As part of the CRN Partner Program Guide evaluation, channel executives were asked about how their partner programs have changed over the last 12 months to incorporate or support the selling of AI solutions by channel partners. Here’s what 20 had to say.
The AI wave shows no signs of cresting as businesses and organizations build, deploy and operate a rapidly growing range of AI systems, applications and agents. Many of those, especially small and midsize businesses with limited in-house IT resources, lack the expertise needed to work with complex AI technology.
That’s increasing the demand on solution providers to develop AI-based offerings and provide customers with the services and technical know-how needed to get the most value out of AI. And that, in turn, is putting a great deal of pressure on IT vendor partner programs to provide partners with the training, support and incentives they need to work with AI.
That’s why as part of the 2026 CRN Partner Program Guide we asked IT companies the question: How has your partner program changed over the last 12 months to incorporate or support the selling of AI solutions by your channel partners?
In the following slides, we provide the answers that 20 of the IT vendors that submitted applications for this year’s Partner Program Guide provided to that question.
The CRN 2026 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the channel programs operated by the IT vendors they work with or are considering partnering with. The guide is based on detailed applications submitted by vendors outlining all aspects of their partner programs.
As part of the Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some programs as 5-Star Partner Programs because they provide the most comprehensive lineups of incentives, resources, training, services and benefits.
The text for the answers provided in the following slides have been taken from each company’s PPG application.
Acronis
Partner Program Name: Acronis Partner Program
Channel Chief: Alex Ruslyakov, Channel Chief
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=3
Over the past 12 months, the Acronis Partner Program has increasingly prioritized AI as a key focus area, both within our products and partner enablement resources.
The Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud now incorporates advanced AI capabilities for automated threat detection, predictive analytics and intelligent backup optimization, empowering partners to deliver smarter, more proactive and differentiated services to their customers, including MSPs and OT clients.
To support partner adoption of these AI solutions, we’ll continue to enhance the Acronis Partner Program with AI-focused enablement:
Acronis Academy leverages AI to accelerate the creation of high-quality training materials, including interactive content and voice-generated tutorials, ensuring partners quickly gain the skills to position and sell AI-driven solutions.
The partner portal provides AI-driven insights to help partners identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities, optimize campaigns, and manage incentives efficiently as well as creating marketing assets.
Deal registration and incentive programs reward partners for selling AI-enhanced solutions, encouraging adoption across new and existing accounts.
Through these initiatives, partners are fully equipped to capitalize on AI opportunities, enhance operational efficiency and drive business growth while differentiating themselves in a competitive cybersecurity market.
AvePoint
Partner Program Name: AvePoint Partner Program
Channel Chief: Scott Sacket, SVP, Partner Strategy
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=18
We’ve developed a comprehensive AI readiness “campaign-in-a-box” kit to help our partners structure a services offering around AI. This benefit is available to all partners regardless of tier and region and is a valuable part of our broader efforts to help partners drive adoption around the world.
AI Readiness Assessment Tool (within Elements): This interactive tool helps partners benchmark their AI preparedness, identify gaps and uncover service opportunities. It’s available through the Elements Workspace Management module, enabling partners to operationalize AI strategies with precision.
Cloudera
Partner Program Name: Cloudera Partner Network
Channel Chief: Michelle Hoover, SVP, Alliances, Channels
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=35
Cloudera’s program underwent several enhancements including:
Staffing of an AI Ecosystem team within Channel and Strategy organizations.
Expanding Cloudera’s AI Ecosystem partnerships to better support customers.
Expanding our portfolio of product offerings with partners like Nvidia embedded within our offerings.
Prioritization of joint marketing and MDF with AI partners.
Cox Business
Partner Program Name: Cox Business Channel Program
Channel Chief: John Muscarella, VP, Channel Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=43
Over the past 12 months, Cox Business has evolved our partner program to help channel partners confidently sell AI-driven solutions alongside our core connectivity offerings. We introduced advanced enablement tools within our partner portal, including AI-powered analytics for lead prioritization, automated quoting and predictive insights to accelerate sales cycles. These enhancements allow partners to identify high-value opportunities and deliver tailored solutions faster.
