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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing channel opportunity, with an increasing number of vendors developing products and raising customer awareness around the technology. The topic received plenty of focus in sessions at the Canalys Forum EMEA 2023, with both analysts and vendors talking up the prospects for AI to make a positive difference to partners. Jay McBain, chief analyst at Canalys, said the AI trend was being pitched as an ecosystem play from the start, which would enable the channel to take a slice of what was seen as a significant opportunity. “This year alone, there’s $15bn in channel services wrapped around generative AI. Moving forward five years, the opportunity becomes $158bn in annual compounded growth rate of 59.3%,” he said. “For all the technologies on the emerging side, over the last 20 years, none of them have presented an internal opportunity at the scale of what generative AI does,” added McBain. There are channel revenue opportunities around generative AI consulting, design, building the ...