DataStrike's 2026 Data Infrastructure Report confirms what many IT leaders are already feeling: The money is finally flowing, but the talent pool isn't keeping up. While 74% of respondents expect their data infrastructure budgets to increase in 2026, more than half said that they lack the internal resources to troubleshoot quickly or drive real innovation within their organizations. Additionally, cloud adoption is largely a done deal, with a shift to focus on modernization, cost control, and building a data strategy that can support what the next wave of AI brings.
The talent gap is fueling a surge in managed services, with 60% — more than double last year's figure — of respondents reporting that their organizations rely on managed service providers (MSPs) to manage their data infrastructure and stabilize performance. Internal database teams are running lean, with only one-third of organizations reporting that they have dedicated database administrators (DBAs).
As for what's keeping IT leaders up at night, concerns about tool sprawl and slow adoption have been replaced by more challenging issues, such as modernizing legacy systems (46%), managing technical debt (33%), and building a coherent data strategy (61%). Across industries, IT leaders are recognizing that without a solid data foundation, AI is more buzz than business outcome, and modernization is the prerequisite for operational resilience and AI-ready architecture.
To enable teams to operate nimbly, a blended operating model is emerging as the sweet spot, with internal teams, MSPs, and fractional support working together to keep systems running, pursue innovative projects, and drive long-term growth. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they're open to outsourcing database infrastructure, and an even larger majority (83%) would consider alternative providers to close skills gaps and reduce costs.
Read more about the survey findings at ISE.
About the Author
Abby White
Vice President of Content Studio
Abby White is a content strategist, newsroom-trained writer, and brand storyteller. As Vice President of EndeavorB2B’s Content Studio, she leads client-driven custom content programs across 90+ brands and the content strategy for topic and role-based newsletters serving executive audiences. An award-winning journalist with a marketer’s mindset, Abby brings 25 years of experience leading editorial, communications, marketing, and audience-building efforts across industries.
Abby launched her first magazine, Abby’s Top 40, in 1988 and made everyone in her family read it. While attending the University of Illinois, she paid her rent as a professional notetaker, which might explain why she still gets asked to take notes in meetings. Since then, she has held editorial leadership roles at an alt weekly, a newspaper, a luxury lifestyle magazine, a business journal, a music magazine, and regional women’s magazines, developing a sharp writing edge and a conversational tone that resonates with professional audiences.
She expanded into marketing while leading communications for an entertainment industry nonprofit and later drove rebranding and audience-building efforts for an NPR music station. At EndeavorB2B, she has been instrumental in driving editorial excellence, developing scalable content strategies across multiple verticals, and building the foundation for EDGE, the company’s portfolio of executive newsletters.
And if you’re a writer interested in contributing to TechEDGE, she’s the person you need to (politely) bug.
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