New opportunities emerge for Vertiv channel partners in growth industries such as KVM and serial consoles, all driven by edge computing and digital transformation
In the last Report compiled in 2019 by market analyst firm IHS Markit on KVM switches and serial consoles, Vertiv was the world's leading supplier for remote IT device management, thanks to the turnover generated in 2018. The market for KVM switches (keyboard, video and mouse) and serial consoles in fact generated a turnover of 723, $5 million globally in 2018 and is expected to grow more than 5% in 2019.
IHS Markit's report reveals that IT spending, which increased by more than 6% globally in 2018, is set for strong and steady growth from 2019 to 2022, thanks to the positive momentum related to the management of IT devices remotely. According to IHS Markit, in addition to overall growth in IT spending, another key driver is digital transformation that continues to drive the expansion of data center capacity from core to edge. Growth in developing markets, where KVM adoption is still relatively low, will be an additional driver for future developments.
“Despite some headwinds in early 2019, we estimate a dramatic recovery in IT investment through 2023, which will also help drive the KVM market,” said Alastair Smith, senior analyst for manufacturing technology at IHS Markit, noting the low IT spending trend globally that occurred in early 2019. “As the market leader, Vertiv has a broad portfolio of KVM products for multiple applications.”
Vertiv works with an established network of channel partners that is constantly growing to provide customers with the broadest portfolio of products, including Avocent consoles® for managing IT devices remotely. The IHS Markit report reveals a growth in the management of remote IT devices especially with regard to edge implementations related to the industrial PC sector, where more resistant systems are used and designed for applications in harsh environments. In 2017, the global market for industrial PCs was worth $3.5 billion and IHS Markit expects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1% to reach 4 $.3 billion in 2022.
“Our broad offering of KVM technology and devices through our network of distributors and resellers are key to our leadership,” said Patrick Quirk, vice president and general manager of Vertiv's global IT Systems business unit. “Vertiv is committed to maintaining leadership in this industry and continues to devote resources to the research and development of best-in-class solutions.”
“Being recognized as the market leader in an industry that continues to demonstrate strong growth rates is great news for Vertiv and our channel partners,” said Andy Baker, vice president of global sales for Avocent devices at Vertiv. “Vertiv has been recognized for the best-in-class products and services, but has also developed a comprehensive program to provide partners with everything they need to meet the ongoing needs of their customers.”
Earlier this year, Vertiv Announces Expanded Vertiv Partner Program (VPP) including three key initiatives: a new incentive plan, a revamped partner portal, and a richer portfolio to demonstrate a commitment to growing channel resellers and distributors in EMEA. The VPP is part of a broader strategy Vertiv is implementing to enable its growing partner base to meet the demands of its most demanding customers in terms of edge computing, digitization and other trends that are impacting the data center segment and more broad IT landscape.
The portfolio of Vertiv monitoring devices and management include i Avocent KVM sistemi® HMX 6000 high performance that can be used for industrial applications and PC digital KVM switches Avocent® MergePoint Unity™ designed for data center applications.
