GTIA Research: AI Adoption Is Nearly Universal, but Strategic Maturity Remains Elusive for Most ITSPs
Nearly all IT service providers use AI today, yet only one in four has formal leadership, governance and revenue models in place
OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., April 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) today announced the release of its 2026 State of the Channel report, offering key insights and trends for IT service provider (ITSP) leaders. The report highlights how ITSPs are balancing near-term business execution with longer-term transformation as AI shifts from experimentation to a business imperative.
“AI represents the most important technological shift for the channel since cloud computing revolutionized the industry,” said Carolyn April, Vice President of Research and Market Intelligence, GTIA. “The data we have collected as part of the State of the Channel study shows we are at a pivotal moment in how the sector interacts with AI, promising significant changes ahead. It is an inflection point that could redefine industry standards and practices.”
A Channel Divided: Stable Foundations Meet Accelerating Transformation
A recurring theme across GTIA’s 2026 State of the Channel Report is the persistent divide among ITSPs regarding the relevance and stability of their channels. Approximately half view the channel as “relevant and stable,” while the other half see it as “relevant and changing rapidly.”
This split is heavily influenced by firm size, with larger ITSPs more inclined to report stability. “This bifurcation creates a strategic challenge for vendors and distributors, whose partner programs must serve ITSPs with very different priorities and operating models,” added April.
Other key findings of the 2026 State of the Channel Report include:
- Operational discipline correlates strongly with business performance. ITSPs executing against formal business plans, tracking measurable KPIs and investing in business acumen are more likely to report strong growth, higher AI maturity, and better cybersecurity revenue outcomes.
- AI adoption is nearly universal but rarely strategic. While 97% of ITSPs report using some form of AI internally, only 28% identify as “AI-driven.” This minority represents the most strategic AI adopter set in the channel today, generating notable AI revenue, working under formal AI leadership and operating with integrated AI processes and workflows.
- AI maturity aligns with financial performance. Among ITSPs reporting they are ahead of their annual business plans, 40% also identify as “AI-driven.”
- Technology complexity remains the channel’s primary tailwind. Half (50%) of North American ITSPs cite growing technology complexity and the demand for expertise it creates as the top driver of channel health in 2026.
- AI and cybersecurity headline growth expectations. 77% of North American ITSPs forecast AI services and cybersecurity services as their top revenue growth categories over the next 2 years, with 37% expecting AI services to see the largest increase.
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Vendor satisfaction is evolving. The share of ITSPs reporting they are “very satisfied” with vendor relationships declined year over year, falling from 39% in 2025 to 18% in 2026, reflecting ecosystem realignment rather than vendor underperformance.
Hybrid by Design: How Business Models, Execution and AI Maturity Are Shaping the Channel
Business models among ITSPs remain hybrid even as growth shifts toward AI and security. Nearly half (49%) generate a mix of recurring and project-based revenue, while only 13% operate as pure MSPs.
Product resale continues as a revenue supplement. Looking ahead, the 2026 State of the Channel report finds that survey respondents perceive AI and cybersecurity as the top growth areas, although infrastructure and consulting remain significant. "The findings underscore a channel navigating a structural transition, balancing established service lines with a shift toward higher-value, expertise-led offerings,” said April.
The report's findings also show that AI maturity is strongly correlated with business discipline and operational soundness. GTIA’s AI Maturity Index further reveals that firms with higher AI maturity exhibit stronger financial practices, more advanced recurring revenue models, and greater rigor in tracking business metrics. Conversely, IT service providers lacking formal AI strategies tend to cluster at intermediate levels of business acumen and often trail behind peers who are effectively executing against defined business plans.
The full 2026 State of the Channel report is available exclusively to GTIA members here.
About the Global Technology Industry Association
The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) is the only vendor-neutral, 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership community connecting and representing the worldwide IT channel. We set our members up for success by providing benefits that include trusted resources and networking opportunities. In addition, the association sets industry standards that enable companies to build sustainable, secure, and profitable businesses in an ever-changing technology landscape. Internationally, GTIA represents hundreds of thousands of professionals from more than 2,500 ITSPs, vendors, distributors, and other companies serving the IT channel.
For more information, visit gtia.org.
Media contact: Suzanne Collier WhiteFox Marketing for GTIA suzanne@whitefoxpr.com
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