​​Infrastructure and Operations Priorities 2026​

​​Infrastructure meets IT’s moment​.

The Situation

AI, cybersecurity risk, and regulatory change are poised to be big disruptors for enterprise IT in 2026. Infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders must counter those challenges with a technology-first action plan to manage risk while streamlining and stabilizing operations from several angles. As economic volatility continues, I&O needs to reset its approach to cloud, AI ROI, and the ongoing skills gap to bolster resilience in the year ahead.

Infrastructure & Operations Priorities 2026 is based on real-world case studies, in-depth executive interviews, and the results of Info-Tech’s Future of IT survey and diagnostic benchmark reports. This new report explores five key priorities for infrastructure and operations strategy in the coming year, plus practical steps to turn your I&O roadmap into reality.

1. Rethink Cloud Operations

Optimize hybrid, multicloud, and edge strategies.

Refresh your cloud operations framework to reflect the way IT is delivered now. Don’t merely reassess cloud technology; adopt a unified, holistic approach to cloud architectures, governance, and workflows by embracing new ways of working, such as DevOps, platform engineering, and site reliability engineering.

2. Maximize AI ROI with FinOps

Better manage AI experimentation costs with FinOps.

As many organizations tighten their budgets next year, FinOps will become more important than ever for AI projects. Drive ROI on AI initiatives by using FinOps to monitor AI-related cloud spend and optimize cloud resource allocation for AI workloads.

3. Regain Control Through Observability

Go beyond traditional approaches to monitoring.

Hybrid work, cloud-based environments, and rapid technological evolution necessitate a new approach to monitoring that aligns with business goals. Traditional monitoring tools generate boatloads of data points but not all of them lead to valuable insights. Achieve the right level of monitoring and observability that’s more proactive, inferential, insight-driven, and contextual.

4. Embrace AI-Enhanced IT Operations

Define key AIOps use cases.

Info-Tech data suggest IT teams still spend one-third of their time on maintenance. Leverage automated and autonomous AIOps to reduce team toil, improve processes, and work toward end-to-end visibility. Just make sure AIOps initiatives are aligned with organizational goals, not merely IT operational improvement.

5. Invest in a Culture of Curiosity

Build critical skills for the future now.

Emerging technologies are evolving quickly, the skills gap has become a chasm, and neither can be fully addressed by traditional hiring and outsourcing. Invest in people rather than just technology by building an internal culture of continuous learning, adaptability, knowledge transfer, and knowledge collaboration.

Blueprint Contents

• ​​Infrastructure and Operations Priorities 2026​ Report

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

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