2024 in Review: A Kaleidoscope of Perspectives

Did 2024 Live Up to Expectations?

Despite ubiquitous skepticism, 2024 met the expectations of industry leaders like Ashish Devalekar of Mphasis and Yoram Novick of Zadara, who highlighted transformative technological advancements.

Danny Hemminga of Tanium echoed these sentiments, as did Aron Brand of CTERA, who noted the year's surprising balance between innovation and market adoption challenges.

However, David Primor of Cynomi, Jonathan Wright of GCX, Sam Giggle of Nebula, and Greg Jones of Kaseya expressed positive assessments, acknowledging the year's growth and opportunities.

The Best Tech of the Year

When it came to the year's standout technologies, AI, cybersecurity, and the cloud dominated.

Anthony Dobson of Arrow emphasized the rise of AI-driven solutions and cloud migration. Devalekar added edge computing and sustainability to the mix, while Novick hailed AI as the "standout performer."

Taylor Brown of Fivetran highlighted Generative AI (GenAI)'s transition to practical application, while Danny Hemminga of Tanium praised the unassuming heroics of cloud technologies.

Primor of Cynomi and Pete Wilson of Illunio underscored the leadership of AI-related cybersecurity solutions, while Johnny Carpenter of 11:11 Systems offered a dissenting view on AI's near-term impact.

Kaseya's Jones injected a note of caution about AI and machine learning, suggesting they had fallen short of expectations.

The State of the Channel in 2024

Yoram Novick of Zadara described 2024 as a year of channel growth and opportunities, with challenges stemming from rapid technological advancements.

David Primor saw it as a transformative year for channel partners, who pivoted to offer advanced security services. Danny Hemminga emphasized enhanced partner enablement.

Nebula's Sam Giggle acknowledged vendor pressure on margins, while Sara Wilkes of Agilitas highlighted the resilience and sustainability efforts of the channel.

Memorable Quotes

"Challenges like data fragmentation and governance have slowed adoption [of GenAI]." - Aron Brand, CTERA

"Given the buzz in the industry around AI and machine learning, some might say those technologies have fallen slightly short of expectations – at least so far." - Greg Jones, Kaseya

"There's definitely been a squeeze on margin, so it's a difficult year for them... channel partners have definitely diversified into a value-add approach." - Sam Giggle, Nebula