The CRN 2025 Solution Provider 500: AI Is Driving Reinvention Across The Channel
Solution providers play a critical role in helping businesses and organizations adopt and get the most value from leading-edge technologies – AI and generative AI being the most recent example.
by Rick Whiting, CRN
Accenture Chair and CEO Julie Sweet, in summarizing the IT service giant's fiscal 2024 results during a September earnings call, said customers' increasing use of generative AI to reinvent themselves was becoming a major driver of Accenture's growth.
"Reinvention requires a strong digital core," Sweet said. "In FY25, a significant driver of our growth will continue to be helping our clients with digital transformation, including building out their digital core and then using it to drive productivity and growth. We see the advent of GenAI and its tremendous potential acting as a catalyst for reinvention."
Cognizant has likewise taken steps, including through internal development and acquisitions, to position itself as a leading AI technology service provider, CEO Ravi Kumar S said during a February earnings call.
"We are rapidly applying AI across the organization to strengthen our operating agility while at the same time quickly sharing our learnings with clients," he said. "We've identified more than 200 internal AI use cases, applying AI across three major dimensions: associate experience and productivity, enabling business operations, and to improve our technology and security landscape. These will remain important priorities in 2025."
Capgemini, CDW, IBM's consulting business, Cognizant, World Wide Technology and Leidos round out this year's Top 10.
As is true every year, the 2025 Solution Provider list looks different because of channel acquisitions and consolidation. Most notable was World Wide Technology's deal in January to buy Softchoice (No. 35 on the 2024 Solution Provider 500) for $1.25 billion.
