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Definitive Guide to Partner Ecosystems

Partner ecosystems have the potential to scale your impact exponentially. Whether you are starting a partner ecosystem or refining your existing one, we've compiled all the best resources for developing partner ecosystems for you here.

Breezy: What is a partner ecosystem and why should you want one?

Nearly a third of total global sales is predicted to come from ecosystems by 2025 (according to McKinsey). And in the next decade, ecosystems could bring $100 trillion worth of value to businesses and society as a whole (according to Accenture).

But what exactly is a partner ecosystem? Why should you want one? And is it possible that you already have one without even realising it?!

Partner ecosystem statistics

Ecosystems will be the main disruptor to current business models

A survey showed that 76% of business leaders believe ecosystems will be the main disruptor to current business models.

Source: Hubspot The State of Partner Ops and Programs 2022

Ecosystems could drive a $60 trillion economy by 2025

It's estimated that at least a dozen sectors are reinventing themselves as vast ecosystems that could drive a $60 trillion economy by 2025.

Source: McKinsey & Company

96% of B2B leaders expect to increase revenue directly attributed to their partner ecosystems.

A whopping 96% of B2B leaders expect to increase revenue directly attributed to their partner ecosystems in 2022. 32% expect to see significant increases in their primary measures of channel program success, while 54% are confident they’ll see a marginal increase.

Source: Demand Gen 2022 Partner Marketing Benchmark Survey

95% of Microsoft's commercial revenue comes through its partner ecosystem

A whopping 95% of Microsoft's commercial revenue comes through its partner ecosystem. Meanwhile, its ecosystem grows by a huge 7,500 partners every month!

Source: Forbes

84% of companies say that ecosystems are important to their strategy

84% of companies state that ecosystems are important to their strategy (read our guide to nailing your partner ecosystem strategy if you want to get in on the action). Meanwhile, 76% believe that in the next five years, ecosystems will cause business models to become unrecognisable.

Source: Accenture

Sharing assets, IP and competitive advantage are companies’ biggest fears

92% of companies that haven’t mastered ecosystems are worried about sharing company assets, intellectual property and competitive advantage.

Source: Accenture

83% of digital ecosystems involve partners from four or more industries

While 83% of digital ecosystems are a collaboration between partners from four or more industries, 53% involve partners from six or more!

Source: BGC

7 of the top 12 largest companies take part in ecosystems

Out of the top 12 companies by market capitalisation, seven are ecosystem players. These are Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Alibaba and Tencent.

Source: McKinsey & Company

77% of executives restrict the data they share within their ecosystems

When executives share data within their ecosystems, 77% do so with restrictions due to concerns about data security.

Harvard Business Review: How to Choose the Right Ecosystem Partners for Your Business

As digital technologies revolutionize how we do business, companies increasingly compete through ecosystems in which they partner with a variety of other firms and organizations. The relationships with these partners are determined by the data and operating resources they provide. This article offers a four-part framework to help companies identify the types of partners they need and outlines the challenges that the digital world adds to the relationships involved.

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