LATEST INTELLIGENCE

PRESENTED BY

How forward-looking corporates are preparing their businesses for a new era of threat protection, operational intelligence, and smarter infrastructure.

Based on intensive research from IDC commissioned by 1-800 Office Solutions, this playbook provides insights from 620 IT and business leaders to guide your AI strategy.

Introduction: The AI Tipping Point

1. The Shift Over the past year, the narrative around Artificial Intelligence has fundamentally changed. The era of speculative exploration has given way to an age of strategic application. We have reached the AI tipping point, where the focus is no longer on the novelty of the technology but on its economic impact4its ability to drive tangible, measurable business outcomes.

2. Your Guide This playbook, brought to you by 1-800 Office Solutions, is your guide to navigating this new reality. Based on a comprehensive IDC study of 620 IT and business decisionmakers( ITBDMs) across Europe, the United States of America and the Middle East, this document unpacks the reality of AI adoption on the ground.

3. We reveal a clear pivot from opportunistic projects to scaled, practical applications. Enterprises are now deliberately aligning wAI investments with core business goals like operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and sustainable innovation. The rise of Generative AI( GenAI) is accelerating this shift, with proven successes emerging rapidly in back-office functions like IT operations and supply chain management.

4. The era of FOMO( fear of missing out) is over. It has been replaced by calculated, strategic investments designed to deliver productivity gains and streamline complex operations. This guide provides the data-driven insights and actionable guidance CIOs need to address foundational challenges, from data governance to skills shortages, and ensure their AI initiatives deliver maximum value and a lasting competitive advantage. p

20 INTELLIGENTCIO NORTH AMERICA www. intelligentcio. com