Industry Tech Path provides deep insight into the adoption, utilization, decisioning, value creation, and strategic planning surrounding three key technologies (AI, cloud, and cybersecurity), all by industry, for 36 different industries.

  • AI: The use, impact, and value creation of AI within each industry, including over 200 industry use cases
  • Cloud: Each industry’s journey to the cloud, adoption levels, migration strategies, drivers and inhibitors, budgeting trends, purchasing preferences, buying channels, vendor ratings and advocacy scores, behavioral trends, and cloud adoption and buying intentions for 300+ industry-specific applications
  • Cybersecurity: Strategy, challenges, technology adoption, and compliance initiatives within each industry to protect and counter cybersecurity threats

Industry Tech Path also includes in-depth customer satisfaction ratings on cloud services providers and professional services firms’ delivery of these technologies, across more than 30 metrics, by industry.

Markets and Subjects Analyzed


  • Healthcare (payers — United States only, providers — United States only, pharma, biotech, medical devices, and CROs)
  • Manufacturing (discrete, process, aerospace and defense, automotive, industrial products and equipment, high tech, CPG, chemicals, paper mills, metals and materials, and transportation and logistics)
  • Wholesale distribution
  • Financial services (banking, insurance, and capital markets)
  • Energy (oil and gas, power utilities, water utilities, and gas utilities)
  • Government (federal — United States only, state and local — United States only)
  • Education (K–12 United States only, higher education)
  • Retail
  • Hospitality and food service (includes commercial travel)
  • Media and entertainment
  • Telecommunications
  • Professional services

Core Research


  • Industry Tech Path: Worldwide Findings Banner Book
  • Industry Tech Path: Additional 15+ Banner Books — Findings by Industry and Region
  • Industry Tech Path: Executive Summary Report
  • Industry Tech Path: Vendor Ratings Report
  • Industry Tech Path: Additional Survey Spotlights on Key Finding

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

Key Questions Answered


  1. What key applications/workloads in each industry have organizations moved to the cloud, and what deployment models are being utilized?
  2. Which cloud vendors are organizations using in each industry? How do organizations rate those vendors on 25+ metrics of customer satisfaction, and what key evaluation criteria do they use to select them?
  3. Through which channels do cloud buyers prefer to buy in each industry? What are their buying preferences, attitudes, fears, and priorities?
  4. How is AI/ML being utilized in each industry, and what incremental value is it creating?
  5. How are companies planning to utilize AI? Are they planning to build or buy? How are their budgets being formed? In which areas is technology buyer demand greatest?
  6. What concerns do companies have about AI/ML, and how are those perceived challenges impacting adoption?
  7. Which industries hold the greatest demand and opportunity for further infusion of AI/ML into products and services?
  8. How are companies in each industry approaching cybersecurity? What challenges are they facing, and how is technology assisting them to ensure the security and compliance of their businesses?

Companies Analyzed


This service reviews the strategies, market positioning, and future direction of several providers in the cloud market. Some names are:

Accenture, Alibaba, Amazon Web Services, Bain, Capgemini, CGI, Cisco, Cognizant, Dell EMC, Deloitte, EY, Google, HCL, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Infosys, KPMG, Kyndryl, McKinsey, Microsoft, NTT, Oracle, PwC, TCS, Tech Mahindra, and Wipro.