'Ecosystems don’t run on spreadsheets' — how vendors are automating channel programs 'Ecosystems don’t run on spreadsheets' — how vendors are automating channel programs Jay McBain on how vendors have revamped channel programs to cater for an increasingly "trifurcated" landscape Jay McBain (Forrester) delivers EDGE 2019 keynote Credit: Christine Wong / IDG Almost 12 months on from the coronavirus pandemic’s explosion, many world-leading vendors have dramatically re-vamped their partner programs to embrace automation, flexibility and self-service. According to Forrester analyst Jay McBain, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of channel software technology, which helps vendors recruit, onboard, develop, enable, incent, co-sell with, manage, measure, and report on partners.