Webinar
How to tackle IT cost, risk and regulation with the IT priorities report
Overview
This on-demand webinar shows how IT leaders use Flexera’s IT Priorities Report to manage cost, risk and regulation heading into 2026.
You’ll learn how AI, SaaS, cloud and hybrid environments drive overspend and create visibility gaps while regulations accelerate. Based on insights from more than 800 IT leaders, the session highlights how organizations prioritize AI, sustainability and governance—and how to turn those priorities into practical ITAM actions.
IT, procurement and risk teams walk away with clear steps to improve visibility, align with new regulations and demonstrate measurable value to the business.
Key takeaways for CIOs, ITAM, FinOps and risk leaders
- Understand why AI is the number one IT priority and how to link it to ROI
- Identify where IT overspend occurs across SaaS, cloud and AI applications
- Map key regulations such as the EU AI Act, DORA and CSRD to your IT estate
- Close visibility gaps across data center, cloud, SaaS and AI to reduce risk
- Use governance and cross-team collaboration to turn data into decisions
- Apply IT Priorities Report insights to your 2026 ITAM roadmap
IT cost, risk and compliance challenges—and the outcomes IT leaders need in 2026
1. Control AI adoption, cost and regulatory exposure
The webinar explains why AI has ranked as the number one IT priority for three years running and why many leaders still struggle to prove ROI.
While ninety-four percent of organizations explore AI, only a small percentage measure effectiveness. This gap creates risk, overspend and executive pressure.
You’ll see how better visibility into AI tools, licensing and data usage helps you manage cost, meet emerging regulations and respond with evidence instead of assumptions.
2. Fix IT visibility gaps across SaaS, cloud and hybrid estates
Kevin and Kelly explain why visibility remains one of the biggest blockers to cost control and compliance. Seventy percent of organizations say business units purchase more SaaS and cloud services than IT can track, while eighty-five percent view visibility gaps as a major risk.
You’ll learn how shadow SaaS, fragmented tools and siloed data limit decision-making and increase audit exposure. The webinar shows how to bring together data from on-premises, cloud, SaaS and AI environments, normalize it and turn it into insights teams can actually use.
With a single, trusted view of your IT estate—supported by Flexera One—you can reduce risk, strengthen governance and support smarter investment decisions across the business.
3. Balance technology spend, cost optimization and sustainability
The webinar explores how rising investment in AI, SaaS and cloud continues to outpace organizations’ ability to manage spend. While many teams increase budgets, overspend often goes underreported and optimization opportunities get missed.
At the same time, sustainability is becoming a priority for more than ninety percent of organizations, creating new pressure to understand the environmental impact of technology decisions. Kevin and Kelly show how IT asset data helps you track carbon impact, evaluate trade-offs and connect cost optimization with sustainability goals.
You’ll see how better visibility supports reporting for frameworks such as CSRD, CSDDD and CBAM while keeping budget discipline front and center.
4. Strengthen governance, collaboration and audit readiness
The speakers explain why governance and cross-functional collaboration between ITAM, security, risk and business teams are critical as regulations like FFIEC, DORA and FCA drive new expectations for asset and vendor visibility.
They share how structured governance, internal reporting, and shared data reduce friction and improve audit outcomes. You’ll walk away with practical examples of how to prepare for regulatory reviews, document controls and position ITAM as a strategic partner instead of a reactive function.
Why these IT priorities and insights matter
- Based on Flexera’s IT Priorities Report, with insights from more than 800 IT leaders across AI, hybrid IT and budgets
- Presented by Flexera product marketing and an independent ITAM thought leader from ITAM Forum
- Grounded in real-world data on AI adoption, overspend, sustainability pressure and regulatory drivers including the EU AI Act, DORA and CSRD
Speakers
Kevin Miller
Product Marketing Director, Flexera
Kelly Yip
ITAM Thought-Leader and Advisor, ITAM Forum
FAQs
Start by comparing your priorities for AI, cost, risk and sustainability with insights from more than 800 IT leaders. Use the webinar guidance to identify visibility gaps, regulatory pressure and overspend across your estate, then build a roadmap that links each priority to clear ITAM actions and measurable outcomes.
