IT costs under constant scrutiny: growth and cost-effectiveness
After several “easy” years, budgets and IT spending in 2026 are under more pressure than ever to justify themselves. Infrastructure, cloud costs, licensing models, security tools, maintenance contracts, and much more have become noticeably more expensive – often without any clear increase in added value. Companies are responding with cost control, consolidation, and the question of which systems are truly business-critical. In many cases, the focus on growth has initially given way to ensuring cost-effectiveness. Often, controlling IT costs is “the” new, actual IT strategy.
However, focusing on managed services can also open important doors to cost-effective, high-quality, and innovative options. Cost pressure is increasingly leading to more “aha moments” in IT. This is no longer a marginal phenomenon. For example, through continuous cost monitoring, license optimization, and the operation of standardized platforms, an IT partner can help identify hidden cost drivers at an early stage, make IT expenditures predictable, and free up budgets for optimization.
NIS2: IT security becomes a management task
With the implementation of the NIS2 Directive, IT security will finally become an issue for management and executive boards in 2026. It is no longer just about firewalls or backups, but about liability, reporting obligations, and traceable security processes. Companies must document risks, clearly define responsibilities, and inevitably consider their IT security strategies. In addition to the right technology, it is particularly challenging to clarify who is responsible for what, how exactly their own security is measured and assessed throughout, and how it remains effective in everyday life in the long term.
Managed security services and security solutions developed in Germany support companies in implementing NIS2-tailored processes, documentation, and technical protective measures in a centralized, traceable, and audit-proof manner.
Digital sovereignty
Dependence on mostly US-based hyperscalers, software providers, and platforms will continue to be a focus in 2026. The triggers are not only data protection concerns, but also geopolitical uncertainties and economic risks. Supply chains, licensing models, lack of transparency, and other factors are driving up prices and making it necessary to consider alternatives. Many companies are looking into European options, hybrid operating models, or at least exit strategies. This is rarely about taking an anti-stance or making a radical departure, but rather about creating room for maneuver.
Data sovereignty, contract flexibility and transparency, and, of course, innovative added value are currently changing the framework conditions that previously made choosing non-European solutions and services a no-brainer. “Made in Germany/EU” is no longer a compromise. There is real movement and real momentum in the market in this area. A service provider with a focus on European technologies can, of course, assist with the selection, migration, and operation of sovereign alternatives while at the same time providing stable security for hybrid scenarios.
Automation in business
While AI showcases receive a lot of attention, the real benefits in 2026 will often lie in relatively unspectacular automation. Patch management, user administration, monitoring, and incident response are just a few examples of areas that will become more standardized and automated. The driving force behind this is often less a desire for innovation and more a shortage of personnel or a need to conserve resources. Well-trained IT specialists are in short supply, and routine work costs time and important resources. Companies are therefore investing specifically in tools and processes that keep operations stable – as problem-free and smooth as possible.
However, this understandable and legitimate right of every company should be exercised with caution. Here, too, the question applies: Who am I making myself dependent on again? Who can access my data? Where might I still need “real” human intelligence? By using managed automation platforms, operating models, and external human expertise, routine tasks can be outsourced, standardized, and operated reliably around the clock.
IT organizations in transition: fewer tools, more responsibility
By 2026, IT departments will be perceived more as internal service providers with entrepreneurial responsibility. This is changing role models: architects, security officers, and service managers are gaining in importance, while pure tool expertise is losing value. Communication, documentation, decision-making, and strategic skills will become key competencies in IT. An MSP can also act as an extension of the organization, taking on responsibility while creating transparency between departments and management.
Resilience and stability as competitive advantages
After years of the “move fast” mentality, many companies are rediscovering the value of robust systems. Outages, security incidents, and supply chain problems have shown how costly instability can be. In 2026, companies will invest specifically in redundancies, contingency plans, tested recovery concepts, or simply holistic long-term planning. Resilience is no longer seen as a hindrance, but as a prerequisite for reliable growth. What is worth its weight in gold here is keeping complexity to a minimum. Highly available operating models, best practice concepts, and reliable 24/7 support create stability and the necessary security for actual competition.
Conclusion: 2026 is the year of mature IT
In 2026, IT will be less playful. At the same time, it will be even more relevant to business success. It will be about control rather than just staying up to date, about responsibility rather than experimentation, and about decisions with long-term effects. Companies that strategically align their IT, keep an eye on costs, and take regulatory requirements seriously will gain a real advantage. IT will thus no longer be an end in itself, but will return to what it should be: a worry-free, stable, reliable enabler for the core business.
Our tip
A mature IT infrastructure requires holistic approaches that enable companies to strategically outsource, support, enrich, and professionally operate their IT. As an experienced European managed service provider and one of the top 10 security software manufacturers in Germany, we are optimally positioned in the market. We offer planning, implementation, operation, protection, and support from a single source - modular, scalable, cost-transparent, and around the clock. Thanks to our own technologies, certified high-performance data centers in Germany, strong security expertise, and personal contacts at eye level, medium-sized companies in particular gain access to modern IT, high operational reliability, and noticeable relief - all without dependence on large, often unsuitable non-European providers.