Panasonic Connect’s Jamil King on 2026 Trends to Watch

As the IT channel heads into 2026, partners face accelerating demands around AI adoption, advanced security, and outcome-driven technology investments. In this Q&A, Jamil King, director of the U.S. Mobility Channel at Panasonic Connect North America, breaks down the top 2026 IT channel trends—from evolving customer expectations to the growing need for integrated, vertical-specific solutions—and explains why partners are positioned to be the steady, strategic voices customers rely on next year.

Why partners will emerge as the ‘cool heads in the room’ for customers next year

We’ve reported several times this year on the trends forcing MSPs into new kinds of conversations with customers. From more strategic security services to advising key stakeholders on the business outcomes they are reaching, partners need to talk more holistically about technology than ever before.

To King, that also means partners can serve as key voices in a time where uncertainty is the only constant.

“Partners will be the cool heads in the room when it comes to procuring, deploying, managing, and servicing technology in challenging times. It means starting with a core technology platform or product that meets customer needs — and being able to confidently stand behind that product,” King said.

The pace of innovation and change isn’t slowing down next year, and while that can feel overwhelming, it’s also an opportunity for partners to show the value of their services.

“With industries changing fast, channel partners have an opportunity to bring stability and trusted guidance to customers so they can execute with confidence,” he continued.

How AI and security spending will evolve in 2026

Looking ahead, King expects AI and security to remain top of mind for most customers. In turn, partners need to match business needs with technology to ensure customers get the most out of their spend.

“Customers want to see real results — so storytelling is important. Being able to show tangible, outcome-focused results give customers confidence when making purchasing decisions and improve adoption,” King said.

Those results are especially important to many customers when considering AI deployments. While some struggle to find ROI and others have yet to determine use cases for their AI spend, King sees value in partners enabling customer success.

“Partners can use AI to help customers predict maintenance needs, speed up diagnostics, and manage data more effectively,” he continued. 

King has taken this as an opportunity for his team as well; as partners are expected to bring outcomes-focused solutions to customers, they will need guidance on those opportunities from the vendors creating the offerings.

“When we work together to match solutions to customer needs, the results are much more effective,” said King. “The aim should be to create integrated, industry-specific offerings that solve real problems and clearly show customers the value of what they generate.”

Where partners can differentiate through portfolio diversification

King says partners who continue to diversify their offerings and provide differentiated value to customers will be in the best position to retain and grow their customer bases.

“Portfolio diversification is key to growth and customer retention. Channel partners can identify whitespace and bring a consultative, solution-oriented approach to customer challenges,” King said. “It lets them stay nimble.”

“Partners can connect more closely with customers in both current and new markets. A broader portfolio lets partners deliver complete and efficient solutions and build stronger customer loyalty,” he continued.

How vendors and partners can collaborate more effectively in 2026

King has spent over a decade in the channel and has recently worked to enhance the partner experience at Panasonic Connect. To him, the relationship between channel partners and vendors is just as crucial to success as the relationship between partners and mutual customers.

“The voice of the customer is critical in product and service innovation. Partners can work with technology vendors to be the conduit of information transfer so that customers know they are heard,” said King. 

“Behind the scenes, partners can continue to work closely with technology vendors to collaborate on solution, marketing, and educational materials that bring important information to customers,” he continued.

King, like many channel leaders across the industry, is focused on how Panasonic Connect partners bring its solutions to market. To do that, those partners will need support and guidance from him and his team.

“Our goal is to enable our channel partners to engage more deeply with customers and bring integrated, vertical-specific solutions to market. Strong collaboration with vendors helps partners succeed,” King said.