IT decision-makers are ramping up automation efforts in a bid to tackle internal ‘data divides’, new research shows, but they’re facing significant hurdles.
According to a new survey from Jitterbit, seven-in-ten enterprises still don’t have a unified data platform, which is creating challenges in consolidating data silos.
The firm’s research showed two-thirds of enterprises are now using more than 500 applications – creating an overwhelming 125,000 potential integrations that require continuous oversight, updates, and maintenance.
With data silos growing in scale and complexity, the study noted that IT leaders are re-evaluating budgets to prioritize data integration and process automation. For two-thirds, these initiatives are soaking up 30% of their budgets, with 34% saying they account for more than half.
“The path to success is clear: businesses must break down data silos and automate workflows to thrive in the age of AI,” said Jitterbit president and CEO Bill Conner.
“While many organizations still struggle to find the resources across IT, IS, and line-of-business teams to bridge this ‘data divide,’ the opportunity for those who can is immense. We’re on the cusp of a new era of efficiency and innovation, driven by true end-to-end AI automation.”
One key lingering issue, however, is security. Half of respondents said that potential vulnerabilities in third-party integrations are their top data security concern.
Meanwhile, more than a third cited regulatory compliance as a major constraint to full deployment of AI-driven automation.
When it comes to resources, 70% of the load is falling on IT teams. But among those organizations that have given line-of-business (LoB) units — finance, HR, and operations, for example — the right tools and autonomy to drive their own initiatives, there’s a very positive result.
These business segments gain significant value from end-to-end automation, especially for operational efficiency and customer experience, with supply-chain management and finance set for substantial benefits.
Enterprises eye AI automation gains
More or less all of the enterprises surveyed said they’d already integrated AI into their operations – and those that were early adopters are now looking to agentic AI as the next frontier.
More than three-in-ten are already working on plans for agentic AI, aiming for autonomous decision-making enterprise AI solutions through the use of end-to-end AI automation.
“Legacy automation, designed to execute isolated tasks, is no longer sufficient enough to keep up with modern business demands,” said Jitterbit CTO Manoj Chaudhary.
“Agentic AI is driving a fundamental shift — moving from task-based automation to intelligent automation with adaptive workflows that drive real business outcomes. By leveraging AI-driven decision-making, enterprises can break free from data silos and IT bottlenecks, enabling seamless end-to-end automation.”
