TECHtonic: Trends in Technology and Services

Recorded live at the May 2026 TSIA Board Summit, this executive panel explores how AI is reshaping technology services, customer success, sales, and support. Industry leaders share real-world insights on AI agents, Forward-Deployed Engineers, outcome-based business models, and the future of customer value delivery.

In this episode of TECHtonic, Angelica Riemann of Agilent Technologies joins Thomas Lah to explore how a legacy hardware company is evolving into a recurring revenue powerhouse. Discover how shifting buyer expectations, digital transformation, and AI-driven services are reshaping how technology companies deliver value and drive growth.

A deep dive into how AI is transforming marketing from a tactical function into a strategic battleground, and what leaders must do to stay relevant. This episode challenges CMOs to rethink their value, avoid the trap of over-automation, and redefine where humans truly make the difference.

Net revenue retention is under pressure. SaaS growth has slowed. Sales and marketing budgets are shrinking. And AI is forcing companies to rethink everything, from seat-based pricing models to how they engage, retain, and grow customers.In this episode of TECHtonic, host Thomas Lah welcomes back Brent Grimes, CEO of Reef.ai, for a direct and timely conversation about what’s actually happening in the AI revenue landscape.Since their last discussion, AI capabilities have advanced rapidly, but the bigger shift isn’t just better models. It’s how companies are using those models to survive and win in a far more demanding market. With declining net revenue retention across public SaaS companies and mounting pressure to “do more with less,” leaders can no longer rely on intuition, last-call sentiment, or broad segmentation strategies. The era of guessing is ending.Thomas and Brent explore the rise of model-driven revenue management, where predictive AI doesn’t just improve forecasting accuracy but identifies churn risk months in advance, pinpoints expansion opportunities with statistical precision, and helps teams prioritize their time where it matters most. They discuss how upsell intelligence may actually unlock more upside than churn reduction alone, and how organizations are beginning to move from dashboards and insights toward autonomous workflows powered by renewal and expansion agents.The conversation also dives into the practical realities of making this shift—from solving data quality challenges to building trust with revenue teams who must learn to work alongside models and agents rather than rely solely on instinct. As AI adoption compounds quarter over quarter, the gap between early adopters and laggards is widening, and 2026 may mark the moment when that divide becomes unmistakable.If you own revenue, lead customer success, or sit in the CRO seat, this episode will challenge how you think about forecasting, expansion, resource allocation, and the future of go-to-market execution.

In this episode of TECHtonic, Thomas Lah and Infor CCO Mari Cross explore how micro-vertical strategies, AI-driven services, and outcome-based solutions are redefining how enterprise tech companies deliver real business value in the AI era.

TSIA’s Thomas Lah talks with AptEdge’s founders about solving the toughest problems in B2B support with AI built for context, action, and accuracy. Together, they break down the real ROI of AI, the future of support roles, and what it takes to deploy AI successfully in complex enterprise environments.

Thomas Lah and Satya Gunampalli break down the accelerating shift toward AI-first operating models, explaining how leaders, data strategies, and AI-enabled services are reshaping the future competitiveness of tech companies.

In this episode of TECHtonic, TSIA’s Thomas Lah talks with Teradata’s Alex Console about how his team is transforming enterprise support through AI, automation, and data-driven strategies to deliver always-on availability, measurable value, and a smarter customer experience.

In this episode of TECHtonic, Thomas Lah interviews Shane Luke, VP of Workday AI, about how Workday is embedding artificial intelligence into the core of enterprise software. Shane explains how his team delivers AI capabilities, from recruiting and talent mobility to contract intelligence and auditing, all while ensuring trust, transparency, and reduced bias.

Discover how ‘boring AI’ is driving big wins in SaaS and professional services. Learn how to boost productivity, close the AI trust gap, and build strategies that deliver real ROI.

Thomas Lah talks with Kelly Morgan, Chief Customer Officer at Docusign, about how the company successfully transitioned to a 100% usage-based pricing model by reshaping customer success, merging renewal and adoption roles, and focusing on value delivery in a data-driven, AI-powered world.

Join Thomas Lah and Gainsight’s CEO, Nick Mehta as they discuss the evolving role of customer success, including its growing importance, the impact of AI, and strategies for staying competitive in the face of inevitable industry changes.

With a wealth of practical expertise between them, TSIA's Thomas Lah and George Humphrey, Distinguished VP & Managing Director of Offering and Delivery Research, delve into the transformative impact of AI on technology business models. They focus on three pivotal dimensions:Data-Driven Decision-MakingEfficiency and Cost ReductionEnhanced Customer ExperienceEmphasizing the urgency for companies to effectively organize around AI, they discuss the risks of stagnation in the face of rapid technological advancements. They stress the need for proactive strategies and highlight the potential dangers of irrelevance and diminished competitiveness for companies that fail to strategically embrace AI-driven transformations.Take the first step on the Enterprise AI in Technology and Service Operations Research Journey by completing the TSIA Quick Poll: Organizing for AI Success, enabling leaders to remain at the forefront of how AI is reshaping the technology industry. Gain valuable insights, stay informed, and be part of the transformative conversation that is shaping the landscape of technology businesses worldwide.