Partnering key in challenging times

Kathy Gibson reports from Pinnacle TechScape – Artificial intelligence (AI) is giving us new ways of creating and using data. But the data centres required to power AI are simultaneously wreaking havoc on the global memory supply chains.

Bennie du Plessis, regional sales manager at Dell, points out that DRAM and NAND stocks are increasingly difficult to source, while pricing is rising rapidly – as much as 600% in some cases.

“And if you think things are tough now, wait: It will get a lot tougher,” he warns. “So buckle up: in 2027 we will see prices getting to new highs.”

New factories should start coming online by mid-2027, but it will take some time for them to work through the backlogs, so supply is unlikely to return to normal before the end of 2027, De Plessis believes.

To try to ease the pain for partners and customers, Dell pricing conforms to the shipping date, with forward pricing factored in.

Du Plessis points out that Dell has a long history as a build-to-order supplier, so it has the know-how and systems to plan for the unexpected.

“So we have planned supply lined up for the rest of 2026, and into 2027, so supply for us is not an issue.”

Partners need to adapt to thrive in the months ahead, Du Plessis adds.

His advice for partners is to be self-sufficient and find areas of specialisation.

They should also look at additional opportunities like the Dell storage portfolio, and the full office ecosystem including monitors, batteries, airpods and more.

The real magic happens when vendors and partners work together, Du Plessis adds.

“So why partner with Dell? Because we lead with end-to-end solutions, we have the largest go-to-market engine, we have a massive ecosystem with reach and scale, and we have an industry-leading supply chain.”

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