AI Partner Opportunity: US$267 Billion
Source: omdia.tech.informa.com
The Shift to Agentic AI
The field of artificial intelligence is quickly changing as generative AI gives way to agentic AI. To take advantage of this change, vendors and partners are modifying their strategies. Omdia projects that by 2030, the global partner opportunity for AI and agentic AI services will amount to US$267 billion, underscoring the vital role that partners play in the effective adoption and implementation of AI.
AI is in a state of evolution. We have quickly transitioned from generative AI and productivity tools to intelligent agents capable of independent action and complex workflow execution. This advancement is reshaping the functionality of software, business operations, and value creation within ecosystems.
Microsoft has incorporated Copilot throughout its ecosystem. Salesforce has reimagined Einstein as a platform for creating numerous enterprise agents. Google has incorporated Gemini into its Workspace applications. ServiceNow has established itself as the operating system for enterprise workflows, powered by AI. According to Omdia’s AI Market Maturity Survey 2025, this realignment mirrors executive goals, with 90% of executives intending to increase AI-related investments in the upcoming year.
Barriers to AI Adoption
However, there's a hurdle. The majority of AI pilots are unsuccessful, frequently due to customers' lack of data readiness, technical proficiency, experience, or governance frameworks for scaling AI projects. The Omdia AI Market Maturity Survey 2025 identifies the top five obstacles to AI adoption:
- Lack of qualified in-house expertise
- Data privacy concerns
- Data quality issues
- Compliance and regulatory challenges
- Integration difficulties with legacy systems
The Partner Opportunity
This is where partners become crucial. Omdia predicts that the global partner opportunity for AI services will reach US$267 billion by 2030, with agentic AI accounting for a sizable portion of that value.
The Critical Role of Partners
Partners are becoming increasingly important in helping clients implement and adopt AI, providing services ranging from strategy and advice to specialized development:
- Strategy and advisory: Helping customers define their AI strategy.
- Data readiness: Unifying, governing, and enriching the data that powers AI.
- Design and build: Creating specialized AI, agents, and workflows.
- Deployment and adoption: Embedding AI into business processes.
- Ongoing services: Security and compliance, optimization, operations.
The AI partner ecosystem is diverse, with opportunity sizes varying by partner type. The largest opportunities are represented by GSIs, RSIs, consultants, MSPs/MSSPs, and ISVs, while boutique firms and emerging tech providers are the categories experiencing the fastest growth due to deep specialization.
Capitalizing on the Opportunity
Agentic AI is developing into a service that is primarily delivered through partners, with 47% of customers relying on partners and experts for implementation, according to research by Canalys (now part of Omdia). It is evident that organizations require assistance in bridging talent and expertise gaps to ensure effective implementation and adoption as AI develops quickly. Partners that cultivate specialized data and AI knowledge, industry-specific solutions, and comprehensive implementation skills will be in the best position to capture the greatest value in this expanding market. Those who make investments in developing their skills and offerings now will rise to the top of the next wave of digital transformation.
To explore the full analysis, including detailed breakdowns of:
The evolution from generative to agentic AI
Vendor strategies and market positioning
The critical role of partners in successful implementation and adoption
Detailed opportunity analysis across partner types
Breakdown of major vendors’ AI partner strategies
Essential capabilities for capturing market share
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