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IDC Directions 2026 brought together more than 700 technology and business leaders for a single day of focused, analyst-led intelligence on where enterprise AI is heading and what to do about it.

The scale tells part of the story: 82 IDC analysts, 56 speakers, and 29 sessions across marketing, data, emerging technology, and AI-ready infrastructure. The attendee response tells the rest. In IDC’s post-event attendee survey, 98% said the day was worth their time and 96% left with insights they could act on.

Catch up on what you missed at IDC Directions 2026.

IDC built this year’s Directions around a question most technology executives are wrestling with right now: AI ambition is everywhere. How do you turn it into enterprise results? Every session pointed toward an answer.

Three Conversations That Set the Agenda

Chief Product & Research Officer Meredith Whalen opened with her keynote on the AI Supercycle, IDC’s term for the once-in-three-decades technology expansion cycle now underway, driven by AI infrastructure investment and the enterprise adoption wave that follows. The infrastructure buildout is already underway. The enterprise adoption wave is next. Whether your organization captures value as it shifts to new layers of the stack depends on decisions being made right now.

IDC CEO Lorenzo Larini brought the broader context into sharp relief. The volume of information is now growing at 17 petabytes per second. That’s not a backdrop — it’s the challenge. Making confident decisions in that environment requires a different kind of intelligence infrastructure, one built for speed and clarity rather than volume alone.

Lorenzo Larini speaking about the volume of data growth
Alessandro Perilli looks to the future in his Directions presentation

Vice President of Enterprise AI Strategies Alessandro Perilli put a number on what’s coming: by 2029, IDC forecasts that enterprises will collectively be running more than one billion AI agents. The organizations now designing cross-functional, multi-agent environments for orchestration and resiliency will have a structural edge over those that aren’t.

IDC Quanta: A New Platform for the AI Era

Directions was also where we shared more about IDC Quanta, our AI platform that puts IDC’s research and market intelligence directly into the tools enterprise teams already use. Built on 60+ years of IDC data and developed with input from more than 65 customers, Quanta is contextual, secure, and built to surface the signals that matter to your business before you think to ask.

Joe Bradley encourages the audience to join the waitlist for IDC Quanta, IDC's new AI platform

Early access is now full. The next window is coming. Reserve your spot now to be first in line when it opens, and get exclusive updates as the platform evolves.

 Visit our AI platform page to stay in the loop on IDC Quanta.

Everything Is Now Available on Demand

Whether you attended and want to revisit what you saw, or couldn’t make it and want to see what you missed: it’s all there. Sessions available include:

  • General sessions and mainstage keynotes
  • Breakouts across the Marketing, Data, Emerging Technology, and AI-Ready Infrastructure tracks
  • Analyst perspectives from across IDC’s research practice

The sessions were designed to give you something to take back to your team, your planning process, your next conversation about where to invest. They still will.

Don’t wait. See IDC Directions on Demand.

Ryan Smith - Content Marketing Director - IDC

Ryan Smith is the Director of Content Marketing at IDC, where he leads brand-level content and social media strategy, aligning research insights with compelling storytelling to engage technology decision-makers. With a background in both IT and marketing, Ryan brings a unique blend of technical understanding and creative strategy to his work. He’s also a seasoned storyteller, speaker, and podcast host who believes the right message, told the right way, can drive both trust and transformation.

My introduction to IDC didn’t come from a report or a pitch. It came from sitting in a room at IDC Directions 2025.

But within the first few sessions, it was clear this was something different.

At most events, the product is something you can demo. At IDC Directions, the product is the data. Every session was grounded in it. Not opinions, not surface-level trends, but actual evidence. What the data shows. What it means. And most importantly, what you should do next because of it.

I remember walking in with pretty standard expectations. I thought it would feel like most customer events I’d been to before. Some presentations, maybe a few product narratives, a chance to network and pick up a couple of useful ideas.

When the data is the product, the conversation shifts. It moves from opinion to evidence, and that changes how decisions get made.

That shift changes everything.

Even the panel sessions felt different. Instead of talking about challenges in the abstract, people were digging into how they were navigating them. What was working, what wasn’t, where things were breaking down. It wasn’t about agreeing that problems exist. It was about figuring out how to move forward.

If you’re responsible for making decisions in this environment, that difference matters.

What I Saw in the Room

What stood out just as much as the content was the energy in the room.

