INGRAM MICRO LEADS TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IN LAUNCHING FIRST E-BUSINESS TRADING HUB

Company Spearheads Formation Of Viacore, Linking Major Technology Supply Chain Partners, To Further Its Goal To Become The De-Facto Leader In E-Commerce Fulfillment

SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 24, 2000

Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM), the world's largest wholesale provider of technology products and services, today announced a strategic investment in Viacore Inc., a service provider developing the first e-commerce business-to-business hub linked with RosettaNet Internet-based language standards and designed for the information-technology (IT) industry. The investment marks a significant milestone for Ingram Micros ongoing e-commerce initiative to simplify the process of delivering technology products to the market more effectively.

"The launch of Viacore represents more than two years of work and vision from Ingram Micro," said Jerre Stead, chairman and chief executive officer for Ingram Micro Inc. "We were instrumental in establishing RosettaNet, we fostered the vision to achieve greater efficiencies among business partners and now we are ready to adopt these standards, implemented by Viacore, to drive this dramatic market shift in the technology-industry supply chain."

Viacore, launched today, will connect top-tier supply chain companies such as FDX Corp. (Fed X) and other critical business partners to enable the rapid processing of partner interface processes (PIPs), previously designed by RosettaNet, the association that created the standards on which Viacore is based. Ingram Micro was also an initial sponsor of RosettaNet.

"We understood early on how important the e-commerce evolution would be to the technology industry," said Stead. "Our support behind the launch of Viacore is just a continuation of our efforts to remain at the forefront of Internet technologies."

In 1998, Ingram Micro loaned two of its executives to head up the RosettaNet consortium and gain consensus from technology industry leaders to establish and to eventually implement the electronic-interface standards, or PIPs. That same year, Ingram Micro helped to incubate the GTDC, uniting leaders of the technology distribution community and creating relationships that helped make Viacore a real option for competitive corporations.

Essential to the success of many leading e-tailers and technology resellers, Ingram Micro acts as a virtual product distribution, marketing and operations infrastructure for the countless technology products sold online. This is a critical need for virtual companies to maintain instant product delivery, as well as high-quality customer service and satisfaction.

"Our investment in Viacore was instrumental for Ingram Micro to continue to be the principal fulfillment partner for all technology providers, whose Web sales are growing exponentially," said Guy Abramo, chief information officer for Ingram Micro Inc. and a member of Viacores board of directors. "We are well-positioned not only to be a member of the new supply chain, but to drive it. Ingram Micros involvement in the implementation of Viacore is, in a way, fulfilling our destiny as a leading player in the technology industry."

About Ingram Micro Inc.
Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM), headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., is the world's largest wholesale provider of technology products and services, and a leader of assembly and integration services with sales of $26.5 billion for the past four reported quarters. The company and its subsidiaries operate in 34 countries and distribute more than 225,000 products to more than 140,000 resellers in 130 countries.