Monday Morning Impact – April 30

IDC: Worldwide ICT Spending to Exceed $5.6 Trillion in Three Years

Worldwide information and communications technology (ICT) spending is expected to exceed $5.6 trillion in 2021, driven partly by investments in new technology categories, according to the latest version of IDC’s Worldwide Black Book.

According to the Framingham, Massachusetts-based researcher, new technologies, including Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, robots and drones, augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets, and 3D printers, will account for almost a quarter (23%) of total ICT spending. Meanwhile, cloud, mobile, big data & analytics, and social will jointly represent more than 70% of worldwide ICT spending.

China accounted for 28% of worldwide IoT spending in 2017, and 29% of total robotics investments, compared to just 12% of traditional ICT spending categories (hardware, software, services and telecom). Japan and some other Asia/Pacific countries are also early adopters of robotics and IoT. 3D printing has seen strong early adoption in China and Germany. Cognitive AI investments are dominated by U.S. businesses, which are also leading the way in AR/VR prototypes, according to the report. Emerging markets, such as India and Brazil, are major contributors to overall mobility spending, but are still playing catch up when it comes to cloud.

“The U.S. is once again at the forefront of much new software innovation, while countries like China and Germany are driving industry-focused categories,” said Stephen Minton, vice president, Customer Insights & Analysis at IDC. “Understanding these regional and country-level differences, including the drivers and inhibitors behind likely adoption curves for new technologies, will be key to ICT vendor strategy in the next 5-10 years.”

The latest version of IDC’s Worldwide Black Book includes forecasts for 33 countries segmented by 44 technologies and 11 platforms.

Channel Impact^®
Many channel partners are looking for information on how to place bets on emerging technologies while preserving the types of offerings that have brought them success to this point. While technology adoption is broadly positive across all countries, there are key geographic differences in terms of early adoption and short-term opportunities.

RapidFire Tools Launches its First Channel Program, Focusing on GDPR Compliance

RapidFire Tools, an Atlanta-based developer of IT assessment and compliance tools, has launched a new partner program to support its Audit Guru for GDPR tool. The program marks the first time the company is selling one of its products exclusively through MSPs.

The new product is designed to help organizations establish compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which applies to any organization that collects and processes personal information within the European Union, effective May 25th.

Audit Guru for GDPR is a purpose-built software appliance to automatically collect the data required for a proper initial GDPR audit, as well as the required on-going compliance checks. The tool will automatically generate the documentation and reporting required under the standard.

Available to MSPs worldwide, the new partner program includes extensive product training, an NFR license for testing and evaluation purposes, a second license to resell to their first client, a product management portal, white-labeled marketing materials, and unlimited technical support.

“Until now, our tools have been sold to MSPs for internal use as part of their business development and service delivery,” explained company president Michael Mittel. “This launch marks a paradigm shift, wherein we’ve designed a product that MSPs can sell directly to the network owner.”

MSPs will have the option of reselling Audit Guru for GDPR to their end-user clients, or offering it along with value-added consulting and ongoing compliance management services.

Channel Impact^®
Given that the EU represents a significant percentage of the global economy, including the presence of many multi-national corporations, GDPR rules will undoubtedly have a profound effect on the IT industry moving forward.

Veritas Overhauls Channel Program for Enhanced Simplicity and Profitability

Veritas Technologies, a Mountain View-based multi-cloud data management vendor, has updated its program supporting more than 10,000 global partners selling Veritas’ 360 data management portfolio and multi-cloud data management solutions.

“The channel continues to evolve as many of our partners are developing more of their own intellectual property and are focused on selling business solutions versus point products,” said Barbara Spicek, vice president of global channels and alliances. “Veritas is increasing technical assets, deepening skills and enhancing opportunities to make it easier for our broad ecosystem of partners to help customers harness the power of their data on-premises and in multi-cloud environments.”

The new program includes rebates for overachieving set quarterly growth targets, increased deal registration rewards, pre-sales technical assistance via online chat or email, and also a partner development fund.

Partners can also choose from a variety of new accreditation courses and skills evaluations, based on their business practices. Online courses such as Veritas NetBackup Architecture, Challenges in Backup and Recovery, and Risk Mitigation and Compliance are offered as part of the redesign.

Partners focused on the commercial and mid-market segment will have opportunities to receive increased compensation and technical assets, along with new e-learning and technical podcasts. Additionally, new co-marketing assets will be available to create demand with commercial and mid-market accounts.

Meanwhile, distributors worldwide can receive joint marketing funds that reward volume business around data management and protection.

Channel Impact^®
Program simplification should make it easier and faster for partners to achieve tier advancement and receive additional benefits by meeting a combination of accreditation and revenue requirements. Partners will also have access to a range of educational offerings that are intended to sharpen their skills.