Channel partners embrace data to drive 2026 growth, Westcon-Comstor finds

Distributor’s research reveals data-driven offerings and capabilities are key to partners’ growth strategy

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, January 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Channel partners are prioritising data-driven innovation to fuel growth in 2026, according to new research from global technology distributor Westcon-Comstor.

The survey of 500 partners across Australia, Singapore, Spain, UAE, and the UK reveals that 40% plan to invest in data-led offerings to unlock new opportunities and increase profitability over the next 12 months – outpacing other priorities like market expansion and pivoting to managed services or subscription models.

Additionally, 26% of partners see data-driven consulting services as the single most promising revenue stream from digital transformation.

Westcon-Comstor found that most partners are already leveraging real-time data to enhance customer experience and inform business decisions.

Popular applications include tracking customer behaviour and preferences (57%), refining marketing and sales strategies (50%) and identifying market trends (42%).

The research forms part of Westcon-Comstor’s Future Ready programme of channel analysis and coincides with an acceleration in adoption of the distributor’s analytics-driven sales programme, Intelligent Demand (iD).

Calendar year 2025 saw a 132% year-on-year increase in the number of channel campaigns supported by Intelligent Demand, rising from 540 to more than 1,200.

The programme uses predictive analytics to drive growth, enhance customer lifetime value and identify new markets for partners and vendors. It combines best-in-class data, AI, analyst research and channel expertise with Westcon-Comstor's proprietary data science models.

“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. As channel evolution accelerates, the importance of data will only grow and at Westcon-Comstor we feel distribution has a vital role to play in ensuring partners are equipped with the insights and capabilities they need to thrive.”

About the research
Westcon-Comstor partnered with Coleman Parkes, an independent market research company, to conduct the research. Fieldwork was conducted via an online methodology between 14 November – 28 November 2025 and comprised 500 network and IT strategy decision makers and influencers for channel partner organisations (VARs, MSPs, MSSPs, and systems integrators). The sample included 100 participants from the each of the five following markets: UK, Spain, UAE, Australia and Singapore.

About Westcon-Comstor
Westcon-Comstor is a global technology provider and specialist distributor, operating in more than 50 countries. It delivers business value and opportunity by connecting the world’s leading IT vendors with a channel of technology resellers, systems integrators and service providers. It combines industry insight, technical know-how and 40 years of distribution experience to deliver value and accelerate vendor and partner business success. It goes to market through two lines of business: Westcon and Comstor.

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