Westcon-Comstor conducted online research between 19 September and 8 October 2025 with 500 network and IT strategy decision makers and influencers for channel partner organisations (VARs, MSPs, MSSPs, and systems integrators). The sample included 100 participants from the each of the five following markets: UK, Spain, UAE, Australia and Singapore.
Most UK-based channel partners (57%) say they cannot yet design and deliver AI-ready networking solutions but confidence and capability levels are higher than in other countries, according to new research from global technology distributor Westcon-Comstor.
The multi-country survey found that 43% of UK-based respondents currently offer advanced, AI-integrated network services, which is significantly higher than the global average of 26%.
Meanwhile nearly half (46%) of UK partners believe their customers’ current network infrastructures are fully prepared and optimised to support AI workloads. Again, that makes the UK an outlier compared to the other countries covered by the research, which are Australia, Singapore, Spain and the UAE. The global average across all five countries was just 33%.
Just over half of UK partners (52%) say they are in the process of developing their AI capabilities. Just 5% describe themselves as “exploring” AI while offering traditional networking services, which is a much lower proportion in other countries and set against a global average of 18%. This suggests that UK partners are ahead of the curve when it comes to integrating AI into their offerings.
“Our research shows that, despite some challenges, UK partners are leading the way internationally in AI readiness,” said Rene Klein, Executive Vice President, Europe at Westcon-Comstor. “This confidence puts them in a strong position to seize the significant growth opportunities on offer in AI-led networking as we look to 2026.”
Most UK partners report that they are already supporting customers in certain aspects of network transformation such as visibility, security and automation.
Additionally, a majority are already active in areas such as
- AI-driven network automation (65%)
- Edge computing and distributed data routing (64%) and
- Intent-based networking (52%).
The research, part of Westcon-Comstor’s Future Ready programme of channel analysis, offers a partner perspective on the barriers they and their customers face when modernising networks for the AI era, from integration with existing systems to security and compliance.
In addition to these hurdles, end-users reported struggling with internal skill gaps and uncertainty around technology choices, which is creating a clear opening for partners with the requisite skills and capabilities to step in as strategic advisors.
When asked about growth areas in AI-driven networking over the next 12–18 months, 65% of UK respondents cited AI-enhanced network security analytics – making it the single biggest potential driver of new revenues.
Other high-growth opportunities identified by partners include:
• AI-powered network observability and diagnostics (64%);
• Edge-to-cloud data routing and optimisation (59%); and
• Autonomous / self-healing networks (39%).
“AI is changing the game, and partners have a rare window to step up as true strategic advisors,” said Patrick Aronson, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Asia-Pacific at Westcon-Comstor. “Customers are hungry for intelligent, adaptive networks. The partners who lean in now, build capability and get closer to the customer will be the ones leading the next wave of growth.”
