Digging In on B2B Technology Trends and How They're Impacting the Channel

The B2B technology industry is rapidly evolving. Whether it’s the adoption of emerging technologies or digital transformation (DX), several trends are drive this change.

Mike Crosby is the NPD Group’s B2B technology industry analyst. He will lead a session at the upcoming MSP Summit, co-located with the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, April 11-14. Crosby’s conference session, titled “B2B Technology Trends and Future Considerations” will take place April 11. Audience members will gain insight into the specific IT drivers for small, midsize and enterprise businesses, as well as the industry outlook through 2023 based on NPD data.

In this session preview, Mike Crosby shares his thoughts about where he sees the future of the B2B technology industry.

Channel Futures: What are the three most important trends currently having an impact on the B2B technology industry and why?

NPD’s Mike Crosby

Mike Crosby: From a macro perspective, everything changed with the onset of the pandemic altering how we live, work, communicate and learn. Within that macro trend was the acceleration of digital transformation. With the hard pivot to remote working and learning, organizations that were strategic in their DX thinking were able to maintain business continuity and productivity, while those who were not as strategic found themselves at a distinct competitive disadvantage. Adoption and integration of emerging technologies (including IoT, AI and machine learning) became more mainstream as they provided organizations with new and innovative ways to become more agile. Lastly, cloud continues to be a key trend. Now more than ever, companies are seeing the value of hybrid cloud solutions providing the value, scalability and security they need without the burden of self-maintenance and support.

CF: What are the challenges that will influence the future of B2B technology?

MC: Challenges will always relate to adapting to change. While change is a constant, the rate of change has accelerated over the last few years and we expect that will continue — not only with regard to the technology itself, but also as we think about ways of transacting business. New business models are emerging, including as-a-service subscription models that could potentially alter how businesses utilize and pay for technology resources. It’s imperative that organizations stay informed and adjust planning as needed to account for change and new developments.

CF: What are the opportunities that will influence the future of B2B technology?

MC: One of the biggest opportunities is for organizations to invest in innovation that adds core value to customers. By leveraging new and emerging technologies to innovate, expanding service offerings, and taking advantage of new ways to conduct business while providing customers with maximum flexibility, the opportunities are limitless.

CF: How will specific IT drivers affect small, midsize and enterprise businesses?

MC: While small businesses are typically more agile and flexible in adopting new technologies, market conditions have remained difficult as a result of the pandemic, and many small businesses are lacking the operational flexibility and resources they typically have. Midsize and enterprise companies have been able to take advantage of the initial phase of digital transformation – moving from physical to digital – and will now be able to focus on optimization and the further adoption and integration of AI, IoT and the cloud.

CF: What do you hope attendees can learn and make use of from your session?

MC: Grounded in NPD data, my session will cover current B2B technology industry trends as well as expectations for the future to provide attendees with actionable insights that they can leverage to make more informed business decisions.