2017 has been an exciting year with tremendous channel growth for SAS, thanks to you, our valued partners, and all the people at SAS who support you. As we come into the final weeks of the year, I’m thinking about what’s possible for us in 2018. Here are my top 5 predictions:
1.SAS channel partner revenue will grow by over 50%
With the growing investment and focus on the channel at SAS, our channel partners around the globe have an opportunity for significant revenue growth. Our goal is to have fewer partners who are generating a lot more revenue around SAS. For us, the quality of our partners is much more important than quantity.
2. SAS Partners will generate over 50% of their revenue from their own IP
The market is shifting from selling products to selling business outcomes. This creates a huge opportunity for SAS partners to add their own IP on top of SAS software to create a targeted, niche service that solves a specific business problem. Your partner IP could be software applications and models that you develop, repeatable professional services, or managed services that provide recurring revenue.
3. Over 50% of SAS channel partners will adopt a vertical focus
The market shift to business outcomes over products is also driving the need for much greater specialization. I predict more and more of our partners will enjoy higher profits and higher growth by narrowing their focus to 1 or 2 verticals. Our MASP partners (Managed Analytical Service Providers) will be even more hyper-focused on sub-verticals and functional areas.
4. Chris Froome will win his 5th Tour de France
OK, not really a channel prediction. But I love cycling and had to throw this one sports prediction in for 2018. Froome had an awesome performance in last summer’s tour, followed by winning the Vuelta a España. Despite recent news of a high reading of asthma drug salbutamol at the Vuelta, I believe Froome will be exonerated and win a clean Tour next summer.
5. Over 400 partners will attend the SAS Global Partner Forum
Over 300 partners attended the SAS Global Partner Forum 2017 in Orlando. Pre-registrations for SAS Global Partner Forum 2018 are way up over last year, so I predict we’ll have an even bigger gathering in Denver next April. If you haven’t registered yet, do so now by clicking here and help make my prediction come true!
Let me end my prognosticating by thanking you for being a SAS partner and wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season and a fulfilling New Year!
