Developers Seek Vendors with Stronger Agentic AI Capabilities

New research shows 67% already building agentic workflows and 85% expect AI agents to become table stakes within three years.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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A new report from Nylas reveals that 94% of developers and product leaders surveyed would consider switching vendors for stronger, scalable, and compliant agentic AI capabilities. The research also shows that 67% are already building or shipping agentic workflows, and 85% believe AI agents will become table stakes within the next three years, pointing to a market that is moving quickly from experimentation to operational deployment.

Why it matters

As agentic AI moves into production environments, the competitive dynamic is shifting. Vendors that can provide clean data layers, reliable APIs, and governance built into their architecture will be well-positioned to capture the next phase of market movement. This is an infrastructure race, not just about adding AI features.

The details

The report shows that teams are deploying agentic systems pragmatically, with most workflows rolled out gradually and human oversight and governance controls in place. Builders are prioritizing reliability, observability, and compliance as they scale agentic capabilities across real-world systems. Industry leaders are already seeing large-scale adoption of AI agents, with one company reporting over 3,258 agents working alongside 1,300 humans.

  • The research was conducted and published in February 2026.
  • 85% of respondents expect AI agents to become table stakes within the next three years.

The players

Nylas

The leading provider of communication APIs that enable developers and businesses to connect with the world's most critical communications channels—email, calendar, and meetings—at scale.

Jeff Koets

The CEO of Nylas.

Zeb Evans

The Founder and CEO of ClickUp, a longtime Nylas customer.

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What they’re saying

“As agentic AI moves into production environments, the competitive dynamic is shifting. This is not about adding AI features. It is an infrastructure race. The vendors that provide clean data layers, reliable APIs, and governance built into their architecture will capture the next phase of market movement.”

— Jeff Koets, CEO of Nylas (Business Wire)

“We now have over 3,258 agents working alongside 1,300 humans. Managers' agents will manage their ICs' agents — overseeing them for human-in-the-loop interactions.”

— Zeb Evans, Founder and CEO of ClickUp (Instagram)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.