Monday Morning Impact – August 18

Sophos, a UK-based cybersecurity company, has launched a new partner program bringing together Sophos’ and Secureworks’ global partners into one integrated, ecosystem.

Following Sophos’ acquisition of Secureworks, the new program is defined to unify the respective partner bases to optimize sale of a portfolio combining endpoint, network, email, cloud security, XDR/MDR, Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) and SIEM, as well as a corresponding management platform and advisory services.

Program features include revenue multipliers, volume discounts, flexible billing, integrated sales and marketing resources, advanced training, and various other incentives.

“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. “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.”

The program also provides expanded access to Partner Care, Renewal, and Customer Success teams, as well as free certification training. The partner portal has been further enhanced with improved guided quoting, device and license management, opportunity management, and compliance dashboards.

Sophos goes to market with a global partner ecosystem, including Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), resellers and distributors, marketplace integrations, and cyber risk partners.

Channel Impact^®
The company promises a flexible and profitable path to growth, whether partners are expanding their managed services, launching cybersecurity advisory offerings or scaling existing practices.

Total shipments of desktops, notebooks and workstations grew 7.4% to 67.6 million units in Q2 2025, according to Canalys. Notebook shipments (including mobile workstations) hit 53.9 million units, up 7% compared with a year ago. Shipments of desktops (including desktop workstations) rose 9% to 13.7 million units.

Q2 volumes were driven by commercial PC deployments ahead of the Windows 10 end of support, now only a few months away, according to the report. Consumer demand was weaker, as customers globally face an uncertain macroeconomic future. The Trump administration’s approach to tariffs continues to generate considerable uncertainty. While PCs were exempt from tariffs in Q2, indirect impacts threaten not only the US but the global PC market recovery, according to Canalys.

“The Trump administration’s evolving tariff policies continue to reshape global PC supply chains while casting significant uncertainty over market recovery

“US imports of PCs have dramatically shifted away from China toward Vietnam as manufacturers seek to avoid potential tariffs,” said Ben Yeh, Principal Analyst at Canalys. “What began as straightforward China avoidance has evolved into a complex regulatory maze. The key question is whether PCs manufactured in Vietnam using Chinese components or through Chinese-controlled operations will be classified as transshipments and face the [tariff]. With enforcement criteria still undefined, market players face the reality that supply chain diversification alone may not provide the cost stability they initially sought.”

“Despite global uncertainty, the Windows 10 end of support deadline this October is providing essential market stability, but is affecting consumer and commercial segments differently,” said Kieren Jessop, Research Manager at Canalys. “The commercial refresh cycle is providing vital momentum for the market. A June poll of channel partners found over half expect their PC business to grow year on year in the second half of 2025, with 29% anticipating growth of over 10%. While businesses are displaying a greater sense of urgency in reacting to the end of Windows 10, consumers are delaying purchases amid macroeconomic uncertainty. As those consumer purchases are pushed into 2026, we anticipate the consumer PC market to grow next year as it coincides with a potential refresh cycle of COVID-era devices, which are starting to reach their end of life.”

In Q2, Lenovo retained its position as the global PC market leader, shipping 17.0 million desktops and notebooks, a year-on-year increase of 15.2%. HP held second place with 14.1 million units shipped, marking a 3.2% annual increase. Dell, in third, saw a 3.0% decline in shipments, totaling 9.8 million units. Apple secured fourth place with impressive 21.3% growth, reaching 6.4 million units and a 9.4% market share. Asus completed the top five with 18.4% growth, shipping 5.0 million units.

Channel Impact^®
Partners are currently seeing both positive and negative market pressures, leading to a modest uptick in opportunity.