Report: Channel relies on new tech to stay competitive

Research commissioned by cloud provider Pulsant reveals that despite a challenging year, 97 per cent of resellers have seen growth

Over half the resellers questioned in a survey revealed they were adopting new technology in an attempt to remain ahead of their competition.

The research, conducted by independent research firm Censuswide on behalf of cloud provider Pulsant, surveyed 104 different-sized IT resellers across various industries.

Results revealed that 60 per cent of resellers were taking on different technology, including cloud solutions, while almost two thirds of those surveyed said they were working with vendors that offered complimentary products as a way to stay competitive.

Despite Brexit fears and prices rises from vendors including Lenovo, HP, Asus and most recently Microsoft and Apple, 97 per cent of resellers surveyed said they had experienced growth in the last 12 months. A further 63 per cent of those attributed the growth to hiring new talent.

A further 47 per cent said the growth came from incorporating SaaS or cloud into their product offering, while 37 per cent claimed their growth was due to marketing initiatives.

Of the resellers surveyed, the research found that 90 per cent were becoming cloud or SaaS providers, but 33 per cent of those said that service delivery was the biggest obstacle when transitioning to the cloud. In addition, 20 per cent of resellers said the biggest obstacle was adjusting to a new business model.

Chris Roberts, channel director at Pulsant, said: "There is absolutely no doubt that cloud has changed the way that we do business and is becoming a dominant market force. The channel has been transitioning over the past few years, adapting to the changes that cloud has brought, so this level of positive growth reflected in the research is a powerful indication of the strength of the market."