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VOLUME 2 / 2026

MINDS THAT

Matter

THE FORCES SHAPING THE CHANNEL

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CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

CONTENT

RAMKUMAR B, AMIVIZ

S.M. HUSSAINI, ACME

PHILIPPE JARRE MINDWARE GROUP

KAMRAN KHAYAL TRIGON

PREMCHAND KURUP PARAMOUNT COMPUTER SYSTEMS

HESHAM TANTAWI ASBIS MIDDLE EAST

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

INSIDE THE MINDS Leadership in the channel is increasingly defined by the decisions made before the outcomes are visible, the investments that may take time to pay off, the lessons that force a rethink, and the early signals that suggest the market is about to move in a new direction. That is the thinking behind Channel Power Players 2026.

Ruchika Sharma contributing editor, Channel Insights Middle East

This year, we asked the region’s leading channel decision makers to look beyond the usual measures of success and share what is shaping their priorities today. What has been their biggest strategic bet over the past year? What has the channel taught them? And what emerging shift do they believe could fundamentally reshape the ecosystem over the next 12 months? The responses offer more than predictions or business updates. They reveal how leaders are weighing risk, deciding where to invest, adapting to hard-earned lessons, and identifying the opportunities they believe are worth pursuing. Some point to changing partner expectations. Others highlight new approaches to capabilities, business models, and routes to market. Together, they reflect a channel that is being continually recalibrated as market conditions; customer demands and partner priorities evolve. What emerges is a diverse set of viewpoints, shaped by different markets, experiences and priorities but connected by a willingness to question assumptions and look beyond the immediate. That is what makes this year’s feature particularly revealing. Rather than focusing solely on what these leaders have already achieved, we wanted to understand the decisions, lessons, and signals influencing their next moves. The following pages offer a closer look at those perspectives and at the people making calls that could help shape the channel’s next chapter. Meet the Channel Power Players 2026! The following list is presented in alphabetical order. No ranking is implied or intended.

Published by

Managing Editor Adelle Geronimo adelleg@insightmediame.com +97156 - 4847568

Commercial Director Merle Carrasco merlec@insightmediame.com +97155 - 1181730

Operations Director Rajeesh Nair rajeeshm@insightmediame.com +97155 - 9383094

Production Head James Tharian jamest@insightmediame.com +97156 - 4945966

Administration Manager Fahida Afaf Bangod fahidaa@insightmediame.com +97156 - 5741456

Designer Anup Sathyan

While the publisher has made all efforts to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

POWER PERSPECTIVES: THE NEXT CHAPTER

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Partners that build expertise in securing human, machine, and AI identities will be best positioned to capture this next wave of demand.

Director of Partner Ecosystem BeyondTrust

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Maya Zakhour

The organisations that can align technology, expertise, services and financing into cohesive solutions will play a larger role in creating customer value.

CEO – India & ME Redington

“ Experimentation by the Channel is an absolute must, and they must be prepared for failure.

CEO Paramount Computer Systems

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Premchand Kurup

Success will increasingly depend on the ability to integrate multiple technologies into complete business outcomes rather than selling individual products.

Philippe Jarre President & CEO Mindware Group

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Ramesh Natarajan

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CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

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“ CEO Alpha Data

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Fayez Ibbini

Partners will start plugging into AI-powered networks that match, market, and deliver recurring revenue together.

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Walid Gomaa CEO Omnix International

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Infrastructure will remain essential; there is no AI without it, but it will become a smaller part of the overall value proposition, while solution delivery and human expertise become increasingly important.

“ Vice President, Partnerships and Alliances Allied Telesis

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Chris Elliott

The companies that build real capability and deliver results customers can see and rely on will definitely be the ones still standing.

