2026 Is Off to a Flying Start for Coretime — Here’s Why

The professional services software market is reaching a turning point.

Outdated systems are failing. Smaller software vendors are leaving the market. And professional services firms are under increasing pressure to improve productivity, protect margins, and deliver projects more efficiently. For organisations looking to modernise their operations, the demand for cloud-based professional services automation (PSA) software has never been higher. For Coretime, this shift is creating extraordinary momentum and Q1 2026 is shaping up to be our strongest quarter yet.

Record Growth in New Customers and Expansions

The numbers tell a clear story.

New Coretime site activations and resales to existing customers are currently running at twice the level of the same period last year. This growth reflects a surge in demand from professional services firms seeking modern tools for project management, resource planning, time tracking, and financial visibility.

“After a solid 2025, we’re seeing significant growth in new business acquisition and expansion in Q1 2026. We’re at double what we were this time last year in terms of new sites and resales to existing customers. We also have a strong pipeline that we expect to convert over the coming weeks and months.”
— Laurie Pottage, Sales Director, Coretime

Six Key Trends Driving Demand for Professional Services Software in 2026

Coretime’s growth mirrors wider changes across the professional services sector. Here are the six biggest trends shaping software buying decisions right now.

1. Smaller Software Vendors Are Disappearing

Across the UK, smaller niche software vendors are struggling to remain viable without a large and growing customer base.

In recent months, several have exited the market entirely, leaving their customers searching for reliable, long-term professional services software solutions.

For many organisations, this has accelerated decisions that might otherwise have taken years.

Businesses want stability and they want a software partner they can rely on.

2. Legacy In-House Systems Are Reaching the End of the Road

Many professional services firms still rely on bespoke databases built in the 1990s and early 2000s, often using tools such as MS Access or FileMaker.

The developers who built those systems are now retiring leaving behind platforms that are increasingly difficult to maintain, support, or extend.

Without modernisation, these systems create operational risk, reporting limitations, and compliance challenges.

For many firms, replacing legacy tools with modern PSA software is now unavoidable.

3. Cloud Migration Has Become a Business Priority

The shift to cloud-based software platforms is accelerating across professional services.

Whether driven by end-of-life software, ageing on-premise servers, or cybersecurity concerns, businesses are using this moment to move away from legacy infrastructure.

As a cloud-native professional services platform, Coretime enables firms to:

• Reduce IT maintenance costs
• Improve remote access and collaboration
• Ensure data security and reliability
• Focus investment on growth rather than infrastructure

Cloud adoption is no longer optional it’s becoming the new industry standard.

4. Cost Control and Margin Protection Are Top Priorities

Economic uncertainty and rising operating costs mean professional services firms are scrutinising their operations more closely than ever.

Leadership teams are asking critical questions:

• Where are projects losing margin?
• How productive are our teams?
• Are we allocating resources efficiently?

Modern professional services automation software provides the data visibility and operational insight needed to answer those questions and improve performance.

Coretime is designed specifically to help firms manage utilisation, improve efficiency, and protect project margins.

5. Accurate Quoting Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage

For firms delivering fixed-fee projects, inaccurate quoting can quickly erode profitability.

In the past, loss-making projects could sometimes be offset by more profitable ones. But today, margins are tighter and clients expect greater transparency.

Businesses need to:

• Understand the true cost of delivery
• Analyse historical project performance
• Price new work with confidence

Coretime helps firms turn historical project data into actionable insights, allowing teams to quote more accurately and compete more effectively.

6. Businesses Want Fast Implementation. Not Multi-Year Projects

One of the most common concerns organisations have when replacing software is the fear of a long, complex ERP-style implementation.

Coretime takes a different approach.

Our modular professional services platform allows firms to adopt the functionality they need quickly without unnecessary complexity.

Our experienced implementation team helps customers:

• Migrate data from legacy systems
• Configure workflows and reporting
• Get teams up and running quickly

The result is faster deployment, faster adoption, and faster value.

The Right Professional Services Software at the Right Time

The forces driving Coretime’s growth in 2026 are not temporary trends.

The consolidation of software vendors, ongoing digital transformation, cloud migration, and pressure on margins will continue to reshape the professional services industry for years to come.

Coretime is built specifically to help firms navigate this shift with tools designed for project management, resource planning, financial control, and operational visibility.

With a strong pipeline already forming, the momentum we’ve seen at the start of 2026 shows no signs of slowing.