“If Softcat was smaller, I could see why [peer-to-peer] might make sense”
Graham Charlton, Softcat
Does Softcat have a peer-to-peer network?
It depends how you define peer-to-peer.
We’ve always had a really broad and rich service partner network. For example, the acquisition we made of Oakland… they were supplier and a partner to us, and we bought them because we’d love to have those skills in house and be able to invest in them and scale it quickly.
They’re not really a traditional competitor – I wouldn’t call it peer-to-peer as there’s a more symbiotic relationship to it than that.
If Softcat was a smaller VAR, without the breadth of capabilities we have, I could see why [peer-to-peer] might make sense, or if we were just data centre then it might make sense to work with someone who’s a workplace partner as well.
But because we’re across everything, it’s a services partner extension rather than peer-to-peer relationship.
When it comes to building those services partnerships, what are the dos and don’ts?
You’re looking for complementarity, so clarity on who owns the customer relationship and why your skills work well together, and then a commercial model that’s clear.
