A recent survey, which explores the emerging needs of partners and their end customers, has found that 81% of end users said interest in emerging technologies, such as AI, IoT and 5G has increased in the past six months.
- Vodafone’s Partner of the Future research explores the emerging needs of partners and their end customers.
- 81% of end users said interest in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G has increased in the past six months and 96% said emerging technology will be part of their company’s vision of the future.
- 70% of the partners who took part in the research said they expect to remodel what they are traditionally known for and 72% know their sales and marketing teams need to be more closely aligned.
The research by Vodafone also found that an overwhelming 96% said emerging technology will be part of their company’s vision of the future and more than two-thirds expect mature technology to play a role.
Emerging technology trends are having the biggest influence on end users more so than cost pressures or slow economic growth, and end users are looking at future tech trends to increase productivity (77%), enable quicker decision-making (65%), and become more secure (64%).
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Emerging technology trends are having the biggest influence on end users more so than cost pressures or slow economic growth, and end users are looking at future tech trends to increase productivity (77%), enable quicker decision-making (65%), and become more secure (64%).
The impact of emerging tech on the channel is also being recognised by partners. More than 70% of the partners who took part in the research said they expect to have to remodel what they are traditionally known for. In fact, 72% recognising their sales and marketing teams need to be more closely aligned, while more than a quarter of channel partners are challenged when trying to find the best solution for their customers.
As businesses demand more specialised and complex technologies, partners already know they need to pivot to meet the needs of end users. For instance, 84% of channel partners say they need to consider sector specialisation to remain competitive and 74% of end users prefer to work with vendors that specialise in their industry, whether finance, retail or automotive.
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However, flexibility, education and innovation are at the heart of future channel success. Nearly 80% of end users are aligning their business and tech strategies, creating an opportunity for channel partners to use their expertise to advise and educate at a strategic level.
By combining emerging and mature technologies, partners can position themselves as the driving force behind customer growth and transformation. Training in emerging technologies and education came out top for end users, while all channel partners said they needed help from vendors to drive sales and marketing.
Kathryn Platt, Head of Indirect Business, Vodafone UK, said: “Now, more than ever, there is a myriad of technologies available, which can be difficult at the best of times to navigate. We commissioned this research to listen to and understand the challenges facing partners and end users.
“In turn, we can uncover the key trends remodelling the market, the shape of future relationships, and how partners can reposition to stay competitive.
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“What is clear from this research is that partners are already doing a brilliant job, but the future belongs to the channel partners who can evolve their customer relationships and work in partnership with vendors to create solutions. These solutions will combine new and mature technologies to support the growth of the channel partner and address the core needs of their end customer.
“Vodafone is uniquely placed to support partners. With more than 30 years’ experience, we are one of the only providers to invest in a converged infrastructure, as well as providing a broad portfolio of products and team of partner managers and service specialists with deep sector knowledge, who are ready to help navigate the technology shift.”
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
Methodology:
In September 2024, Danebury Research conducted 250 online interviews with 250 end users – IT/telco decision makers at companies with between 5-250 employees. The interviews were also conducted with 57 channel partners – resellers involved in the decision-making process regarding the products/services their company offers customers, and working in companies with between 5-250 employees.
Two surveys were designed with core questions that were asked to both audiences and several questions, which were tailored to each audience.
Data was collected using B2B panels, although the channel partner survey was also sent to a database of Vodafone contacts. Seven out of the 57 interviews came from this database.
