Savvy Partners Are Embracing AI, Security, Cloud: Channel Chiefs

Many key technology areas that were already growing prior to the pandemic have gotten accelerated, producing an even greater need for solution providers to focus in on areas such as cybersecurity, cloud and AI, a panel of channel chiefs said during the Best of Breed Virtual event Wednesday. Without a doubt, the IT industry has become even more essential amid the impacts of COVID-19, said Ron Dupler, CEO of Kittery, Maine-based solution provider GreenPages, who served as moderator for the panel. "Essentially, we kept the world running to a large degree during this," said Dupler (pictured top left) during the session at the Best of Breed Virtual Spring 2021 event, which was hosted by CRN parent The Channel Company. Now, the opportunity is to meet the increased demand for digital transformation among customers going forward--using expertise in segments such as AI and automation, advanced security and a variety of cloud technologies, panelists said. An emphasis on speed to market and customer experience have gotten "amplified" in the environment shaped by the pandemic, said Ryan Walsh (pictured bottom right), chief product officer and channel chief at cloud distributor Pax8.