2024 Technology Advisor Predictions: The Evolution of Professionalization

Tech advisors (TAs), colloquially known as agents for their commission-based channel partner model, stayed the course through a challenging macroeconomic year. Despite financial tightening at many of their vendor partners, TAs expanded their headcounts and reported confidence in the health of their industry in 2023.

Moreover, the industry saw a series of new entrants into the space, replacing a generation of advisors who had sold their businesses in recent years. The carrier-to-agent pipeline is no longer the exclusive pathway into the channel. IT leaders from the customer side and direct sales leaders from a variety of IT vendors have joined or started agencies — a powerful validation of the model's influence.

Channel Futures forecasts an evolution of technology advisors in 2024 as increased transparency and oversight enters the space. Our seventh of eight predictions anticipates that TAs will undergo a process of increased professionalization. Some of this professionalization will occur of their own accord and some of it will come from outside prodding.

Leading up to 2023, Channel Futures predicted increased channel conflict, MDF rationalization and partner certifications, among other forecasts. Some of those predictions came true, others flopped and still others have yet to be realized.

Channel Futures asked sources at the partner, distributor and supplier levels of the TA channel about what they think is coming down the pipe in 2024.

Scroll through the eight images above to see predictions about the coming year.