Channel reacts: How agentic AI will influence partner businesses
IT leaders discuss how the technology is set to transform channel relationships
Agentic AI is redefining work, with systems that learn, decide, and act more autonomously than ever before.
Beyond the partner opportunity, the new technology’s impact on channel firms could be immense.
But for business leaders, questions are beginning to emerge: How will these new solutions affect workforce and leadership, and how will it transform partner relationships?
To understand agentic AI’s real-world business impact, CRN spoke with tech experts from Version 1, Cisilion, Insight, and Pax8, who unpacked the promise and disruption agentic AI could bring.
Phil Hawkshaw, EMEA CTO, Insight
CRN: Are there potential or current in-house applications for the technology within your business?
“We have hundreds of potential use cases - and several live - which demonstrate the operationalised applications of agentic AI in our organisation.
“As a solutions integrator we have a responsibility to adopt what we recommend, in terms of approaches and technology stacks, as well as ethical and governance considerations.
“Our client zero initiatives are a high priority in driving our experience with agentic AI, as they allow us to test specific products, tools and approaches before they’re put forward to our clients.”
CRN: Will implementing agentic AI lead to workforce reductions or changes in your leadership team?
“As an organisation that is transforming and growing, we need generative AI and especially agentic AI to help disconnect top line growth from linear cost increases.
“Agentic AI will allow our teammates to focus on higher-value activities, as opposed to carrying out repetitive or mundane tasks that can be handled by agentic AI agents.”
CRN: Will agentic AI change the types of partners and services you rely on within the UK channel ecosystem?
“Insight’s partner ecosystem is one of our key unique properties which allow us to deliver the right skills at the right time for our clients.
“Capabilities which enable the exploration and operationalisation of generative and agentic AI in business are key to the success of our clients.
“We’re committed to our existing partners and to forging new ones, enabling both Insight and our clients to succeed in the innovation journey sparked by the generative AI explosion.”
Mini Biswas, AI and security specialist, Cisilion
CRN: Are there potential or current in-house applications for the technology within your business?
“We’re experimenting and learning, looking closely at where agentic AI can deliver the most impact.
“Our approach is grounded in real business needs, not hype.
“We’re asking: where can agents reduce friction? Where can they accelerate decision-making? And how do we ensure they are governed responsibly.
“We’re not just adopting agentic AI - we’re helping define how it’s applied, governed, and scaled.
“The work we’re doing internally is not only informing our own operations - it’s shaping how we guide our clients through their AI journeys.”
CRN: Will implementing agentic AI lead to workforce reductions or changes in your leadership team?
“Our focus is on augmentation, not automation for replacement.
“We see agentic AI as a force multiplier, enhancing decision-making, accelerating workflows, and unlocking new levels of creativity and productivity across the business.
“There are no indications of leadership restructuring tied to our AI adoption.
“Our AI steering committee, comprising cross-functional leaders and domain specialists, is actively driving innovation in this space with strong executive sponsorship.
“The emphasis is on embedding AI responsibly and inclusively, ensuring it supports both business outcomes and employee growth.
“HR plays a pivotal role in this transformation; we recognise that the success of agentic AI hinges not just on the technology, but on people’s ability to use it confidently and effectively.
“That’s why we’re investing in upskilling and reskilling initiatives, embedding AI literacy into onboarding, learning, and development frameworks.
“Our goal is to empower every employee, regardless of role or function, to engage with AI tools meaningfully, so no one is left behind.”
CRN: Will agentic AI change the types of partners and services you rely on within the UK channel ecosystem?
“Agentic AI is not just influencing the UK channel ecosystem - it’s fundamentally reshaping it.
“The expectations of partners are evolving; they’re now being asked to deliver capabilities that go far beyond implementation.
“This includes agent design and orchestration, prompt engineering, advanced security and compliance frameworks, and custom agent development.
“Lifecycle management and continuous optimisation are becoming essential as AI agents are embedded across business functions.
“This shift is also prompting a re-evaluation of the role of traditional channel distributors and partner support portals.
“While these platforms have historically focused on licensing, fulfilment, and enablement, they now need to evolve into AI-native ecosystems that support co-innovation, agent lifecycle tooling, and real-time telemetry.
“The partners who can embed AI capabilities into their support infrastructure - offering things like agent observability, compliance dashboards, and adaptive learning loops—will be the ones who gain more popularity.
“As the UK channel evolves, we’re seeing a convergence between traditional IT providers and AI-native innovators.
“The value proposition is shifting from infrastructure delivery to the orchestration of intelligent, adaptive systems.
“The partners best positioned to lead in this new era will be those who can bridge foundational platforms with domain-specific execution - those who understand that agentic AI is not just a new technology, but a new operating model.”
Brad Mallard, CTO, Version 1
CRN: Are there potential or current in-house applications for the technology within your business?
“We use agentic AI in developing and prototyping with customers, iterating on our show-not-tell approach to design and business projects.
“Additionally, we have our own accelerators, like Decipher, which enable rapid modernisation of legacy applications and systems.”
CRN: Will implementing agentic AI lead to workforce reductions or changes in your leadership team?
“We believe AI complements our workforce, especially in the short term.
“As the technology evolves, we are focused on adopting and reskilling towards AI-enhanced services.
“We invest in company-wide education and work with our customers to see AI as a force for good, delivering new value and benefits.”
Andy Readman, Data and AI director, Pax8
CRN: Are there potential or current in-house applications for the technology within your business?
“There are huge applications for agentic AI in any business.
“I'm inspired by the work we're doing to support the Pax8 partner and vendor community, as well as internally across every aspect of the business.
CRN: Will agentic AI change the types of partners and services you rely on within the UK channel ecosystem?
“The purpose of Pax8 is to help every small business turn their dreams into reality through the power of technology.
“We’re committed to MSPs and the IT channel as the key enablers of that mission.
“I personally believe MSPs have the perfect opportunity to play a more strategic and active role in growing and evolving small businesses to achieve their dreams.
“We're at a historic moment for the IT channel and it excites me to think how the transformation will impact the people in the small businesses we all serve in the Pax8 community.”