The service world is changing—and fast. As artificial intelligence becomes more capable, and businesses increasingly seek agility, the way we deliver and consume professional services is undergoing a major shift. Traditional consulting models built on day rates, lengthy contracts, and rigid scopes are giving way to something more dynamic, on-demand, and smarter. At Appstrato, we’ve seen this first-hand across IT Asset Management (ITAM), FinOps, and software licensing services.
AI, fractional resources, and subscription-based access are reshaping the playing field—and unlocking a level of value and flexibility that just wasn’t possible before.
AI-Powered Acceleration in Services
Artificial intelligence isn’t just for tech companies or product teams anymore. It’s increasingly embedded into the way services are delivered across industries. At Appstrato, we’re leveraging AI to automate repetitive tasks, speed up analysis, surface insights, and support faster decision-making for our clients.
Instead of manually trawling through licensing documentation or spending days compiling dashboards, AI-enhanced workflows can generate tailored recommendations, spot cost anomalies, or answer common queries in seconds. This means our human experts—who already represent the top 10% of industry talent—can focus on the strategic, contextualized thinking that clients truly value.
AI isn’t replacing people; it’s augmenting them. A single fractional consultant, equipped with AI and the right tooling, can now deliver the kind of output that used to take an entire team. That means faster results, higher quality, and more cost-effective service—especially for clients who only need support part-time or on-demand.
The Rise of the Fractional Expert
The concept of a “fractional” professional—a highly skilled resource who works part-time across multiple organizations—isn’t new. But it’s gaining serious traction as AI and collaborative platforms make it easier than ever to work asynchronously, remotely, and efficiently.
Instead of hiring a full-time licensing manager or FinOps lead, clients can now tap into Appstrato’s fractional pool of specialists who bring deep vendor or domain-specific expertise (think Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, AWS, Azure, and beyond). These are seasoned professionals who know the terrain, can engage fast, and don’t need weeks of onboarding.
Fractional doesn’t mean superficial. It means focused. A well-briefed, AI-empowered expert can review your estate, flag risks, or optimize your cloud spend with laser precision—often in less than a day. It’s no wonder we’re seeing increasing demand from clients who want to move away from bloated project scopes and instead, get to outcomes faster.
Clients Wanted More—So We Built Subscriptions
Over the past year, many of our clients asked the same question:
“Can we just have a subscription? Something we can dip into when we need it, that grows with us—and gives us value for staying on the platform?”
So we listened. And we responded with a tiered subscription model that blends platform access, helpdesk support, and strategic advisory—all tailored to meet clients where they are, and grow as their needs evolve.
Spotlight on Tier One – Simple, Powerful, Scalable
Our Tier One subscription is designed for clients who want cost -effective, flexible access to high-impact, expert led support. It includes:
- Access to the Appstrato Platform, Access to our world-class pool of SAM, ITAM, and FinOps specialists, with a resource booking system and 48-hour SLA, so you get the right guidance when it matters most
- Access to the Delivery Platform, track and manage project progress via the integrated project management dashboard.
- Open book pricing, starting at our Core Tier, discounts of up to 5% for pre-booked consulting projects with higher discounts available in the Advantage and Premier Tiers.
- A Value Assessment (ITAM & FinOps), consultancy-led engagement, complete with a digital report and results briefing to spotlight quick wins and improvement areas.
- Helpdesk coverage for FinOps and licensing, supporting all vendors, backed by real experts giving high-quality guidance.
- Discounted rates and preferential access to strategic add-ons, such as the Azure FOCUS Toolkit, vendor-specific sessions or fractional manager input.
The value? Clients get answers when they need them—without the overhead of long-term consulting contracts. They benefit from continuous improvements to the platform, visibility into their cost and compliance posture, and optional access to deeper engagements when needed. For many of our clients, Tier One has become the entry point into smarter, more agile service consumption.
Why We Believe This Model Is the Future
The world of work is shifting from ownership to access. Just as businesses moved from buying software licenses to subscribing to SaaS, we believe service delivery is on the same trajectory. The future is modular, on-demand, and subscription-based.
Here’s why:
Total Flexibility: Clients can scale up or down as needed. No lock-in contracts. Just a lean and efficient team.
Top Talent On Tap: With fractional experts in Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, ITAM, and FinOps domains, clients get access to proven specialists—without recruiting or long onboarding.
AI-Augmented Services: Faster, more accurate, and continuously improving support.
Cost Predictability: Subscription tiers mean clients know what they’re paying and what they’re getting—no surprises.
Platform-Driven Intelligence: Ongoing access to dashboards, toolkits, and templates helps teams self-serve when appropriate, and escalate when needed.
McKinsey research supports this direction: they predict that by 2030, up to 30% of the work done by consultants today could be delivered by AI or “modular consulting platforms” that blend human and machine expertise. Harvard Business Review also notes that fractional leadership is gaining traction among companies that want specialist input without the cost and complexity of full-time hires.
We believe the combination of AI, fractional delivery, and subscription-based access is the logical evolution for service firms and their clients alike. It’s not just about speed or savings—it’s about fit. The fit between what a client needs right now, and what the service provider can deliver, fluidly and expertly.
Conclusion
In a world where budgets are scrutinized, speed matters, and adaptability is everything, the old models of service delivery are falling short. The new model—flexible, intelligent, subscription-based, and powered by fractional talent—offers a better way.
At Appstrato, we’re proud to be building that model alongside our clients. Whether you’re a startup looking for ad hoc licensing support, or a global enterprise refining your FinOps strategy, our platform and people are designed to support your journey—on your terms
