The use of AI is exploding, as is the number of applications available to companies. It all integrates seamlessly, which is easier said than done.

AI will continue to be the topic of coffee machines in many companies in 2024. In its latest Connectivity Benchmark Report, Mulesoft, a subsidiary of Salesforce, measures how companies think about technology today. 1,050 organizations with at least a thousand employees took part in the survey. General conclusion: Despite an “explosion” of AI, integration into the IT ecosystem is not going smoothly.

The New Normal: Explosion of AI, Applications and Budgets

According to Mulesoft, there is no doubt: the AI ​​genie is out of the bottle. Three out of four companies say they use multiple AI models. The general consensus is that automation has a positive impact on the productivity of almost all departments within an organization. AI helps the average worker save up to two hours a week of time that can be spent on more in-depth work.

So far so good, but not everything is rosy. An explosion in AI also comes with an explosion in applications. According to the study, the average company’s ecosystem today includes no fewer than 991 (!) applications. As a result, IT budgets are also increasing significantly: companies spent an average of 10.5 million euros on IT in the past 12 months. That’s an increase of 39 percent.

Silos hinder AI

Only a small minority manage to cope with the increasingly complex IT ecosystem. 95 percent of organizations say poor integration is the biggest barrier to further AI implementation. At just two percent, things run smoothly. Almost eight out of ten are slowing down the use of AI for security reasons.

The three main reasons why AI integration is so effortless are: inadequate skills, compliance concerns and outdated IT systems. In 81 percent of companies, this creates data silos that hinder the digital transformation process. 72 percent see the interdependence of IT systems as an obstacle.

Mulesoft’s conclusions are consistent with research published by IBM earlier this month. So companies want to jump on the AI ​​bandwagon, but a lack of skills, inadequate integration of AI with other systems, and concerns about security and compliance are proving to be difficult obstacles. The problems are known, now the solution remains.