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AI, cybersecurity spell channel opportunity amid economic and IT workforce challenges, new research from GTIA reports

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Annual “State of the Channel 2025” report from the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) details new dynamics and trends in the global market for technology products and services.

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The need for robust IT services continues to fuel success for channel providers of all sizes, from the largest integrators to the smallest MSPs and solution providers, because customers increasingly need expertise and guidance around their technology strategies and investments, according to a new report from the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), the nonprofit membership community connecting and representing the worldwide IT channel. 

Demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technology is up across the channel, notably in revenue-driving activities.

GTIA’s “State of the Channel 2025” reveals that demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technology is up across the channel, notably in revenue-driving activities, and nearly six in 10 companies [1] surveyed see technology’s growing complexity as the top factor driving customer demand for the channel’s expertise, continuing a trend from last year.

“The channel will continue its adoption of new technologies like AI, while upping its game in disciplines like cybersecurity where more complex and ubiquitous threats continue to vex the business and consumer markets,” says Carolyn April, vice president of research and market intelligence, GTIA. “That complexity will continue to accelerate, driving demand for support across many of these new and other emerging areas too. That will open more doors for the channel.”

Global IT spending is predicted to rise by 9.8% from 2024, reaching an estimated $5.61 trillion this year. Similarly, spending on IT services is also expected to increase by 9% worldwide, reaching $1.73 trillion. [2]

Aligning with these projections, half of North American channel firms anticipate significant AI-driven sales growth in the next two years, up from one-third last year, surpassing cybersecurity as the predicted leader of revenue growth. This shift underscores AI’s progression and expanding presence within the channel. At the same time, GTIA reports that four in 10 U.S. channel firms expect strong financial gains from cybersecurity and cloud services in the next two years, highlighting continued trends in consumer demand.

Survey respondents identified adoption of AI tools and cybersecurity services demand each at 49%, followed by continued cloud adoption at 47% as top-ranked health drivers to the IT channel. However, external challenges were identified as a top obstacle to channel health at 44% in 2025, as channel companies remain highly conscious of looming economic instability that could curb consumer spending.

As demand for channel services grows—particularly in fields like cloud computing, cybersecurity and AI —firms are facing increased strain on capacity and resources. At the same time, workforce skills shortages have surged in concern, now cited by nearly four in 10 channel companies as an inhibitor to success.

Amid heightened external challenges, North American channel firms maintain a positive outlook for 2025, but opinions are split in their interpretations of the year ahead—half characterize the channel as “relevant and holding steady” while the other half describe it as “healthy and changing rapidly.” This division illustrates the industry’s complexity with company size, location and service offerings playing key roles in shaping experiences.

Despite these varied perspectives, according to GTIA’s new report, many channel companies are meeting or exceeding their business expectations. In fact, 30% of U.S. channel firms say they are ahead of pace for business goals and financial health this year, while a narrow majority at 53% say they are on target.

GTIA’s “State of the Channel 2025” report is based on a survey of 1,042 channel company executives and owners conducted in December 2024. To download the full report and access additional research reports, go to gtia.org/resources.

[1] GTIA’s “State of the Channel 2025” is based on a survey of 1,042 channel executives in North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), ASEAN (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos), and ANZ (Australia and New Zealand).

[2] “Gartner Forecasts Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 9.8% in 2025,” Gartner, Jan. 21, 2025.

About the Global Technology Industry Association 

The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) is the only vendor-neutral, 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership community connecting and representing the worldwide IT channel. We set our members up for success by providing benefits that include trusted resources and networking opportunities. In addition, the association sets industry standards that enable companies to build sustainable, secure and profitable businesses in an ever-changing technology landscape. Internationally, GTIA represents tens of thousands of professionals from more than 2,000 MSPs, solution providers, vendors, distributors and other companies serving the IT channel. Formerly released under the CompTIA brand, this is the first State of the Channel Report since the association changed its name. GTIA was formerly known as the CompTIA Community (the membership arm of CompTIA). For more information, visit gtia.org.

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SOURCE Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA)

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HKAGE Showcases Gifted Students’ Learning Journeys at InnoCarnival 2026

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Promoting “Technology for Good” Through Innovation and Creativity 

HONG KONG, Oct. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) has been invited to participate in InnoCarnival 2026, organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission. Under the theme “Technology for Good, Innovation for All”, HKAGE will showcase the learning journeys of gifted students who have completed programmes on AI robotic arms, underwater archaeology, etc., demonstrating how technology can be harnessed to address societal needs.

Having proactively aligned its work with the education development strategies of the Education Bureau (EDB), HKAGE fully supports the EDB’s Blueprint for Digital Education in Primary and Secondary Schools, which seeks to advance the digital transformation of school education in Hong Kong. Building on its Talent Development Model, HKAGE systematically develops programmes, provides diversified learning experiences and engages in cross-sector collaborations to nurture gifted talents equipped with innovative capabilities, technological literacy, and a strong sense of social responsibility. At the exhibition this year, HKAGE will present how students applied knowledge gained through gifted education programmes and learning experiences in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, environmental science, underwater archaeology and sustainable development to design socially conscious solutions. These experiences reflect the students’ ability to serve society with knowledge and respond creatively to diverse challenges.

Among the highlights is the learning journey of students in the “Artificial Intelligence Course: Creative AI Robotic Arm for Inclusion”. After acquiring foundational knowledge in artificial intelligence, robotics and sensor applications, students designed, tested and refined intelligent robotic arm prototypes through real-time data analysis and algorithms. With the aim of improving the quality of life for the elderly and caregivers, students explored various application scenarios for intelligent robotic arms. Another showcase features the “Environmental Science Course: Bat Echoes – Voices of the Night”. Through acoustic monitoring, the exhibition demonstrates how students recorded bat voices and analysed related activity data and characteristics. The programme enabled students to gain a deeper understanding of local biodiversity and explore practical approaches to ecological conservation.

