With Georgia Leading in IT Infrastructure, Eclipse Networks Urges Businesses to Assess AI Readiness

Why 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail to deliver a return

As AI spending surges, Atlanta IT firm Eclipse offers SMBs a readiness assessment after research found 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail.

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, September 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Georgia has become one of the country's biggest engines of artificial intelligence, yet most local businesses are still not set up to use AI well. Eclipse Networks, an Atlanta-based managed IT and cybersecurity firm, says that gap is quietly costing companies money, and it is urging small and mid-sized businesses to run an AI readiness assessment before committing more budget to tools their teams are not prepared to use.

The infrastructure story is hard to miss. Atlanta led the nation in data center capacity under construction in 2025, with more than 2,000 megawatts building across the metro, according to CBRE. The region was also the top U.S. market for data center net absorption in 2024 — the first time any market had surpassed Northern Virginia, per CBRE's data center research. To keep that growth powered, the Georgia Public Service Commission in December 2025 approved roughly 10,000 megawatts of new generation, including five new natural gas plants, largely to meet demand driven by data centers.

Corporate spending is climbing just as fast. Worldwide generative AI spending is expected to reach $644 billion in 2025, a 76% jump from 2024, according to Gartner, and total AI spending is on track to hit $1.5 trillion in 2025 and more than $2 trillion in 2026.

The rush comes as the companies building AI are themselves urging more caution. In September 2026, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei called for the industry to slow down and strengthen safeguards, and the 2026 International AI Safety Report described the risk of losing control of advanced systems as "unusually ambiguous." For business owners, Eclipse says the takeaway is straightforward: if the developers are adding guardrails, companies deploying these tools should move deliberately too.

For most businesses, the more immediate risk is wasted money. A widely cited 2025 report from MIT's NANDA initiative, The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025, found that 95% of enterprise generative AI pilots fail to deliver measurable financial impact. The researchers traced the failures not to weak models but to a "learning gap" — tools bought without training, integration, or a clear problem to solve. Notably, solutions that were purchased and supported by a partner succeeded far more often than those companies tried to stand up on their own.

That pattern matches what Eclipse sees across its client base.

"Almost every week we talk with a business that bought an AI subscription for the whole team, handed everyone a login, and expected productivity to jump," said Steve Ryerse, Co-Founder of Eclipse Networks. "What actually happens is people try it a few times, get frustrated when it doesn't fit how they work, and quietly go back to the old way. The company keeps paying for it, and in some cases the tools add steps and slow the business down instead of speeding it up."

Eclipse says the businesses getting real value tend to start smaller and plan first.

"The companies seeing results picked one problem, trained their people, and put some guardrails around their data before they rolled anything out," Ryerse said. "That's why so many owners are scheduling an AI readiness assessment before they spend more. An hour of planning shows you where AI will actually help, what it will cost, and how to keep your information secure. The money you spend should be moving your business forward."

An Eclipse AI readiness assessment reviews a company's data, security posture, workflows, and staff readiness, then maps which tools fit specific business goals and which are not worth the spend. The practical takeaway for owners weighing an AI investment: define one measurable use case and confirm your data and security are ready before buying licenses for the whole team.

Atlanta-area businesses can schedule an AI readiness assessment or consultation at eclipse-networks.com.

About Eclipse Networks

Founded in 1989, Eclipse Networks is an Atlanta-based managed IT, cybersecurity, and cloud services provider serving small and mid-sized businesses across the Southeast. Eclipse operates its own Private Cloud Data Center and helps companies in healthcare, construction, legal, and professional services align technology with their business goals. Learn more at eclipse-networks.com.

Aly Lee
Eclipse Networks
+1 770-399-9099
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook