Cisco Systems, a global leader in IT and networking, has unveiled results from its latest comprehensive study on artificial intelligence (AI), revealing significant insights into the burgeoning demand for AI technologies among IT partners worldwide. The study, entitled "Bridging the Customer AI Readiness Gap – The opportunities ahead for partners," forecasts that AI will become a predominant driver of revenue for IT partners over the next four to five years.
Key findings from the study indicate that by this timeframe, almost 19% of IT partners in the United Kingdom anticipate AI-related technologies to constitute a substantial portion of their income, with expectations that 76-100% of their revenue streams will be derived from these innovations. This demonstrates a strong belief among UK partners in the transformative potential of AI.
UK IT partners predict a 75% or more increase in the demand for AI-related technology investments within the same period. The top areas identified as key drivers of this growth include infrastructure, contributing 33%, followed closely by cybersecurity at 32%, and customer experience at 6%.
In terms of immediate revenue impact, 27% of UK partners expect that AI will account for 26-50% of their revenue one year from now, a figure projected to rise substantially in the following years.
The Cisco Global AI Partners Study was conducted as a double-blind survey involving over 1,500 IT partners across 29 global markets. It critically evaluates partners' capabilities to adapt and thrive in an AI-centric era. It echoes the Cisco AI Readiness Index, which has highlighted global deficiencies in AI readiness, notably in areas such as infrastructure, data management, governance, and skilled personnel. The study underscores the vital role partners play in addressing these deficiencies to enhance AI readiness among customers.
Partners have shown a strong belief in their competence regarding AI technologies, with the survey focusing on essential capabilities for AI deployment. These capabilities include developing scalable AI-ready infrastructure, ensuring adequate GPU resources, evaluating data centre performance in terms of latency and throughput, and understanding data management and privacy legislation across different jurisdictions.
Despite their confidence, UK partners recognise several challenges needing resolution to harness potential opportunities fully. These challenges include limited experience in deploying new technologies (30%), insufficient knowledge of systems and processes (16%), and a scarcity of available technologies (16%).
To address these issues, 74% of UK partners are proactively investing in upskilling their workforce through internal training programmes or by engaging external vendors for specialised training sessions. This trend underscores the commitment of IT partners to equip themselves with the necessary skills to leverage AI technologies effectively.
Commenting on the study, Alex Pujols, Vice President of Global Partner Engineering at Cisco, highlighted the significant opportunities for IT partners spearheading AI deployment. He noted, "The potential for AI to transform business operations is immense, and realising this requires a concerted effort to strengthen our partners’ practical deployment capabilities." Pujols further emphasised the role of Cisco and its partner ecosystem in driving transformative outcomes and capitalising on the opportunities presented by the AI era.
Overall, Cisco's findings highlight a period of significant change and potential in the IT sector, driven by the rising emphasis on AI technologies—a shift expected to reshape the landscape of revenue generation for IT partners globally.
Source: Noah Wire Services