How channels evolve: A historical explanation

This paper addresses the nature and drivers of channel evolution. The evolution of the Australian IT industry is investigated using historical methods. Identification of channel issues and descriptions of its evolution are drawn from trade publications, augmented by interviews with channel participants and analyzed using a combination of content, causal and narrative event analysis to sequence, link and interpret the flow of events that have shaped this channel. We find that market, product, and influence and to a lesser degree commercial agreements, have shaped the development of this channel. These emanate primarily from within the Australian IT industry, but to some degree are also influenced by international events. The paper concludes with a discussion as to how these findings can be extrapolated and used to illustrate the deep co-evolutionary processes that characterize distribution channels.