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IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Data Modernization Services Providers for Retail and Restaurants 2026 Vendor Assessment

Margot Juros, Dorothy Creamer — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC study examines the key strategies and capabilities of global services providers that have a significant focus on the specific needs of retailers and restaurants for data modernization. This assessment evaluates services providers' strengths, including breadth of data modernization offerings and depth of industry-specific frameworks and accelerators, understanding of and demonstrated expertise in solving the specific challenges inherent in running retail and restaurant operations and, ultimately, enabling providers to meet the fast-evolving business needs of this segment. In addition, this study evaluates services providers' strategic partner ecosystem, commitment to and demonstrated excellence in innovation and AI, and the level of customer support, employee training, and retention strategies.

"Retail and restaurant operations are facing a perfect storm of challenges in today's landscape from current macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties to shifting customer demands, supply chain volatility, and the increasing competitive pressure to apply AI and automation across the enterprise to drive efficiency, revenues, and next-level customer experiences," according to Margot Juros, research director, and Dorothy Creamer, senior research manager, IDC Retail Insights. "Data modernization, enabling clean, accessible, and real-time, AI-ready data is the key to successfully overcome these challenges and compete effectively in a swiftly evolving environment."

Will Buyers of More Complex Infrastructure, Software, and Services Shift to AI and Work Less with Salespeople Along the Buying Journey?

Laurie Buczek — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This subset of IDC's 2025 Business-To-Business (B2B) Technology Buyer Behavioral Survey aims to understand the impact of digital, omni-channel, AI, and consumer experience expectations on B2B buying behavior and practices and the role of the human-to-human experience as agentic AI rises. This subset of data featured focuses on B2B technology buyers' propensity to use AI to accomplish buying tasks for more complex buying processes and decisions, resulting in relying less on salespeople.

"AI is not replacing sales in complex deals, but it is redefining the early stages of engagement. Buyers are using AI to augment evaluation, compress research cycles, and enter vendor conversations more informed — and often further along — than ever before," states Laurie Buczek, group VP, market and business intelligence, IDC.

New Bank Charters Shift the Payment Processing Market

Aaron Press — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Perspective examines the evolving landscape of merchant acquiring in the United States, highlighting a shift from banks’ direct involvement to payment processors seeking specialized bank licenses such as Industrial Loan Companies (ILCs) and Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Banks (MALPBs). This trend enables processors to expand financial service offerings, streamline operations, and access payment networks directly, enhancing value for merchants and ISVs.

“As merchant processors pursue bank licenses, the lines between banking and payments are blurring, giving merchants and ISVs options for financial partnerships.” — Aaron Press, research director, Worldwide Payment Strategies, IDC

T-Mobile's 4Q25 Earnings and Capital Markets Day: Consistently Strong Financial and Operational Results Set the Stage for Multiyear Growth Strategy

Jason Leigh — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, February 11, T-Mobile announced its 4Q25 earnings results and hosted its Capital Markets Day event in New York City. Total revenue reached $24.3 billion in 4Q25, up 11.3% YoY. For the full year, total revenue grew 8.5% YoY to $88.3 billion. Service revenue grew 10% YoY to $18.7 billion in the quarter, bringing the full-year service revenue up 14% YoY to $71.3 million. Those results were driven by strong postpaid service revenue, which was up 14% YoY in the quarter ($15.4 billion) and 11% for the full year ($57.9 billion). Equipment revenue rebounded and grew 14.2% YoY for 4Q25 and was up 12.0% YoY in 2025.

IDC Survey: Canadian Enterprise TV Market Update, 2025–2029

Praveen Datta — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey examines results from IDC Canada's survey of over 360 Canadian businesses in July 2025, across all business sizes, to capture business sentiment on communications spending.

This IDC Survey provides an overview on the status of enterprise TV services in Canada. It addresses the current state of paid TV use by Canadian businesses by video type. It examines the current level of adoption of cable, IPTV, satellite, and OTT video by business size segments. It also provides a view of average spend per business on their subscription video services. In addition, it provides a forecast for subscribers of cable, IPTV, and satellite services as well as a revenue forecast for those three video services for Canadian businesses subscribing to video services.

