https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

Best Practices


New CompTIA Report Says the Future of the Channel Is Now

  • Written by Kris Blackmon
  • February 16, 2017
Every year, IT industry analyst firm CompTIA releases its annual IT Industry Outlook report. The report features a mix of hard data and expert insight from CompTIA analysts, forming an insightful picture of evolving trends in technology, the workforce and the channel. We took a deep dive into the channel aspects of the report to find out where the experts say partners should be focusing in 2017.

Every year, IT industry analyst firm CompTIA releases its annual IT Industry Outlook report. The report features a mix of hard data surrounding macroeconomic issues and expert insight from CompTIA analysts based on observations of what’s going on in the industry. Together, they form an insightful picture of evolving trends in technology, the workforce and the channel. We took a deep dive into the channel aspects of the report to find out where the experts say partners should be focusing in 2017.

The future, says CompTIA, is upon us. Not only is it quickly cementing its place at the top of the business hierarchy, with the top five most valued companies all being tech companies, it’s changing the very nature of business itself. Now, every company is trying to be a tech company to some extent, and the digital transformation is driving evolving opportunities and shifting paradigms for the industry as a whole and the channel in particular.

Adding to tech’s supremacy in the markets is a sense of optimism and opportunity. CompTIA’s Q1 IT Industry Business Confidence reached a new high, and the firm projects global IT industry growth of 4.1 percent in 2017, pushing the industry past the $3.5 trillion mark by the end of the year.

The report identified 12 industry trends to watch this year. When it comes to partners, CompTIA analyst Carolyn April told The VAR Guy that the channel is at an inflection point.

“New business models and alternative routes to market for technology are proliferating. And a growing number of non-IT line-of-business buyers are flexing their spending muscle and forcing the channel to rethink sales and marketing messaging and shift how they do business – and in many cases, with whom,” April said.

But the “new faces” identified in the report aren’t confined to LOB buyers. Just as non-traditional companies in the manufacturing or healthcare sectors are increasingly repositioning themselves as tech companies, there are also new, non-traditional partner types like digital marketing agencies and SaaS-based resellers.

“These companies are establishing their own beachhead in the channel and quickly expanding the competitive landscape,” April explained. “Their numbers remain elusive at present, but consider alone that more than 100,000 SaaS partners attended Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference in 2016 and you get the picture.”

So what can we expect to see as the channel evolves? April tells us the balance of power between vendors, partners, distributors and end users will continue to shuffle and flow. In fact, a partner mandate for vendors to retool their partner programs is one of the main trends the report forecasts, as traditional incentives such as sales spiffs and backend rebates become less relevant in a market based on services.

“New cloud vendors with no channel presence at launch will recognize the need for indirect partners as they mature,” says April. “And the types of partner programs, benefits and incentives those companies design will differ significantly from legacy vendor programs.”

Vendors aren’t the only ones that need to pay sharp attention to changing market forces. While the tech industry as a whole now seems to be almost entirely driven by a younger workforce, and we can’t go three days without hearing about the rise of the millennial, the traditional channel has yet to really welcome next-generation entrepreneurs. But the report points out that an estimated 40 percent of the channel is set to retire over the next decade, so it needs to seriously start looking at how to recruit new blood.  

Finally, says April, we will continue to see IT and business consulting take a lead role in the channel’s value propositions and revenue streams. The role of trusted advisor isn’t going away anytime soon, and the increasing number of vendor-based cloud companies is creating another new channel role: vendor manager. The report explains that as customers navigate the tricky waters of cloud technology, they’ll need a liaison between them and cloud-based vendors and service providers.

“It’s a lot to mull over. But in the face of it all, the channel has remained mainly upbeat, though not naïve, about the future.”

The technology and workplace trends outlined in the report are as follows:

  • The Tools of the Cloud Era Emerge
  • Security Gets Worse Before It Gets Better
  • Data Teams Bridge the Gap Between IT and Business
  • IoT Transforms Physical Environments and Social Convention
  • Workers Push the Boundaries of ‘Bring Your Own Collaboration’
  • The Blended Workforce Takes on New Meaning
  • Debate Intensifies Over Technology’s Impact on Employment
  • Skills Gap Grows in Scope and Nuance, Forcing Organizations to Rethink Workforce Strategies

Click here to read the full report.

Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Best Practices

Related


  • Vendors: How Do You Measure a Partner Relationship?
    Vendors still struggle to gain a genuine insight into their partners’ needs. So what can they do?
  • New challenges and opportunities_many path options
    The Top IT Challenges Executives Will Face in 2021
    Obstacles include bridging the IT skills gap, managing remote workers and managing migration to the cloud.
  • Disaster Recovery
    Disaster Recovery Planning Includes Ensuring That Data Can Be Recovered
    Here’s how to ensure that your disaster recovery solution will work when it matters.
  • Technical Know-How
    Companies Seek IT Security Resellers with Technical Know-How
    Providers can offer managed services to fill customers' cyber-defense needs.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Partners Share Their 2021 Goals—and Plans for Achieving Them
  • Industry Experts Laud Biden Proposal for Increased Federal Cybersecurity Spending
  • Why Partners Should Prioritize AI in 2021
  • SolarWinds Hackers Hit Malwarebytes, But Impact Limited to Internal Email

Galleries

View all

Channel Partners Virtual 2021 Is the Hottest Ticket in Town

February 26, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

The “Roaring 20s” Are Coming

February 25, 2021

Three Ways MSPs Can Improve Supply Chain Security

February 24, 2021

SASE: The Key to Mitigating Business Transformation Risk

February 22, 2021

Webinars

View all

A Partner’s Perspective on Channel Success in 2021

March 23, 2021

XDR and Why it Matters to MSPs

March 24, 2021

Top Security Trends Impacting Technology Security Providers In 2021

March 25, 2021

White Papers

View all

Ready To Add Cutting Edge IoT Solutions To Your Portfolio?

  • 1
February 25, 2021

What Is The Value Of Distribution For The Internet Of Things?

February 25, 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT): Where do You Begin?

  • 1
February 25, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Virtual

March 2, 2021 - March 4, 2021

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

#CPVirtual has arrived! Excited for speakers @channelsmart @jldelozier3 @jmcbain and more. dlvr.it/Rtm5yr https://t.co/MiwNsfGGLw

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@solarwinds incurring additional expenses in aftermath of massive hack. #cybersecurity dlvr.it/Rtlxzd https://t.co/CpBjkIEaus

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@IBM working with 65 partners for #CloudSatellite services. @IBMPartners dlvr.it/RtlmDC https://t.co/R6IzgklQ6c

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

NOW OPEN: 2021 Channel Futures MSP 501 Awards. ✍️ Start your online application today: bit.ly/2021MSP501. Ha… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

Applying for the 2021 #MSP501? Check out our FAQs for everything you EVER wanted to know about applying & submittin… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

Educate #WFH employees about #phishing and increase emphasis on cybersecurity to avoid a data breach, say @GiacomCM… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

Amazon WorkSpaces @awscloud DaaS client will be available on @IGEL_Technology virtual endpoint client OS.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

February 26, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@VMware cutting more workers in California as part of ongoing #workforcerebalancing. #layoffs… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

February 26, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X