The new program brings together Sophos’ and Secureworks’ global partners into one integrated, high-performance ecosystem and builds on Sophos’ award-winning program that is trusted by more than 25,000 partners globally.

“The new Sophos Partner Program is designed to reflect the way partners want to build and scale their business today,” said Chris Bell, Senior Vice President of Global Channel, Alliances and Corporate Development. “It offers a flexible and profitable path to growth, whether partners are expanding their managed services, launching cybersecurity advisory offerings or scaling existing practices. With this program, we’re doubling down on our commitment to deliver the tools, incentives and support that help our partners lead in a rapidly evolving cybersecurity market.”

This launch marks a significant expansion in the services and support available to partners. By combining the strengths of Sophos and Secureworks, the new program makes it easier for partners to deliver next-generation security outcomes faster, more profitably and at scale.

Research from Canalys shows that for every $1 spent on cybersecurity products, customers invest an additional $2 on services delivered by partners – highlighting the growing demand for partner-led services and the opportunity to generate new revenue streams through high-value expertise and support.

With complex threats on the rise and vendor consolidation becoming more common, partners are more essential than ever in helping customers navigate cybersecurity decisions.

With the new Sophos Partner Program, partners can develop programs and services that align with their unique business models and go-to-market strategies, whether they are a managed services provider, reseller, cyber insurance partner, systems integrator or another partner in the ecosystem.

The new Sophos Partner Program helps partners to build their cybersecurity business, grow their revenue and retain their customers through:

• A unified portfolio for market advantage: Following Sophos’ acquisition of Secureworks, the new program unifies two world-class partner ecosystems into a single, streamlined platform – unlocking seamless selling across the full portfolio. Partners benefit from expanded opportunities to boost profitability and drive revenue, with access to a comprehensive portfolio spanning industry-leading endpoint, network, email, cloud security, XDR/MDR, Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) and next-gen SIEM – all centrally managed through the Sophos Central platform and complemented by premier advisory and consulting services.
• A future-focused growth framework: Built for scale and profitability, empowering partners to grow faster and more efficiently through revenue multipliers, volume discounts and flexible billing. Partners gain access to high-value incentives, integrated sales and marketing resources, and advanced enablement through Sophos Academy’s new MDR Guided Onboarding and sales quick-start certifications.
• Enhanced customer and partner success: Access to new resources designed to help partners deepen customer relationships, accelerate solution adoption and improve retention, while delivering superior cybersecurity outcomes for their customers. The program also provides expanded access to Partner Care, Renewal, and Customer Success teams, as well as free certification training for the entire partner community.
• Simplified, faster ways to win business: Partners gain access to additional tools that make it easy to sell and grow their business, including an innovative AI Sales Assistant that provides real-time guidance on portal navigation, resource location and sales insights. The partner portal experience is further enhanced with improved guided quoting, device and license management, opportunity management, and compliance dashboards.

“Sophos’ new Partner Program is designed to incentivize partners to grow,” continues Bell. “It offers partners everything they need to succeed, drive bottom-line revenue, fuel excellence for mutual customers and stand out in a crowded, competitive market. It’s a way to continue to deliver on our promise to partners and build the best cybersecurity products, services and processes with our partners in mind.”

What Sophos Partners Are Saying

“Sophos’ acquisition of Secureworks and the ability to sell across both legacy portfolios is a significant opportunity for our business. We’re excited to be able to offer next-generation SIEM through a partner we trust. This will enable us to differentiate and win more deals on day one, especially with healthcare and manufacturing customers. The ability to offer cybersecurity services provided through Secureworks will also save us significant time and energy that would have gone into expanding our in-house services. Coupled with portal changes that accelerate quoting and deliver in-depth snapshots of customer information, the new program will be a critical enabler for our sales and operations teams to meet our aggressive growth goals.” – Dave Peck, president and CEO at Trebron IT and Cybersecurity

