Specializations have become all the rage in recent years with vendors left and right asking the channel to ditch the generalist model, and now it would seem that Avnet has caught on.
The IT distributor this week announced a new program that adds technology specializations to their approach in addition to vertical specializations that existed before.
According to Avnet, the change is meant to spur growth in software-driven technologies, namely solutions in areas of the data center, cloud, security and enterprise networking, data analytics, cognitive computing, IoT, mobility and education.
The problem is that a partner can be a vertical specialist and still “miss the boat” in how the market now wants to consume technology, according to Brian Aebig, vice president of Avnet Technology Solutions Canada.
The distributor will dedicate more than 450 solutions specialists to the channel to help partners not only align with technical capabilities but also transition between or combine them if the need arises.
The company promised proprietary tools, services and solutions around the next-generation technologies.
“Avnet’s involvement in verticals provided an opportunity for partners to address the market’s vertical’s business needs, which is already a specialization with quantifiable advantages,” Aebig said. “This is another move towards specialization.”