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Chris Antlitz, Principal Analyst2026-01-13 09:56:502026-01-13 10:07:54The U.S. doesn’t have a Spectrum Shortage — It has a Utilization ProblemYou are here: Home1 / Competitive Insights – Analyst Perspectives – TBR2 / Competitive Insights and Analyses Blog
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Chris Antlitz, Principal Analyst2026-01-13 09:56:502026-01-13 10:07:54The U.S. doesn’t have a Spectrum Shortage — It has a Utilization Problem
Shutdown Ends, but Federal Contractors Face a Slow Return to Normal
The 43-day U.S. federal government shutdown, the longest in history, came to a welcome end on Nov. 13, 2025, but for some federal systems integrators (FSIs), the shutdown’s impact could linger well into federal fiscal year 2026 (FFY26). According to the Professional Services Council, the national trade association for federal technology and professional services contractors, it will take three to five days for agency functions to return to normal for each day of the shutdown, implying that operations at some agencies may not return to normal until March 2026.
Getty Images via Canva ProPartnerships, Not Products, Will Define How Consultancies and Native AI Companies Share Value in Agentic AI Era
Just like supporting startup programs, many traditional IT services companies and consultancies have struggled to adequately put themselves in their alliance partners’ shoes. And when those partners are startups or immature native AI companies, that struggle will be harder in the absence of leadership, strategic direction and sustained investment. But that’s the potential downside. The upside is that consultancies are perfectly positioned to be change management specialists, helping their largest clients adopt the best new AI.
Getty Images via Canva ProHuman Capital Management in the Age of (Agentic) AI
Fundamentally HR management remains a back-office function that IT services companies and consultancies can use to drive managed services engagements. And TBR’s research shows that managed services can lead to additional consulting opportunities, particularly when managed services providers (whether a traditional IT services company or consultancy) partners smartly with technology companies, leveraging the data and insights generated through back-office platforms to uncover issues and opportunities.
Getty Images via Canva ProGenAI Outcomes or Autonomous AI Architecture: Where Should CIOs Focus?
What good are AI-enabled solutions if an enterprise’s IT environment and architecture can’t handle the data orchestration demands and IT becomes a roadblock to faster, better, clearer insights from AI, rather than the business accelerator expected of IT departments in the AI era? After more than a decade of consultancies and IT services companies helping IT departments become business drivers, will inadequate architecture slow down AI adoption and AI agents at scale?
Amdocs Is Well Positioned to Continue Absorbing Market Share in the Telecom Industry; AI Is a Key Growth Vector
Although TBR believes it is very early days for agentic AI branding, Amdocs’ early foray into this emerging area and thought leadership underscore how the company is seeking to move into new and adjacent areas as it expands its offerings, especially around consulting, design and transformation enablement.
Getty Images Signature via Canva ProHCLTech’s Expanding KYC Journey: From Technology Provider to Trusted Compliance Partner
By evolving its KYC offerings across platforms and clients, HCLTech has shifted from tech implementer to outcomes-driven partner.

DOGE drives civil sector slowdown; defense contractors gear up as Trump’s budget shifts billions to military priorities
The Trump administration’s recent “skinny” budget proposal for FFY26 suggests that nondefense spending will fall from around $720 billion in FFY25 to approximately $557 billion in FFY26, representing a 23% decline. Contractors with any level of exposure to the civilian sector can expect agency reorganizations, layoffs, budget reductions and in-depth contract reviews within civil agencies for the remainder of FFY25 and likely into at least the first half of FFY26. The pace of new awards has already slowed significantly at some civilian agencies, as has the rate of new bookings on existing civilian engagements.
Getty ImagesGeopolitics with Purpose: EY-Parthenon Drives Strategy, Not Just Awareness
TBR has long maintained that the Big Four firms have an inherent advantage against all competitors when it comes to understanding and advising on geopolitical risk. Perhaps only the U.S. government has the same global spread of talent, with professionals in nearly every country, most intimately aware of local business, economic and even political trends. When EY-Parthenon showed off its Geopolitical Advisory team recently, TBR wanted to know: Is this something special?
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Top 3 Predictions for Digital Transformation (DT) in 2023
/by Patrick Heffernan, Practice Manager and Principal AnalystTBR starts off 2023 with 3 predictions surrounding Digital Transformation. The report includes commentary revolving around Metaverse, AI and how hyperscalers will kill technology agnosticism.
Top 3 Predictions for Professional Services (IT Services Vendors) in 2023
/by Patrick Heffernan, Practice Manager and Principal AnalystMany IT services vendors and consultancies are reconstituting in new forms, bringing some chaos to the digital transformation landscape and upending alliances in 2023. TBR discusses this and more in our Top 3 Predictions for Professional Services in 2023 report.
Top 3 Predictions for Telecom Going Into 2023 and Beyond
/by Chris Antlitz, Principal AnalystTBR’s top predictions for the upcoming year include the telecom industry facing an unprecedented level of uncertainty and risk in 2023
Top 5 Predictions for Cloud & Software Vendors in 2023
/by Allan Krans, Practice Manager and Principal AnalystTBR’s 2023 Report featuring Predictions for Cloud and Software vendors is now live. With unprecedented times upon this, we discuss how cloud vendors will use predictable strategies going into 2023 and beyond.
IT Infrastructure Predictions and Trends for 2023 and Beyond
/by Angela Lambert, Principal Analyst and Practice ManagerCompetition among infrastructure vendors will be stiff as ever going into 2023, leaving vendors hungry to increase their relevance and value to customers outside the traditional data center.
Top 3 Predictions for Devices (PCs) in 2023
/by TBRFollowing the pandemic-related surge in PC sales and AUR, TBR predicts vendor revenue and margins will be lower in 2023.
Top 3 Predictions for Government IT Services in 2023
/by John Caucis, Senior AnalystTBR predicts federal government IT spend is poised to surge to new highs on the back of digital modernization and cybersecurity investment. Read more about this prediction and others in our 2023 report.
How to illuminate operational insights and increase value from your business model and estimates
/by Patrick Heffernan, Practice Manager and Principal AnalystLearn about TBR’s approach to modeling financial performance and other business metrics, including what value comes from modeling and advice on doing modeling correctly
Digital transformation cannot escape tech despite vendors’ evolving value propositions
/by TBRComplexities in developing and managing digital transformation (DT) have fueled tremendous opportunity for vendors across IT and services over the past five to seven years.
Changing the norm: Consultancies reimagine portfolios and talent composition
/by TBRConsultancies must balance talent composition around technology and consulting to support the shift in business models to better retain clients and deliver on emerging needs brought out from digital adoption