Westcon-Comstor, a global technology provider and specialist distributor, has released a report titled “Navigating the shift: The role of distributor marketplaces in Partner Success.” The report, based on a survey of nearly 300 channel partners in the UK and Australia, found that while almost all channel partners are shifting to subscription and recurring revenue models, the majority (78%) say they have more to do to make the transition. The shift to subscription and recurring revenue models introduces complexity, with over half (52%) citing the need to manage a complex multi-vendor portfolio as their biggest challenge.
Channel partners are turning to distributor marketplaces to help overcome these challenges, with 60% believing that a single platform to buy hardware and software would help accelerate the shift. However, less than half (49%) of partners are currently using distributor marketplaces. Those who have started using them have cited self-serve stock availability (49%), online ordering (49%), and pricing (42%) as the biggest advantages, while they are looking for better access to customer data (55%), market data (39%), and customer success training (46%). The report suggests that there is an opportunity for distributor marketplaces to offer a richer set of services and capabilities to truly help partners on their growth path within the new model.
