FEATURE CHANNEL PARTNERS
conversations rather than presenting them with finished products. In 2026, partners expect:
• Joint solution packs for sectors such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and education
• Shared IP development opportunities, where both parties benefit
• Structured co-selling, not ad-hoc introductions
• Access to specialist vendor engineers and architects during solution development
• Realistic, shared success metrics rather than arbitrary partner quotas
This is a significant shift away from the classic‘ sell what we make’ model. Instead, partners want vendors to adopt a‘ build with, market with, sell with’ mentality. They want to be part of the innovation cycle rather than the final link in a long chain.
Co-innovation is also becoming a critical factor in partner retention. As more vendors chase similar market niches, partners increasingly evaluate which vendors include them in long-term strategy rather than just quarterly sales pushes.
Strategic support
Technology is no longer the only driver of partner growth. Partners increasingly look to vendors for business transformation support, particularly as the industry shifts towards service-led and outcome-driven models.
The partners succeeding in 2026 are those who have navigated challenges such as cybersecurity maturity, sustainability compliance, complex cloud migration requirements and recurring-revenue optimisation. In each of these areas, they expect vendors to offer more holistic support. Key areas where partners want deeper guidance include:
• Cybersecurity frameworks and compliance templates that reduce the risk of misconfiguration
• Sustainability alignment, especially around Scope 3 emissions reporting and green product certifications
• Talent development, with accessible certification pathways and hands-on skills labs
• Business consulting, particularly for MSPs evolving their pricing and service bundles
• Customer success methodologies, including renewal and expansion best practices
In essence, partners want vendors to be strategic advisers, not just product suppliers. Vendors that help partners strengthen their internal capabilities build far deeper loyalty than those that focus solely on feature sets and product roadmaps.
Radical transparency
Finally, partners are demanding a new level of transparency from vendors. This is partly driven by the pace of technological change, which makes long-term planning difficult, and partly by a history of unexpected price increases, abrupt product end-of-life decisions and disruptive postacquisition changes. In 2026, partners expect:
• Clear roadmaps, with early visibility into major shifts
• Transparent communication about pricing, bundling and licensing changes
• Real-time dashboards for deal status, performance metrics and incentive tracking
• Executive-led partner councils where concerns feed directly into strategy
• Community spaces where partners can collaborate and share best practice
The era of vendors keeping their cards close to their chest is fading. Partners want honesty, even when the news is inconvenient. They understand that markets evolve and strategies shift, but they expect to be treated as trusted allies rather than observers.
Trust, once lost, is nearly impossible to win back, especially in a competitive ecosystem where partners can switch allegiances quickly.
The mandate for 2026
The message from partners is consistent: they want fewer slogans and more substance. They want vendors that prioritise simplicity, transparency and shared value, not those who add complexity in pursuit of control. They want collaboration over directives, coinnovation over co-marketing, and predictable profitability over shifting target posts.
The channel in 2026 is defined by ecosystems, not hierarchies. Vendors that recognise this and adapt their programmes to treat partners as co-creators rather than mere resellers, will not only retain their ecosystems but propel them to new levels of relevance and growth. •
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS 27