Digital Lifescapes

The enterprise software market will transform, driven by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence — especially agentic AI — and the global acceleration toward cloud-first strategies. According to IDC's latest market study, spending on agentic AI will account for more than 26 percent of worldwide IT investment by 2029, exceeding $1.3 trillion, and reshaping the core priorities and technologies fueling digital growth. Enterprise Software Market Development Recent IDC research projects that worldwide enterprise applications revenue will surpass $600 billion by 2028, up from $356 billion in 2023 — a clear sign of double-digit momentum in this sector. The enterprise applications market, including functional areas such as enterprise resource management (ERM), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), and production or engineering applications, delivered 12 percent year-over-year revenue growth in 2023. Equally notable, public cloud is forecasted to domin...

Technology is a compelling catalyst for economic growth across the globe.  Artificial intelligence (AI) rides a seismic wave of transformation in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region — a market bolstered by bold government initiatives, swelling pools of capital, and vibrant tech ambition. The latest IDC analysis sheds light on this dynamic market. Despite a contraction in deal volumes through 2024, total AI venture funding surged to an impressive $15.4 billion — a signal of the region’s resilience and the maturation of its digital-native businesses (DNBs). Asia-Pacific AI Market Development The APAC AI sector’s funding story is not just about headline numbers but also about how and where investments are shifting. Even as the number of deals slowed, the aggregate value of investments climbed, reflecting a preference among investors for fewer but larger, high-potential bets on mature or highly scalable AI enterprises. The information technology sector led the AI investment charge. Top area...

In an era where AI is considered an asset for superior leadership, why are over a quarter of marketing organizations still hesitant to use Generative AI ( GenAI ) in their workflows? Recent findings from a Gartner survey reveal a nuanced picture of GenAI adoption in marketing. They highlight its potential and the challenges organizations encounter. The Current State of GenAI Adoption The Gartner survey provides a snapshot of GenAI's integration into marketing strategies. Surprisingly, 27 percent of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) report limited or no adoption of GenAI in their marketing campaigns. This statistic is particularly striking given the interest surrounding AI in the typical C-suite, suggesting a significant gap between executive desire and marketing implementation. Despite this, the survey also reveals encouraging signs of GenAI's impact: 47 percent of forward-thinking organizations report substantial benefits from adopting GenAI for evaluation and reporting in their...

Has your IT plan prepared for the Generative AI  (GenAI) strategic transformation imperative? On the cusp of a transformative year in business technology, this question for CIOs is top-of-mind for a forward-looking C-suite with IT investment decisions. The latest Gartner study on worldwide IT spending trends provides guidance into the direction and scale of this strategic shift in the market's trajectory. Enterprise IT Market Development Gartner's latest forecast reveals a remarkable 9.8 percent increase in worldwide IT spending for 2025, projecting a total investment of $5.61 trillion. This substantial growth rate signifies a recovery and expansion in the tech sector, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and indicating a strong appetite for investment across industries. The projected increase is a testament to technology's critical role in modern business operations and strategies. Savvy executives recognize the imperative to invest in IT infrastructure, software, and cloud serv...

Two years after ChatGPT captured the world's imagination, there's a dichotomy in the enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) market. On one side, technology vendors are making unprecedented investments in AI infrastructure and new feature capabilities. On the other, there's measured adoption from customers who carefully weigh the AI costs and proven use case benefits. Artificial Intelligence Market Development The scale of new investment is significant. Cloud vendors alone were expected to invest over $150 billion in capital expenditures in 2024, with AI infrastructure being the primary driver. This massive bet on AI's future is reflected in the rapid growth of AI server revenue. Looking at just two major players - Dell Technologies and HPE - their combined AI server revenue surged from $1.2 billion in Q4 2023 to $4.4 billion in Q3 2024, highlighting the dramatic expansion. Yet despite these investments, the revenue returns remain relatively modest. The latest TBR resea...

The gap between digital business aspirations and actual achievements has become increasingly apparent. Recent Gartner research reveals a disconnect: while 87 percent of senior leaders prioritize digitalization, only 48 percent of digital initiatives succeed. This latest assessment demands a deeper examination of digital transformation success factors. The Reality of Digital Transformation The transformation journey extends far beyond technology adoption. Most notably, 91 percent of organizations encounter cultural hurdles during digital implementations—a statistic that should command every executive's attention. This overwhelming figure suggests that many organizations have miscalculated the human element in their digital equation. Traditional transformation barriers persist, but their implications have evolved: The talent shortage (affecting 44 percent of organizations) now represents more than a hiring challenge—it's becoming an existential threat to competitive advantage. Ch...

The global public cloud services market is continuing phenomenal growth, driven by digital transformation initiatives and a fundamental shift in how IT organizations function. This trend is fueled by several factors, including the increasing adoption of remote work models, the need for greater agility and scalability, and the ever-growing volume of data that organizations need to store and process. According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), the public cloud services market will reach $800 billion in 2024, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.5 percent. Public Cloud Services Market Development "Vendors are focused on being strategic partners to their customers by delivering highly performant, developer-friendly, trustworthy, and secure offerings that help users deliver intelligent applications more efficiently," said Adam Reeves, research director at IDC . This growth is being fueled by several key trends: IDC highlights ...

