Once a year, the Spiceworks IT community gathers in person. spice world conference — An IT extravaganza where learning meets connection and technology experts exchange cutting-edge ideas.
One of the most popular sessions every time at SpiceWorld is the IT Keynote. This keynote will share fresh, research-backed insights on IT spending and emerging technology adoption plans over the next 12 months.
If you missed the live presentation, watch the 2026 State of IT video keynote. IT professionals can explore key technology trends based on data collected from surveys of hundreds of IT professionals, including the Spiceworks community. What is our goal? To help all IT stakeholders understand the current state of IT hot topics and get a glimpse of the strategic moves businesses can expect to make in the year ahead.
Watch the SpiceWorld 2026 State of IT keynote recording
We recently hosted a watch party for the 2026 State of IT SpiceWorld keynote, including the presenters themselves.peter, Gymand derek. In addition to sharing key highlights from the 2026 State of IT report, our analysts also provided behind-the-scenes context beyond what was presented at the conference.
To help you parse through the dozens of charts and many insights contained in the 2026 State of IT report, we've uncovered the findings that IT professionals seem to care about most. Like your favorite podcasters, Spiceworks and the Aberdeen Research team are here to share why we're so excited about this research to help you level up your business and career.
For highlights of the State of IT in 2026, watch the embedded State of IT video below.
If you are short on time, you can skip to the areas that interest you most according to the timestamps posted below.
2026 Key Technical Insights Video on the State of IT
- Tech jobs: Is IT still a good career to pursue?
- 9:48 — Is it harder or easier to hire IT talent today? Is it easier or harder to hire than before?
- 11:15 — Is the IT sector growing or shrinking? How do salaries in IT compare to salaries in other jobs?
- 12:20 — How important are cybersecurity skills for a career in IT?
- 12:50 — How is AI expected to impact the IT job market over the next decade? Which roles will be most in demand?
- 15:44 —Why are AI skills important for a career in IT? Which jobs and what types of companies value AI skills the most?
- Emerging technologies: How are companies using AI today?
- 18:01 — Which emerging technologies (AI, edge computing, containers, etc.) are companies actually using today? Why do AI adoption rates vary so much across studies?
- 21:54 — How has AI adoption and spending changed in recent years? What challenges are companies facing with AI?
- 23:42 — What technologies are companies investing in? What factors influence IT budgets?
- 25:24 — How are investments in AI driving IT modernization and infrastructure spending?
- 28:30 — What percentage of your IT budget is spent on AI?
- 30:37 — What are the most popular AI use cases in enterprises today? Which industries are likely to adopt certain use cases?
- 32:18 — How will AI impact computer programmers and software developers?
- Technology spending: How much are companies spending on IT and cybersecurity?
- 32:50 — How is IT spending increasing or decreasing year-over-year?
- 34:05 — What is the relationship between a company's revenue and total IT spending? How much do companies invest in IT per employee?
- 35:30 — How much will your IT budget increase or decrease in 2026?
- 36:55 — Are companies spending enough on IT? Who thinks they're spending enough on technology? And who thinks they're not spending enough on technology?
- 38:20 — Factors driving IT budget growth (i.e. AI, cybersecurity, remote and hybrid working, etc.)
- 39:37 — How much of your IT budget does your company spend on cybersecurity?
- 41:50 — How do you make a business case for IT spending? What is the business value of cybersecurity spending? Why am I not seeing ROI on cybersecurity?
- Key takeaways from the 2026 State of IT report
- 44:30 — Career prospects and advice for IT professionals in 2026
- 45:36 — When should companies modernize their IT infrastructure?
- 46:12 — How can I convince my boss to increase my IT budget and advance my career?
Dig into 2026 IT data
Still want more? Read the full State of IT 2026 report for more research on forward-looking IT trends.
You can also enjoy more research-backed insights on IT careers, technology spending, emerging technologies, and AI at Spiceworks.com. Our IT analysts will share their findings and explain why they're relevant to you. This keeps customers up-to-date on the current and future state of their IT.
Related articles:
The state of IT in 2026: AI, security, and technology spending growth
