IN PICTURES: ARN Disruption and Distribution Roundtable, Sydney, 25.02.16 (+53 photos)

Digital disruption is impacting on established business models - and the traditional IT distribution channel is being challenged, even threatened. Indeed, the lines are blurring in terms of roles and opportunities. With the race to sell Cloud solutions, distributors and partners are competing against each other, often causing havoc and disruption in the three tier model. The disruptive technologies and digital tools are entering the business environment, prompting significant changes in the way we work, communicate and sell. In the age of disruption, distributors now have to innovate quicker than ever before, create new business models and bring new products and services to market faster than before. While digitisation is not new, it is having a profound impact, causing massive disruption in the ICT industry. Digital transformation is happening at the distribution level and right across the channel. There’s no doubt the digital economy is entering a new age that represents unprecedented challenges for all businesses. The exclusive roundtable looked at the changing role of distribution, how lines are blurring across the channel in the age of digital transformation, and examine the ever-evolving business models. Discussion was intense with many differing points of view. The roundtable was sponsored by Avnet, Distribution Central, DPSA, Exclusive Networks and Hemisphere Technologies. Photos by Editorial Director, Mike Gee.