Storage hardware continues to be top priority for VARs, according to our 2007 VARBusiness 500 survey of the top 500 integrators in North America. (The complete survey results and the 500 list will be released June 11.) Like last year, when asked which technologies are growing in importance to solution providers' overall businesses, the majority said storage hardware (45.3 percent this year vs. 50 percent last).
The second and third most important solutions this year? VoIP was cited by 29.3 percent of survey respondents, followed closely by security at 28.7 percent. Last year they were tied at 31 percent.
Storage's popularity is straightforward: Customers can never have enough. Nearly 57 percent of the VARBusiness 500 have added a storage hardware vendor in the past 12 months, and 44 percent say they plan to add a vendor in storage during the next 12 months. In addition, a majority of the VARBusiness 500 -- 42.3 percent -- note that storage products typically lead their sales.
Storage sales often lead to backup sales, which often lead to disaster recovery and security sales. More than 51 percent of VARs in our study said they've added security vendors in the past 12 months; almost 46 percent expect to add them in the next 12. Further, 28.6 percent of the VARBusiness 500 say they lead with security software.
As for VoIP, VARs say it is a technology of growing importance. In fact, 26.2 percent of those surveyed said it was an area they were looking to expand into during the next 12 months. Furthermore, 35.1 percent of the total surveyed said they've added a VoIP vendor during the past 12 months. According to our research, that means solution providers added more vendors in VoIP than they added in office productivity applications and desktop displays combined.
For the next twoweeks, VARBusiness will preview online the VARBusiness 500 research, including a look at who's new to the list; hallmarks of the fastest growing VARs; and what makes a successful VAR ecosystem. Come back every day to learn something new and interesting about how North America's premier solution providers do business. Register now for the VARBusiness 500 conference, June 11-12, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.
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