Accounting, Law And Marketing Firms Ripe With Opportunities For IT Channel Companies, New CompTIA Study Finds

Information technology (IT) solution provider companies that do their homework can find new and expanded business opportunities with accounting, law and marketing firms, a new study from CompTIA, the IT industry association, asserts.

While about half of the of the 600 accounting, legal and marketing services firms surveyed for CompTIA’s IT Opportunities in the Professional Services Vertical study say they are well positioned with their technology vision and strategy, the other half report shortcomings in some areas.

“At a time when innovation is rapid and pervasive, even the most tech savvy firms may struggle to keep pace,” says Tim Herbert, senior vice president, research and market intelligence, CompTIA. “This is where a trusted technology partner can step in to provide guidance. In fact, nearly one-half of the firms we surveyed cite their need for greater technical expertise as a primary driver when they engage the services of an IT solution provider.”

With over 428,000 business establishments and 4.3 million workers, accounting, law and marketing firms provide a large base of potential customers for IT product, service and solution providers. The vast majority of these firms (87.7 percent) have fewer than 10 employees, placing them directly in the small business sweet spot for IT solution providers.

The market is also information-intense in their use of computing devices, software applications and office technologies. A net 78 percent of the firms surveyed for the study say technology is important to their business.

The CompTIA study offers prescriptive advice for IT solution providers interested in doing business with accounting, law and marketing firms. Herbert cites three key themes.

• Focus, Focus, Focus on Business Objectives: “The stronger the alignment between business objectives and technology solutions the better the chances of an initiative exceeding expectations. Otherwise, technology may be viewed as a cost rather than an asset.”
• Connect the Dots: “The days of siloed technology functioning in isolation are fading. The norm is interconnectivity across devices, systems and platforms where data-sharing amplified utility. But to the untrained eye it’s not always apparent how various pieces – cloud, mobile, data, social, automation – fit together.”
• Offer Value All Along the Technology Adoption Curve: “Professional services firms are about evenly split among frequent early adopters of technology, occasional early adopters and mainstream adopters. Consequently the needs of individual companies will vary widely. IT solution providers that can deliver the appropriate technology offering at the appropriate level will be best suited to meet the needs of customers regardless of where they are on the adoption curve.”

CompTIA’s IT Opportunities in the Professional Services Vertical study report is based on a September 2015 online survey of 600 legal, accounting and marketing/PR professionals involved in managing, deploying or influencing technology decisions in their organizations.

CompTIA’s research on professional service firms is the latest in a series of vertical market studies examining how different markets and industries acquire, use and manage technology. Earlier studies examined the education, healthcare and retail markets. These report are available free of charge with a simple registration at http://www.comptia.org/insight-tools.

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a non-profit trade association serving as the voice of the information technology industry. With approximately 2,000 member companies, 3,000 academic and training partners and more than two million IT certifications issued, CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit CompTIA online (https://www.comptia.org/).