AI-Driven Platforms Strengthen IT Foundations, ISG Says

Expanding capabilities and automation help enterprises unify, standardize and control operations and development, new research says

Integrated software platforms are becoming increasingly strategically important for AI-enabled modernization of hybrid, multicloud enterprise IT estates, according to new research from global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III).

The 2026 ISG Buyers Guides™ for Platforms provide the rankings and ratings of 97 software providers and their products to streamline integration while improving delivery speed, automation and governance throughout enterprise IT environments. The Buyers Guide for Application Platforms covers established providers of platforms for the development, deployment, integration and lifecycle management of business applications. The research series also includes Buyers Guides for AI-Driven Development Platforms and Intelligent Automation Platforms, with separate guides for established and emerging providers in each of these areas.

The research finds that enterprises are seeking more consistent integration, governance and operation of heterogeneous application portfolios deployed across complex hybrid and multicloud estates. They are turning to platforms with standards-based connectivity, unified governance and lifecycle management as they consolidate software stacks and formalize API- and event-driven architectures. Generative AI and machine learning are now embedded across application development, DevOps, process intelligence and automation platforms, with agentic AI likely to emerge in platforms later in 2026.

"Platform consolidation is no longer an efficiency play. It is now a structural necessity," said Jeff Orr, director of research, IT and technologies, at ISG. "Enterprises are replacing fragmented toolchains with platforms that combine AI-assisted execution with strong governance."

Cloud-native application platforms, designed for interoperability, have replaced monolithic application servers as enterprises adopt microservices, containers and multicloud environments, the research finds. Development platforms incorporate AI components across developer and operational workflows, including AI-assisted code generation, testing, documentation and runtime optimization, along with release analysis, anomaly detection and performance tuning.

AI functionality has become a core component in all platform categories, ISG finds. AI-driven AppDev platforms increase the efficiency and visibility of application delivery while reinforcing governance. DevOps platforms, which support ongoing operations for enterprise developers, are incorporating AI to improve delivery speed, reliability, security and cost efficiency without reliance on outsourced services. Process intelligence platforms, which enterprises increasingly rely on for efficiency and risk reduction in complex enterprise workflows, are accelerating a shift from static documentation to continuous, data-driven visibility and sustained optimization.

Organizations with mature integration practices and standards-based interoperability strategies are best prepared to successfully adopt unified, AI-enabled platforms, ISG finds. Enterprises should prioritize platforms that offer enterprise-grade control, along with governance features such as vulnerability management and data privacy controls. They should apply AI with clear guardrails, including responsible use policies and human-in-the-loop oversight, so automation improves throughput and quality without compromising compliance or safety.

ISG rates software providers in five evaluation categories: Overall, Product Experience (incorporating Capability and Platform) and Customer Experience. Providers ranked in the top three for each evaluation category are named as Leaders. Within each platform category, those with the most Leader rankings are named as Overall Leaders.

For its 2026 ISG Buyers Guide™ for Application Platforms, ISG evaluated the 13 largest providers of business application software: AWS, C3.ai, Google Cloud, IBM, Infor, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, Workday, Zendesk and Zoho.

The Overall Leaders of the 2026 Buyers Guide™ for Application Platforms were the following:

Application Platforms: Microsoft was the top Overall Leader, followed by ServiceNow and Salesforce. Microsoft was designated a Leader in three evaluation categories, ServiceNow in four and Salesforce in four. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Oracle and Zendesk. Google Cloud and Zoho were rated Innovative.

For the Buyers Guide for AI-Driven Development Platforms, ISG evaluated established providers across two platform categories: AI-Driven AppDev Platforms and AI-Driven DevOps Platforms. A total of 32 providers were assessed: Airtable, Appian, Atlassian, AWS, C3.ai, Caspio, Copado, Creatio, Digital.ai, GitLab, Google Cloud, HCLSoftware, IBM, JetBrains, JFrog, Kissflow, Mendix, Microsoft, Newgen, Nintex, Oracle, OutSystems, Pegasystems, Quickbase, Red Hat, Retool, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, UiPath, Unqork and Zoho.

The Overall Leaders of the 2025 Buyers Guide™ for AI-Driven Development Platforms were the following:

AI-Driven AppDev Platforms: Microsoft was the top Overall Leader, followed by Appian and Pegasystems. Microsoft was designated a Leader in four evaluation categories, Appian in four and Pegasystems in two. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Airtable, Salesforce, ServiceNow, UiPath and Zoho. Kissflow, Nintex and OutSystems were rated Innovative.

AI-Driven DevOps Platforms: Microsoft was the top Overall Leader, followed by Google Cloud and AWS. Microsoft was designated a Leader in four evaluation categories, Google Cloud in three and AWS in three. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Copado. Atlassian and Red Hat were rated Innovative.

For the Buyers Guide for AI-Driven Development Platforms Emerging Providers, ISG evaluated emerging providers across the same two platforms. A total of 12 providers were assessed: Backendless, Betty Blocks, Buildkite, CircleCI, Claris, CloudBees, GeneXus, Harness, Octopus, Simplicité, Thinkwise and WaveMaker.

