Austin, Texas, USA, June 26, 2025
Futurum Survey of Technology Ecosystem Partners Reveals Views Towards Partner Programs
Partner programs are still viewed as important to ecosystem partners, including resellers, MSPs, and systems integrators. According to a recent survey from The Futurum Group, 63% of 705 ecosystem partners surveyed indicated that vendor partner programs were viewed as “extremely important” to their business.
Figure 1: IT Partner Views on Partner Programs
Alex Smith, VP Channels Research at Futurum, said, “Partner programs have always been an important mechanism through which vendors engage with their partners. These started as programs to support resellers but have gradually expanded to encompass all partner types. Vendors continue to evolve these programs, which is vital as partners continue to stress the importance of these programs to their business.”
The research reveals several key viewpoints relating to partner programs and relationships with vendors:
- 67% of partners expect to grow the number of vendor relationships over the next two years. Partner programs remain the primary vehicle through which these partners will access resources from those vendors.
- Only a handful of respondents (0.3%) said that partner programs were “not at all important”.
- Access to developer tools, technical support, and training programs were the three most sought-after types of enablement, highlighting the technical demands needed from the community.
“The findings show a strong demand for technical-related enablement,” noted Smith. “While many attributes of a program are important, as more technically-skilled partner types expand their relationships with vendors, it is important to support them in this capacity. This goes beyond sales and marketing-associated benefits, which these programs have historically focused on.”
The survey reveals a changing partner landscape and how programs must evolve to meet those needs. Increasingly, more partner types have their own IP, their own services, and their own technology solutions. These relationships begin from a technology platform, rather than a selling-oriented one, and the needs differ greatly amongst this community. While rebates, deal registration tools, and marketing collateral remain essential components of a partner program, program leaders need to expand their offerings to appeal to different partner types.
Read more in the “2025 GTM Channel Decision Maker Survey Report” on the Futurum Intelligence Platform.
About Futurum Intelligence for Market Leaders
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Channel Consolidation: How Will the Partner Landscape Look in Three Years?
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Partnering in 2025: Five Key Predictions
Author Information
Alex is Vice President & Practice Lead, Ecosystems, Channels, & Marketplaces at the Futurum Group. He is responsible for establishing and maintaining the Channels Research program as part of the overall Futurum GTM and Channels Practice. This includes overseeing the channel data rollout in the Futurum Intelligence Platform, primary research activities such as research boards and surveys, delivering thought-leading research reports, and advising clients on their indirect go-to-market strategies. Alex also supports the overall operations of the Futurum Research Business Unit, including P&L segmentation, sales and marketing alignment, and budget planning.
Prior to joining Futurum, Alex was VP of Channels & Enterprise Research at Canalys where he led a multi-million dollar research organization with more than 20 analysts. He played an integral role in helping the Canalys research organization migrate into Omdia after having been acquired in 2023. He is an accomplished research leader, as well as an expert in indirect go-to-market strategies. He has delivered numerous keynotes at partner-facing conferences.
Alex is based in Portland, Oregon, but has lived in numerous places, including California, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the UK. He has a Bachelor in Commerce and Finance Major from Dalhousie University, Halifax Canada.
