Managed Service Providers Target $650B Market at EDGE 2026 Event

Omdia analysts Jay McBain and Mark Iles opened the EDGE 2026 conference, highlighting the $650 billion managed services market and the broader $6.2 trillion global technology spending. They emphasized that AI‑related services are expanding faster than the overall IT sector, positioning services as more valuable than hardware or software.

The speakers noted that modern technology purchases now involve an average of 6.3 partners, with customers relying on a range of specialists in consulting, integration, cyber security, cloud and managed services. Integration has become a top buying criterion, especially for digital‑first buyers. MSPs that can operate within collaborative partner ecosystems are expected to capture significant growth as organisations move AI from experimentation to production. Automation and AI are also reshaping MSP operations, reducing manual tasks and boosting service efficiency.

Overall, the conference outlined strong tailwinds for MSP business models, driven by the shift toward recurring, strategic services and the need for integrated, AI‑enabled solutions.