Salesforce and HubSpot are reshaping partner programs for the AI ​​era

HubSpot and Salesforce both recently announced major changes to their partner programs — moves that executives say will improve quality and help partners deliver better AI-driven results. But analysts and partners see something bigger: a strategic reset as both companies compete to remain central players in the AI-driven software stack.

The changes affect how partners are qualified, how they make money and what technology they are expected to deliver to customers. Together, they represent a shift from a broad ecosystem of partners to small groups of specialized firms.

Industry analyst Jay McBain, senior analyst for channels, relationships and ecosystems at Canalys (now part of Omdia), said the change reflects a major shift underway in the technology industry.

“We’re looking at about 35,000 companies delivering channel partner programs,” McBain said. “About 400 companies have now made these kinds of changes. It’s a revolution in how ecosystems work.”

Two platforms, a revamp of the two-partner system

Salesforce and HubSpot are approaching the transition differently, reflecting the different roles partners play in the ecosystems.

Salesforce announced a dramatic overhaul of its consulting partner program in March 2026, replacing its four-tiered program — Foundation, Ridge, Crest and Summit — with a simpler two-tiered structure: Select and Summit.

The company also dramatically reduced the number of partner credentials, replacing nearly 170 badges with 28 key skills. Partners are now classified as certified or expert depending on demonstrated delivery skills.

Salesforce’s leadership has framed the move as a shift from traditional systems integration to what it calls “results design.”

Salesforce executives say the changes are designed to align partners with the company’s AI-driven strategy, particularly its Agentforce platform. In announcing the new structure, Andrew Kisslo, Salesforce’s SVP of partner programs, explained the system’s mission.

“Rewarding professionals who ensure agents are safe, compliant and designed for verifiable results,” he wrote in a blog post. “This program is designed to recognize partners who deliver real customer value and help organizations use AI safely and responsibly.”

Industry observers say the change also addresses a structural problem that arose as the ecosystem grew. Sasha Semjonova, in an article on SalesforceBen, reported that the previous program was overcrowded, with thousands of partners holding senior-level positions.

“The new framework dramatically reduces the number of badges and focuses on core skills instead. The goal is to restore the Summit category as a truly elite status for the most talented partners in the ecosystem.”

HubSpot introduces a membership model

HubSpot’s changes focus less on certification and more on partner engagement. The company has introduced a $400 monthly membership fee for solution partners, with the fee waived for partners who actively use the platform.

HubSpot’s leadership says the goal is to ensure partners are deeply engaged with the technology they sell, especially as the company expands its Breeze AI ecosystem. The company says that requiring partners to be active customers ensures that they understand the platform firsthand.

Some colleagues see the change as part of a broader shift in expectations.

Revenue operations coordinator Casey Hawkins wrote on LinkedIn that the new structure shows that HubSpot expects its partners to be more embedded in the ecosystem.

“This change makes it clear that HubSpot is looking for partners who truly work within the ecosystem. Agencies that use HubSpot only occasionally or treat it as one of many tools will likely not see the same value in the program going forward.”

Some say this change will slow down the ecosystem by removing redundant agencies. Rolf Tjalsma wrote on LinkedIn that the update reflects a change in the way the company wants partners to interact with the platform.

“HubSpot is sunsetting its low-cost partnership model. It looks like it’s looking for a small group of partners who are deeply invested in the product and ecosystem.”

The change also reflects a shift to a deeper field of expertise. Zack Spear, CEO and founder of ICS Creative Agency, raised that question directly to LinkedIn.

“What happened to HubSpot’s partner program? It feels like HubSpot is raising the bar and pushing agencies to decide whether to really commit to the platform or participate more freely in the ecosystem.”

A change in the way partner ecosystems work

The changes reflect a profound shift in the way software companies use channel partners.

Historically, many industries relied heavily on indirect sales through partners. McBain noted that approximately 75% of international trade still flows through partner ecosystems, from auto sales to retail distribution. Software has largely followed that pattern – until SaaS.

