The old phrase "if you want loyalty, buy a dog" was evident in Telarus' fourth annual Tech Trends report, which showed vendor loyalty at an all-time low among technology buyers. This disclosure from the research report has wide-ranging ramifications for channel partners—not just those who focus on connectivity and communications, but also IT solutions and services.

Eroding vendor loyalty was one of the key findings in the report, which was developed by Telarus in partnership with Redpoint Insights and analyzed by Constellation Research founder Ray Wang. It is one of the few research reports we know of that surveys both buyers and channel partners, identifying gaps between what IT leaders want from their suppliers and the services partners offer.

At the annual Telarus Partner Summit where the report was released, Telarus CMO Jen Dimas and Wang discussed key findings during a main stage keynote. The report left little doubt that there is a seismic shift in how mid-market and enterprise organizations are purchasing technology—and what they expect from their advisors.

"You are seeing a revolution happen,” said Wang, never one to hold back on his opinions.

According to the Telarus Tech Trends Report, of the 500 customers surveyed, 84% said they are open to switching vendors at renewal, and 87% experienced rising costs over the past 12 months. While the latter might not be a surprise, the erosion of vendor loyalty opens an opportunity for technology advisors (TAs) to increase their value to buyers by presenting vendor-neutral solutions that are best of breed.

Let's spend a moment on the top findings from technology buyers. The report found that one in three buyers regretted a major tech purchase in the past 24 months because of changing business needs, unmet expectations, higher-than-expected costs, and -- this was a shocker -- vendor overpromising. Really? Every channel partner and industry expert has heard that about vendors for years, but perhaps it's reaching a fevered pitch.

The big question on everyone's mind in this new AI era is: what do buyers value? Buyers were asked what value their advisor's involvement has delivered to their organization. Based on the survey, buyers placed project management, including implementation and support, on par with strong vendor vetting as their top priorities. Those were closely followed by better integration planning and faster decision-making. Cost savings finished a distant fifth in services valued by buyers. Those findings will certainly ignite a debate in the channel among technology advisors who are evolving their business models.

Now let's flip the page and see if technology advisors and channel partners are aligned with the value that buyers seek. That's where things get a tad messy—or confusing. TAs might think they are aligned with what today's buyers value, but when asked what their involvement often leads to, No. 1 on the list was long-term client retention. That speaks to the value of long-term relationships, but they also said cost savings was an outcome, followed by better vendor alignment.

You can have fun debating those findings, but buyers clearly said they don't value cost savings delivered from a channel engagement highly. Still, TAs put high on the list of what they deliver.

This all leads to what will happen when a contract renewal for contact center software, connectivity, or other services comes due. If buyers are not happy with a current vendor offering, Telarus points out "renewal is the perfect time to help customers rethink their tech stack and decide if it is delivering on primary business outcomes." The TSD is prompting advisors to treat every renewal cycle as a new solution audit. As Wang and Dimas said in a press and analyst briefing, that work needs to be done at least 12 months before the renewal date, or the opportunity will be lost. Yet only 14% of advisors focus on renewal strategy. Telarus believes it is taking a lead in the business of helping TAs win renewals and swap outs.

"Every renewal is an incredible opportunity for an advisor to open a conversation of outcome-based check-in," Dimas said. Wang added: "You need about a year to get off someone's platform. I have never seen vendor loyalty this low."

Other key findings from the study include:

• IT budgets are increasing year over year: 84% of the customers surveyed said they expect tech budgets to increase, with business priorities on innovation and new technology adoption, followed by simplification and revenue growth.
• The Great Ecosystem Sale is Here: Customers no longer buy cloud, cybersecurity, or infrastructure in silos. They want integrated strategies with AI as the enabler. Advisors who grew revenue more than 20% last year were 2x more likely to close multi-solution deals. The opportunity? Position yourself as the architect of outcomes, not a product seller.
• Three distinct advisor personas are emerging among sellers of AI solutions, according to Telarus: the traditionalist, the transitioner, and the pacesetter. Those categories are based on what the company termed AI confidence, capabilities, and approach to ecosystem selling.

The Bottom Line

As the TSD Wars rage on, Telarus is attempting to leverage research to help partners better understand today's customer so their TA firm can better meet those needs. It is an interesting competitive weapon and differentiator. The 2026-27 Tech Trends Report goes beyond research. It's an actionable playbook to help Telarus advisors evolve from transactional selling to strategic partnerships. Telarus plans to release the full report details in September.

The survey collected data from 500-plus IT decision-makers and 450-plus TAs, most of whom are part of the Telarus network/customer base.