News

Enterprise Software Faces AI-Driven Disruption as Development Productivity Gains Fail to Materialize

In 2026, the enterprise software industry will undergo significant disruption due to AI, leading to increased merger and acquisition activity among mid-market companies, while organizations struggle to convert productivity gains from AI into strategic business value.

Data and Data Management

Ellucian Completes Anthology SIS and ERP Acquisition, Adding 260 Higher Education Customers

Ellucian's acquisition of Anthology's Student Information Systems and ERP business, following Anthology's bankruptcy, expands its customer base to more than 260 institutions.

Data processing over infrastructure construction site

Data and Data Management

Six Data Pivots That Decide Whether Your AI Strategy Scales in 2026

AI is forcing businesses to modernize data architectures. CData’s e-book outlines six pivots to scale AI-driven products.

ERP Strategy and Planning

SAP Sets May 2026 Cutoff for S/4HANA Compatibility Packs, Offering Final Transition Window

SAP is granting a final five-month extension for on-premises S/4HANA customers to transition from Compatibility Packs to cloud solutions, pushing expiration dates to May 2026 to help manage this critical migration.

Business Process Management and Automation

How Microsoft Is Rewiring ERP with Composable Dynamics 365

Microsoft's ERP strategy focuses on a composable approach using Dynamics 365 as a modular backbone for industry-specific solutions, emphasizing scenario-driven capabilities, AI integration, and partner specialization to create tailored solutions on a shared cloud platform.

Security

How Microsoft Security Copilot Helps Lean Teams Scale Incident Response and Compliance

Security teams increasingly face cyber threats beyond their investigative capacities, leading to the adoption of generative AI tools such as Microsoft Security Copilot, which enhances threat investigation, incident response, and policy management.

Manufacturing Systems and Automation

Three Trends Changing Manufacturing ERP in 2026

The manufacturing ERP landscape is transforming by 2026 due to the emergence of autonomous operations, composable architectures and sustainability ledgers, shifting focus toward action, which requires new governance and integration strategies.

US Department of Defense webpage open on a smartphone

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

CMMC 2.0 Enters Enforcement: What Contractors and Vendors Must Know

CMMC 2.0 enforcement has begun, shifting defense contractors from voluntary cybersecurity guidance to mandatory compliance under a phased rollout with defined certification levels and assessments.

The coast of Da Nang with the city against the beach and ocean

ERP Strategy and Planning

Vietnam Draws More Than $7 Billion in AI Data Center Investments, Reshaping Enterprise Infrastructure

Create Capital Vietnam and Haimaker.ai have unveiled a $1 billion joint venture to build a nationwide AI-focused data center network in Vietnam, part of a broader surge of more than $7 billion in AI infrastructure investment driven by policy incentives and rising enterprise demand.

Cloud Platform and Technology

Overcoming AI Adoption Challenges in Manufacturing and Supply Chain

AI is rapidly becoming essential in manufacturing and supply chain management, but uneven deployment due to barriers like data quality and user adoption persists, while vendors are focusing on domain-specific AI to integrate predictive insights directly into core processes.

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

How Gulf States Are Approaching Digital Sovereignty

Gulf states are building digital sovereignty frameworks to strengthen infrastructure and move from importing to operating cloud and AI services locally. National regulations, major investments, and regional collaboration support this transformation.

Microsoft Teams App opened on a phone that is sitting on a keyboard

Security

Microsoft Teams Security Update Activates January 12, 2026

Microsoft Teams will enable new messaging safety features on January 12, 2026, strengthening protection against weaponizable file types and malicious links and adding options for users to report incorrect security detection.

Security

ServiceNow’s Armis Acquisition Signals Strategic Enterprise IT Push

ServiceNow's $7.75 billion acquisition of Armis aims to enhance its cybersecurity offerings by merging its configuration management database with Armis' real-time asset discovery tools, thereby tripling its security revenue and addressing the integrated vulnerability management needs of enterprises.

Analytics and AI

Microsoft Research Maps 2026 AI Agenda: From Lab Assistants to Trusted Agents

Microsoft Research forecasts 2026 as a pivotal year where AI evolves into collaborative 'digital coworkers' across sectors, emphasizing security, agentic systems, and quantum advancements that align with human-centered goals and redefine enterprise resource planning.

Analytics and AI

Alphabet’s Intersect Buy Tightens Link Between AI Data Centers and Clean Energy Infrastructure

Alphabet is acquiring Intersect for $4.75 billion to enhance its data center and energy infrastructure capabilities as part of its AI strategy, while Intersect will operate independently and collaborate closely with Google on new facilities.

