Colt Technology Services has unveiled a series of enterprise technology and market trends anticipated to shape the agenda of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) by 2026.
Drawing from customer insights, market analyses, and internal research, Colt identifies key developments in AI inference, the next evolution of Network as a Service (NaaS 2.0), and advancements in quantum-safe security which are expected to significantly impact the technology landscape over the forthcoming year.
CIOs are expected to encounter persistent challenges in 2026 as they manage extensive business transformation programmes, often driven by AI, against a backdrop of evolving regulatory landscapes.
Despite these challenges, there are notable opportunities. The maturation of AI programmes, enhanced capacity in digital infrastructure, and progression in NaaS solutions are poised to transform digital experiences.
While many firms are investing heavily in AI, measurable returns on investment have been elusive.
A study highlighted that a significant portion of firms allocate up to USD $750,000 annually on AI, yet a large majority of these investments have not yielded financial returns.
Colt anticipates this gap to narrow by 2026 as AI projects mature and innovative ways to derive value from AI are explored. Expect AI vendors to incorporate maturity assessments and structured models for ROI to aid businesses in realising tangible benefits from their AI tools.
As AI inference steers enterprise IT environments towards real-time, smarter decision-making, it is predicted to dominate AI workloads by 2030. Beyond business, Agentic AI will start automating and digitalising routine consumer activities.
Meanwhile, the evolution of AI-driven software networks, such as AI WAN, will cater to AI workloads by optimising performance and securing critical data.
Nations are responding to their increasing AI investments by focusing on Sovereign AI, aiming to retain control over technology and data security. Similarly, quantum security is gaining traction, with spending projected to surpass 5% of enterprise IT budgets.
Preparations for 'Q Day' – when quantum computing can potentially decipher traditional cryptographic methods – have led to innovations like post-quantum cryptography and quantum key distribution.
2026 is anticipated to be a pivotal year for Low Earth Orbit satellites, extending connectivity to underserved regions and enhancing telecoms infrastructure resilience. Colt intends to trial satellite connectivity for quantum key distribution, enhancing the security of encryption over global networks.
Multi-cloud models will become the norm as enterprises seek increased flexibility and resilience, complemented by next-generation cloud providers focusing on localised edge infrastructure. The growth of edge computing will be driven by the increasing need for real-time analytics and data sovereignty.
Looking ahead, CIOs will have to navigate a complex web of new regulations and standards. The EU AI Act, EU Cyber Resilience Act, and EU Data Act will impose new requirements, while the UK's Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and various Asian initiatives will also reshape compliance landscapes. These developments will prompt the integration of AI governance into CIO strategies and procurement processes.
Colt Technology Services (Colt), the global digital infrastructure company, released the key enterprise technology and market trends it expects to dominate the CIO agenda in 2026.
Based on customer insights, market intelligence and its own proprietary research, Colt anticipates AI Inference, the evolution of NaaS to ‘NaaS 2.0’ and quantum-safe security to shape the technology landscape over the next 12 months.
Ever-changing regulatory environment
“CIOs will continue to face headwinds in 2026 as they balance complex business transformation programs at scale – often centered around AI – with ongoing cost-reduction programs in an ever-changing regulatory environment,” said Buddy Bayer, chief operating officer, Colt Technology Services.
“But there’s huge opportunity too: AI programs are beginning to mature, digital infrastructure has greater capacity than ever before, and we’re seeing an evolution of solutions like NaaS which are reshaping our digital experiences. It’s an exciting time and, at Colt, we’re leading the way for our customers.”
New ways to generate ROI from AI
Businesses continue to drive major investments in AI, but ROI, value creation and monetisation are proving elusive. Colt’s research finds one in five global firms spend US$750,000 annually on AI while 95% of the respondents in a recent MIT report study see no return on their investments.
This misalignment between spending and measurable returns will shrink in 2026, as AI projects mature and begin to generate ROI, and as businesses find new ways to create value from AI. More vendors will build in AI maturity assessments and structured ROI models to help businesses define, track and quantify value across their AI tools.
AI inference and Agentic AI
2026 will see AI inferencing reaching the next level of maturity, shifting from experimentation to integration into the enterprise IT environment, extracting insight, making predictions, and enabling smarter, context-aware decisions in real-time.
McKinsey expects AI inference to account for a majority of AI workloads by 2030. This won’t just be limited to enterprises: Agentic AI, driven by inference, will be the force behind the automation and digitalisation of day-to-day consumer tasks from privacy management and healthcare to scheduling assistance and management of household chores, according to research from the IEEE.