The Overall Leaders of the 2026 Buyers Guide™ for Application Platforms Emerging Providers were the following:

AI-Driven AppDev Platforms Emerging Providers: GeneXus was the top Overall Leader, followed by Betty Blocks and Thinkwise. GeneXus was designated a Leader in four evaluation categories, Betty Blocks in four and Thinkwise in three. GeneXus and Betty Blocks were rated Exemplary. Backendless and Thinkwise were rated Innovative.

AI-Driven DevOps Platforms Emerging Providers: Octopus was the top Overall Leader, followed by CloudBees and Buildkite. Octopus was designated a Leader in five evaluation categories, CloudBees in five and Buildkite in four. Octopus and CloudBees were rated Exemplary. Buildkite was rated Innovative.

For the Buyers Guide for Intelligent Automation Platforms, ISG evaluated providers across three platform categories: Process Intelligence Platforms, Intelligent Document Processing Platforms and Automation and Orchestration Platforms. A total of 37 providers were assessed: ABBYY, AgilePoint, Appian, Automation Anywhere, Bizagi, Celonis, Fortra, HCLTech, Hyperscience, IBM, Infrrd, iGrafx, Iron Mountain, Laiye, Microsoft, MuleSoft, Newgen, NiCE, Nintex, Nividous, OpenText, Pegasystems, ProcessMaker, QAD, SAP, SAP Signavio, ServiceNow, Software AG, Soroco, SS&C Blue Prism, Sutherland, Tungsten Automation, UiPath, Workato, WorkFusion, Worksoft and Zendesk.

The Overall Leaders of the 2026 Buyers Guide™ for Intelligent Automation Platforms were the following:

Process Intelligence Platforms: Appian was the top Overall Leader, followed by Microsoft and Automation Anywhere. Appian, Microsoft and Automation Anywhere were designated Leaders in three evaluation categories each. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Celonis, IBM, Pegasystems, ServiceNow and UiPath. Nintex was rated Innovative.

Intelligent Document Processing Platforms: Appian was the top Overall Leader, followed by Microsoft and ServiceNow. Appian was designated a Leader in four evaluation categories, Microsoft in three and ServiceNow in four. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Automation Anywhere, IBM, Iron Mountain and UiPath. Hyperscience, Newgen, Tungsten Automation and Workato were rated Innovative.

Automation and Orchestration Platforms: Microsoft was the top Overall Leader, followed by Appian, with Automation Anywhere and Pegasystems tied for third place. Microsoft was designated a Leader in four evaluation categories, Appian in three and Automation Anywhere in two. Microsoft, Appian and Automation Anywhere were rated Exemplary, along with IBM, Iron Mountain, ServiceNow, UiPath and Zendesk. Bizagi, Nintex, Nividous, Pegasystems and Tungsten Automation were rated Innovative.

For the Buyers Guide for Intelligent Automation Platforms Emerging Providers, ISG evaluated providers across the same three platform categories. A total of 24 providers were assessed: Apromore, AuraQuantic, AutomationEdge, BIS, BusinessOptix, Fisent, Gumloop, Hubbl, Indico Data, ITyX, JobRouter, Kanverse.ai, Kognitos, Mehrwerk, Mimica, mindzie, Nanonets, Neutrinos, Parascript, QPR Software, Rossum, Skan AI, StereoLOGIC and Worksoft.

The Overall Leaders of the 2026 Buyers Guide™ for Intelligent Automation Emerging Providers were the following:

Process Intelligence Platforms Emerging Providers: QPR Software was the top Overall Leader, followed by Apromore and Hubbl. QPR Software was designated a Leader in four evaluation categories, Apromore in three and Hubbl in three. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with AuraQuantic, Mimica and Skan AI. Fisent was rated Innovative.

Intelligent Document Processing Platforms Emerging Providers: Nanonets was the top Overall Leader, followed by Rossum and Indico Data. Nanonets was designated a Leader in three evaluation categories, Rossum in three and Indico Data in five. Nanonets and Indico Data were rated Exemplary, along with AuraQuantic. Fisent and Rossum were rated Innovative.

Automation and Orchestration Platforms Emerging Providers: Kognitos was the top Overall Leader, followed by Nanonets and Gumloop. Kognitos was designated a Leader in five evaluation categories, Nanonets in four and Gumloop in four. Kognitos and Nanonets were rated Exemplary, along with Kanverse.ai. Gumloop and Worksoft were rated Innovative.

"Integrated, AI-enabled software platforms are becoming foundational to enterprise operations, adaptation and growth," said David Menninger, executive director, software research, ISG. "This research examines both established and emerging providers and their products in depth, establishing AI capability as a core requirement and giving organizations the insights they need to select the platforms that will best suit their needs."

The ISG Buyers Guides™ for Platforms are the distillation of more than a year of market and product research efforts. The research is not sponsored nor influenced by software providers and is conducted solely to help enterprises optimize their business and IT software investments.

Visit this webpage to learn more about the ISG Buyers Guides™ for Platforms and read executive summaries of each of the five reports. The complete reports, including provider rankings across seven product and customer experience dimensions and detailed research findings on each provider, are available by contacting ISG.

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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