At the start of 2025, we laid out five bold predictions for 2025 on what trends would have the biggest impact in the technology landscape. Our forecast, with an emphasis on generative AI, financing models and the growing skills gap, aimed to guide partners through what promised to be a transformative and opportunistic year.
Now, we’re more than halfway through the year and it’s time to revisit those predictions and find out just how accurate they were. With the market evolving, new trends are constantly emerging, and our goal is to remain on top of those developments and enable our partner community to gain a competitive advantage.
We asked TD SYNNEX leaders and subject-matter experts to weigh in on this mid-year check-in and provide an honest, clear-eyed view of our predictions: what’s working, what’s shifting and what’s next.
Prediction 1: AI Deployments and Generative AI Adoption Enters a New Phase
What we predicted: 2025 would mark the shift from AI hype and proof-of-concept to real-world application and impact. We anticipated the adoption of AI agents, which would help mid-market organizations drive automation, operational efficiency and new business models.
What we’re seeing now: The conversation shift around AI is materializing in real-time. Across partner types and vertical markets, there’s less hesitation and more optimism.
“We anticipated a shift from AI pilots to tangible use cases, and we are seeing adoption across industries. Our partners are moving from asking ‘What is AI?’ to ‘How do I deploy and scale it?’”
– Jessica McDowell, SVP, North America Marketing and Digital Customer Success
“AI is becoming integrated into everyday operations across all industries in meaningful ways. We’re seeing the conversation shift from ‘Should we be using AI?’ to ‘How can we drive measurable growth with it?’ The pace of adoption continues to accelerate, and partners that are ready to deliver scalable, practical AI solutions are clearly standing out.”
– Wayne Peters, Global VP, Financial Solutions
“We’re seeing a rapid shift in SMBs from using AI for personal productivity to deploying agentic AI for departmental and cross-company workflows. This is becoming a major driver of cloud consumption, especially through the hyperscalers.”
– Reza Honarmand, SVP, Global Hybrid Cloud, Transformation
“The rate of AI adoption has been much faster than most expected and we are seeing tangible benefits from the implementation. Organizations that figure out how to maximize AI utilization at the desk level, will be the clear winners for future growth.”
– Ashley Huntley, VP, Demand Generation and Marketing Operations
“The focus has now shifted toward AI solutions that strike the right balance—delivering measurable outcomes while embedding strong governance and protection at their core.”
– Cheryl Day, SVP, New Vendor Acquisition and Global Solutions
The shift to tangible AI is accelerating. The winners will be those who can prove business value by delivering scalable, secure and outcome-driven AI solutions. The emergence of agentic AI marketplaces and the growing importance of AI governance are also proving to be vital differentiators.
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spot on.
AI has moved from the hype cycle to hands-on impact. Agentic AI, real-world use cases, and outcome-driven adoption are reshaping the channel. Partners who can scale, govern and secure AI are gaining a distinct edge.
Prediction 2: The Deepening Skills Gap Will Challenge Innovation
What we predicted: As technologies like AI, hybrid cloud and cybersecurity continue to rapidly advance, innovation would outpace available talent and workforce readiness. Upskilling would become essential to bridge that divide and help companies stay competitive.
What we’re seeing now: This topic is urgent and growing. The demand for AI prompt engineers, cloud architects and cybersecurity specialists is at an all-time high, and partners who are investing in continuous learning in these areas are better positioned to lead.
“The growing gap between emerging capabilities and workforce skills threatens to slow innovation. Digital tools are the key to closing this gap. Things like AI-powered learning platforms and virtual labs enable continuous, personalized upskilling at scale.”
– Meredith Payne, Senior Director, Product Management
“We continue to see skills gaps as the pace of innovation has not slowed down, but our frameworks have helped our partners make meaningful progress in enablement and readiness.”
– Jessica McDowell
“The rapid advancement of AI has made the need to invest in people and skills more urgent than ever. Upskilling isn’t just a solution, it’s a strategic imperative.”
– Wayne Peters
“The organisations that are winning are those that empower their people to build with AI. SMBs are heavily relying on partners to bridge AI skills and security gaps.”
– Reza Honarmand
“We are rapidly aligning and upskilling our talent to maximize the potential that AI offers to our business. We believe THAT will be the differentiating factor for success in the next 2 years.”
– Ashley Huntley
Programs like Destination AI are helping channel partners close the skills gap, with education, resources and tools that help any organization, no matter where they are in their AI journey. Additionally, the rise of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) underscores the need for scalable, skilled services and support.
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Accurate and urgent.
The skills gap is real and widening, but so is the commitment to solving it. Upskilling and channel partner programs (like Destination AI) are essential for a long-term competitive strategy.
Prediction 3: Flexible Financing, Subscription and Consumption Models Will Become the Standard
What we predicted: Economic pressures and the need for agility to meet shifting buyer behavior would drive adoption of consumption-based flexible financing and as-a-service models. Digital platforms and subscription-based services would become essential tools for partners.
What we’re seeing now: End user customers now expect as-a-service and consumption-based financing options. Tech organizations who offer flexible financial solutions are better equipped for a stronger go-to-market strategy. Deals that have historically hit roadblocks are now being realized, helping to meet customer needs in a cost-conscious, yet innovation-hungry market.
“This prediction has certainly proven to be true and continues to evolve.
As technology demand surges and customers remain focused on preserving cash amid economic volatility, flexible procurement models have become essential.
