The impact of generative AI is fundamentally reshaping the IT landscape. Against the backdrop of profound changes and a transformative shift brought about by AI, this year’s Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2024 featured engaging discussions. Over 8,000 participants from the global IT community gathered in Barcelona for four days.

The focus was on the strategic and technological trends that will shape the role of CIOs in the coming years. Our USU experts were also on-site, bringing you key insights from numerous inspiring presentations, meetings, and conversations—providing practical advice and strategies for the Mission Critical Priorities (MCPs) of CIOs. Besides AI, this included key topics such as Cloud Computing and Customer Experience.

AI – Key Challenges & Top Trends

In the opening keynote "Pacing Yourself in the AI Races," Alicia Mullery and Daryl Plummer presented four major challenges CIOs face in realizing value from AI at scale. Here are the key takeaways:

Innovation vs. Reality: CIOs are under significant pressure to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancements. Often, the hype surrounding AI overshadows the real outcomes, leading many companies to struggle in extracting tangible value from their AI initiatives.

Choosing the Right Pace: CIOs must adjust the speed of their AI strategy based on their ambitions and industry environment. Companies with moderate goals can opt for a more measured “AI-steady” pace, while organizations with high AI ambitions should pursue an accelerated “AI-accelerated” pace.

Outcome-Focused Implementation: Regardless of the chosen pace, CIOs must focus on achieving measurable results. Productivity gains from generative AI can vary widely depending on the complexity of tasks and employee experience levels.

Managing AI as a Portfolio: CIOs should manage the benefits of AI like a portfolio, balancing investments and risks across different areas to maximize returns.

In a session on the top AI trends for 2025, Pieter den Hamer highlighted the development of generative AI (GenAI) along with its limitations and future prospects. Three core trends were identified:

Increasing AI’s Value Contribution: The focus is on enhancing the impact of AI by making its use more targeted and results-oriented.

More Trustworthy and Actionable AI: The demand for reliable AI systems is growing. Gartner predicts that 75% of Global 500 companies will adopt decision intelligence by 2026.

Taming AI’s Potential: Responsible use and governance are becoming increasingly important. By 2028, 33% of enterprise software applications will feature “Agentic AI,” compared to less than 1% in 2024.

These trends indicate that while companies are increasingly embracing AI, there is a rising need for governance and risk management.

Impressions from the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo

Technology Trends 2025 and Their Implications for CIOs

A major theme at the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2024 was the strategic technology trends that CIOs need to know to future-proof their organizations. Nick Jones, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, presented the top trends for 2025, categorized into three main areas: New Frontiers of Computing, AI Imperatives and Risks, and Human-Machine Synergy.

Key trends include Agentic AI, capable of analyzing vast amounts of data, making decisions, and acting autonomously—both in digital and physical environments. Another crucial technology is Disinformation Security, aimed at building trust and monitoring the spread of false information. Additionally, Postquantum Cryptography is gaining importance, providing security even against quantum computer attacks.

Ambient Invisible Intelligence involves ultra-low-cost, tiny sensors and wireless tags that revolutionize real-time tracking and data collection. Finally, Spatial Computing will blur the lines between physical and digital objects through mixed reality, creating new possibilities for interaction.

These trends offer CIOs valuable guidance for strategic investments in emerging technologies, helping them navigate uncertainties effectively.

Cloud Computing and Cloud Cost Management

Gartner forecasts that cloud services and AI-powered business models will become central components of corporate strategies by 2029, with 95% of all digital initiatives being cloud-based. Consequently, Cloud Computing remains at the core of IT transformation, driving global innovation and competitiveness. Gartner highlighted that by 2028, Cloud Computing will not only be a technological disruptor but a necessity for business survival. Global spending on public cloud services is expected to grow annually by 9.3% through 2027, surpassing one trillion USD by 2028.

A key aspect of cloud strategy is cost management, as the growing variety of cloud services and provider options increase complexity. Gartner notes that by 2028, over 50% of organizations will struggle to derive the expected value from their multi-cloud implementations. Effective strategies for optimizing resource usage and managing multi-cloud environments are essential for achieving optimal cloud costs.

Recommendations for Cloud Cost Efficiency:

Resource Optimization and Scaling: Regularly review cloud usage and scale workloads intelligently to avoid unnecessary costs. “Right-Sizing” resources to actual needs can yield savings of up to 30%.

Multicloud Management: Cloud Management Platforms (CMPs) enable centralized monitoring of multi-cloud environments, providing transparency and supporting efficient capacity and cost planning.

Long-Term Partnerships and Exit Strategies: Gartner advises careful selection of providers and maintaining exit strategies to avoid dependencies and stay flexible in response to market changes.

USU lecture on  Cloud FinOps

Customer Experience – The Measure of Business Success

Alongside cloud strategies, creating an outstanding Customer Experience (CX) is a cornerstone of modern business strategies. According to Gartner, a key insight from this year’s conference is that organizations can no longer interact with customers solely on a channel-based approach. Younger generations, particularly Generation Alpha, expect a seamless, channel-less experience. This requires companies to develop a strategy that enables smooth transitions between various touchpoints while delivering personalized, data-driven interactions.

A Gartner survey revealed that 47% of companies are testing generative AI to enhance their CX. Additionally, 42% of respondents expect GenAI solutions to help better understand customer needs and deliver consistent, brand-loyal messages. By 2026, the market for “machine customers,” i.e., AI-driven automated interactions, is projected to become a dedicated business unit in 30% of large enterprises.

Gartner found that companies proactively investing in customer experience achieve, on average, 20% higher profits than their competitors. Furthermore, a positive CX leads to up to 80% higher customer retention rates, translating into long-term loyalty and a significant competitive advantage.

Strategies for the IT of Tomorrow

The Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2024 in Barcelona underscored the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Technologies for shaping the future of IT. The focus was on strategic trends and concrete recommendations for CIOs to make their organizations future-proof. The main challenges lie in balancing the pace of innovation, outcome-driven execution, and effective risk management, especially in the area of generative AI. As Cloud Computing becomes the essential foundation for digital initiatives, success will increasingly hinge on optimized cost management and agile multi-cloud strategies.

Moreover, Customer Experience is taking center stage: Companies that focus on seamless, channel-less experiences and leverage AI will significantly boost their competitiveness.