Gartner predicts 70% of enterprises will abandon vendor forward-deployed engineering for agentic AI by 2028. Soaring costs and an inability to evolve these systems independently drive the shift. Vendor FDE involves vendor engineers building and deploying solutions directly with customers. Gartner outlines a three-phase approach to avoid failure: before signing, during engagement, and exit. Phase 1 requires defining scope, incentives, governance, ownership, and exit strategies upfront. Phase 2 embeds FDEs with internal experts to share knowledge and validate iteratively. Phase 3 focuses on executing the exit plan to ensure independence. Gartner warns less than 20% of FDE engagements will convert recurring needs into vendor core products. The firm cautions against 'FDE washing,' where consulting services are mislabeled as FDE. Success is measured by an enterprise’s ability to manage and scale the technology independently.

• 70% of enterprises by 2028
• less than 20% of FDE engagements by 2028