The Buzz: Google Cloud launches Partner Network, Microsoft and OpenAI alter revenue share, and Guardz highlights non-human identity threat

Welcome to The Buzz from ChannelBuzz.ca, I’m Robert Dutt, today is Wednesday, April 29th, and here’s what’s happening in the channel today.

Google Cloud has officially launched its new Google Cloud Partner Network, formalizing a shift in how the provider interacts with its channel ecosystem. According to the company, the rollout is designed to streamline partner engagement and capitalize on solution providers looking to diversify their cloud infrastructure bets away from Microsoft’s dominant ecosystem. The new structure represents a strategic realignment for the hyperscaler, providing clearer pathways for partners building out generative AI and data analytics practices. For Canadian solution providers, the formalized program offers a tangible secondary option in the cloud space. Having a strong alternative ecosystem provides crucial leverage in vendor negotiations and gives MSPs a viable path for clients who are seeking different commercial models for their AI transformations or are wary of vendor lock-in.

Microsoft and OpenAI have altered the terms of their landmark partnership, including significant revisions to their revenue-sharing agreements. The move signals a shift in the underlying dynamics of the tech industry’s most closely watched artificial intelligence alliance. While the specific financial splits remain undisclosed, the restructuring points to a maturation of the relationship as both companies seek to maximize their returns on massive infrastructure investments. This realignment happens just as both vendors are aggressively expanding their respective channel footprints. The economics forged at the top of this partnership will inevitably dictate the pricing, packaging, and margin opportunities available to the broader ecosystem. Canadian MSPs building practices around Microsoft Copilot, or those exploring OpenAI’s recent moves to build a dedicated channel program, need to monitor these developments closely. When tier-one vendors adjust their revenue expectations, those shifts frequently cascade down to partner profitability.

Cybersecurity provider Guardz has released its 2026 MSP Threat Report, highlighting how AI-driven attacks are reshaping the threat landscape. According to the report released yesterday, non-human identities now outnumber human users by a ratio of 25 to one across client environments. This expansion is being actively exploited by threat actors, who are using AI to accelerate attacks targeting identity, email, and cloud infrastructure. The data indicates that traditional perimeter defenses are increasingly being bypassed by attackers leveraging unmonitored service accounts and API keys. This is a shift that lands directly on the service desk. Securing human endpoints and implementing standard multi-factor authentication is no longer sufficient. Solution providers now have to govern the massive web of non-human identities accessing their clients’ data. This represents a significant vulnerability that requires immediate remediation, but it also opens a distinct avenue to expand managed security practices around comprehensive identity and access management.

Later today on In The Channel, we’re talking about the seven deadly sins of SMB cybersecurity. Michael Crean, senior vice president and general manager of managed security services at SonicWall, joins the show to discuss the 2026 Cyber Protect Report and why MSPs need to stop ignoring the fundamentals.

And if you haven’t heard it yet, yesterday’s episode features a conversation on why networking is not sexy until it doesn’t work. Doug Houghton, director of global channels at Alkira, explains why legacy networks weren’t designed for the elasticity demanded by today’s AI workloads.

That’s how we’re seeing the headlines today. I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, thanks for listening. Have a great day.