Every seat was filled. People weren’t distracted. They were paying attention, taking photos of slides, and writing things down. After sessions, you’d see people immediately tracking down analysts to continue the conversation.

The 1:1 area for client/analyst meetings was packed, rows of tables with discussions happening back-to-back.

It didn’t feel like people were there to hear something interesting. It felt like they were there to get answers to bring back to their teams. And that’s a very different kind of environment because the conversations are grounded in reality, not theory. That level of engagement tells you something important. People saw immediate value in applying what they were hearing right away.

The Moment It Clicked

There was one moment that really made it click for me.

It was during the rapid-fire predictions session after the breakouts. The analysts took everything they had shared across the event and pushed it forward. Not just “here’s what’s happening,” but “here’s what we see in the future.”

It’s one thing to tell someone it’s raining. It’s another thing to tell them they’re going to need an umbrella while the sun is still shining. That’s what IDC does. It connects insight to action before the urgency is obvious. It helps you prepare for decisions before the pressure shows up.

What Changed for Me

I left that event with a completely different understanding of what IDC actually is.

Honestly, I was giddy. Because I realized what access to this kind of expertise really means.

At previous companies, I would have pushed hard just to get time with analysts like this. Now I get to work with them directly. People like Laurie Buczek, who advises CMOs, CROs, and strategy leaders on how to modernize marketing, shift business models, and reduce risk.

That means I can take a real plan, something I’m actively working on, and get guidance grounded in data and real market perspective. That’s not just helpful. It changes how quickly you can make decisions and how confident you are in them. Instead of debating internally for weeks, you can pressure-test your thinking with people who see the market every day.

Why This Year Feels Different

And it’s a big part of why I’m so excited about Directions this year. Because if last year was about seeing the value, this year feels like it’s about applying it in a much more urgent environment.

The conversation around AI has changed quickly. You can hear it in the questions leaders are asking. It’s no longer about what AI is or where to experiment. Now it’s about how to scale it, operationalize it, govern it, and prove that it’s actually delivering value.

The shift from exploration to execution is real.

Visit the IDC Directions 2026 event page to see more about what’s going on in Boston.

AI is no longer about discovery. It’s about evolution. And that shift raises the stakes. These aren’t future decisions anymore. They’re decisions that impact how the business performs now.

That creates a different kind of pressure. The decisions being made now will shape the next few years for many organizations. There’s less room for trial and error, and a much greater need for clarity.

That’s where IDC plays a very specific role. Not by adding more noise, but by helping leaders focus on what matters, grounded in evidence, so they can move forward with confidence.

What I’m Looking Forward to at Directions 2026

Going into Directions 2026, I’m looking forward to very different things than I was last year.

  • I want to hear how IDC is thinking about the future of tech intelligence, especially from new IDC CEO, Lorenzo Larini.
  • I’m interested in where the data is pointing when it comes to AI investment and value, not just potential.
  • I’m paying close attention to how conversations around the agentic era are evolving, and what that means for how businesses operate and compete.
  • And I’m especially interested in the AI Lab.

There’s a limit to what you can absorb from reading. Being able to engage directly, ask questions, and explore how these insights apply in real scenarios brings a different level of clarity.

Check out the full IDC Directions 2026 agenda and learn what topics will be discussed.

Who Benefits Most from IDC Directions?

Stepping back, I think the people who will get the most out of this event are the ones who are actively trying to make decisions right now. If you’re responsible for strategy, for AI policy, or even for bringing AI-powered products to market, the environment has changed.

Buyers are using AI. They’re using data. They’re relying on trusted intelligence to guide their decisions. Understanding how those decisions are being shaped isn’t optional anymore. It directly impacts how you position, invest, and compete.

If You’re Still Deciding–

If you’re on the fence about attending, I’d put it this way:

You can spend time piecing things together on your own. Reading reports, interpreting signals, trying to build a clear plan in a very noisy environment, or…

You can be in the room. Just like me.

Hear the latest insights directly from the people producing the data. Talk through your specific challenges. Compare notes with others who are navigating the same decisions. IDC Directions isn’t about more information. It’s about making the right decisions sooner before the cost of waiting shows up in your business.

And once you’ve seen what that looks like in practice, it’s hard not to want to be there again.

