Many companies are investing in the cloud and AI to drive their business

Many companies are investing in the cloud and AI to drive their business

Landing a higher-paying job may well hinge on your knowledge of specific tech areas, according to new research from Sage that finds that companies are willing to spend money on cloud- and AI-savvy staff.

With cloud storage being a point of interest for the industry as a whole, it's no surprise that just under two-fifths (39%) of UK resellers chose cloud computing as a key skill for them. new hires, while 44% of US respondents cited experience. with AI. or machine learning development.

Skills such as data engineering, cybersecurity skills, and coding were found to be in high demand by US employers, cited by 52%, 48%, and 45%, respectively.

What bothers entrepreneurs?

Sage research elicited 1000 responses from technology decision-makers whose business resells IT and technology supplies or services, with 500 respondents in the UK and 500 in the US.

Challenges in finding and retaining talent are affecting the retail industry, with US retailers feeling the pressure the most, new research shows.

Half of all US respondents currently in the hiring process noted difficulty finding qualified leadership staff, while 49% also cited difficulty attracting qualified entry-level talent.

Competition was only slightly less severe in the UK, with 46% and 40% also struggling to source at these levels.

How are resellers reacting?

In the last 18 months alone, 39% of the 1000 channel resellers surveyed have invested resources in technically upgrading their workforce according to Sage, while 36% have adopted increased e-commerce functionality in the last 18 months in the same period.

Vendor research also determined where this investment is likely to land.

Surveyed resellers predict that by 2024, services that require more specific technical skills, such as providing cybersecurity services (40%), managing SaaS applications (38%), will be among the most in-demand by customers.

Taking a closer look at skills related to cloud hosting, public cloud consumption was cited by 33% of respondents.

In addition, the study found that almost a third (30%) also believe that customers will specifically seek to increase the efficiency, intelligence and automation of their business processes or operations (BPO).

Forecasting areas of investment for their clients in the coming months, nearly half (49%) of Sage respondents believe clients will be looking to increase revenue from managing their data center, while 40% focus on generate revenue from data analytics and AI. activation of programs

"Customers look to their channel partners to help make digitization a reality as they embrace new revenue streams and invest for the future. They are being asked to provide expertise in the most complex areas of technology, from protecting against threats latest cyber technologies to enable AI and ML,” said Aziz Benmalek, president of Sage North America and executive vice president of the Global Partner Organization.

“It requires a change in the channel workforce – at Sage, we make it a priority to provide our channel partners with the tools and technology tools they need to thrive.”