At PartnerTechX, top vendors showed how AI is now foundational to partner management – streamlining operations and accelerating the shift to smarter, automated ecosystems.
Artificial intelligence is moving from concept to execution across the partner ecosystems of major technology vendors. At PartnerTechX – a new channel technology event produced by Baptie & Co. – executives from Microsoft, Google Cloud, NVIDIA, and ServiceNow demonstrated how they are embedding AI – both generative and agentic – into their partner platforms to streamline operations, enhance collaboration, and increase the effectiveness of partner-led growth.
While many in the industry continue to speculate on AI’s transformative potential, these four companies are defining its practical role. Their presentations showed AI not as a vague possibility but as a set of tangible tools designed to automate manual work, reduce complexity, and improve time-to-value for partners.
Microsoft’s Tony Surma, CTO of the Global Partner Solutions organization, underscored what he called the “AI capacity gap” – a shortage of resources that AI can help bridge. “We all wish we had three times as many resources,” he said. “AI gives us a way to do more with the people we have.”
Microsoft is making that possible with tools like Copilot Studio, which allows non-technical staff to create and deploy AI agents. Surma shared an internal use case where an incentive assistant cut the time spent on tactical work by 40% and led to a 50% increase in strategic conversations. “The irony of AI,” he noted, “is that almost everything comes down to a text box. It’s what happens inside the box that matters.”
Surma also encouraged attendees to think about AI use cases on a spectrum – from content summarization to autonomous execution. “Start from the left with the simple stuff,” he said. “How can it retrieve, reason, and summarize? Then think about how it can help you do something – jump-start a task or even complete it. Finally, imagine agents that are running consistently – continuously looking for problems, optimizing decisions, and executing actions.”
One example he shared involved a logistics customer using an AI agent to monitor fee structures in real time and flag anomalies without human intervention. This shift – from assistive to autonomous – reflects Microsoft’s broader goal of transforming partner engagement from static process support to dynamic, AI-powered collaboration.
Google Cloud is taking a lifecycle view of AI integration. Whit Crump, managing director of Partner Ecosystem Architecture there, described the company’s “AI-optimized platform,” powered by custom silicon like TPUs and frameworks like Vertex AI. These technologies support partner-facing tools such as the Delivery Readiness Portal and the Earnings Hub, which offer real-time performance data, alerts, and actionable guidance.
“We’re not just enabling partners to build solutions,” Crump said. “We’re building AI into the operational fabric of how we engage and support them.” He added, “The speed of the industry demands that we make the partner experience faster, smarter, and more profitable.”
NVIDIA is extending AI into the realm of virtual interaction. Stacy Black, senior director of the NVIDIA Partner Network programs, introduced attendees to digital agents that function more like human collaborators than software tools. “Think about offering 24/7 partner service with a virtual assistant that understands multiple languages and shows emotion,” she said.
The company has deployed internal tools like SASSI (Sales Assistant System Intelligent Engine) and external-facing digital humans like “James,” who guides prospective partners through onboarding. “We started with text-based large language models,” Black explained. “Now we're moving into agentic AI with digital humans that can augment teams and automate complex workflows.”
ServiceNow is integrating AI into its own partner relationship management (PRM) platform to reduce friction and support better partner outcomes. Divya Rajagopalan, senior director of Partner Transformation and Insights, described how ServiceNow is using conversational AI agents to simplify key tasks.
“We heard loud and clear from partners: Simplify the process,” she said. The company’s Deal Registration Agent streamlines submissions, edits, and extensions through a guided interface. A separate Customer Success Story Agent helps partners generate post-sales reference content based on deal data – automating a process that often takes weeks.
“We’re not just building tools; we’re rethinking the entire partner experience to make it intuitive, faster, and more rewarding,” Rajagopalan added.
Taken together, the strategies from these four vendors illustrate a shared trajectory: a shift from static, form-driven tools to dynamic, intelligent systems. Microsoft is enabling partners to move from summarization to autonomous execution. Google Cloud is layering AI-driven insights into performance management. NVIDIA is pioneering avatar-based interaction. And ServiceNow is automating both tactical and strategic engagement.
The implications are significant. Tasks that once required human intervention – deal registration, skills development, incentive tracking, and go-to-market planning – are being absorbed by AI. As Surma encouraged during his presentation, the first step is simple: “Try. Load up your documents, load up your data, and start.”
AI is now becoming a staple of channel management systems – integrated not just as a feature, but as a foundation. As vendors refine these tools and expand use cases, the next phase will likely bring deeper automation, predictive insights, and real-time visibility across partner activities. What's emerging is a model in which AI doesn’t just support partner programs – it reshapes how they're designed, executed, and optimized.
