Real-Time Data is Foundational to Enterprise AI Success, New Research Finds

Survey notes organizations that embrace real-time data into their workflows are more than three times as likely to see measurable results on the majority of their AI projects

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Solace, the real-time data platform for the enterprise, today announced the release of a new IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Solace, 2026 State of Real-Time Data: Agentic Enterprises Are Running on Real-Time Data. *

Based on a survey of 623 senior technology decision-makers at $1 billion-plus enterprises across eight countries, the study found that "agentic AI has moved from experiment to operational dependency, and it has quietly rewritten the enterprise's requirements for how fast data must move." Specifically, survey respondents deemed as leaders in real-time data maturity are more than three times as likely to deliver measurable business results across the majority of their AI projects. Leaders also report roughly 23% average annual gains in areas like speed to market, risk reduction and the ability to sense and respond to change quickly.

"Every enterprise has the same AI models. The winners are the ones whose agents run on trusted, real-time data, and the numbers back it up. When data moves in real-time, AI delivers. When it doesn't, AI fails to create sustainable impact," said Paul Fitzpatrick, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Solace.

The findings make clear why real-time data has become the make-or-break factor for enterprise AI:

• Real-time data and Agentic AI work in lockstep – 80% of respondents stated they are investing in or already running AI agents, and 90% say they have increased their focus on real-time data to support their agentic AI plans. When asked what is driving the growing need for real-time data, respondents named advances in agentic AI as the single biggest force re-shaping their data priorities, ahead of security, cost, and regulatory pressure 
  
  
• The hardest part of AI is connecting agents to trusted data – 40% of organizations reported that connecting AI agents in real-time to reliable enterprise data is among the top obstacles to putting them into production, not actually building the agents. Data quality and consistency (46%) ranked as the number one technical challenge overall, cited even by the most advanced organizations 
  
  
• Success comes through operating practices, not budget or headcount – the study found that real-time readiness and AI success barely move with company size, and vary only modestly by industry. What consistently separates leaders is how they work: 76% say they run real-time data across most or all of their operations, compared to only 7% among emerging organizations. Leaders also standardize on a single unified platform rather than a patchwork of loosely connected tools, and put real-time talent directly into the teams that use it
  
  
• The payoff compounds as agentic AI matures – the study reveals a clear roadmap: as organizations advance through the maturity tiers, agents in production and AI project success climb together. Leaders roughly triple both, with agents deployed in production rising from 20% at emerging organizations to 59% among leaders, and the share of AI projects delivering measurable outcomes rising from 35% to 67%.
  
  
• Satisfaction is high across the board, and investment is accelerating – 90% of organizations said their real-time data investments have met or exceeded expectations. Nearly all – 94% to 97% – plan to increase spending on both real-time data and agentic AI

"The survey shows real-time data moving from a technical concern to a strategic one across the board," said Carlos M. González, Research Manager, Event-Driven Automation and Analytics, IDC. "Organizations are citing agentic AI as the single biggest force driving their need for real-time data. That reordering of priorities tells you real-time data is becoming foundational infrastructure for AI, not an analytics feature."

To learn more, download the full IDC InfoBrief here. For a deeper look at the survey findings, join Solace and IDC guest speakers for a joint webinar on September 23. Register here.

* Source: IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Solace, 2026 State of Real-Time Data: Agentic Enterprises Are Running on Real-Time Data, Doc# US54883526, August 2026

Survey Methodology

IDC conducted a custom survey, commissioned by Solace, of 623 senior technology decision-makers in June 2026. All respondents work at organizations with $1 billion or more in revenue across eight countries, with the largest share in manufacturing, financial services, and retail. 78% are primary decision-makers for real-time data and 71% own their organization's AI or agentic initiatives. IDC scored each respondent from 0 to 100 on real-time data maturity, blending real-time deployment, agentic AI adoption, and measurable business outcomes, and grouped them into four tiers used throughout the study. The results have a margin of error of +/- 3.9% at a 95% confidence interval.

About Solace:

Solace is the real-time data platform for the enterprise. The Solace Platform combines an event mesh, stream data processing, agentic processing and democratized access in one experience, connecting every application, cloud, partner and edge, turning raw events into real-time context, powering AI agents in production, and putting it all in the hands of every team. RBC Capital Markets, Bosch, Heineken, PSA Singapore, United Airlines, Schwarz Group and hundreds more enterprises rely on Solace to operate in real-time. Independent, focused, and purpose-built for the enterprise, Solace is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices around the world. Learn more at solace.com.

Press Contacts:

David DeRosa, Solace
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(343) 996-1630

Jamie Kightley, IBA International
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+44 (0) 1572 757932

Trixie Wong, Rice, a FINN Partners Company
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+65 9757 7531