Unlocking value in a challenged channel environment

Much of Canalys ’ analysis in recent weeks has focused on opportunities in a down market, from automation within managed services tools, to the Canalys flywheel of cloud opportunities, to the early signs of recovery within the challenged PC market. Analysts also explored opportunities for growth around the globe, from the latest formats and features at our channel forum partner events, which will take place in October to December, to the rise of the Chinese automakers.

This is a summary of the top blogs, press releases and free reports made publicly available on canalys.com. Canalys also publishes a continuous stream of client-only research reports and data through Canalys syndicated research available via our client dashboard.

Partners are more bullish on managed services in 2023

In this blog from Senior Analyst Robin Ody , the percentage of partners expecting the highest levels of growth has gone up in 2023, as managed services continue to dominate headlines around opportunities for the channel, alongside cybersecurity, AI-based automation and sustainability. Canalys looks at what the numbers mean, and what partners are facing in the future.

Dive into waves of innovation at the Canalys Forums 2023!

Danna Velilla Fonseca , Marketing and Events Executive, reveals how we are diving right into the waves of innovation. Get ready for an extraordinary year as we unveil exciting updates that will take the events to new heights. With expanded global reach, revamped networking opportunities and an elevated overall experience, join us for a journey of knowledge, collaboration and growth.

Pax8 looks Beyond the cloud marketplace with new partner tools

At Pax8’s inaugural partner event, Beyond, the cloud marketplace and distribution specialist announced several new tools that could have a big impact on its customers’ businesses. Following on from the inaugural Pax8 Beyond conference in Colorado, US in June, Canalys Senior Analyst Robin Ody breaks down some of the product and partner enablement announcements from the marketplace provider and analyzes the likely impact of these changes.

Pax8 currently has 92 vendors in its marketplace, with 13 new additions coming soon. It has over 29,000 channel partners, serving more than 300,000 customers, and a total of 10 million users in 53 countries

Generative AI integrated voice assistants are the lifeline smart speakers need

Amid damning news from Google and declining shipments, the smart speaker market's future is in question. However, Research Analyst Jack Leathem says the incorporation of generative AI and chatbot abilities into voice assistants could revitalize the market. This enhancement would vastly improve smart speakers' functionality, positioning them as valuable companions within homes. While challenges remain, this development has the potential to reignite interest and drive shipment growth by 2025.

The Canalys Partner Ecosystem Flywheel unlocks the full potential of the channel

The continued growth of cloud adoption and wider digital transformation strategies have created an increasingly complicated cloud environment that few (if any) customer IT departments are able to manage competently on their own with no support. The role of the channel, as a result, has necessarily evolved beyond traditional resell models and into an era of ecosystems that rely heavily on collaboration and co-innovation to succeed, writes Research Analyst Peter Bryant .

As opposed to the healthy margins partners used to receive from infrastructure hardware and software, partners operate in a new environment where they receive resell margins of only 2% to 10% from the cloud hyperscalers.

Apple’s Vision of growth

The success of the first-generation Vision Pro is vital for Apple to showcase its ability to innovate and drive high growth, given the current market climate negatively affecting its full portfolio. Principal Analyst 刘健森 and Senior Vice President Nicole Peng explore.

Canalys Forum North America 2023: shaping the future of channel events

The inaugural Canalys Forum North America will take place in Palm Springs in November 2023, bringing together senior decision-makers from top tech companies, distributors and channel partners. Event Manager Anna Blaney and Vice President Alex Smith explain that the event will offer a unique opportunity for networking, discussing challenges and shaping the future of the channel against a backdrop of macroeconomic issues that are creating obstacles and generating pessimism among partners.

Global PC market decline eases as shipments drop 12% in Q2 2023

The latest Canalys data reveals that the worldwide PC market decline slowed in Q2 2023, with total shipments of desktops and notebooks down 11.5% year on year to 62.1 million units. This follows two consecutive quarters where shipments declined by over 30%.

The second quarter volume represents a sequential increase in shipments by 11.9% and is a sign that the market is on track for accelerated recovery in the second half of this year.

Cybersecurity outpaces wider tech market with 12.5% growth in challenging economy

The worldwide cybersecurity market grew 12.5% year on year in Q1 2023 to US$18.6 billion, outpacing the rest of the tech sector despite worsening macroeconomic conditions. Palo Alto Networks grew 23.6% in Q1, extending its leading market share to 8.7%. Fortinet also increased its share, by 26.2%, to reach 7.0%.

The rise of Chinese automakers

This special complimentary report explores the challenges and opportunities in the global and domestic automotive chipset markets. Major vehicle manufacturing giants unanimously agree that electrification and intelligent vehicles are driving a transformative wave throughout the global automotive industry. In early 2023, Chinese companies that previously lagged in electric vehicle (EV) transformation significantly increased their investments and accelerated development. This report analyzes the future trends in the automotive industry and the prospects for the automotive chipset industry based on the current and forecast performance of the overall light vehicle market, including passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.