For 20 years, Red, White & You (RWY) has brought together partners, vendors, customers and industry leaders to explore the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the U.S. public sector market. This year’s event, held in Indianapolis, Indiana during the milestone year of America250, carried even more significance as TD SYNNEX Public Sector looked ahead to the next era of growth, innovation and execution.
Across the three-day conference, one theme came through clearly from partners, vendors and customers: whether discussing AI, cybersecurity, procurement, education modernization or secure supply chain operations, success increasingly depends on the ability to simplify complexity and execute with confidence.
As I shared during the event: “Public sector growth does not happen because one part of the ecosystem gets stronger. It happens when the system works better together.”
A Market Defined by Change and Opportunity
Across federal, state and education segments, the challenges are evolving quickly. Agencies are navigating procurement scrutiny, budget pressure and modernization priorities, while expectations for compliance, speed and outcomes continue to rise.
At the same time, AI, automation, cybersecurity and emerging areas like space technology are creating new opportunities for partners prepared to adapt.
But things are changing. Starting with how partners must engage to win.
Success is all about execution, bringing the right capabilities together, navigating contracts effectively and delivering outcomes that matter to customers.
As Gary Palenbaum, Executive Vice President, Revenue and Customer Success, TD SYNNEX North America said, “Our job is to help create focus, remove friction where we can and make sure our teams are aligned around what matters most.”
Expanding the Foundation for Public Sector Growth
At RWY, TD SYNNEX reinforced the investments we are making to help partners scale more effectively in this environment.
These efforts focus on three priorities:
- Expanding access
We continue to broaden contract pathways and routes to market, including NASPO Cloud and new GSA opportunities, helping partners engage more efficiently across public sector customers. - Driving scale through digital integration
Enhancements across PartnerFirst and our digital ecosystem are simplifying workflows, improving visibility and reducing friction across the transaction lifecycle. Recent updates include self-service repricing, Dell Federal quote integration, expanded API and Digital Bridge capabilities, contract automation and greater visibility into compliance-related data, helping partners move faster and operate more efficiently.
“When everything is connected, complexity turns into momentum,” said Nate Herz, Senior Vice President and North America Chief Information Officer, TD SYNNEX. “That momentum helps partners move faster, maintain compliance and scale more confidently across the public sector market.”
- Deepening specialization
We are investing in areas where partners need it most, including cybersecurity, compliance, AI use cases and vertical-focused capabilities across healthcare, public safety, education and public works.
Public sector is becoming more complex, but complexity alone is not the challenge. The challenge is helping partners navigate it at scale. Our focus is on reducing friction, simplifying execution and helping partners turn opportunity into measurable outcomes.
The planned expansion of Cyber Range East, along with the continued strength of the DLT platform, further reinforces our commitment to secure, compliant and scalable public sector operations.
DLT’s recent Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 achievement further reinforces our commitment to secure and compliant public sector operations.
“DLT adds strength where Public Sector partners need it most, especially around compliance, secure supply chain and routes to market,” I noted during the event.
Turning Strategy into Execution
One of the strongest signals throughout RWY was that understanding the market alone is not enough. Partners need practical pathways to move opportunities forward.
Discussions throughout the event reinforced a broader shift taking place across the market: success increasingly depends on measurable value, services expertise and specialization rather than transactional product sales alone.
“The agencies you serve still need partners to sell, configure, integrate, deliver and support the technology they buy,” said Jamie Grimm, Senior Manager, Public Sector Business Development, TD SYNNEX Public Sector. “OEMs are not built to do that alone.”
Insights from the Field
Customer and partner perspectives remained a defining part of RWY conversation.
Across law enforcement, state and local government and education, the message was consistent: technology matters, but outcomes matter more.
“The conversations happening across state and local government today are centered around real operational challenges and real citizen outcomes,” said Mike Gambrell, Director, State and Local Government, TD SYNNEX Public Sector. “Technology only matters when it helps solve meaningful problems and can actually be implemented effectively.”
“The resellers who are winning in this market right now are not the ones with the biggest catalog,” said Will Reid, Director, Public Sector Education, during the K-12 panel discussion. “They’re the ones who walk into a district and actually understand what keeps an IT Director up at night.”
Organizations are looking for partners who understand their operational realities in addition to their technology needs. They are prioritizing trusted relationships, practical solutions and execution that delivers real results.
Looking Ahead
“The public sector market is evolving quickly, and success increasingly comes down to clarity, preparation and execution,” said Lloyd McCoy, Senior Director, Public Sector Marketing, TD SYNNEX Public Sector. “Our goal throughout RWY was to help partners better understand where opportunity exists and how to move through the market with greater confidence.”
As we look ahead, the opportunity in public sector remains significant, but the expectations are higher.
Success will increasingly be defined by three priorities:
- Simplifying how partners access and transact in public sector
- Aligning the ecosystem to reduce friction and accelerate outcomes
- Continuing to invest in capabilities that help partners scale with confidence
I closed with one final message to attendees:
“Success means partners see us as easier to work with and more important to how they grow in Public Sector. If we are helping partners move faster, reduce friction and deliver better outcomes for public sector customers, then we are on the right path.”
With RWY 2027 heading to Kansas City, the momentum continues—and so does the work to turn complexity into opportunity.
To see more highlights from this year’s event, watch our RWY 2026 video recap on LinkedIn.
