**Sydney**: Crayon’s APAC Senior VP, Warren Nolan, reaffirms the distributor’s dedication to supporting channel partners amid AI advancements. Addressing merger speculations and customer demands, Crayon emphasises the importance of security and adaptability in evolving market conditions while enhancing software management tools for partners.
Crayon, a prominent software and tech solutions distributor, recently reaffirmed its commitment to support its channel partners amid ongoing advancements and disruptions in the fields of data and artificial intelligence (AI). This message was conveyed by Warren Nolan, Crayon’s APAC Senior Vice President of Strategy and Channel, during discussions with ARN.
Nolan emphasised that Crayon is dedicated to helping its partners thrive, particularly during times of change where an open mind and adaptability are essential. He stated, “We care and we want to work out where we can add value to them,” reinforcing the distributor’s intent to engage continuously with its partners to understand their needs.
Amid speculation surrounding a potential merger with SoftwareOne, which was reported by ARN in December 2024, Nolan mentioned that he had not received any negative feedback from local channel partners regarding the prospect of combining operations. The merger proposal involves SoftwareOne making a voluntary stock and cash offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Crayon, projected to create a unified entity with a revenue of 1.6 billion Swiss Francs (approximately A$2.85 billion), with a presence in over 70 countries and a workforce of around 13,000 employees.
Focusing on the industry landscape, Nolan highlighted the urgency of addressing the demands of customers who may feel pressured to adopt AI solutions due to fear of missing out (FOMO). He acknowledged, however, that many customers might not yet be prepared for such technological shifts. He stated, “That’s where the disruption is coming, where the opportunity is coming and where our partners need to be prepared to listen to their customers.” This sentiment underscores the need for partners to assess their clients’ readiness for new technologies and to support them in restructuring their data management and organisational architecture.
Nolan also pointed out that security has become a critical aspect of customer service in the current climate, where privacy issues and data breaches are prevalent. He noted the potential risk involved with unvetted installations of third-party AI applications, saying, “If you allow unvetted, non-compliant installation of data and AI third-party applications, you’re actually enabling data to be sent out.” He further elaborated that the implementation of proper protocols, policies, and security measures is essential to safeguard against external threats.
The distributor is positioning itself as a provider of security services to its partners, with an increasing demand for such offerings. He explained that Crayon conducts security assessments on behalf of their partners, adding that while not every partner is set up to develop a dedicated security practice, they can still collaborate with other firms, stating, “[Be] able to bring in another provider [and] be the conduit of that service.”
The challenges posed by the rapid evolution of data and AI have also raised questions about the adaptability of existing business models. Nolan explained that customer expectations are evolving, requiring businesses to rethink their solutions and approaches to market. He remarked, “That disruption is creating opportunity, and we just shouldn’t get bogged down in it’s only a data and AI, opportunity. It’s what else is happening as a result of that disruption.”
In parallel with these discussions, Rhonda Robati, Crayon APAC Executive Vice President, unveiled plans to enhance the software management tools available to partners during her keynote speech at the Risk and Resilience conference. She acknowledged some past shortcomings of Crayon’s tool, Prism, while expressing optimism about the upcoming Cloud IQ platform. As deployment in Southeast Asia progresses, Robati indicated that the focus is shifting towards collaboration with partners in Australia and New Zealand, culminating in the expectation that the new platform will empower businesses to procure necessary software and derive actionable insights.
Overall, Crayon is strategically navigating through industry disruptions by reinforcing its support for partners and adapting its service offerings to meet evolving market demands.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Subscribe to Industry Updates
