The Magic of Technology Begins and Ends with Partners

The Magic of Technology Begins and Ends with Partners

When people talk with me about the marvels of technology, I think about the famous quote by Arthur C. Clarke, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." From the first wheel to artificial intelligence (AI), technology transforms individual lives, business operations, and the world around us.

But - and there's always a "but" - technology isn't a solution to problems. Rather, it's a tool that helps to solve problems or enables new processes that become the solutions.

Consider this: A personal computer is technology. But a PC is useless unless you have an application and an intended outcome. You just can't expect a PC to automagically start producing data, scripts, and reports without providing it with directions. Even AI requires prompts.

In addition to producing exceptional products and services, the technology industry is adept at marketing. Oh, we know how to spin a story and build excitement about your gadgets and clouds. Tech marketing is like those old commercials for Ginsu knives; the products coming out of our boxes or through the cloud will slice and dice and never get dull. Tech marketing plays into the magic part of Clarke's quote.

Therein lies the problem and the disconnect between what technology is and what it could be.

Again, technology is not a solution. In the hands of skilled enablers and operators, it's a powerful medium for creating systems that produce outcomes with speed and efficiency. Every piece of technology ever created is an iteration of something that came before - manual to analog to digital.

You, as the consumer of technology, are often sold on the wonders of vendors' products. Technology manufacturers, software publishers, and cloud service providers make marvelous products that are adaptable to business needs. However, rarely do technology products come out of the box complete and ready to address business needs. No one technology company has a product - or all the products - that a business needs for its operations.

Technology companies like Zebra Technologies work with scores of partners around the world that fill technology capabilities gaps, create integrations with complementary products and services, and provide customization and operational support services that make technology products usable and productive for a business.

Again, marketing people create these great visions and stories for how technology can revolutionize a business. Which technology? Which products and brands? And what does it take to make a system from a collection of technologies? That's the job of resellers, systems integrators, service providers and consultants. These partner organizations provide the knowledge and skills required to turn individual pieces of technology into value-producing systems.

A common question I often hear from business and IT leaders: Where do we start our digital transformation journey? They know their problems. They know their operational shortcomings. They also know their market opportunities. And they can define their aspirations and objectives. Tech channel partners are the interpreters of these problems and dreams; they translate concepts and ideas for the use of technology into reality (or at least a practical implementation).

If you're wondering what technology can really do for your business, how you can achieve your objectives through technology, and how you can make the most of your technology investments, you should probably start by talking to the people who understand that tech products and services are just the starting point of your journey. The resellers, integrators, and service providers are the source of end-to-end value.

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Larry Walsh is the CEO, chief analyst, and founder of Channelnomics. He's an expert on the development and execution of channel programs, disruptive sales models, and growth strategies for companies worldwide.