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Technology Investment and Innovation Monitor, December 2025: Banners

Rick Villars — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Pivot Table presents results from IDC's 2025 Future Enterprise Resiliency and Spending (FERS) Survey, Wave 9, which focuses on issues related to IT leaders' economic outlook, overall IT and enterprise application-specific spending priorities for 2026, AI spending priorities for 2026, and agentic AI adoption. It was conducted in late November and early December 2025.

It is part of a series of IT buyer outlook FERS Surveys across regions, technologies, and industries throughout 2025. This survey of 1,007 respondents in North America, Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Western Europe was conducted while IT leaders were finalizing decisions on 2026 plans. In detail:

Region and country: Results by region (worldwide, North America, Western Europe, Asia/Pacific, and Middle East and Africa) and for countries with sample sizes over 100 (Canada, China, and United States)
Size and role: Results by company size (500+ to 10,000+) and by respondent role (IT, LOB, and C-level)
Industry: Results by vertical for all verticals with sample sizes of 70+ selected aggregations of related verticals
Digital business: Results by level of shift to digital business and by percentage of 2026 spending allocated to innovation (high, medium, low)

Pricing Strategies for Vertical AI Solutions, 2025

Nadia Ballard, Tiffany McCormick — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Presentation illustrates how generative and agentic AI impacts pricing for industry-specific products and services that are built on top of modular platforms as extension of enterprise applications or as standalone products. Like most AI buyers today, buyers of vertical AI, vertical SaaS, and industry clouds are struggling to adjust to the changing pricing models for AI and AI-infused solutions.

The IDC Market Presentation includes projections on the timing of how application pricing models will evolve alongside each of the agentic AI phases, and what that means for vertical solutions, including example use cases from the insurance, healthcare, and retail industries.

IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Retail Price Optimization Solutions 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment

Ananda Chakravarty — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC study provides a comprehensive assessment of the global retail price optimization solutions market for 2025, evaluating 21 key vendors on their capabilities and strategies. As price optimization becomes increasingly critical for retailers seeking to drive profitability, margin, and market share, the study highlights the evolution of pricing tools. These tools are now powered by AI, machine learning, and GenAI to manage complex, multistage pricing life cycles and competitive dynamics. The document details vendor strengths and challenges, emphasizing the importance of automation, data centralization, scenario planning, and change management for successful adoption. It offers actionable guidance for technology buyers navigating the shift from manual, decentralized pricing to scalable, data-driven solutions, and underscores the strategic impact of price optimization on retail outcomes. The analysis is grounded in IDC's rigorous methodology, combining quantitative and qualitative criteria to inform decision-making for retailers and industry stakeholders.

"Change is affecting all retailers, and those who can map pricing to business change will reap rewards. Those without agility and a holistic view of pricing will be scrambling to meet competitive pressure," states Ananda Chakravarty, VP research, IDC Retail Insights.

IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Software Asset Management Managed Services 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment

Nishant Bansal — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC study assesses 11 managed service providers offering SAM managed services at a worldwide level. It is based on a comprehensive framework and a set of parameters that compare providers and assess them based on the factors expected to be most conducive to success in each market in both the short and long term.

"As organizations continue to expand across SaaS, hybrid cloud, and multivendor ecosystems, the complexity of licensing and usage governance has accelerated. SAM managed services are increasingly moving beyond reactive compliance management to become strategic enablers of cost transparency, digital governance, and value realization. Providers that combine automation, analytics, and informed advisory guidance will be best positioned to help enterprises optimize spending, manage risk, and align software investments with business priorities," said Nishant Bansal, associate research director, Worldwide Services, IDC Worldwide.

Confronting the Cost of Technical Debt

Mona Liddell — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Tech Buyer Survey Spotlight examines how organizations are managing — or underestimating — the growing challenge of technical debt. While most IT leaders still view technical debt as a manageable issue, many report that it continues to increase, contributing to higher maintenance costs and reduced operational efficiency. The findings suggest that even when technical debt feels under control, it quietly compounds over time, diverting resources from modernization and innovation.

This IDC Tech Buyer Survey Spotlight highlights key actions for CIOs and IT leaders to contain this trend: Assess the organization's enterprise tech debt leverage, quantify its business impact, and embed remediation into broader modernization efforts. Addressing these early warning signs today will help organizations avoid greater cost and complexity tomorrow.

IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Enterprise-Focused Subscription and Usage Management Applications 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment

Tiffany McCormick — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The IDC study provides a comprehensive evaluation of well-established platforms enabling enterprises to monetize recurring, usage-based, and hybrid business models at a global scale. As enterprise buyers demand deeper orchestration, automation, and intelligence beyond basic billing, vendors are responding with AI-driven product innovation, robust integrations, and flexible architectures to support complex revenue life cycles. The report highlights that modernization, automation, and global readiness are now essential for agility and competitive differentiation, with customer satisfaction hinging on time to market, end-to-end capabilities, and vendor responsiveness. The assessment advises technology buyers to prioritize platforms with embedded AI, seamless integration, and flexible monetization models, emphasizing strategic investment in infrastructure that supports evolving pricing, packaging, and compliance needs. The report concludes that intelligent orchestration and automation are driving the next evolution in subscription and usage management, enabling enterprises to achieve monetization agility, operational efficiency, and sustained customer trust.

"In the race to monetize digital and hybrid offerings, enterprises must look beyond basic billing. Intelligent orchestration, automation, and AI-driven insights are now the foundation for global revenue agility. The future belongs to platforms that turn operational data into strategic advantage." — Tiffany McCormick, research director, AI Monetization, Pricing Strategies, and Business Models at IDC

IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Global Trade Management Applications for Manufacturers and Exporters 2025 Vendor Assessment

Travis Eide — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC study analyzes software providers in the market today that support global trade management processes. Global trade has become more complex and less static than it has been traditionally. Systems that automate processes and more deeply integrate analytics capabilities help organizations drive efficiencies and refocus teams to areas where their energy and expertise can deliver more value.

"Evolving global trade complexities and persistent, unpredictable disruption must be supported with systems and tools that enable accurate, timely decisions, empowering practitioners to manage global trade operations optimally, and in conjunction with other supply chain functions that exist within, and extend beyond organizational boundaries. Generating comprehensive, timely, and accurate intelligence across the end-to-end supply chain allows organizations to evaluate trade-offs in real time to improve compliance, identify opportunities to control and reduce costs, and strengthen supplier relationships," says Travis Eide, research director, Global Supply Chain Execution, IDC. "In this IDC MarketScape, we see a group of very strong vendors offering capabilities to make global trade management an integrated part of the broader supply chain. Advanced GTM capabilities allow clients to derive a competitive advantage, where many operate it as a basic function today."

IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise-Focused Subscription and Usage Management Applications 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment

Tiffany McCormick — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The IDC study provides a comprehensive analysis of the rapidly evolving market for subscription, usage, and billing management platforms tailored to small and midsize enterprises. As SMEs shift from manual and custom-built tools to cloud-native solutions, the report highlights the growing importance of automation, AI-driven analytics, and flexible pricing models in driving operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and superior customer experiences. Key findings emphasize the value of end-to-end platforms that simplify deployment, support multi-entity billing, and embed predictive analytics with customer satisfaction closely tied to automation depth and ease of use. The report also identifies ongoing challenges, such as market competition, regulatory changes, and the need for advanced AI features, while advising technology buyers to view subscription and usage management solutions as growth enablers rather than mere billing systems. Overall, the IDC MarketScape positions vendors according to their current capabilities and future strategies, offering actionable insights for SMEs seeking to modernize and scale their recurring revenue operations.

"As SMEs continue to embrace cloud-native subscription and usage management, the real competitive edge lies in more than simple billing or automation; it's in platforms that learn, adapt, and orchestrate every revenue moment, enabling small businesses to scale with the intelligence and agility once reserved for global enterprises." — Tiffany McCormick, research director, AI Monetization, Pricing Strategies, and Business Models.

RealWear Introduces Arc 3 Headset and Ari OS, Expanding Its Commercial-Focused Extended Reality Portfolio

Tom Mainelli — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT

RealWear has announced the Arc 3, a lightweight, non-modular, extended reality headset designed for ease of use and broader deployment across various industries, including logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing. The company also launched Ari OS, a new AI-driven, natural language operating system that it will extend to existing RealWear devices and license to other hardware makers. With a simplified design, a lower entry price ($2,950 or via a monthly device-as-a-service subscription), and a focus on scalability, the company aims to expand beyond its traditional rugged industrial base into less demanding environments while maintaining its strong position in enterprise-class AR solutions.

EMEA Enterprise Networking and Life-Cycle Services Survey, 2025: Key Technology Investment Trends

Bruno Teyton — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey provides key analysis and findings from IDC's 2025 EMEA Enterprise Networking and Life-Cycle Services Survey related to key technology investment trends in multiple domains, namely:

Wi-Fi 7
SD-WAN and secure access service edge (SASE)
Campus network
Networking for AI