The content team at the MSP Summit site tracks stories of interest to the managed services provider community. Anyone selling managed services or partnering with MSPs will want to know about these developing stories or catch up on stories they have missed. With the help of ChatGPT, Claude, and AI tools developed by our parent company Informa, we're tracking top stories based on web traffic, mentions, impressions, reposts, and social media engagement. All links are current as of Jan. 19.
2026 Top 15 Channel Partner Business Challenges and Priorities
Based on a study of 4,500 global channel partners, Techaisle analyst Anurag Agrawal lists critical forces shaping the channel in 2026. Its data reveals the traditional "labor-plus-license" model is facing an existential squeeze as the channel navigates a shift from service delivery to agentic orchestration. Read the Techaisle blog.
Verizon Outage Reignites Reliability Concerns
Forrester analysts estimate the Jan. 14 Verizon outage had an impact of about $500 million on the U.S. economy. Forrester explains what IT leaders and carriers need to know going forward about these types of outages. Read the Forrester blog.
Channel People Moves and Shakeups
SonicWall and SecurityBridge hired new CEOs at the start of 2026. ChannelE2E tracked the channel personnel changes for the past few weeks.
Top 10 Partner Success Trends That Will Define 2026
Theresa Caragol of AchieveUnited explores 10 trends that will shape the year ahead for partner professionals, ecosystem leaders, CROs, and anyone building growth through partnerships. Read what the industry expert and author expects from 2026.
Rogue AI agents threaten MSPs
Autonomous systems represent an attack surface existing cybersecurity services models aren’t designed to protect. According to a report by managed security service provider Akati Sekurity, AI agents are involved in 40% of insider cybersecurity threats. Read the Channel Dive story.
Gartner Says Worldwide AI Spending Will Total $2.5 Trillion in 2026
Gartner forecasts worldwide spending on AI will increase 44% year-over-year to $2.52 trillion in 2026. AI infrastructure will account for more than half of that total, and will add $401 billion in spending in 2026. Read Gartner’s forecast for 2026 and 2027.
TD Synnex’s Blowout Quarter
TD Synnex posted record fourth quarter and fiscal‑2025 results with non‑GAAP gross billings of $24.3 billion (+15% YoY) and non‑GAAP diluted EPS of $3.83 (+24%). Its Hyve business grew more than 50% year-over-year and distribution outside of Hyve rose about 10%. TD Synnex’s first quarter guidance calls for non‑GAAP gross billings of $22.7–$23.7 billion (12% growth at the midpoint) and EPS of $3.00–$3.50, while strategic priorities for 2026 emphasize omnichannel/AI tools, specialized go‑to‑market efforts and continued investment to scale Hyve. Read the MarketBeat story.
Lenovo’s New AI Inferencing Servers Will Help Businesses and the Channel
Three new AI inferencing server models unveiled by Lenovo at the recent Consumer Electronics Show will bring significant changes to the fast-moving world of enterprise AI as businesses move from AI training to AI inferencing over the next few years, analysts told ChannelE2E.
ISG Index Finds Global Technology Demand Reached Record High in Q4
Cloud-based software and services generated a record $23.4 billion of annual contract value globally in the fourth quarter according to Information Services Group (ISG) research. That total increased 26% year-over-year following a 30% year-over-year gain in the third quarter. Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) soared 32% to $18.5 billion, while software-as-a-service (SaaS) grew 6% to $4.9 billion. The ISG index measures commercial outsourcing contracts with ACV $5 million or more. Read the ISG press release.