The pace of change in the technology arena is inexorable, and organisations that don’t embrace new innovations are doomed to be left behind.
Gartner tells us that worldwide IT spending is expected to total $6,08-trillion in 2026, an increase of 9,8% from 2025.
That’s a huge market opportunity for resellers.
We polled Channelwise Awards survey respondents about the technology directions they are preparing to embrace, and found they are closely following global trends.
Sustainability Solutions
Currently working with this technology: 45,4%
Planning to introduce it next year: 26,4%
Planning to introduce it within two years: 14,2%
Not interested: 14%
Artificial Intelligence
Currently working with this technology: 50,8%
Planning to introduce it next year: 25,2%
Planning to introduce it within two years: 13,7%
Not interested: 10,3%
Machine Learning
Currently working with this technology: 32,7%
Planning to introduce it next year: 30,1%
Planning to introduce it within two years: 19,5%
Not interested: 17,7%
6G-Enabled Technology
Currently working with this technology: 15,4%
Planning to introduce it next year: 34,2%
Planning to introduce it within two years: 28,6%
Not interested: 21,8%
Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (VR/AR)
Currently working with this technology: 20,4%
Planning to introduce it next year: 26,3%
Planning to introduce it within two years: 23%
Not interested: 30,3%
Datafication/Blockchain
Currently working with this technology: 18,2%
Planning to introduce it next year: 26,4%
Planning to introduce it within two years: 23%
Not interested: 32,4%
Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) tops the trends that Gartner is predicting for 2026.
The research house detailed its top predictions for the year to come as follows:
- Through 2027, generative AI (GenAI) and AI agent use will create the first true challenge to mainstream productivity tools in 30 years, prompting a $58-billion market shakeup
- By 2027, 75% of hiring processes will include certifications and testing for workplace AI proficiency during recruiting
- Through 2026, atrophy of critical-thinking skills, due to GenAI use, will push 50% of the global organisations to require “AI-free” skills assessments
- By 2027, 35% of countries will be locked into region-specific AI platforms using proprietary contextual data
- By 2028, organisations that leverage multiagent AI for 80% of customer-facing business processes will dominate
- By 2028, 90% of B2B buying will be AI agent intermediated, pushing over $15-trillion of B2B spend through AI agent exchanges
- By the end of 2026, “death by AI” legal claims will exceed 2 000 due to insufficient AI risk guardrails
- By 2030, 20% of monetary transactions will be programmable to include terms and conditions of use, to give AI agents economic agency
- By 2027, the cost-to-value gap for process-centric service contracts will be reduced by at least 50% due to agentic AI reinvention
- By 2027, fragmented AI regulation will grow to cover 50% of the world’s economies, driving $5-billion in compliance investment.