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AI Infrastructure & Cloud

Enterprise Cloud & AI Infrastructure Forecast 2026

February 202618 min read

Executive Summary

The enterprise AI infrastructure market is undergoing a fundamental restructuring. Cloud hyperscalers are rapidly expanding GPU capacity while enterprises grapple with the total cost of ownership for AI workloads. This report examines the shifting dynamics between on-premise, hybrid, and cloud-native AI infrastructure strategies across Fortune 1000 organizations, with specific focus on budget reallocation patterns and vendor selection criteria.

Key Findings

  1. 1

    78% of enterprises plan to increase AI infrastructure spending by 25% or more in 2026

  2. 2

    Hybrid deployments now account for 62% of enterprise AI workloads, up from 41% in 2024

  3. 3

    GPU-as-a-service adoption has tripled year-over-year among mid-market enterprises

  4. 4

    Data sovereignty requirements are driving 34% of enterprises to maintain on-premise AI capabilities

  5. 5

    Average enterprise AI infrastructure contract value has increased to $4.2M annually

Strategic Implications

CIOs must develop multi-cloud AI strategies to avoid vendor lock-in as workload portability becomes critical

Infrastructure modernization budgets are increasingly being redirected from traditional IT to AI-specific platforms

Organizations without a clear AI infrastructure roadmap risk 18-24 month competitive disadvantage

Data Insights

AI infrastructure spending as percentage of total IT budget: 23% (up from 12% in 2024)

Average time to deploy production AI workloads: 4.7 months (down from 8.2 months in 2024)

Enterprise GPU utilization rates average 67%, indicating significant optimization opportunity

Access the Full Report

The complete report includes detailed data tables, methodology, vendor analysis, and actionable recommendations.