At IBM’s “Future of the Channel” twitter chat with channel partners, tech analysts and marketers, panellists found that the old channel model is broken. Instead, a new direction and new opportunities for the industry lie in the cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS). Here are some highlights from the chat:
How is the technology landscape changing as a whole as it pertains to the Channel? Your business? #infrachat http://t.co/hMJDg3VpGz
— IBM Systems (@IBMSystems) November 11, 2014
@IBMSmrtrCmptng Two ways – the channel is getting broader by necessity – what I mean is the nature of s… #infrachat http://t.co/UsxnjtyeZf
— Michael Bonamassa (@Mbonamassa) November 11, 2014
@furrier Yes, we are seeing much more focus for DevOps automation services and consulting. The cloud i… #infrachat http://t.co/PCFILpEwnN
— Michael Bonamassa (@Mbonamassa) November 11, 2014
What types of new products, services and solutions do you see customers asking for as a result of this … #infrachat http://t.co/FbExf4BPyb
— IBM Systems (@IBMSystems) November 11, 2014
@IBMSmrtrCmptng The cloud is forcing companies to reevaluate what they are good at and what should be s… #infrachat http://t.co/at84jK4YxU
— John McDonald (@jpmcdon) November 11, 2014
@IBMSmrtrCmptng One area not talked about is the bus model of SaaS – Land and Expand #infrachat http://t.co/So1QbSlaz1
— John Furrier (@furrier) November 11, 2014
Which tech trends do you consider a disruptor for the Channel and your business? #infrachat http://t.co/8eHxeMCPGE
— IBM Systems (@IBMSystems) November 11, 2014
@IBMSmrtrCmptng Clients moving to cloud service brokers to provider their infrastructure. As value add… #infrachat http://t.co/Pqx2HYwc46
— John Alday (@JohnAlday) November 11, 2014
@IBMSmrtrCmptng Obviously SaaS. It's removing layers from the channel that have existed since the star… #infrachat http://t.co/6pQXrUP0qi
— John McDonald (@jpmcdon) November 11, 2014
According to the panellists, cloud and SaaS have the potential to upheave the industry.
What are the biggest changes you've seen in the channel in the past two to three years? #infrachat http://t.co/uSGDjV4D6l
— IBM Systems (@IBMSystems) November 11, 2014
@IBMSmrtrCmptng "….-as-a-service" Opportunity and threat…two sides of the same coin. #infrachat http://t.co/5HacrXtRnI
— Dave Carlquist (@dacarlq) November 11, 2014
@IBMSmrtrCmptng That the old "order of things" from vendor (like IBM) to VAD (like Avnet) to very local… #infrachat http://t.co/Oi9JOINjM4
— John McDonald (@jpmcdon) November 11, 2014