TECHtonic: Trends in Technology and Services

118. Are Micro Verticals the Key to AI Profitability?


Listen Later

In the AI era, enterprise technology companies face a hard truth: generic platforms no longer win. Profitable growth now depends on delivering specific business outcomes, and that requires going deeper than ever before.

In this episode of TECHtonic, TSIA Executive Director Thomas Lah speaks with Mari Cross, Chief Customer Officer at Infor, to explore how micro-vertical strategies, AI-driven services, and outcome-based solutions are reshaping enterprise software.

Mari breaks down what micro verticals really are, and why speaking the customer’s exact language is now table stakes. She shares how Infor invested billions to rebuild its platforms around industry-specific processes, how AI enables faster value realization through packaged use cases, and why “secret sauce” often turns out to be best practice in disguise.

The conversation goes deep on:

  • Why AI is forcing a shift from platforms to outcome-based solutions
  • How micro vertical expertise transforms sales, implementation, and customer success
  • The rise of AI-powered service models, and why services are becoming more strategic, not less
  • How Infor uses AI to drive adoption, customer health, and proactive engagement
  • What enterprise leaders must do to govern AI, scale ROI, and prepare their teams for what’s next

If you’re navigating AI disruption, rethinking your services model, or wondering how to actually deliver value, not just promise it, this episode is a must-listen.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

TECHtonic: Trends in Technology and ServicesBy Technology & Services Industry Association

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

30 ratings


More shows like TECHtonic: Trends in Technology and Services

View all
Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,242 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,746 Listeners

Economist Podcasts by The Economist

Economist Podcasts

4,185 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,699 Listeners

Acquired by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal

Acquired

4,825 Listeners

How I Built This with Guy Raz by Guy Raz | Wondery

How I Built This with Guy Raz

30,201 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,081 Listeners

Bold Names by The Wall Street Journal

Bold Names

1,449 Listeners

FT News Briefing by Financial Times

FT News Briefing

663 Listeners

Behind the Money by Financial Times

Behind the Money

236 Listeners

The Intelligence from The Economist by The Economist

The Intelligence from The Economist

2,552 Listeners

TechCrunch Daily Crunch by TechCrunch

TechCrunch Daily Crunch

46 Listeners

The World in Brief from The Economist by The Economist

The World in Brief from The Economist

1,077 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,299 Listeners

The Economics of Everyday Things by Freakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett

The Economics of Everyday Things

1,649 Listeners