Melander said Kovarus has even gone so far as to advise some startups—which hadn't gotten to the point of working with the channel—about successful channel models.

And, Melander said he's spoken with venture capitalists as part of keeping abreast of promising new startups, and some of those conversations have led to new vendor partnerships for Kovarus.

"We've got the pulse on things—we're looking to be that gateway for customers to evaluate these technologies," Melander said. "Companies we're working with are increasingly looking for disruptive and innovative technologies. We've definitely seen a shift over the last 18 months in the level of inquiry and kinds of conversations we're having."