From Budget Drain to Business Value: The ROI of Cloud Maturity in 2026

Editor’s Note (January 2026): This piece has been updated to reflect the latest technological trends, including 2026 global spending forecasts and the critical “AI skills gap” currently impacting the global economy.

For the past several years, most organizations have made it their priority to shift much of their applications and data from on-premises to the cloud. In fact, the Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast projects that cloud-related software and data center systems will drive a nearly 10% hike in total IT expenditure this year. Furthermore, with 94% of enterprises now utilizing cloud services, the “migration” phase of the last decade has become a historical milestone rather than a current goal.

These cloud adoption stats are staggering. However, despite widespread cloud adoption, organizations are still struggling to ensure that their teams are fully cloud literate. The Pluralsight 2026 Tech Forecast reveals a sobering reality: while AI investment remains a cornerstone ...