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END CUSTOMERS NO LONGER BUY INVENTORY, THEY WANT VALUE
The takeaway for distributors is clear, if they continue to function as intermediaries, they will simply become obsolete. The modern IT channel does not need passive facilitators and needs active enablers who can help partners evolve alongside the technologies they are expected to support says Louise Taute at Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan.
If we wind back a few years, IT distributors operated behind the scenes facilitating transactions, managing stock levels, and ensuring products moved efficiently from vendors to partners, essentially acting as the intermediary. That approach may have worked in a hardware-driven world.
But today, with digital transformation, cloud-first strategies, and Everythingas-a-Service, XaaS driving the future of IT, customers are not buying stock from inventory lists they expect agile, scalable solutions. And value, lots and lots of value.
It has also ushered in a change in demand from resellers, partners and systems integrators, who in turn need their distributors to be more than just a supplier; they need a true strategic enabler that can help them navigate complex cloud models,
Customers are not buying stock from inventory lists they expect agile, scalable solutions, and value.
Louise Taute, Managing Director, Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan provide technical expertise, and support business growth.
According to our most recent research, in South Africa 89 % of channel partners see developing a cloud practice as a priority, yet nearly half say they lack the skills to meet customer needs. For distributors, this raises an unavoidable question: What role do we play in this new era?
For years, distribution was about availability. Today, it is about value. It is about empowering resellers, managed service providers, MSPs, and systems integrators to build sustainable, clouddriven businesses. That means stepping up in areas where partners feel the pressure most.
Cloud skills shortages are holding businesses back, even as demand for specialised expertise continues to rise. Nearly three-quarters of partners in South Africa struggle to make sense of cloud pricing models, making it difficult to provide customers with cost clarity.
Many also feel they are not fully leveraging vendor programmes, not because they lack interest but because they do not have the time or resources to optimise them. At the same time, competition is relentless, with 40 % of partners under pressure to deliver faster, more sophisticated solutions to maintain their market position.
These challenges are not theoretical. They are immediate and, if left unaddressed, will define who thrives in the channel and who fades into irrelevance.
The takeaway from this for distributors is clear, especially if they continue to function as mere intermediaries they will then simply become obsolete. The modern IT channel does not need passive facilitators. It needs active enablers who can help partners evolve alongside the technologies they are expected to sell and support.
The channel must shift from a logistical function to an active partner to remain relevant in cloud success. That means investing in enablement and providing the hands-on training, certifications, and
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