SoftwareOne completes APAC channel integration with Crayon

SoftwareOne has completed the integration of its channel business with Crayon across Asia-Pacific. The combined operation will trade under the SoftwareOne brand.

The move brings the companies' partner networks, services and vendor relationships into a single regional channel business. It is intended to give partners access to broader technical and commercial support while preserving existing customer ownership and local relationships.

The integration spans software asset management, cloud, cybersecurity, data and AI, as well as managed and technical services. Partners will also be able to draw on larger specialist teams for solution design, bid support, security, vendor engagement and practice development.

The change comes as demand rises across the region for more complex, multi-technology projects. SoftwareOne cited IDC forecasts showing ICT spending in Asia-Pacific is expected to reach USD $647 billion in 2026, while spending on AI and generative AI is projected to hit USD $370 billion by 2029.

Varun Paliwal, President, APAC, said the deal was intended to expand what partners could offer customers rather than change the role of the channel.

“This is an important step in bringing together two strong channel businesses with complementary strengths,” Paliwal said.

“Crayon and SoftwareOne have both built strong partner relationships and deep technology capabilities across the region. By bringing those strengths together, we can offer partners greater breadth, services opportunities, while retaining the local expertise and relationships that make the channel work.

“For us, the measure of success is not simply the scale of the combined business. It is whether we can create more services opportunities for our partners, help them respond to their customers and support them as they grow. That is what this combination is ultimately about.”

Partner model

SoftwareOne said its services model is designed to work through partners as well as alongside them on larger engagements. That includes delivery under a partner's own brand and joint work where extra technical depth is needed.

The approach allows resellers and other partners to extend their service portfolios without hiring every specialist or building each function internally. Under the model, the partner keeps control of the customer relationship while SoftwareOne provides additional support where required.

Executives framed the integration as a response to changing buying patterns among enterprise customers. As organisations move from isolated cloud or software purchases to broader programmes spanning cybersecurity, AI, data and productivity tools, channel partners are under pressure to provide a wider range of skills and services.

The enlarged operation will also give partners access to SoftwareOne's broader vendor ecosystem. The company operates in more than 70 countries and works with more than 7,500 software vendors through its marketplace.

That wider network includes programmes designed to connect resellers with specialist delivery partners and support software firms that want to commercialise their products through vendor marketplaces. Those links could help partners pursue work that would be difficult to handle alone.

Regional focus

Asia-Pacific remains a varied market for distributors and channel specialists, with countries at different stages of cloud adoption and different regulations and routes to market. The combined structure is intended to pair regional scale with local market knowledge through in-country teams.

“APAC is a region where local context matters. Partners need access to global technology and expertise, but they also need people who understand their market, their customers and the way they operate,” Paliwal said.

“Bringing Crayon and SoftwareOne together gives us an opportunity to combine those strengths. We can bring greater scale and breadth to the relationship without losing the local knowledge and partner relationships that have made both businesses successful.”

The integrated business will also offer access to SoftwareOne's Cloud-iQ platform, which is used to manage cloud and software subscriptions, including billing automation and usage monitoring. This could help partners simplify operational tasks while expanding their own service offerings.

Vikas Bhonsle, Head of Channel, APAC, said the focus would remain on helping partners grow their businesses.

“The most important thing is that the combination creates more possibilities for our partners. We can bring more expertise into their opportunities, more services into their portfolio and more connections into their ecosystem.

“If our partners are able to grow, win new opportunities and deliver more value to their customers, then the combination is doing what we intended it to do.”