Most enterprises will abandon vendor FDE-built AI by 2028: report

Most organizations will kiss agentic AI solutions built by vendors’ forward-deployed engineer (FDE) initiatives goodbye in the next few years, according to a new report by Gartner.

There are several reasons why the research firm estimates that seven in 10 organizations will ditch these FDE-driven projects by 2028. Gartner Senior Director Analyst Mukul Saha told IT Brew soaring costs from AI subscriptions and consulting fees are partly to blame: “Use case basis cost is really high, and then you can only support so much on an ongoing basis.”

So long, farewell! Another reason why companies may discontinue vendor FDE-built AI is because they are unable to support and evolve projects after FDE engagements end: “As an analyst, I worry about many clients not having the right internal capability to take over and run when the vendor it in term expires.”

Gartner said FDE engagements “often fail structurally before they fail technically.” According to Gartner, successful FDE engagements embed these engineers deeply within a company, allowing them full-stack access to a company’s environment. These engagements also have value-oriented incentives and clear outcome ownership.

“True FDEs are measured on actual business impact and production stability, not just delivery of a project,” Gartner wrote.

Beyond those three tenets, Gartner recommended that software engineering leaders only use FDE for “problems that require deep product expertise,” and that companies follow exit plans established at the start of the engagement when the time comes.

Imposter! Gartner warned of the risk of FDE washing, which occurs when consulting services are falsely branded as FDE.

According to Saha, FDE washing is already occurring within the industry, and is yet another reason why some companies will leave behind vendor-FDE AI projects by 2028. Fortunately, he said, there are several questions companies can ask to make sure that they are receiving legitimate FDE services.

For instance, IT pros should make sure the FDE combines product engineering, solution architecture, consulting, and customer success skills.

Authentic FDE services should also have a model that’s repeatable and provide clients with an exit strategy for their departure, Saha added.

“Otherwise, this is going to go on forever, and [you] cannot afford it as an enterprise,” Saha said. “We also need to figure out who’s going to take over.”