Within that combined total:
“The global technology services market surged to a new record in the first quarter as enterprises accelerated their AI adoption and continued to seek cost savings,” ISG stated in its April 2026 press release MI.
Enterprise AI adoption was the clear primary driver of Q1 2026 growth. The ISG presentation notes that AI demand remained “exceptionally strong” at the enterprise level and served as the primary catalyst for cloud services growth II. The investment pattern is stark: IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) has captured the “first wave of AI value,” driven by hyperscaler capital spending that surged 265% I. SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) is now beginning to monetize AI as well, with revenue and backlog growing ahead of profitability as the market works through new pricing models for AI capabilities I.
ISG notes that AI is “reshaping enterprise investment priorities and delivery models” across the entire technology services landscape IM.
Based on the strong Q1 performance and sustained AI demand, ISG raised its full-year 2026 growth forecast for the XaaS segment to 25%, up from the earlier estimate of 20% set at the end of 2025 III. The managed services growth forecast was maintained at 2.1%, reflecting a stabilizing environment but continued weakness in discretionary spending III.
| Metric | Q1 2026 Result | 2026 Full-Year Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Market ACV | ~$40B, +30% Y/Y | — |
| XaaS Growth | Best quarter ever, +44% Y/Y | +25% (raised from 20%) |
| Managed Services Growth | 2nd-best quarter ever | +2.1% (maintained) |
| Primary Driver | Enterprise AI adoption | AI & hyperscaler investment |
The typical ISG Index release cadence has Q1 results published in April, Q2 in July, Q3 in October, and Q4/full-year in January. As of the date of this analysis (July 10, 2026), no Q2 2026 press release or public data set had been published by ISG II. The Q1 2026 presentation was updated on July 9, 2026, suggesting ISG continues to refine its 2026 outlook based on real-time market conditions — but the Q2 data itself remains forthcoming I.
Without a Q2 2026 release, the most reliable picture of the current market comes from Q1 2026: a record-setting quarter where AI-driven XaaS spending propelled the combined market to nearly $40 billion. ISG’s raised full-year XaaS forecast to 25% signals confidence that this momentum will continue through the rest of 2026. The managed services segment, while growing more slowly at 2.1%, remains stable and is expected to see a bigger AI impact in the future as productivity indicators begin to move I.