At this year’s TD SYNNEX High-Growth Conference, our TD SYNNEX podcast Channel Mic Check went on the road.
Recorded live in Puerto Rico, this special edition brought together leaders across TD SYNNEX and the partner ecosystem to break down what’s happening across security, cloud, AI, and infrastructure, and what it means for partners right now.
The conversation made one thing clear:
Growth today depends on how well you navigate complexity.
What We’re Hearing in Real Time
Throughout the live recording, the discussion reflected what partners are seeing in active deals and customer conversations.
What used to be a focused solution conversation is now interconnected:
AI impacts data.
Data impacts infrastructure.
Infrastructure impacts power, cost, and sustainability.
And security underpins all of it.
As host and Vice President, Vice President Strategy Business Management, TD SYNNEX, Calhoun McKinney put it during the conversation:
“What starts as one initiative rarely stays that way. Complexity builds, and the partners who can stay in that opportunity as it evolves are the ones seeing growth.”
— Calhoun McKinney, Vice President, Vice President Strategy Business Management, TD SYNNEX, (Channel Mic Check Host)
This shift is changing how partners engage, from selling individual solutions to guiding broader outcomes.
Power Is Now Part of the Deal
One of the most immediate challenges discussed during the episode was power.
It is already impacting execution.
“We’ve seen deals completely stall… because of power challenges.”
— Phillip Privett, Senior Vice President, Vendor Solutions, TD SYNNEX
As AI workloads increase and data center demand grows, energy constraints are becoming a factor in infrastructure decisions.
That changes the conversation.
Partners are now being pulled into discussions around:
- Power utilization
- Cooling requirements
- Sustainability
- Infrastructure readiness
“These conversations are moving beyond the CIO… and into operations leaders and the broader business.”
— Phillip Privett, Senior Vice President, Vendor Solutions, TD SYNNEX
This is where partners expand their role or risk being replaced by someone who can lead the full conversation.
Security Is Expanding Beyond the Perimeter
Security discussions during the episode reinforced how much the landscape has changed.
It is no longer just about protecting endpoints or networks.
“Now we’re not just protecting a user… we’re protecting agents, permissions, and workflows.”
— Francisco Criado, Senior Vice President, AI, Cloud, and Security, TD SYNNEX
At the same time, identity is becoming central to how security is designed.
“Identity is becoming the foundation… the primary mechanism for enforcing trust and control.”
— Scott Whitehouse, Regional Vice President, Identity Channel Sales, Palo Alto Networks
And that shift is part of a broader transformation in how security is built and delivered.
“This isn’t just expanding a portfolio… it’s redefining security from an infrastructure model to one built on continuous verification of identity and access.”
— Scott Whitehouse, Palo Alto Networks
This shift is moving security conversations away from tools and toward how trust is managed across environments.
AI Is Moving from Interest to Execution
AI continues to dominate attention, but the challenge has shifted.
Organizations are not struggling to start. They are struggling to scale.
“Companies are stuck in pilots… trying to optimize old processes instead of rethinking how work gets done.”
— Francisco Criado, Senior Vice President, AI, Cloud, and Security, TD SYNNEX
The gap between proof of concept and production is where momentum slows.
And that gap is often tied to:
- Infrastructure readiness
- Power availability
- Security requirements
- Cloud optimization
AI is not a standalone conversation. It is connected to everything around it.
Cloud Requires More Precision
Cloud is no longer about adoption. It is about execution.
“It’s not about moving to the cloud anymore. It’s about making sure workloads are in the right place and optimized for outcomes.”
—Francisco Criado, Senior Vice President, AI, Cloud, and Security, TD SYNNEX
This means partners are now navigating:
- Cost control
- Workload placement
- Ongoing optimization
Without that level of precision, cloud can introduce friction instead of value.
The Partner Role Is Changing
Across the conversation, one message stood out:
The role of the partner is expanding.
It is no longer about delivering a single solution. It is about guiding the full journey.
That includes:
- Connecting technologies across domains
- Leading broader business conversations
- Staying engaged beyond initial deployment
That is where trust is built. And trust is what keeps partners in the deal as complexity increases.
Listen to the Full Conversation
This special Channel Mic Check episode captures the conversation as it happened, live from the High-Growth Conference floor.
To hear the full discussion, including deeper insights on power, AI readiness, security, and cloud strategy:
Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify.
Join us as we continue to bring real conversations from across the channel directly to you.