The webinar shows that cost reduction starts with visibility. By improving insight across on-premises, cloud, SaaS and AI, you can target high-impact optimization opportunities without creating audit or compliance risk. Better data helps teams make informed trade-offs instead of reactive cuts.
Preparation begins with knowing which AI tools you use, how they’re licensed and where data lives. Kevin and Kelly explain how governance policies, usage tracking and transparency help organizations align with emerging AI regulations while still enabling innovation.
Eighty-five percent of organizations see visibility gaps as a major risk, especially with the growth of shadow SaaS and decentralized purchasing. Without accurate, normalized data, teams struggle to manage licensing, measure AI effectiveness, support sustainability reporting or respond confidently to audits.
The webinar recommends using IT asset data to understand how cloud, AI and data centers contribute to your carbon footprint. With that visibility, you can weigh cost and sustainability trade-offs, support CSRD reporting and prioritize changes that reduce both spend and environmental impact.
Transcript
[00:01] Introduction
[00:34] Kevin Miller:
We’ll give it one more minute to let some more people join this morning, this evening— wherever you are in the world. We’re very excited to have you here, and especially excited to be joined by the wonderful and incomparable Kelly Yip.
If you have any questions before we get started, feel free to drop them into the Q&A panel—we’ll address them at the end of today’s session.
[01:09] Kevin Miller:
Let’s get started. If you joined a bit late, don’t worry—you’ll receive a recording within a day or two.
We’re lucky to have Kelly Yip with us today, a thought leader from the ITAM Forum.
[01:29] Kelly Yip:
Hi—thank you so much for having me, Kevin.
[01:33] Kevin Miller:
We’re excited to have you. I’m Kevin Miller, and I work in product marketing here at Flexera.
Today we’ll be discussing the IT Priorities Report—what it is, what it tells us about 2025, and how it informs ITAM leaders heading into 2026. We’ll explore key insights, tie them to regulatory trends, and share recommendations from both Flexera and ITAM Forum. We’ll also touch on visibility and risk before opening up for questions.
[02:36] What is the IT Priorities Report?
[02:36] Kevin Miller:
The report analyzes top challenges and opportunities from 2025 and translates them into priorities for 2026.
We surveyed over 800 IT leaders across topics including:
- AI adoption
- Hybrid environments
- Budget allocation
[03:17] Key Insight #1: AI growth vs ROI challenges
[03:17] Kevin Miller:
Our first key insight:
AI integration continues to accelerate—but proving ROI remains difficult.
For the third consecutive year:
- AI is the #1 IT priority
- 33% ranked it as their top priority
AI has evolved from hype into a core driver of IT strategy.
Audience poll discussion
[05:10] Kevin Miller:
We asked the audience about their priorities:
- ~50%: AI integration
- ~33%: Reducing IT costs
- Remaining: Demonstrating AI effectiveness
[07:12] Kelly Yip:
These results don’t surprise me at all. We’re seeing the same trend at ITAM Forum.
Even with challenges like price increases and contract complexity, AI is still the top concern. There’s strong pressure from leadership to adopt AI—but organizations are struggling to demonstrate ROI.
AI adoption trends
[08:33] Kevin Miller:
Key findings:
- 94% of IT leaders are exploring AI integration
- Most common tools:
- Chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT)
- Coding assistants
- Project management tools
However:
- 93% feel pressure to innovate faster
- Only 19% prioritize measuring AI effectiveness
This highlights a major gap between adoption and accountability.
Regulatory pressure on AI
[10:10] Kevin Miller:
Regulation is catching up with AI adoption. For example:
- EU AI Act
- Regional regulations (US, UK, Canada, Australia)
Common requirements include:
- Transparency
- Data visibility
- Risk mitigation
Recommendations
[11:34] Kevin Miller:
Start with visibility:
- What assets do you have?
- Who uses them?
- Where is data stored?
[12:51] Kelly Yip:
I’d add two key points:
- Future visibility— AI licensing models are evolving, so visibility must adapt
- Governance— critical to control usage and cost
AI is currently cheap and widely accessible—but that will change. Organizations must prepare now.
