In this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, Victoria Durgin is joined by Channel Insider staff writers Jordan Smith and Louis Miller for a mid-year look at the biggest IT channel trends shaping 2026.
The team discusses AI adoption, the “SaaS apocalypse” debate, AI-powered cyber threats, MSP security opportunities, services-led revenue, cyber resilience, cyber insurance, partner program evolution, and continued M&A consolidation across the MSP market. They also recap insights from recent event coverage, including Dell Technologies World and Scale Computing.
Topics include:
AI in the channel, MSP services, cybersecurity, cyber resilience, partner programs, AWS Marketplace, Anthropic, OpenAI, M&A consolidation, and what partners should watch in the second half of 2026.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to Channel Insider: Partner POV
01:10 Victoria Durgin introduces Jordan Smith and Louis Miller
01:43 Favorite stories and standout trends from H1 2026
04:08 The “SaaS apocalypse” and broader tech market concerns
04:29 Event reporting from Scale Computing and Dell Technologies World
07:29 AWS Marketplace, customer AI demand, and the partner opportunity
08:49 The state of AI in the channel
11:43 Why enterprises cannot rip and replace SaaS overnight
14:43 Dell, local AI, infrastructure, and the partner ecosystem
16:42 Anthropic, OpenAI, IPO momentum, and formal channel programs
18:52 Security, AI guardrails, compliance, and machine identities
19:32 AI-powered attacks, phishing, and social engineering risks
21:25 What MSPs need to know about the 2026 threat landscape
25:08 Enterprise security demand and MSPs as trusted advisors
26:39 Services revenue outpacing product revenue
29:41 Cyber resilience, disaster recovery, and ransomware preparedness
31:43 Cyber insurance and outcome-based security conversations
33:06 MSP M&A, consolidation, and platform-based mega-MSPs
35:08 Second-half 2026 predictions
40:06 Partner program evolution, MDF, incentives, and vendor competition
41:41 APIs, MCP, integrations, and platform-based tooling
42:54 Why AI and enterprise vendors need the channel
45:32 Where to follow Channel Insider’s coverage