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<\/p>\n\u2018How do I completely reimagine the business process through agent-ification? That\u2019s a very material paradigm shift,\u2019 says Kevin Ichhpurani, president of Google Cloud\u2019s global ecosystem.<\/p>\n
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Google Cloud executives are calling the vendor\u2019s new $750 million fund of new resources and incentives available to its 120,000-member ecosystem \u201can unprecedented investment in partner success\u201d as the vendor looks for ways to better enable solution providers to meet artificial intelligence demand and opportunity.<\/p>\n
Kevin Ichhpurani, president of Google Cloud\u2019s global ecosystem, told CRN in an interview as the Mountain View, Calif.-based artificial intelligence and cloud giant concluded its annual Google Cloud Next 2026 event in Las Vegas that the fund should help solution providers adjust to how AI and AI agents are changing channel economics.<\/p>\n
\u201c(In) the old paradigm it was, let me digitize a process that already existed,\u201d Ichhpurani said. \u201cHere are all the technical skills you need. Here\u2019s your rate card. In the new paradigm, the engagement with the customer is very different. The customer is looking for an outcome. So you start looking at different business outcomes the customer needs. Then how do I completely reimagine the business process through agent-ification? That\u2019s a very material paradigm shift.\u201d<\/p>\n
[RELATED: 5 Big Google Cloud Security And Wiz Announcements At Next 2026<\/a>]<\/p>\n Google Cloud Next 2026: What Partners Need To Know<\/p>\n Peter FitzGibbon, senior vice president and head of the Google solution line at Insight Enterprises\u2014No. 20 on CRN\u2019s 2025 Solution Provider 500<\/a>\u2014told CRN in an interview that growing adoption around Google\u2019s Gemini Enterprise offering is one of the biggest business drivers for his practice in recent months.<\/p>\n For Insight, opportunities exist around unlocking Gemini Enterprise\u2019s value for customers, helping them handle employee training and change management plus establishing governance around Gemini Enterprise, FitzGibbon said.<\/p>\n Gemini Enterprise has already<\/a> sold more than 8 million paid seats, according to the vendor.<\/p>\n \u201cAgentic development has absolutely gone mainstream,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is no more tire-kicking going on like we had in 2024 and \u201925. The customers that are leaning into it are leaning into it hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Partners continue to play a major role in Google\u2019s business, Ichhpurani said. About 80 percent of incremental revenue for Google Cloud has come thanks to partners, Ichhpurani said. The marketplace co-sell business grew 90 percent. Partner-related bookings more than doubled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat bodes well for future growth for all of us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n David Smith, Google\u2019s recently appointed channel chief and head of partner programs who came to the AI and cloud giant after about 30 years with rival Microsoft, told CRN in an interview that Google is infusing AI tooling into its partner program to make it the most agentic one available to any solution provider.<\/p>\n In addition to exploring features such as AI-generated statements of work (SOWs), Google has a vision for 90-day agentic transformation sprints rather than an annual cadence of innovation, Smith said. Partners can expect more competencies to help them skill up and differentiate themselves from others in the ecosystem.<\/p>\n Smith said the event put him closer to his goal of meeting 500 Google partners in his first 100 days on the new job. He met with about 200 partners in two days of Google Cloud Next 2026.<\/p>\n