The HKAGE exhibition booth also features an interactive photo-taking device, allowing visitors to take photos with different gifted programme themes and share the joy of learning.

On the first day of the exhibition, a “Build Your Own Glider Parent-Child Workshop” is specially organised by HKAGE for the visitors. Under the guidance of instructors and assisted by HKAGE students, participants will learn the basic principles of aerodynamics, including lift, gravity, thrust and drag. They will also learn to design, assemble and decorate their own gliders by using lightweight and durable materials, experiencing the joy of science and engineering.

Mr WONG Chung Po, Acting Executive Director of HKAGE, said: “The Academy is committed to providing gifted students with diversified learning platforms and encouraging them to transform knowledge into innovative practices that generate positive social impact. Participation in this exhibition not only provides students with a valuable learning experience that helps consolidate the knowledge acquired in gifted programmes, but also enables the public to better understand how gifted education nurtures a new generation of creative and socially responsible talents to jointly advance the philosophy of ‘Technology for Good’.”

InnoCarnival 2026 – The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education

Date:

24 Oct – 1 Nov

Venue:

The Hong Kong Science Park

Booth:

C08-09

Time:

10:00 – 17:00 (Mon to Fri)

10:00 – 18:00 (Sat & Sun)

 

About the HKAGE

Established in 2008 and subvented by the Education Bureau, the HKAGE offers gifted education services actively to local primary and secondary school students to unleash their potential. It also provides gifted education-related information and support for teachers, parents, and other relevant stakeholders.

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SOURCE Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education

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LEAP Group Relaunches HumanView, a Growth Intelligence System Built to Explain Why Customers Behave the Way They Do

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Reimagined from the ground up, HumanView pairs statistical modeling with expert analysts to turn millions of real-world customer signals into business decisions

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LEAP Group today announced the relaunch of HumanView, its growth intelligence service. The new version has been rebuilt from the ground up and now has a dedicated home at leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

HumanView analyzes what customers say and do across social platforms, e-commerce sites, review platforms, search behavior and user-generated content, including signals from Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Amazon and Walmart+ that general AI tools cannot always access. Because the data reflects unprompted, real-world behavior, it avoids the response bias built into surveys and focus groups.

The service works in three layers. HumanView captures signals at scale, decodes millions of records through validated statistical models such as regression, correlation and clustering, and then relies on experienced analysts to interpret the patterns. Clients receive clear, human-validated insights instead of another dashboard.

“Machines find the patterns. Humans find the point,” said Alan Gilleo, CEO at LEAP Group. “The first version of HumanView showed us how much customers reveal when nobody is asking them questions. This version is built to explain why they act the way they do, and to put those answers in front of everyone making decisions, from product to service to marketing.”

HumanView focuses on three areas:

Growth Intelligence: customer motivations and how people perceive a brand and its competitors

Market and Category Intelligence: product pain points, service friction, unmet needs and competitive gaps

Audience Intelligence: new segments, positioning opportunities and gaps in the market

Every model is designed and validated by data scientists and benchmarked before it informs a recommendation.

To learn more about HumanView, visit leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

About LEAP Group
LEAP Group is a boutique marketing agency holding company with offices in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Chicago. Guided by the belief that brands should “Market Less. Matter More.,” LEAP gives clients access to specialized experts across its entire network. Learn more at leapgroupnetwork.com.

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SOURCE LEAP Group

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STEPHEN A. SMITH ADDRESSES WHITE HOUSE DINNER ATTENDANCE, REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HBCUs AND PROTECTING CORPORATE INVESTMENT IN BLACK EDUCATION

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NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stephen A. Smith, media mogul, New York Times bestselling author, and proud 1991 graduate of Winston-Salem State University, is addressing the public discussion surrounding his decision to attend a White House dinner with President Donald Trump, emphasizing his commitment to the long-term financial stability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

For Smith, the decision was rooted in a commitment to institutions that have educated generations of Black leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and public servants.

“I will always advocate for HBCUs and the students whose futures depend on them,” Smith said. “My reason for attending the White House dinner was to discuss the challenges these institutions face in securing long-term funding and to make the case that corporate America must continue to invest in them.”

Smith acknowledged federal support through the FUTURE Act while expressing concern that political tensions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) could discourage private companies from supporting HBCUs. He maintains that these institutions deserve sustained corporate partnerships, philanthropic contributions, and public investment.

“If we truly believe in free-market capitalism, businesses should be able to support educational institutions and charitable causes without fear of criticism or repercussions,” Smith said. “HBCUs have made extraordinary contributions to this country. They deserve sustained public and private investment.”

Ashley Christopher, Esq., Founder and CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation, recognized Smith’s advocacy and decision to engage with the administration.

“Stephen A. Smith has been a powerful advocate for HBCUs, using his platform and influence to shine a national spotlight on our institutions,” expressed Christopher, “His continued support of HBCU Week helps advance our mission of connecting students with life-changing educational opportunities, and we are proud to have him as our ambassador.”

Since Smith became an HBCU Week Ambassador in 2019, the initiative has facilitated more than 15,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and raised and awarded more than $150 million in scholarships, according to the HBCU Week Foundation.

As public discussion continues, Smith is emphasizing the importance of ensuring HBCUs have the resources and partnerships needed to educate future generations and expand opportunities for students.

CLICK HERE to watch Smith’s full response to his White House visit.

MEDIA CONTACT:

media@mrsasinc.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stephen-a-smith-addresses-white-house-dinner-attendance-reaffirms-commitment-to-hbcus-and-protecting-corporate-investment-in-black-education-302918547.html

SOURCE Straight Shooter Media

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