As enterprises race to deploy generative AI, a new challenge is emerging for IT services companies: token maxxing. Tokens—the units consumed whenever large language models process information—have become the fundamental currency of AI. But after an initial wave of experimentation, according to a report in Business-Today, IT services companies are increasingly warning that relentless token consumption without measurable business outcomes could become the industry's next cost problem.
What is token maxxing?
Token maxxing treats AI consumption as a measure of productivity, pushing employees and enterprises to use increasing amounts of compute and tokens. The term gained currency in Silicon Valley, where the double "xx" in "maxxing"—borrowed from internet and gaming slang—denotes aggressive optimisation, as per the report. As enterprises move from pilots to large-scale deployments, IT firms are increasingly focused on linking token usage to business value rather than raw consumption.
Cognizant's approach: metering and value-linkage
Arumugam Kumaradassan, vice-president and head of AI industrialisation and enterprise IT automation at Cognizant, told Business-Today: "Tokens are an input to delivery, not a measure of value, and token consumption is simply a cost signal, tracked for discipline, licence governance and capacity planning. When token consumption is treated as the primary metric, costs scale linearly with demand without a corresponding return in business outcomes."
According to the report, Kumaradassan said the company has implemented metering and value-linkage capabilities that connect token consumption to business workflows and outcomes. "As the industry moves towards outcome-based models, token spending will reveal the cost of achieving those outcomes," he added.
Happiest Minds: building metering capabilities
At Happiest Minds, executive vice-chairman Joseph Anantharaju said the company is developing capabilities for token metering and optimisation as enterprises scale agentic AI deployments. "I think that's going to be very important—the ability to meter it," he said, as quoted in the report.
The company is also evaluating outcome-based commercial models that combine software, agents, platforms and AI consumption. Anantharaju explained: "The outcomes that customers want can be delivered through a model that combines the solution, token consumption and the number of agents deployed."
Salesforce and Mphasis: value over consumption
Salesforce chief digital officer Vala Afshar noted, per the report: "One of the most important currencies in an agentic AI transformation are tokens. We are now looking at our token consumption. We're also looking very closely at how much of these tokens actually automate tasks by agents, because it's wasteful to just spend tokens unless you're creating value at the speed of need."
Technology providers are becoming wary of turning token consumption into a pricing model, the report states. Mphasis CEO Nitin Rakesh said customers increasingly bear variable token costs as usage expands. "What we are pricing is the economic outcome. There is a base price that you (client) will pay me, and the rest will be linked to the outcome I can drive," he said.
Key perspectives comparison
| Company | Spokesperson | Key focus |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | Arumugam Kumaradassan | Metering and value-linkage; token consumption as cost signal |
| Happiest Minds | Joseph Anantharaju | Token metering and optimisation; outcome-based models combining solutions, tokens, and agents |
| Salesforce | Vala Afshar | Tracking token consumption; ensuring tokens automate tasks and create value |
| Mphasis | Nitin Rakesh | Outcome-based pricing; customers bear variable token costs |
The debate is becoming increasingly relevant as AI projects move from pilots to production, according to Business-Today. For enterprise technology buyers and CTOs, the shift from token volume to business value means procurement decisions must now consider not just raw AI consumption but the cost-effectiveness of achieving desired outcomes. The ability to meter and link token usage to specific business workflows will become a critical capability for IT services partners.
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