With worldwide IT spending set to surpass $6 trillion in 2026 -- and more than two‑thirds of that flowing through partners -- Dell’s Modern Workplace, Modern Data Center, and AI growth engines help you align with evolving customer needs and give you a repeatable, profitable path to win more, win bigger, and win more profitably
In 2026 worldwide IT spending will surpass $6 trillion for the first time -- the fastest year-on-year growth in a decade. The good news is that more than two-thirds of that spending will be delivered through partners [1]. The upside is enormous – but so is the pressure for partners to stay ahead as customer priorities and buying behavior shift.
Three Buying Shifts Partners Can’t Ignore
Across organizations of all sizes, three shifts are redefining technology decisions:
· AI-powered employee experiences: Organizations want secure, AI‑optimized PCs, peripherals and services that boost productivity for hybrid and remote workers.
· From cloud-first to cloud-smart: Organizations are re-evaluating “cloud-first at any cost” in favor of cloud-smart strategies that balance performance, cost and control.
· From AI pilots to AI outcomes: Many have experimented with AI. Now they want production AI deployments tied to real, measurable business outcomes, backed by scalable, secure infrastructure and services.
Dell Technologies Advantage for Partners: Three Growth Engines
To win in this environment, partners need more than point products – you need to become enablers, architects and accelerators of modernization. The Dell Technologies Advantage for Partners empowers you to stay ahead of these evolving market opportunities by bringing together three growth engines – Modern Workplace, Modern Data Center and AI – and connecting them to the Dell Technologies Partner Program so you can:
· Drive strategic customer conversations that build larger, multi-year opportunities across workplace, infrastructure and AI
· Grow recurring revenue through consulting, deployment, residency, managed services and support
· Differentiate with Dell’s leadership in secure PCs, AI‑ready infrastructure and end‑to‑end AI solutions
With Dell Technologies, you have a blueprint for turning 2026 market volatility into three predictable, profitable growth engines:
· With Dell, partners can enable the Modern Workplace by delivering secure, AI‑powered experiences across PCs, peripherals and services. Elevate transactional refreshes into strategic engagements that drive:
o Secure, AI‑ready PCs and peripherals
o Deployment, lifecycle and managed workplace services
o Recurring revenue from support and device management
· With Dell, partners can architect the Modern Data Center to meet customers’ needs for resilient, efficient and cloud‑smart strategies with:
o AI‑ready, secure, efficient infrastructure built on Dell’s leadership in servers, storage and data protection
o Hybrid and multicloud solutions tuned for performance, compliance and cost
o Attach opportunities for consulting, deployment and managed services
· With Dell AI Factory, partners can move customers from pilots to production outcomes faster with:
o The broadest AI infrastructure and services portfolio from a single vendor
o Proven implementations to de‑risk projects and accelerate time to value
o High‑value services—readiness assessments, deployment, residency, optimization and ongoing support
The Dell Technologies Partner Program: Profitability Built In
For CRN readers, the big question is always profitability and growth. The Dell Technologies Partner Program is designed so partners not only sell more, but profit more from Modern Workplace, Modern Data Center and AI opportunities. To fuel that, the program offers:
· Financial incentives and rebates, especially for multi‑LOB and growth‑aligned selling.
· Marketing Development Funds (MDF) to drive demand generation and cross‑sell/upsell campaigns.
· Training and certifications to help partners lead multi‑domain solution conversations.
· Co‑marketing and demand gen support aligned to partner sales motions.
How Partners Can Capitalize in 2026
2026 will be a record‑breaking year for IT investment -- but the gains won’t be evenly distributed. By aligning with Dell’s Modern Workplace, Modern Data Center and AI strategies -- and leveraging the incentives, MDF, training and services inside the Dell Technologies Partner Program -- partners can capture a disproportionate share of that $6 trillion market.
Unlock your Dell Technologies Advantage today and be ready for whatever comes next in 2026 by visiting: https://www.delltechnologies.com/partner/en-us/auth/campaigns/why-dell.htm
Sources: [1] Omdia, Global IT Opportunity, November 2025
