Techaisle Blog

A study by global IT research firm Techaisle found that PC maintenance and support consumes 77% of SMB IT staff time. Digging deeper into time spent on PC lifecycle management, the research finds that 57% of the time is allocated to deployment and repairs, with an additional 15% allocated to software-related management issues and 9% to OS migrations. These statistics indicate that basic PC-related maintenance tasks consume more than one in every three SMB IT staff hours.

The rise of AI is revolutionizing workplaces across industries. As AI capabilities continue to evolve, businesses are increasingly adopting this technology to enhance productivity and gain a competitive advantage. A key area of this transformation is the emergence of AI PCs. According to Techaisle data, AI PCs are poised for significant growth, with 14% to 28% of all PC purchases in 2025 expected to fall into this category, depending on the business size. This rapid adoption presents both challenges and opportunities for channel partners, MSPs, and PC OEMs responsible for supporting and servicing AI PCs. While 48% of SMBs and midmarket firms anticipate reduced support needs with AI PCs, they are also concerned that new service requirements are emerging. This necessitates a shift in service offerings to effectively address the unique needs of AI-powered devices and their users.

A recent Techaisle survey of 2,000 businesses revealed some key insights into the evolving needs of SMB services in the age of AI PCs. Most respondents (64%) believe performance optimization will be a critical service requirement. This is not surprising, as AI PCs often handle complex tasks and large datasets, demanding high levels of processing power and efficient resource management. IT service providers will need to develop specialized expertise in AI performance optimization to ensure that these devices operate at peak efficiency and deliver the expected business value.

The introduction of Dell AI Studio, Lenovo AI Now, and HP AI Companion marks a significant shift in PC capabilities, creating new demands for specialized support and services within businesses. These AI-powered tools are designed to enhance productivity, streamline tasks, and provide personalized experiences, but they also introduce complexities that many organizations may not be prepared to handle. As businesses adopt these AI-enhanced PCs, IT departments will need to develop new skills and expertise to manage and troubleshoot AI-related issues. This includes understanding how to optimize AI models for specific business needs, ensuring data privacy and security when using local AI agents, and managing the integration of AI tools with existing enterprise applications. Additionally, SMBs and midmarket firms may need to create new roles or teams dedicated to AI PC management, focusing on AI model curation, performance optimization, and user training. These changes will likely lead to an increased demand for AI-specific IT support services, specialized training programs for staff, and potentially new partnerships with AI consultancy firms to help businesses fully leverage the capabilities of their AI-enhanced PC fleets.

In all sectors, the last two years were tough – and as a result, 2022 is challenging from a market planning perspective. As we enter 2022, IT product and service suppliers are looking to create a context for understanding the range of outcomes that the new year may bring. Techaisle is launching its "2022 in Focus" research series to support that effort, which illuminates issues and requirements in the vast SMB and midmarket segments. To begin with, here are our top 10 (and additional 3) predictions for 2022. After surveying thousands of SMBs and midmarket firms, having hundreds of depth calls, we identified over thirty trends. After that, we systematically prioritized ten predictions for your consumption.

We look forward to working with you in the year(s) to develop fact-based perspectives on the issues that shape the success of the IT industry.

US SMB IT spend is forecast to grow by 7.6% in 2021 over 2020. In July 2020, we had written that resiliency, agility, and adaptability would accelerate recovery for SMBs. Techaisle's survey of 1720 US SMBs confirms the prognosis for the US market. Data shows that 45% of US SMBs will be in the high growth segment, with IT budget increases ranging between 7.5% to 15%. However, 12% of SMBs will experience budget decreases of more than 5%. The majority of the declining IT growth segment will be in the 1-49 employee sizes. Regardless, the small businesses will grow their IT spend. There is an apparent dichotomy appearing in how technology is likely to be acquired by SMBs. Nearly two-thirds of micro-businesses prefer acquisitions structured around leases, whereas one-fourth of midmarket firms plan to move to "as-a-service" approaches.

IT services spending will grow by 8.6%, driven by managed services, data/platform integration, cloud orchestration, and business process automation. As cloud applications increase, the demand for hybrid IT is becoming a pressing requirement for SMBs.

2021 will be the year of the midmarket segment, with IT spending forecast to grow by 8%. Data illustrates a fascinating picture showing IT budget increasing in direct proportion with size, from 100-249 to 500-999 employee firms. The upper midmarket (1000-4999 employee size segment) will have an average budget increase of 6.1%, slightly lower than the 500-999 size business.

In all sectors, 2020 was a challenging year – and as a result, 2021 is challenging from a market planning perspective. The disconnect between 2020 and 2019 was so severe that it rendered spend forecasts virtually useless: IT suppliers reacted to shifting market trends in real-time. As we enter 2021, IT product and service suppliers look to create a context for understanding the range of outcomes that the new year may bring. Techaisle's 2021 report series illuminates issues and requirements in the vast SMB market to support that effort. To start 2021, here are our top 10 predictions.

1. Digital inequality will be more important than the digital divide
2. Quest for reinvention, innovation, resiliency will drive bursts of incremental transformation goals
3. The hybrid workplace will require HR focus and drive adoption of workspace, workflow solutions
4. Meaningful customer partners and not trusted advisors will determine supplier success
5. Pragmatism will overtake progressiveness in technology adoption for a future-ready organization
6. Requirements for automation and enhanced IT services will become time-critical
7. Security and risk mitigation will focus on a safe middle ground
8. Systems of insight will move into the analytics mainstream
9. AI will arrive as a capability integrated within other solutions
10. Open source adoption will become an indicator of cloud success