While many business IT budgets will rise in 2025, many business leaders lack enough useful information on that spending to evaluate whether their technology dollars will be used wisely.
That is one of the key conclusions of a new global survey, Guiding Technology Investments: Insights for Business Leaders, from technology spending management platform vendor Apptio, which includes opinions from more than 1,000 technology decision makers across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
More than 90% of the respondents reported that their IT budgets would increase this year to support existing infrastructure, maintain IT operations, and accelerate business growth through innovation, according to the survey, but 55% also said that they lack critical information that would help them ensure the value of their increased spending.
For MSPs, the data from the survey provides intriguing insights into how many companies view their tech spending at a time when ROI for dollars spent on AI, cloud, and other technologies can be difficult to measure.
“We are seeing a clear move toward AI and cloud investments, but this is not necessarily at the expense of core technologies,” Eugene Khvostov, Apptio’s chief product officer, told ChannelE2E. “Rather, organizations are looking to optimize their entire technology stack.”
One significant finding from the survey is that organizations report that 49% said they struggle with data silos and with directly measuring ROI on their technology investments, said Khvostov.
“This represents an opportunity for MSPs to provide value through improved data integration and ROI measurement services,” he said.
Other important drivers of investment decisions include improved operational efficiency, cited by 86% of respondents; a strong focus on revenue growth, cited by 90% of the organizations; and enhanced decision-making capabilities, cited by 84% of the respondents.
Helping Customers With AI Integration Will Be Critical
Some 71% of the survey respondents reported that they are already using AI for data analysis, while 55% said that they are implementing process automation as well.
“MSPs should be prepared to help clients integrate AI capabilities into their operations, particularly in areas like data analysis/decision support,” said Khvostov. Some 65% said they are planning to expand their AI use by 2026 to 2028, while 56% said they are planning to expand their use of process automation, he said.
Another area where MSPs can help customers is in focusing on sustainability, according to Khvostov. Some 49% of the respondents said that their organizations are increasingly prioritizing energy-efficient hardware, while 33% reported that they are prioritizing their cloud computing initiatives, he said. “MSPs should position themselves to help clients achieve both cost optimization and sustainability goals.”
MSPs Expand Their Support Roles
As more companies increase their AI and cloud spending, this does not mean they will be moving away from or replacing their existing technology spending, said Khvostov. Instead, those customers will be finding ways to fund new technology initiatives alongside existing ones.
“According to our survey, 50% of organizations are funding AI and automation through internal capital allocation from existing budgets, while 39% are leveraging cost savings from AI-driven efficiencies to fund further AI investments,” he said. “For MSPs, this presents a dual opportunity – helping clients optimize their existing technology investments while simultaneously supporting their expansion into AI, cloud, and automation.”
Some 65% of the respondents said they plan to expand their AI use in data analysis between 2026 and 2028, while 56% said they will increase spending in process automation, and 52% said they will increase spending in cybersecurity.
That provides even more opportunities for MSPs, said Khvostov. “MSPs should position themselves to support this growth while helping clients maintain and optimize their core technology infrastructure. Core technology spending will remain crucial – it is not about replacing existing infrastructure but evolving it.”
How the Survey Was Done
Done in collaboration with Hanover Research, the Apptio survey included 1,004 respondents at director level or above in finance, IT, operations, R&D, and technology departments. All respondents were primary decision-makers or influencers of tech investment decisions from organizations with $50M+ in annual revenue or $2M+ IT budgets across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Apptio is an IBM company.
