“The wording has changed from October ('expected') to January...

“The wording has changed from October ('expected') to January ('believes'). In my opinion, it has gone from almost certain to not so sure. Time will tell. Seems to me that DM is 'hoping' things will start happening with Ingram”

In contrast it seems to me that in October DMc expected something and for various reasons it didn’t happen (including an untimely death). Now, as a result of taking affirmative action to address what DMc expected to happen but didn’t happen, DMc believes that as a consequence it will happen. 

This in my view is entirely different to merely ‘hoping’. Otherwise he’d have said Ingram Micro didn’t do x, y or z but we are hoping it lifts it’s game soon.