Additionally, we expanded training resources focused on AI applications in networking and cybersecurity, ensuring partners can position fiber internet as the foundation for AI adoption. By combining our robust fiber infrastructure with AI-driven capabilities, partners can offer customers scalable, secure and future-ready solutions.
Our goal is to empower partners with technology and intelligence that drive growth in an increasingly AI-centric marketplace.
Eaton
Partner Program Name: Eaton PowerAdvantage Partner Program
Channel Chief: Steve Loeb, VP, Marketing, Distributed IT
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=63
Over the past year, we’ve strengthened our program to help partners capitalize on AI-driven opportunities. Our newly formed White Space Team is focused on identifying untapped markets and guiding partners toward emerging AI use cases.
In addition, our Segment Development Team ensures that messaging, enablement and resources are tailored for specific verticals where AI adoption is accelerating.
These enhancements provide partners with strategic insights and targeted support to position AI solutions effectively and drive growth.
eSentire
Partner Program Name: e3 Partner Ecosystem
Channel Chief: Grady Johnston, Business Development Director, North America
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=68
Over the past 12 months, eSentire has significantly evolved its partner program to empower channel partners in selling AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. The most transformative change is the launch of the Atlas Nexus Network, a new partner model that allows Managed Service Providers and systems integrators to license and operate their own dedicated instance of eSentire’s Atlas Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform.
This initiative enables partners to build and monetize differentiated security services powered by generative AI and agentic capabilities, removing traditional vendor constraints. Partners now have full control over how they deliver cybersecurity solutions, including the ability to integrate their own offerings, rapidly deploy services and scale their business models—all within a cloud-native, open API-enabled environment.
Additionally, eSentire embedded a multi-agent generative AI system across Atlas XDR, its Security Operations Platform, enhancing threat detection, response automation and partner service delivery.
These advancements reflect eSentire’s commitment to helping partners meet evolving customer demands and capitalize on the growing market for AI-powered MDR services.
Forcepoint
Partner Program Name: Forcepoint’s Global Partner Program
Channel Chief: Tim Puccio, VP, Global Channel Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=79
We are focused on evolving our partner program to help channel partners confidently sell and deliver AI-native data security solutions.
Recognizing that customers continue to face challenges maintaining visibility and control as data moves across hybrid and AI environments, we’ve introduced enablement initiatives designed to bridge that gap. In the past year, we’ve added targeted AI sales playbooks, technical certifications and outcome-based training models that help partners articulate the value of AI in data security and automation.
Our goal is to equip partners to deliver simplified, outcome-driven solutions that scale with customer needs, while ensuring consistent governance across hybrid, AI and cloud environments.
HPE
Partner Program Name: HPE Partner Ready Vantage
Channel Chief: Simon Ewington, SVP, Worldwide Channel, Partner Ecosystem
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=90
We supported partners with AI Readiness Assessments, building their AI practices and creating joint business and go-to-market plans with our ecosystem players. We had significant learnings and great results from this pilot, with over 80 percent of those partners closing an AI sale with HPE, delivering strong double-digit year-over-year growth.
Encouraged by those results, we have now expanded our AI focus partners program and almost doubled the number of participating partners. We continue driving deeper AI sales and technical enablement, supporting their unique AI practices, creating joint business plans and joint go to market with our ecosystem players (including Nvidia and the Unleash AI ISVs ecosystem).
Intermedia
Partner Program Name: Intermedia Champions Program
Channel Chief: Jonathan McCormick, COO, Head of Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=100
Over the past year, Intermedia has integrated AI enablement across every layer of our partner ecosystem—from training and go-to-market resources to product packaging and customer engagement.
We’ve expanded our CORE (Customer Ownership Reseller), Service Provider and Agent programs to include new AI-powered solutions within Intermedia Unite and Contact Center, enabling partners to deliver differentiated communications, productivity and customer-experience capabilities under their own brand.
