Channel partners embrace data to drive 2026 growth, Westcon-Comstor finds

According to Wilson Ho, Managing Director, Asia at Westcon-Comstor, Singapore’s channel partners are embracing data-driven innovation as a key growth lever for 2026.

A recent study by Westcon-Comstor revealed that data-driven offerings and capabilities are key to partners’ growth strategy. The study, which involved channel partners from the UK, Spain, UAE, Australia and Singapore, was conducted in partnership with Coleman Parkes.

Taking a look at the findings from 500 channel partners in Singapore and the other four countries, the study revealed that 36% of Singapore-based respondents plan to invest in data-led offerings to unlock new opportunities and increase profitability over the next 12 months.

This finding outpaces other priorities like market expansion and pivoting to managed services or subscription models. Interestingly, the 36% figure for Singapore compares to a global average of 40%. 24% of Singaporean partners also see data-driven consulting services as the single most promising revenue stream from digital transformation.

Out of the five countries surveyed for the study, Westcon-Comstor also found that most partners are already leveraging real-time data to enhance customer experience and inform business decisions. This includes tracking customer behaviour and preferences (57%), refining marketing and sales strategies (50%), as well as identifying market trends (42%).

According to Wilson Ho, Managing Director, Asia at Westcon-Comstor, Singapore’s channel partners are embracing data-driven innovation as a key growth lever for 2026.

“With 36% prioritising analytics-led offerings, we’re seeing a strong commitment to smarter strategies that unlock new opportunities and deliver greater value in a fast-evolving digital economy,” Ho said.

Analytics driven sales

For Westcon-Comstor, the research forms part of its Future Ready program of channel analysis and coincides with an acceleration in adoption of the distributor’s analytics-driven sales program, Intelligent Demand (iD).

In 2025, the distributor recorded a 132% year-on-year increase in the number of channel campaigns supported by Intelligent Demand, rising from 540 to more than 1,200.

The iD program uses predictive analytics to drive growth, enhance customer lifetime value, and identify new markets for partners and vendors. It combines best-in-class data, AI, analyst research, and channel expertise with Westcon-Comstor's proprietary data science models.

Atul Damani, Chief Data Officer at Westcon-Comstor commented that the research confirms that data-driven innovation is now embedded as a critical driver of AI growth and differentiation for channel partners.

“In the era of lifecycle selling, leveraging AI-powered data and analytics can enable partners to save time, uncover highly targeted sales opportunities and focus their energy on where they’ll get results. As channel evolution accelerates, the importance of data will only grow and at Westcon-Comstor and we feel distribution has a vital role to play in ensuring partners are equipped with the insights and capabilities they need to thrive,” he said.