Analytics and AI

SAP, Partners Turn Embedded Business AI into Concrete ERP Wins

SAP and its partners are transforming AI from concept to implementation by integrating SAP Business AI and SAP BTP into workflows that enhance efficiency and collaboration, as illustrated by successful case studies from companies like FRoSTA and Aspen Pumps.

Analytics and AI

Why Industry-Built ERP Will Lead the Next Wave of Manufacturing Modernization

Manufacturing executives are increasingly favoring vertical ERP systems over generic platforms due to the former's ability to provide tailored, out-of-the-box solutions that align with industry-specific workflows.

Analytics and AI

Google Launches Gemini for Government, Supporting DOE Labs on Genesis Mission

Google launches Gemini for Government at 47 cents per year for federal agencies, partnering with DOE National Labs to enhance scientific productivity through agentic AI workflows, secure collaboration, and advanced research tools.

CRM and Customer Experience

5 Predictions: What Salesforce Leaders Expect from Enterprise AI Agents in 2026

At a Salesforce roundtable, executives predicted that by 2026, companies will face a clear divide based on their adoption of AI agents as operational infrastructure, leading to significant changes in voice communication, engineering delivery models, governance structures, and user experiences.

Automation

RPA Pushes Healthcare from Manual Admin to Intelligent Automation

Hospitals are increasingly adopting robotic process automation (RPA) to alleviate administrative burdens and workforce shortages while enhancing patient experiences, evolving from basic scripts to AI-enabled intelligent automation that reshapes claims management, scheduling, and compliance.

Data and Data Management

How to Choose an MCP Platform for Production-Scale AI Agents

Model Context Protocols (MCPs) standardize secure, real-time access for AI agents to enterprise systems. MCP features such as plug-and-play integration, real-time monitoring, and scalability become a differentiator as businesses embed AI into core workflows.

Analytics and AI

December’s M&A Sprint Signals AI Infrastructure Consolidation Era for Enterprises

In December 2025, a surge of over $100 billion in strategic technology acquisitions is compelling ERP executives to pivot away from fragmented solutions towards more robust, AI-native architectures amidst rising valuations and an emphasis on security.

Business Process Management and Automation

ClickUp Addresses Work Sprawl with Codegen Acquisition

ClickUp has acquired AI startup Codegen to enhance its platform with autonomous software engineering capabilities, integrating execution engines with enterprise context for a unified workspace that enables AI agents to perform tasks across multiple systems.

Financial Management

BlackLine Acquires WiseLayer in Bid to Enhance AI Capabilities

BlackLine's acquisition of WiseLayer marks a pivotal moment in finance as AI agents take on complex judgment-heavy tasks, transforming operating models and integration practices while significantly enhancing efficiency and accuracy in financial operations.

Security

Palo Alto, Google Cloud Expand AI Security Alliance as 99% of Organizations Report AI Attacks

Palo Alto Networks and Google Cloud have expanded their partnership with a nearly $10 billion deal to enhance AI and cloud security, integrating Palo Alto’s Prisma AIRS platform with Google Cloud’s infrastructure to provide comprehensive security across hybrid multicloud environments.

Data and Data Management

Oracle Database@Azure expands to the Netherlands, launches in Brazil

Oracle has expanded its Oracle Database@Azure service into the West Europe region and Brazil Southeast, allowing customers to run Oracle databases within Microsoft Azure environments while benefiting from local compliance and reduced latency, thus reinforcing its strategy to integrate database services with major cloud platforms without the need for architectural changes.

ERP Strategy and Planning

Thai ERP Vendor Dynamics Motion Embeds Google Gemini in MotionERP, Cuts System Costs

Dynamics Motion has launched an AI-enhanced MotionERP integrated with Google Gemini, claiming to improve operational efficiencies by over 30% and reduce system costs by more than 3.5 times, positioning itself as a leader in Thailand's ERP market.

CRM and Customer Experience

Inside Salesforce’s Agentforce Roundtable: How Did Leaders Really Use AI Agents in 2025?

Executives are shifting their focus from the hype of AI to practical implementation, emphasizing the importance of data activation, hybrid reasoning models, and effective change management to ensure AI agents deliver value in real-world applications.

Financial Management

BillingPlatform Adds Platform Capabilities for Advanced Revenue Insights

BillingPlatform's upgraded capabilities transform billing into a real-time decision system for revenue leaders, enhancing visibility, reducing manual reporting, leveraging AI for transparency and robust integration.

Data and Data Management

Data Maturity Is the Strongest Predictor of AI Success in 2026, Says New CData Study

Despite investment in AI copilots, many enterprises' lack of robust data infrastructure hampers their ability to derive sustainable ROI from AI initiatives, with only 6% of organizations considered genuinely AI-ready due to fragmented data systems.