Why Strategic Partnerships Are Key To Global Everything-as-a-Service (XaaS) By Mariano Dy-Liacco X, Tech Data Global Lifecycle Management (GLM) Demand for service-based offerings is outpacing the need for traditional products. According to a survey by the Technology Service Industry Association (TSIA), 48 percent of the 50 largest technology providers have seen product revenue flatten or decline in recent years, while 66 percent of them have experienced growth in service revenue. And the COVID-19 pandemic has only further accelerated this key transformation strategy. Your customers look to you as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to lead transformation efforts with innovative technology, and the same is true for an everything-as-a-service (XaaS) business model. Shifting gears from traditional product manufacturing to service-based offerings requires careful planning and strategic development, all while adjusting to the oscillating “new normal” brought on by the disruptions of 2020. As customers move toward agile and flexible consumption models, they expect their trusted OEMs to have the services they need. But there are parallel forces at play for many OEMs, as they need to continue servicing their traditional installed bases while at the same time deploying adequate resources to support their XaaS offerings. Global service delivery compounds the challenge of transformation by complicating costs, talent gaps, and processes: