IDC [Quanta] · Software Development & IT Operations
The most comprehensive set of primary technology market research and data.
From AI-powered and agentic AI development tools to cloud-native infrastructure and IT operations, every insight you need in one unified subscription.
The Business Case
Challenges transformed into capabilities with IDC
AI is accelerating and rewriting how software gets built.
Challenges
Agentic inflection outrunning roadmaps
52% of orgs already use agentic AI regularly as tools shift from code assist to autonomous agents — vendors sizing roadmaps on last year’s category are already behind.
The build-vs-buy gamble
81.5% see real productivity gains from agentic tools, yet IDC predicts 65% of build-your-own agentic AI projects will be abandoned by 2028 for missing ROI.
Blind spots at the dev↔ops seam
Point subscriptions miss where AI blurs build and operate, as GitOps, IaC, and delivery modernize DevOps — DevSecOps and supply chain lead growth, others move first.
Ungoverned data behind internal AI
Engineering teams building copilots and RAG pipelines lack authoritative, provenance-tracked data — an AI-governance exposure vendors can’t yet help customers close.
Widening builder base, shifting delivery
Low-code, cloud/SaaS, and Kubernetes-native platforms broaden who builds — uneven adoption leaves headroom, AI modernization governed by ALM and portfolio strategy.
New categories, old product lines
Toolchains are spawning entirely new categories — orchestration, spec-driven dev, AI governance, and low-code agent scaffolding — that vendors built for code assist don’t yet cover.
Capabilities
One coherent coverage area, no seams
Whole-lifecycle coverage — dev, cloud, low-code, Kubernetes-native — closes the dev↔ops blind spot.
AI-native foresight, not last year’s roadmaps
70% of developers will partner with AI agents by 2030 — IDC tracks what’s next: orchestration, spec-driven dev.
Buyer data that de-risks build-vs-buy
Adoption data times investment to real curves, not abandoned bets.
Governed data for ungoverned AI pipelines
Provenance-tracked data feeds AI pipelines via API, backed by direct access to specialist analysts.
IDC clients replace fragmented, static views with coherent, real-time evidence — and build for tomorrow’s market instead of catching up to it.
IT operations fortunes are shifting faster than vendors can position.
Challenges
Vendor fortunes outpacing vendor data
Cloud-delivered ITOM is already 64% of revenue, growing fastest in EMEA at 16.2% CAGR — as software-defined, ephemeral, agentic estates make last year’s market map stale.
Spend doubles, positioning stalling
Median observability spend is doubling toward $1.5M as unified signal spans cloud, edge, and agentic workloads — vendors lacking current data can’t defend position.
Selling into an intent-execution gap
56% are early-stage on AI in ITSM, yet only 30.6% call it fully implemented — buyers now demand accuracy, security, and proven ROI, not pitched intent.
Point tools losing the worksurface
Restorative incident tools, script-based automation, and FinOps solutions risk subsumption as AIOps binds monitoring, analytics, and response into one governed worksurface.
Subscriptions built for the old contest
The contest is shifting from observing IT to governing agentic estates via AIOps and automation — rewarding governance infrastructure vendors, not old coverage.
No regional intelligence for expansion
Vendors entering EMEA or APJ have no validated local buyer or competitive data to expand into these fast-growing regions with confidence.
Capabilities
Coverage that moves with the markets
Global ITOM forecasts (14.7% CAGR to $51.6B) plus EMEA and APJ regional depth keep positioning current, not stale.
Observability demand data, not guesswork
IDC data shows median observability spend rose from $750K in 2024 to planned $1.5M in 2025, aiding pricing/roadmap.
Coverage of the real adoption gap
Research on where ITSM AI adoption stalls — security, cost, training — giving sales a credible pitch against real blockers.
From “observe” to “govern,” first
IDC frames the shift to governing the agentic estate — where AIOps subsumes tools — early, backed by analysts.
IDC clients turn the adoption gap into a roadmap — pricing and positioning for where ITSM AI is headed, not just where it stalled.
Built on data. Enriched by expertise.
Behind IDC Quanta are billions of data points, decades of research, and a global bench of analysts who continuously interpret markets, engage with industry leaders, and provide critical context to emerging trends.
Meet the global analysts powering software and IT insights
Stephen Elliot
Group VP, Global Domain Leader
IT Operations, Application Development & Platforms: Executive Strategies
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Thought leadership & C-suite impact, AI market & IT buyer impact, Vendor strategy & analysis, Emerging technologies
Highlights
- Executive Education, Harvard Business School
- Global influencer and speaker
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Stephen manages multiple programs spanning IT operations, enterprise management, ITSM, Agile and DevOps, application performance, virtualization, multi-cloud management and automation, log analytics, container management, DaaS, and software-defined compute. He advises senior IT, business, and investment executives globally on the creation of strategy and operational tactics that drive digital transformation and business growth.
