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IBM Earnings 4Q25: AI, Automation, Data, and Mainframes Reshaped IBM Market Position

Rick Villars, Stewart Bond, Lars Goransson, Cyrille Chausson, Chris Drake — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMT

IBM's FY25 results demonstrate robust growth and operational execution, with total revenue reaching $67.5 billion (+6% y/y @CC) and 4Q25 revenue at $19.7 billion (+9% y/y CC). All revenue figures in this document are y/y in constant currency. The operating gross profit margin expanded to 59.5% for the year (+1.7 points y/y). IBM's GenAI book of business surpassed $12.5 billion inception to date, with consulting and software as key contributors. The company delivered double-digit growth in software and infrastructure, with IBM Z mainframes posting record annual and quarterly results.

NAND Market Outlook: Supply Discipline, AI-Driven Demand, and Prolonged Pricing Volatility

Jeff Janukowicz, Soo Kyoum Kim — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMT

The NAND market has entered a new phase characterized by structural supply constraints, disciplined capital investment, and increasingly segmented demand across client, mobile, enterprise, and cloud segments. Following the severe 2023 downturn, memory suppliers adopted a cautious investment posture that continues to limit near-term capacity expansion. Simultaneously, accelerating AI deployments are reshaping demand priorities, favoring enterprise and cloud storage over traditional markets.

Technology Buyer and Spending Outlook, January 2026: Banners

Rick Villars — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Pivot Table presents results from IDC's 2025 Future Enterprise Resiliency and Spending (FERS) Survey, Wave 10, which focuses on issues related to IT leaders' economic outlook, overall IT and infrastructure-specific spending priorities for 2026, key focus areas for enhancing AI capabilities, the implications of a growing range of digital/AI-specific regulations, and the implications of agentic AI for networking investments/operations.

It is the last of a series of IT buyer outlook FERS Surveys across regions, technologies, and industries developed during 2025. This survey interviewed 879 respondents in North America, Western Europe, and Asia/Pacific regions as IT leaders were starting to execute their 2026 plans. In detail:

Region and country: Results by region (Worldwide, North America, Western Europe, Asia/Pacific) 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, 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)

Reining in the Cloud: Strategies to Manage Rising Cloud Costs

Gerald Johnston — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Public cloud adoption has become nearly universal, yet many enterprises are confronting a difficult reality: While cloud enables agility and speed, it does not always deliver the cost efficiencies the business expects. CIOs and CFOs alike are grappling with cloud bills that continue to rise, sometimes unpredictably, creating tension between the promise of cloud and its financial performance. The paradox of cloud economics is that both statements, "the cloud saves money" and "the cloud is too expensive," can be true. Properly designed cloud-native workloads use elasticity to match resources to demand, avoiding idle capacity and wasted spend. However, lift-and-shift migrations that simply replicate static on-premises environments often operate continuously at higher unit costs, eroding the expected savings. The issue is not whether cloud is cheaper, but whether organizations are using cloud resources effectively and governing them strategically. Key drivers of cost escalation include overprovisioned compute, unmanaged storage growth, data egress and intercloud transfer fees, and the stickiness of proprietary services such as databases, analytics, and AI platforms. Without mature governance and FinOps practices, the ease of provisioning resources leads to sprawl, idle instances, orphaned storage, and opaque cost structures that accumulate quickly.

"The cloud is not inherently cheaper or more expensive — it is only as cost efficient as the governance, modernization choices, and forecasting discipline CIOs put in place. Enterprises that embed FinOps, manage hybrid and multicloud environments as portfolios, and treat cost optimization as continuous will transform cloud economics into a source of strategic value," says Gerald Johnston, adjunct research advisor with IDC's IT Executive Programs (IEP).

How Is Pharma Progressing with GenAI Adoption for Outcomes-Based Drug Pricing?

Nino Giguashvili — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey Spotlight examines how life sciences organizations are leveraging generative AI (GenAI) to support outcomes-based drug pricing models and strategies.

The data presented in this study is derived from a sample of pharmaceutical and biotech organizations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia/Pacific regions that participated in IDC's Industry AI and Cloud Path Survey, 2025. The survey was conducted in August 2025 among organizations from multiple industries worldwide.

Technology Investment and Innovation Monitor, December 2025: Future Enterprise Spending and Resiliency Survey, Wave 9

Rick Villars — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey 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 applications-specific spending priorities for 2026, AI spending priorities for 2026, and agentic AI adoption. It was conducted in late November and early December 2025.

In December 2025, IT leaders were finalizing IT spending plans for 2026 and assessing the implications of AI and agents on their technology priorities. In this survey, IDC connected with IT leaders around the world to gain an insight about their top spending priorities and into what they see as the biggest risks to IT spending plans. It also dove deeper into AI and agent spending plans and priorities.

This AI outlook document provides key findings from IDC's 2025 Future Enterprise Resiliency and Spending Survey, Wave 9. It is the final AI and IT strategy FERS Survey conducted in 2025 across regions, technologies, and industries. This survey of 1,007 respondents in North America; Western Europe; Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META); and Asia/Pacific. It was conducted while IT leaders were making final adjustments in their 2026 IT spending plans and starting to think about 2027.

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.