FINAL WORD
customer engagement . It is also important to remember that AI is a double-edged sword . On one hand its value to business is undeniable . But on the other , there are risks that may extend far beyond the intended use – privacy violations , discrimination , accidents , potential loss of human life , national security , the list goes on .
Partners intending to develop competencies in the area of AI must approach the technology in a pragmatic manner , and work with organisations to develop enterprise-wide controls to guide the development and use of AI systems , including policies , procedures , worker training , and contingency plans .
# 4 Services
IT environments are getting more complex and IT leaders are facing multiple challenges . They are building and supporting increasingly complex hybrid environments . They are under so much pressure to integrate the latest market trends , but lack the right talent , from a number , as well as skills perspective . And this is where channel partners can plug the gap . Offering services as part of their portfolio is very crucial for partners to maintain a healthy and profitable business . Upskilling the existing workforce and hiring good talent is indispensable in achieving this objective . Partners can play a big role in supporting customers through their digital transformation journey , from consulting and design services to post sales and implementation services . At Veeam , we fully rely on our partners to deliver services through Veeam Authorised Service Partner , VASP programme which is designed only for very highly skilled services partners .
Overcoming challenges
When it comes to channel partner related pain points , we see that the rise of digital transformation is met with a glaring gap in the relevant skillsets needed for the future of work . In a survey by Gartner a couple of years ago , it was cited that leaders and IT executives see the talent shortage as the
60 % organisations surveyed believe either significant improvement or complete overhaul is needed between the cyber and backup teams . most significant adoption barrier to 64 % of emerging technologies . If those challenges are not tackled , partners will face the risk of simply becoming obsolete .
Partners should view upskilling and reskilling employees as key priorities . In order to upskill their employees , they need to start by defining their business framework , which should include eight key components as per IDC Industry view 2023 .
• Switching from resell to XaaS
• Having the right technology portfolio
• Specialisation
• New go-to-market , such as marketplace
• Customers , access to c-suite
• Competition , creating smart partnerships
• Ecosystem , creating synergies
• Solutions
This is a great tool that partners can use to design their strategies and develop their key priorities this year and beyond . Partners must always be the best at what they do .
Profitability
Focus and specialisation are key to having a profitable business , and this can be achieved by creating smart synergies within the right ecosystem and by investing in the right talent . Vendors have a key role to play in helping partners in this area by supporting them through training and certification programmes that increase skill specialisation and diversification that help differentiate the partner ´ s offering in the market . In this way partners can scale their business models and address the needs of their customers in a very flexible and customised way .
When looking to collaborate with vendors , besides the technology aspect , channel companies need to pay attention to a vendor ’ s partner programme . All programmes do not have equal merit . Channel organisations need to collaborate with vendors whose partner programmes centre around partner profitability and motivate and engage channel partners to create more value for customers . •
68 www . intelligenttechchannels . com