ChannelPro’s 2022 State of the Channel Survey finds that respondents are upbeat about 2022, on the heels of a healthy 2021.
The ChannelPro 2022 State of the Channel Survey finds that a majority of managed service providers, VARs, and IT solution providers are bullish about the year ahead, as revenues and profits continue a steady recovery from the impact of a two-year global pandemic.
Read More: Cloud Threats: What Business Executives Need To Know Right Now
According to the annual survey, which offers the technology industry’s most authoritative view of trends and attitudes among providers of IT services to small and midsize businesses, 40% of participants had higher revenue in 2021, up from 35% in 2020, and 42% had higher profits, up from 37%.
Other financial and revenue highlights include:
-
- 64% of respondents anticipate greater revenue in 2022 and 60% predict greater profit
-
- 69% believe market conditions will be better for their own company this year, and 35% think they’ll be much better
-
- 73% predict higher IT spending by their customers this year
- 46% believe their personal income will be up in 2022 (versus 30% a year ago)
“This year’s data suggests that the indisputably indispensable role technology now plays in the world of hybrid work and digital everything has translated to boom times for channel pros, many of whom see even boomier times ahead,” says Rich Freeman, ChannelPro executive editor.
The ChannelPro 2022 State of the Channel Survey also reveals some industry trends:
Managed Services. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents provide at least some managed services, versus 64% last year. Managed services account for half or more of annual revenue for 34% of respondents, up from 20% a year ago, and 51% expect even more of their revenue to come from managed services in 2022.
Security. Among respondents, 80% offer anti-virus, anti-spam, network protection, or other security services, up from 63% in last year’s survey, and 23% call margins on security services high vs. just 18% previously.
Read More: SalesTechStar Interview With Ryan Johnson, Chief Product Officer At CallRail
Cloud. The need to support work-from-home models continues apace, with 77% of respondents offering WFH services in 2021 versus 67% a year before. In addition, 61% offer Microsoft 365 licensing, a double-digit uptick, and 62% provide cloud consulting, deployment, and migration assistance, up from 58% last year. Despite that, however, cloud services continue to contribute little to the top line, with three-quarters of respondents getting less than 25% of their revenue from the cloud.
Hiring and Salaries. Respondents are well aware they’ll have to pay new hires and existing staff more generously this year. Half expect to pay technicians more (versus 31% in last year’s survey), 44% expect to pay salespeople more, and 30% expect to pay administrative staff more.
“The ChannelPro Network audience reflects the pulse of the industry, and this year’s annual survey results show that the heartbeat of the channel is strong and healthy,” says Michael Siggins, president and publisher of The ChannelPro Network.
The ChannelPro 2022 State of the Channel Survey was conducted online from September to October 2021, and was open to everyone in The ChannelPro Network email database.