Channel partners are betting on data‑driven innovation to stay competitive in 2026, with plans to ramp up their use of real-time data tools for critical business decisions, according to new research from Westcon‑Comstor.

Polling 500 channel partners around the world, including the UK, the technology distributor found that 40% plan to invest in new data offerings to unlock profitability over the next twelve months, outpacing priorities like market expansion or pivoting to subscription models.

Weston-Comstor’s study found that more than a quarter (26%) of these businesses see widening their data-driven services as the single most promising revenue stream from digital transformation.

That has led partners to double down on their use of customer‑behaviour tracking applications (57%), smart marketing and sales tools (50%), and trend-spotting technology (42%), with Weston-Comstor reporting a 132% year-on-year increase in the number of channel campaigns utilising the firm’s analytics-driven sales programme.

“Our research confirms that data-driven innovation is now embedded as a critical driver of AI growth and differentiation for channel partners,” said Atul Damani, chief data officer at Westcon-Comstor. 

“In the era of lifecycle selling, leveraging AI-powered data and analytics can enable partners to save time, uncover highly targeted sales opportunities and focus their energy on where they’ll get results.”

But, even as partners race to hoover in as much data as they can to support AI-powered analytics, most are still a long way from being truly AI‑ready.

In November, a similar study from Weston-Comstor found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of channel partners are still unable to deliver AI-ready networking solutions despite strong customer demand.

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Many partners lay the blame for this lack of progress at their customers’ feet. Only 33% say that their clients’ network infrastructures are optimised to support AI workloads, despite 54% of channel partners developing the AI capabilities being asked for in visibility, security, and automation.  

However, fewer are active in emerging areas such as intent-based networking (40%) and zero-trust architecture (37%), which Weston-Comstor said highlights a need for partners to upskill in advanced technologies to drive the next wave of network transformation. 

“AI is changing the game, and partners have a rare window to step up as true strategic advisors,” said Patrick Aronson, chief marketing officer at Westcon-Comstor.

“Customers are hungry for intelligent, adaptive networks – but the gap between ambition and readiness is real. The partners who lean in now, build capability and get closer to the customer will be the ones leading the next wave of growth.”