Blog

By Diane Krakora, CEO

Channels design, market, sell and service a full solution for customers.

The partners you engage and enable for cloud might not be the same partners in your current program. As IT consumption moves to on-demand and subscription models, the types of partners addressing customers’ needs will shift, as will the services these solution providers offer. Channel partners of the future will manage the entire customer lifecycle – from evaluation, through purchase, adoption and usage. The channel partner who recommends a combination of policies, products and support to address a customer’s needs will truly be their trusted advisor. Not only are they the face of the solution for the customer, since they marketed and sold it, but they are also the brains. The solution provider knows how all the products and pieces work together and specifically, how they work for a particular customer. They own that customer relationship. The power is shifting to partners.

The shift to cloud consumption models changes the channel’s value.

Ten years ago, we had zero questions in our State of Partnering survey asking about cloud and last year, we devoted the study entirely to cloud. It’s not a huge leap to say cloud is affecting every aspect of channel business today. Data shows that end-customers continue to adopt on-demand consumption models, driving a change in vendor and channel ecosystems alike.

Both Vendors and Partners Benefit from Digital Marketing Activities

By Amanda Hawkins, Marketing Director

"Our partners don't know how to do marketing and don't understand the importance of digital marketing." I heard statements like this several times last year and I've gotta say, I think I know how channel partners feel.