This time last year, I was wrapping up another chapter in the New Zealand channel, across the Tasman in our Auckland office.
Fast forward to today and I’m sat gazing out onto Lavender Bay, assessing my first nine months in Australia.
In reflecting on a whirlwind 2016, one word best summarises my early observations of the local market - change.
Perhaps a little predictable and perhaps a little clichéd, but since taking the reins on April 1, I’ve watched one end of the market stagnate, as the other innovates.
Lagging behind are the traditionalists, those glued to the past with an unwillingness to adjust in order to advance.
As staunch believers in the value of archaic IT reselling, I question whether the transactional players of previous years will still be around to read the next end of year issue of ARN, in December 2017.
Why? Not because I’m drunk on litres of vendor Kool-Aid and not because I’ve been lured by clever marketing. Rather, I’ve looked at the facts.
Since 2008, the channel has suffered a 30 per cent decline in the number of partners serving the worldwide market, figures that also reflect the dynamics of the Australian industry.
For the changing of the channel guard is underway, driven by a leading group of upstarts.
Aptly named Channel Contenders, this issue looks at partners operating at the leading edge of the market, forging a new future through technological innovation and refreshed go-to-market strategies.
Through profiling ten businesses either starting out or expanding fast - spanning New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia - we believe it’s time to provide a platform for emerging partners to shine.
ARN Channel Contenders are immediate impact makers, those taking on the giants of industry through thinking outside of the technology box, solving critical customer pain points in new ways.
While growth is a key marker of success, and has been accounted for, likewise is innovation.
As a result, here’s a quick run through of what to expect in the December issue of ARN Magazine:
Changing of the channel guard
In light of striking business and technological shifts, the channel is churning at a rapid rate - James Henderson outlines how partners can learn from the past to prepare for the future.
Were you a winner or loser in 2016?
With 2017 appearing over the horizon, Tech Research Asia Executive Consultant, Mark Iles, outlines the winners and losers of the past 12 months.
Channel Contenders
ARN examines 10 partners operating at the leading edge of the industry, assessing those forging a new future through technological innovation and refreshed go-to-market strategies.
Google - Climbing the cloud ladder
As businesses increasingly migrate to the skies, Google Cloud country manager of Australia and New Zealand, Renee Gamble, outlines to Holly Morgan how the tech giant aims to capitalise on its standing as a cloud contender.
Top tech to watch in 2017
Leaving aside the usual suspects, this year’s collection of technology predictions for 2017 see the emergence of some new entries to the list of tech to watch in the coming year - Leon Spencer reports.
ARN Women in ICT Awards - Key takeaways…
ARN celebrated gender diversity and recognised female excellence across seven categories, including a special Lifetime Achievement recognition - Hafizah Osman and Holly Morgan examine the key takeaways.
ARN Hall of Fame
Fresh from being inducted into the ARN Hall of Fame, Angela Fox explains to James Henderson how a rural New Zealander came to lead the local arm of the world’s largest technology company.
MSP 2.0 - How the channel can capitalise in a fast changing world
With market conditions changing, managed services providers (MSPs) must evolve to stay relevant, embracing disruption or risk being irrelevant - Hafizah Osman reports.
Opening the door to data centre change
With a growing appetite for innovation and digital transformation, Australia sits on the cusp of significant disruption in the data centre - James Henderson reports.
To subscribe to ARN magazine - please click here
