The IT industry is transforming, especially in the sales channel. Over the years, many IT manufacturers have relied on a broad presence in the channel – the more partners, the greater the growth potential. Today, this approach is losing relevance. More and more vendors are deliberately reducing the number of active partners, focusing their activities on a select group of resellers and integrators who have a real impact on sales.
Instead of scaling the number of accounts, vendors prefer to deepen relationships with those who already have access to strategic customers and competence in delivering complex solutions. Such selectivity means higher demands, but also a greater willingness to invest on the vendor side – from joint sales planning to priority access to presales and MDF resources.
Some global vendors, such as Dell Technologies and HPE, have already signalled that the priority is on the quality of partnerships, not their number. In 2024, this trend has also clearly accelerated among software vendors, especially in the subscription model, where customer retention has become as important as acquisition.
What was once the norm – i.e. open registrations, low entry thresholds and minimal expectations of activity – is increasingly giving way to a ‘closed club’. For many partners, this means they need to redefine their position in their relationship with vendors.
The focus on fewer partners entails a new logic of cooperation. Vendors are no longer just looking for a distribution channel – they expect active participation in the sales process and customer development. Increasingly, the relationship resembles a joint go-to-market rather than the classic ‘manufacturer-reseller’ model.
In practice, this means deeper commitment on both sides: joint pipeline planning, shared sales targets and regular performance reviews. For partners, it also means greater transparency – manufacturers expect insight into CRM data, detailed forecasts and clearly defined project contributions.
In return, they offer more than just a discount. Access to technical teams, priority in lead allocation and priority in implementing new solutions are becoming the new currency in channel relationships. Vendors – especially those operating on an as-a-service model – want to be assured that the partner will not only sell the solution, but also help retain the customer throughout the contract lifecycle.
This shift towards ‘value-added engagement’ can be seen particularly in the cloud and security sector, where sales rarely end with a single deployment. Partners who can deliver not only the product, but also ongoing support, are becoming a natural extension of manufacturer teams.
Domino effect in the canal
Producer selectivity is not without its impact on the rest of the channel. Smaller and medium-sized partners – hitherto operating on a transactional model – are increasingly finding that access to technical support, leads or marketing resources is becoming limited. Vendors are shifting resources to where they see greater return potential.
As a result, for many ‘mid-tier’ partner companies, collaboration with the manufacturer becomes more one-sided: less communication, less attention, fewer opportunities for joint initiatives. Partners still have access to basic tools – portals, e-learning programmes, documentation – but the personalised approach that used to be standard is missing.
This gap is being attempted to be filled by distributors. They offer their own development programmes, pre-sales as a service, flexible financing models or dedicated engineering resources. In practice, they are now taking over part of the role previously played by vendors vis-à-vis smaller partners – especially in the SME segment and local integrators.
This also marks a shift in power dynamics: partners who have hitherto built their position directly with the manufacturer are increasingly having to accept indirect relationships – with less influence over strategy and access to key information. For many, this is the beginning of having to make a choice – either to increase scale and competence or to redefine their business model.
Is it worth the effort?
For partners who are not among the ‘preferred’, the question becomes: is it worth investing in a relationship with a vendor who is shifting resources elsewhere? Increasingly, the answer is yes – provided they can demonstrate value beyond the sale itself.
Manufacturers are increasingly rewarding partners who show initiative – not waiting for leads, but generating demand themselves, sharing the pipeline and taking risks in pilot projects. It is also becoming crucial to have certified competences – not only technical, but also business competences, such as the ability to conduct consultative sales or service integration.
Less obvious strengths are also at stake: access to niche vertical markets, a strong local brand or an efficient implementation process. Vendors are looking for partners who don’t just ‘sell the product’, but can build it into the customer’s real-world environment – and do so quickly, predictably and with minimal risk.
For many partners, this means transforming from an infrastructure provider to a technical and business advisor. It is a difficult process, but in the long term – the only way to maintain direct access to manufacturer support and stay in the game for larger projects.
The IT industry and the 2025 outlook: will only the elite remain?
If the current direction continues, in 2025 the IT sales channel could become more polarised than ever before. At the top – a narrow group of strategic partners, tightly integrated into the manufacturer’s operations. Below – a broad base of smaller companies, operating in a transactional mode, supported mainly by distribution or self-service portals.
This raises the question of long-term sustainability. Focusing on ‘top performers’ brings faster growth and better cost control, but also risks losing flexibility. Especially in local markets, where relationships and regional presence still matter, too narrow a network of partners can limit scalability.
Some vendors are trying to balance – offering different partnership paths, depending on their business model. Others put it all on the line, hoping that the rest of the market will be taken up by an ecosystem of services, cloud platforms or value-added distribution anyway.
For the partners themselves, this is a moment of strategic decisions. Maintain the current model and accept a second-tier role – or invest in competences, specialisations and relationships that can bring them closer to the forefront. The new normal in the IT industry does not mean the end of the channel. But it definitely changes the rules of the game.