Ryan Smith - Content Marketing Director - IDC

Ryan Smith is the Director of Content Marketing at IDC, where he leads brand-level content and social media strategy, aligning research insights with compelling storytelling to engage technology decision-makers. With a background in both IT and marketing, Ryan brings a unique blend of technical understanding and creative strategy to his work. He’s also a seasoned storyteller, speaker, and podcast host who believes the right message, told the right way, can drive both trust and transformation.

The escalation of conflict in the Middle East introduces new variables into an already fragile global technology economy. While IDC does not comment on political developments, the economic transmission mechanisms into the IT sector are clear and measurable. The central question for technology leaders is not whether there will be impacts, but their depth, duration and derivative consequences. 

At this stage, our baseline assumption remains that the conflict is contained within weeks, with growth and recovery in the second half of the year. Under that view, global IT spending growth in 2026 remains near 10%, with only modest disruption to enterprise investment plans for the year overall. In the Middle East and Africa (MEA), where devices account for a larger share of spending, growth would track closer to 5%.  

However, the risk of a downside scenario is growing. The recent oil price spike could be the first stage of a broad-based economic slowdown. A conflict lasting up to three months would reduce global IT market growth by roughly one percentage point and push MEA expansion into the 3–4% range. A more sustained escalation beyond that 3-month timeframe would introduce materially greater downside risk, particularly through energy markets and inflation. If escalation continues in the coming weeks, the likelihood of that more severe slowdown will increase.

Energy Shock and Macroeconomic Transmission into IT Spending

Energy prices are the primary transmission channel into the technology sector. Oil volatility quickly feeds into inflation expectations, operating costs, and ultimately capital availability. Data centers, semiconductor fabrication facilities, global logistics networks, and advanced manufacturing operations are all energy intensive. Even modest increases in oil and gas prices raise operating expenditure across the digital infrastructure stack. If elevated prices persist, central banks may delay interest rate normalization, tightening financing conditions for enterprise IT projects. The risk is not an abrupt collapse in demand, but rather a measured slowing of discretionary spending and device refresh cycles as businesses and consumers absorb higher costs. 

This dynamic is particularly relevant for the MEA region.  A blockage of the Strait of Hormuz would constrain Gulf oil export volumes and limit revenue gains, even if prices rise. Prolonged conflict would also increase defense spending and heighten regional risk perception and uncertainty. Under growing fiscal pressure, governments and sovereign wealth funds may scale back or further recalibrate mega projects, with national transformation agendas reprioritized or phased. This could delay or downsize related IT investments. Stronger Gulf states may sustain digital transformation, but elsewhere spending is likely to shift toward mission-critical priorities as foreign direct investment (FDI) and sector activity soften. 

Infrastructure Resilience, Cloud Architecture, and Sovereign Digital Strategy

The conflict also marks a substantial shift for the cloud industry. For the first time, major hyperscale regions are operating within an active conflict zone. That reality changes how enterprises think about geographic risk. Multi-availability-zone architecture is rapidly becoming the minimum acceptable standard, and multi-region deployment is emerging as the default design for mission-critical workloads. Resiliency is no longer a compliance checkbox; it is a board-level concern tied directly to operational continuity for enterprises and for SaaS providers who use these same facilities. 

In the Middle East, this is likely to accelerate sovereign infrastructure initiatives. However, unlike such initiatives in other regions and countries, this may be different given the fragility of the region. Governments that were already pursuing digital sovereignty will intensify efforts to build nationally controlled cloud platforms, AI infrastructure, and cyber defense capabilities. However, it is highly likely that they may add a mandate for robust operational and disaster recovery to accompany sovereignty. In other words, these initiatives are not merely modernization programs; they are increasingly viewed as components of strategic autonomy. And that strategic autonomy needs service level objectives around business continuity if not present today. For now, fiscal trade-offs will depend on the duration of military engagement. A short conflict reinforces momentum. A prolonged one could create temporary budget competition between defense and digital investment. Add business continuity to the mix, and costs can go up significantly. 

Beyond infrastructure design, the region’s geographic position introduces supply chain considerations. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical artery for global energy shipments, and Gulf ports function as essential transshipment hubs linking Europe, Africa, and South Asia. Any sustained disruption would ripple through three channels: higher energy input costs for semiconductor fabrication and data centers; increased freight and insurance expenses; and delays in technology component flows. 

