As 2026 approaches, the IT channel stands at the intersection of rapid technological innovation, shifting regulation, and rising expectations around security and sustainability. Which trends will drive growth? Where will disruption strike? And what moves will separate the leaders from the rest?
Infinigate’s channel leaders and industry experts share their predictions for the year ahead, highlighting the strategies, tools, and approaches that are likely to define success in 2026.
IT Channel advisory role in AI adoption
The channel can move beyond supplying technology to deliver strategic insights, compliance support, and risk management that unlock AI's full potential whilst keeping businesses safe.
2026 presents a key opportunity for channel partners to position themselves as trusted AI advisors. AI, including agentic AI, is set to reshape both SME and enterprise operations over the next 12 months, creating new opportunities for efficiency and data-driven decision-making. However, as with all disruptive technologies, adoption must be carefully managed to balance opportunity with responsibility.
Currently at the apex of the Hype Cycle, AI is generating inflated expectations across the market, and usage models are evolving rapidly. Next year, there will likely be consolidation, alongside clearer licensing frameworks and stronger regulatory governance. This will allow organisations to adopt AI with greater confidence while mitigating risks related to bias, security, and black-box decision-making.
By offering guidance, training, and access to vetted AI tools, channel partners can help SMEs and enterprises integrate AI safely and effectively into their operations. In doing so, the role of the channel will shift from simply supplying technology to delivering strategic insight, compliance support, and risk management services that maximise AI’s potential while safeguarding business operations.
The topic of AI is contentious, is there a bubble? Are expectations inflated? Is it going to be a force multiplier for productivity? Or is it going to deliver a whole new raft of compliance and cyber security nightmares? The future is unclear but if we draw parallels with another bubble, such as the dot-com bubble of the late 1990’s, we can make some predictions.
Vendors will continue to integrate AI into their solutions, generative AI components will reduce administrative complexity, ML components will improve detection rates and agentic AI components will reduce response times. Companies will want to deliver the same benefits to their customers, but integrating AI securely into customer facing operations and workflows is a complex undertaking and some of the world’s largest vendors have faced considerable challenges in their AI development journeys.
The market for “securing AI” is still in its infancy, solutions are emerging but haven’t yet reached maturity. This is an opportunity for channel to move beyond just supplying technology by delivering strategic insights, compliance guidance, and risk management advice to unlock AI's full potential whilst keeping businesses safe.
Dean Watson, Lead Solutions Expert for Secure Networking, Infinigate UK & Ireland
Unified security platforms to end the era of isolated solutions
The biggest challenge for IT teams is no longer the individual attack, but the management of complex, heterogeneous system landscapes. In 2026, reducing complexity will be the top priority: one provider, one platform, one console – the new standard for future-proof cybersecurity.
2026 holds the promise to be the year when companies accelerate the transition from fragmented security tools to integrated platform solutions, with an anticipated substantial increase in SASE/platformisation investment between 2026 and 2030. The era of isolated individual systems with separate consoles, redundant licences, and inconsistent policies is over. Organisations are now turning to cloud-based security platforms that consolidate all security and network functions into a single, centrally managed service.
This shift is accelerating the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning. By 2026, they will no longer be optional features but essential components of every modern security platform. AI and ML features enable real-time threat analysis, automation of repetitive tasks, and predictive analytics. Companies that still rely on manual processes will struggle to keep up with the speed and sophistication of modern cyberattacks.
This evolution marks a shift from merely responding to cyber threats to proactively anticipating and preventing them. Integrated platforms deliver context-related threat information in a central data pool, drastically reducing response times and closing security gaps before attackers can exploit them.
Dean Watson, Lead Solutions Expert for Secure Networking, Infinigate UK & Ireland
Operational Technology security becomes a global priority
The convergence of IT and OT security is becoming a key prerequisite for operational resilience and competitiveness. Companies that implement security measures holistically and consistently not only minimise risk and increase efficiency but also secure a strategic competitive advantage. For channel partners, early investment in OT security through consulting, implementation, and certification unlocks new revenue potential and positions them as indispensable partners in the industrial security environment.
In 2026, Operational Technology (OT)security is likely to become indispensable as regulations such as NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the machinery regulation establish mandatory security standards for industrial plants and operational systems. While IT security is already well established, OT security remains in its infancy, presenting a clear growth opportunity for channel partners. Resellers who build up in-depth expertise at an early stage can help companies conduct risk assessments, establish segmented security architectures, and meet regulatory requirements, positioning themselves as strategic partners.
Production and industrial environments will increasingly become the target of cyber attackers through IT vulnerabilities or social engineering attacks. One key example is the end of Windows 10 support, as many OT systems cannot easily transition to Windows 11, leaving OT environments exposed to new threats. True cyber resilience requires a coordinator to manage technical and organisational measures across departments. A systematic three-step process – assessing critical assets, designing and implementing layered protection measures, and maintaining defences through testing and updates – ensures early detection, rapid response, and minimised impact.
Patrick Scholl, Director of OT Centre of Excellence (OT CoE), Infinigate Deutschland
Managed services: from reactive to strategic solutions
In 2026, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) will need to differentiate themselves to stand out in an increasingly crowded market. To achieve this, MSPs and MSSPs should offer proactive, strategic services that deliver measurable security outcomes and create real business value. A good example is attack-prevention services based on AI driven analysis, Deep-Dark-Web-Research and HUMIT & OSINT to support MDR and SOC services. The managed services market is expected to see double-digit growth over the next 5 years, with MSPs increasingly specialising to become MSSPs. Regulatory pressures, persistent skills shortages, and expanding cloud environments are driving organisations to seek providers capable of delivering comprehensive, predictive security rather than reactive solutions.
To stand out, MSSPs will focus on high-value capabilities such as Identity and Access Management (IAM), a cornerstone of the Zero Trust approach. This offering will be critical as AI-aided attacks increasingly exploit gaps in identity security. Likewise, Managed Detection and Response (MDR/XDR) services will be a defining differentiator, as AI-driven reconnaissance provides attackers the tools to strike broadly, making outsourced detection and response essential.
IT distributors will play a pivotal role in this evolution, equipping partners with specialised tools, training, and programmes needed to expand service portfolios, accelerate growth, and deliver measurable outcomes.
