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 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.