Distributor Westcon-Comstor claims that most channel partners across the UK and Australia have realised they need to deliver subscription services.
In its Navigating the shift: The role of distributor marketplaces in partner success report, Westcon-Comstor said that while 78 per cent of partners had started to move towards subscriptions, a number of obstacles in getting there due to increased complexity among the main hurdles. Just over half pointed to the need to manage a complex multi-vendor portfolio as the biggest challenge.
The result was that more expected distributors to help and many were looking to the marketplaces that disties had established as places they could interact more easily. Some 60 per cent stated that a single platform to purchase both hardware and software would help them navigate some of the complexity and embrace marketplaces quicker.
As it stands, just under half of those partners quizzed by Westcon-Comstor are currently using distributor marketplaces. Those that are have indicated that self-serve stock, online ordering and pricing were some of the clearest benefits.
There was a sense that the marketplaces extended beyond the transactional, being seen as a route to gain more customer and market data and training. That discovery should give distributors more food for thought as they continue to extend their platforms and increase the depth of their offerings.
Westcon-Comstor CMO Patrick Aronson said: “Our experience is that channel partners are keen to modernise and embrace the recurring revenue and subscription business model.
“It’s great to see the dynamic and forward-thinking partners we know reflected in this report. As a distributor, insight into the challenges our partners face is key to creating the right marketplace solution they need to serve their customers as best they can,” he said.
