IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Services 2024 Predictions

This IDC study provides our 2024 predictions for the worldwide services market."Our predictions cover numerous services topics, but one common thread is the belief that AI, including GenAI, technologies will result in a long-term net increase in services-related spending and an improvement in overall customer and employee experience," says Gard Little, research VP, Worldwide Services.

IDC FutureScape Figure

Executive Summary

IDC FutureScape Predictions

• Summary of External Drivers
• Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers
  • Prediction 1: By 2025, 40% of Services Engagements Will Include GenAI-Enabled Delivery, Triggering a Shift in Human-Delivered Services for Strategy, Change, and Training to Prepare Organizations for AI Everywhere
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 2: By 2026, 60% of G2000 Enterprises Will Embark on New or Expand Existing IT and Engineering Services Partnerships to Deploy New Digital Technologies to Integrate and Modernize Many Business Functions
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 3: By 2027, 95% of G2000 Organizations Will Leverage GenAI in Hardware and Software Life-Cycle Services to Drive Quality and Efficiency Across Their Digital Business Life Cycle
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 4: By 2025, 90% of IT Projects Will Leverage Delivery Tools Integrated with Services Provider Methodologies and Frameworks to Automate 40% of Implementation Work
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 5: By 2028, 60% of Professional Services Engagements Will Have ESG Outcomes Built into the Project Scope Partially Driven by a Move to Value-Based Pricing
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 6: By 2027, Use of AI to Support and Execute Application Modernization Services Work Will Grow by 75% to Streamline Efficiency, Enhance Services Delivery Speed, and Bolster Services Margins
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 7: Driven by the Potential of GenAI, 40% of Organizations Will Reskill Their Customer Care Agents to Take Up Different Roles to Deliver Better Business Value by 2026
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 8: By 2026, 60% of G2000 Organizations Will Create Feature Stores with the Ability to Seamlessly Integrate with Vendor Products to Accelerate AI-Driven Innovation While Ensuring Data Governance and Security
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 9: By 2027, Engineering Services Will Become Mainstream as 80% of G2000 Will Leverage Their Services Partners to Get Products to Market Faster, Increase CSAT, and Modernize Operations
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 10: By 2026, 50% of Organizations Will Expect Near-Real-Time, Continuous Consulting Insights and Feedback on Their Digital Business Products and Services in Alignment with Defined Business Objectives
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance

Advice for Technology Buyers

External Drivers: Detail

• AI Everywhere - Generative AI Takes the Spotlight
• The Drive to Automate - Maximizing Efficiency and New Opportunities
• Cybersecurity and Risk - Building Resilience Against Multiplying Threats
• The Digital Business Imperative - Competitiveness and Outcomes
• Everything as a Service Intensifies - Transforming Models to Drive Change
• Dynamic Work and Skills Requirements - New Work Mode Era
• Operationalization of ESG - Measuring and Implementing Sustainability

Learn More

• Related Research