A Channel Evolution

But Jeter said he had always planned to return to the partner space. And indeed, by the time he sold RapidScale to Cox, the agent space had evolved significantly. And that started with the types of technology that partners were sourcing for customers. The technology solutions brokerages (TSBs, formerly master agents) were forming diverse line cards of technology providers, and agents were educating themselves on how to sell them. 

But Jeter saw a bigger opportunity than just selling new technology. Because just as customers are asking for different technology, they also want to buy it in a new way. That brought Jeter back to the services element. 

Jeter said the customer landscape has dramatically pivoted over the last decade from primarily managing IT in-house to outsourcing it. And the agent channel could sync up with this trend.

“I always envisioned that the space would turn into a health care model like an AON or Marsh McLennan, where the carriers use the IT advisers, and the services are distributed through the advisers,” he said.

This does not necessarily mean adopting a literal MSP practice complete with remote monitoring. However, it does mean doing more within the life cycle of the technology offerings partners sell. Jeter said more and more customers are expressing a willingness to pay management fees. Moreover, Jeter said buyers are hungry for data about their technology. He said the national TSBs have traditionally owned the vendor data, but firms like ARG have developed their own SaaS offerings to house and provide such information.

“Quite frankly, a lot of IT decision makers don’t know how to make an informed decision, so they’re looking to sourcing experts now,” he said.