Automation’s Next Power Play
The Stack Weekly: Automation Anywhere’s Aisera Buy Signals the Next Phase of Enterprise Automation
The Stack: Weekly Strategic Signals for Leaders Building What’s Next in AI and Software.
Capital & KPIs: Automation Anywhere’s buy of Aisera signals that automation and AI are fusing into one operating layer for the enterprise.
Enterprise Buyer Behavior: AI adoption is stalling as security and compliance teams seize control of buying decisions.
Product & AI Bets: Agentic AI has entered production, and control now matters more than creativity.
Moats & Models: Microsoft’s pricing shift moves enterprise software from user seats to agent output.
Each section also includes ‘other signals on our radar.’
Write back and let us know if you’d like to see more details on any of those.
1. Capital & KPIs
Automation Anywhere Acquires Aisera to Create Agentic Automation Platform
What Happened
On November 4, 2025, Automation Anywhere announced its acquisition of Aisera, a provider of agentic solutions for autonomous IT, HR, and customer service. The acquisition combines Automation Anywhere’s Agentic Process Automation (APA) capabilities with Aisera’s conversational AI platform and self-service agents for IT Service Management (ITSM). Financial terms were not disclosed. Aisera CEO Abhi Maheshwari described the union as creating “an agentic automation powerhouse,” noting both companies share a vision to “harness AI as a transformative force that reimagines how every enterprise function operates”. According to Automation Anywhere, the combined offering will enable customers to work toward an “Autonomous Enterprise” where up to 80 percent of work is fully automated or assisted by AI agents. The acquisition expands Automation Anywhere’s portfolio with industry-leading self-service agents across departments while maintaining what the company claims will be “the only company to offer Agentic Process Automation (APA) for core operations with connected self-service AI agents accessible to every employee”
Why It Matters
Enterprise software economics are shifting toward measurable efficiency and cost control. Automation Anywhere’s acquisition of Aisera reflects the move to connect automation and AI within core workflows instead of adding isolated tools. Security-focused buying cycles show that integration and compliance are now as decisive as functionality. GitHub’s pricing changes and Microsoft’s contract updates show that sustainable AI adoption depends on transparent, usage-based economics. The market is consolidating around platforms that deliver automation, security assurance, and predictable spend under one operating model.
Implications for You
Automation and compliance are becoming inseparable. Vendors that can quantify both productivity and control will remain on enterprise shortlists.
Pricing structure is now strategic. Companies balancing variable AI costs with steady customer value will protect margins and renewal rates.
Vertical depth matters more than breadth. Industry-specific platforms that align data, workflow, and regulation will displace generic AI offerings.
Capital will favor predictable economics. Investors are rewarding SaaS firms that prove durable unit margins over those selling broad AI potential.
Other Signals on our Radar:
MoEngage Raises $100 Million Series F to Scale AI-Powered Customer Engagement
MoEngage secured $100 million in Series F funding co-led by A91 Partners and Goldman Sachs Alternatives, valuing the company at $700 million. The capital will accelerate expansion in North America and Europe and enhance its Merlin AI suite, which automates campaign generation and personalized recommendations as the company approaches $100 million in annual recurring revenue.
2. Enterprise Buyer Behavior
AI Governance Concerns Delay Enterprise Deployments
What Happened
AvePoint’s Q3 2025 findings show that over 75% of enterprises have delayed AI adoption, typically by about six months, and in some cases up to a year, primarily due to data-security and governance concerns. These delays underscore continued enterprise caution toward AI until governance frameworks mature. Meanwhile, Gartner and industry research indicate that enterprise buying committees for large technology deals now typically involve six to ten stakeholders, adding security, legal, compliance, and procurement teams early in the sales cycle.
Why It Matters
Enterprise AI adoption is slowing not because of lack of interest, but because risk management has become the gatekeeper. Security, compliance, and procurement are now embedded in every major buying decision, shifting influence away from product champions toward governance stakeholders. Vendors that treat governance as an afterthought will lose deals before proof-of-concept. The winners will be those who make trust, auditability, and control core parts of the product itself rather than add-ons.
Implications for You
Sales cycles are lengthening and changing shape. Vendors must engage legal and security teams early or risk stalling in procurement reviews.
Governance is becoming a product feature. Companies embedding data lineage, audit trails, and permission controls directly into workflows will gain buyer confidence.
Procurement influence is expanding. CIOs and CTOs will rely more on standardized risk frameworks, making certifications and compliance automation differentiators.
Pricing and packaging will adjust. Bundles that include managed compliance or governance tooling will justify higher contract values and shorter approval times.
Other Signals on our Radar:
CIOs Accelerate Vendor Consolidation Plans
ADAPT’s CIO Edge research shows that 68% of CIOs plan to cut their vendor count by roughly 20%, with 90% of IT leaders ranking software consolidation as a top priority. Gartner projects that by 2027, most enterprises will limit cloud-native vendors to three. SAP’s August CIO Trends report calls this “The Consolidation Imperative,” with midsize firms already reducing SaaS tools by 18% in two years. The data confirms that simplification and platform integration have become central to enterprise IT strategy.
