Reimagining Partnerships In The AI Era With Google Cloud

Coming out of Google Cloud Next, the tech giant is making bold moves to redefine how it works with partners. Phil Larson, who is leading the transformation of the Google Cloud Partner Program, sat down with CRNtv to dicuss what’s changing and why it matters.

Q: Google Cloud Next brought some meaningful changes to how partners engage around co-selling and services. Can you walk us through the key announcements and how they support the long-term vision for the Partner Program?

Phil Larson: It’s important to understand the broader goal. We’re building the most capable and comprehensive partner ecosystem ever assembled at hyperscale—powered by Google’s strengths in AI, data, and search. Our ultimate aim is to deliver the best customer experience in the industry.

To do that, we’re reimagining how we engage with our ecosystem in the age of AI. We’ve launched a new co-selling and services framework that’s deeply data-driven. It’s designed to accelerate customer outcomes by enabling seamless collaboration between Google Cloud account teams and our partners.

Q: Co-selling and services aren’t new concepts. What’s different about how Google Cloud is approaching them now?

Phil Larson: These motions have always been part of our DNA. But like many hyperscalers, we’ve historically relied too much on subjective assessments and tribal knowledge. That’s changing.

We’re moving to a model where we can precisely track which partners are driving co-sell activities, whether it’s agent-based workshops, infrastructure assessments or data cloud POCs. We know who’s delivering services like migrations, app modernization or managed security. And we’re capturing all of this through new co-sell and services registrations.

This gives our field teams a clear, real-time view of partner contributions, allowing them to collaborate more effectively and deliver greater value to customers.

Q: That’s a big shift in how success is measured. Why does this matter so much for partners? What kind of impact do you expect it will have on joint customers?

Phil Larson: It’s a profound shift. We’re aligning partner metrics directly with Google Cloud’s sales KPIs things like revenue growth, new logo acquisition and workload delivery. This creates undeniable, data-backed proof of partner value.

For partners, it means more recognition, more transparency and ultimately, more investment. We can now justify greater support for the partners who are truly driving outcomes.

For customers, it means they can find the right partner at the right time, with the right skills based on objective, granular data. Think of it like search results: the best partners rise to the top based on their proven track record. That leads to a smoother, more predictable customer experience and faster time to value.

Q: Looking ahead, what should partners expect next? How are you thinking about the next phase of this evolution?

Phil Larson: We’re just getting started. Over the coming quarters, partners can expect a continued evolution of the program, one that sets a new standard for hyperscale partnerships in the AI era.

We’re evolving our tiering and specialization programs to be outcome-oriented and data-driven. We’re helping partners differentiate by solution, product area, or industry—and showcasing those capabilities in both internal and external directories.

We’re also infusing Google AI into every aspect of the partner experience, from discovery and support to content access and investment. And we’re giving partners transparent dashboards so they can track their performance, understand where they stand, and see the same pipeline data our field teams do.

It’s all about creating a smarter, more aligned and more impactful partnership model that delivers the best customer experience in the industry.

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