Murali Konasani

CEO Teksalah

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AI, automation and cloud management will increasingly converge, helping customers simplify operations and anticipate issues.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

AVINASH ADVANI Founder & CEO

CYBERKNIGHT’S GROWTH HAS COME FROM INVESTING IN STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT BUILT ON EXECUTIVE ALIGNMENT, CONTINUOUS ENABLEMENT AND TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION

CyberKnight

yberKnight has continued to invest in expanding its sales and technical coverage across Sub-Saharan Africa while extending its product management capabilities across all regions. This gives partners across the Middle East and Africa access to local sales, technical, channel, marketing and product expertise. Advani’s experience over the past year has reinforced that sustainable partner success is driven by the quality of relationships rather than the size of the channel. CyberKnight’s growth, he says, has come from investing in strategic partners and creating an environment built on executive alignment, continuous enablement and transparent communication. The next major shift could come from accelerating cloud adoption across the region. As data privacy, sovereignty and residency considerations evolve, the market will require partners and vendors to rethink their go-tomarket strategies and adapt to a rapidly changing cloud landscape.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

HAMID ANSARI Managing Director Syscom Distribution

trengthening its cybersecurity and AI portfolio has been a major strategic investment for Syscom Distribution. By integrating AI-powered threat detection, behavioural analytics and automated incident response, Syscom is helping partners deliver more predictive and proactive security while creating new opportunities in managed detection, advisory services and risk assessment. Ansari sees the past year as further evidence of the importance of genuine collaboration between distributors and partners.

Working as an extended team, supported by greater transparency, digital tools and closer communication, enables faster execution and stronger customer outcomes. Continuous, technology-enabled partner engagement will become increasingly important to channel growth. Through ongoing education, training and digital enablement, partners can stay ahead of rapidly evolving technologies and AI-driven capabilities while building stronger, more sustainable business opportunities.

SUJOY BANERJEE Regional Business Director, UAE ManageEngine

trengthening its regional presence has been a key strategic priority for ManageEngine, with the opening of its UAE data centre marking a significant investment. The move gives customers greater data residency and compliance options while enabling partners to address local requirements with greater confidence and build longer-term opportunities in the market. The past year has reinforced for Banerjee that partners need more than products from vendors. Strong technical support, faster engagement and a deeper understanding of customer

challenges are increasingly important to building successful partnerships. Those that invest in product expertise and consultative capabilities are better positioned to build deeper customer relationships and create new opportunities. AI will be a major force in reshaping the channel, but Banerjee believes the real opportunity lies beyond simply selling AI features. As customers look for help adopting AI responsibly, integrating it into existing IT environments and demonstrating measurable value, partners will increasingly need to take on a more consultative role and focus on delivering meaningful business outcomes.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

RAMKUMAR B CEO

ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY ALONE IS NO LONGER A DIFFERENTIATOR; THE ABILITY TO DESIGN AND DELIVER SOLUTIONS THAT CUSTOMERS CANNOT BUILD THEMSELVES IS WHERE CHANNEL VALUE INCREASINGLY LIES

AmiViz

broader, more consultative business model has been at the heart of AmiViz’s evolution. The company has moved from being a cybersecurity-focused VAD into a wider business spanning data resilience, sovereign cloud, agentic AI and digital infrastructure. The strategy is built around addressing converging customer requirements through a single trusted partner, giving channel partners access to larger and more complex opportunities beyond traditional resale. That shift has reinforced for Ramkumar the importance of consultative capabilities in the channel. Partners that moved beyond transactional engagements and developed the ability to architect solutions around customer challenges have been better positioned to grow. Access to technology alone is no longer a differentiator; the ability to design and deliver solutions that customers cannot build themselves is where channel value increasingly lies. One of the major forces shaping the channel in 2026, he believes, will be sovereign AI mandates. As organisations face growing requirements around where AI operates, who hosts the underlying infrastructure and how AI-driven decisions are governed and audited, partners with expertise in sovereignty-led architectures will become increasingly valuable. This capability gap could be one of the defining differentiators for the channel in 2026.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

ALIASGAR

DOHADWALA Founder & CEO Visiontech Systems International

isiontech Systems International has been strengthening its integrated capabilities across AI, cybersecurity, cloud and modern infrastructure. With customer expectations evolving rapidly, the aim is to deliver intelligent and secure solutions aligned with long-term business objectives. Dohadwala sees the past year as further evidence that customers are increasingly investing in outcomes rather

than individual products. Strong collaboration across vendors, distributors and system integrators is becoming essential to delivering business value and building lasting customer trust. The channel is moving from being primarily a technology provider towards becoming a business transformation partner. As customers seek greater simplicity, risk management and innovation, those that can connect technology with measurable business outcomes will be best positioned to lead.