“As a longtime Sophos partner, the company’s security solutions continue to be foundational to how we protect our customers. Sophos has consistently demonstrated that they are committed to helping us grow, which shows in its new Partner Program. The combined Sophos and Secureworks portfolios will further strengthen our defenses, uncover new business opportunities and help us stand out in the market. We’re also encouraged by continued innovation in Sophos Central – especially enhancements like the AI Sales Assistant and the updated portal, which simplify self-service and accelerate how Softchoice and our customers do business.” – Andrew Campbell, Director of Security Category at Softchoice 

According to the latest Canalys data, the PC market achieved its fifth consecutive quarter of growth in Q4, with total shipments of desktops, notebooks and workstations rising 4.6% to 67.4 million units.

Notebook shipments (including mobile workstations) reached 53.7 million units, growing 6.2%. While desktops (including desktop workstations) shipments fell 1.4% to 13.7 million units.

2025 is expected to be a year of accelerating growth as the Windows 10 end-of-support deadline in October pushes hundreds of millions of PC users to refresh their devices.

“2024 was a year of modest recovery and a return to traditional seasonality for the PC market as full-year shipments grew 3.8%. Growth increased slightly in Q4, with shipments rising by 4.6% year on year, signaling a positive trend as we moved to within a year of the Windows 10 end-of-support date,” said Kieren Jessop, Analyst at Canalys. “Holiday season demand was supported by strong discounting by vendors and retailers, enticing consumers who have become increasingly price-sensitive. Additionally, the use of buy now, pay later services supported this trend, with increasing examples of these offerings being leveraged to drive spending on big-ticket items, such as PCs. In China, government stimulus in the form of consumer subsidies helped to promote spending on notebooks amid a demand environment that had been weakening.”

“Looking ahead, the PC market is set for accelerating growth, primarily driven by commercial demand as businesses prepare for the end of Windows 10,” said Ishan Dutt, principal analyst at Canalys. “The advances showcased at CES 2025 highlight the industry’s commitment to making AI-capable PCs a halo category, enticing customers into conversations around a wider fleet refresh. As CPU and PC vendor roadmaps begin to bring on-device AI into more categories, price bands and regions, we anticipate that AI-capable PCs will account for 35% of worldwide shipments in 2025.”

Lenovo took the top spot in Q4 2024, shipping 16.9 million units worldwide, reflecting 4.9% year-on-year growth against an already strong shipment performance in Q4 2023. HP followed in second place with a 1.6% decline in shipments, totaling 13.7 million units globally. Dell held onto third place but declined in every quarter of the year, falling 0.2% in Q4. Apple remained in fourth place, shipping 5.9 million units with 3.1% annual growth, while Asus rounded out the top five, boasting the highest growth among the top vendors with a 21.6% year-on-year increase.

According to Canalys’ latest research, the African smartphone market surged modestly in Q2 2024, by 6% year-on-year to reach 17.8 million units.

The robust double-digit recovery seen over the previous three consecutive quarters has been slowed down by macroeconomic volatility, including heightened inflation risks, renewed currency pressures, due to lingering geopolitical tensions and political stability concerns related to elections.

North Africa outshines sub-Saharan Africa in the smartphone market

The North African markets led the continent in double-digit growth, with Algeria surging by 52%, despite import challenges.

Egypt also saw a notable 27% rise in shipments, driven by local currency stability and the government’s push for local manufacturing, attracting giants like Xiaomi, vivo, Samsung, and recently HMD in talks, with all eyes now on Apple.

In contrast, Morocco faced a steep 24% decline as vendors struggled with import issues following increased customs duties earlier this year.

Sub-Saharan Africa faced its own challenges, with only South Africa achieving a 13% growth rate, influenced by the post-election environment that has reshaped its political landscape, offering both uncertainty and potential for reform.

Meanwhile, Nigeria, which remains the leader in shipment volumes, recorded a modest 5% increase, hindered by persistent inflationary pressures, currency risks, sluggish GDP growth and shrinking disposable income.

