New research shows rising AI investment among ISVs, yet governance – a top priority for enterprises – still lags behind
WINDSOR, UK, 26th May 2026 – Confidence alone will not close the gap between what ISVs deliver and what enterprise customers expect from AI. That’s evident in new research from InterSystems, based on responses from 300 independent software vendors (ISVs) across the UK and Ireland, which shows that while 91% believe they are ready to meet enterprise demand for AI, the reality is more complex.
This gap is reflected in both investment priorities and real-world performance. Two-thirds (66%) of ISVs plan to increase AI investment over the next 12 months, yet only 31% are prioritising governance in their product roadmap – despite 41% acknowledging it is what their enterprise customers value most in AI-powered solutions.
The disconnect is mirrored in how solutions perform in the field too. Nearly all vendors (97%) say they face challenges embedding or integrating AI into enterprise customer environments, while 48% report that customers are frustrated with the low accuracy of AI outputs.
The research highlights that ISVs continue to struggle with establishing the right data foundations for AI success. Over a third (37%) cite data quality or availability as a major barrier, while more than half (52%) say their customers’ data architectures frequently block AI adoption – limiting scalability, increasing time-to-value, and slowing innovation. To resolve these problems, 39% of ISVs have integrated a data fabric architecture as part of their own technology stack – highlighting how this more innovative approach is laying robust foundations for AI adoption.
“Enterprises want AI solutions they can trust – built on compliant, auditable, and high-quality data & platforms that are designed to perform at scale. Reliable, clean data and a scalable architecture are fundamental ingredients to enable AI that performs reliably in enterprise environments,” says Colin Henderson, Country Manager UK & Ireland, InterSystems.
By leveraging intelligent data platforms, vendors can harmonise and govern data across existing systems – without costly replacements – and establish up to 80% of the data foundations needed for effective AI applications within weeks. This enables faster, safer iteration and the delivery of AI solutions that both scale and sustain trust.
To explore the full findings and practical steps for aligning your AI roadmap with enterprise priorities, download the eBook AI Readiness: A Strategic Imperative for ISVs.