Partners can now position and sell Intermedia AI, Elevate AI, and Ascend AI—our branded suite of AI-driven tools for transcription, summarization, sentiment analysis and agent assist—as part of their broader UCaaS and CCaaS offerings. These enhancements create clear upsell paths that strengthen customer relationships and expand recurring revenue opportunities.
To support this, we’ve added AI-specific sales and marketing assets, updated Intermedia University training modules, and introduced demo environments that help partners showcase real-world value to customers. By embedding AI education, resources and revenue opportunities directly into our partner framework, we’ve made it easier for partners to confidently bring next-generation AI solutions to market and to grow their business while doing it.
Lansweeper
Partner Program Name: Lansweeper Solutions Partners Program
Channel Chief: RJ Miksch, Solutions Partners Program Manager
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=109
We expanded to help channel partners sell and deliver AI-driven asset intelligence solutions more effectively. The program introduced new AI enablement and certification modules that build partner expertise in leveraging machine learning for IT asset discovery, risk management and optimization.
We also enhanced sales and technical enablement resources, including AI-focused training content, conversation guides and service delivery frameworks that empower partners to create differentiated offers. These updates help partners position Lansweeper’s AI capabilities as a value-added layer within service offerings, compliance analytics and sustainability initiatives.
To accelerate go-to-market success, we integrated AI-driven insights into partner dashboards, providing predictive analytics for opportunity management and customer health. Updated co-marketing incentives and deal registration benefits reward partners that lead with innovation and incorporate Lansweeper’s AI-driven features into their solutions.
Overall, these enhancements ensure our partner ecosystem can capture new revenue streams, improve customer outcomes and grow profitability through AI-enabled asset intelligence.
LogicMonitor
Partner Program Name: LogicMonitor Partner Program
Channel Chief: Michael Tarbet, Global VP, Channels
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=113
Over the past 12 months, LogicMonitor enhanced its partner program to support AI solution selling through several key initiatives:
Technical enablement: Developed comprehensive training, certification and badging programs specifically for Edwin AI, enabling partners to confidently position AI-driven observability solutions that address alert fatigue, operational noise and hybrid infrastructure challenges.
Program integration: Strengthened incentives and partnership tiers to help partners embed LogicMonitor into their AI practices and programs. This has resulted in “partner of choice” status within strategic AI initiatives, providing partners with critical sales visibility and pipeline acceleration.
Market positioning support: Equipped partners with messaging and tools to help customers navigate AI fatigue by clarifying AI’s role in IT infrastructure—moving from reactive to proactive to predictive—and ultimately to autonomous IT operations through agentic AI approaches.
Investment and strategic priority in Edwin AI, an AI agent for ITOps that cuts alert noise, summarizes incidents, identifies root causes and recommends remediation. It accelerates the shift from noisy monitoring to self-healing systems with full-stack AIOps and resolution automation.
AWS Marketplace: Edwin AI became available for purchase in 2025.
These changes enable partners to lead complex AI conversations with confidence while leveraging LogicMonitor’s 80 percent-plus win rate.
Microsoft
Partner Program Name: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program
Channel Chief: Nicole Dezen, Chief Partner Officer, Corporate VP, Global Channel Partner Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=117
Over the last 12 months, we have evolved MAICPP to put AI at the core of partner success. We introduced specialized designations such as Copilot Specialization and streamlined the Build AI Apps Specialization, alongside the launch of the Frontier badge, which recognizes partners leading AI transformation.
These enhancements unlock additional product benefits, giving partners access to advanced AI offerings such as Copilot Studio, Microsoft 365 Copilot, AI Foundry and Security Copilot, plus go-to-market resources and expanded co-sell opportunities.
AI skilling has become the new currency. Through the Skilling Hub, curated certifications and immersive workshops, partners gain hands-on experience with Azure OpenAI, Copilot and multi-agent orchestration. Initiatives like Skilling-in-a-Box for distributors and regional hackathons have scaled training to thousands of resellers, accelerating adoption and monetization of AI solutions.
We’ve also expanded marketing services such as Campaign-in-a-Box, enabling partners to build and market differentiated AI offerings through customizable campaigns aligned to specific solution plays.
