Where should channel partners invest?

Invest in alignment to truly support cloud solutions. Changing your business model to include cloud solutions means adapting business support functions, which is not often factored into the equation. It's necessary to understand the back-office operations required and work with your cloud provider to properly support customers.

Also, make your financial model work for you. Moving to a recurring subscription is very different from a one-time transaction. Make sure there is a viable plan that you can stick to that balances both types of revenue streams with a realistic timeline.