Enterprises see promise in AI but need help building and running infrastructure amid rising cost pressures, ISG Provider Lens^® report says

As enterprises in the U.S. execute hybrid multicloud strategies, many are turning to service providers that use AI and automation to ease cloud and data center management, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Private/Hybrid Cloud — Data Center Services report for the U.S. finds that the rapid adoption of technologies such as generative AI and large language models (LLMs) has created unprecedented demand for data processing and storage, making data centers even more critical for enterprise operations. Service providers are helping organizations address many data center challenges, especially the need for scalability, high-speed connectivity and regulatory compliance.

“AI is transforming the digital landscape, and data centers are at the heart of these changes,” said Anay Nawathe, ISG cloud delivery lead for the Americas. “Service providers are delivering the tools and expertise enterprises need to build infrastructure that supports AI.”

Providers are helping companies virtualize workloads, move them to cloud or colocation data centers and manage them with cloud-agnostic tools, the report says. The transition from traditional data centers to cloud-based infrastructure can improve scalability, security and efficiency. Reducing IT spending is a growing priority for U.S. enterprises as they face macroeconomic uncertainty on several fronts. Providers’ managed services include observability and automation to improve enterprise cloud operations and FinOps frameworks to manage cloud costs.

AI and ML bring valuable new capabilities to managed services for both private and hybrid clouds, ISG says. These include algorithms to analyze real-time data and logs and metrics to detect anomalies and forecast disruptions. Many U.S. enterprises want to use AI and ML but do not know how to start. They seek AI-ready infrastructure consulting that includes design, implementation and management.

Enterprises distributing workloads across private and public clouds need to optimize the placement of those workloads to gain the full benefits of cloud-based computing. They are taking advantage of AI-powered features in managed services that automatically determine the best placement of each workload based on cost, performance requirements, resource availability and regulations.

Security is a high priority for companies that migrate data and applications to hybrid clouds, and providers are integrating security operations into their services, ISG says. Enterprises use these features, including continuous monitoring, advanced threat detection and rapid incident response mechanisms, to ensure a consistent security posture across all managed environments.

“Companies are trusting critical workloads to hybrid clouds and the services that manage them,” said Shashank Rajmane, senior manager and principal analyst, ISG Provider Lens Research, and author of the report. “They rely on service providers to enforce security policies and automate data governance and compliance across all parts of that distributed infrastructure.”

The report also explores other U.S. trends related to hybrid cloud services, including advances in software-defined data centers and growing investments in DevOps and containerization for consistent application development and management.

For more insights into U.S. enterprise challenges related to data centers and hybrid clouds, plus ISG’s advice for addressing them, see the ISG Provider Lens^® Focal Points briefing here.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Private/Hybrid Cloud — Data Center Services report for the U.S. evaluates the capabilities of 71 providers across five quadrants: Managed Services — Large Accounts, Managed Services — Midmarket, Managed Hosting, Colocation Services and AI-Ready Infrastructure Consulting.

The report names Kyndryl and NTT DATA as Leaders in three quadrants each. It names Accenture, Capgemini, Cognizant, DXC Technology, Ensono, Rackspace Technology and TCS as Leaders in two quadrants each. Centersquare, CoreSite, CyrusOne, DataBank, Deloitte, Digital Realty, Equinix, Flexential, HCLTech, Hexaware, IBM, Infinite Computer Solutions, Infosys, Microland, Mphasis, PwC, QTS, Unisys, UnitedLayer and Wipro are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, Coforge and HPE are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

In the area of customer experience, Persistent Systems is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2025 among private/hybrid cloud data center service providers. Persistent Systems earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG's Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

Customized versions of the report are available from Unisys and UnitedLayer.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Private/Hybrid Cloud — Data Center Services report for the U.S. is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens^® Research

The ISG Provider Lens^® Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.

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AI is transforming the digital landscape, and data centers are at the heart of these changes. Service providers are delivering the tools and expertise enterprises need to build infrastructure that supports AI.