Vodafone study: 81% see rising interest in AI, IoT, 5G

New research by Vodafone reveals a growing interest in emerging technologies among end-users and channel partners.

Vodafone's "Partner of the Future" research highlights that 81% of end users have experienced an increase in interest in technologies such as AI, IoT, and 5G over the past six months, with 96% indicating that such technologies are part of their company's future vision.

The study further indicates that emerging technology trends are perceived to have a significant impact on end-users, surpassing concerns about cost pressures or slow economic growth. These trends are recognised for enhancing productivity, aiding in quicker decision-making, and improving security, as noted by 77%, 65%, and 64% of respondents respectively.

This shift is also recognised by channel partners, with more than 70% anticipating a need to remodel their traditional business models. Additionally, 72% acknowledge the necessity for better alignment between their sales and marketing teams. However, over a quarter of channel partners report facing challenges in identifying optimal solutions for their clients.

As businesses increasingly demand specialised and complex technologies, 84% of channel partners understand the importance of considering sector specialisation to maintain competitiveness. A sentiment echoed by 74% of end-users, who prefer to collaborate with vendors that have industry-specific expertise, such as in finance, retail, or automotive.

Flexibility, education, and innovation are identified as key factors for future success in the channel. Nearly 80% of end-users are aligning their business and technology strategies, creating opportunities for channel partners to advise and educate at a strategic level by combining emerging and mature technologies to foster customer growth and transformation.

Training in emerging technologies and education emerges as a top requirement among end-users, with all channel partners expressing a need for vendor support in driving sales and marketing initiatives.

Kathryn Platt, Head of Indirect Business, stated, "Now more than ever there is a myriad of technologies available and it can be difficult at the best of times to navigate. So, we commissioned this research to listen and understand the challenges facing partners and end-users to uncover the key trends remodelling the market, the shape of future relationships, and how partners can reposition to stay competitive."

Platt continued, "What is clear from this research is that partners are already doing a brilliant job but the future belongs to the channel partners who can evolve their customer relationships and work in partnership with vendors to create solutions, combining new and mature technologies, that can support the growth of the channel partner and address the core needs of their end customer."

"Vodafone is uniquely placed to support partners; with over 30 years' experience we are one of the only providers to invest in a converged infrastructure as well as provide a broad portfolio of products and have a team of partner managers and service specialists with deep sector knowledge ready to help navigate the technology shift."

The research involved 250 online interviews with IT and telco decision-makers at companies with 5-250 employees, alongside 57 channel partners involved in their respective company's product and service offerings, conducted by Danebury Research in September 2024.