The transformation of the workplace is one of the key trends shaping the post-pandemic world, according to Alastair Edwards, Chief Analyst at Canalys.
Speaking at the analyst firm’s annual Channels Forum, Edwards (pictured above) spoke of the transformation the industry has already seen in the workplace, and the opportunities for partners as the transformation continues.
“Workplace transformation is going to fuel the next era of channel growth,” he told attendees of the event.
“The pandemic has driven a massive shift in the workplace model, which is going to fuel major opportunities for the channel. [This is] underpinned not only by devices and products, but also a new generation of software and services”
According to Canalys research, more than 130 million workers worldwide will be working on a hybrid basis, post-pandemic, an increase of over 150 percent on pre-Covid levels. This will have a significant effect on the PC market, which, although facing an “inevitable slowdown” on the growth it saw in 2020 and 2021, will still see a wave of refreshes over the next few years. These refreshes will be driven by Windows 11, 5G and the fulfilment of order backlogs globally.
“The good news for the channel is that this has created an opportunity to extend the solution sale beyond the device to include the backend infrastructure, the tools, and the applications to support this new hybrid model,” Edwards continued.
“As employees return to the office, they’re looking for collaboration hubs, meeting places, and they need broadband that can support that”
“We’re seeing big growth in cloud-based virtualisation – especially from Microsoft – cybersecurity, SD-WAN for distributed offices, physical security, security at the edge, and security in the home networks. These are all big opportunities driven by the next generation workplace.”
The other trends which will define the modern channel partner – which Edwards described as “reseller 4.0” – is the ability to offer customers a range of buying options, as well as providing monitoring and managed services which is “one of the biggest growth opportunities ahead for the channel”, predictive data analytics, and sustainability practices.
“The role as a managed service provider is based on trust and the strength of your relationship with your customer,” Edwards said.
“That is still going to mean personal contact and important. This has to be tied to our ability to offer customer engagement resources, from consulting and professional services through to customer success teams who are managing their customers through their lifecycle of investments.”
