Abstract

This IDC Survey covers a range of government actions/messages that can influence general technology investments and DX plans with a focus on digital sovereignty, diversity/inclusion, environmental sustainability, fair use of AI/data, and trusted tech supply chains. Technology, and the use of data, is much more deeply embedded into industry ecosystems and business processes (DX) around the world. Government entities of all types (legislative, judicial, and regulatory) are also showing an increasing willingness to engage in shaping technology investments, conditions of use, and competitive environments. This IDC Survey provides insights based on results from IDC's Future Enterprise Resiliency and Spending Survey, Wave 8, of 774 IT and business leaders around the world, conducted in August 2021.

The most important risks that organizations believe will affect their digital transformation efforts are in areas where government policies, rules, and rulings can have a major influence. The most frequently cited are related to cybersecurity/ransomware and digital sovereignty, but across all areas, the most significant impact will be on how enterprises improve data use, protection, and control processes.

"This recent survey clearly showed that concerns about potential regional diversity and divergence of laws, rules, and judgements related to digital sovereignty, D&I, and fair use of AI, especially those related to cloud-enabled date placement/use cloud options, pose major challenges for enterprises," explains Rick Villars, group vice president for Worldwide Research at IDC. "While one might think this is a negative, for many organizations, government engagement is seen as an accelerator for greater investments in resource/data control and IT automation."

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