Kenya, East Africa’s trade hub, witnessed a 22% decline, driven by ongoing political tensions within the country.

Competition heats up for Africa’s budget smartphone market 

“Vendors leveraged the cost advantages carried over into the first half of the year to drive volume, resulting in an impressive 42% growth for sub-US$100 and 33% of the shipment was attributed to the price band,” said Canalys Senior Analyst Manish Pravinkumar. “With the rising cost of living, consumers are gravitating toward budget-friendly options. Q2 2024 saw one of the lowest ASPs in the last eleven quarters. TRANSSION continued its dominance with a 51% market share but even the leading vendor felt the pressure of a slowing market, with growth dipping to just 1%. Samsung, despite holding a 19% market share, saw shipments plummet by 25% as its focus on its entry-level models waned. Xiaomi bucked the trend with a 45% surge, reaching its record-high 12% regional market share in Q2.

“The Chinese tech giant’s focus on Nigeria and Egypt, coupled with aggressive sales tactics and on-the-ground investments, paid off.

“Meanwhile, realme, though a smaller player with a 5% market share, exploded onto the scene with a staggering 137% growth. OPPO’s resurgence with a 39% growth was equally impressive, driven by a stronger performance in North Africa. The company is committed to long-term investment and development in the region. The expansion of its product range with the Reno series and dedication to innovation are clearly resonating with consumers.”

Device financing: the missing link to breaking through smartphone adoption 

“Despite the rapid growth of the smartphone market in Africa, feature phones still hold a substantial 52% share and there are still many opportunities for expansion for smartphones,” stated Pravinkumar. “In sub-Saharan Africa, device financing is emerging as a critical driver, making smartphones more accessible to the average consumer. In the near term, scaling innovative financing models like Kenya’s M-Kopa with support from smartphone vendors like HMD, telecom operators and governments will be crucial to accelerating this transition. Over the long term, local manufacturing will be key to reducing costs. While countries like Egypt are taking the lead, other regions are expected to follow suit. Addressing broader challenges such as consumers’ willingness to pay, digital literacy, high taxation on devices and currency fluctuations will be essential for unlocking the full potential of smartphone adoption across Africa.”

This resulted in a full-year 2023 figure of 135.3 million tablets shipped, a 10% decrease from 2022.

China and India were key markets driving tablet adoption, helping to counter the prevailing stagnation in other parts of the world.

“The latest holiday season saw a significant surge in tablet promotions and bundled offers, but this wasn’t enough to reverse the market’s fortunes, “said Himani Mukka, Research Manager at Canalys. “Aggressive promotional strategies have been implemented globally to address longstanding elevated tablet inventories. In certain markets in Asia Pacific, for example, there have been instances of old tablet models being bundled with newly launched smartphones to expedite inventory clearance. With healthier inventory levels and further scope for government and commercial deployments, tablet sell-in is expected to rebound in 2024. New models announced by TCL and Lenovo at CES 2024 and anticipated updates to Apple’s iPad portfolio early this year will help provide a boost to the tablet refresh opportunity.”  

“The innovation gap between tablets and other personal computing devices is something for key tablet vendors to pay attention to”, said Kieren Jessop Analyst at Canalys. “Plans around on-device AI integration in tablets trail behind those in PCs and smartphones. Bringing this functionality across devices will be crucial for vendors aiming to deliver a unified and seamless experience on ecosystems. Elsewhere, this year will see a greater focus on foldable tablet form factors. Although shipment volumes will likely remain restricted due to the premium pricing of these models, they will provide an opportunity for vendors to showcase user-experiences benefits for content consumption, learning and productivity.”

In Q4 2023, the tablet market was aided by the robust performance of Chinese vendors. Huawei experienced stellar shipment growth of 95%, as it surged to third place in the rankings.

Apple maintained its leading position despite a 24% year-on-year decline, shipping 14.8 million iPads in the quarter.

