VOD Advertising Showcases Will Transform TV Advertising, according to Forrester Research -- Networks and cable operators imagine a world where the best programs are available on-demand, supported by advertising. The reality: standards and measurement fall short, and advertisers, while intrigued, aren't ready to commit. But thinking about VOD ads only as 30-second spots is a mistake. VOD will finally succeed when it includes traditional spots, long-form video advertising showcases, and links that join the two. Advertisers should invest in this advertising on-demand format as soon as Comcast and Time Warner Cable make it available � within the next 18 months. Both networks and operators will profit as new advertising dollars come flowing in from direct marketing and Internet budgets. Forrester conducted confidential interviews with 20 advertisers and agencies. They also spoke with seven networks, three cable operators, and several vendors of VOD hardware and software.
Gartner's latest worldwide IT spending forecast exposes a trend every CIO has already felt in budget negotiations. Total spending will climb 14.2 percent in 2026, reaching $6.37 trillion. It seems that the IT infrastructure market is simply having a strong year. However, the more useful insight is how unevenly that growth is distributed. The Headline Number vs. The Real Story Data center systems and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) are absorbing capital at a pace several multiples faster than devices, communications services, and traditional IT services. This is not incremental growth spread across a healthy portfolio. It is a wholesale reallocation of enterprise technology budgets toward AI infrastructure, made on the expectation that demand for AI workloads will justify the outlay before that demand has been fully proven. Where the Money is Going Data center systems are forecast to grow 62.5 percent in 2026, that's up from 51.6 percent growth in 2025, reaching $822 billion....