Following one of the busiest months of the year in the IT channel, it always occurs to us at Axente how cyclical the channel has now become.

October and November are traditionally demanding times for retail businesses, but March, June and October always stand out as busy months for non-retail. March usually represents the peak as it is year-end for the public sector. It’s almost a welcome relief that the Easter break isn’t far away!

Despite all the new trends and potential pitfalls, the IT channel has become somewhat predictable in recent years. But that is not to say that the rest of 2017 will be without its challenges.

Perhaps the biggest challenge will be the on-going aftermath of last year’s EU referendum. With Brexit, IT vendors have raised their prices to combat potentially higher import costs while customers are less likely to invest due to uncertainty.

IoT is an area that many will find more joy with. A study by Dell EMC highlighted the revenue opportunities from IoT technology in 2017, with 76% of partners revealing a significant uplift in IoT-related sales over the past 12 months.

On the heels of IoT, digital transformation is another buzzword that has picked up speed recently. IDC has predicted that by the end of 2017, two-thirds of the CEOs of global 2000 enterprises will have digital transformation at the centre of their corporate strategy. While this represents a major change, there is also opportunity for IT service providers to become a trusted advisor.

When one area presents a challenge, two or more other areas that open up new avenues for profit usually offset it. One way or another, the IT channel tends to roll with the punches and continue moving forward. We’re looking forward to seeing what the rest of 2017 brings.