Samsung secured second spot with 6.8 million units shipped, posting an 11% annual decrease.

Lenovo dropped to fourth place but posted healthy shipment growth of 15%, gaining over 2 points of market share year-on-year. Amazon rounded out the top five with a 44% annual decline and 2 million tablets shipped globally.

Total shipments of desktops and notebooks rose to 65.3 million units.

Shipments of notebooks hit 51.6 million units, up 4% from 2022, while desktop shipments landed at 13.7 million units, declining 1%. For the full year 2023, PC shipments totaled 247 million units, marking a 13% drop compared to 2022.

The market is now poised for growth, with AI-capable PCs set to provide an additional boost during the ongoing refresh cycle and beyond.

“2023 was a challenging year for the PC industry, but companies have remained resilient and can now look forward to an improving landscape,” said Himani Mukka, Research Manager at Canalys. “The cautious optimism across key players in the market has been borne out by a stronger holiday season compared to last year and inventory corrections in the previous quarters have helped support renewed sell-in. As macroeconomic conditions continue to improve, companies and individuals that have delayed their purchasing for many quarters are now set to resume spending on PCs.”

“To capitalize on the demand uptick, the PC industry will now deliver meaningful innovation through on-device AI capabilities in PCs, with 2024 set to be a bumper year for such devices,” said Ishan Dutt, Principal Analyst at Canalys. “A slew of announcements from both OEMs and chipset vendors at CES will set the stage for more products to be brought to market later in the year. We expect one in five PCs shipped this year to be AI-capable, incorporating a dedicated chipset or block, such as an NPU, to run on-device AI workloads. Adoption will ramp up quickly thereafter, especially in the commercial sector, where the benefits of on-device AI related to productivity, security and cost management will become a key consideration for businesses.”

By 2027, Canalys forecasts that over 170 million AI-capable PCs will be shipped, with nearly 60% being deployed in commercial settings.

With AI PCs poised to take center stage in 2024, Canalys has released a complimentary special report to help understand the impact they will have. “Now and Next for AI-capable PCs” provides a comprehensive look into the dawn of AI in personal computing, including definitions and market projections alongside a deep dive into current trends, future opportunities and potential challenges in the AI PC market.

Lenovo sealed the top spot in the PC market rankings for Q4 2023, shipping 16.1 million units and posting 3% annual growth.

It was also the largest shipping vendor for the full year 2023, posting 59.1 million units. HP, securing the second position, recorded a 6% year-on-year growth in shipments in Q4.

Its overall annual shipments for 2023 amounted to 52.9 million units, a marginal 4% decrease from 2022. Dell retained its third position in both the Q4 2023 and full-year 2023 rankings, shipping 9.9 million units and 40 million units, respectively.

Apple secured the fourth position in Q4 2023 by shipping 6.6 million units globally, achieving 9% growth.

The vendor maintained fourth spot in the full-year standings as well, experiencing a 14% decline from 2022 with total units reaching 23 million units.

Acer secured the fifth position with a 12% year-over-year growth, shipping 4 million units in Q4 2023, but Asus occupied the fifth spot in the full-year rankings for 2023, totaling 16 million units and experiencing a 21% annual decline compared to 2022.

[Featured Image Credit]

This report explores this new definition and why smartphones can be essential for vendors to implement on-device GenAI, as well as what on-device AI applications on smartphones will look like in the future.

What is the definition of an “AI-capable smartphone”?

Lucas Zhong, writes:

“Unlike PCs, smartphones have embraced AI technology for much longer, making ‘AI-capable smartphones’ a much broader concept to define.

Chipset vendors such as Qualcomm, Mediatek, Samsung and Google have focused on improving NPU/TPU performance for years.

Smartphone vendors including Apple, Huawei, vivo, and Xiaomi are implementing AIML algorithms locally to improve imaging quality, battery life, and typing experience.

