In this interview from Google Cloud Next 2026, Philip Larson, managing director of the Google Cloud Partner Network at Google, joins theCUBE's John Furrier and co-host Alison Kosik to discuss how Google is rebuilding its partner ecosystem for the agentic AI era. Larson explains that the redesigned Google Cloud Partner Network (GCPN) functions as an umbrella spanning ISVs, services partners, data providers and marketplace partners — all aligned to guide enterprises through what he describes as an unavoidable transformation to the agentic enterprise. He details a $750 million investment covering AI training, sandbox credits and deployment vouchers, and underscores that the GCPN itself is built on Google's own unified AI stack, with agents embedded across every stage from partner onboarding through to delivery and support. The conversation also explores how Larson's team eliminated the friction that typically undermines partner programs — stripping out unnecessary external audits in favor of metrics that actually drive outcomes: certifications, co-sell activity and closed statements of work. A standout example is the agentic SOW analyzer, which now influences 90% of funded engagements just six months after launch. Larson notes that partners are demanding new features at a pace that has compressed release cycles from annual to monthly, reflecting the energy around what he calls a once-in-a-generation opportunity. With 500 agentic customer use cases announced at the event, he outlines a near-future vision where partner agents communicate directly with GCPN agents to surface real-time go-to-market recommendations — building a competitive moat he believes no other hyperscaler can replicate at scale.