2021 Trends IT resellers need to be aware of

Luke Trinh & Tony Trinh, shared, “The trend our resellers can now capitalise on is the requirement for businesses to provide the physical technology and software licensing to enable every meeting to be both physical and virtual. Many companies haven’t equipped their conference rooms with the right technology, if at all, so now is the time to start those conversations. Competition in the digital collaboration market has lowered the barriers to entry and has made what was once an enterprise level technology easily accessible for almost every company.”

A focus on being security-centric is vital

Security will be a key area of focus for every business in 2021. The rapid shift to remote working that occurred as lockdowns swept across the country resulted in many businesses focusing on keeping their lights on whilst their security posture, both internal and external to their organisation, fell lower down the priority list. 2021 will be the year these businesses refocus on security, invest in the required technologies and ensure their corporate environments are protected against a rapidly evolving global cyberthreat landscape.

Pennie Stevens, said, “Cyber Security will be paramount as attacks and threats become more advanced with AI and ML infiltrating businesses without their knowledge. Partners will need to proactivity consider attacks and invest in ‘Compliance Culture’ that is holistic and not just reactive.” A steady convergence of purchasing modules from our partners will continue to manifest as the channel realises the power of both MSP and CSP platforms. These mechanisms allow for faster ROI and bring depth to your arsenal as and when you need it.

Sarah Loiterton, added, “Customers are re-evaluating their MPSs - who their MSP is, what solutions they are delivering, costs involved and more. Customers are looking to their providers to leverage the Cloud for more value, cost efficiency, and modernisation of operations.” Sarah also highlighted the accelerating pace of consolidation in the channel. Partners who aren’t adapting may find the consolidation of partners will impact their business model and downstream their customer base. We will see an increase in MSPs with more resources, skills and national presence competing against the smaller, niche MSPs who have limited capability.

Marty Simunic, highlighted, “Increasingly we are seeing customers adopt a hybrid cloud strategy to address shifting challenges around security, compliance, accessibility and cost. As a result, we are increasingly supporting our partners with flexible capacity as-a-service plans.”

What's going to set apart the most successful reseller partners in 2021? 

Ben Johnson, said, “Thousands of partners are sitting on a goldmine of customer data that they’re either not using, or worse, aren’t aware of. As the digital transformation of many Australian businesses continues to accelerate and the IT partner ecosystem solidifies its position as a strategic pillar in the success of their end-user’s business’, the ability to mine data, extract useful insights and predict the needs of their end-users are the characteristics that will set the most successful reseller partners apart in 2021.”

2021 presents an unparalleled opportunity for the entire technology sector, and in particular Dicker Data, as we continue in our role supporting the Australian and New Zealand technology channel ecosystem and being the catalyst for the adoption of these new, cutting edge technologies.