5. Pick Partners Carefully

Both vendors and solution providers need to keep their customers’ needs in mind when looking at potential partnerships.

For instance, Xplore Technologies specifically looks for solution providers with a vertical focus, Russo said.

“We really do look at the VARs focused on different verticals,” she said. “When they’re vertically focused, they are experts in their field. It helps to align with what we’re doing in our six product lines.”

Solution providers, for their part, need to look for vendors that fit with their customer bases. For instance, John Hill, CEO at Hatboro, Pa.-based Allegiance Technology Partners, an Xplore Platinum partner, said his company works with the manufacturing and public safety sectors. Hill said his company chose to partner with Xplore due to its ruggedized tablets with a specific focus on those verticals.