However, integrating LLM and other GenAI models on-device will require a different computing platform and software capabilities. Canalys believes an “AI-capable” smartphone should meet the following criteria:

Minimal requirements: A smartphone that meets all the following criteria can be defined as an “AI-capable smartphone”.

• The SoC should include a dedicated unit (eg, Qualcomm Hexagon, MediaTek APU, Google TPU) to accelerate AI-related tasks.
• The smartphone should be able to run LLMs (eg, Google Gemini, Samsung Gauss) and other generative AI models (eg, Stable Diffusion) on-device.
• LLM inference performance on-device should be faster than the average adult’s reading speed, equating to 10 tokens per second (based on LLaMA-2 7B, or equivalent).
• Image generation using on-device AI should be less than two seconds (Stable Diffusion v1.5, 20 steps, 512*512, or equivalent).

Optional requirements: An “AI-capable smartphone” may not necessarily meet all the following requirements. However, meeting the optional requirements can enhance the user experience.

• A LLM (eg, Google Gemini, Samsung Gauss) should be pre-installed out of the box.
• GenAI-related APIs and SDKs are available for third-party developers to integrate GenAI-powered features in the mobile applications that can be run on-device.
• First-party GenAI-powered features developed by the vendor are pre-installed on the device and can be run on-device efficiently.

Why smartphones are essential to on-device AI?

Prominent installed base: Smartphones have the most extensive installed base compared to edge computing devices such as PCs.

Canalys expects the total installed base of global smartphones to reach five billion in 2023, much larger than the 1.4 billion installed base for laptops and desktops combined.

The gap will become more prominent, especially in developing markets and among younger generations, who have jumped over the PC era and spend more time on content consumption and social media using mobile-native apps.

AI applications will, therefore, reach a larger audience when integrated into the smartphone form factor.

Portable form factor: Smartphones are portable and can accelerate the penetration of AI app usage.

A pocket-sized device enables use cases that more closely align with daily activities, ranging from communication to entertainment.

These use cases can complement the productivity use cases of PCs, thus widening the reach of AI in digital life.

The availability of different sensors in smartphones further enhances data collection for AI, paving the way for the development of highly personalized AI applications.

Robust app ecosystem: Smartphone’s robust app ecosystem will enable a thriving developer community for vendors.

Unlike smartwatches, which typically have fewer applications in the marketplace, and focus on specific use cases such as health and workout suggestions, smartphones offer a broader canvas for AI innovation..

The strength of the app ecosystem facilitates seamless AI integration across apps and fosters the creation of diverse third-party AI applications under a strong developer community.

Hub in the smart device ecosystem: A smartphone’s connectivity and versatility means it plays a more critical role than other edge devices.

Major players in the industry, such as Samsung with its Galaxy Ecosystem and Xiaomi with its smartphone x AIoT strategy, put smartphones at the center of their vast device ecosystems.

Integrating AI on-device will further enhance the interconnected experience, empowering smartphone AI to generate personalized actions to control other devices based on user behavior and contextual scenarios.

How will on-device AI revolutionize smartphones in the near future?

The following chart shows a smartphone’s major use cases including Entertainment, Communication, and Information in a pyramid view. We also list some (early) potential AI-powered features for each use case.

AI-powered features such as enhanced photo editing and auto-reply, are expected to be used by most users.

These high-frequency, AI-powered features will help vendors boost the usage of AI on smartphones and gain more mindshare among consumers.

Smartphones are also a light productivity device for most users compared to PCs. So vendors still need to develop meaningful features in the “productivity” area to attract prosumers in the premium segment.

It is worth noting that prosumers expect quality, accuracy, and reliability in Gen AI output. Therefore, establishing credibility and trust in the AI features and their on-device models is essential, providing opportunities for differentiation for vendors that can demonstrate their AI capabilities early on to capture the premium prosumer market.

Some examples of AI features we identified from early AI-capable smartphones which are on the horizon.