Q&A What's coming in H2 2025?

As we move into the second half of 2025, the pace of change in the IT landscape is showing no signs of slowing down. To help cut through the noise and bring clarity to what’s trending, we spoke with several Dicker Data experts across our business, each offering a unique perspective shaped by their area of expertise.

In this Q&A-style guide, we explore the biggest shifts, emerging challenge and strategic considerations shaping IT decisions right now. From supply chain pressures to the impact of AI and edge computing, our team shares what they’re seeing and what it means for the industry.

Q. What type of support are SMB’s looking for and how is Dicker Data positioned to help partners land their next opportunity heading into the last half of the year?

A. SMBs across Australia and New Zealand continued to face economic headwinds throughout the first half of 2025. Success belonged to the partners who were out proactively creating opportunities for their business. They achieved this through Windows 10 end-of-support reporting, AI readiness assessments, or leveraging our training and enablement programs to expand their capabilities. I encourage all partners to reach out to their Dicker Data representative to discuss what you're seeing in the market, and to lean on our expertise to help you uncover your next opportunity. - Ben Johnson – General Manager – Marketing & Strategy

Q. Beyond Windows 10 EOS, what’s the biggest shift you’re seeing in hardware needs right now? What else is trending/needs attention?

A. Beyond the Windows 10 end of support milestone, a major shift in hardware demand is being driven by AI, cloud, and edge computing workloads. These technologies are putting increased pressure on both high-capacity HDDs and high-speed SSDs. HDD supply is still recovering from pandemic-era production cuts, while manufacturers are prioritising SSDs in response to long-term market trends. The rapid uptake of NVMe and PCIe 5.0 SSDs is stretching production, with NAND flash and controller shortages adding to the challenge. These factors are tightening supply, raising costs, and driving a move toward more strategic procurement. This trend is expected to continue through the rest of the year. - Luke Trinh -General Manager – Hardware

Q. What’s the number one question you’re getting from partners right now in the AI space?

A. I'm hearing a lot of questions around use cases. Partners want to know where the low-hanging fruit is and what we are seeing in the wider market. My feedback to them is not to overcomplicate it. Don't try and change the world with your first AI deployment. Start small, get some wins on the board and scale up. Things like document summarisation, email triage, internal chatbot assistants, or basic customer service automation are great starting points. These are low-risk, high-impact use cases that deliver value quickly and build confidence. Once you've proven the value of AI, you'll have the credibility and learnings needed to tackle more ambitious projects. - Amir Kalil – Business Manager

A. The most common question I hear is a variation of; how would this vendor fit within my growth strategy for the next 12-24 months? Partners are experts in what they do, and they focus on that expertise to solve their customer business issues. They are interested in how they can improve their customers business outcomes and/or how they can bring more value to their customers in the areas of their expertise. What's important is that we understand our partners business, their strategy, and their expertise so we can introduce vendors and Dicker Data services that add sustained value to what they do. With our strong partner relationships, our broad vendor portfolio, and our broad range of services, Dicker Data is working and able to bring sustained value to our partners every day. - Brent Paterson - Business Manager - Software

Q. Why is now the ideal time for partners to expand into Telecommunications with Dicker Data, and what opportunities could they be missing by waiting?

A. According to Canalys, 28% of global tech budgets in Government and Enterprise will go to Telco-related services in 2025. That’s USD $1.49 trillion, the opportunity is too big to ignore. If you're already delivering IT solutions with Dicker Data, there's a natural extension you're likely missing, connectivity. Every device, every service, every solution needs to connect. And that means telco. Customers want one trusted advisor for everything, IT and connectivity. Telcos are shifting their strategies and looking to partner with agile, service-led MSPs. That’s why we launched Dicker Data Telco Solutions to make telco accessible, easy and profitable for our partners. If you’re not capturing this spend, someone else will. - Jason Hall – General Manager, Services and Telco Solutions, Dicker Data

Q. What’s changed in partner expectations or needs since the start of the year? And how is our Dicker Data team positioned to help?

A. Since 2025 what I see is partners have become more focused on reducing the complexity of their customers environments and helping customers derive real business insights from their data.  Partners are prioritising vendors who can help consolidate toolsets, simplify management of their hybrid environments, connect seamlessly with their chosen tools, and deliver meaningful automation, particularly in ITOM and ITSM. To deliver this, partners have a significant Investment to make in understanding how to engage with each vendor, their solutions, pre-sales, finance, and delivery resources. With Dicker Data's in-house expertise, strong partner and vendor relationships, and access to the industry’s leading vendors Dicker Data can support the partners whether that be pre-sales support, enablement, deal acceleration, and or helping them manage the different vendor programs. - Brent Paterson - Business Manager, Software

Q. What’s one thing you think partners aren’t prepared for, but should be?  Specifically heading towards the end of 2025 

A. Despite the hype around it, I'd still say AI. I think the impact of AI driven IT operations is being underestimated both in terms of the opportunity and the disruption it represents. I believe that partners that develop real AI expertise in terms of tangible business outcomes will have a significant advantage in the market.  Another comes from the effort of customers to reduce complexity. Simplification also lends itself to procurement rationalization. Partners who lead engagements from an outcome-based perspective will find they are better able to maintain their profitability.  Whether through its industry leading efficiencies or through the ability to manage the complexity of multiple vendors and solutions, Dicker Data is able to bring significant value to and with partners. - Brent Paterson - Business Manager, Software 

Q. What signals an opportunity to leverage DDFS, and how can partners position it as a value add?

A. With upcoming device refresh cycles, DDFS enables businesses to stay current while managing cash flow. By turning large upfront costs into predictable monthly payments, it frees capital for priorities like inventory or growth initiatives and simplifies budgeting. DDFS is ideal for organisations needing regular fleet refreshes for performance and security, and for MSPs aligning costs with recurring revenue. Whether through flexible Operating Leases or ownership-driven Finance Leases, DDFS supports long-term tech planning with financial confidence. - Brad Hogan – Finance System Accountant

Q. What’s one success story from H1 that sets the tone for H2?

A. AI is no longer a future opportunity. It’s real, it’s happening, and it’s reshaping the channel. In the first half of 2025, we saw a clear shift in sales momentum across both AI products and solutions sales, with partners who moved early already reaping the rewards. We’ve seen growth in user-focused AI solutions like Microsoft Copilot, which continues to gain traction across ANZ, and we’ve seen meaningful traction in full-stack AI solutions powered by NVIDIA and Dell Technologies. In particular, in 1H25 we played a role in supplying the technology to build stage one of Australia’s first sovereign AI factory. These aren’t just proof points; they’re clear signals that demand for AI is real, and the partners who are leaning in early, are winning. - Ben Johnson – General Manager – Marketing & Strategy

As always, we encourage you to reach out to your local Dicker Data representative for any support your business requires.