Sébastien Ory believes, customers will look for partners with domain and industry expertise as they face complexity of solutions. The capacity to combine OT and IT knowledge, which includes AI components and cybersecurity skills, is a differentiator. The recipe for success for a channel partner, relies on showing expertise in OT, IT, AI and cybersecurity while staying up to date on emerging solutions.

With industrial software, customers collect and leverage the full potential of their data along their value chain to achieve their goals of efficiency and sustainability. Industrial intelligence is an asset that can grow continuously when paired with a datadriven ecosystem approach. The network of partners and strong alliances with digital services companies, AI platform providers and independent software vendors supports this vision.

What are your strengths and abilities that you bring to the above role?

Ory has led AVEVA teams to deliver industrial companies with cloud-based industrial analytics and AI software for 7 years both for direct and indirect engagements. Thanks to interactions with customers, Ory understands their needs and how software benefits them.

This is critical to build an ecosystem of partners able to develop useful industrial applications accessible from CONNECT, AVEVA’ s agnostic AI-enriched industrial intelligence platform. Through his career in industrial automation Ory has had the experience to work closely with different types of distribution and delivery partners.

Please describe the opportunities and challenges that exist for channel partners in your market?

AI, be it Generative or Machine Learning based, represents an opportunity for channel partners. A lot of industrial companies do not know where to start with this new technology. Channel partners have a strategic role to play in co-defining relevant AI capabilities, particularly for small and medium businesses who do not know where to start to get value in a secured manner from such technologies.

However, AI also represents a challenge as this technology evolves rapidly and requires channel partners to constantly stay up to date to support their customers with the right long-lasting tools. As a result of this rapid evolution, in addition to deploying software at end-customers, partners are also expected to provide consulting services to support their digital transformation.

Which technologies and innovations can make a difference to the channel market dynamics in the near future?

Digital transformation of the energy and manufacturing industry is generating a huge opportunity for the channel markets. AI, cloud, and cybersecurity trigger major disruptions for which companies invest significantly and look for the support of partners. Industrial companies need innovations and technologies to address their need of efficiency, agility and sustainability to navigate in a context of uncertainty while remaining profitable.

Sébastien Ory, EMEA VP Partners and Channels, AVEVA

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