Security against disinformation ensures trust in communications, identity, and reputation.
O Gartner, Inc.., a business and technology insights company, highlights the key trends that will have a significant impact on Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) over the next 12 to 18 months.
“I&O leaders must be aware of all these trends and prepare to act on those that are likely to have the greatest impact on their organizations, so that they can adapt, respond effectively, and drive innovation,” he says. Jeffrey Hewitt, Vice President Analyst at Gartner. “By understanding the full impact of these emerging trends, companies can implement effective tactics to respond to and anticipate changes and maximize the value of their I&O operations in 2026.”
Gartner has identified six key trends that will impact the I&O field in the coming year:
Key I&O trends for 2026, according to Gartner.
Source: Gartner (December 2025)
Trend #1: Hybrid Computing
Hybrid computing is an emerging style that orchestrates diverse and sometimes incompatible computing, storage, and networking mechanisms. It allows I&O leaders to future-proof infrastructure investments with a composable and extensible computing fabric, while maximizing the value of emerging technologies by combining their strengths.
“Hybrid computing will force I&O leaders to adopt a composable business and technology architecture as part of a long-term strategy for building systems and applications,” says Hewitt.
Trend #2: Agent-based Artificial Intelligence
“"Artificial Intelligence is one of the top three priorities of..." Chief Information Officers (CIOs), and agentive AI is a very beneficial subset of that,” says Hewitt. “Agentive AI offers a significant opportunity for leaders "It's crucial for I&O, as it allows for performance gains through time savings, which will progressively increase as systems evolve. It can support the I&O area by quickly analyzing complex datasets, identifying patterns, and acting autonomously."”
Trend #3: Artificial Intelligence Governance Platforms
Artificial Intelligence governance is the process of creating policies, assigning decision-making rights, and ensuring organizational accountability for the risks and decisions related to the application and use of AI techniques.
AI governance platforms oversee and manage AI systems, incorporating responsible AI practices. These platforms also address potential compliance and business risks, including biases, lack of transparency, data protection and privacy issues, model evaluation and validation, and threats to [the system/business environment]. safety.
Trend #4: Energy-efficient computing
As a subset of hybrid computing, energy-efficient computing involves a suite of technologies and practices to reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of IT systems.
Energy-efficient computing allows I&O leaders to have a significant impact on energy and environmental aspects in a way that... sustainable. For example, I&O leaders can create positive business outcomes by implementing customized long-term strategies using new and emerging technologies such as optical computing and neuromorphic systems.
Trend #5: Security against misinformation
THE security against misinformation It is a set of technologies that can address misinformation to help businesses discern trustworthiness, protect their brand, and secure their online presence. It represents an expanding category of technologies and practices, encompassing detection of... deepfakes, preventing identity theft and protecting reputation.
“Given the evolving technological landscape, security against disinformation will allow I&O leaders to ensure trust in communications, identity, and reputation,” says Hewitt.
Trend #6: Geopatriation
Geopatriation is the relocation of workloads and applications from global hyperscalers to A cloud for regional or national alternatives due to geopolitical uncertainty.
"THE geopatriation ‘It’s an extension of a previous trend called ’nationalism versus globalism”,“ says Hewitt. ”Arguably, it goes beyond the cloud environment, moving from data sovereignty to operational sovereignty and technical sovereignty. Geopatriation empowers the I&O area to reduce geopolitical risks and meet specific sovereignty requirements. It also allows I&O leaders to support and increase the independence of domestic economies.”
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