News Summary:

• More than a quarter of partners believe that 76-100% of their revenue will come from AI technologies over the next 4-5 years.

• Partners identified infrastructure, cybersecurity, and customer experience as the primary drivers of AI technology demand, presenting the greatest revenue opportunities.

• Partners show confidence about their knowledge and understanding in helping customers deploy AI solutions and are investing in upskilling.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking and security, released findings from its new Cisco Global AI Partners Study. The study, Bridging the Customer AI Readiness Gap – The opportunities ahead for partners, revealed that IT partners around the world are anticipating a transformative wave of AI technology demand that will drive the majority of their revenue over the next four to five years. According to the study, more than a quarter (27%) of the partners surveyed believe that as much as 76-100% of their revenue will come from AI-related technologies during this period.

The study highlights that 42% of partners believe the demand for AI-related technology investments will grow by more than 75% in the next four to five years. The partners surveyed for the report, highlighted infrastructure (54%), cybersecurity (48%), and customer experience (30%) as the top three drivers of AI technology demand in the coming years.  As AI demand surges, partners also foresee a significant shift in their revenue mix. In the short-term, 38% anticipate AI will contribute to 26-50% of their revenue a year from now, while in the long run that contribution is expected to become even higher.

"The potential for AI to transform business operations is immense and realizing this requires a concerted effort to strengthen our partners' practical deployment capabilities," said Alex Pujols, VP, Global Partner Engineering, Cisco. "This study highlights the significant revenue opportunities for IT partners to lead AI deployment. By focusing on AI readiness, Cisco and its valued partner ecosystem are well-positioned to drive transformative outcomes for our customers and leverage the opportunities of the AI era."

The Cisco Global AI Partners Study, a double-blind survey of over 1,500 IT partners across 29 markets, assesses partners' capabilities in the age of AI. These findings align with the Cisco AI Readiness Index, which found that companies globally lack readiness for AI adoption, revealing gaps in infrastructure, data management, governance, and talent. Built on the insights from the Index, the Cisco Global AI Partners Study reinforces the crucial role partners play in helping customers achieve AI readiness.