Louise Taute, MD at Westcon-Comstor Southern Africa.
Technology distributor Westcon-Comstor looks to specialise in security as part of its growth strategy. It says it will prioritise a consultative selling approach (serving as a partner to directly support operators with their choice of technologies and in their digital journeys) over pure traditional distribution.
This is according to Louise Taute, MD of Westcon-Comstor Southern Africa, who spoke to ITWeb on the sidelines of the Westcon-Comstor Microsoft Partner Acceleration Summit 2025, hosted in Johannesburg this week.
“We can’t be everything to everyone; we are not consumer focused and we believe it is vital to understand what a customer requires. We can provide access to tailor-made solutions to help meet these requirements,” said Taute.
She added there is obviously competition in the channel, with operators fighting for business and market share.
“We are ‘frenemies’,” added Taute, who suggested that Westcon-Comstor expects loyalty, compliance with regulation and shared expertise on technology, especially emerging technology.
Taute said a few years ago, Westcon-Comstor experienced a challenging period, but since then has managed to turn things around and growth has more than doubled.
At the summit, Westcon-Comstor announced it is deepening its relationship with Microsoft to accelerate partner and customer transformation in sub-Saharan Africa through further investment.
“Microsoft is putting its money where its mouth is. Microsoft is the vendor to watch. Crowdstrike is ahead in endpoint security, but next is Microsoft and its ability with end-to-end security. Microsoft is not just about licensing,” said Taute.
With competitive pressures mounting, the summit highlighted how organisations must modernise, adopt cloud and AI solutions, and strengthen security foundations to stay ahead.
For Westcon-Comstor, this means working closely with Microsoft to help partners not only navigate change but thrive in it.
The partners unveiled the frontier first framework to help organisations leverage AI by managing costs, digitally transform business processes and develop an AI-first environment.
“Microsoft is a well-oiled machine, they know exactly what they are doing. They are considered a top tier vendor in the MEA region,” said Taute.
“Transformation should be the core focus for all partners looking for ways to navigate doing business in an AI, cloud and software-first world. But every business faces different pressures and priorities, so how do we equip our partners to meet their customers where their business is at?” she asked.
“This is where Westcon and Microsoft are coming together to work in unison to assist partners to shape transformation journeys that are tailored to their specific needs and strategies. Our focus as a vendor and distributor team is to focus on working with people, investing time, resources and expertise, to ensure that we help partners unlock sustainable growth.”
According to Taute, Westcon has seen first-hand that when partners specialise in a technology or vertical, they achieve significantly higher growth. Yet with Microsoft’s vast portfolio and evolving programmes, that path can be daunting. “Our role is to walk alongside our partners, simplify the complexity and support them every step of the way. By doing this, we turn transformation into opportunity,” she added.
Microsoft’s FY26 priorities
The summit also explored Microsoft’s FY26 priorities and what they mean for the partner ecosystem. These include:
- AI business solutions: Embedding AI across every role, workflow and application to drive productivity and innovation.
- Cloud and AI platforms: Enabling modernisation and migration through Azure, Fabric and AI Foundry services.
- Security: Establishing a trusted, proactive foundation for digital transformation.
For partners, these priorities translate into opportunities to build new services, expand customer value and grow recurring revenue streams.
Elaine Van Der Plank, senior partner development manager at Microsoft Africa, added: “Our partner ecosystem is more than a network – it is a force multiplier for innovation. Together with partners like Westcon-Comstor, we are unlocking digital transformation that empowers communities, strengthens industries and builds a resilient, inclusive economy for the future.”
With businesses under increasing pressure to innovate while managing costs, compliance and complexity, Westcon-Comstor’s differentiator lies in its role as a transformation distributor. Unlike traditional distributors, Westcon-Comstor doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it works alongside partners to co-design transformation journeys tailored to each organisation’s vertical, customer base and strategic priorities, according to the company.
This means matching Microsoft’s portfolio to customer needs, providing guidance on programmes and compliance, and giving partners access to the enablement, resources and digital distribution tools they need to succeed. By investing time, expertise and capability into these relationships, Westcon-Comstor helps partners convert the challenges of cloud, AI, security and migration into opportunities for sustainable growth.
“Our role is to take the complexity out of transformation and turn it into growth. By investing in our partners’ success, we’re helping them – and their customers – build tomorrow, today,” concluded Taute.
