Analysis T
he global technology provider and specialist distributor surveyed almost 900 partners across eight countries for its Mastering the Maze report and found that 93% of UK-based
respondents see developing a cloud practice as a priority. That’s higher than any other country and is set against an international average of 85%. The desire to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the
rapidly growing cloud market is consistent across all markets where the research was conducted: Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK. More than three-quarters (77%) of UK-based partners said their
customers are looking for specialised cloud skills, but only 56% are confident in fulfilling this demand – with the remaining 44% describing skill shortages as a challenge. Indeed, a lack of technical skills and FinOps expertise – along with associated hurdles around hiring and talent – emerged as one of the main obstacles facing partners as they strive to meet end-users’ cloud requirements. Partners’ concern over their own cloud technical skills was
strongest in New Zealand, where 49% of respondents flagged this as a challenge. Partners in France are most confident in their own skills. Leveraging cloud provider programmes to full effect is another
major challenge for partners, with 56% of UK respondents (international average: 58%) highlighting this as one of the biggest barriers they face when advising their customers on cloud cost optimisation. Meanwhile, 63% of those in the UK (international average: 65%) pointed to issues around understanding cloud pricing models, with the often complex nature of these models making it hard to give customers certainty over costs. Other barriers to cloud success include meeting customers’ cloud
security needs and fending off fierce market competition, with an above-average 42% of UK partners highlighting the pressure to outperform rivals by delivering better, faster solutions (international average: 40%). Looking across all countries, the research also reveals that:
• Partners say half (50%) of customers choose hybrid cloud solutions, with 27% pursuing full migration amid a cautious approach to migrations overall.
• A quarter (25%) of partners describe themselves as born in the cloud, while 23% say they are developing a cloud practice having previously been focused on on-prem solutions; and
“Embracing the cloud is a springboard for innovation, growth and productivity gains for partners and their
customers.” Aaron Rees, Founder and CEO at Rebura, a Westcon-Comstor company
• Nearly half (46%) highlighted training and enablement when asked how distributors can support the development of their cloud capabilities. Meanwhile, 75% of partners globally see cloud hyperscaler
marketplaces as an opportunity rather than a threat and are actively using them. “Our research shows that the channel is poised to grasp the huge
growth opportunities presented by the cloud market but is facing certain gaps around skills, capabilities and expertise,” said David Grant, CEO at Westcon-Comstor. “Partners around the world are at different stages of their cloud journey, but there is a common thread in their desire to expand their cloud capabilities and meet their customers’ needs. It is incumbent on distributors to support, enable and empower partners in pursuit of these aims by harnessing and deploying their own cloud expertise.” “Embracing the cloud is a springboard for innovation, growth and
productivity gains for partners and their customers,” said Aaron Rees, Founder and CEO at Rebura, a Westcon-Comstor company. “The channel, however, still has some way to go on its journey to mastering the cloud, with many partners still developing their own skills as they work to satisfy customer expectations. Our findings suggest that partners know where they need to develop their cloud capabilities – the challenge is finding the right support to help plug those gaps.” The research publication comes as
Westcon-Comstor doubles down on its cloud strategy. In late 2024 it became an authorised Amazon Web Services (AWS) distributor for Europe, adding to an existing distribution agreement in Asia-Pacific. That followed Westcon-Comstor’s acquisition of specialist AWS consultancy Rebura and the launch of the distributor’s AWS Marketplace programme, which is designed to accelerate AWS Marketplace growth for partners and vendors.
www.pcr-online.biz March/April 2025 | 7
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