Have you seen increases in price due to vendors adding AI features? Are there higher fees with AI investments?

Not really seeing an increase in cost because of AI functionality. The vendors have to say they are incorporating AI to keep up with the competition.

Yes, vendors are clearly adding “AI premiums.” Some bundle AI into existing suites at no extra cost (to build adoption), while others charge separate tiers or higher licensing fees. In practice, I’ve seen negotiations hinge on proving ROI: can the AI reduce manual effort enough to offset cost? It’s worth asking vendors to show measurable gains, not just shiny features.

There is a significant push for AI tools in manufacturing, particularly for digital recognition systems that identify errors on production lines. While we are not developing applications ourselves, we see value in adopting proven solutions, especially in manufacturing.

We consciously deploy agnostic AI agents where they bring true value, such as in manufacturing. Specialized machines benefit from AI for predictive maintenance. We prefer to wait before making large investments.

Vendors are experimenting with pricing and licensing strategies. For example, Google initially offered Gemini as a separate SKU, then integrated it into Workspace with an incremental fee. We can expect more varied strategies as the market matures. There is also a risk of vendor lock-in, similar to what we’ve seen in the smartphone space, and a land grab among ERP vendors for AI supremacy. An agnostic approach may be preferable to avoid ecosystem limitations.