3. Product & AI Bets
Agentic AI Moves from Pilot to Platform
What Happened
In early November, Snowflake, New Relic, Ataccama, and Informatica advanced their agentic AI portfolios, marking a clear phase shift from experimentation to enterprise-scale deployment, with SnapLogic continuing to expand related capabilities. Snowflake’s Snowflake Intelligence became generally available to more than 12,000 customers, with over 15,000 AI agents now in production across enterprises such as Cisco and Toyota Motor Europe. New Relic introduced Agentic AI Monitoring for cross-platform observability, while Ataccama launched ONE Agentic, automating data governance up to nine times faster than manual processes. Informatica’s IDMC Fall 2025 release expanded its CLAIRE AI capabilities for enterprise data quality, introducing agentic features internally branded as CLAIRE Agents. SnapLogic continues to evolve its intelligent Snaps for human-in-the-loop workflows. Snowflake, New Relic, and Ataccama have integrated with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), signaling a broader industry shift toward standardized agent infrastructure.
Why It Matters
The enterprise AI market has entered its second phase. The question is no longer whether to deploy agents, but how to control them. Governance, monitoring, and secure data integration are becoming the core differentiators of enterprise AI platforms. The convergence around MCP shows that interoperability and oversight, not model performance, now define the next wave of competition. The winners will be vendors that treat agent reliability, auditability, and compliance as product fundamentals rather than services layered on top.
Implications for You
The AI stack is consolidating around control, not creativity. Observability and compliance layers are now as valuable as model output for enterprise buyers.
Governance is the new growth moat. Vendors embedding data lineage, access control, and monitoring natively will command higher retention and pricing power.
Data platforms regain strategic weight. Players like Informatica and SnapLogic are positioned to become the connective tissue between agent frameworks and enterprise systems.
Procurement standards will narrow the field. As enterprises require MCP compatibility and real-time auditability, ungoverned or siloed AI tools will be filtered out of RFPs.
Other Signals on our Radar:
AI Copilot Pricing Models Struggle to Balance Growth and Cost Control
Analysts report that most AI copilot vendors are abandoning unlimited pricing as compute costs crush margins. GitHub, Microsoft, and OpenAI now rely on tiered or usage-based models, with Microsoft 365 Copilot converting just 1.8% of its 440 million paid seats at $30 per user per month. Vendors that launched with flat pricing saw 5% of users consume 80% of tokens, driving margins negative. Experts argue the next evolution is outcome-based pricing, charging per task rather than per token, to stabilize unit economics. With inference costs eroding SaaS margins by up to 20 points, sustainable monetization will depend on how efficiently vendors align AI value with predictable outcomes
4. Moats & Models
Microsoft’s Enterprise Agreement Pricing Realignment
What Happened
As of November 1, 2025, Microsoft eliminated volume-based discount tiers in its Enterprise Agreements, moving all customers to a single Level A price list regardless of company size. Large enterprises—such as those with roughly 25,000 users, are expected to see multimillion-dollar annual cost increases at renewal. In parallel, Microsoft is shifting from per-user to per-agent pricing, with AI agents typically costing $15 to $50 per month depending on functionality. To deploy them, organizations must enable core E5-stack services such as Entra ID and Purview to meet governance and integration requirements
Why It Matters
Microsoft’s new pricing model marks a structural change in enterprise software economics. The elimination of scale discounts and the introduction of per-agent pricing push customers to pay for automation output rather than user access. By linking AI agents to core governance products like Entra ID and Purview, Microsoft is embedding monetization directly into compliance infrastructure. The result is higher recurring costs for large organizations and a pricing blueprint that other vendors will likely emulate
Implications for You
Enterprise cost baselines will reset. Renewal budgets must now account for per-agent pricing tied to AI usage, not static seat counts.
Bundling drives dependency. Governance tools like Entra ID and Purview become mandatory gateways, reinforcing Microsoft’s control over enterprise identity and compliance layers.
Pricing parity opens the door for challengers. With large buyers losing volume leverage, mid-market vendors offering transparent or usage-capped models gain credibility.
SaaS pricing strategy will follow suit. Expect a wave of vendors to shift from seat-based contracts toward hybrid models that charge for automated workflows and task execution.
Other Signals on our Radar:
Suite vs Point Solution Debate Intensifies as Vendor Consolidation Accelerates
Enterprises are accelerating vendor consolidation, with 68% of CIOs planning 20% reductions to simplify systems and control costs. Suites like Microsoft 365 offer integration but create lock-in and high switching costs, while best-of-breed tools provide flexibility but add complexity. Many organizations now prefer a hybrid model that keeps a few core systems while layering specialized tools for agility.
The Stack is a weekly intelligence brief for leaders building what’s next in AI and software. We deliver high-impact developments shaping the U.S. market: what happened, why it matters, and what to do about it. Each issue distills complex shifts into decision-grade insight.
Thanks for reading B2B SaaS Executive Intelligence! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
About The Intelligence Council
The Intelligence Council publishes sharp, judgment-forward intelligence for decision-makers in complex industries. Our weekly briefs, monthly deep dives, and quarterly sentiment indexes are built to help you grow your top-line and bottom-line, manage risk, and gain a competitive edge. No puff pieces. No b.s. Just the clearest signal in a noisy, complex world.