Cloud computing enables compute resource sharing in a very disruptive manner. Forrester research surveyed 165 channel execs in 39 countries, and found that that although 60% of IT industry revenues are transacted by partners, some vendors had overlooked existing partnership incentive structure in the rush to build a cloud business. Research report authored by Tim Harris calls for expectation adjustments –

The survey results indicate that channel partners foresee a collision with tech vendors over managed services and application hosting and that they will insist on getting their piece of the cloud. There’s plenty of opportunity for both parties, as long as tech marketers apply the right combination of pressure and incentives to guide channel partners into the next phase of tech competition.

Distributors and resellers have to rethink their managed services portfolio. There will be lot of casualties in this long march of cloud computing.