In 2026, channel budgets will remain under pressure. Channelnomics estimates that vendor spending on channel programs and related activities will increase by less than 5% on average this year. Nearly half of all IT vendors, regardless of category, are expected to see their channel budgets decline.
As a result, pressure is mounting on channel chiefs to optimize operations amid shrinking budgets for staffing, systems, and other investments. At the same time, channel leaders tell Channelnomics that they’re under equal — if not greater — pressure to increase channel productivity and operational efficiency.
In other words, leadership is asking them to do more with less — a paradox, to be sure.
The answer, however, increasingly lies in automation. In2026, channel teams are expected to increase investments in channel management automation (CMA) — sometimes referred to as partner technology — to streamline processes, reduce human-intensive labor, and free resources for revenue-producing activities with partners.
Most CMA investment is flowing toward the improvement and expansion of existing systems, which many vendors view as the path of least resistance and the fastest route to near-term impact. In select categories, though, vendors are allocating limited budgets toward the adoption of new technologies focused on partner relationship management, incentive management, and hyperscaler engagement.
In addition, many vendors are evaluating account-mapping and ecosystem co-selling enablement platforms to stimulate and facilitate sales across multiple brands and partners.
Based on trending data and feedback from more than 750channel practitioners, Channelnomics has identified the estimated channel automation investment trends for 2026. The full data set is available exclusively to CiQ members. Log in to download the data sheet.