News in the Channel - issue #36

PREDICTIONS

David Watts , senior vice president and managing director, UK and Ireland, TD SYNNEX We are cautiously optimistic about the coming year. In 2025, there was a focus on client device upgrades. In 2026 we expect to see a focus on infrastructure spending, with deferred projects being revived and reinvigorated. We also remain optimistic about the prospects for AI, cloud and cybersecurity and expect these areas to grow in 2026. From an operational perspective, we will continue to grow, in terms of their importance and the business

is why we have seen the development of industry ecosystems and increased levels of partnering. I think we’ll see that continuing to grow and gather momentum in 2026. In addition, cloud and cybersecurity

David Watts

opportunities they generate. They remain major areas of focus for us. The other will be AI. We’ve made great strides with our Destination AI programme, and we expect many more partners to get involved in 2026 as they look to develop an effective practice that can harness and deliver the power of this exciting technology to their end user customers. For our partners, the perennial challenge is how to embrace ever-more complex solutions and technologies and deliver the benefits to their customers, while also continuing to run their day-to- day business. What they can be sure of is that we will be ready to support them in dealing with whatever challenges n

have benefited from putting a keen focus on delivering higher levels of service to our partners – that made a difference, and in the coming year it will be important to build on the high standards and expectations that we have set. I’m expecting it to be a good year for the further development of ecosystems, partnering and collaboration. The channel has been developing quickly. Wave after wave of complex and fast-moving technologies have raised the level of knowledge and capability partners need if they are to deliver complete solutions. One partner can’t do it all. This

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Mark Wilkinson , regional vice president – UK & Ireland, ACCO We enter 2026 with cautious optimism. For ACCO, the year ahead is about growth through focus and agility. Our priorities include strengthening partnerships with resellers and wholesalers, defending core categories, and accelerating digitisation of the workplace. For the wider channel, 2026 should bring opportunity, provided businesses adapt to shifting customer expectations. Procurement is increasingly digital, and marketplaces remain dominant,

demanding excellence in content, pricing and availability. Sustainability will remain a key purchasing driver, with ESG metrics influencing sourcing decisions. At the same time, hybrid working patterns will continue to shape demand, favouring smaller pack sizes and ergonomic solutions. Major trends will include the maturing of AI and automation, not as buzzwords but as practical tools for forecasting, content

diversification into adjacent spaces such as ergonomic furniture, signage and visual communication and workplace tools, as well as driving further innovation in business machines. These areas align with evolving workplace needs as employers continue to invest in collaborative environments and employee wellbeing and demand from traditional OP declines due to the

Mark Wilkinson

accobrands.com

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