Survey: IT Budgets to Rise in 2026, Staffing Shortages Persist

Seventy-four percent of IT leaders expect budgets to rise in 2026, but more than half say they still lack the internal resources to fix issues quickly or drive innovation. 

This is according to DataStrike’s newly released 2026 Data Infrastructure Survey Report, which gathered insights from 280 IT leaders across industries to highlight the top challenges IT teams are facing in the year ahead.

Moving beyond cloud adoption to optimization

Now in its second year, the 2026 Data Infrastructure Survey Report revealed key findings about IT teams’ struggles with data infrastructure, manpower, and internal expertise.

The report found that 60 percent of organizations now rely on MSPs to manage data infrastructure — more than double the rate reported in DataStrike’s 2025 study. DataStrike said this trend illustrates the growing dependence on external expertise, particularly as IT teams tackle modernization and technical debt.

While cloud adoption has become standard across organizations, the study found that many are focusing on optimizing existing systems, strengthening data strategies, and preparing infrastructure for the growing influence of AI.

“It’s clear that IT teams have moved beyond the question of whether to adopt the cloud. “Their focus now is on how to modernize, manage costs, and build a data strategy that supports the next generation of innovation,” said Rob Brown, president and chief operating officer at DataStrike. 

“They’re also reassessing resources, engaging MSPs to manage data infrastructure, and adopting open-source databases like PostgreSQL to streamline operations and reduce reliance on expensive proprietary systems,” Brown added.

DataStrike is a provider of onshore database, cloud, and business intelligence managed services. Founded in 2008, the company provides solutions, specialized experts, and practical guidance to companies looking to harness IT changes as a catalyst for growth.

IT teams struggling with modernization, technical debt

The survey surfaced the most significant challenges IT teams expect to face in 2026. The respondents cited modernizing legacy systems (46 percent) and managing technical debt (33 percent) as their biggest obstacles in the coming year. 

Technical debt refers to the future costs incurred when organizations opt for faster but suboptimal solutions to problems rather than implementing more tailored solutions that would take longer.

These two concerns replaced last year’s top issues, with organizations previously worrying about tool sprawl and slow technology adoption, per DataStrike’s 2025 Data Infrastructure Survey Report.

Meanwhile, 61 percent of respondents identified developing a data strategy as their top priority, underscoring the growing recognition among IT leaders that a strong data foundation is essential for realizing value from AI investments.

Lacking manpower for database teams

One of the report’s key findings centered on database administrators (DBAs) and database teams. It found that internal database teams remain small, with only a third of respondents employing dedicated DBAs.

Further, more than half of those organizations have just one or two DBAs, even while supporting workloads across multiple platforms, including Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and cloud-native databases.

This gap is especially glaring given that a quarter of those surveyed said they needed five or more DBAs to meet their demands.

We spoke with DataStrike President and COO Rob Brown on the recent increase in H-1B visas costs and how it may affect offshore hiring. Learn more about his insights on how companies can build domestic talent in 2026 and beyond.