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For public sector technology leaders, the mission has never been more demanding. Citizens expect the same digital experiences from government agencies that they receive from private organizations. Students and educators depend on reliable access to technology every day. Public safety organizations rely on communications systems that cannot fail. Behind every service an agency delivers is an IT team responsible for keeping it running.

Artificial intelligence is evolving faster than most organizations anticipated. Just a few years ago, enterprises were experimenting with machine learning models and predictive analytics. Then came generative AI, enabling organizations to create content, accelerate workflows, and unlock new productivity gains. Today, we're entering the next phase: agentic AI.

For years, managed service providers (MSP) were viewed primarily as a way to reduce operational overhead. Organizations outsourced monitoring, support, and maintenance to improve uptime, contain costs, and free internal teams from routine IT tasks. Today, that model is no longer enough.

C1 is proud to announce that we have achieved Cisco 360 Preferred Partner status across all six Cisco portfolios — Networking, Security, Collaboration, Services, Cloud & AI Infrastructure, and Splunk. This milestone represents more than a designation. It reflects the depth of our technical expertise, the breadth of our architectural capabilities, and our commitment to delivering measurable business outcomes across the entire Cisco portfolio.

It starts with a voice you recognize. A call from the superintendent asking for an urgent update. A voicemail from a principal requesting sensitive student information. A message that sounds authentic, because it is, at least on the surface. The tone, cadence, and even the subtle inflections are exactly right. But the request isn’t. AI-powered deepfakes are rapidly reshaping the threat landscape for K–12 schools, turning trusted communication channels into potential points of vulnerability.

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.