Monday Morning Impact – March 9

Published On: March 8, 2026Categories: Buzz

Gartner Survey Reveals CMOs Anticipate “AI Blind Spot”

Sixty-five percent of CMOs say advances in AI will dramatically change the role of the CMO in the next two years, yet only 32% say significant changes are needed to the CMO profile and skill set, according to a survey by Gartner.

As AI becomes increasingly central to enterprise growth and competitive advantage, many leaders are not updating their own skills at the same pace as the role is evolving. Gartner predicts that by 2027, a lack of AI literacy will rank among the top three reasons CMOs are replaced at large enterprises, elevating AI literacy into a board-level leadership expectation.

“CMOs are not ignoring AI; most are expecting the role to change,” said Lizzy Foo Kune, Distinguished VP Analyst in the Gartner Marketing practice. “But the data points to a disconnect between anticipating disruption and recognizing the personal transformation required to lead it. CMOs must build the literacy to prioritize high-impact use cases, validate outputs and manage risk. Otherwise, AI becomes something happening around them, not something they lead.”

Many CMOs first encounter AI through operational use cases, such as content generation, analytics and workflow automation, according to Gartner. This can reinforce an “efficiency tool” mindset and push AI ownership to teams, agencies, or IT. This approach fails to elevate AI into a leadership capability tied to growth strategy, decision-making and experimentation.

“CMOs can’t treat AI as something the team ‘uses’ while leadership stays on the sidelines,” said Foo Kune. “The leaders who will thrive will prioritize a small set of high-impact use cases tied to measurable outcomes, build fluency in model limitations, and institutionalize output validation. They should also hold agencies accountable for governance and demonstrated value, and convene a C-suite community of practice to accelerate experimentation and alignment to enterprise priorities.”

The survey was conducted from August through October 2025 among 402 senior marketing leaders in North America and Europe.

Gartner clients can read more in the report: CMOs: Build Your AI Literacy to Enhance C-Suite Credibility.

Channel Impact^®
Channel partners can play a critical role in helping client CMOs to navigate the changes necessary to remain competitive and effective.

IDC: Global ICT Spend to Reach $4 Trillion in 2026

Global spending on information and communications technology (ICT) is forecast to reach $4 trillion in 2026 and surpass $6 trillion by 2029, according to the latest update of the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Worldwide ICT Spending Guide Enterprise and SMB by Industry. Excluding the consumer segment, the ICT market is projected to grow 10% in 2026, driven by rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, which will grow over 70% by the end of the year.

Software emerges as the largest technology group in 2026, absorbing more than 33% of global ICT spending. This surge is primarily fueled by robust investments in enterprise resource management (ERM) applications, security software, and production and operations applications, which together will account for over one-third of total global software expenditure, according to IDC. These categories reflect enterprises’ ongoing priorities around operational efficiency and cybersecurity resilience. Hardware is set to be the fastest growing technology group, with a projected year-over-year growth rate of 15% in 2026. This expansion is driven by significant momentum in non-x86 servers, the proliferation of wearables, and increased adoption of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). This underscores the rising demand for specialized compute infrastructure, edge devices, and scalable cloud resources to support next-generation workloads and hybrid environments.

Top industries include Software and Information Services, Banking, Retail, representing more than $1 trillion combined.

Fastest-growing sectors include Software and Information Services, Media and Entertainment, and Retail, according to the report.

The report anticipates a Five-year CAGR greater than10%.

Major global events in 2025, including escalating trade tariffs, security threats, and the US government shutdowns, prompted organizations to accelerate investments in AI-driven optimization and security. Geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions accelerated digital transformation and security spending. The United States is expected to lead global ICT spending in 2026, reaching $2 trillion, driven by its large enterprise base and rapid adoption of cloud and AI technologies. Western Europe is predicted to be the second largest market at $908 billion, supported by regulatory-driven modernization and accelerated AI adoption in sectors like banking and manufacturing. China will follow with $355 billion, fueled by government-led digital infrastructure and expansion of smart manufacturing and AI platforms, according to the research.

“We are entering a new phase of the AI-everywhere journey: the era of expectations and reckoning,” said Andrea Siviero, senior director at IDC. “The excitement of experimentation is giving way to a sharper focus on accountability, value creation, and productivity impact. In 2026, enterprises will demand that AI and digital investments demonstrably improve processes, accelerate decision making, and ultimately drive business growth across the organization.”

“As companies continue to invest in automation, industries such as aerospace and defense, insurance, and software and information services are poised to accelerate spending in AI platforms the fastest,” said Andrea Minonne, research manager at IDC. “In aerospace and defense, escalating geopolitical cross-regional tensions and heightened security concerns are prompting governments to expand defense budgets.”

Channel Impact^®
The data can be useful to channel partners seeking to determine industries, regions, and technologies in which to place their key bets.

Myriad360 Acquires Advizex Technologies

Myriad360, a New York-based solutions and systems integrator specializing in cybersecurity, modern infrastructure, cloud, and artificial intelligence, has announced the acquisition of Advizex Technologies, a technology solutions provider with expertise in hybrid infrastructure, data engineering, AI platforms, and managed services.

The acquisition represents more than $900 million in annual run-rate gross revenue, and is expected to expand the combined company’s technical depth, geographic reach, and managed services capability.

“This is about building a platform positioned for where the market is going,” said Jay Miley, CEO of Myriad360. “Our priority is continuity for clients and expanded opportunities for our teams.”

Advizex will operate as Advizex, a Myriad360 company, as the organizations focus first on stability, revenue growth, and collaborative integration planning.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Channel Impact^®
The acquisition is expected to strengthen recurring revenue potential across managed services, cloud, and AI-driven environments, positioning the combined company to accelerate cross-selling, deepen enterprise engagement, and expand lifecycle service delivery.

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