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Technology partners can help digital agencies navigate market disruption when they align around customer outcomes, communicate openly about problems, and adapt as client needs change. The number of partners matters less than whether the agency and provider can explain their shared value and deliver on it.
Why partner alignment matters in a disrupted market
In a contribution by Cantarus CEO Lee Adams, the case for strong partner relationships begins with a chain of trust. Members look to professional bodies for guidance on using AI; those bodies depend on digital platforms to serve their members; and the platform providers depend on technology partners. A weakness or unclear responsibility at one link can undermine confidence across the chain.
That challenge is becoming more immediate as organizations seek practical AI guidance. Adams cites a 2025 Professional Associations Research Network report, as reported by IT Pro: 82% of surveyed members wanted implementation guides and case studies, 67% wanted training, 64% wanted their professional body to regulate AI use in their profession, and 63% wanted approved tools vetted and made available. These figures describe reported survey responses; they do not establish that every member or organization wants the same support.
What market pressure changes for agencies
Adams also describes a tougher commercial environment for digital agencies: longer sales cycles and clients asking earlier for a business case and return-on-investment rationale. In his account, Karla Santi presented Promethean Research findings from a survey of 40 digital agencies at Codegarden. The surveyed agencies’ average revenue growth was reported as 7.5% over the prior year, compared with 20% in previous years. The article does not specify the survey year or exact comparison periods, and the sample should not be treated as representative of all agencies.
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Adams says agencies that reduced their range of services and specialized achieved above-average growth in that survey. That is an observation about the agencies covered, not proof that specialization caused their growth or a guarantee that the same move will work for any particular business. The practical implication is to sharpen the offer around client needs and explain its value clearly, rather than relying on a broad service list.
How to evaluate a CMS or cloud partner
A product checklist alone will not reveal whether a provider can help an agency deliver through uncertainty. Use specific questions to test how the relationship works in practice:
- Shared customer outcomes: Can both parties describe the customer problem they are solving and what success looks like?
- Clear positioning: Can the agency explain how the joint offer differs from alternatives without overstating what the technology does?
- Transparency: Will the provider discuss operational challenges, limitations, and risks candidly? Adams attributes the line “Partners can handle the truth” to Umbraco CEO Mats Persson during their podcast discussion of partner transparency.
- Partner support: Is help available when a project or operational issue arises, and are responsibilities between agency and provider clear?
- Adaptability: Does the provider respond to partner and customer feedback, and can the service evolve as requirements change?
These are questions to investigate with prospective providers, not ratings of any specific CMS or cloud service. Ask for concrete examples and clarify how support, escalation, and changes to the joint solution will be handled.
Cantarus’s move to Umbraco Cloud
Adams offers Cantarus’s experience as an example of a cautious transition. The agency moved away from hosting client sites itself and began building enterprise projects on Umbraco Cloud. It first evaluated support and operational needs, then expanded its use. The account illustrates a way to assess a platform partnership incrementally; it does not establish that Umbraco Cloud is best for every agency or project.
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What to take from Adams’s argument
The central lesson is to judge a partner network by the strength of its alignment, not its size. In a market where clients scrutinize outcomes and organizations need trusted guidance, agencies should be able to show that their providers are transparent, supportive, responsive, and focused on the same customer value. Adams’s article was published on the page dated 23 July 2026; a Phiness PR portfolio listing associates the ChannelPro contribution with 26 August 2026, so the publication date is not consistent across those listings.
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