Ingram Micro launches Great Migration for AI-ready PCs

Ingram Micro Australia has launched a channel initiative called The Great Migration to help partners move customers to Windows 11 Pro and AI-ready devices.

The programme brings together Microsoft, chip suppliers, device makers and channel partners under a single framework for workplace modernisation.

Ingram Micro is positioning the initiative around a shift in demand among Australian organisations as they move from testing artificial intelligence tools to deploying them more broadly across everyday work. That shift is colliding with a separate technology cycle as Windows 10 support nears its end, prompting companies to review device fleets, operating systems and security settings at the same time.

Rather than treating those issues as separate projects, the programme gives resellers and service providers a structure for combining them into a single customer conversation. It includes education, technical support, customer workshops, funding access, partner incentives and demonstrations of AI PCs and Copilot+ PCs.

Market shift

Ingram Micro said the Australian market is being shaped by three pressures: the need to improve productivity through more practical AI use, the need to replace ageing and unsupported PCs, and the need to justify spending through clearer returns and lower long-term operating costs.

Those themes are increasingly common in corporate technology planning. As organisations move AI projects closer to production, attention is shifting from software pilots to the devices and infrastructure employees use every day, along with the security controls needed to govern broader deployment.

The framework was developed with Microsoft and is supported by Intel, AMD, Qualcomm Snapdragon, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, MSI and Microsoft Surface. The breadth of vendors involved suggests a channel effort that goes beyond a standard operating system upgrade campaign and extends into PC replacement, endpoint security and workload placement.

Mo Kandeel, Director of Consumer, Client and Endpoint at Ingram Micro, said customer discussions have changed markedly as AI adoption has matured. "The conversation we're having with partners today is fundamentally different from the one we were having even two years ago."

Kandeel said companies are now confronting the practical issues of deployment, governance and cost. "Australia has largely moved beyond asking whether AI matters. The next challenge is deploying AI in ways that improve productivity while strengthening security, supporting governance and managing cost.

"That means organisations are increasingly reassessing where AI workloads should run across cloud, edge infrastructure and workplace devices. Rather than treating device refreshes, operating system upgrades and AI adoption as separate projects, organisations are bringing them together as part of a broader workplace transformation."

Hybrid AI

A central part of the message is Hybrid AI, which Ingram Micro describes as the next phase of adoption. In practice, some AI workloads remain in the cloud while others run on local devices or closer to the user, depending on privacy, responsiveness and processing needs.

This approach matters for hardware decisions because it increases the relevance of newer PCs with dedicated AI functions and stronger on-device processing. It also shifts the channel sales discussion from a simple refresh cycle to a broader review of where workloads sit and how employees access them securely.

Kandeel said choice over workload placement is becoming more important. "Hybrid AI gives organisations greater choice over where AI workloads are processed. Some will continue to require cloud-scale computing, while others can run closer to the user on AI-ready devices, providing greater flexibility where responsiveness, privacy or local processing matter."

The initiative builds on Ingram Micro's previous Race to Upgrade campaign, but broadens the scope beyond Windows 10 replacement to include AI readiness, workplace change and cyber security. For partners, that means a longer-term sales motion rather than a one-off migration push.

Microsoft also framed the programme as a way to help channel partners move customers from trial projects to practical use. Andy Malakooti, Go-To-Market Lead, Device Partner Sales, Microsoft Australia & New Zealand, said organisations want a more joined-up approach. "We're seeing strong interest from organisations looking to combine AI, modern devices and security capabilities into a cohesive workplace strategy. The Great Migration brings together the technology, skills, expertise and ecosystem support needed to help partners guide customers through that transformation and prepare for the next generation of work."

For distributors and resellers, the timing reflects a familiar pattern in enterprise technology spending, where a platform deadline can unlock broader infrastructure changes. In this case, the end of Windows 10 support gives customers a reason to revisit device standards just as AI software is placing new demands on endpoints and governance.

Kandeel said the industry needs a common structure to manage that shift. "The Great Migration was created to help partners lead those conversations. Our role is to bring together the ecosystem and provide a framework that helps partners turn technology change into measurable business outcomes."

He said the transition would depend on joint execution across the market. "The future of work will be defined by intelligent computing, modern security and AI-enabled productivity. Every great migration begins with a shared destination, and The Great Migration gives partners a shared framework to help customers reach the AI-ready workplace."