In an interview with one of the UK’s leading channel news sites, CRN, David Watts, TD SYNNEX senior regional director and managing director UK&I, outlined the company’s current plans and commitments to AI and the different ways in which it is supporting partners as they seek ways to realise the potential business opportunities of the technology.
► Interview highlights TD SYNNEX focus on supporting partners in driving value for customers from AI
► Important to have data storage and security in the right place before implementation
Discussing the potential for partners to add value around the technology, David Watts stated: ‘Selling AI isn’t just about the technology—it’s about the services and support around it. For example, small businesses often lack the resources to enable these tools independently. That’s where the value lies: in consulting, training, and helping customers align the technology with their needs. If done right, the added value of these services can far exceed the cost of the Copilot license itself. The same was true for cloud adoption, and now it’s essential for AI. Success comes from providing not just the tool but the tailored solutions and education that make it effective."
With the Destination AI programme, TD SYNNEX is providing a simple way to learn about and take AI solutions to market. This is structured as a four-stage journey, taking partners through awareness and enablement phases, before equipping them for the sales and after-sales stages.
On the company’s own phased rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot, he emphasised how this had highlighted the need to lay the groundwork for AI rollouts.
‘One critical insight we’ve gained is that data governance and security need to be in place before deploying AI solutions. Working closely with Microsoft, we ensured our data storage and policies were set up to safeguard sensitive information. It’s not just about preventing data breaches but also ensuring that Copilot doesn’t produce inaccurate or unintended results due to improper data handling.
“This is also a major concern for our customers—they may not be ready to deploy AI yet,but ensuring their data posture is sound is a vital first step."
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