Larry Walsh

What happened. Walsh reported in May 2025 that nearly half of vendors in Channelnomics' survey had increased budgets for partner training, incentive programmes and automation infrastructure. No independent data on 2025 channel budgets was found. Nearly half of vendors raised budgets in key areas, against the call, while the rest did not; the only evidence is his own firm's survey. Sources: channelnomics.com.

Source: Return to Growth Is Here, but There's a Catch

Caveat. No independent evidence available. Scored on Channelnomics’s own figures.

What happened. IDC/GTDC North America distribution revenue ended 2024 down 1.1% (later described as flat), with Q4 2024 returning to growth (+2.3%). Gartner's total IT spending grew about 7.5% in 2024, mainly AI/data-centre led. Channel revenue was flat with a better second half, as called, though partner-delivered spending overall did grow. Sources: idc.com, idc.com.

Source: Return to Growth Is Here, but There's a Catch

What happened. Gartner put 2025 worldwide IT spending growth at 10.3% (February 2026) and 10.7% (July 2026), up from 7.7% in 2024. Roughly 10% growth was the strongest in several years and clearly 'robust and high'. Sources: gartner.com, gartner.com.

Source: Taking IT Spending Forecasts With a Grain of Salt

What happened. Gartner put 2024 IT spending growth at about 7.2-7.7%, well above roughly 3% global GDP growth. Its 2025 growth figures (9.8% in January, 7.9% in July 2025) were at or above 2024's pace. IT beat the wider economy as stated, and growth did firm in 2025, though the 2025 pick-up was modest and 2024 was less held back than implied. Sources: gartner.com, gartner.com.

Paraphrased. Source: CCC RECAP: The Economic State of the Channel

What happened. In June 2024 Walsh wrote that 'Channelnomics research finds that most vendors have been cutting channel spending' and that channel chiefs could not fund initiatives because of weak sales in 2023 and early 2024. No independent data on 2024 vendor channel budgets was found. His firm's own mid-2024 research says most vendors kept cutting channel spending, which fits the call, but the only evidence is Channelnomics' and it covers only part of the year. Sources: channelnomics.com.

Source: Interest Rates Hang Over Tech Sector

Caveat. No independent evidence available. Scored on Channelnomics’s own figures.

What happened. Gartner put 2024 IT spending growth at 7.7% and 2025 growth at about 10.3-10.7%, the fastest in years. Channelnomics' own partner confidence index stayed weak through most of 2024 and began recovering in Q4 2024. The late-2024 turn and stronger 2025 happened as called; headline 2024 spending was firmer than 'continued pressure' implies, though that was driven largely by AI data-centre buying rather than partner sales. Sources: crn.in, gartner.com, channelnomics.com.

Paraphrased. Source: U.S. GDP Surges, So Why Does Everything Feel Terrible?