Education
B.A., University of Southern California
Jim Mercer
Program VP, Software Development Team Lead
DevOps Practices and Platform Engineering
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Modern DevOps software delivery, Platform engineering, Role of AI in DevOps & platform engineering, Mergers & acquisitions
Highlights
- SAFe certified Agilist
- Holds multiple U.S. patents
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Jim is a Program Vice President managing IDC’s DevOps and DevSecOps solutions research, covering application lifecycle management, platform engineering, GitOps, and software supply chain security. He advises senior IT, business, and investment executives worldwide on digital transformation and business optimization strategy. Before joining IDC, he held engineering leadership roles at CA Technologies and later worked as an independent industry consultant.
Education
BS Business Management, Lesley University
Jevin Jensen
Research VP, Intelligent CloudOps
Intelligent Cloud and Edge Operations with FinOps
Worldwide
Coverage themes
FinOps, AI cloud automation, Infrastructure as code, CloudOps + automation + observability
Highlights
- Industry Week 500 IS Innovators No. 142 (2009)
- Led a 150-person I&O team through a multi/hybrid cloud transformation
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Jevin covers infrastructure-as-code/GitOps, cloud cost transparency, DevOps, and hybrid/public/multi-cloud management platforms, plus edge management. Prior to IDC, he was Vice President of Global Infrastructure at Mohawk Industries, the world’s largest flooring manufacturer, where he led the P&L and a 150-person I&O team through a multi/hybrid cloud, Agile/DevOps transformation, bringing 25 years of progressive IT leadership.
Education
B.S. Business Administration, University of Tennessee
Arnal Dayaratna
Research Vice President
Generative AI and Low-Code and No-Code Developer Technologies
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Agent development & runtime, Models & AI execution architecture, Context, memory & state management, Low-code & no-code developer technologies
Highlights
- Ph.D., Duke University
- Taught at Duke University as guest lecturer
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Dr. Dayaratna’s research examines how agentic AI, generative AI, and AI-driven development tools are transforming software engineering, accelerating software delivery, and reshaping developer workflows. He also studies low-code and no-code technologies and their empowerment of professional and business developers, bringing over a decade of strategy consulting experience directing software development and analytics initiatives in healthcare and pharma.
Education
Ph.D., Duke University; B.A., Princeton University
Phil Hochmuth
Research Vice President
Endpoint Device Management and Enterprise Mobility
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Client endpoint management, Unified endpoint management, Enterprise mobility, Mobile device management
Highlights
- Member, IDC Future of Work research council
- Frequent commentator to trade press and Wall Street
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Phil is Research Vice President for endpoint device management and enterprise mobility, covering enterprise end-user device management with a focus on client, unified, and mobile device management, as well as enterprise mobile security. He rejoined IDC in 2016; previously he directed Mobile Workforce Strategies research at Strategy Analytics and led market intelligence at Dyn.
Education
B.A., Journalism, Northeastern University
Archana Venkatraman
Senior Research Director
European AIOps and Observability Value Strategies
Europe
Coverage themes
Agentic monitoring & observability, Operational sovereignty & observability, Evolution of observability in the AI era
Highlights
- Recipient of IDC’s James Peacock Runner-Up award
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Archana has 11+ years covering strategic enterprise IT, including IT operations and data management. She focuses on observability, AI observability, operational resilience, ITSM, FinOps, and operational governance and compliance through a European regional lens — regulation, investment trends, skills, and challenges.
Education
Regional expert on European regulation, investment, and skills trends
Shannon Kalvar
Research Director
Enterprise Systems Management, Observability & AIOps
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Future of operations, AIOps: beyond the automation, Observability in practice, The ephemeral estate
Highlights
- Member, IDC Future of Work and AI councils
- Contributor to major operations frameworks in use today
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Shannon focuses on the evolution of digital work, AI in both end-user and IT operational contexts, and the transformation of IT management as organizations navigate exponential data growth and complexity amid tumultuous economic and geopolitical times. He has 32+ years of experience as an analyst and executive, including prior roles at OneAmerica, ITT, and Lockheed Martin.
Education
M.B.A., Bellarmine University
Gary Chen
Research Director
Software-Defined Compute: Virtualization, Cloud, and Container Platforms
Worldwide
Coverage themes
VMware migration, AI-assisted migration and modernization, VM and container convergence, Kubernetes as core AI infrastructure
Highlights
- Former Senior Analyst, Yankee Group
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Gary is IDC’s Research Director, Software Defined Compute, covering server virtualization, container infrastructure and management, and cloud system software such as OpenStack. Prior to IDC, he was a Senior Analyst at Yankee Group focusing on SME infrastructure, server virtualization, and cloud computing, and has 10 years of IT and software development experience.
Education
B.S. in Psychology, University of Miami
Adam Reeves
Research Director
PaaS for Developers of Modern and Edge Applications
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Public cloud services (PaaS), Serverless, containers/Kubernetes & emerging PaaS, Multicloud, How AI impacts PaaS
Highlights
- Former Head of Market & Product Strategy, ScienceLogic
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Adam leads IDC’s worldwide research on PaaS for developers of modern and edge applications, combining demand-side research with market modeling to track the evolving needs of PaaS buyers building and deploying applications in the cloud, across multiple clouds, and at the edge. He joined IDC from ScienceLogic, where he led market and product strategy.