[16:48] Key insight #2: Cost and risk remain top priorities
[16:48] Kevin Miller:
Reducing IT costs and mitigating risk remain #2 and #3 priorities.
Key stats:
- 70% say business units buy more SaaS/cloud than IT can track
- 73% say environments no longer fit neatly into cloud vs on-prem
This increases complexity and risk.
Vendor landscape
[19:12] Kevin Miller:
Major vendors dominate:
- Microsoft
- AWS
- OpenAI
Google saw significant growth (+10%), while OpenAI continues rising.
Regulatory example: Financial services
[21:07] Kevin Miller:
In industries like banking, regulations include:
- FFIEC
- DORA
- FCA
These require:
- Asset visibility
- Risk tracking
- Vendor oversight
Recommendations
[23:00] Kevin Miller:
- Implement governance
- Integrate data across tools
- Avoid siloed systems
[24:32] Kelly Yip:
Collaboration is key.
ITAM must:
- Work with security teams
- Share data across functions
- Align with business objectives
This reduces friction and improves outcomes.
[27:01] Key insight #3: Rising technology spend
[27:01] Kevin Miller:
Organizations are balancing innovation and cost:
- 80% report increased AI spending
- Only 36% admit overspending
- 73% report increased SaaS/cloud spend
Pricing models—especially for AI—are becoming more complex.
Audience poll results
[30:06] Kevin Miller:
Overspending is spread across:
- AI applications
- SaaS
- Cloud infrastructure
[31:01] Key insight #4: Sustainable IT
[31:01] Kevin Miller:
- 94% say sustainability is increasing in importance
- 87% say they need to improve their approach
Sustainability is now tied to:
- Cloud usage
- AI infrastructure
- Data center impact
Regulatory drivers
Examples include:
- CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive)
- CSDDD (Due Diligence Directive)
- CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism)
Recommendations
[35:04] Kevin Miller:
- Improve visibility into carbon footprint
- Track emissions across IT assets
- Understand vendor impact
[36:01] Kelly Yip:
Sustainability is often driven by:
- Regulation
- Cost optimization
But future trade-offs will emerge:
- Cost vs sustainability decisions
I strongly recommend internal reporting—because once metrics are tracked, organizations naturally improve them.
[38:24] Key insight #5: Visibility and data challenges
[38:24] Kevin Miller:
- 85% cite visibility gaps as a major risk
- 58% struggle with shadow SaaS
- 90% have data—but lack actionable insights
Data challenges
[40:37] Kevin Miller:
Poor data leads to:
- Weak AI outcomes
- Poor decision-making
[42:15] Kelly Yip:
Data today is far more complex than 10 years ago.
Key shifts:
- Need to combine multiple data sources
- Usage alone is no longer enough
- Context matters
Audience poll insight
[45:37] Kevin Miller:
Most respondents “somewhat agree” their data is actionable—indicating progress, but room for improvement.
[47:40] Flexera perspective
[47:40] Kevin Miller:
Organizations struggle with fragmented visibility across:
- Data center
- Cloud
- SaaS
- AI
Flexera provides a unified platform to:
- Normalize and enrich data
- Deliver consistent insights
- Support governance and optimization
Key capabilities
- Unified data across IT estate
- Vendor normalization
- Lifecycle and risk insights
- Human-curated intelligence (Technopedia)
Business outcomes
Flexera helps organizations:
- Reduce and optimize costs
- Improve sustainability reporting
- Strengthen governance and compliance
- Accelerate AI adoption safely
[56:18] Q&A highlights
[56:18] Kevin Miller:
Example: FFIEC audits require documentation across:
- Security
- Risk management
- Governance
- Incident response
- Business continuity
- Vendor oversight
Audits are collaborative—not punitive—but require structured response plans.
[01:00:35] Closing thoughts
[01:00:35] Kelly Yip:
Measuring AI ROI is difficult because it often relates to:
- Time savings
- Employee experience
Organizations may need to explore new metrics, including HR indicators like retention.
[01:01:28] Kevin Miller:
Thank you, Kelly, and thanks everyone for joining. You’ll receive the recording shortly.
Have a great day wherever you are in the world.
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