Sector Impacts: Semiconductors, Cybersecurity, AI, and Consumer Technology

Semiconductor markets are especially sensitive. Memory supply was already tight entering 2026. A prolonged conflict could increase defense-related demand for advanced chips and memory used in smart munitions and autonomous systems. In extreme scenarios, governments could intervene to secure strategic semiconductor supply, placing additional upward pressure on DRAM and NAND pricing. That would elevate infrastructure costs for AI deployments and enterprise storage, reinforcing near-term capital discipline. 

While certain segments face pressure, cybersecurity spending stands out as structurally resilient. Geopolitical escalation typically coincides with heightened state-sponsored cyber activity targeting energy infrastructure, financial services, telecommunications networks, and cloud platforms. In such environments, organizations rarely reduce security budgets. Instead, they modernize detection and response capabilities, harden operational technology environments, and expand cloud and identity protections. Cybersecurity behaves counter-cyclically during periods of geopolitical stress, and this episode is unlikely to prove different. 

Consumer technology spending, by contrast, remains more vulnerable. Inflationary fatigue was already weighing on device demand, particularly in regions where smartphones represent a large share of IT expenditure. Higher input costs tied to memory and logistics, combined with deteriorating consumer confidence, could further delay refresh cycles. In downside scenarios, the device segment absorbs a disproportionate share of growth moderation. 

AI investment sits at the intersection of these forces. On one hand, rising infrastructure costs, memory constraints, and tighter capital conditions may encourage enterprises to scrutinize large-scale deployments. On the other, AI continues to be positioned as a lever for productivity and cost efficiency, particularly valuable in inflationary environments. Defense analytics, cybersecurity applications, and sovereign AI initiatives in the Gulf may even accelerate. Compared with prior geopolitical conflicts, today’s IT market is structurally different: a greater share of spending is subscription-based, hyperscale providers account for a larger portion of infrastructure capex, and AI is embedded within core transformation strategies. For these reasons, AI investment is likely to prove more resilient than traditional discretionary IT categories, though not immune in a prolonged energy shock. 

Under our baseline scenario of a contained conflict, disruption remains limited and largely temporary. A conflict extending for several months would shave approximately one percentage point from global IT growth, with most downside concentrated in devices and nonessential enterprise projects. A six- to nine-month escalation, accompanied by oil prices sustained above $100, would exert more pronounced pressure on consumer spending, capital markets, and project pacing globally. 

Strategic Implications for the Digital Economy

From IDC’s perspective, this conflict represents more than a regional geopolitical event. It is a stress test of the digital economy’s energy dependence, infrastructure concentration, semiconductor supply chain complexity, and cyber resilience. While immediate exposure is highest in the Middle East, second-order effects will flow globally through energy costs, capital allocation decisions, and hardware pricing. It is also true, seen in prior global disruptions, that technology ‘proves’ itself when the environment is turbulent or unpredictable. While the shorter-term impact of the Middle East conflict will put some downward pressure on IT investment growth, in the medium and longer terms it will likely be seen as another disruption that accentuates the importance of quick response and operational resiliency and reminder that these things are underpinned by continuing investments in modern IT tools  

Even in downside scenarios, three areas remain structurally prioritized: AI infrastructure, sovereign digital platforms, and cybersecurity. The principal risk to the IT industry is not structural demand destruction, but cost-driven moderation and selective reprioritization. As macroeconomic conditions evolve, IDC will continue to refine its outlook. 

Stephen Minton - Group Vice President, Data & Analytics - IDC

Analyst Profile
Stephen Minton is a group vice president with the IDC Data & Analytics group, focusing on ICT spending and macroeconomics. Mr. Minton is responsible for Worldwide ICT Spending programs, including the Worldwide Black Book, Worldwide 3rd Platform Spending Guides, and Worldwide Telecom Services Tracker. Mr. Minton's research expertise includes global ICT and economic analysis, and he tracks market data across hardware, software, services, telecom and emerging technologies. He is the author of papers that focus on the economic impact of IT, and is a regular speaker on the subject of IT spending. In 2002 he addressed the United Nations in New York, speaking to UN ambassadors on the subject of the Information Society. Mr. Minton previously worked with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), before joining IDC in 1998. Originally from Hartlepool in the North of England, he graduated from the University of Salford in 1995. He has also worked in the field of consumer market research with Millward Brown International.

