Dicker Data launches first channel-focused AI practice, AI Accelerate

Dicker Data is teaming with 365mesh to help partners bring AI projects to life.

Dicker Data has launched AI Accelerate, a new channel-focused practice to drive faster adoption of AI in Australia and New Zealand. It comes after Dicker Data partnered with Dell to establish an AI proof of concept facility in Sydney.

With adoption lagging behind the US, UK and Europe, Dicker Data COO Vlad Mitnovetski said stronger uptake will help local businesses be competitive globally.

“It provides a trusted, proven pathway for partners who have an appetite to deliver AI solutions, but may not have the capabilities in house, or who are unsure of where to start,” Mitnovetski explained.

365 Mesh, an AI and IoT specialist, is the first ecosystem partner, offering two service streams: AI product engineering services (from strategy to deployment) and AI-powered SaaS platforms tailored for specific industries.

With end-to-end solutions, 365 Mesh offers developed, deployed and in-production AI solutions specifically created for other Australian businesses. These solutions are available exclusively to Dicker Data partners that work with ideal fit end-customers.

“These ‘off-the-shelf’ type of AI solutions can be deployed quicker than a custom development, enabling partners to show ROI quicker,” Mitnovetski said.

The 365 Mesh partnership will provide access for Dicker Data partners to access a catalogue of prebuilt AI solutions.

“These are a great start for partners to start exploring what's possible in the verticals and businesses they already serve … and helping end-customers achieve their goals,” he said.

For tailored services, the partnership allows Dicker Data partners to have custom AI solutions developed to solve for known industry-specific gaps.

“Partners can productise and then sell to all of their end-customers in that vertical,” he told CRN Australia.

To support adoption, Dicker Data has built an AI readiness assessment tool to tailor support for partner use cases and level of AI experience.

For partners new to AI, Dicker Data will provide training and enablement sessions on 365 Mesh solutions. There are also frameworks to help partners identify AI opportunities in their customer base.

Partners with a strong appetite for AI can collaborate with their end-users, Dicker Data and 365 Mesh to develop bespoke AI solutions that align to the specific use case.

“AI can have significant impact across almost every area of a business, whether it’s productivity gains, automation, reductions in overheads or streamlining of systems, AI can help,” he said.

Mitnovetski said that the key to successful AI adoption is ongoing training, enablement and upskilling from partners to their end-customers.

“Our industry has a role to play in upskilling users and demonstrating how AI can have continuous positive impact on business,” he ended.