Channel partners eye cloud growth but must upskill to seize opportunities

Channel partners want to develop their cloud capabilities but nearly half feel they lack the technical skills to meet customer needs, according to new research by Westcon-Comstor.

The global technology provider and specialist distributor surveyed almost 900 partners across eight countries for its Mastering the Maze report and found that 85% see developing a cloud practice as a priority.

This 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 two thirds (69%) of partners said their customers are looking for specialised cloud skills, but only 57% are confident in fulfilling this demand – with the remaining 43% 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 58% highlighting this as one of the biggest barriers they face when advising their customers on cloud cost optimisation. Meanwhile 56% 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 40% of partners highlighting the pressure to outperform rivals by delivering better, faster solutions.

The research also reveals that:

Partners say half (50%) of customers are choosing 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

Nearly half (46%) highlighted training and enablement when asked how distributors can support the development their cloud capabilities.

Meanwhile, 75% of partners see cloud hyperscaler marketplaces as an opportunity rather than a threat and are actively using them.

The publication of the research 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.

“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,” said Jacquie Young, Managing Director, Cloud, APAC at Westcon-Comstor. “The challenge is finding the right support to help plug those gaps.”