News in the Channel - issue #36

COMMENT

Forward together As we head into a new year, thoughts are turning to what 2026 may bring. While there will be challenges for businesses in the channel, there are also reasons for optimism as well exciting opportunities to be grabbed.

With the Christmas decorations back in the loft, everyone is looking ahead to what 2026 may bring in the channel and beyond. As with 2025, the picture remains mixed. The UK economy continues to trundle along registering marginal growth, meaning that

here, and those that embrace AI will be the ones that will thrive. There are plenty of other reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for the channel in 2026, and these are explored in our 2026 preview feature, where thought leaders from across the channel give their opinions. Read more on p27.

Dan Parton

confidence among businesses, especially in sectors such as retail and hospitality, is low and investment decisions can be put off. That said, there are also plenty of causes for optimism

Elsewhere in this issue, we get the inside story of Northamber’s recent acquisition of the hardware business of Nuvias UK (see p18), as well as the launch of Netgear’s new partner program (see p22) and find out some of the secrets of success at Clarion, a winner at the recent Stockies awards (p48). These stories show that there is plenty of activity in

too. While the economy is relatively tough, it is

leading some businesses to look to technology to gain efficiencies and an advantage over their rivals, which is where channel businesses can play a significant role.

the channel, and this will surely continue in 2026, which is set to be an exciting year, with opportunities out there for businesses ready to take them. As always, I hope you enjoy the issue. News in the Channel is for everyone involved in the channel, so if there is a topic that you would like to see covered in a future issue – or you have a news story or opinion piece you would like to submit for consideration for publication – please drop me a line at dan@newsinthechannel.com. n

Another growth area this year will be AI. The technology has become an established part of the technology landscape in the past three years or so, but it is expected that this will accelerate in 2026. While there is still an element of ‘AI for AI’s sake’ among some businesses, many are realising that if solutions are implemented with clear goals from the start, then it can save time, money and provide insights that traditionally were not possible. Resellers and MSPs will have a crucial role to play

See the 2025 WINNERS