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Micro-SMB AI Opportunity for Telcos in Asia/Pacific: What to sell, What to Avoid, and how to Prioritize

Nikhil Batra — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The SMB conversation for telcos in Asia/Pacific has been traditionally skewed toward companies with 50–250 employees: AI copilots, Microsoft Office 365 resell, software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), managed security, and other SaaS subscriptions. However, the micro-SMB segment (under 30 employees) behaves differently enough that most of those offerings miss. This micro-SMB tier represents a very large, unaddressed AI opportunity for telcos in the region.

This presentation discusses how micro-SMBs view AI solutions, their requirements of such solutions, and how telecom SPs can play in this space.

“There is a significant opportunity for SPs across Asia/Pacific to uplift micro-SMB revenue and increase attach rates through a new breed of AI-augmented solutions, such as AI voice receptionist. However, this segment will not respond to scaled down versions of larger SMB products,” says Nikhil Batra, senior research director, telecom, IDC Asia/Pacific. “For micro-SMBs, telcos need an outcome-led positioning that solves a simple business problem, such as fewer missed calls, more after hours bookings, or more leads. For telcos, this means identifying the right solutions, pricing them well in logical bundles, and taking them to market through the right channels,” he adds.

IDC Survey: Worldwide SMB AI Platform Spending: Regional Dynamics, Growth Opportunities, and Strategic Priorities, 2024–2029

Supriya Deka, Katie Evans — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey examines how small and midsize businesses (SMBs) worldwide are spending on AI platforms through 2029. It maps regional spending dynamics across the Americas, Europe, and Asia/Pacific regions, identifies growth opportunities driving adoption, and surfaces the strategic priorities shaping vendor selection. The findings provide technology suppliers with the evidence they need to navigate their next steps to better serve the SMB segment.

Adobe Posts Record 2Q26 Results: AI-First ARR Triples

Gerry Murray, Roger Beharry Lall, Douglas Hayward — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Adobe reported record FY 2Q26 results on June 11, 2026, with revenue of $6.62 billion, growing 13% year over year, or 11% in constant currency. The company raised its FY26 total revenue and non-GAAP EPS targets and reported that AI-first ARR tripled year over year and exceeded $500 million. Total Adobe ARR exiting the quarter was $27.10 billion, including approximately $480 million from Semrush.

Embedded Lending as a Strategic Imperative: How Financial Applications Can Navigate the SMB Credit Gap

Jordan Steele — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Perspective examines the embedded lending opportunity, the competitive dynamics shaping the market, the innovation models suppliers are deploying, and the regulatory and risk considerations that technology vendors must address. Embedded lending is a strategic imperative for financial application vendors aiming to close the persistent SMB credit gap left by traditional banks. By leveraging real-time transactional data within financial workflows, vendors can unlock new credit access, differentiate through targeted underserved segments, and create recurring revenue streams. Success requires a proactive approach to data governance, regulatory compliance, and platform integration. As competition intensifies from fintechs and payroll platforms, vendors that invest early in data assets, compliance infrastructure, and seamless product integration will secure a durable competitive advantage and capture unmet SMB credit demand.

“The SMB credit gap has always been a data and distribution problem more than a risk problem. Financial applications sit on both, which is why embedded lending will shift meaningful share away from traditional bank channels faster than most incumbents are prepared for,” says Jordan Steele, research manager for Worldwide Financial Applications Support at IDC.

Fixed Access Over Mobile in Western Europe: Trends and Key Telco Offerings

Daniela Rao — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Presentation provides an overview of the Western Europe fixed wireless access over mobile market trends and the main telcos’ offerings.

The presentation summarizes the main market dimensions and trends as well as provides an overview of fixed wireless access over mobile offerings launched by the main European telcos. It also contains key recommendations for telco providers in this market.

IDC Survey: AI Impact on Creative Applications

Roger Beharry Lall — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC survey examines the current state and near-term evolution of AI adoption in creative applications among marketing organizations, with a focus on how AI is transforming end-to-end creative workflows. Drawing on survey data from marketing and creative leaders, the study quantifies the use of AI across ideation, production, personalization, and optimization. It assesses how adoption is expected to accelerate over the next 12 months.

The research explores realized and anticipated business benefits — including improvements in speed, scale, cost efficiency, and performance — while also evaluating how organizations are advancing their personalization strategies through more data-driven and dynamic approaches. It further examines perceptions of quality, trust, and brand alignment in AI-generated content, highlighting both progress and ongoing concerns.

Beyond usage and outcomes, the study analyzes how AI is reshaping team structures, skill requirements, and agency relationships, as well as the continued role of human oversight in creative processes. The findings provide a benchmark for AI-driven transformation in creative applications and identify the operational, governance, and talent gaps organizations must address to realize value fully.

NTT DXパートナーによる地域企業へのDX支援プラットフォームの提供

Hitoshi Ichimura — Thu, 28 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

本調査レポートでは、NTT DXパートナーが提供する金融機関向け企業DX支援プラットフォーム「DXSTAR for Bank」の取り組みと事例を取り上げ、課題解決に向けた施策と展望を考察する。

国内の地域企業ではデジタル化、デジタルトランスフォーメーション（DX）が停滞している中で、地域金融機関による顧客企業へのデジタル化、DX支援が期待されている。政府も金融庁における「地域金融力強化プラン」において地域金融機関のDX支援を要請している。ただし、多くの地域金融機関ではDX支援ノウハウが不足していることも課題となっている。したがって、「NTT DXパートナーによる地域金融機関向けDX推進支援ソリューションは、地域金融機関だけではなく、地域全体の課題解決に寄与することが見込まれる」とIDC Japan、Software, Services, and IT Spendingのシニアリサーチマネージャーである市村仁は述べている。

The Trade Desk's Canada Summit Demonstrates Local Commitment, Supply Independence, And Increased Focus on Outcome-Based Programmatic

Roger Beharry Lall — Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The Trade Desk hosted its inaugural Canada Summit in Toronto, focusing on the theme of independent programmatic platforms and their role in advertising performance. With approximately 200 attendees from various sectors, including agencies, brands, and media, the event facilitated a meaningful discussion regarding the disparity between dashboard metrics and actual business outcomes. There was a notable emphasis on the importance of accountability and measurement in Canadian media, suggesting a shift away from traditional metrics like reach and CPM as primary indicators of success.

SMB US Telco Offerings: Seamless Convergence as the Next Battleground

Daniela Rao — Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Note examines the impact of U.S. telcos' recent launches of SMB telecom services offerings that are evolving toward seamless convergence bundles.

"The telecom services convergence offering concept has re-emerged, accelerating toward deeply integrated, seamless bundles on which network interoperability, security, and resilience are built into propositions that center on user experience," said Daniela Rao, senior research and consulting director, IDC Global Telecom & UCC Team.

Iterable Rebrands and Raises the Stakes with Nova AI Agent Launch

Roger Beharry Lall — Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Iterable has introduced Nova, an AI agent designed to automate and optimize cross-channel customer engagement in real time, alongside a broader set of platform enhancements unveiled at its Activate Summit 2026. These updates, combined with recent executive leadership changes and a recent rebrand, signal a coordinated strategic shift.