Canalys Forum APAC 2025: Driving AI, Cloud, Cybersecurity, and Partner Transformation

Canalys Forum APAC 2025 concluded in Da Nang, Vietnam, on December 4, bringing together channel partners, vendors, distributors, and analysts to discuss AI acceleration, cybersecurity risks, marketplace disruption, and evolving profitability models. While echoing global themes, APAC discussions highlighted faster regional growth alongside challenges such as talent shortages, margin pressure, and rising customer expectations. VARINDIA spoke with industry leaders on the sidelines to capture key perspectives from the forum.

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Hyperscaler investment and supply constraints are reshaping the AI landscape

STEVE BRAZIER
CO-FOUNDER, CANAPII, AND INFORMA FELLOW

Brazier said the AI market is undergoing major shifts driven by hyperscale investment, government-led initiatives, and changing enterprise adoption patterns. He noted that AI is no longer limited to consumer applications, with governments increasingly investing in cybersecurity, defence, and sovereign cloud projects, led by China, followed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and India.

Brazier said hyperscaler-led expansion is reshaping the semiconductor ecosystem. While Nvidia continues to dominate GPUs, hyperscalers are pursuing greater autonomy through custom silicon and partnerships with alternative vendors. He added that enterprises are also seeing new models such as “AI factories,” enabling deeper integration across the stack. However, Brazier warned of emerging challenges, including a potential global DRAM shortage through 2026, which could constrain PC and server supply. He said enterprise AI adoption remains cautious due to legal, compliance, and data privacy concerns. Brazier concluded that organisations must adopt a software-first mindset to succeed in an AI-driven market.

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Canalys serves as more than just a networking platform for Dell Technologies

RAVI BHARADWAJ
VICE PRESIDENT, PARTNER ECOSYSTEM - APJC, DELL TECHNOLOGIES

Bharadwaj said Canalys serves as a key platform for Dell Technologies to build connections across its partner ecosystem, beyond being just a networking forum. He noted the event is also used to announce changes within the partner ecosystem and enables direct engagement with all stakeholders, including global partners. Whether it involves marketing initiatives or updates to Dell Technologies’ partner programmes, the company ensures communication is delivered consistently at a global level through platforms like Canalys.

He said the APJ landscape is changing significantly and positively, with adoption gaining momentum across artificial intelligence, PC refresh cycles, data centre modernisation and consolidation, cybersecurity, and multi-cloud. Bharadwaj added that these developments signal strong opportunities for both partners and businesses in the region.

Highlighting growth across APJ, including India, he said Dell Technologies focuses on areas where it can accelerate growth. By enabling partners to explore these opportunities deeply, the company aims to strengthen partner capabilities and deliver better outcomes for end customers.

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Canalys helps to unfold the next phase of growth for Redington

PUNEET CHADHA
GLOBAL CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, REDINGTON

Chadha said Redington has been a core partner for Canalys for many years, with the forum consistently providing an opportunity to engage closely with its partner ecosystem. He noted that interactions with global partners at the event help Redington better understand the challenges they face, as well as the opportunities that different markets present.

Chadha added that these insights are crucial in shaping partner-focused policies, particularly around addressing partners’ pain points and identifying key growth areas. “The inputs we gather through such engagements play an important role in guiding how we support and enable our partners,” he said.

He further emphasized that beyond networking, the forum  strongly  highlights  emerging  technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, and cybersecurity. Chadha noted it demonstrates how businesses and corporates can collaborate in these domains, while also underlining the importance of partners developing their skill sets. This approach moves beyond transactional engagements, enabling the next phase of transformative growth for both partners and their professional development.

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Canalys underscores strong AI momentum, cybersecurity focus

RAHUL PAREKH
MARKETING HEAD, SHEELTRON DIGITAL SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.

Parekh said the Canalys Forum APAC 2025 reflected a clear shift in industry priorities, with artificial intelligence and cybersecurity dominating discussions more than ever. Attending the forum for the fifth time, Parekh noted that while AI has gained momentum over the past two years, the increasing focus on cybersecurity alongside AI stood out this year, along with the continued relevance of Canalys CEO Steve Brazier’s strategic insights.

