Cybozu Survey: Large-Enterprise IT Leaders Focus on AI-Driven Process Transformation, Cybersecurity, and Generative AI

Cybozu, Inc. conducted a survey of IT leaders responsible for information systems departments at large companies with 1,000 or more employees, examining how IT strategy is positioned in relation to corporate management strategy. The survey aimed to clarify what priority themes IT leaders set when advancing IT initiatives and investments to address company-wide management challenges, and how progress differs depending on the relationship between management strategy and IT strategy. The survey found that the main management challenges among the large enterprises surveyed were improving profitability, improving productivity, and reducing costs. IT leaders showed strong interest in transforming business processes using AI, strengthening cybersecurity measures, and exploring and introducing new technologies such as generative AI. According to free-text responses, companies where IT strategy is positioned within management strategy tend to pursue company-wide IT initiatives, and also tend to show larger increases in IT budgets for fiscal 2026. In contrast, companies where IT strategy is positioned separately from management strategy tend to implement IT initiatives focused on specific operations, functions, or themes. The survey summary shows that the top management challenges were improving profitability at 82%, improving productivity at 79%, and achieving cost reduction at 69%, indicating that IT departments are expected to play a role directly tied to solving management issues. Companies where IT strategy is positioned within management strategy accounted for 54%, a majority, while 38% positioned IT strategy separately from management strategy, and 8% had no clearly stated IT strategy. This indicates variation among companies in the relationship between management strategy and IT strategy. IT budgets for fiscal 2026 are generally expected to increase. Compared with fiscal 2025, the most common range was 111% to 125%, selected by 31% of respondents. Among companies that position IT strategy within management strategy, 111% to 125% was also the most common response at 43%, with priority investment areas expanding to security measures, generative AI, and related fields. A comparison of free-text responses found that companies positioning IT strategy within management strategy tend to deploy IT initiatives across the entire organization. Meanwhile, companies positioning IT strategy separately from management strategy tend to focus IT initiatives on specific operations, functions, or themes. IT leaders showed particularly strong interest in transforming business processes through digital technologies and AI at 72%, strengthening cybersecurity measures at 69%, and exploring and introducing new technologies such as generative AI at 62%. There was also notable interest in IT talent, organizational transformation, and infrastructure renewal. The survey was conducted by Cybozu, Inc. and implemented by VisasQ Inc. through an online survey of VisasQ’s registered expert panel. The survey period was January 16 to January 22, 2026. Respondents were directors or executive officers responsible for information systems departments, or department managers involved in information systems operations, at companies with 1,000 or more employees. A total of 43 responses were collected, of which 39 were valid. The survey is intended to extract qualitative insights from n=39 and does not guarantee statistical representativeness. IT Foresight is an owned media platform operated by Cybozu, Inc. In a rapidly changing business environment, companies are expected to connect technology with management strategy and execute it across the organization. IT Foresight provides knowledge useful for considering future business problem-solving and growth strategies through original analysis and multifaceted perspectives.