Capgemini vs SoftServe

German Firms Show High Digital Dependencies: Capgemini Study

A Capgemini Research Institute study reveals that digital sovereignty has become a strategic management priority globally, with 93% of organizations discussing it at board level. However, only 59% see full technological independence as unrealistic, leading many to adopt 'resilient interdependence.' German companies show particularly high dependencies, with 94% exhibiting significant reliance on external tech suppliers, the highest among surveyed countries. The study highlights AI as a priority action area for 75% globally and 82% in Germany. Key challenges include vendor lock-in, with 36% of firms needing over 12 months to switch critical providers, and a lack of transparency, as only 14% have full visibility into their dependencies. Despite these risks, less than half are willing to pay extra for sovereignty, though those willing would accept a 23% premium.

• 93% of surveyed organizations discuss digital sovereignty at board level.
• 94% of German organizations show significant digital dependencies, highest among surveyed countries.
• 75% of organizations globally cite AI as a priority action area for sovereignty.

Data Gravity, Not Cost, Drives Martech Tool Cuts

The article argues that martech stack consolidation is driven less by cost reduction and more by 'data gravity' — the compounding drag of fragmented customer data across systems. It highlights that only 22% of marketers report high CDP utilization, and that Databricks' June 2026 launch of CustomerLake, an agentic CDP native to its lakehouse, is pressuring standalone CDP vendors. Gartner predicts 80% of net-new CDP deployments will be embedded in or composable with data platforms by 2030, and divides the CDP market into 'platformization' and 'agentification' paths. Marketers are advised to treat CDP renewals as infrastructure decisions, evaluate zero-copy access, and test warehouse-native activation before committing to a full migration.

• Only 22% of marketers report high CDP utilization.
• Databricks launched CustomerLake, an agentic CDP, in June 2026.
• Gartner predicts 80% of net-new enterprise CDP deployments will be embedded in or composable with data platforms by 2030.

Your AI Chatbot Just Made My Cheeseburger Order Worse

This opinion piece critiques AI-powered customer experience (CX) solutions that introduce friction through context switching, illustrated by an anecdote about ordering a cheeseburger via a QR code that required switching WiFi networks, creating an account, and checking multiple options. The author argues that AI should be held to human performance standards and highlights the importance of headless CX, orchestration, service-level objectives, and contextual data. The article cites Lenovo's 50% customer service efficiency improvement, IBM's AI assistant with a 94% customer satisfaction rate, and Capgemini research on journey fragmentation as evidence. It concludes that while AI-to-AI commerce may eventually remove friction, companies must ensure their AI doesn't burden customers more than human alternatives.

• The article criticizes AI CX solutions that require context switching, leading to poor customer experiences.
• Lenovo improved customer service efficiency by 50% with agentic AI solutions.
• IBM reports an AI-powered assistant achieving a 94% customer satisfaction rate.

SoftServe Appoints Andriy Stytsyuk as Chief Executive Officer

SoftServe announces appointment of Andriy Stytsyuk as CEO, effective immediately. Also, the company acquires NewVision Software, adds India-based expertise, and establishes local presence in Saudi Arabia.

SoftServe Launches Saudi Arabia Entity for AI Innovation

SoftServe, an AI and technology services company, announced the official launch of a new entity in Saudi Arabia, operating from Riyadh. This expansion marks a significant milestone in its commitment to the Middle East region and increases its global presence to 54 offices in 17 countries. The company aims to bring enterprise-grade AI capabilities and digital transformation expertise to regional organizations, offering onsite responsiveness and localized solutions. The expansion aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, with SoftServe committing to cultivate local talent and support sovereign AI development. This follows SoftServe's acquisition of India-based NewVision Software, marking its first formal expansion into the Middle East market.

• SoftServe officially launched a new entity in Saudi Arabia, based in Riyadh.
• The expansion brings SoftServe's global presence to 54 offices in 17 countries.
• The entity aims to deliver enterprise-grade AI and digital transformation services to Saudi organizations.

EHI Study: Agentic Commerce Becomes Strategic Retail Priority

According to an EHI study commissioned by Softserve, agentic commerce is evolving into a strategic topic for the retail sector. The study reveals that approximately 60% of retail companies are engaging with AI systems that autonomously execute or control purchasing or trading processes. Over 11% already use concrete applications, while 40% currently see no use case in their own business. Key challenges include data quality and a lack of skilled personnel, with only 39.2% rating their data as good and only about 20% feeling adequately staffed. Investments are expected to increase significantly over the next five to ten years. The study also highlights that online retail is expected to be most affected, with 85.8% of participants anticipating a strong impact within five years.

• Around 60% of retail companies are dealing with AI systems for autonomous commerce processes.
• Over 11% of companies already use concrete agentic commerce applications.
• 40% of surveyed companies see no current use of agentic commerce in their business.