Exclusive EDGE Research: Partner strategy vs customer expectations – are you aligned?

Exclusive in-depth research is currently underway across Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ), aimed at uncovering how organisations are strategising and investing in technologies such as cybersecurity, AI, cloud, data, and digital infrastructure, and what is expected from technology partners.

Partners, distributors and vendors are invited to complete the survey here.

Participants will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a free online course taught by EDGE keynote speaker Nick Abrahams at Bond University, titled GenAI Productivity Training for Executives. The online course allows attendees to learn at their own pace, providing practical skills to help automate daily tasks, suitable for all types of organisations and all stages of GenAI adoption. 

Delivered in partnership with Tech Research Asia, EDGE Research will focus on the short- to medium-term opportunities ahead for the ecosystem, uncovering what makes end-users tick on both sides of the Tasman. This is alongside insights into the purchasing patterns of organisations and key solution-focused areas.

The findings will be exclusively delivered by Mark Iles at Tech Research Asia to delegates attending EDGE 2025 — running 27 July to 30 July at the Royal Pines on the Gold Coast. The research will offer the clearest indication yet as to whether the ecosystem is aligned with the end-user market.

By comparing customer expectations with partner capabilities, the findings will highlight areas of alignment, reveal potential disconnect, and identify untapped opportunities for growth and collaboration.

New Zealand delegates will also be offered tailored insights, specifically geared towards the current state of the market and economic conditions, during a dedicated session held on Sunday, 27 July.

The goal is to equip vendors, distributors, and partners with actionable intelligence to better align their go-to-market strategies, service offerings, and value propositions with what customers truly need.

In doing so, this research will help the channel move beyond assumptions toward data-driven decisions that drive relevance, trust, and long-term profitability.

Iles said AI continues to be a disruptive force in both the customer and partner ecosystems, leading to questions on the reality of AI use cases, and what customers are doing. How are they prioritising and what do they want from partners? 

“We are anticipating AI to have moved from pilots and proof of concepts to real projects with proper funding and clear, measurable business outcomes as skills and understanding are improving all the time,” Iles said.

“AI is a unique set of technologies because it really can enable significant change in a business, but not just cost savings, it can also help generate new revenue streams, so it is a set of technologies that can drive real value both above and below the line, and that’s rare.”

EDGE 2025: The Channel FutureScape

EDGE 2025 is the leading technology industry conference for business leaders in A/NZ, built on the foundations of collaboration, education, and advancement.

New Zealand-based delegates will arrive on Sunday morning, 28 July, kicking off with a dedicated Kiwi track featuring tailored research and an interactive panel session before moving into the full conference agenda. All attendees will depart on Wednesday, 30 July.

During the A/NZ-specific conference, delegates will hear from Transcends CEO Ashleigh Vogstad, Norton Rose Fulbright global co-leader of Digital Transformation Practice, Nick Abrahams and The Digital CEO, Stephen Scheeler. 

Latimer Partners Mark Nesbitt and Hugh Richards will also deliver M&A trends. 

See you at EDGE 2025!

Partners, distributors and vendors are invited to complete the survey here.