Top Channel Chiefs discuss challenges for partners in 2026

As the industry faces several headwinds, 10 CRN Australia Channel Chiefs highlight the issues their partners are facing this year.

AI is undoubtedly both an opportunity and a challenge, and this year’s CRN Australia Channel Chiefs agree.

The disruptive technology brings new ways of working, automation and efficiencies.

Yet there is a skills gap to plug and supply chains are feeling the pressure as more organisations push for AI-based workloads.

AI is not the only thing bringing additional headwinds for partners. Cybersecurity, the talent shortage and scrutinising IT spend are other factors partners need to grapple with.

For the inaugural CRN Australia Channel Chiefs list, we asked our ten of our 2026 Channel Chiefs what they’ve identified as the biggest challenge facing their partners this year.

Michael Ben, Director Channels Sales APAC, Arctic Wolf

In a period of economic uncertainty, organisations will scrutinise IT and security spend more closely, requiring vendors and partners to demonstrate business value throughout the entire deal lifecycle.

SMBs may also require greater financial flexibility until conditions stabilise. Ongoing hiring and staffing challenges will continue to impact solution providers, making vendor partners that deliver full end-to-end services without the need for additional staff augmentation essential to achieving long-term scalability.

Chad Cleevely, Senior Director, Channel Sales, APJ Region, Sophos

Procurement shifting to hyperscaler marketplaces and solution bundles. Buying is moving to AWS Marketplace, with multi-product solution packaging, agentic AI - powered discovery, and flexible pricing models.

Partners that don't adapt GTM and financing to marketplaces risk longer cycles and lost deals. Skills and productivity gap in the AI era APAC partners face talent shortages; analyst consensus points to emerging "dual workforces" (human + AI agents) and the need for security-first partnerships to sustain growth.

Jelaine Doncaster, Head of Channel Sales ANZ, Nutanix

Continued pressure on advanced hardware supply chains, in particular for AI workloads, will challenge partners to rethink how they deliver scale and value. Partners anchored in transactional resale will risk losing relevance.

This environment is accelerating demand for hybrid and multicloud managed services, allowing customers to move forward while infrastructure availability normalises. As a result, partners that lead with services, architecture expertise, and invest in broader ecosystem partnerships will be best positioned to differentiate in 2026.

Rodney Hamill, Managing Director - Partner and Routes to Market Sales, Cisco

The biggest challenges facing partners in 2026 will be shifting from transactional to lifecycle-focused models, requiring investment in customer experience and managed services. Bridging the AI implementation gap - moving customers beyond pilots to production-scale deployments while helping them realise tangible ROI through advisory services and optimisation.

Attracting and developing AI talent, as partners compete for scarce engineering, data science, and security expertise. Managing ecosystem complexity as customers demand integrated, outcome-driven solutions requiring cross-architecture selling. Partners who invest in workforce upskilling and develop advisory capabilities around AI ROI will thrive; those who don't risk margin compression and customer attrition.

Mathew Howard, General Manager, ANZ, Crayon

Partners will face margin pressure, market consolidation, and rising customer expectations in 2026. Customers want partners with technical depth, cost discipline, and enablement. The move toward AI adds complexity.

Without support, opportunities are lost and competitors enter accounts. Remaining a software-only reseller will be increasingly difficult.

Robbie Upcroft, Country General Manager, Tech Data ANZ

Partners in 2026 will face a convergence of margin pressure and rising complexity. Declining profitability on core services, driven by cloud commoditisation and automation, will force partners to rethink business models.

Many will struggle to monetise AI, moving from experimentation to delivering measurable outcomes with proper governance. Cybersecurity demands and regulatory compliance will intensify, while customers expect fewer vendors and clearer accountability.

At the same time, skills shortages and ecosystem sprawl will stretch capacity, making differentiation through specialisation, vertical focus and outcome-led services critical for sustainable growth.

Jo Dean, Vice President of Channel and Alliances, Asia Pacific, Commvault

Partners will be challenged by a perfect storm of disruption: smarter, faster cyber threats, customers demanding instant recovery, and AI reshaping how services are delivered. To stay competitive, partners must evolve their business models, expand into AI-driven resilience services, and embrace new revenue streams without complexity.

Customer buying behaviour is shifting too, driving tighter alignment and even consolidation between vendors and partners. The real test will be staying agile - balancing innovation with operational discipline. Our role is to help partners turn this disruption into advantage and emerge stronger, more capable, and more strategically essential in the resilience ecosystem.

Ramon Valery, Channel Director, Australia & New Zealand, Wiz

Many partners are overwhelmed by competing priorities and shifting customer needs, especially as AI, consolidation, and platform fatigue reshape the security landscape.

Shaun Witherden, Senior Vice President of MSP Enablement APAC, Kaseya

The primary challenge for 2026 is the AI knowledge gap and moving beyond the hype to understand how to leverage AI for genuine, human-centric efficiency. Partners are under immense pressure to adopt new technology while struggling to translate it into practical, day-to-day improvements.

Compounding this is the persistent weight of doing more with less. Our partners are striving to deliver excellence despite significant resource constraints. I want to help my peers navigate these complexities by focusing on tools that don't just drive profit, but truly alleviate the burden on their teams, ensuring long-term resilience and well-being.

Victor Guerrero, Vice President of Channel and Alliances, APAC, NinjaOne

As consolidation increases and IT becomes more commoditised, competition is intensifying. Customers face growing security challenges while adopting new technologies. Partners can stand out by expanding their expertise and delivering excellence across service, solutions, and strategy. Success requires being versatile while building specialisations that clearly differentiate their value.

These responses have been edited and condensed for clarity. Take a look at the full CRN Australia 2026 Channel Chiefs list.