AI Wide Area Networking (WAN)
Many of Colt’s conversations with customers centre around digital infrastructure’s ability to manage and optimise the performance, latency and security needed for AI workloads. AI WAN moves the conversation towards software-driven wide area networks, built for AI workloads, which dynamically manage AI traffic for peak performance and ensure application-level security of critical data.
Innovation in sustainable networking technologies
Similarly, AI workloads transmitted over transatlantic cables will grow in 2026 and are projected to surge from just 8% of total capacity in 2025 to 30% by 20351, placing additional strain on global network routes. Innovative tech trials and global partnerships are pioneering technologies which boost performance without increasing energy consumption or carbon emissions.
Sovereign AI
As nations grow their AI investments and regulations around AI governance come into force across many of the world’s major economies, sovereign AI is gaining momentum. It will rise up the CIO’s agenda as countries and organisations build and run their own AI systems using their own data, infrastructure, people, and rules.
Sovereign AI is becoming more prevalent and increasingly important as nations look to stay in control of their technology, protect their data, and stay resilient in a world increasingly shaped by AI.
NaaS 2.0
The NaaS market continues to grow, driven by a number of factors from AI, edge computing and cloud adoption to enterprises’ need to build in flexibility as they navigate dynamic global markets. Colt research found 58% of the 1500 CIOs it questioned said they were increasing their use of NaaS features due to growing AI demands.
In 2026 and beyond, people will see NaaS evolve to meet the demands of the AI era, moving beyond its traditional role in supporting digital experiences. The next generation of NaaS will be intelligent, automated, and outcome-focused, designed to deliver real-time performance, adaptability, and autonomy for AI-driven enterprises.
Quantum security
Rise in quantum security investment as Q Day gets nearer
CIOs are under constant pressure to protect their data and infrastructure from emerging risk, and as governments and businesses develop a deeper understanding of quantum’s power and potential, attention and investment turn to quantum security.
In its 2026 Technology and Security Predictions report2, Forrester forecasts that quantum security spending will exceed 5% of enterprises’ overall IT budget next year, while a report from The Quantum Insider estimates the quantum security market to grow at over 50% CAGR to 2030, reaching $10 billion.
Traditional data cryptography methods are at risk of being deciphered by quantum computers. The point at when this happens is known as Q Day, and latest estimates suggest it could come as soon as 2030.
Technologies such as post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum key distribution (QKD) protect traffic from this risk as it travels across a network. 2026 will bring developments, trials and innovation in protecting data from quantum risk.
Low Earth Orbit technologies – and quantum
2026 is set to be a breakthrough year for Low Earth Orbit satellites, with organisations launching new satellites and new services. These services are a vital part of global telecoms infrastructure, providing connectivity in underserved or rural areas, and providing resiliency to businesses looking for back-up options for their enterprise infrastructure.
Colt is looking to trial low earth orbit satellite connectivity for quantum key distribution: this will enable secure and protected exchange of symmetric encryption keys using quantum technology, while overcoming the distance limitations of terrestrial connectivity. 2026 will see Colt and partners trialing space-based and subsea techniques which extend quantum security to global networks.
Hybrid cloud computing models
2026 will see multi cloud models becoming the default, as enterprises look for more ways to build in flexibility and resilience to their infrastructure and move beyond single-provider strategies. Increasingly, APIs and secure interconnects between providers and hyperscalers are streamlined, complementary and competitive in pricing terms and accessible through aggregators.
Edge computing will continue to grow through 2026 and beyond, driven by factors such as AI inference expansion, the rise in real-time analytics, and increasing data sovereignty requirements.
Next-generation cloud providers
Next-generation cloud providers are prioritising deployment of infrastructure at the edge, processing data closer to where it’s generated, while hyperscalers focus on scale and compute power in centralised locations.
Both strategies are needed and complementary: Edge requires highly distributed, localised infrastructure which complements centralised cloud, used for heavy compute and storage. As demand for Edge grows in 2026 and beyond – one forecast estimates a CAGR of 33.0% from 2025 to 2033 - expect rising demand for distributed architectures across new geographies.
Tighter regulatory frameworks
In 2026, expect to see a slew of reporting obligations, regulations, strategies and guidelines impacting CIOs, particularly in AI and cybersecurity. Most of the obligations under the EU AI Act will apply from 2 August 2026, while implementation of certain requirements for high-risk AI systems may be postponed.
Reporting obligations for the EU Cyber Resilience Act are expected from September 2026, with phased obligations continuing from September 2026 onward under the EU Data Act.
Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
Peolpe also see the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 global standard for AI governance, which will lead CIOs and CAIOs to integrate AI governance into enterprise architecture and procurement decisions, as well as operational impacts for the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act.
In the UK, all eyes will be on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, while across Asia, Japan will see the impact of its AI Promotion Act and major initiatives following Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0) are also expected to come into effect in 2026.