CHRIS ELLIOTT Vice President, Partnerships and Alliances Allied Telesis

t Allied Telesis, the focus has been on making it easier and more valuable for partners to do business through the Allied Telesis Partner Network and Allied Telesis OneConnect. Together, these initiatives strengthen partner enablement while bringing cloud-based management, automation and AI-driven assurance to help partners differentiate through services and solutions. The past year has further demonstrated to Elliott that partners need more than products from vendors. Practical enablement,

responsive support, flexibility and integrated solutions are increasingly important to helping partners deliver profitable customer outcomes and build long-term value. The channel is now moving towards a model centred on intelligent, managed outcomes rather than infrastructure sales alone. As AI, automation and cloud management converge, Elliott sees greater opportunities for partners to build recurring revenue through managed services and evolve into strategic advisors for their customers.

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For enquiries Merle Carrasco Commercial Director, Insight Media & Publishing M: +971 55 118 1730 E: merlec@insightmediame.com

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

TONI EL INATI

THE NEXT PHASE OF CYBERSECURITY IS LIKELY TO BE INCREASINGLY AIDRIVEN AND OUTCOME-BASED

Regional VP Sales Middle East, Turkey & CEE Barracuda Networks

arracuda’s strategic focus has centred on Barracuda ONE, its unified, AI-powered cybersecurity platform bringing together email security, application protection and SASE. The platform is designed to help partners simplify security for customers, expand managed security services and build stronger recurring-revenue opportunities. The experience of the past year has reinforced for El Inati that partners need more than innovative technology from vendors. Strong enablement, technical expertise and business collaboration are equally important in helping partners differentiate, expand their managed services capabilities and deliver measurable customer value. The next phase of cybersecurity is likely to be increasingly AI-driven and outcome-based. As customers seek simpler security and measurable business outcomes, El Inati believes partners that embrace platform-led and service-focused models will be well positioned to become trusted advisors and drive long-term growth.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

WALID GOMAA CEO Omnix International

mnix International’s biggest strategic bet has been becoming an AI execution partner, with investments in Agentic AI and AI Governance capabilities spanning vendor evaluation, services, skills and architecture. The focus is on helping customers adopt emerging technologies while taking greater ownership of business outcomes. The past year has shown Gomaa that customers are not simply looking for the latest AI tools. They want partners that

can act as consultants, identify relevant use cases, build the business case and guide them through AI adoption with a clear focus on ROI and business KPIs. For the channel, the next step is a move beyond transactional reselling towards AI-enabled, outcomedriven and platform-based services. Gomaa also sees partner co-selling gaining momentum, with AI-powered ecosystems helping partners connect, market solutions and build recurring-revenue opportunities.

SAKKEER HUSSAIN Director – Sales & Marketing D-Link Middle East & Africa

solutions with greater visibility, simplicity and ongoing support. Partners that can translate technology into tangible business outcomes will be best positioned to grow.

The market has also made one thing increasingly clear to Hussain: partners need more than reliable hardware. Customers increasingly expect complete, easy-to-deploy

AI-powered and cloud-managed networking will continue to reshape the channel, enabling partners to move beyond traditional infrastructure sales towards intelligent, managed solutions and build stronger, longer-term customer relationships.

t D-Link, the push towards AI-driven and cloudmanaged networking has been a key strategic focus, with solutions such as AQUILA PRO AI and its cloud portfolio helping partners simplify network deployment and management while creating opportunities for higher-value solutions and recurring services.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

S.M. HUSSAINI

THE CHANNEL IS MOVING DECISIVELY FROM SELLING SOLUTIONS TO DELIVERING OUTCOMES

CEO ACME (Almoayyed Computers Middle East)

reparing for the next phase of the technology industry has meant putting people at the centre of ACME’s strategy. Over the past year, the company has focused strongly on upskilling and reskilling its workforce, bringing together fresh graduates and subject-matter experts while preparing existing teams for the demands of the AI era. Recent regional conflict has also reinforced Hussaini’s belief in the importance of business continuity and technology resilience. ACME’s longstanding focus on hybrid IT, spanning on-premise, cloud and multi-cloud environments, has helped customers remain better prepared for unforeseen disruptions and validated the company’s approach to resilient technology strategies. For Hussaini, the channel is moving decisively from selling solutions to delivering outcomes. The growing demand for managed services across individual and multiple workloads reflects this shift, with customers increasingly looking for partners capable of bringing together applications, infrastructure and the services required to operate them. Channel players that recognise and prepare for this evolution will be best positioned to lead the ecosystem.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

