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Westcon-Comstor marks 40th birthday with look ahead
Distributor outlines the main trends that are shaping the channel as it plans to share more insights to prepare partners for the future
Westcon-Comstor has marked its 40th birthday by sharing insights into the trends the distributor believes will dominate the channel as it moves into its next decade and beyond.
The channel player started life back in June 1985, and has grown the global business to a point where it employs 3,700 people and generated gross sales of $5.24bn in its latest financial year.
As the distie blows out the candles on its cake, the firm has launched its Future Ready initiative, and shared its channel insights as part of that activity.
As a result, the firm has highlighted six trends that will drive channel growth and development over the next few years.
The first is the emergence of MSPs and specialised partners as the winners in a hybrid environment. Those that are able to provide automation, security and support data flows across those customer systems will find themselves increasingly valuable going forward.
Those with security skills will also prosper as the need to protect data evolves into a business function, not just a concern for those working in customer IT departments. Westcon-Comstor has seen the demand for security increase over the years, and partners able to deliver data protection as a strategic enabler that supports M&A activity, business resilience and regulations are in the strongest position.
Inevitably, artificial intelligence (AI) also appears on the list, with Westcon-Comstor expecting the technology to have a significant impact on how the channel operates.
Intelligence enablers
The distie is expecting more partners to transition from infrastructure to intelligence enablers, with rewards on offer for those that master AI models and how they can intersect with customer systems. Users won’t just be looking to partners to provide efficiency, but also expertise and foresight on where AI is going to go next.
AI is also causing a network rethink, with a growing need for more dynamic infrastructure that can cope with real-time data and distributed compute demands. Opportunities for the channel have emerged around intent-based networking, zero-trust architectures and observability. Those that succeed will be able to design networks that think, heal and secure themselves.
Cloud is also a continuing factor, but here things have also evolved, with partners having to learn fresh motions, models and skills. Successful partners have to be part of hyperscaler programmes, be comfortable on marketplaces and offer usage-based billing. The distie is advising the channel to view hyperscalers as platforms, not suppliers or rivals, to maximise their routes to market.
Finally, the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) customer base and its ongoing shift to digital will continue to be the growth driver for the channel. All of the above technologies are forcing small and mid-size customers to secure and upgrade infrastructure, and look to unlock the benefits of AI.
‘A new phase of digital urgency’
The distributor talks of “entering a new phase of digital urgency”, and expects partners that can deliver solid solutions for SMEs to fare well over the next few years.
“Marking 40 years is a proud moment for everyone at Westcon-Comstor and is an opportunity to both reflect and look to the future,” said David Grant, Westcon-Comstor CEO.
“Our channel partners and vendors are operating in a rapidly changing market while pursuing their own business transformation journeys,” he said. “Our focus is on helping them become future-ready, so they are prepared for tomorrow’s challenges as well as today’s. Our Future Ready initiative is the perfect way to spotlight our heritage along with our forward-facing priorities and our dedication to enabling sustainable, long-term success across the channel.”
The channel player’s Future Ready programme will continue to share insights as a result of research, as well as interviews with partners, vendors and channel leaders.