Laurie Buczek - GVP, Research - IDC

Analyst Profile
Laurie Buczek is the Group Vice President of Executive Insights at IDC, where she spearheads the global research initiatives that shape the industry's understanding of digital business transformation, evolving buying behaviors, and technology investments. She leads IDC's premier research practices, including the CMO Advisory Practice, C-Suite Tech Agenda, and Digital to AI Business Transformation. As the principal analyst for the CMO Advisory Practice, Laurie advises senior marketing leaders on driving business growth through deeper customer connections and the strategic evolution of the marketing function, with a keen focus on AI's transformative impact. Her expertise and thought leadership empower executives to navigate the intersection of technology, business strategy, and customer engagement in today's dynamic digital landscape.

Rick Villars - Group VP, Worldwide Research - IDC

Analyst Profile
Rick is IDC's chief analyst guiding research on the future of the IT Industry. He coordinates all IDC research related to the impact of Cloud and the shift to digital business models across infrastructure, platforms, software, and services. He helps enterprises develop effective strategies for using their diverse portfolio of cloud investments and applications. He supplies early guidance on implications of critical innovations such as the shift to cloud-based control platforms for deploying/managing infrastructure, data, and code delivery as well as the emergence of AI as a critical IT workload and part of all IT products/services.

Lapo Fioretti - Senior Research Analyst - IDC

Analyst Profile
Lapo Fioretti is a Senior Research analyst in IDC Digital Business Research Group, leading the European Emerging Technologies Strategies research. In his role, he advises ICT players on how European organizations leverage new technologies to create business value and achieve growth and analyzes the development and impact of emerging trends on the markets. Fioretti also co-leads the IDC Worldwide MacroTech Research program, focused on the intertwined connection between the Economical and Digital worlds - analyzing the impact key MacroEconomic factors have on the digital landscape and viceversa, how technologies are impacting economies around the world.

Ranjit Rajan - Research Vice President, Worldwide C-Suite Tech Agenda - IDC

Analyst Profile
Ranjit Rajan leads IDC’s Worldwide C-Suite Tech Agenda program, advising technology vendors and providers on offerings, competencies, and go-to-market strategies to engage C-level decision makers - including CEOs, CTOs, CAIOs, CIOs, CFOs, and other line-of-business executives. His program analyzes C-suite technology spending and buyer behavior, delivering insights on leadership dynamics, business objectives, technology priorities, and adoption of emerging technologies such as AI and agentic AI. He is a frequent speaker at CxO conferences and often moderates panels and roundtables on technology strategies for C-suite executives. He regularly advises technology vendors, service providers, and telecom operators on market positioning, competitive strategy, and CxO engagement, and has worked with government and regulatory clients on Smart City initiatives, ICT policy, digital skills and innovation. Ranjit also serves as executive analyst for key customers in Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa.

Harish Dunakhe - Senior Research Director, Software and Cloud, META IDC - IDC

Analyst Profile
Harish Dunakhe leads IDC’s research & advisory practice for the software program in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey (META) region. He is responsible for a team of research analysts and manages the delivery of insights in IDC’s software program and syndicated research. Harish and his team have expertise in studying technology trends to provide our clients with thought leadership and actionable insights. He is based in Dubai.

Andrea Siviero - Senior Research Director, MacroTech, Digital Business, and Future of Work - IDC

Analyst Profile
Andrea Siviero leads IDC's European Digital Business and Future of Work Research group. The group provides market research insights to foster a purposeful and fair adoption of technologies supporting digital societies, businesses and workforce and empower tech providers in strategic decision making, planning and go-to-market activities. Siviero also co-leads the IDC Worldwide MacroTech Research program, focused on the intertwined connection between the Economical and Digital worlds - analyzing the impact key MacroEconomic factors have on the digital landscape and viceversa, how technologies are impacting economies around the world.

Jebin George - Senior Research Manager, Software, Cloud, and Industry Transformation, IDC MEA - IDC

Analyst Profile
Jebin handles IDC's software, cloud, and industry-specific research for the Middle East, Turkiye, & Africa region. He is located at IDC's regional headquarters in Dubai and works closely with his team and other analysts to gain insights into digital transformation trends, analyze technology spending patterns, and advise technology suppliers and end-users.

