousands of leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2023 sales of
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240305220139/en/
John Hourigan
jhourigan@arrow.com
Source: Arrow Electronics
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