Data Readiness and Infrastructure Emerge as Key to Success in the AI Era: NetApp–IDC Study

NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, has released its second annual global Enterprise AI Maturity Study conducted by IDC, highlighting that success in the AI era depends heavily on data readiness, protection, and intelligent infrastructure. The study reveals a significant shift in enterprise AI priorities—from experimentation to measurable business impact.

In 2024, organizations focused on AI’s potential. In 2025, the conversation has matured: enterprises are now under ROI pressure and must embed data governance and security from the outset. “AI is no longer about proof of concept—it’s about proof of value,” said Syam Nair, Chief Product Officer, NetApp. “Enterprises that focus on high-quality data and scalable, cloud-smart architectures are the ones converting AI into true business impact.”

Key Findings from IDC’s 2025 Study:

● Maturity drives performance: AI Masters—organizations with advanced data governance and infrastructure—achieved 24.1% revenue growth and 25.4% cost savings, far exceeding peers.

● Infrastructure gaps persist: Although major storage overhauls dropped from 63% in 2024 to 37% in 2025, 84%of companies say their systems are still not optimized for AI workloads.

● Security takes center stage: 62% of AI Masters increased AI security budgets, compared to 16% of less mature firms.

● Agentic AI readiness: With solid data and security foundations, Masters are better positioned for Agentic AI, while others remain stuck in fragmented GenAI adoption.

IDC’s Dave Pearson, VP of Infrastructure Solutions, noted that enterprises modernizing their data pipelines, governance, and storage are turning pilots into production-grade AI applications with measurable outcomes.

The study concludes that AI impact—not hype—depends on robust data practices and modern architectures that are cloud-smart, scalable, secure, and adaptive. In the AI age, infrastructure maturity determines how effectively organizations transform innovation into business value.