Education
B.A. in Economics, Wesleyan University
Melinda Ballou
Research Director
AI Assurance, ALM, Quality and Portfolio Strategies
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Agentic software testing, quality & engineering, Leveraging agile ALM & PLM with AI, Strategic portfolio, PPM & value management
Highlights
- Futurist and multi-disciplinary thought leader
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Melinda delivers insights into the future of AI assurance and the impact of AI, ML, and agentic adoption on agile and digital work, resilience, quality, and product and software engineering. She has 32+ years of experience as an analyst, strategist, and IT leader focused on software life cycle, automated software quality and testing, and strategic portfolio management.
Education
B.A., Williams College; M.A. in Professional Writing, MIU
Matthew Flug
Research Manager
Cloud Application Deployment Platforms
Worldwide
Coverage themes
AI applications & deployment platforms, Platform engineering, Application modernization, Buying patterns & trends
Highlights
- Former analyst, Forrester Research
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Matt is a Research Manager within IDC’s Cloud Application Deployment Platforms practice, focusing on software vendors, cloud providers, and end-customer software development and deployment plans. He covers emerging PaaS solutions supporting developers deploying performant, modern, cloud-native applications, bringing over 8 years of research and industry analysis experience, including roles at Forrester Research and Outreach.
Education
B.A. in Political Science, Northeastern University
George Mironescu
Associate Research Director
Cloud Native Engineering Practices
Worldwide / Europe
Coverage themes
Modern application design & engineering, Integrated stack design & engineering, Software engineering for AI app delivery, Sovereign software stacks
Highlights
- 20+ years engaging with technology vendors and buyers worldwide
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
George leads software development and engineering research streams covering modern application delivery, developer and software engineering tooling, delivery pipelines and practices, cloud-native frameworks, and emerging methodologies across the software delivery lifecycle. He advises clients on sourcing, competitive positioning, and strategic options, with a career in enterprise software and IT services beginning in the 2000s.
Education
Bachelor’s degree, ASE Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Dr. Adam Resnick
Research Manager
Modern Software Development and Developer Trends
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Developer influence, GenAI & developer productivity, Developer tools, Evolution of developer personas
Highlights
- Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Colorado
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Dr. Resnick conducts research on contemporary software development and how it is changing alongside market drivers and end-user needs, providing market intelligence to leading suppliers of developer tools and commercial and open-source software, with a focus on tools and technologies that enable developer productivity. He brings over fifteen years of qualitative and quantitative market research experience.
Education
Ph.D., University of Colorado; B.A., University of California
Katie Norton
Senior Research Manager
DevSecOps, Vulnerability Management, and Software Supply Chain Security
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Application security & DevSecOps tooling, Vulnerability prioritization & remediation, SBOM & secure software supply chain, Securing AI & AI in AppSec
Highlights
- Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Katie is a Senior Research Manager for IDC’s DevSecOps and Software Supply Chain Security practice, researching, writing, and advising clients on the fast-evolving DevSecOps and software supply chain security markets. Her core research covers integrating security into the software development lifecycle and buying patterns for DevSecOps tooling, and with a background in research administration and data analytics, she takes a data-first approach to market analysis.
Education
M.S.A. in Research Administration, CMU
Snow Tempest
Research Manager
AI-Enabled IT Service Management
Worldwide
Coverage themes
AI in ITSM, ITSM & employee service modernization, Service management for digital resilience, IT asset management & intelligence
Highlights
- Led projects generating over $2M in revenue
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Snow is Research Manager for IDC’s IT Service Management program, delivering research and advisory for IT executives, vendor management teams, and investment executives. Her research covers IT service management, cost transparency tools, software asset management, and the use of AI and NLP for service management, drawing on over 18 years across research, user experience, marketing, and technical writing roles.
Education
B.A. in English, Princeton University
Filippo Vanara
Senior Research Analyst
Enterprise Client Computing Platforms
Worldwide
Coverage themes
Virtual client computing (VCC), Desktop-as-a-service (DaaS), Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), Digital employee experience (DEX)
Highlights
- Sustainability coursework, University of Oxford
Regions served
Abbreviated bio
Filippo has over 7 years of experience in the tech industry, covering cloud computing, CloudOps, and sustainability. He now leads Enterprise Client Computing Platforms research, focusing on virtual client computing, desktop-as-a-service, virtual desktop infrastructure, and digital employee experience, analyzing market trends, maturity, and vendor portfolios and strategies.
Education
B.A. in Business Management, University of Pavia, Italy
“ML, agents, and agentic agents will shape the future and provide significant opportunities for business transformation.”
Stephen Elliot
Group Vice President, IDC
IDC Data and Research
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