[Opinion | Channel Guru] The Copilot conundrum: Why deployment is just 10% of the tech partner opportunity

If you're a technology partner right now, you're most likely hearing the same question in every client meeting: "How should we implement Copilot and AI agents?" It's the tech equivalent of being asked about your cloud strategy five years ago—table stakes, not a differentiator.

But here's what many clients aren't asking yet—and what will separate the leaders from the followers in the partner ecosystem: "Once we have dozens or hundreds of AI agents deployed, who's going to orchestrate this digital workforce?"

While many organisations are still debating the role of AI, forward-thinking leaders like Shopify's CEO Tobi Lütke are already making AI proficiency a baseline expectation. In a recent memo that had a significant impact across the tech industry, Lütke declared that "reflexive AI usage" is now a fundamental requirement for all Shopify employees—not just developers or data scientists, but everyone from marketing to leadership. Even more striking: teams must now prove a job cannot be done by AI before hiring new staff.

Beyond Deployment: The Real AI Challenge

The numbers paint a compelling picture: over 160,000 Microsoft customers have built 400,000 agents in just three months. AI agents aren't coming—they've arrived. But this explosive growth has created a new set of challenges that deployment expertise alone won't solve.

The truth is, any partner with Microsoft competencies can help deploy Copilot. But when every organisation has access to the same AI capabilities, implementation becomes a commodity. The real value lies in what happens next.

The New Partner Mandate: Orchestration

Think of AI agents as a new kind of digital workforce—one that's proliferating faster than any human team ever could. Now imagine that workforce with no management structure, inconsistent security protocols, and no integration between teams. That's the reality many organisations face with their growing ecosystem of AI agents.

This is where partners have a unique opportunity to step in. The conversation needs to shift from "How do we deploy agents?" to "How do we orchestrate them as a cohesive, secure, and effective system?"

Partners who can build comprehensive orchestration layers—connecting agents across platforms, establishing governance frameworks, and integrating them with existing systems like UiPath for process automation—will deliver transformative value.

The Shopify example points to a critical question partners should be asking clients: "What would this business area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?" This isn't a theoretical exercise—it's becoming the new baseline for organizational planning. Partners who can help clients reimagine their operations through this lens will lead the next wave of digital transformation.

Differentiation Through Customisation

Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella proclaimed that "there will soon be an agent for every task." But generic, out-of-the-box agents won't drive competitive advantage. The real opportunity lies in customisation.

Many successful partners are already:

• Building agents tailored to industry-specific processes and knowledge domains
• Creating custom agents that leverage proprietary client data and unique business processes
• Designing agent ecosystems that work together across departments and functions
• Integrating agents with legacy systems that contain critical business logic

A healthcare provider doesn't need the same agent capabilities as a manufacturing firm. Partners who understand both the technology and the business context will create agents that don't just complete tasks but transform operations.

The Trust Imperative

One of the most crucial pieces in this puzzle is trust. As AI agents gain autonomy, questions of security, compliance, and ethics move from IT concerns to board-level priorities.

Partners have a unique opportunity to lead here by:

• Implementing "human-in-the-loop" controls that balance automation with oversight
• Establishing governance frameworks for agent deployment and management
• Ensuring compliance with industry regulations and data privacy requirements
• Building transparent systems where agent actions and decisions can be audited

Organizations are rightfully cautious about turning over sensitive operations to AI agents. Partners who can address these concerns with robust solutions will win lasting relationships.

From Commodity to Competitive Advantage

Many in the partner ecosystem are facing a strategic choice. Those who focus solely on implementation will find themselves competing on price in an increasingly crowded market. But those who help clients orchestrate their agent workforce, differentiate through customisation, and build trust through governance will transform AI agents from a commodity into a competitive advantage.

Having worked alongside technology partners who are navigating this transition, I've seen firsthand how the most successful are forming strategic collaborations—combining technical expertise with business transformation capabilities. These partnerships create the comprehensive skillset needed to move beyond deployment and truly transform how clients work.

The most successful partners will be those who can say: "Anyone can deploy an agent, but we'll help you build an agent ecosystem that transforms your business."

In a world where everyone has access to AI, the question isn't whether to deploy agents—it's who will orchestrate the orchestra. That's where partners can lead.

The Cultural Shift: AI as Multiplier

Perhaps the most profound insight from Shopify's approach is Lütke's framing of AI not just as a tool but as a "multiplier" for work. He's made AI proficiency a performance metric and expects continuous experimentation and knowledge sharing around AI usage.

This signals a fundamental cultural shift that partners must help their clients navigate. Beyond deployment and orchestration lies the challenge of fostering an organizational mindset where AI agents are reflexively considered for every task. Partners who help guide this cultural transformation—helping clients reskill teams, reimagine workflows, and establish new measures of productivity—are likely to build deeper relationships that extend far beyond technology implementation.

In my work consulting with technology partners on AI strategy, I've observed that the questions organisations struggle with most aren't technical but transformational: "How do we identify the highest-impact opportunities for AI agents?" "How do we measure success beyond cost reduction?" "How do we build internal capabilities that keep pace with the technology?" These are precisely the areas where partners who bring both technical and change management expertise can deliver exceptional value.

As Lütke put it to his team, learning to use AI effectively is now as fundamental as knowing how to use a computer. For technology partners, helping clients make this transition isn't just an opportunity—it's becoming the price of admission.

Daniel Anderson is a Microsoft MVP (SharePoint and Copilot) and Daniel Anderson Consulting. He has extensive experience working with technology partners on AI strategy and implementation, helping them move beyond deployment to deliver transformative business outcomes for their clients. Interested in exchanging ideas on developing your partner strategy for AI agents and Copilot? Connect with Daniel.

Daniel is also a member of the Channel Guru advisory team. Visit channelguru.com and register your interest to lock in early access and a special introductory offer when Channel Guru launches.