Parekh highlighted AI as a core pillar of Sheeltron’s service portfolio, citing the company’s involvement in one of Asia’s largest AI deployments and its strong focus on NVIDIA-led professional services. He acknowledged strong vendor support in accelerating AI-led transformation, particularly in bill-of-material (BOM) design,
training, and workforce upskilling.

Addressing challenges, Parekh pointed to rising hardware costs as a key barrier to advanced digital transformation projects, though OEM collaboration has helped mitigate complexities. He said Sheeltron differentiates itself through end-to-end services, nationwide coverage, and multilingual remote support. Looking ahead, Parekh stressed the need for hands-on AI and infrastructure training, while underscoring cybersecurity as a critical takeaway from the forum.

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AI investment and partner readiness come to fore at Canalys

NITIN ALSHI
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SWAN SOLUTIONS & SERVICES PVT. LTD.

Alshi said this edition of Canalys Forum provided valuable clarity on where technology investments and partner ecosystems are heading, particularly across AI, cloud, and security. Attending the forum for the second time, Alshi noted that discussions reinforced the need for partners to proactively invest, as AI adoption is inevitable but still evolving in terms of execution and clarity.

He said enterprises are keen on AI but remain uncertain about strategy, data readiness, and long-term platforms, creating both challenges and opportunities for partners. Swan Solutions has begun building dedicated internal teams to guide customers through AI strategy and gradual adoption, positioning itself as a long-term transformation partner rather than a transactional vendor.

Alshi identified scale, investment readiness, and execution complexity as key barriers to advanced digital transformation, noting that partners often need to co-invest alongside customers in early stages. He said Swan’s vertical-focused approach—spanning BFSI, mid- market, and SMB segments—has driven strong growth over recent years. Looking ahead, Alshi stressed adaptability, customer-centric skills, and ecosystem collaboration as critical capabilities for partners to remain competitive.

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AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure take center stage at APAC Forum

KOTA SUBRAHMANYA
CEO, CENTRAL DATA SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.

Subrahmanya highlighted key insights from the forum, emphasizing the growing importance of AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure for partners. Having attended the forum since its inception, Subrahmanya noted that while the format remains channel-focused, the relevance of emerging technologies has significantly increased, particularly in AI adoption and readiness for enterprise demands.

He explained that AI is reshaping Central Data Systems’ service offerings, with the company seeking vendor- led solutions that create new revenue streams while enhancing customer relevance. A significant barrier, he noted, is the skill gap in AI and digital transformation, which he believes vendors and OEMs can help bridge to enable partners to meet complex customer requirements.

Subrahmanya said Central Data Systems differentiates itself by addressing not only IT infrastructure but also non-IT aspects, including power solutions, data center builds, and sustainability initiatives. Looking ahead, he identified AI, cybersecurity, and data center infrastructure as critical focus areas for partners to stay competitive, underscoring the opportunities for growth through strategic OEM collaborations.

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Supply chain risks and AI adoption dominate partner concerns at Canalys

NARASIMHA MURTHY
FOUNDER & CEO, CONNECTIVITY IT SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD.

Murthy said the APAC forum surfaced both opportunities and near-term risks for channel partners, particularly around supply chains and AI adoption. A regular attendee since 2016, Murthy highlighted concerns stemming from forecasts of DRAM shortages, warning that delivery delays—especially from December onwards—could significantly impact partner commitments, particularly in public sector projects where penalties for delays are stringent.

Murthy noted that artificial intelligence dominated discussions at the forum, reflecting its growing importance across customer conversations. While partners are actively exploring AI, he said the key challenge lies in identifying viable use cases and successfully taking them to market. He said sessions encouraging experimentation—testing, learning quickly, and moving on if needed—offered practical guidance.

On execution challenges, Murthy identified talent enablement as a major barrier, citing rapid technology shifts and limited distributor capacity to support a wide range of OEMs. He advocated a more focused OEM strategy and greater collaboration among partners, stressing that integrated, co-created approaches—facilitated by OEMs—will be critical to addressing market complexities and delivering outcome-driven solutions.