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Today’s business environment is shaped by AI, evolving security demands, and a clear commitment to delivering measurable results. In this landscape, technology modernization has become a strategic imperative. Meaningful transformation requires clarity of purpose, deep customer understanding, and the ability to translate technology investments into tangible outcomes.

With 2026 underway, CEOs are turning priorities into action, and C1 CEO Jeffrey Russell is zeroed in on disciplined execution. In CRN’s 2026 CEO Outlook, he outlines why enterprises must modernize with intention, balancing innovation, cost control, and resilience to deliver measurable results. Read his full perspective alongside peers from across the tech industry on CRN. Q: What is the biggest market opportunity your company will tackle in 2026?

Once upon a time, “managed services” meant uptime. If the servers stayed green, the provider was a hero. But in 2026, that model is officially outdated. Service quality is table stakes. What matters now is service intelligence—the ability to learn, automate, and improve from every action the IT organization takes. Think about it: your service desk logs hundreds of tickets a day. Each one contains clues about process gaps, recurring incidents, and improvement opportunities.

If your CX strategy starts with technology instead of people, you’re doing it backwards. Too many organizations invest in customer-facing platforms—chatbots, analytics dashboards, “AI-driven experience suites”—without first asking the fundamental question: “To do what?” That single question should be the first slide in every CX roadmap.

When was the last time your CFO asked you to justify the long-term value of a switch upgrade? Or questioned why your infrastructure spend curve looks more like a roller coaster than a runway? If you’re leading IT infrastructure in 2026, you know the feeling. Budgets are tighter, scrutiny is sharper, and yet—expectations have never been higher.

Cybersecurity in 2026 is paradoxical. Organizations are spending more on security than ever—Gartner projects global cybersecurity investment to surpass $215 billion this year, a 14% increase over 2025 (Gartner Security Spending Forecast 2026). Yet, data breaches remain relentless. The culprit isn’t always cutting-edge malware or state-sponsored APTs. More often than not, it’s the oldest weakness in the book: unauthorized access.

In 2025, experience has become the ultimate differentiator — not just for customers, but for employees too. Enterprises that align customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) into a unified Total Experience (TX) strategy are the ones redefining success. Behind every exceptional customer interaction is an empowered employee — and behind both lies one essential foundation: communication.

“Don’t put all your AI eggs in one chatbot.” — A guiding principle for IT investment in 2026.

Empowering Seamless Learning Experiences through Dependable, Human-Centered Connectivity. Maintaining a reliable and secure broadband network is no longer a luxury for schools; it’s a necessity. K-12 schools face unique challenges when it comes to leveraging technology for education, from limited budgets and resources to the increasingly sophisticated security risks threatening connectivity. When disruptions occur, the impacts on teaching, learning, and administrative operations can be significant.

You want fewer incidents, happier users, and one policy to rule them all—without living in twelve dashboards. Cisco Security Cloud brings the controls together; C1 Managed Services keeps them humming so your team can stop firefighting and start delivering.