Thomas Meyer - General Manager and Group Vice President, IDC EMEA - IDC

Analyst Profile
Thomas Meyer joined IDC in January 1999 and is currently responsible for managing IDC's Research Division in EMEA. This includes Practices focused on Digital Transformation, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Blockchain, Intelligent Process Automation and Accelerated Application Development as well as Core ICT (Software, Services, Infrastructure and Devices) and Industry-specific teams (Financial, Manufacturing, Energy, Retail, Healthcare, Government and Telco Insights)

Ashish Nadkarni - GVP/GM, Infrastructure Research - IDC

Analyst Profile
Ashish Nadkarni is Group Vice President and General Manager within IDC's worldwide infrastructure research organization. Ashish oversees seven global research practices: infrastructure software platforms, cloud and edge services, storage and converged systems, performance intensive computing, compute infrastructure and service provider trends, enterprise and emerging workloads, and the future of digital infrastructure. Additionally, he oversees two regional research practices: Canadian infrastructure solutions, and Latin America enterprise infrastructure and cloud services. Ashish and his team also curate BuyerView, an industry leading portfolio of primary research products that provide a voice of the IT buyer on technology and services adoption trends including cloud and edge services, artificial intelligence (AI), high performance computing (HPC), security and networking, xOps, and software development.

Simon Ellis - Program GVP - IDC

Analyst Profile
As Group Vice President, Simon Ellis currently leads the U.S. Manufacturing Insights, U.S. Energy Insights, and Global Supply Chain Strategies practices at IDC, specializing in advising clients on manufacturing/energy strategies, supply chain digital transformation, sustainability, cloud migration, network, and ecosystem design. Mr. Ellis works with end user companies, supply chain organizations and technology providers to develop best practices and strategies leveraging IDC quantitative and qualitative data sets. Within the Supply Chain practices, Mr. Ellis contributes extensively to the Supply Chain Planning and Multi-Enterprise Networks Strategies practice while also overseeing the Supply Chain Execution practices. These supply chain practices specialize in advising clients on supply chain network design, S&OP, global sourcing (Profitable Proximity and Low-Cost Sourcing), warehousing and inventory management, transportation, logistics, and more.

Jean Philippe Bouchard - Vice President, Data & Analytics - IDC

Analyst Profile
Jean Philippe (JP) Bouchard is Vice-President, Data & Analytics at IDC Canada. In this role, JP is responsible for leading the team of analysts delivering Continuous Intelligence Services, Trackers and custom research in the Future of Work and Mobility group, by providing insights on how technology is changing work culture, the workspace, and the workforce itself in Canada. JP’s team also provides insights on mobile phones, PCs, tablets, hard copy peripherals, 3D printing, wearables, AR-VR and consumer services.

AI is no longer an experiment. It is becoming the operating system of the enterprise.

IDC Directions 2026 is designed for leaders who need to move from AI pilots to coordinated, enterprise-wide execution with clarity, confidence, and evidence behind every decision.

On April 8 in Boston, senior technology and business leaders will come together to distill IDC’s global research into the signals that matter most now and pressure-test their strategy directly with the analysts shaping the conversation.

Why IDC Directions Matters Now

In the AI era, competitive advantage will belong to organizations that orchestrate intelligence not just deploy it.

Organizations are navigating converging pressures: economic volatility, regulatory scrutiny, workforce disruption, and the shift from AI experimentation to agentic execution.

The risk is not lack of information. It is misalignment.

When AI initiatives scale without orchestration:

  • Infrastructure fragments
  • Data governance lags
  • Security gaps widen
  • Value becomes difficult to prove

IDC Directions 2026 is structured to eliminate that drift. It brings together macro-level intelligence and practical dialogue so leaders can align architecture, data, governance, and business outcomes before decisions harden.

From Hundreds of Reports to Clear Priorities

IDC publishes hundreds of research reports each year across AI, infrastructure, data, security, services, telecom, devices, industries, and more.

That depth is a strength. But for executives, the question is focus.

  • Which signals require action now?
  • Where should you go deep?
  • What research should guide your next investment decision?

Directions distills that portfolio into one concentrated experience built around strategic decision areas.

The day opens with exclusive keynotes that frame the enterprise challenge:

  • Lorenzo Larini, IDC CEO will outline how IDC is transforming tech intelligence for the AI economy, delivered at AI speed, embedded into workflows, and grounded in research rigor.
  • Meredith Whalen, Chief Product & Research Officer will demonstrate how IDC’s product and platform innovation is translating research vision into applied value.