Digital transformation goals continue to influence large enterprise IT spending. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has now emerged as a transformative technology. Its ability to create entirely new business models or designs holds immense promise across industries. Still, a recent market study by ABI Research, presented at the 'Hannover Messe 2024' event, paints a somewhat cautious picture of GenAI adoption in the global manufacturing sector. ABI Research highlighted a strong presence of GenAI at the event, with industrial software vendors showcasing its application in the form of AI assistants and co-pilots. They forecast revenue from GenAI use cases in manufacturing will reach $10.5 billion by 2034. Manufacturing GenAI Market Development "The dominant use cases leverage core strengths of Large Language Models (LLMs) for Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming, code generation, step-by-step work instructions, and data enrichment and consolidation," ...

The rapid evolution of the enterprise software landscape is amazing. One of the most significant trends I've observed is the surging demand for Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) driven by the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs). According to the latest market study by Gartner, more than 30 percent of the increase in API demand will come from AI and LLM-powered tools by 2026. This illustrates the transformative impact these technologies are poised to have on leaders who innovate. The Gartner study paints a clear picture of the forces at play. Technology Service Providers (TSPs) are leading the charge in adopting Generative AI (GenAI), with 83 percent of the 459 TSPs surveyed reporting that they have already deployed or are piloting these capabilities within their organizations. GenAI API Market Development As TSPs help large enterprise customers integrate GenAI into their offerings, the demand for APIs to power these AI-enabled solutions wi...

CEOs continue to invest in digital business technologies to stay ahead of their competition, enter additional markets, unlock new revenue streams, and streamline commercial operations. Worldwide information technology (IT) spending is forecast to reach $5 trillion in 2024 -- that's an increase of 6.8 percent from 2023, according to the latest global market study by Gartner. This estimate is down from the previous quarter’s forecast of 8 percent growth. While Generative AI (GenAI) had significant hype in 2023, it may not significantly change the growth of IT spending. Enterprise IT Market Development "While GenAI will change everything, it won’t impact IT spending significantly, similar to IoT, blockchain and other big trends we have experienced," said John-David Lovelock, vice president analyst at Gartner . Moreover, 2024 will be the year when organizations actually invest in planning for how to use GenAI. However, enterprise IT spending may be driven by more traditional...

The landscape of Marketing and IT is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by the relentless evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI). New AI apps are rapidly seeping into every facet of business, reshaping customer experiences, streamlining operations, and enabling workflow automation. This presents a vast opportunity for CMOs and CIOs, yet also a disruptive force demanding rapid adaptation. To stay ahead of the AI trend, these key decision-makers must become active participants. International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that by 2027, Generative AI (GenAI) will assume 30 percent of traditional marketing mundane tasks -- such as website optimization, data analysis, customer segmentation, and hyper-personalization. GenAI Applications Market Development According to the IDC survey results, 37.8 percent of CMOs indicated they have already begun implementing GenAI technologies. Also, 51 percent of CMOs say their top business objective in the next 12 months is to improve lead generation ...

Imagine a building that operates like a self-sufficient island, generating its own clean energy to power everything from lights to air conditioning, all while leaving no carbon footprint. That's the essence of a net-zero energy building, a revolutionary concept poised to transform the real estate landscape. Think of it as cutting the cord on your monthly energy bills, slashing greenhouse gas emissions, and attracting eco-conscious building tenants -- all while potentially boosting your asset value. The count of net-zero energy buildings worldwide will experience significant expansion in the coming years, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research. Net-Zero Energy Buildings Market Development Driven by climate change imperatives, policy support, and maturing technologies, the market is forecasted to grow at a 29 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) through 2027. "With buildings accounting for over one-third of global energy consumption, the real estate...

The introduction of Artificial intelligence (AI), and the emergence of Generative AI   (GenAI), are now resulting in two key focus areas for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and their IT leadership team. "GenAI is not just a technology or just a business trend. It is a profound shift in how humans and machines interact," said Mary Mesaglio, VP Analyst at Gartner . "We are moving from what machines can do for us to what machines can be for us." AI platforms are evolving rapidly from being our tools to becoming our teammates. Gartner predicts that by 2025, GenAI will be a workforce partner for 90 percent of companies worldwide. CIO Leadership Market Development CIOs have a major role in how they shape AI and how AI shapes us. According to recent Gartner surveys of CEOs, enterprise CIOs are their number one choice to unlock the value of GenAI tools. In fact, CIOs and IT executives will prioritize two areas to unleash the possibility of AI over the next 12-24 months – ...

