Techaisle Blog

IT adoption has become more diffused. The explosive growth in non-IT management control over IT decisions, which changes the buying point and jeopardizes the value of the channel’s IT relationships, is the change that signals the dawning of the inflection point. The IT channel is changing permanently and in ways entirely different from what we’ve seen in the past. In the same way that “cloud” refers to an extensive range of very different IT models and deployments, “the channel” is becoming a generic phrase that describes a set of business approaches that is increasingly specialized and fragmented. Techaisle’s in-depth channel partner and ecosystem research show nine key trends.

Channel partners are being challenged in new ways.

SMBs are wrestling with many challenges, including unreliable network connections, cybersecurity and privacy concerns, productivity issues, and support. In addition, SMBs are mindful of the need for help composing, deploying, and managing digital business infrastructure. The recent surge in remote work has also significantly increased the requirement for effective networks and network management and the complexity of deploying a holistic digital business infrastructure.

SMB networks and network management resources are not as sophisticated as those in enterprise environments. As a result, SMBs will encounter high incidences of network issues such as delivering robust support for videoconferencing and jittering and extending security across distributed applications, devices, and networks.

Networking, a necessary foundation for digital business infrastructure, is a particularly onerous IT management category. Techaisle survey data shows that managing network hardware or network support consumes 47% of SMB IT staff time.

In response to explosive increases in demand for deployment and support of digital business platforms, resource-constrained SMBs are looking for new solutions. They are looking for MSPs as external service providers – and they are looking at SD-WAN. Techaisle data shows that SD-WAN adoption among SMBs will likely grow by 160% within one year. The adoption growth rate is second only to 5G. There is a firm belief within the SMB community that SD-WAN is a critical technology for enabling digital transformation within the SMB segment.

This data indicates a significant and growing opportunity for MSPs to help SMBs deploy digital business infrastructure and manage the associated networking challenges. So what do MSPs need to do to capture this new business?

In 2017, 11% of small businesses and 14% of midmarket firms preferred business outcome-based, customer success-driven pricing from their channel partners and cloud solution providers. In 2021 the percentages have doubled to 22% and 28%, respectively. On the managed services side of the equation, SMBs have a very definitive view of managed services pricing. From a current payment method on a per-device/per-seat basis, they want to transition to a company-wide, fixed recurring fee. This type of payment takes the uncertainty out of the picture. However, similar to outcome-based cloud solution deployment pricing, 29% of SMBs prefer incentive pricing tied to performance levels guaranteed by the MSPs. Data also shows that 78% of SMBs want to work with suppliers who can connect business challenges with technology and design, architect, deploy and manage technology solutions that deliver business outcomes. The data speaks for itself. Contracts will need to specify the anticipated benefits resulting from technology implementations. Supplier rewards, at least above some nominal run-rate level, will need to be tied to achievement (or extended via over-achievement) of these objectives.

Writing is on the wall. Business outcomes-based, customer success-driven pricing is imminent.

Techaisle's Channel partner ecosystem research contains a wealth of information, a great value to partner management teams looking to validate their partner program investments' alignment with real-world conditions, preferences, and requirements. The research contains reliable insight drawn from over 2000 channel partners survey (leveraging network of 225K channel members) with channel decision-makers from firms representing five significant channel types businesses to reflect an outlook shaped by the pandemic and its impact on both the channel and its customers. There are six observations, though, that we believe will help readers to better grasp the implications of many of research findings and where changes are afoot in 2021.

1. Focus on efficiency and control

2. Hybrid everywhere

3. Data and systems of insight

4. Cloud and the transformation of business

5. Digital transformation as a key to growth/viability

6. Relationships defined by ecosystems, not discrete connections