IDC: North American IT Distribution Revenue Hits Record $28.9 Billion in 3Q26

Technology distributors in the United States and Canada generated a record $28.9 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2026, up 29.2% from $22.3 billion a year earlier. The report, developed in tandem with the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC), spotlights three product groups most closely tied to AI buildouts—Enterprise Infrastructure, Network Infrastructure, and Components & Semiconductors— which added $4.3 billion, or 66% of the $6.5 billion increase.

“AI infrastructure is no longer just a hyperscaler story,” said Brendan Rouse, research analyst, Partnering Ecosystems, Channels and Alliances, at IDC. “Distributors are moving servers, storage and high-speed networking to ecosystem partners building AI capacity, and their ability to secure allocation and keep deals moving helped the channel set a new high.”

AI infrastructure was identified as the primary driver, with Enterprise Infrastructure up 140.1%, Components & Semiconductors up 79.4%, and Network Infrastructure up 63.7%. Software (+12.5%) and Services (+19.6%) also set records. Rising memory and storage prices added to hardware revenue but remain a supply constraint.

IDC expects AI infrastructure to remain the ecosystem’s main growth engine, both in terms of the technology resale opportunity and the IT services opportunity. Memory supply should stay tight into 2027, keeping prices elevated. IDC’s PC analysts expect pulled-forward device demand to fade into year-end. Recurring software, cloud and services revenue gives distributors a steadier base as hardware cycles normalize.

IDC clients can find more information via “IDC North America Monthly Distribution Tracker, powered by GTDC, September 2026.”

Channel Impact^®
The data offer good news for channel partners of all business models.