A new reality is taking shape in enterprise technology planning: artificial intelligence in the contact center is no longer a future curiosity but a present-day imperative. According to a recent Gartner CIO survey, AI in contact centers has climbed into the top three strategic priorities for 2026, a remarkable signal that customer service technology has crossed the threshold from operational tool to boardroom concern. This shift reflects a broader transformation in how organizations view the intersection of customer experience, automation, and competitive advantage, and it is reshaping the managed services landscape that underpins these systems.

For managed service providers and their enterprise clients, the implications are profound. As CIOs elevate customer service AI to the same tier as cloud migration and cybersecurity, the demand for sophisticated, AI-enabled contact center platforms is accelerating. Enterprises often turn to managed services partners, seeking not just basic hosting or ticket routing, but intelligent, scalable customer engagement platforms that can adapt in real time, predict customer needs, and integrate effectively with overall digital transformation efforts.

The Managed Services Market Gains Momentum

The managed services sector is experiencing strong growth, as enterprises often seek to offload complex IT operations and gain access to specialized expertise and advanced technology. The global managed services market was valued at about a notable sum.$2 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach a notable sum (investors.unitedrentals.com). 4 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of an industry-cited figure, according to Grand View Research 2025. In North America alone, managed services are expected to grow from USD an industry-cited figure in 2025 to USD an industry-cited figure by 2031, according to Mordor Intelligence 2025.

This expansion is being fueled by demand across multiple service categories, including managed network, cloud infrastructure, security, and unified communications. Managed security services accounted for about 24% of North American revenue in 2025, according to the same Mordor Intelligence report, underscoring the breadth of enterprise priorities. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 firms now describe themselves as managed service providers, though only an industry-cited figure to an industry-cited figure have reached higher maturity levels, according to MSPAlliance 2024.

Why AI in Contact Centers Has Become a C-Suite Priority

The elevation of contact center AI to a top-three CIO priority for 2026 marks a turning point. Historically, contact centers were often viewed as cost centers, a required expenditure, not a strategic asset, valued for efficiency rather than driving growth. That calculus is changing as AI technologies mature and business leaders recognize the revenue and retention implications of exceptional customer service.

Bob Diercksmeier, Director of Marketing at Crexendo, Inc., frames the shift in clear terms:

"When CIOs rank contact center AI in their top three priorities, it reflects a maturation of the technology and a real business case. Enterprises recognize that customer service is no longer a cost center to optimize but a strategic lever that can drive revenue, retention, and brand loyalty."

— Bob Diercksmeier, Director of Marketing, Crexendo, Inc.

This perspective captures a fundamental change in enterprise thinking. AI-powered contact centers can now deliver personalized interactions at scale, automate routine inquiries while escalating complex issues to human agents, and generate real-time insights into customer sentiment and behavior. These capabilities are particularly attractive in industries such as banking, financial services, and insurance, sectors that Mordor Intelligence identified as leading adopters of managed services in 2025.

The Role of Managed Services in Delivering AI-Driven Customer Engagement

For many enterprises, the path to AI-enabled contact centers runs through managed services partnerships. Building and maintaining sophisticated contact center infrastructure in-house requires significant capital investment, specialized talent, and ongoing platform evolution. Managed service providers offer a compelling alternative: consumption-based pricing, continuous updates, and access to a portfolio of AI tools without the burden of internal development.

Prominent vendors in the managed services ecosystem, including Accenture, IBM, DXC Technology, Rackspace Technology, and CDW, as well as specialized providers in unified communications, are racing to integrate generative AI, natural language processing, and predictive analytics into their contact center offerings. These capabilities enable features such as intelligent call routing, sentiment analysis, automated quality assurance, and proactive customer outreach based on behavioral signals.

Managed service providers are also leveraging established frameworks to ensure quality and compliance. IT service management practices based on ITIL, along with security controls guided by the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO/IEC 27001, help structure service-level agreements, risk management, and regulatory adherence. As AI introduces new considerations around data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and ethical use, these governance frameworks are becoming even more critical.

Strategic Implications for Enterprises and Providers

The convergence of AI, contact centers, and managed services creates both opportunities and challenges. For enterprises, the strategic imperative is to partner with providers who can deliver not just technology, but business outcomes, measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, first-call resolution, agent productivity, and lifetime value. This requires moving beyond feature checklists to evaluate how AI capabilities integrate with existing CRM systems, data warehouses, and analytics platforms.

For managed service providers, the opportunity is to position contact center AI as a differentiator in an increasingly crowded market. Globally, managed services already represent about USD 441 billion of IT services spending and are growing at 11 to 14% annually, according to MSPAlliance 2024. Success in this environment will depend on the ability to demonstrate ROI, adapt quickly to evolving AI technologies, and build trust through transparent governance and data stewardship.

The BFSI sector, identified by Mordor Intelligence as a leading adopter, exemplifies the stakes. In highly regulated industries, contact centers are not just service channels but compliance touchpoints, brand ambassadors, and revenue drivers. AI tools that can simultaneously improve customer experience, ensure regulatory adherence, and surface upsell opportunities represent a powerful competitive advantage.

Looking Ahead: AI as the New Baseline

As 2026 approaches, the Gartner survey finding, that contact center AI ranks among the top three CIO priorities, will likely prove prescient rather than aspirational. The technology has matured, the business case has solidified, and enterprise leaders are acting accordingly. For managed service providers, this represents both a mandate and an opportunity: to deliver AI-enabled customer engagement platforms that are reliable, compliant, and measurably effective.

The next phase of this evolution will be defined by integration, orchestration, and continuous learning. Contact centers will increasingly operate as interconnected nodes within broader customer data ecosystems, drawing on insights from marketing automation, e-commerce platforms, and operational systems. AI will shift from handling discrete tasks to orchestrating end-to-end customer journeys, anticipating needs before they are articulated and personalizing interactions in real time.

In this future, the distinction between contact center and customer experience will blur, and the managed services providers that thrive will be those that recognize customer service not as a support function, but as a strategic asset that shapes every dimension of enterprise success.