Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence firm of Alibaba Group, announced Friday a major expansion of its global partner ecosystem strategy for 2026, building on the momentum of its Partner Rainforest Plan.
The firm said in a statement that the updated framework introduces enhanced incentive programs, deeper go-to-market alignment, and new capability-building initiatives for channel, ISV, and service partners, all designed to accelerate the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven growth worldwide.
To support this evolution, Alibaba Cloud is increasing its investment in channel incentives by ten times compared to previous cycles, introducing a dedicated fund for ISVs, and
launching a more agile service partner framework designed for the AI era.
“At Alibaba Cloud, we see our global partners as co-creators shaping the future of AIpowered digital transformation.
“In 2026, we’re doubling down on our commitment with ten times more investment in AI incentives, streamlined and agile delivery models, and hands-on enablement to help global partners innovate faster, expand globally, and achieve sustained commercial success in the AI era,” said Dr. Feifei Li, Senior Vice President of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence and President of International Business.
Alibaba Cloud said the firm is redefining its channel ecosystem by shifting away from traditional resale towards a model centered on high-value AI adoption and strategic regional expansion.
This evolution is driven by an AI-focused model with aggressive upfront discounts and commissions for flagship AI products like large language Qwen model and visual
generation Wan model, complemented by a plug-and-play toolkit designed to accelerate time-to-market.
It is noted that Alibaba Cloud has lowered eligibility thresholds for channel partners and and provided extra incentives for regional market cultivation and small and medium businesses.
Furthermore, by introducing dedicated pre-sales incentives and POC (Proof of Concept) funding for the first time, the program actively supports channel partners to transit into a
highly profitable, service-led business model.
Alibaba Cloud is also significantly expanding its support for global AI ISVs in 2026 through an enhanced ‘Co-Build, Co-Market, Co-Sell’ framework, backed by over $2 million in
dedicated marketing funding.
To lower the barriers to innovation, the firm enables ISV partners to build, fine-tune, and deploy next-generation intelligent applications faster using Alibaba Cloud’s full-stack AI platform, including one-stop AI development platform Model Studio, with up to $250,000 technical credits, free AI tokens, and lower marketplace fees.
Beyond technical support, the program drives global visibility to partners through joint marketing funds and featured listings at flagship events.
To accelerate commercialization, Alibaba Cloud has aligned its global sales force and channel partners to prioritize ISV solutions via extra bonuses, providing partners with direct access to a massive base of its over 5 million enterprise customers.
Alibaba Cloud has also revamped its Service Partner Program into a leaner, partner-led delivery model, empowering service partners to work directly with customers, while Alibaba Cloud focuses on key projects and core customer technical support, providing strong tech enablement and support to service partners.
The program will focus on developing four specialized partner segments: AI Native, Industry Solution, Managed Service, and Delivery Partners, each receiving tailored support such as migration toolkits, well-architected training, and opportunities to co-develop AI Agents and Skills.
Service partners also benefit from financial incentives in marketing funds and bonuses for qualified cloud migration deals.
To build partners’ capabilities and competency, Alibaba Cloud is also tripling its delivery of hands-on bootcamps and webinars, launching two new AI focused professional
certifications, and adding 8+ capability and competency certifications, all designed to accelerate time-to-revenue and strengthen end-to-end partner capabilities.
Alibaba Cloud currently works with about 12,000 partners worldwide, including Salesforce, Fortinet, IBM and Neo4j.