Most executives believe the channel is “rapidly changing” according to CompTIA’s International State of the Channel 2021 report.
The report discovered that 56 percent believe change is accelerating, compared to just 38 percent who said it was “holding steady”.
But more than 90 percent said that the channel maintains its relevance in the IT industry, with CompTIA claiming respondents were “cautiously optimistic” about the growth opportunities.
Increasing investments in marketing and improving the effectiveness of their marketing efforts were identified as a top priority among execs, but despite the feeling that customer spending would increase, they acknowledged that customers may still be reluctant to buy.
Digital marketing services, cybersecurity, cloud and emerging technologies were four key areas highlighted as opportunities for growth.
However, the report found that 47 percent of UK companies paused their emerging tech efforts temporarily or indefinitely, or pulled the plug entirely, while only 25 percent of companies stayed the course on what they were doing with emerging tech and just 22 percent ramped up their work in areas such as the internet of things, 5G wireless networks, artificial intelligence and biometrics.
A majority of UK channel companies said they are ahead of the security game (14 percent) or on target with their plans (49 percent), but a significant number of firms (37 percent) said they are only beginning to formulate a cybersecurity strategy.
Satisfaction among channel businesses with their vendors remains high, with 80 percent of UK respondents saying they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their vendors in the last two years. Asked what they want from their vendor partners, the most sought-after skills are sales, marketing and operational training and services.