By embedding AI across benefits, incentives and enablement, Microsoft empowers partners to deliver outcomes beyond transactions and capitalize on surging demand for AI-driven innovation.
Nvidia
Partner Program Name: Nvidia Partner Network Program
Channel Chief: Darrin Chen, VP, Global NPN GTM, Operations
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=130
Specializations and certifications have continued to be an area of growth for us to support the selling of AI. In addition, we have regional AI Advisor workshops which equip partners to be trusted advisors for customers navigating their AI solution path.
Pax8
Partner Program Name: Pax8 Voyager Alliance
Channel Chief: Rob Rae, Corporate VP, Community, Ecosystems
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=139
Over the past 12 months, our partner program has evolved significantly to enable channel partners to sell AI solutions with confidence and speed. Guided by the Managed Intelligence Provider (MIP) Playbook, we introduced a structured transformation framework built around five plays: Discover, Buy, Build, Sell and Manage. These plays help partners identify high-impact AI opportunities, source prevetted agents from the new Agent Store, develop proprietary workflows, and monetize intelligence through outcome-based pricing models. This shift moves partners from traditional managed services to “managed intelligence,” ensuring they deliver measurable business outcomes rather than just technology.
Complementing this, the Agentic Inflection Point emphasizes autonomous AI agents that plan, act and learn across partner motions, reducing manual overhead and accelerating time-to-value. We embedded enablement labs, guided growth programs and peer innovation groups to support hands-on execution and continuous improvement. Partners now leverage AI-driven life-cycle management, compliance and optimization practices to scale offerings responsibly.
These changes position our ecosystem at the forefront of the agentic economy, equipping partners to differentiate through vertical specialization, accelerate pipeline creation, and deliver trusted AI-powered solutions that drive efficiency and growth for SMB customers.
RapidScale
Partner Program Name: RapidScale Channel Program
Channel Chief: Bob Buchanan, Area VP, Channel Sales
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=148
Over the past year, RapidScale has made significant advancements in supporting our partners’ ability to sell and deliver AI solutions. Achieving the AWS Generative AI Competency was a major milestone, signaling our commitment to equipping partners with the expertise and resources needed to lead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. We expanded dedicated channel roles, including the addition of AWS-certified experts such as Golden Jacket recipient Rola Dali, who provides hands-on guidance and mentorship to partners.
Our program now offers comprehensive AI readiness assessments, proof-of-concept (POC) validation, and architecture design workshops, enabling partners to confidently identify, scope and deliver real-world AI transformation projects for clients. We developed new sales and technical enablement tracks focused on generative AI, machine learning and data-driven automation, ensuring partners can address a wide range of customer needs—from intelligent automation to advanced analytics and personalized experiences.
Additionally, we integrated AI solution support into our multi-cloud strategy, providing partners with best practices for deploying AI workloads across AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, while maintaining robust security and compliance.
These enhancements have empowered partners to accelerate opportunity identification, shorten sales cycles, and deliver measurable business outcomes, positioning them as trusted advisors in the AI era.
RingCentral
Partner Program Name: RingCentral Reach
Channel Chief: Brandon Thomas, VP, Head of Channel
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=150
With RingCentral now offering a full agentic AI communications suite, we are continually developing our partner sales and product enablement initiatives.
A big one this year came in the form of our RingCentral Connect event series, which takes place at rotating high-end venues around the world. Based on the success of our initial Partner Connect iteration, we have since expanded this programming to include sessions for Product Connect, Sales Connect and Tech Connect, so no matter a partner’s background or area of expertise, we have an event they can attend and get value from.
For those partners who can’t join us in person, we also offer up to a dozen virtual enablement sessions each quarter, largely focusing on new products and AI capabilities. These sessions are accessible to partners around the world, so they can get the latest info on how to position our AI-powered product portfolio.
Finally, we encourage all our internal people to incorporate AI into their daily work. By mastering our own tech, we can fully grasp the possibilities and explain them to partners. By ensuring RingCentral channel employees understand our AI tech, they can better demonstrate the value it brings.