FAYEZ IBBINI CEO Alpha Data

eople remain Alpha Data’s most important investment and a key driver of its long-term growth. Having grown from a small team to around 1,600 employees, the company’s journey has been built around identifying, developing and retaining the talent needed to deliver increasingly complex technology solutions. For partners, this translates into greater expertise and capabilities to address evolving customer requirements. The past year has also highlighted the resilience and adaptability of businesses. Despite challenging circumstances,

customers continued to invest, reinforcing Ibbini’s belief that strong leadership, innovation and a focus on people enable the channel to adapt and thrive through periods of change. The next evolution of the channel, in his view, will take it further beyond traditional hardware and infrastructure sales towards complete, outcome-driven solutions, increasingly enabled by AI. While infrastructure will remain fundamental to the technology ecosystem, solution delivery and human expertise will account for a growing share of the value delivered to customers.

ELJO JP Chief Business Officer Finesse

inesse has placed significant emphasis on expanding its AI and cybersecurity capabilities to help enterprises innovate securely. Its focus spans Agentic AI, AI governance, intelligent automation, data and analytics, Managed SOC, MDR, cloud security, identity and access management, and cyber resilience. By strengthening technology partnerships and in-house expertise, Finesse aims to help customers drive transformation while maintaining security and resilience. For Eljo, the past year has shown that AI and cybersecurity have moved from emerging technologies to business

imperatives. Customers increasingly expect partners to combine innovation with governance, compliance and security, reinforcing Finesse’s Advice, Enable and Secure approach and the channel’s evolving role as a trusted business advisor. The convergence of AI and cybersecurity is likely to be a defining force for the channel. As AI adoption accelerates, partners will need expertise across AI, data readiness, governance and cybersecurity to help organisations modernise critical business functions securely and create sustainable growth opportunities.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

PHILIPPE JARRE President & CEO Mindware Group

best positioned to create value. Mindware is supporting this through ongoing enablement, technical expertise, market intelligence and access to emerging technologies and vendor ecosystems.

Jarre sees agility and knowledge as increasingly important competitive advantages for the channel. With technology and customer priorities evolving rapidly, partners that continuously build expertise and adapt to change will be

AI will become increasingly embedded across every technology domain, from infrastructure and cloud to cybersecurity, networking and business applications. As a result, partners will need to move beyond individual products and integrate multiple technologies into complete business outcomes, with distributors playing a more strategic role in enabling this transformation.

indware Group has been accelerating its transformation into a technology solutions aggregator, with AI at the centre. This includes strengthening its AI practice, expanding its cloud marketplace and enhancing technical capabilities to help partners deliver next-generation solutions across AI, cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure and data.

FADI KANAFANI General Manager Yas Holding Technology

uilding AI readiness has been a key strategic focus for Yas Holding, with efforts centred on strengthening foundations across data, cloud, cybersecurity and skills. Kanafani believes AI itself is not the differentiator; trusted data, resilient infrastructure, strong governance and a workforce equipped for new ways of working will determine its value. He also sees the channel evolving from a route to market into a strategic growth engine. As AI adoption, cybersecurity threats and cloud complexity increase, organisations are increasingly

relying on trusted partners that can bring both technology expertise and business understanding. The direction of travel is towards a channel focused less on selling technology and more on delivering AI-driven business outcomes. Partners that can provide secure, governed and measurable AI solutions will be increasingly valued as organisations look to technology providers as strategic transformation partners.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

MANISH KESHWANI Managing Director

DISTRIBUTORS WILL INCREASINGLY NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE THROUGH PRE-SALES EXPERTISE, TRAINING, CREDIT AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT, WITH THOSE THAT ACTIVELY BUILD MARKETS MOVING BEYOND TRADITIONAL BOX-MOVING MODELS

TLM International

trengthening capabilities has been the biggest investment at TLM International. The launch of the Ubiquiti Live Lab and a major technology overhaul across the organisation are aimed at reinforcing the operational foundation that enables TLM to deliver the reliability and speed partners value. For Keshwani, the past year has reinforced the importance of focus and depth in the channel. Brands with strong distributor commitment and exclusivity have performed better, while overly broad distribution can dilute margins and reduce the incentive to invest in building a market. As more vendors bring logistics in-house, Keshwani expects the role of distribution to evolve. Distributors will increasingly need to differentiate through pre-sales expertise, training, credit and market development, with those that actively build markets moving beyond traditional box-moving models.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

