For MSPs and VARs looking for their next growth opportunity, Dean Reverman’s opening message at VARTECH 2026 pointed to work already taking shape inside customer accounts: connecting technologies that improve supply chain visibility, streamline operations and deliver better customer experiences.
Speaking at BlueStar’s Sept. 21–22 event at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., the distributor’s chief marketing officer urged partners to up their game in compute, machine vision, security and networking.
“The market is demanding that we all go beyond our core and towards connected solutions,” Reverman said.
That shift gives solution providers a practical assignment: Find where customers’ workflows break down, then assemble the expertise needed to fix them.
Ecosystems have replaced the standard sales model
Reverman used two technologies to show why no single provider can go it alone. RFID has moved beyond isolated pilots, he said, with a clear value proposition across inventory, omnichannel fulfillment, loss prevention and traceability. Scaling it, however, still means coordinating tags, readers, standards, workflows and enterprise systems. “It’s not one product,” he said. Partner interest is evident: RFID drew the top education session at this year’s event.
At the front of the store, SoftPOS is changing the payment conversation. Instead of adding checkout lanes, retailers are turning mobile devices into payment terminals so associates can complete transactions anywhere on the floor. The same pattern holds for edge AI, sensors and machine vision.
“Dare I say, ecosystems have replaced the standard sales model,” Reverman said.
Those ecosystems run on people. In a recent BlueStar customer survey Reverman cited, 44% of respondents named established relationships as the biggest influence on distributor selection, ahead of product availability at 33% and price at 22%. Respondents valued responsiveness, trust and people who understood their businesses and stayed engaged until the solution was delivered.
Build the partnership before scaling the pilot
The survey also showed what partners need to move from pilot to production: more staff training, better access to ISVs and service providers, more data and industry information, and real proof points that turn a promising pilot into a scalable solution. Those are useful criteria for evaluating any distribution partner.
They also point to questions worth settling early. A successful demonstration leaves plenty unanswered: Who connects the data to the customer’s business applications? Who owns troubleshooting when several vendors are involved? What must change before deployment across additional sites?
Reverman described two BlueStar programs aimed at those gaps. TEConnect, the distributor’s ISV program for nearly a decade, recruits niche software providers that help partners differentiate; BlueStar plans to expand it into a broader channel community. GlobalCare coordinates BlueStar’s teams, inventory and logistics across regions. Reverman cited a European integrator that needed approved mobile devices installed in the U.S.; BlueStar managed the project globally and sourced the devices locally.
Make operational results the AI sales pitch
“I’m not talking chatbots, I’m not talking prompts,” Reverman said of physical AI, which works through cameras, sensors, robots and automated workflows that make decisions in real time where work happens: stores, warehouses, distribution centers, hospitals and manufacturing facilities. “The future of AI is not going to just live in the cloud,” he said.
BlueStar is investing in edge compute, physical AI and robotics through its TECNexus initiative and emerging vendors such as OnLogic, which exhibited at the event.
The distributor’s own warehouses supply an example. In the Americas, Reverman said, 24 autonomous robots manage 16,000 bins and 6,000 SKUs, averaging about 120 pick lines per hour even as orders grew 17%. BlueStar has cut order release time by 50%, and the average warehouse worker’s daily walking distance has dropped from 12 miles to one.
Those results suggest a better discovery conversation than a broad AI pitch. Ask customers which tasks consume the most labor, where delays occur and which measures would justify an investment. Establish a baseline before recommending automation.
Data quality belongs in that assessment. In BlueStar Nation’s January recap of NRF 2026, Reverman put the prerequisite plainly: “AI isn’t AI unless it’s got good data that’s formatted properly.” Examine how operational data is captured and passed between systems before promising smarter decisions.
Attach recurring services to connected devices
Every one of those systems needs connectivity, which Reverman called “perhaps one of the most overlooked opportunities in our channel.” Building connectivity into a practice creates recurring revenue and, he said, “keeps your competitors out.”
BlueStar’s connectivity services, offered through an exclusive partnership with iONLINE, include pooled data across device fleets, automatic carrier switching, real-time monitoring and usage alerts. The company advertises up to 15% recurring revenue on each connection.
For MSPs, that makes connectivity part of solution design, not an afterthought. Decide who will monitor connections, manage usage and respond when a device loses service, and define those responsibilities alongside the deployment so the customer sees the ongoing value.
Protect margins and close skills gaps
Reverman also addressed two persistent pressures. On tariffs, he pointed to the free trade zones BlueStar has established in Canada and Latin America to centralize inventory and lower costs for partners. On staffing, he highlighted BlueStar Academy, which trains new and tenured sales reps at no tuition cost. Five courses are available, with four more in development.
His advice for getting the most out of VARTECH applies well beyond the show floor: Leave with “an action item list of things to do.” For partners, a good first item is to choose one customer workflow, identify the missing skills or partners, and build a service around keeping that workflow running.