This presentation should be used as an extension of IDC Canada's annual communications services forecast (see Canadian Communications Services Forecast, 2025–2029, IDC #CA52253325, June 2025).

There is a considerable volume of data from our surveys beyond what is provided in this presentation, and more detailed cross-tabs can also be provided. We encourage you to contact your IDC account representative if you have any specific questions about a market or segment of interest.

Emerging Trends in the U.S. Mobile Market for 2026

Pahul Singh, Jitesh Bhayani — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Perspective highlights the key developments that are anticipated to influence the mobile services landscape in the United States throughout the year. The U.S. mobile market in 2026 is defined by intensified consolidation, fiber wireless convergence, and strategic partnerships, with the "Big Three" carriers expanding spectrum and rural coverage. Cable operators are entering enterprise mobility via MVNO deals, while satellite direct-to-device connectivity and network slicing are set to reshape service offerings. Telcos are leveraging AI infrastructure to drive new revenue streams, and providers must prioritize security, convergence, and advanced 5G capabilities to sustain growth and differentiate in a mature, competitive landscape.

"As consolidation and fiber wireless convergence reshape the U.S. mobile market, the key question for 2026 is whether innovation will thrive or stagnate as the 'Big Three' redefine competition, connectivity, and enterprise opportunities," says Pahul Preet Singh, senior research analyst, Mobile and IoT Communication Services, IDC.

IDC Survey Spotlight: Where Are Organizations Applying Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and Virtual Reality to Improve Field Execution Today?

Aly Pinder — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey Spotlight reveals that augmented reality, mixed reality, and virtual reality (AR/MR/VR) are being prioritized for frontline execution and knowledge transfer in field service. In IDC's 2025 Product and Service Innovation Survey (B2B; n = 822), nearly half of the organizations report current or planned use of AR and MR for installation and configuration analysis (47%), followed by remote expert-guided field support (36%) and on-demand training/work instructions (35%). These use cases point to augmented and mixed reality as a practical way to accelerate time to competency and standardize resolution quality as technician experience levels decline.

IDC Survey: 2025 Enterprise Communications Services Survey — Enterprise Networking Trends

Courtney Munroe — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

The IDC Survey provides key trends on the current usage of enterprise wide area networking in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom as well as related priorities and challenges. AI-driven analytics, network performance, and security remain key enterprise priorities. Security risks, hybrid multicloud architectures, and skills gaps are pushing enterprises to rely more heavily on managed services.

Navigating Volatility: Leveraging Technology to Optimize Liquidity and Mitigate Financial Risk

Kevin Permenter — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Perspective discusses the importance of leveraging technology to optimize liquidity and mitigate financial risk. In a high-interest-rate environment, trapped cash has become an expensive operational failure rather than a passive balance sheet condition. By combining automated receivables acceleration with intelligent payables timing, organizations can compress the cash conversion cycle and generate a self-funded liquidity buffer that reduces borrowing exposure and improves financial resilience.

"Working capital velocity is becoming a core resilience strategy. Organizations that synchronize inflows and outflows can create an internal liquidity buffer that reduces borrowing needs and strengthens financial optionality," said Kevin Permenter, research director, Financial Applications and Agents at IDC.

NRF 2026 Signals the Rise of Agentic Retail: Five Key Trends Shaping CX, Loyalty, and Commerce

Ornella Urso — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Perspective discusses how NRF 2026 marked a pivotal shift for retail, moving from generative AI experimentation to the operationalization of agentic AI across customer experience, loyalty, and commerce. Intelligent agents are now central to retail operations, mediating discovery, decision-making, and transactions. Key trends include transaction-capable AI interfaces, embedded agentic capabilities, open protocols, and resilient infrastructure. Retailers face both opportunity and risk, as agentic retail promises greater personalization and efficiency but demands new operating models, governance, and data foundations.

"Customer experience in retail is shifting from reactive engagement to agent-led orchestration, where AI not only assists shoppers but actively shapes discovery, search, payments, and post-purchase relationships across digital and store environments," said Ornella Urso, research director, IDC Retail Insights. "Retailers need to align strategic investments in data, inventory visibility, and interoperable platforms with operational changes in merchandising, store operations, and service workflows will convert agentic AI into higher conversion rates, improved margin performance, and deeper lifetime customer value."