Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a strategic issue in the IT industry. Our latest Market Insights survey of 394 IT service providers, system houses, system integrators, and service providers in Germany and Austria shows that the AI transformation has arrived in the industry—but its integration into marketable, scalable portfolios is still in many cases a work in progress.
IT service providers clearly recognize AI as a relevant topic for the future, particularly in the areas of service and support, IT automation, and sales and marketing. At the same time, there is a significant gap between these expectations and their own current level of market readiness: Only a small fraction of IT service providers currently offer market-ready AI solutions in their portfolios. Planning, testing, and pilot projects continue to dominate the landscape. The central challenge, therefore, lies less in the technology itself than in translating it into scalable offerings and clear go-to-market structures.
The survey was conducted between November and December 2025. Participants included managing directors, sales managers, and individuals responsible for vendor selection and portfolio management at IT service providers.
AI in the Portfolio: Many Initiatives, Little Market Readiness
The results paint a nuanced picture of the current state of AI-based solutions in the portfolios of IT service providers:
- 13% of respondents already offer market-ready AI solutions in their product portfolio and are actively selling them.
- 17% are currently in the internal development or testing phase.
- 4% are already testing AI solutions together with customers as part of pilot projects (PoCs).
- 26% plan to adopt AI solutions but do not yet have them in their portfolio.
- 27% currently have no specific AI plans.
This shows that, while many IT service providers are already exploring AI, only a small number have so far succeeded in making the transition from planning, testing, and pilot projects to a scalable, market-ready offering.
Applications for End Customers: Focus on Service, IT Automation, and Sales
When asked about the areas in which AI is likely to gain the most traction and be used productively among their clients, IT service providers primarily identify the following application areas:
- Customer Service & Support (26%), such as through chatbots or virtual assistants
- Automation of IT processes (19%), for example in support or cybersecurity scenarios
- Sales and marketing support (16%), including forecasting and lead qualification
The potential of AI is currently viewed as significantly lower in the supply chain and logistics sectors. Only 3% of respondents see relevant applications here, such as optimizing supply chains, managing inventory, or preventing downtime. Production and manufacturing also play a minor role, at around 5% —an indication that OT-related topics still do not fall within the core business of many IT service providers.
Challenges in Integrating AI for End Customers
In addition to the anticipated potential, the survey also paints a nuanced picture of the challenges that IT service providers face—or expect to face—when integrating AI solutions for their clients.
Regulatory and Safety-Related Issues
- 20% cite data protection and security concerns as a key challenge.
- 18% view legal uncertainties as an obstacle, for example with regard to liability, compliance, or regulatory requirements.
Technological and Strategic Challenges
- 15% report facing challenges in selecting suitable AI solutions.
- 13% view the complexity of the technology as a major obstacle, particularly when it comes to integration and operation.
Organizational Factors
- 9% cite a lack of resources or limited budgets as a challenge.
- 8% report acceptance issues among employees, such as reservations, a lack of expertise, or uncertainty about how to use AI.
Other Mentions
- 5% say they have no plans to sell AI solutions, so the issue of integration does not currently apply to them.
- 4% see no challenges in integrating AI.
- 8% did not provide an answer.
Taken as a whole, it becomes clear that it is not so much the technology itself, but rather regulatory frameworks, security issues, and navigating the AI market that are perceived as the key obstacles. The challenge for IT service providers, therefore, increasingly lies in translating technical capabilities, legal requirements, and organizational prerequisites into a clear, actionable service model.
Attitudes Toward AI Transformation: Predominantly Objective and Open-Minded
The respondents' personal attitudes toward the AI transformation also vary:
- 35% clearly see the opportunities presented by AI as the main focus
- 36% rate the development as neutral
- 14% view AI with some skepticism or as a risk
The results show that, despite existing uncertainties, AI is viewed in the industry largely in an objective and open-minded manner. While skepticism exists, it does not dominate perceptions.
The Market Insights findings highlight a structural shift in the IT channel. AI is no longer merely a topic of innovation; rather, it is evolving into a measure of maturity for IT service providers.
The main challenge lies not so much in the technology itself as in translating pilot projects into scalable, marketable offerings.
The market is thus entering a critical phase: The transition from planning, testing, and proof-of-concepts to full-scale sales and a clear go-to-market strategy will determine which IT service providers can successfully establish AI as a sustainable growth area.
OUR CONCLUSION
AI as a Maturity Assessment Tool for IT Service Providers
The survey results reflect a clear shift in the IT services industry:
Artificial intelligence is on the rise, but in many cases it has not yet been fully integrated into the product portfolio. The market is facing a critical scaling phase: the transition from planning and testing to full-scale sales currently represents the main hurdle.
In general, IT service providers view the AI trend as mostly neutral to positive. While there is some skepticism, it does not dominate their perception. AI is recognized as a relevant topic for the future, even if the specific path to implementation is not yet clear everywhere.
AI is the hottest topic right now. 27% of IT service providers in the IT infrastructure sector currently have no plans to offer AI solutions—which came as a surprise to us. More than a third of those surveyed are already actively leveraging the potential of AI solutions or testing them in pilot projects with customers. We’re eager to see how this trend continues.
GERALD HOLLER - Managing Director COMPRiS GMBH
One reason cited for the fact that 27% of IT service providers currently have no concrete plans to offer AI solutions is that, in the view of many respondents, AI does not affect the traditional IT infrastructure sector to the same extent as other application areas—such as customer service and customer experience, sales and marketing support, or data analysis and business intelligence.
Only 5% of respondents see significant opportunities for AI in production and manufacturing or in the supply chain and logistics. This underscores the fact that OT-related topics (production IT) still do not fall within the core business of the majority of IT service providers.
Regulatory requirements and safety continue to be seen as the biggest obstacles. Data protection, security, and legal uncertainties are clearly perceived as the key challenges. At the same time, many IT service providers find it difficult to navigate the AI market; in particular, selecting suitable, appropriate solutions is considered complex and challenging.
The results are based on a COMPRiS Market Insights survey of 394 IT service providers, system houses, system integrators, and service providers in Germany and Austria, conducted in November and December 2025.
The survey included managing directors, sales managers, and those responsible for vendor selection and portfolio management.
COMPRiS Market Insights regularly provides data-driven insights into market trends, maturity levels, and challenges in indirect sales and the channel environment.
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