Zebra Technologies Corporation has announced the key trends shaping the channel across business operations, AI integration, and changing customer needs in 2026.
Expanding Beyond Traditional Partnerships
The channel landscape continues to diversify, requiring organisations to rethink how they build and manage partnerships. Success now hinges on creating robust ecosystems that go beyond traditional resellers to include independent software vendors (ISVs), alliances, consulting partners, and other specialised collaborators. These collaborative networks bring together diverse expertise to deliver greater value to customers by addressing complex and evolving needs.
“With diversification comes the need for greater strategic focus,” said Greg Williams, VP Channel EMEA, Zebra Technologies. “Organisations must prioritise understanding which ecosystem players align most closely with their key use cases and business priorities. By identifying partners whose capabilities complement their strategic goals, companies can maximise the impact of these collaborations. This means being more selective in engagements, focusing on quality over quantity, and ensuring that partnerships drive measurable outcomes.”
In this evolving landscape, successful ecosystems will not be defined by the number of partners but by the strength of alignment, the relevance of expertise, and the ability to co-create solutions that deliver a connected frontline, asset visibility and intelligent automation for customers.
“Increasingly, ecosystems need to work together to deliver customer solutions, such as an ISV, systems integrator, consultant and telco specialist collaborating on a project,” said Williams. “This strategic approach to ecosystem building will allow organisations to remain agile, innovative, and customer-centric in an increasingly competitive market.”
Unified Hardware-Software Solutions
Customers increasingly demand integrated solutions that seamlessly combine hardware, software, and services. According to Channel Insights, on average, there are seven products as part of a solution and five different partners involved in the customers’ buying journey.
The ability to offer comprehensive, tailored packages simplifies procurement and enhances usability, positioning providers as strategic partners. This shift requires a deeper commitment to solution-oriented thinking, customer-centric innovation and the ability to develop multi-partner ecosystems.
Deeper Industry Expertise
To stay competitive, channel partners must evolve into trusted advisors. This means understanding specific industry challenges, such as labour shortages, compliance needs, and digital transformation, and proactively identifying opportunities for automation, AI, and innovation. Guiding customers toward untapped possibilities will define the most successful partnerships.
Zebra’s Impact of Intelligent Operations report in collaboration with Oxford Economics found that the retail, logistics and manufacturing industries are investing in technologies that make their frontline operations more intelligent. They report allocating, on average, 69% of their IT budgets to devices, software, and other technologies used to automate workflows.
Customer Experience
Simplification is key. Customers expect an increasingly frictionless selling motion and seamless experience across the entire value chain, from product selection to post-sale support. To build customer loyalty, vendors should focus on being easy to work with by investing in digital self-service tools, making information readily accessible, and streamlining processes and communication channels to ensure customers’ needs are met swiftly and seamlessly.
The Impact of Intelligent Operations report found that retailers (47%), logistics organisations (34%) and manufacturers (32%) are prioritising customer experience and satisfaction as a top five focus area.
Sustainability as a Core Expectation
Sustainability is not just a preference but an expectation. Channel players — vendors, resellers, and integrators — must demonstrate tangible commitments to eco-friendly practices.
From recycling programmes to green product designs, aligning with sustainability goals strengthens customer trust and market relevance. Recognising leaders in this space can inspire broader adoption across the ecosystem.
AI Integration and Transformation
AI continues to reshape the channel. From enhancing operational efficiency to driving customer insights, AI is becoming a cornerstone of solution development. Vendors and partners must stay ahead of this curve by integrating AI into their offerings and educating customers on its potential to address workforce gaps, boost productivity, and improve decision-making.
Early adoption and collaboration in AI-driven projects will unlock new revenue streams. Vendors must develop tools and resources to enable software partners to design, develop, and deploy on their platforms.
“The frontline is where work gets done, customer loyalty is won, revenue is secured and data is generated, and it’s here that AI is making a difference,” said Williams. “Frontline AI is ditigising physical environments and tasks, turning data into intelligence to maximise workflows.”
