“Maintain Agility by Continuously Embracing Emerging Tech”

Ganga BK, the Partner Development Director at Huawei Enterprise MECA, says the greatest untapped opportunity lies in the SMB segment, where agile partners offering bundled services and localized support can drive significant growth.

Could you share an overview of your career path to date, highlighting the pivotal moments or achievements that have shaped your leadership within the IT channel?
Over my 20+ year career, I’ve driven the growth of Huawei’s partner-led and distribution business across the Middle East region, scaling the revenue and growing channel business by 30% + YOY, while replicating the model across Central Asia. Pivotal moments include onboarding major distributors and partner across the region, launching accelerator programs, and receiving global recognition for strategic leadership and execution excellence.

As a key channel influencer within your company, what are your primary roles and responsibilities in shaping strategy, driving engagement, and fostering growth within the partner ecosystem?
In my role, I help shape & execute our channel strategy by leading partner and distribution growth across the Middle East and Central Asia. I work directly with C Level across the partner community and partner teams to build strong business plans, roll out meaningful enablement and marketing programs, and focus on building long-term relationships that drive real results for everyone involved.

How would you assess the current health and evolution of the IT channel, particularly within our region? What significant trends or shifts are you observing?
The IT channel is currently undergoing rapid evolution. The biggest challenge lies in swiftly adapting to digital transformation by building expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and hybrid cloud while addressing evolving customer needs like hybrid work solutions and enhanced security. The greatest untapped opportunity lies in the SMB segment, where agile partners offering bundled services and localized support can drive significant growth.

What do you see as the single biggest challenge facing the IT channel in the region today, and conversely, what is the most significant untapped opportunity for partners?
The biggest challenge facing the IT channel today is adapting to the shift from transactional selling to value-driven, service-led models—many partners are still evolving their capabilities to meet changing customer expectations around solutions, cloud, and financing. On the other hand, the most significant untapped opportunity lies within the commercial and SMB segment, where trusted partners who offer localized solutions, bundled services, and agile support can capture enormous growth potential.

In your opinion, what are the most effective strategies partners can employ to drive sustainable growth and profitability in the current market, especially considering evolving customer demands?
In my opinion, partners should focus on developing deep industry expertise and investing in emerging technologies like AI and cybersecurity to deliver tailored, value-driven solutions that address evolving customer needs. Additionally, building strong strategic alliances and offering flexible, subscription-based services can enhance customer loyalty and create recurring revenue streams for sustainable growth.

How is the rapid advancement of AI, including Agentic AI and Generative AI, fundamentally reshaping the channel’s business models, partner opportunities, and the skill sets required for success?
AI, like Agentic and Generative AI are fundamentally reshaping the channel by shifting partners from just selling products to providing smart, automated solutions that drive significant business value. This creates new chances for partners to offer AI-based services, but they’ll need to learn & acquire new skill sets, including proficiency with AI tools and helping customers to adopt them smoothly.

Given the escalating sophistication of cyber threats, how can channel partners best position themselves to deliver comprehensive cybersecurity solutions, moving beyond traditional offerings to address emerging risks like AI evasion?
Channel partners need to go beyond traditional security tools by embracing advanced technologies like AI-powered threat detection and continuous monitoring. They should also focus on educating customers about new risks, such as AI-driven attacks, and offer tailored, proactive solutions that adapt as threats evolve.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and sustainability are gaining prominence. How can channel partners integrate these principles into their operations and offerings to create competitive advantages and meet evolving client expectations?
Channel partners can gain an edge by offering energy-efficient tech and eco-friendly solutions, like helping clients transition to green data centers or remote work setups. This meets growing client demand for sustainable practices while boosting competitiveness.

The IT landscape demands continuous learning. What advice do you have for channel partners on attracting, developing, and retaining top talent, particularly in areas like AI, cloud security, and specialized industry solutions?
To attract and keep top talent in AI, cloud security, and industry solutions, partners should invest in ongoing training and certifications while offering clear career growth and exciting projects. Strong vendor partnerships also help provide the latest tools and knowledge necessary to stay ahead.

How do you see the roles of different partner types—such as Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and system integrators—evolving, and how can they best collaborate to deliver integrated solutions?
MSPs will focus more on proactive managed services, ISVs on specialized software, and system integrators on connecting it all. Together, they deliver seamless, comprehensive solutions that better serve customers.

Drawing from your experience and looking ahead, what is your most crucial piece of advice for partners seeking long-term success and relevance in this rapidly transforming IT channel?
My main advice for partners seeking long-term success is to maintain agility by continuously embracing emerging technologies like AI and cloud, deepening customer-specific expertise, and focusing on building trusted relationships to deliver real business value.