When B2B buyers consider a purchase they spend just 17 percent of that time meeting with vendors. When they are comparing multiple suppliers‚ time spent with any one salesperson is 5 or 6 percent. Self-directed B2B buyer online research has already changed procurement. IT vendors are less likely to be involved in solution assessment. Now, more disruptive changes are on the horizon. By 2028, 60 percent of B2B seller work will be executed through conversational user interfaces via Generative Artificial Intelligence sales technologies -- that's up from less than 5 percent in 2023, according to Gartner. Generative AI Market Development "Sales operations leaders and their technology teams must prepare for the convergence of new forms of artificial intelligence, dynamic process automation, and reinvented deal-planning activities that will transform the sales function," said Adnan Zijadic, director analyst at Gartner . According to the Gartner assessment, Generative AI (GenAI) ...

The cost of legacy Marketing Technology (Martech) automation is rising. The number of isolated systems is growing, and the benefits are questionable. Marketers are now struggling to justify the expense, when they cannot demonstrate a compelling ROI. Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are under pressure from their C-suite to reassess their investment in legacy automation and consider alternative solutions that will deliver net-new digital growth results. Marketing Automation Market Development Sixty-three percent of marketing leaders are already planning to invest in Generative AI solutions in the next 24 months, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. Slightly more than half of Gartner survey respondents (56 percent) see greater reward than risk in the adoption of modern Generative AI systems. The Gartner survey of 405 marketing leaders revealed the user utilization of their organization's overall current Martech stack’s capability has dropped to just 33 percent on ...

Many senior executives are taking a proactive approach to digital business transformation in order to achieve their strategic goals. Delivering revenue growth and profitability is now imperative for every function, including Human Resources (HR). The top 3 priority HR technologies this year are skills management, learning experience platforms, and internal talent marketplaces, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. "With a tumultuous global economy, HR technology leaders face a balancing act in 2023," said Sam Grinter, director at Gartner . "Leaders must anticipate greater levels of accountability and demand for measurable outcomes to justify new technology investments." HR Transformation Market Development Forty-four percent of HR leaders report driving better business outcomes is their number one strategic priority for HR technology transformation over the next three years. Growth in headcount and skills (26 percent) and cost optimization (17 p...

Business technology leadership matters. Across the globe, more leaders have been pursuing bold Digital Transformation (DX) initiatives with the goal of creating new sources of business value through digital products, services, and experiences. As an additional benefit, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that digital transformation efforts improve an organization's resilience against global market disruptions. Global DX investment is forecast to reach $3.4 trillion in 2026 with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3 percent, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Digital Transformation Market Development "Despite strong headwinds from global supply chain constraints, soaring inflation, political uncertainty, and an impending recession, investment in digital transformation is expected to remain robust," said Craig Simpson, senior research manager at IDC . The benefits of investing in DX technology -- including aut...

Global climate change policy initiatives have been an emerging topic for CEOs and their leadership teams, as they look to the future. Many organizations are preparing to play their part and help reduce carbon emissions. Eighty-seven percent of business leaders expect to increase their organization’s investment in sustainability over the next two years, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. Customers are the stakeholder group creating pressure for these organizations to invest or act on sustainability issues -- selected by 80 percent of executives, followed by investors (60 percent) and regulators (55 percent). Sustainability Market Development "Sustainability enables businesses to cope with disruption," said Kristin Moyer, VP analyst at Gartner . "Economic uncertainty, geopolitical conflict and escalating materials and energy costs are forcing businesses to reexamine all forms of expenditure." According to Gartner, this focus on essentialism -- ...

Across the globe, many forward-thinking CEOs and CFOs continue to fund business technology investments that enable meaningful and substantive digital transformations, ahead of their industry peer group. That's why CIOs and other IT leaders must now accelerate the quest for value creation and drive digital growth from those ongoing investments, according to the latest market study by Gartner. "The pressure on CIOs to deliver digital dividends is higher than ever," said Daniel Sanchez-Reina, VP Analyst at Gartner . "CEOs and boards anticipated that investments in digital assets, channels, and digital business capabilities would accelerate growth beyond what was previously possible." Digital Business Market Development   CIOs expect IT budgets to increase 5.1 percent on average in 2023 -- that's lower than the projected 6.5 percent global economy inflation rate. A Gartner survey analysis revealed several ways in which CIOs can deliver "digital dividends...

Recent global economic trends may motivate some leadership teams to make across-the-board cuts to their operations. However, the savviest executives will selectively optimize their operating budget to sustain strategic imperatives. Just 7 percent of Chief Finacial Officers (CFOs) plan to decrease customer service spending over the next 12 months, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Moreover, 21 percent plan to increase customer spending, and 72 percent plan to maintain spending. "In response to inflation, supply chain disruptions, and a tight labor market, CFOs will make trade-offs in spending that affect customer service and support (CSS) leaders," said Sarah Dibble, Director at Gartner . CSS Business Technology Market Development Their essential function is not a top priority for cost-cutting, compared to commercial real estate expenses or facility management and finance, which are most likely to face budget cuts next year.  Nearly all CFOs will prioritize digi...