AI-Driven Cloud Demand Fuels Q2 Growth in Global IT and Business Services Market: ISG Index�
Combined market ACV up
Market driven by cloud XaaS, up
ISG sees AI continuing to fuel demand; raises 2025 XaaS growth forecast to
Data from the global ISG Index�, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with annual contract value (ACV) of
“The demand for AI is proving to be stronger than the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty on the global market,� said Steve Hall, president and chief AI officer of ISG. “We continue to see strong, year-over-year growth in cloud services as enterprises seek the computing power and scalability of the cloud for their AI initiatives. We’re also seeing steady demand for managed services. Sequential growth for both segments, however, flattened out in the second quarter, owing to lingering caution in the market. Still, the market remains resilient, avoiding the bearish results for managed services we anticipated last quarter, as tariff uncertainty moderated.�
Second-Quarter Results by Segment
The as-a-service (XaaS) segment climbed 28 percent versus the prior year, to a record
Within the XaaS segment, infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) ACV rose 34 percent, to a record
The managed services segment generated second-quarter ACV of
A total of 701 managed services contracts were awarded during the second quarter, down 5 percent from the prior year and down 3 percent sequentially. The number of new-scope awards was up 10 percent, but there was a pullback in smaller awards (those in the
Within managed services, IT outsourcing (ITO) produced ACV of
Business process outsourcing (BPO) ACV, at
Second-quarter ACV for engineering, research and development (ER&D) services, meanwhile, soared 72 percent year over year, to
First-Half Results
In the first half, combined market ACV of
Within managed services, ITO rose 8 percent, to
Top growth industries for managed services overall in the first half included energy, up 24 percent; manufacturing, up 9 percent; BFSI, up 5 percent, and healthcare, up 4 percent.
2025 Global Forecast
For the full year, ISG is maintaining its forecast of 1.3 percent revenue growth for managed services, reflecting a stabilizing tariff environment but also continued weakness in discretionary spending. At the same time, ISG is raising its previous growth forecast for cloud-based XaaS by 300 basis points, to 21 percent, reflecting continuing strong demand for AI-driven transformation.
Hall commented: “In terms of our macro outlook, it has improved over the last 90 days, yet business uncertainty remains high. That said, AI has emerged as the dominant theme, overcoming many of these concerns to drive the overall market forward.�
About the ISG Index�
The ISG Index� is recognized as the authoritative source for marketplace intelligence on the global technology and business services industry. For 91 consecutive quarters, it has detailed the latest industry data and trends for financial analysts, enterprise buyers, software and service providers, law firms, universities and the media.
The 2Q25 Global ISG Index results were presented during a webcast today. To view a replay of the webcast and download presentation slides, visit this .
About ISG
(Nasdaq: ) 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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Julianna Sheridan, Matter Communications for ISG
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Source: Information Services Group, Inc.