Change Doesn't Mean Doom For The IT Channel — But Scaring Businesses Off With The Idea Could

By Kelly O’Bray, Community Manager for MAXfocus at LogicNow

The channel is constantly in a state of change, and with change comes uncertainty. Uncertainty drives fear and so with each change people are quick to identify threats to the existing model and ultimately the demise of the channel. 

We have been hearing that the channel is doomed for years. 

First when margins that VARs were seeing from hardware suppliers started slipping and many hardware suppliers went with a direct model, people said the channel was in trouble and we were being asked: “Will the channel survive?”

The channel needed to adapt. VARs needed to provide more services along with hardware. With this change in model not only did the channel survive, it grew.

The next big change came when large providers such as Dell and Best Buy (Geek Squad) offered services — remotely — direct to end clients. We were again asked: “Can we compete and will the channel survive?”  This service model was moderately disruptive, but most end clients preferred dealing with local support and with people they trusted.

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