Telarus today released the complete findings of its fourth annual 2026–27 Telarus Tech Trends Report. Developed with independent research firm Redpoint Insights, the report draws on responses from more than 500 mid-market and enterprise IT decision-makers and more than 450 technology advisors.
The research reveals a fundamental transformation in technology procurement: while 84 percent of organizations plan to increase IT budgets this year (up from 77 percent last year), executive buyer priorities have pivoted sharply away from cost-cutting toward business outcomes like innovation and new technology adoption and tech stack simplification and consolidation.
Key Findings from the 2026-27 Telarus Tech Trends Report
- IT buying priorities are converging. Rather than purchasing technologies in isolated silos, buyers are investing across Cloud & Infrastructure (42 percent) AI & Automation (38 percent), cybersecurity (34 percent), and customer experience (34 percent) as part of a single, unified modernization strategy. Advisors who grew revenue by more than 20 percent over the past year were twice as likely to report that multi-solution deals generated over half of their annual revenue.
- A major gap exists between what advisors think their customers most value them for and what buyers actually value most. While 54 percent of advisors believe their primary value is delivering cost savings, only 26 percent of buyers agree. Instead, buyers overwhelmingly prioritize execution capabilities—specifically project management and implementation support (48 percent), rigorous vendor vetting (48 percent), and integration planning (43 percent).
- Brand loyalty is eroding rapidly as buyers weigh value with changing business needs. 84 percent of buyers report being open to switching vendors at renewal, driven by rising renewal costs (87 percent) and purchase regret — 29 percent of buyers regret a major technology purchase made in the last 24 months due to unmet expectations or vendor overpromising.
Despite this volatility, only 14 percent of advisors currently offer formal renewal strategies, presenting an unserved opportunity for proactive advisors to audit client tech stacks and expand revenue.
To help advisors evaluate client readiness and accelerate their own agency growth, the report introduces two practical frameworks:
- IT Buyer AI Maturity Model: Categorizes client organizations into Starters (22 percent) just beginning their AI journey, Builders (50 percent) overcoming execution obstacles, and Leaders (28 percent) scaling governance and competitive advantage.
- Advisor AI Maturity Model: Benchmarks technology advisors across three evolutionary stages — Traditionalist, Transitioner, and Pacesetter — providing playbooks for moving from point-solution sales to high-margin, ecosystem-level consultation.
“The market has shifted—IT buyers aren’t looking for point products anymore. They want integrated solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes,” said Jen Dimas, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at Telarus. “This year’s Telarus Tech Trends Report gives technology advisors the buyer intelligence and practical playbook to help them lead those broader conversations, strengthen their value with customers, and turn changing buyer expectations into larger, multi-solution opportunities.”
The 2026–27 Telarus Tech Trends Report is available here.
