Navigating the new IT landscape: AI, cost, risk and sustainability
As technology continues to reshape the enterprise, the Flexera 2026 IT Priorities Report offers a clear window into the minds of more than 800 IT leaders across industries and geographies. For the C-suite, the message is clear: AI is no longer hype; it’s a strategic imperative. But with opportunity comes complexity, and the path to measurable impact is anything but straightforward. Here’s what you need to know.
AI integration: from experimentation to enterprise imperative
AI tops the IT priority list for the third consecutive year
One-third (33%) of IT decision-makers say AI integration is their number one focus for 2026, and a staggering 94% are actively seeking ways to embed AI into their technology stack. Chatbots (61%), coding assistants (49%), and project management AI (39%) are leading adoption.
The challenge: Proving ROI. Only 19% of leaders say demonstrating AI’s effectiveness is a top priority, highlighting a persistent gap between adoption and measurable impact.
Start with business outcomes—although AI is eating the world, it can be extremely difficult to measure its impact. But starting with business outcomes in mind helps you home in on measuring its impact on a holistic business process.
Cost optimization and cybersecurity: the twin pillars of IT strategy
Reducing IT costs (24%) and minimizing security risks (22%) remain top priorities.
Shadow IT is on the rise, with over 70% of IT leaders believe business units are buying more cloud and SaaS than IT knows about, up from 68% last year.
Visibility gaps are growing, and 85% say gaps in IT visibility pose a risk to their organization, with 58% reporting issues due to unsanctioned SaaS usage.
CIOs must balance innovation with fiscal discipline, ensuring robust governance and oversight.
The AI gold rush: balancing investment and overspend
Eighty percent of IT leaders report increased AI spending, but 36% believe they’re overspending.
Cloud and SaaS costs are surging. Seventy-three percent report increased investment, and 67% say cloud costs weigh heavily on budgets. Complex pricing models and lack of transparency are major challenges, while FinOps and unified spend platforms are emerging as critical tools for optimization.
The benefit of usage-based pricing is closer alignment between cost, value and utilization—but to keep customers happy, suppliers must ensure transparency through clear usage data.
Sustainability: from aspiration to action
Ninety-four percent of IT leaders say sustainability is rising as a strategic priority, but 87% admit their organizations need to improve. Sustainability is increasingly woven into cloud migration, SaaS adoption and security initiatives. Successful organizations embed sustainability into every IT decision, balancing cost, security and innovation.
Get the data right, focus on actions with measurable ROI, verify independently and share progress where it matters—customers, regulators and partners
Vendor landscape: consolidation and strategic partnerships
Microsoft, Google, AWS and OpenAI are the top technology vendors.
Google’s prominence is rising, especially in the U.S. and UK, while OpenAI’s rapid ascent and its $300B partnership with Oracle signal a new era of AI-driven alliances.
For C-suites, that means strategic vendor partnerships are now central to enterprise transformation, not just IT procurement.
Data quality and visibility: the foundation for AI success
Ninety-four percent of IT leaders agree that investing in tools to extract value from data is essential. Yet, MIT reports that 95% of GenAI pilot projects fail to deliver measurable ROI—often due to poor data quality and disconnected workflows.
Data overload is real. Forty-eight percent feel overwhelmed, and 36% are disappointed by data quality.
Unified, high-fidelity data is the key to unlocking AI’s full potential and driving business outcomes.
The C-suite mandate: lead with vision and discipline
The Flexera 2026 IT Priorities Report makes it clear: Success in the digital era demands more than technology adoption. It requires disciplined leadership, robust governance and a relentless focus on outcomes. AI, cost optimization, sustainability and vendor strategy are now boardroom-level issues. The organizations that thrive will be those that turn intent into measurable impact—curating data, closing visibility gaps and embedding innovation into every decision.
Ready to lead your organization into the future? Discover how unified platforms, strategic partnerships, and disciplined governance can help you harness the full power of technology for sustainable success.