KAMRAN KHAYAL

AI WILL RESHAPE NOT JUST THE TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE BUT HOW THE CHANNEL OPERATES

General Manager Trigon

rigon has been focused on building a more value-driven distribution platform by strengthening its capabilities, expertise and market reach. The aim is to give partners greater access to technical expertise, solution enablement, market intelligence, financing support and faster routes to market, helping them develop higher-value solutions. The past year has reinforced for Khayal that partners increasingly value business outcomes over products alone. Strong relationships, local market knowledge, agility and the ability to respond quickly to changing customer needs are becoming critical to sustainable channel growth. AI will reshape not just the technology landscape but how the channel operates. As demand grows for AIenabled solutions, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure and managed services, distributors will play an important role in helping partners move beyond product transactions towards complete, outcomedriven solutions.

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CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

MURALI KONASANI CEO Teksalah

Partners will need to move beyond technology resale and bring business context, integration expertise and accountability for outcomes.

Konasani sees one of the biggest risks for channel partners as becoming too comfortable while hyperscalers move closer to customers, particularly around AI and data strategy.

AI is already reshaping business models, customer expectations and the channel itself. Rather than simply representing another technology cycle, Konasani believes it will reward organisations that build genuine AI capabilities and consistently deliver measurable results.

or Teksalah, the move from AI experimentation to business-critical execution has prompted the creation of a dedicated AI consulting and delivery unit. With early engagements showing significant productivity gains, the focus is on solving specific business challenges and taking greater ownership of customer outcomes.

AMIT KUMAR Managing Director MMA Infosec

eople remain at the heart of MMA Infosec’s strategy. Even through challenging periods, the organisation has continued to focus on developing and empowering its teams, recognising that strong people are fundamental to delivering consistent value to customers and sustaining longterm growth. Kumar believes difficult market conditions have reinforced the importance of genuine relationships in the channel. Such periods reveal which partnerships are built on trust, shared

vision and a commitment to supporting each other beyond short-term business priorities. AI will reshape the channel not just as a technology, but as a new way of delivering security and business outcomes. Partners that combine AI with domain expertise, trusted relationships and outcome-led services will be best positioned to move beyond selling solutions and towards delivering intelligence and measurable value.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

PREMCHAND

KURUP CEO

Paramount Computer Systems

ver the past five years, Paramount Computer Systems has made strategic investments across four areas: GRC automation, Microsoft Security, data privacy and OT security. Kurup believes organisations need to be selective about new bets, as successfully developing each practice requires significant management focus, resources and commitment. One of the biggest lessons Kurup draws from the channel is that meaningful, profitable growth takes time. Building a

new product or service practice and establishing its impact with vendors and customers can take three to five years, making it difficult to measure success within a single year. AI represents the next major opportunity, particularly through AI-powered applications tailored to specific industry verticals. Channel partners can add significant value by combining these technologies with their understanding of customer businesses. For Kurup, experimentation will be essential, with partners needing to be prepared to take risks and learn from failures.

RAMESH NATARAJAN CEO – India & ME Redington

highlighting the strength of ecosystems where vendors, distributors and partners work together to respond to changing market conditions.

Despite geopolitical and economic uncertainty, Natarajan sees the past year as a demonstration of the channel’s resilience. Partners have continued to adapt and innovate,

Ecosystem orchestration is set to become a defining force for channel growth. As customers seek integrated solutions and business outcomes rather than individual products, organisations that can bring together technology, expertise, services and financing will be increasingly important in delivering customer value.

edington has been expanding its capabilities across software, security and cloud, helping partners move into higher-growth technology areas. Investments in AI-led go-to-market initiatives, including the Redington AI Exchange platform, alongside partner enablement through Redington Academy, are designed to build expertise and create new opportunities across emerging technologies.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

TOLGA ÖZDIL Regional Commercial Director, Middle East, Turkey & Africa

CUSTOMERS WILL INCREASINGLY LOOK TO PARTNERS NOT JUST FOR TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT, BUT FOR THE EXPERTISE TO SOLVE BUSINESS CHALLENGES AND DRIVE MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES

