AI, Data, and Cybersecurity Top IT Agendas, but Priorities Diverge by Sector, Info-Tech Research Group's Best of Industry 2026 Reports Show

The pressures shaping IT in 2026 are no longer playing out the same way across industries, making sector-specific prioritization more important for leaders under pressure to deliver results. To help IT leaders and their teams focus their efforts, Info-Tech Research Group has released its Best of Industry 2026 collection, a set of industry-specific reports that brings together the global research and advisory firm's most relevant industry research for education, financial services, professional services, manufacturing, and government.

ARLINGTON, Va., April 30, 2026 /CNW/ - As AI adoption, cybersecurity demands, modernization pressures, and data challenges continue to reshape IT in 2026, leaders are finding that the most urgent priorities no longer look the same across sectors. To help IT teams focus their efforts, Info-Tech Research Group has released its Best of Industry 2026 collection, a set of industry-specific reports that brings together the global research and advisory firm's most relevant industry research for education, financial services, professional services, manufacturing, and government.

The collection connects sector-specific priorities to featured research, blueprints, tools, and analyst guidance that help leaders move from identifying the right focus areas to acting on them. Across the five reports, recurring themes such as AI, cybersecurity, data, modernization, and digital transformation remain constant, but the operational realities behind those priorities differ sharply by industry.

That divergence is visible across the reports, from enrollment decline and responsible AI in education to cost optimization in financial services, service delivery reinvention in professional services, Industry 4.0 and supply chain visibility in manufacturing, and accountability and digital service delivery in government.

"IT leaders are managing many of the same pressures in 2026, but the priorities that matter most, and the way they need to respond, look very different from one industry to the next," says Info-Tech Research Group's Chief Research Officer, Gord Harrison. "What leaders need is support and guidance that reflects the realities of their sector. An IT leader in one industry may be dealing with a very different set of operational, financial, and organizational pressures than one in another. That is why industry-specific research matters. It helps leaders focus faster, align more effectively, and take action with greater confidence."

Info-Tech's Best of Industry 2026 Reports Detail How IT Priorities Are Taking Shape Across Five Sectors

Best Research for Education 2026

Educational institutions are navigating responsible AI adoption, enrollment decline, cybersecurity risk, integration challenges, and the growing need for governed data to support student and institutional decision-making. Info-Tech's Best Research for Education 2026 report addresses eight priorities, including responsible AI, the enrollment cliff, cybersecurity, system integration, data-driven transformation, and digital change, supported by research on higher education ERP resilience, student retention, and AI use in education.

Best Research for Financial Services 2026

Financial institutions continue to balance innovation with risk while dealing with legacy infrastructure, pressure to monetize data, rising cybersecurity demands, cost constraints, and growing expectations around AI and machine learning. The Best Research for Financial Services 2026 report focuses on five core priorities: legacy modernization, data monetization, cybersecurity, cost optimization, and AI and ML integration across financial services operations.

Best Research for Professional Services 2026

Professional services firms are rethinking how they deliver value as AI reshapes service models, cloud operating models expand, and talent and experience design become more critical to competitiveness. The Best Research for Professional Services 2026 report covers priorities including AI and ML strategy, cloud adoption, talent retention, human-centric technology design, intelligent automation, and intelligent information management.

Best Research for Manufacturing 2026

Manufacturers are accelerating digital transformation while managing supply chain complexity, cybersecurity risks across connected systems, and the continued shift to Industry 4.0 and 5.0 operating models. The Best Research for Manufacturing 2026 report addresses ten priorities, including stronger IT and business alignment, Industry 4.0 and 5.0 adoption, AI and generative AI integration, intelligent automation, demand planning, supply chain visibility, and sustainability and governance across connected operations.

Best Research for Government 2026

Public sector IT leaders face unique pressures as they modernize at pace while maintaining public trust, managing talent shortages, strengthening cybersecurity, and demonstrating accountability for outcomes. The Best Research for Government 2026 report is the most extensive in the series, covering 24 priorities, including IT value accountability, digital government, AI, identity, modernization, workforce transformation, data, procurement, and public safety technology.

Each report in the collection connects top sector priorities to featured research, blueprints, tools, and analyst guidance, giving leaders a clearer path from identifying what matters most to acting on it. Across the five reports, Info-Tech highlights the value of sector-specific insight grounded in practical, execution-focused research.

Info-Tech's Best of Industry 2026 reports are also supported by direct access to analyst expertise and related implementation resources, including workshops designed to help organizations work through critical initiatives and apply the firm's research in focused, execution-oriented engagements. Together, these resources provide IT leaders with a practical starting point for translating sector priorities into measurable progress.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Info-Tech's subject matter experts on any of the research findings, and access to each of the Best of Industry 2026 reports, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is the "get things done" partner for over 30,000 IT, HR, and marketing leaders worldwide. The fastest growing research and advisory firm, Info-Tech enables leaders to make well-informed decisions and transform their organizations through AI, strategic foresight, step-by-step methodologies, practical tools, industry-leading advisory, and training programs. For nearly 30 years, tens of thousands of private and public organizations have trusted Info-Tech to lead their most important initiatives through periods of change and deliver outcomes that truly matter.

To learn more about Info-Tech's HR research and advisory services, visit McLean & Company, and for data-driven software buying insights and vendor evaluations, visit the firm's SoftwareReviews platform.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group