EXPERT SPEAK
THE AGE OF DISTRIBUTED IT : A CHANNEL PARTNER ’ S PLAYBOOK
Across the entire channel ecosystem , from alliance partners to distributors and systems integrators , channel companies must prepare themselves and their business models , for a new technological landscape and the need to keep their offerings relevant within it . With this in mind , Sherifa Hady , EMEA Channel Sales Director , HPE Aruba , shares three key technology demands that are on the increase among customers and that channel partners should be paying attention to .
Between the COVID-19 crisis and consequent economic upheaval , it ’ s fair to say that many businesses have spent the last 18 months in survival mode . Now , as the tide starts to turn across EMEA , we can begin to wonder what life will look like post-pandemic . From hybrid-workforces and shifting retail sales online , to remote healthcare and a new recognition for the need to accelerate Digital Transformation , many companies are taking this opportunity to re-invent themselves .
There ’ s no doubt these changes have triggered a new set of IT needs for customers and it ’ s critical that channel partners are primed to sell new products and services
IT teams are under increasing pressure to streamline operations and reduce operational complexity in these new distributed environments .
Sherifa Hady , EMEA Channel Sales Director , HPE Aruba that meet these demands . Across the entire ecosystem , from alliance partners to distributors and systems integrators , channel companies must prepare themselves , and their business models , for a new technological landscape and the need to keep their offerings relevant within it .
With this in mind , here are three key technology demands that are on the increase among customers and that channel partners should be paying attention to . . . .
IT agility in the age of hybrid working
The pandemic has triggered a seismic shift in the ways in which businesses operate , which in turn has led to a greater level of complexity around IT systems . Applications and workloads are increasingly distributed across the data centre and the cloud , while workers are split between home offices , campuses and branches . Businesses have also pivoted to meet new expectations from their customers , such as retailers increasing touchless interactions within stores and downsizing on brick and mortar space . Of course , all of this has led to both fragmented networks and unyielding demands being placed upon them – leaving businesses at risk of jeopardising the key benefits of new IoT and cloud technologies if they cannot get a handle on things .
Against this backdrop , IT teams are under increasing pressure to streamline operations and reduce operational complexity in these new distributed environments . Network simplification will be more important than ever for customers . Here , channel partners can get one step ahead by offering a unified network operating system . Deploying a unified infrastructure , one that can be centrally managed via a single point of control , will help IT teams to effectively manage a distributed network environment across microbranch , branch and campus environments , all the while delivering a high-quality user experience within a single architecture , orchestrated from one management console .
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