ASUS

ne of ASUS’s biggest growth moves has been its expansion into East Africa and Egypt, where it has established a commercial business alongside its existing consumer operations. The move opens new growth opportunities while enabling partners to deliver AI-enabled commercial solutions. Özdil sees the past year as further evidence of the growing value of partners as trusted advisors rather than simply product fulfilment providers. As businesses adopt AI PCs, partners are increasingly relied upon for deployment, integration, security and lifecycle services, making continuous enablement and close collaboration more important than ever. As AI adoption and digital investment accelerate across the Middle East, Özdil expects the channel to evolve from hardware distribution towards AI transformation advisory. Customers will increasingly look to partners not just for technology procurement, but for the expertise to solve business challenges and drive meaningful outcomes.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

MAHMOOD SHAKER CCO & Infrastructure Solutions Group Leader Lenovo

enovo’s long-term commitment to the Middle East and Africa has been strengthened through its META Regional Headquarters in Riyadh, an expanded regional operating model and investments in manufacturing, talent and AI-driven innovation. For partners, this brings greater localisation, supply chain resilience and access to opportunities across AI infrastructure, hybrid cloud, digital workplace and services. The past year has reinforced for Shaker the shift from product selling to outcome-driven engagement. As customers navigate AI, cybersecurity, workplace transformation and infrastructure

For enquiries Merle Carrasco Commercial Director, Insight Media & Publishing M: +971 55 118 1730 E: merlec@insightmediame.com

modernisation simultaneously, successful partners are increasingly becoming trusted advisors capable of bringing technology, software and services together. The move from AI experimentation to AI at scale will further reshape the channel. Partners will increasingly be called upon to support the complete AI journey, from AI PCs and edge computing to infrastructure, security and services. Those investing in AI skills and service capabilities while focusing on measurable business outcomes will be best positioned to capture the opportunity.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

HESHAM TANTAWI

THE STRONGEST CHANNEL MODEL COMBINES TECHNOLOGY WITH THE HUMAN CONNECTION

Vice President ASBIS Middle East

SBIS Middle East has been steadily evolving into a more solution-led and locally enabled distribution platform across the Middle East and Africa. This has included expanding into highpotential markets, strengthening its enterprise and data-centre portfolio and investing in capabilities that help partners move beyond product fulfilment towards complete technology solutions. For Tantawi, the past year has underscored the importance of relationships and consistency in the channel. While digital engagement has improved reach and efficiency, trust and regular engagement remain essential to building sustainable partnerships. The strongest channel model, he believes, combines technology with the human connection. AI-enabled solution delivery is set to reshape the channel as AI becomes increasingly embedded across infrastructure, devices, networking and security. Vendors and distributors will need to strengthen both their technical capabilities and goto-market strategies, with those that stay ahead of technology trends and bring innovative solutions to market best positioned for growth.

CHANNEL POWER PLAYERS

ABDUL REHMAN

TARIQ BUTT Regional Director – Middle East SolarWinds

onboarding and clearer processes can help partners spend less time navigating vendor requirements and more time winning and supporting customers.

Recent market conditions have reinforced for Butt the importance of removing friction from the partner experience. Simplified programmes, streamlined deal registration, easier

AI is likely to reshape customer relationships in the channel. By combining CRM data, predictive analytics and AI-driven insights with human expertise, partners can anticipate customer needs and deliver more proactive, personalised recommendations. Those that combine trusted relationships with intelligent insights will create greater customer value.

olarWinds has been expanding into the mid-enterprise segment, which Butt sees as an increasingly attractive market for enterprise-grade technology. The cloudbased nature of SolarWinds Observability is helping address the complexity of fragmented IT environments, creating new opportunities for partners to help customers adopt more unified and scalable approaches.

MAYA ZAKHOUR Director of Partner Ecosystem BeyondTrust

uilding a stronger and more scalable partner ecosystem around identity security has been a key priority for BeyondTrust. By leveraging the BeyondTrust Identity Security Platform, partners can broaden their expertise, address wider customer requirements and create higher-value opportunities. For Zakhour, the past year has reinforced that successful partnerships are built on focus rather than volume. Clear

opportunities, meaningful enablement and a shared commitment to growth help vendors and partners work more effectively together and build stronger customer relationships. AI is also set to reshape both customer environments and the channel. As agentic AI increases the number of non-human identities with access and privileges, Zakhour expects partners with expertise in securing human, machine and AI identities to be well positioned to capture the growing demand.