“When Salesforce was launched in the late 1990s, there really wasn’t a reseller model,” McBain said. “You don’t subscribe to Netflix through cable. You subscribe directly.”

Because SaaS products were sold directly, companies like Salesforce and HubSpot never built the normal channel margins typical of legacy business hardware and software. But the rise of AI — especially large, complex transformational projects — is changing that dynamic.

“If SaaS platforms want a seat at the table in these AI transformation projects,” said McBain, “the consultants who manage the boardroom discussions should commend themselves.”

In large business deals, those discussions increasingly involve multiple partners.

“There are usually seven partners within the deal,” McBain said. “If those parties are telling the client to use Microsoft Copilot or go directly to OpenAI or Anthropic instead of using a SaaS platform, that’s a problem.”

AI platform battle

That shift is driving what analysts describe as a new “AI platform war.”

Both Salesforce and HubSpot recently launched AI agent platforms – Salesforce Agentforce and HubSpot Breeze – designed to automate workflows and customer interactions. These tools can redefine the role of CRM platforms, transforming them from systems of record into AI-driven operational layers for businesses.

But that raises new risks. Autonomous AI agents can produce incorrect results or perform incorrect workflows – a problem commonly referred to as AI “hallucination.” That risk is greatly increased if use is not properly planned. New partner requirements may be designed, in part, to mitigate that risk.

Salesforce’s knowledge-based authorization system, for example, ensures that only partners with specific knowledge can use key technologies. That reduces the likelihood that misused AI agents could harm a customer’s business – or the platform’s reputation.

The only generalist agency

In both ecosystems, the changes point to a common denominator: the decline of the general consumption partner.

HubSpot partners have historically focused on helping customers get up and running quickly, with an emphasis on total cost of ownership and rapid deployment. Salesforce partners, in contrast, often build complex, customized applications that integrate multiple Salesforce cloud and external systems.

But AI is reshaping both models.

Automation reduces the manual configuration work required to use the software. That change threatens the traditional consulting model, based on long, billable startup projects. The platforms push our partners to become more general in implementation and refer to the depth of technical experts or high-level strategic resources.

Partners will most likely need to choose whether they specialize in strategy, data architecture or platform engineering.

Broad sector trends

McBain said these changes should be viewed in the context of broader changes in the software ecosystem.

The rise of hyperscalers like Microsoft, AWS and Google – and new AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic – are reshaping the technology stack. For SaaS companies, risk is losing its role as a foundational platform in business systems.

“The next generation behind the cloud looks like hyperscaler and AI companies,” McBain said. “That puts pressure on SaaS platforms to prove they’re still critical.”

The partner ecosystem plays an important role in that competition.

“If the advisors in the room recommend another platform,” McBain said, “that’s where the deal goes.”

A “massive reduction” of the partner ecosystem

The changes to Salesforce and HubSpot — both announced within months of each other — signal the start of a major ecosystem consolidation, which analysts call “a major slowdown.”

After years of rapid growth in partner networks, platforms can now prioritize technical depth over a large number of partners. The result is fewer, but more capable allies.

That change will reshape the agency’s status as well.

Historically, most marketing agencies have sought expertise across multiple CRM platforms. But intensive certification requirements and tight platform alignment can make that difficult to support. Now agencies may have to choose whether they are a Salesforce store or a HubSpot store.

Long-term impact

In the near term, partner program changes will create tension as agencies adjust to new requirements and incentives. The big question is how the changes will affect the role of CRM platforms in the emerging AI stack.

If the strategy works, Salesforce and HubSpot can solidify their position as the middle layer of business workflow performance. If it fails, AI platforms and hyperscalers can capture a large share of enterprise software value.

For McBain, the stakes are clear.

“These fields are very safe,” he said. “The question is not whether they survive. The question is how much of the AI ​​economy they capture.”

And that effect may depend less on the technology than on the capabilities of the organisms built around it.