As enterprises brace for another year of rapid technology change, Gartner has identified six key trends that will significantly impact infrastructure and operations (I&O) over the next 12–18 months. Unveiled at its IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference, the trends underscore how I&O leaders must balance agility, governance, sustainability and geopolitical realities while extracting real value from AI.
“I&O leaders must be aware of all of these trends and prepare to act on the ones that are most likely to impact their organizations,” said Jeffrey Hewitt, VP Analyst at Gartner. “By understanding the full impact of these emerging trends, enterprises can implement effective tactics, get ahead of the curve and maximize the value of their I&O operations in 2026.”
Hybrid computing moves to the core
At the foundation of Gartner’s outlook is hybrid computing, an emergent approach that orchestrates across diverse and sometimes incompatible compute, storage and network environments. Rather than treating hybrid as a transitional phase, Gartner positions it as a long-term architectural strategy.
Hybrid computing enables organizations to future‑proof infrastructure investments through a composable and extensible compute fabric, while combining the strengths of cloud, edge and on‑premises technologies. According to Hewitt, this shift will push I&O leaders to adopt composable business and technology architectures as a strategic imperative.
Agentic AI delivers time‑driven performance gains
AI remains one of the top three priorities for CIOs, but Gartner highlights agentic AI as a particularly high‑impact subset for I&O teams. Agentic AI systems can analyze complex datasets, identify patterns and act autonomously, delivering measurable productivity gains.
“Agentic AI provides a significant opportunity for I&O leaders in that it enables performance gains through time savings,” Hewitt said. As these systems mature, the cumulative time savings are expected to grow, allowing I&O teams to shift focus from routine operations to higher‑value initiatives.
AI governance platforms become essential
As AI adoption accelerates, Gartner sees AI governance platforms emerging as a critical control layer. These platforms help organizations define policies, assign decision rights and ensure accountability for AI‑related risks and outcomes.
Beyond governance, such platforms embed responsible AI practices and address compliance and business risks, including bias, lack of transparency, data privacy, model validation and security threats. For I&O leaders, governance is no longer optional—it is foundational to scaling AI safely.
Energy‑efficient computing gains urgency
Rising energy costs and sustainability mandates are pushing energy‑efficient computing into the spotlight. Gartner frames it as a complementary trend to hybrid computing, encompassing technologies and practices that reduce power consumption and carbon footprint.
By adopting long‑term strategies and exploring emerging technologies such as optical computing and neuromorphic systems, I&O leaders can deliver tangible environmental benefits while improving operational efficiency.
Disinformation security protects trust and brand
With deepfakes and digital impersonation on the rise, disinformation security is expanding into a distinct category of enterprise protection. Gartner defines it as a suite of technologies designed to safeguard trust, brand reputation and online presence.
Covering areas such as deepfake detection, impersonation prevention and reputation protection, disinformation security enables I&O leaders to maintain trust in communications, identity and digital assets amid an increasingly hostile information landscape.
Geopatriation reshapes cloud strategy
The final trend, geopatriation, reflects how geopolitical uncertainty is influencing infrastructure decisions. It involves relocating workloads from global hyperscalers to regional or national alternatives to meet sovereignty and risk requirements.
“Geopatriation goes beyond data sovereignty to operational and technical sovereignty,” Hewitt noted. By supporting domestic ecosystems and reducing geopolitical exposure, I&O leaders can align infrastructure strategy with national and regulatory priorities.
A strategic mandate for 2026
Collectively, Gartner’s six trends signal a more complex but opportunity‑rich environment for infrastructure and operations leaders. Success in 2026 will depend on making deliberate choices—where to automate, how to govern AI, how to design for sustainability and how to navigate geopolitical risk—while keeping hybrid and composable architectures at the core.
Gartner positions itself as a key advisor in this transition, with its analysts, research and AI‑driven tools helping C‑suite leaders translate emerging trends into actionable strategies.