Partners who embed financing into their sales motion are setting themselves apart by offering customers greater flexibility and unlocking more opportunity to scale technology adoption.”
– Wayne Peters
TD SYNNEX Capital continues to experience adoption by partners looking to fund IT investments, reduce financial risk and accelerate cash flow, all with flexibility at the center.
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Validated and realized.
Flexible financing has become foundational amid economic volatility. Partners that are embedding financing solutions into their sales motion are unlocking new avenues toward growth.
Prediction 4: The AI PC Device Refresh Super-Cycle Will Redefine Edge Computing
What we predicted: A major super-cycle of AI-enabled PCs and other devices would drive demand at the edge. With the shift to Windows 11 and the need for hardware capable of supporting AI workloads, AI PCs are a natural fit to coincide with key areas of edge investment.
What we’re seeing now: The refresh is underway… but is happening slower than expected. However, partners are encouraged to prepare for the coming wave; the convergence of AI, edge and cloud is creating new opportunities in this space.
“Some of the PC refresh has been driven by tariff activity in North America, and those refreshes do not always lead to an AI PC purchase. It was predicted that 2025 would be a breakout year for AI-powered PCs, but analysts now expect real enterprise benefit to emerge only by 2027.”
– Calhoun McKinney, Vice President, Strategic Business Management
“Many businesses are actively evaluating refresh cycles and aligning them with AI readiness. The refresh has started, particularly as new edge use cases and NPU-equipped devices mature.”
– Wayne Peters
Those that can guide their customers through AI readiness assessments and holistic refresh strategies will be well-positioned in the second half of 2025.
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐ In progress.
While the PC refresh cycle has started, adoption has been slower and more measured than anticipated. Momentum says there could be a stronger surge in the second half of 2025, especially as AI capabilities align with other hardware investments.
Prediction 5: Security Becomes the Unshakeable Foundation of All IT Investments
What we predicted: Security would remain the foundation of every single IT investment. There would be a growing focus on integrated, cloud-native, and managed security solutions and services. As AI and cloud adoption accelerates, so too does the need for a robust cybersecurity stack.
What we’re seeing now: This may be the least surprising prediction to come through in the list. Organizations are taking a security-first architecture, and those who lead with secure-by-design solutions and can provide ongoing confidence in governance and risk mitigation will be the trusted advisors customers need more than ever.
“We saw that security, the investments we made, and the growth we’ve experienced really filled in any [revenue] gaps. With the expansion of AI, security will continue to be a part of every solution.”
– Steve Jow, EVP, Sales, Advanced Solutions US
“Security remains the cornerstone of every IT conversation. We’re seeing a surge in investment and innovation—both from emerging vendors entering the space and from established players doubling down on visibility, governance, and proactive protection.”
– Cheryl Day
“Trends are evolving as the pace of innovation continues to accelerate. One area that we must continue to pay close attention to is AI governance and security as these are becoming critical concerns for our partners.”
– Jessica McDowell
“As AI adoption scales, data security is emerging as the critical foundation. Some SMBs are already facing real risks from deploying AI without proper governance.”
– Reza Honarmand
“The shift to security-first architectures is no longer optional, but it’s becoming the baseline expectation. Risk management, resilience, and trust are now front and center in every technology conversation.”
– Wayne Peters
“We are seeing the attack vector increase, as well as the sophistication of attacks.”
– Calhoun McKinney
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Intensely true.
Security is now the default starting point for every tech conversation and all IT decisions. Governance, brand reputation and risk management are top-of-mind at every level of every organization, driving urgency and investment in strong security solutions.
Additional Trends that Have Emerged in 2025
While our five predictions have largely held true, several additional trends have emerged in the first half of 2025 that are reshaping the channel:
- Agentic AI in SMBs: AI use is shifting from personal productivity to enterprise-grade automation, largely with the deployment of agentic AI for cross-functional workloads. SMBs in particular are leveraging agentic AI to drive cloud consumption and infrastructure demand.
- MSP Growth: Managed services are booming. MSP capabilities are consistently identified as one of the most in-demand skills areas, reflecting a shift toward services-based business models and long-term customer relationships across verticals.
- AI Governance and Risk Management: As AI adoption grows, so does concern around ethical use, compliance and data privacy. Governance is the critical factor in AI deployment strategies, particularly in more regulated regions or industries. Partners must be equipped to navigate the ethical, legal and operational risks of AI.
- ISV and SaaS Expansion: TD SYNNEX supports more than 900 ISVs in North America alone. The growth of SaaS is driven by deepened cloud commitments and private offer programs through Hyperscalers, which is enabling partners to differentiate at scale.
Conclusion: Predictions ➡️ Progress
Halfway through 2025, our technology outlook was directionally accurate. But if comfort and status quo is your expectation, the technology ecosystem has other plans. The pace of change continues to accelerate. AI. Security. Upskilling. Financing. Just a few of these strategies are influencing how businesses operate in the remainder of 2025.
As Steve Jow indicated, “Uncertainty is the enemy of any market, and our partners continue to look for any guidance and leadership we can provide. They look to us for clarity and we continue to leverage our strong relationships to provide that clarity. So far, our advice is proving to be good.”
As we look ahead to the second half of the year, one thing is clear: the future is here, but with the TD SYNNEX partner-first approach, we’re here to take it head-on with you.
