By 2026, Gartner predicts that 30% of enterprises will have automated over half of their network activities. This marks a significant increase from mid-2023, when fewer than 10% of enterprises were at that level of automation.
In its latest Hype Cycle for I&O Automation, Gartner also forecasts that by 2026, 50% of enterprises will be using AI to automate “day 2” network operations, a substantial rise from fewer than 10% doing so in mid-2023. These “day 2” operations, essential for maintaining software reliability, availability, and performance, include monitoring, upgrades, system updates, and routine maintenance.
According to Chris Saunderson, a senior director analyst at Gartner, infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders are increasingly turning to AI-based analytics and intelligent automation (IA) to enhance operational resilience, tackle complexities, and manage large data volumes more effectively.
Gartner highlights several factors driving the adoption of I&O automation technologies. Innovations like genAI and other IA tools are enabling I&O leaders to enhance business capabilities significantly through automation and orchestration. Additionally, the complexity of today’s hybrid infrastructures is challenging traditional IT management and service delivery methods, necessitating more advanced solutions.
Infrastructure platform engineering enables enterprises to achieve goals in self-service, security, compliance, and cost management. Skill acquisition is emphasized by Gartner, highlighting the need for infrastructure and operations leaders to fulfill increased expectations for reliability and performance. Skill acquisition and development are crucial factors in this scenario.
“Automation is the engine that propels the delivery of business value. Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) leaders must embrace automation as an essential skill to enhance their ability to offer rapid, efficient, and high-quality services to their users,” according to a Gartner report.
Gartner predicts significant benefits from applying automation in infrastructure and operations areas. By 2027, I&O heads prioritizing enterprise-wide automation will likely double the value generated from service quality and cost-efficiency initiatives. IT service desk analysts are expected to spend as much time interacting with AI as they do with business consumers, as per Gartner’s forecasts.
“Automation significantly transforms the roles, skills, and expectations of both I&O leaders and their teams. It continues to be a pivotal area that our clients focus on to effectively implement, maintain, and expand across their hybrid operation environments,” states the Gartner report.
Because automation is such a critical technology for infrastructure and operations, Gartner recommends IT leaders:
According to Gartner, IA for infrastructure and operations is being used more to enable business agility and drive advanced service enablement. And now with genAI capabilities, there is an increased demand for intelligent automation platforms that use analysis and automation to deliver improved operations, efficiencies, and insights.
“Technology providers that offer best-of-breed tools for AI for IT operations (AIOps), application performance monitoring, and genAI will influence AI,” Gartner’s Saunderson said in a statement.
