The pace of change in 2026 isn’t slowing down. Across the Australian market, partners are navigating a combination of evolving customer expectations, increasing pressure to deliver outcomes, and rapid shifts in technology, particularly across AI, infrastructure, and hybrid environments.
For partners, the opportunity is significant, but so is the challenge. The ability to interpret these changes and translate them into real outcomes will define who stays ahead.
What are the key IT trends for 2026?
The key trends shaping 2026 include the shift from AI pilots to production, the move towards hybrid and cost-optimised infrastructure, and increasing pressure on partners to deliver secure, outcome-driven solutions.
-
AI moving from pilot to production
-
Shift to hybrid and cost-optimised infrastructure
-
Increased demand for secure, scalable environments
-
Growing pressure on partners to deliver outcomes
The four focus areas partners need to succeed in 2026
These shifts are already impacting how deals are priced, positioned, and delivered. Based on what we’re seeing across the market, there are four areas partners should focus on to stay ahead.
1. Lock In Configurations and Close Deals Early
With chip shortages continuing to drive volatility in both pricing and component availability, the cost of delay is real.
Every round of back and forth on a configuration, every quote refresh, and every deferred customer decision introduces the risk of price increases and stockouts. What might feel like a minor delay today can quickly turn into a materially different deal tomorrow.
Here's what we're recommending to our partners: define your configurations early, minimise revision cycles, and push your end customers toward timely decisions. Pay close attention to quote validity dates. Pricing is no longer guaranteed to hold, and a requote can mean a materially different number.
Our Dicker Data Dell team can support this from the outset. By engaging our presales specialists and solution architects early, partners can lock in configurations that balance performance with availability, while identifying any supply risks before they become issues.
2. Build Your Kubernetes and Orchestration Capability
As customers invest in AI-ready infrastructure, the conversation is moving beyond hardware alone.
There is a growing expectation for partners to guide customers through the Kubernetes and container orchestration layer that underpins modern workloads. At the same time, there is a clear skills gap across the channel in this area.
This creates a genuine differentiation opportunity.
Partners who can confidently scope, deploy, and support Kubernetes environments, whether across Dell PowerEdge platforms, Azure Stack HCI, or Dell AI Factory solutions, are in a stronger position to capture a larger share of the AI infrastructure opportunity.
Through our AI Accelerate practice, we're helping partners develop the technical fluency needed to lead AI conversations with confidence, from initial discovery through to deployment and ongoing management.
3. Explore Dell Financial Services to Offset Rising Costs
When component costs rise, deal economics get squeezed for you and for your customers. This is exactly the environment where Dell Financial Services (DFS) can make a real difference. Flexible financing options, consumption-based models, and leasing arrangements can help your customers absorb cost increases without stalling projects or blowing budgets.
DFS isn't just a financing tool. It's a deal acceleration lever. Offering customers a pathway to spread costs, preserve capital, or shift to an OpEx model can be the difference between a deal closing now and a deal slipping to next quarter, where prices may have moved again.
Our Dicker Data team can help you position DFS options alongside your Dell infrastructure proposals. If you haven't explored what's available, now is the time.
4. Leverage Your Distribution Partnership
In a fast-moving market, distribution plays a much bigger role than simply providing access to stock. The right distribution partner becomes an extension of your team, helping you move faster, reduce complexity, and navigate changes with confidence.
2026 will continue to challenge traditional ways of selling and delivering IT solutions.
Success will come down to four things:
-
locking in opportunities earlier
-
building capability in emerging technologies
-
structuring deals more effectively
-
and leveraging the right support network
For partners who get this right, the opportunity is significant.
Don't navigate this alone. Reach out to our Dell Technologies team to discuss your pipeline, get ahead of what's coming, and make sure you're positioned to win.
Meet The Team
Amir Kalil – Senior Business Unit Manager
“I spend my time working closely with both our team and our partners to make sense of where the market is heading. My role is really about connecting the dots, from client to infrastructure to AI, so partners can take a clearer, more confident approach into customer conversations.”
George Naumoski – ISG Product Manager
“A big part of what I do is helping partners navigate infrastructure opportunities that are often complex and high-value. Whether it’s servers, storage or full environments, I focus on making sure the right solution is in place, not just for today, but for how the customer’s business needs to evolve.”
Garlong Huynh – Presales Team Lead
“I work on the technical side of the business, supporting partners as they design and validate solutions. That might mean stepping into a complex opportunity, refining an architecture, or helping bring clarity to a customer conversation, making sure everything stacks up before it goes to market.”
Chloe Zhang – Business Manager - CSG
“For me, it’s about helping partners translate how people actually work into the right device strategy. Whether that’s hybrid work, security or sustainability, I focus on ensuring the solutions we’re putting forward are practical, relevant and aligned to what customers really need.”
Viona Tjahjadi – CSG Product Manager
“I’m fortunate to work closely with partners and internal teams on day‑to‑day client opportunities, supporting their understanding of our offerings and Dell programs so we can better identify where to deliver meaningful value. My focus is on creating clarity and simplicity, enabling our partners to move faster and win more business.”
Ben Parkinson – Product Manager
“My focus is on helping partners build pipeline and turn opportunities into something real. I work across the team to connect the commercial side with the right technical and product support, so partners can move earlier, respond quicker and keep momentum through the sales cycle.”
Get in touch with our team today!