This sets the context: insights must move at the speed of AI without sacrificing credibility.

What Technologies Will Define Competitive Advantage?

In the morning Lightning Round, IDC analysts provide a curated scan of what is approaching enterprise relevance.

Expect rapid insights on:

  • Agentic AI platforms
  • Quantum computing pathways
  • Robotics and edge intelligence
  • Advanced connectivity and intelligent networks
  • The evolution of consumer engagement in an AI-driven world

This is not speculation. It is research-backed perspective designed to help leaders separate signal from noise.

Four Tracks. Four Strategic Decision Areas.

The afternoon breakout sessions are organized around distinct enterprise priorities so you can go deep where it matters most.

Track 1: AI-Ready Infrastructure

How organizations are modernizing compute, storage, networking, and cloud operations to support agentic workloads at scale. Sessions address ROI tradeoffs, deployment models, silicon strategy, security, observability, and AI-ready data centers.

Track 2: Emerging Tech

How agentic AI, quantum computing, advanced connectivity, robotics, and intelligent devices are reshaping industries and competitive dynamics.

Track 3: Putting Data to Work

How trusted data foundations enable AI value. Explore governance, event-driven architectures, data products, integration, and risk mitigation strategies required for autonomous execution.

Track 4: Marketing & Business Growth Strategies

How AI is transforming marketing from campaign execution to continuous intelligence reshaping discovery, brand relevance, and C-suite alignment.

Each track reflects areas where IDC has produced extensive research and where leaders are facing immediate decisions.

Direct Access to 100+ IDC Analysts

What differentiates IDC Directions is not just the content; it is the dialogue.

More than 100 IDC analysts across AI, infrastructure, security, data, enterprise applications, services, public sector, manufacturing, retail, financial services, telecom, and sustainability will be onsite.

This breadth matters because AI investments are cross-domain decisions.

Attendees can schedule dedicated 1:1 meetings to:

  • Pressure-test investment strategies
  • Validate architectural assumptions
  • Understand peer approaches
  • Identify relevant IDC research for deeper follow-up

In a year defined by agentic orchestration, synthesis across disciplines becomes a competitive advantage.

How Do You Turn AI Investment into Durable Value?

Enterprises turn AI investment into durable value by aligning infrastructure, trusted data, governance, security, and measurable business objectives before scaling initiatives. Architecture and oversight must be designed early — not retrofitted after pilots show promise.

Across the agenda, a central question drives discussion:

How do enterprises move from AI pilots to scalable, governed, value-producing systems?

Leaders are confronting practical challenges:

  • How do we operationalize agentic AI responsibly?
  • What infrastructure is required to support autonomous workflows?
  • How do we measure ROI realistically?
  • How do we maintain governance and compliance at scale?

IDC analysts will provide research-backed guidance grounded in real-world implementation patterns.

The focus is pragmatic: aligning architecture, data, governance, and business impact so AI initiatives do not stall between pilot and production.

A Concentrated Way to Gain Strategic Clarity

IDC Directions 2026 is not a replacement for IDC’s research portfolio. It is a catalyst for using it more effectively.

In one day, you can:

  • Understand macro forces shaping the AI-driven economy
  • Go deep into priority areas aligned to your role
  • Engage directly with leading analysts
  • Identify which research should guide your next decisions
  • Experience the AI Lab and emerging intelligence tools
  • Build peer connections facing similar inflection points

In an AI-fueled economy, clarity is a competitive advantage.

Leaders who align architecture, data, and governance early will scale faster and with fewer costly missteps.

IDC Directions 2026 is built to help you navigate your next move with confidence.

IDC Directions 2026
April 8, 2026 | Boston, MA

Explore the agenda and register at:
https://www.idc.com/events/directions/

Discover more about IDC Directions 2026

Ryan Smith - Content Marketing Director - IDC

Ryan Smith is the Director of Content Marketing at IDC, where he leads brand-level content and social media strategy, aligning research insights with compelling storytelling to engage technology decision-makers. With a background in both IT and marketing, Ryan brings a unique blend of technical understanding and creative strategy to his work. He’s also a seasoned storyteller, speaker, and podcast host who believes the right message, told the right way, can drive both trust and transformation.