What 2026 Holds for Consulting & IT Services

From AI hype to revenue reality

Disruption from AI adoption, shifting commercial models and macroeconomic pressure will shape the overall market for professional services, including consulting, systems integration and managed services, in 2026. TBR clients have been asking: How fast and how significant will profitable revenue come from AI-related services and adjacent professional services? How will commercial models change? How much longer will time-and-materials and pyramid staffing models last? And what is the timing expectation for a return to double-digit growth based on our decades of data on these markets?
 
TBR’s focus has always been on individual companies. Understanding, and even predicting, market trends is only the starting point. Our analysis goes deeper into what trends, disruptions and opportunities mean for the 50-plus companies in TBR’s Professional Services coverage. Predictions help set the framework for thinking about the future, while company-specific analysis provides the context for every player in the consulting, IT services and technology ecosystem.
 
In the below TBR Insights Live session, Principal Analyst & Practice Manager Patrick Heffernan and TBR’s Professional Services team discuss which macro trends will shape demand for consulting and IT services over the next five years, how companies have positioned themselves for accelerated AI adoption, and which companies will outpace peers and why.
 

This TBR Insights Live session is available on demand on our YouTube channel. Visit this link to download the presentation’s slide deck.
 
If you’d like to further explore the data mentioned in this TBR Insights Live session, sign up for a free trial of TBR Insight Center™ today.
 
TBR Insights Live sessions are held typically on Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET and include a 15-minute Q&A session following the main presentation. Previous sessions can be viewed anytime on TBR’s Webinar Portal.