Navigating the AI partnership maze: Your 2025 partner evaluation checklist

AI usage—GenAI in particular—has exploded in the last two years, with fantastic results for those who moved early on the technology. A recent study commissioned by Google Cloud showed that 86% of AI early adopters gained an average of 6% in revenue.¹

It’s no wonder, then, that expected business investment in AI is conservatively expected to increase 226% from 2024 levels by 2026.² But whether you choose to buy, build, or borrow your AI models to get the right skills or tools, you’ll likely need the help of an external AI partner. But how can you know which partner(s) can best support your organization’s needs, goals, and standards?

"The partner evaluation process has evolved significantly," notes Jason Hardy, Vice President & CTO – Artificial Intelligence at Hitachi Vantara. "Organizations need to look beyond just technical capabilities and assess partners through the lens of long-term strategic alignment and responsible AI practices."

To help you navigate the seemingly never-ending list of options, here's your essential 8-point checklist for evaluating potential AI partners in 2025:

1. Strategic alignment and vision
   Ask yourself how well the partner's roadmap aligns with your organization's goals. Are they investing in areas that matter to your business? Do their products understand and address your industry's unique challenges? Look for partners who demonstrate thought leadership and a clear vision for AI's role in your enterprise, not just today, but five years from now.
   
   
2. Technical depth and scalability
   Evaluate the partner's technical foundations and ability to scale. Can their solutions handle your data volumes, operational complexities, and geographic reach? Do they offer flexible deployment options? The right partner should provide robust infrastructure that grows with your needs while maintaining performance and reliability.
   
   
3. Data governance and security
   Current AI regulation is in its infancy, but data protection isn’t. To protect your data—and that of your clients—when using AI, you should take measures now to avoid playing a very expensive catch-up game when tighter AI regulations come in. Potential AI partners must demonstrate sophisticated approaches to data governance, privacy, and security. Look for those with comprehensive security frameworks and compliance certifications relevant to your industry.
   
   
4. Ethical AI practices
   It’s important to remember that any unethical or illegal AI outputs will ultimately appear under your organization’s name if you use them. So be sure to assess a partner's commitment to ethical AI principles, bias detection and mitigation strategies, and transparency in model development and deployment. Doing so is what will protect both your organization and your people.
   
   
5. Integration capabilities
   To make sure you achieve the most productivity and efficiency-boosting capabilities, your AI solutions shouldn't exist in isolation. Seek partners whose platforms can seamlessly integrate with your existing technology stack whilst also leaving the door open for future innovations. Signs of a platform’s ability to do so include robust, customizable APIs, well-documented interfaces, collaborative reference architectures, and support for industry standards.
   
   
6. Support and expertise
   AI is an incredible technology, but it must be used correctly if you are to maximize the business opportunity while keeping your organization’s data secure. Consider the partner's support infrastructure and professional services capabilities. Do they offer comprehensive training? How responsive is their support team? The best partners will provide technical expertise and strategic guidance throughout your AI journey. For example, in our AI Discovery Service, this takes the form of workshopping AI use cases and project roadmaps with you to discover what works best in your organization.
   
   
7. Track record and references
   Examine the partner's implementation history, especially in your industry. Request customer references and case studies demonstrating successful deployments that are closely aligned with your organization’s goals. Pay attention to how the partner handles different challenges and adapts to changing requirements.
   
   
8. Total cost of ownership
   Look beyond initial pricing to understand the complete cost picture, as this will affect ROI. Consider factors like training, maintenance, scaling costs, and potential efficiency gains. The right partner will be able to provide the figures that help you build a clear and compelling business case for AI investment.

As new AI models and applications appear daily, there will undoubtedly be at least one that can significantly enhance your organization’s workflows and processes. The trick to ensuring the success of any such application is in navigating your way to the right AI partner; one who not only understands the technology but also appreciates your business context and shares your commitment to responsible AI deployment.

By carefully evaluating potential partners against the criteria above, you should be able to build the AI partnerships that drive innovation in your organization while managing any risks effectively.

Now you’ve seen the AI partner menu, it’s time to choose your dish. For more on what Hitachi Vantara has cooking up in the AI and Analytics sphere, visit here.

¹ New Gen AI Research From Google Cloud and National Research Group Shows Strong ROI for Early Adopters, Aug., 2024

² Hitachi Vantara, ‘State of Data Infrastructure Global Report 2024: How AI is Shifting Data’s Foundation.’