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What Service Firms Seek in an IT Channel Partner

What Service Firms Seek in an IT Channel Partner What Service Firms Seek in an IT Channel Partner The majority of accounting, legal and marketing/PR firms seek out VAR/service provider partners to get the most from their tech spend. Tech Spend 42% of accounting firms spend $100,000 or more every year on IT, compared to […]

Written By: Dennis McCafferty

Dec 15, 2015

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What Service Firms Seek in an IT Channel Partner

The majority of accounting, legal and marketing/PR firms seek out VAR/service provider partners to get the most from their tech spend.

Tech Spend

42% of accounting firms spend $100,000 or more every year on IT, compared to 36% of marketing/PR firms and 31% of law firms that spend that much.

Prime Player

78% of survey respondents at these firms said technology is important in terms of reaching business objectives.

Ahead of the Curve

41% of survey respondents at accounting businesses described their firms as “early adopters” of tech, compared to 37% of those at marketing firms and 26% of those at law firms that claim the same.

Vision Statement

52% said their firms are well-positioned in aligning tech vision with a strategy, while 40% said they have a general vision, but could use help in coming up with a strategy.

Business Plan

56% said the need to reach new clients is a top business priority for the next 12 months, while 49% said they must improve staff productivity/capabilities and 48% are looking to reduce costs/overhead.

Tapping the Channel

78% said they either occasionally or often go to electronics/computer retailers for IT purchase needs, while 77% said the same about buying from an IT hardware or software vendor. Seven of 10 said they occasionally or often acquire tech from a VAR or service provider.

Channel Expertise

46% said they turn to IT solution providers/channel partners because they want to take advantage of greater tech expertise on the part of providers/partners, while 44% said they must use IT providers/partners because their systems are getting too complex to manage internally.

Tapping MSPs

35% said they are currently managed services provider (MSP) customers;12% said they are considering becoming MSP customers.

Security, Cloud Skills Gap

40% said they lack sufficient cyber-security skills internally, and 38% said the same about cloud computing skills.

Extent of Cloud Use

69% of survey respondents at marketing/PR firms described themselves as either moderate or heavy users of the cloud, while 57% of those at accounting firms and 54% of those at law firms said the same thing.

Stance on Cyber-security

70% of survey respondents at accounting firms said they’ve increased their prioritization of cyber-security within the last two years, compared to 64% of those at law firms and 61% of those at marketing/PR firms who have done so.

What Service Firms Seek in an IT Channel Partner

Dennis McCafferty

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