2018 US Channel Partner Trends - SMB/Midmarket focused

Techaisle’s annual channel research is a key portal into the conditions and changes within the IT partner community. For the 2018 reports, Techaisle surveyed nearly 2,000 channel members from around the world. By combining the extensive statistical data gained from this research with our ongoing channel consulting and analysis, Techaisle is able to bring reliable data and actionable insight to clients looking to understand channel directions.

The data obtained from this survey is considered to be the most reliable primary source information available on 2018 channel operations in the US.

Each Channel Partner was screened for focus on SMBs & midmarket firms - deriving 50% or more revenue from selling to SMB customers. A 25 minute questionnaire was administered to each respondent. Respondents were Senior Decision Makers within the Channel Partner Organization. The research covered MSPs/SPs, VARs/SIs, IT Consultants with deep representation from all major channel segments:

• MSPs: 204 (26%)
• VARs: 206 (27%)
• SPs: 110 (14%)
• Consultants: 132 (17%)
• SIs: 120 (16%)

The channel industry examined by Techaisle’s 2018 channel research survey is very different from the community that existed a decade ago. Once a staid domain in which technologists provided IT infrastructure support to (mainly) local customers, the channel is being reshaped by five key issues: cloud, and its wrenching effect on all aspects of the channel business structure; managed services efficiencies, especially vs. the pending opportunity associated with digital transformation; increasingly-complex data center technologies; integration demands that are expanding in multiple directions; and the need to sell on and deliver to business rather than technical outcomes.

Brief coverage details is given below:

• Executive Summary
• Methodology
• 5 key channel partner solution offering trends: forces shaping channel transformation
• 5 key channel partner asks from vendor
• Future of channel
• Imperatives of Channel Transformation

• What is the state of channel? Channel Partner Business Issues, Firmographics
• What does the channel offer? Channel Offerings & Digital Transformation
• What does the channel want? Channel Expectations from Vendors & Distributors
• How does the channel sell? Channel sales Strategy
• What is channel doing in the cloud? Channel Partner Cloud Trends
• What is channel doing in managed services? Channel Partner Managed Services Trends