IT Budget stories

Cyber chiefs warn a widening gap between cyber plans and real resilience as boards eye 2026 with only marginal spend increases.

Service-first IT, agentic automation and real-time data platforms are set to dominate 2026 enterprise tech strategies and infrastructure spend.

Cloud marketplaces and SaaS are set to transform global IT spend, with Omdia forecasting USD $163 billion marketplace sales by 2030.

Snowflake doubles AWS Marketplace sales to top USD $2 billion in 2025, underscoring surging enterprise demand for integrated data and AI tools.

AI is set to end SaaS dominance by 2026 as firms pay for domain-specific agents and governed cloud usage instead of per-seat software.

Cloudera forecasts Australia’s AI shift from pilots to industrial-scale, privacy-first deployments by 2026 as tech spend tops AUD $172 billion.

Over half of government CIOs expect IT budgets to rise in 2026, prioritising AI, cybersecurity and cloud tech despite fiscal constraints, says Gartner research.

Birmingham City Council's £123 million ERP failure triggered bankruptcy, revealing how better process management software might have averted this costly disaster.

Network digital twins offer IT leaders five effective ways to cut rising IT costs by improving visibility, rightsizing networks, and reducing tech debt.

AI subscriptions have overtaken streaming as Americans’ top digital priority, with 67% deeming AI tools essential for work and daily life.

By 2026, Australian firms will prioritise data quality and governance over AI hype, focusing on measurable outcomes and strong tech foundations, says Notitia.

Kaseya forecasts AI risks, job cuts, and growth opportunities as managed service providers adapt to evolving tech, cybersecurity, and sustainability demands.

Over half of organisations now prioritise network convergence to boost efficiency, speed cloud migration and enhance user satisfaction in multi-cloud environments.

UK firms lose nearly one in five SaaS pounds to wasted or duplicate licences, with 63% facing uncontrolled adoption risking security and overspending.

Commvault launches the Cloud Unity platform, offering centralised, AI-driven data protection across multi-cloud, on-premises, and edge environments for cost efficiency.

Banks are doubling AI budgets to 17% of IT spend by 2028, but only 20% have robust real-time data governance, reveals Tech Mahindra's global survey.

Australian firms boost AI investment by 32%, yet 62% struggle to move beyond pilots amid rising pressure to prove results and tackle skill shortages.

Global spending on generative AI smartphones is expected to reach USD $298.2 billion by 2025, making up 20% of total AI end-user expenditures.

Australia's IT spending is set to hit AUD $172.3 billion in 2026, driven by strong growth in AI infrastructure and software investments, says Gartner.

Hexaware and Replit launch Vibe Coding, enabling non-coders to develop secure AI-powered business software swiftly with robust enterprise governance.