Channel Futures' 10 Mega Channel Trends for 2023

Channel Futures’ mega trends is an exciting new editorial initiative we’ve designed to identify the biggest issues confronting the channel in the coming year. These are the trends that matter most to those who sell IT and communications solutions to customers. At the same time, we expect them to offer guidance to the senior-most leaders of technology suppliers and other vendors on how to steer their partner networks.

We’ve derived these mega trends from discussions with partners, key channel analysts, IT and technology services distributors, vendors and more.

We will continue to follow these trends and provide updates to our partner audience as the year progresses. Look for more articles, slideshows, webinars, videos and other content from Channel Futures in 2023 that further this mission.

So let’s get to it …

The onset of a new year typically brings forth a flurry of optimism. And even with uncertainty surrounding the economy in the first half of next year, channel partners know how to adapt. Consider the hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic — many partner businesses actually flourished selling suddenly must-have technologies.

Questions about the economy arose more than once as Channel Futures editors began compiling their mega-trends to watch in 2023.

Take cloud, for instance. In the slideshow above, our Kelly Teal describes how businesses might start watching their cloud spending more closely. It’s also a focus of senior editor Allison Francis’ examination of the MSP outlook for the coming year. Will companies turn to more digital transformation efforts? Signs point to yes, albeit in a more carefully planned manner, which should keep managed service providers in good standing.

More Mega Trends: SMB. Cybersecurity, UCaaS Consolidation

The economy is also at the fore of senior content director Bob DeMarzo’s look at the SMB market, which he predicts will take center stage in ’23. He looks at plenty of evidence that shows selling to the small and medium business customer will be big business for the channel in the months to come.

Cybersecurity sales will be a big part of that SMB trend, as malicious hackers aren’t slowing their attacks. That’s exacerbated by the growing security skills gap, which senior editor Edward Gately identifies as a huge challenge in 2023.

Furthermore, we’ll keep a close eye on the unified-communications-as-a-service landscape over the course of the next year. The pandemic was a catalyst for M&A among UCaaS and contact-center-as-a-service providers in 2022. Channel Futures’ Claudia Adrien tells us why we should expect more consolidation.

And speaking of as-a-service, get ready for a cloud marketplace explosion. Editorial director Craig Galbraith dives into this ongoing trend and what industry insiders think it means for channel partners’ businesses.

Our editors also contributed mega trends on how professional services will impact the technology advisor channel; the acceleration of data center transformation; the huge focus on sustainability in EMEA; and the next step for diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) in the channel.

We break it all down in the slideshow above.