SentinelOne
Partner Program Name: PartnerOne
Channel Chief: Brian Lanigan, SVP, Global Partner Ecosystem
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=161
SentinelOne has enhanced its partner program over the last 12 months to center on selling its AI-native solutions—the Singularity Platform with Purple AI. Key changes include:
Global PartnerOne Program: The launch of a unified program featuring four specialized tracks (Manage, Sell, Build, Deliver) to provide tailored incentives, resources and enablement around the AI-driven security stack (EDR, cloud, AI SIEM).
Targeted AI Enablement: SentinelOne is providing dedicated training, including through SentinelOne University and the Deliver track, that focuses on how to deploy and manage their AI solutions.
Simplified AI go-to-market: The company introduced new, simplified offerings like Managed AI Defense, bundling Purple AI and EDR with easy, per-endpoint pricing to make selling AI solutions accessible to MSPs/MSSPs serving the SMB market.
Platform Expansion Incentives: Incentives are being expanded to encourage partners to sell beyond core EDR and embrace the full AI-powered security platform.
These key changes ensure partners are fully equipped and incentivized to lead with SentinelOne’s AI-native defense capabilities.
ServiceNow
Partner Program Name: ServiceNow Partner Program
Channel Chief: Michael Park, SVP, Global Partnerships, Channels
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=163
Over the past year, ServiceNow updated the Partner Program to help partners build, market and sell AI-powered solutions on the ServiceNow AI Platform. We expanded enablement with new ServiceNow University courses for AI sales, presales and delivery, plus hands-on virtual and in-person workshops focused on customer outcomes. Partners also receive enhanced ServiceNow Partner Instances to train teams, prototype, and demo real AI use cases.
We introduced new investment and incentive programs with additional rewards tied to AI product lines, along with co-branded partner marketing campaigns that generate AI demand.
To recognize proven capability, we added differentiation designations: Product Line Achievement (PLA), Validated Practice, and Specialization, earned by demonstrating expertise and experience with our AI products. We also launched new Partner Awards that highlight standout AI delivery and innovation. Together, these updates give partners the skills, assets, funding and recognition to accelerate AI adoption for customers, improving win rates, shortening sales cycles, and delivering faster time to value on ServiceNow.
Syspro
Partner Program Name: PartnerUP
Channel Chief: Lou Sassano, VP, Channel
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=179
Over the past 12 months, our partner program has undergone significant enhancements to support and accelerate the selling of AI-driven solutions.
We introduced new AI-focused enablement tracks, including specialized training, certifications and practical use-case guidance to help partners position, demonstrate and deploy AI capabilities confidently in Syspro using Syspro Sidekick. These paths are designed to strengthen both technical proficiency and commercial readiness, ensuring partners can articulate clear value to customers seeking automation, analytics, and intelligent decision-making tools.
We also expanded our presales and solution-architecture support, offering partners deeper access to AI agents who assist with updated information including AI-specific functions, industry scenarios, ROI frameworks, and objection-handling guidance to help partners accelerate pipeline generation.
To drive demand, our co-marketing resources were refreshed with AI-led campaigns, content, and event toolkits, enabling partners to promote emerging capabilities in their regional markets. Additionally, we enhanced our partner portal to provide easier access to AI content, including an agent to reference the current product set.
Together, these advancements empower partners to confidently sell, deliver and support AI-driven outcomes, strengthening their competitiveness and helping them unlock new recurring revenue opportunities.
Vertiv
Partner Program Name: Vertiv Partner Program
Channel Chief: Alex Johnston, VP, North America Channels
Partner Program Details: https://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2026-details?c=202
Over the last 12 months, Vertiv has certified and enabled more than 85 sales engineers across 15 top partner organizations to design and sell our power and cooling infrastructure for AI deployments. This specialized training ensures partners are equipped to support the increasing thermal and power demands of accelerated computing environments.
We plan to continue expanding this exclusive AI focused partner track in 2026, giving more partners access to advanced education, tools and solution designs that help them compete and win in the rapidly growing AI infrastructure market.
