ISG Expands Scope of Research on AI, Vertical Industries

Key Terms

generative AI medical

Generative AI is a type of computer technology that can create new content, like text, images, or music, on its own. It’s important because it can produce realistic and useful material quickly, which could change how we create art, write stories, or even develop new products. Think of it as a smart robot that can invent and produce things almost like a human.

AI-Ready Hardware technical

AI-ready hardware are computing devices and components — such as specialized processors, fast memory and high-speed connections — built to run artificial intelligence tasks quickly and efficiently. For investors, it matters because companies that supply or use this gear can deliver AI services at lower cost and higher performance, like a professional kitchen that lets a restaurant produce more dishes faster and with better quality, which can drive revenue and market edge.

AI governance regulatory

AI governance is the set of rules, oversight and practices a company uses to design, test, deploy and monitor artificial intelligence tools so they behave reliably, safely and fairly. Think of it as a vehicle’s maintenance schedule, road rules and driver checks for software: it reduces the chance of costly errors, legal penalties or reputation damage and helps investors judge whether a business can scale AI responsibly and protect value.

sovereign AI technical

An AI system described as "sovereign" is built, hosted, or operated under a country’s legal and technical control so that data, code, and decision-making stay within that jurisdiction. For investors, sovereign AI matters because it affects which vendors can sell to governments or regulated industries, imposes compliance and infrastructure costs, and can create protected local markets—similar to a factory that must follow a nation’s building codes and can only sell to certain buyers.

DevOps technical

DevOps is a way of working that combines software development and IT operations to improve how technology systems are built, tested, and maintained. It emphasizes collaboration, automation, and continuous improvement to deliver updates quickly and reliably. For investors, understanding DevOps can signal a company’s ability to innovate faster and respond more effectively to market changes.

2026 plan incorporates ISG Provider Lens^®, ISG Buyers Guide™ research to help enterprises choose technology partners for successful AI and digital transformation

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III ), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm, will expand its influential research into enterprise AI in 2026, publishing an even broader portfolio of ISG Provider Lens^® and ISG Buyers Guide™ reports with deep insights into service and software providers and major technology trends.

The ISG Research 2026 Research Plan showcases the unrivaled scope of ISG’s software and service provider research, encompassing reports on the most important software tools and managed services for enterprises transforming their digital capabilities with AI. ISG’s quarterly thought-leadership reports on vital enterprise IT subjects, including generative AI adoption and service delivery, are included in the plan for the first time.

The 2026 plan includes 60 ISG Provider Lens^® studies, broadening the leading series of provider evaluation reports with coverage of new technologies, vertical industries and provider ecosystems. An expanded series of over 30 ISG Buyers Guides™ studies on software providers and products will cover more than 200 software categories with quadrants, ratings and rankings. It includes the industry’s first unified AI, data and cloud software stack of research, allowing enterprises to assess and select solutions for their entire portfolio of needs.

“Our portfolio of research and reports continues to grow as organizations plan and execute digital transformations to stay competitive in the age of AI,” said John Boccuzzi, Jr., partner and president, ISG Research. “To achieve key business outcomes with AI, enterprises need deep insights into potential vendor and provider partners in multiple dimensions, including data, analytics and operations.”

The ISG Provider Lens^® and ISG Buyers Guide™ reports align to five categories: Artificial Intelligence, Business & Technologies, Information Technology, Technology Industry Intelligence and Vertical Industries. Each report focuses on a specific area of ISG’s expertise and analysis, offering actionable insights to help enterprises make informed strategic decisions in the relevant area.

In 2026, the ISG Provider Lens series will feature 10 new studies, including AI-Ready Hardware, AI Services in Life Sciences Industry and Intelligent Robotics & Physical AI Services. As providers increasingly focus on tailoring services to specific sectors, ISG will continue to expand its lineup of industry-focused reports, introducing studies on Hi-Tech and Semiconductor Industry and Life Sciences Digital Services. New reports on the Palantir, Databricks, Amazon Connect, Cloudera and UKG ecosystems will examine service providers that support and extend those platforms.

“As AI deployments advance from experimentation to production, organizations face decisions with implications for their entire technology environment,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “New ISG Provider Lens studies of services across AI and other enterprise technologies help companies choose the best providers for their business goals and level of maturity.”

The 2026 Buyers Guides will expand ISG’s unique full-stack AI, data and cloud software research to encompass AI governance, sovereign AI, AI-driven DevOps and other new categories. This comprehensive set of Buyers Guides includes in-depth evaluations of the software platforms and applications that are essential to foster new AI readiness in enterprises. ISG is also introducing more research on software for vertical industries and extending its detailed software analysis and ratings to small, up-and-coming providers with Buyers Guides focused on emerging providers. As many software providers broaden their offerings, three new Buyers Guides will examine managed services.

“The significant expansion to our portfolio of Buyers Guides in 2026 will give organizations the ratings and insights to evaluate software providers and products for the complex software towers that are becoming crucial to enterprise AI,” said Mark Smith, chief software analyst and partner, software research at ISG. “As we expand the scope of our research, we are addressing the specific needs of more industry sectors, such as healthcare, and enabling enterprises to evaluate providers at the edges of innovation.”

The plan also includes four quarterly thought-leadership reports in which ISG Research dives deep into important technology trends, producing timely insights into enterprise priorities and market changes. In addition to the GenAI adoption study, coming in the third quarter, the reports will include State of SAP, State of BPO and State of Global Service Delivery. Also in 2026, ISG will continue its quarterly ISG Index™ Calls, which have delivered real-time data and analyst perspectives on the health and growth of the service and technology provider ecosystem for more than 20 years.

The ISG Research 2026 Research Plan is available for download here. For more information about ISG Research, please visit this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens^® Research

The ISG Provider Lens^® Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

About ISG Software Research

ISG Software Research provides authoritative coverage and analysis of the business and IT software industry. It distributes research and insights daily through its user community, and provides a portfolio of consulting, advisory, research and education services for enterprises, software and service providers, and investment firms. Its ISG Buyers Guides™ help enterprises evaluate and select software providers through tailored assessments powered by ISG’s proprietary methodology. Visit http://research.isg-one.com/ for more information and to sign up for free community membership.

About ISG

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251210115895/en/

Press Contacts:

Laura Hupprich, ISG

+1 203-517-3100

laura.hupprich@isg-one.com

Julianna Sheridan, Matter Communications for ISG

+1 978-518-4520

isg@matternow.com

Source: Information Services Group, Inc.