Monday Morning Impact – March 17
Gartner: Agentic AI Will Play Dominant Role in Resolving Customer Service Issues
By 2029, agentic AI will autonomously resolve 80% of common customer service issues without human intervention, leading to a 30% reduction in operational costs, according to Gartner, Inc.
While previous AI models were limited to generating text or summarizing interactions, agentic AI introduces a new paradigm where AI systems possess the capability to act autonomously to complete tasks. Gartner expects that companies and organizations will leverage this technology to automate interactions through the use of AI agents and bots, fundamentally reshaping the relationship between service teams and their customers.
“Agentic AI has emerged as a game-changer for customer service, paving the way for autonomous and low-effort customer experiences,” said Daniel O’Sullivan, Senior Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service & Support Practice. “Unlike traditional GenAI tools that simply assist users with information, agentic AI will proactively resolve service requests on behalf of customers, marking a new era in customer engagement.”
This shift requires service teams to adapt to supporting both human customers and an increasing number of machine customers powered by these advanced AI tools. For customer service teams accustomed to handling reactive demand from human customers, this transition presents a potential challenge.
“Organizations will need to rethink their approach to managing inbound service interactions, preparing for a future where AI-driven requests become the norm. In this future, automation will need to become the dominant strategy for all service teams,” O’Sullivan added.
For customers leveraging agentic AI, Gartner says the service experience will undergo a significant transformation. AI agents will not only provide information but will also take action, such as navigating websites to cancel memberships or negotiating optimal shipping rates on behalf of business customers. Beyond these delegated tasks, agentic AI holds the potential for proactive issue identification and resolution.
In preparation for this trend, Gartner recommends that customer service and support leaders should anticipate more automated interactions from AI agents, and invest in scalable infrastructure and optimize self-service channels to manage bot traffic. The report also recommends updating of models to handle AI-driven service volume and implement dynamic routing to differentiate between human and AI interactions. Furthermore, guidelines should be developed for AI-led interactions, addressing data privacy, security, and escalation.
Gartner clients can read more in: “What is Agentic AI and How Will It Impact Customer Service and Support?” and in the Q&A: “Customer Service Leaders Should Strategically Integrate Agentic AI to Enhance Efficiency and Redefine Service Roles.”
Channel Impact®
Agentic AI is poised to revolutionize the way service interactions are conducted. Service organizations and allied channel partners must brace for changes in the nature and volume of interactions, which will redefine the relationship between service teams and their customers, open new avenues for value delivery, and alter the landscape of customer data collection.
Pax8 and Sophos Announce Partnership for Security Management
Pax8, a Denver-based company providing a cloud commerce marketplace, has announced a strategic partnership making offerings from Sophos available to Pax8’s network of more than 40,000 MSPs. Product lines include Sophos Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Sophos Endpoint powered by Intercept X and Sophos Firewall.
Anticipated benefits include new revenue opportunities, simplified procurement and billing, and various enablement, support and sales training initiatives.
“With cybersecurity, speed and innovation are essential for defending against attackers,” said Sophos CEO Joe Levy. “This partnership with Pax8 accelerates MSP access to critical cybersecurity tools, enabling them to better protect their customers in an increasingly complex and volatile threat landscape.”
“MSPs today need solutions that align with the way they operate—cloud-first, flexible and easy to manage at scale,” said Scott Chasin, Chief Executive Officer of Pax8. “By bringing Sophos’ innovative security offerings to our marketplace, Pax8 is providing our partners with access to enterprise-grade security solutions for their SMB customers in a way that simplifies management, reduces risk and drives profitability.”
Channel Impact®
By partnering with Pax8, Sophos intends to help MSPs to more easily manage cybersecurity through a single vendor platform, to streamline solution integration, and enhance efficiency while simplifying cloud procurement cycles.
“Zoom Up” Services Program to Unlock Partner Revenue Opportunities
Zoom has unveiled the next evolution of its partner program with the introduction of the “Zoom Up Services Program,” providing partner assistance with solution deployment, support, customer success, and managed services across the Zoom platform.
The program features three partner service models based on business needs and the level of engagement.
At the Reseller or Referral level, any Zoom Up Partner can continue to resell or refer Zoom-branded services. The next step, described as “Certified Services,” enables partners to deliver their branded services to customers, endorsed by Zoom. This is available to all qualifying partner types, contingent on the successful completion of specific training and accreditations. “Partner-Delivered Programs,” the highest level of the three models, is for partners who deliver differentiated and advanced post-sales services to customers in partnership with Zoom. This is available to Certified Partners who meet partner proficiency standards and capability, resource, scale and performance commitments.
“This new program marks a pivotal step in Zoom’s evolution of becoming a more partner-centric company,” said Nick Tidd, Head of Global Channel GTM at Zoom. “This program will empower our partners to scale their Zoom Services practice by unlocking new revenue streams, creating differentiation in the market, and allowing partners to deliver exceptional solutions and support to their customers.”
The first phase of the services program is now live globally with early adopters, and its scope is scheduled to be expanded following a phased roll-out throughout FY26.
Channel Impact®
The program provides specialized enablement and hands-on training designed to unlock revenue opportunities and drive partner success at scale.
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