The trends we're watching in 2026

(Image credit: Future)

As we ring in the new year, we’re returning to the ITPro tradition of looking ahead and discussing the key trends that will shape the tech sector in 2026.

While there will undoubtedly be surprises ahead, both exciting and concerning, it’s also possible to look at some of the standout moments from 2025 to help us understand where we’re headed.

So what can we expect IT decision makers to come up against in 2026?

For this new year’s edition of the podcast, Jane and Rory welcome back Ross Kelly, ITPro’s News and Analysis Editor, to discuss the key trends that will shape 2026.

Highlights

"We've covered this quite extensively around the long term costs of botched AI adoption programs. That's no different to a botched digital transformation program in, say, 2018. So it's the same issues that you've always had with digital transformation that you're now seeing in AI transformations as well. The big focus there is uptake among staff and on board with these programs."

"Marc Benioff was was outspoken earlier in the year by saying, 'today's CEOs are the last that will have a fully human workforce', which is another way of saying, we're cutting numbers."

"[There] seems to be a real sharp focus from North Korean state-backed groups essentially getting a member of the group to infiltrate an organization and then they essentially have the keys to the castle themselves, they're in. That's obviously going to prompt more robust hiring and background check processes from businesses. But that's another area that state sponsored groups are going to wreak havoc over the next year."

"The rate at which we get new supercomputers is accelerating, we get them more and more frequently. And this isn't my imagination. I thought it might be, but I have checked with experts and this is a real thing that is definitely happening. We, just a month or two ago, had the US Department of Energy announce what can only be described in journalistic-ese as a slew of new supercomputers that will be coming."

Footnotes

TOPICS

Rory Bathgate is Features and Multimedia Editor at ITPro, overseeing all in-depth content and case studies. He can also be found co-hosting the ITPro Podcast with Jane McCallion, swapping a keyboard for a microphone to discuss the latest learnings with thought leaders from across the tech sector.

In his free time, Rory enjoys photography, video editing, and good science fiction. After graduating from the University of Kent with a BA in English and American Literature, Rory undertook an MA in Eighteenth-Century Studies at King’s College London. He joined ITPro in 2022 as a graduate, following four years in student journalism. You can contact Rory at rory.bathgate@futurenet.com or on LinkedIn.

Highlights

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