It's 2001 Again, Almost

The last big downturn was centered in the technology industry and took out a lot of players, not all of them weak. Spread across the entire economy, this downturn will no doubt be a rough road for the tech industry, but it won't rip it apart. The tech downturn left standing an industry of tier-one titans and tier-two secondary players. And it made venture investors much more careful about which startups got their investments.

With that, we face a downturn that will assuredly end with fewer startups than when it began. But the startups with good technology and a good business plan will make it through. And, in these times, they need the channel more than ever. Some of those tier-two vendors, too, are getting channel religion, as they often do in times of trouble.

Alongside the startups and the more established vendors that are discovering (or rediscovering) the channel, customer attitudes have changed as well. In 2001 and 2002, IT sales were all about return on investment. While ROI calculators aren't necessarily the talk of the town, all the conversations I have had and the research I have seen point to a marked change in what customers want. No more talk of grand plans. Now the conversations are about saving money. Fast. No one wants a five-year payback anymore. It's about the smaller tweaks that save money now.

In those two trends lies hope. With the startups and lesser-known vendors that offer real cost-saving products, solution providers have an opportunity to have a new conversation with their customers.

To that end, we hope to help. In the coming months we pledge to pay more attention to the kinds of companies that can help solution providers take new opportunities to their customers. We begin with this blog on Emerging Vendors. Check back here for daily updates on new companies with fresh offerings. Here's to opportunity.