TD SYNNEX released its fourth annual Direction of Technology report, which aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current IT landscape and partner performance insights. This year’s report is built on feedback from over 1,400 channel partners across 40 countries, and it introduces two new standardized indices: the Net Growth Index, measuring revenue performance, and the Net Optimism Index, capturing future sentiment. The report highlights a slowdown in revenue growth, with 66.8 percent of respondents reporting growth over the last year, down from 75 percent the previous year. Despite these challenges, optimism remains strong, particularly in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean, which leads in future sentiment with a score of 116. The report emphasizes the importance of specialization and collaboration in the face of increasing market competition, as 75 percent of global respondents identified it as a top concern.
Why do we care?
TD SYNNEX dropped their annual Direction of Technology report, and here’s the headline: partner growth is slowing, but everyone’s still feeling good about it. About 67% of partners reported growth, down from 75% last year — that’s not a collapse, but it’s definitely a cooldown.
What’s new this year are two indices — Net Growth and Net Optimism. Basically, one measures how well you’re doing, and the other measures how good you feel about it. Unsurprisingly, optimism’s higher than the numbers justify — especially in Latin America, where sentiment leads globally.
Here’s where it gets interesting: 75% of partners say specialization and collaboration are their top priorities. That tells me the age of “we do IT for everyone” is over. You can’t just be another MSP; you’ve got to be the right MSP — focused, verticalized, and plugged into the right vendor ecosystem.
So, what do you do? Benchmark your growth. Pick a vertical or solution area you can own. Use distributors like TD SYNNEX not just to buy gear, but to build your playbook. And remember — optimism doesn’t pay the bills. Discipline, differentiation, and partnerships do. That’s why we care.