The legacy SaaS model—predicated on “seats” and human-to-interface friction—is entering a terminal decline. As of February 12, 2026, the signal is clear: we are moving from software as a tool to software as a sovereign employee.
The $17M Spreadsheet Pivot
The emergence of Meridian with $17M in funding to build “agentic spreadsheets” isn’t just about a better Excel. It’s about the displacement of the analyst role. When the spreadsheet itself possesses autonomous precision and auditability, the “user” shifts from a manual operator to a high-level governor.
Hexaware’s “Zero License” Offensive
Hexaware’s launch of the “Zero License” framework is a direct broadside against the SaaS establishment. By proposing to replace entire SaaS stacks with Agentic AI in months rather than years, they are decoupling enterprise utility from license counts.
The Strategist’s Take:
If 100% of enterprises are scaling agents this year (as per the latest CrewAI data), the primary bottleneck is no longer capability—it’s interaction governance. Cisco’s move to provide AI BOM (Bill of Materials) visibility and MCP (Model Context Protocol) governance confirms that the “Agent Supply Chain” is the new battlefield for CIOs.
The Great Integration
We are past the “Pilot Purge.” The siloed AI experiment is dead. 2026 demands the “Great Integration”—where agents don’t just chat, they coordinate across a unified data governance reform (as seen in the latest infrastructure moves in the APAC region).
Bottom Line: Stop buying seats. Start building sovereignty.