New ePlus AI Industry Pulse Poll Reveals Strategic Shift: AI Moves from Efficiency to Expansion

Nearly Three Out of Four IT and Industry Leaders Now Prioritize Revenue Growth as Main Driver of AI Initiatives, Over Cost Savings and Increased Customer Satisfaction

ePlus inc. announced the findings of its new AI Industry Pulse Poll, which offers a closer look at how organizational leaders are reimagining the role of AI in their operations. The data, which came from a survey of 150 IT and industry leaders, highlights a pivotal shift in mindset: AI is evolving from a tool for productivity and cost efficiency into a strategic driver of top-line growth. Nearly three-quarters of organizational leaders now identify revenue growth as the primary objective of their AI initiatives—surpassing traditional goals such as improved customer satisfaction (56%) and cost reduction (54%).

“We’re seeing a real shift in how organizations view AI; not just as a tool for efficiency, but as a catalyst for innovation and growth, helping businesses stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape,” said Mark Marron, CEO and President of ePlus. “The challenge now lies in translating ambition into reality, with 81% of respondents concerned about their current IT infrastructure’s ability to support advanced AI applications. ePlus has demonstrated experience helping organizations navigate the complexities of scaling AI beyond pilot projects and build an infrastructure that delivers peak performance, security, and reliability.”

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The ePlus AI Industry Pulse Poll provides a deeper understanding of current trends, concerns and attitudes towards AI, including:

• The AI adoption journey remains uneven across organizations. Sixty percent of organizations are still in the early-to-mid stages of their AI implementation, while only 8% report having fully integrated, mature AI deployments. Security continues to be the leading concern, with 90% of leaders citing data privacy leakage as a critical issue and 68% identifying regulatory compliance as a major barrier to deployment. Additionally, 81% of respondents express concerns that their current infrastructure may be insufficient to support more advanced AI applications.
  
  
• Skills gaps remain a continuous challenge. More than half (52%) of IT and industry leaders identify talent shortages as a top challenge—second only to security and infrastructure concerns. This reinforces the growing need for professionals who can bridge technical expertise with strategic business insight, enabling organizations to fully capitalize on AI’s transformative potential.
  
  
• Agentic AI emerges as a tentative frontier in AI-driven growth. The survey reveals a significant gap between knowledge of, and readiness for, agentic AI. Forty-one percent of respondents are only slightly, or not at all, familiar with agentic AI, while just 23% consider themselves very familiar. Only 26% are ready and actively investing in agentic AI, and 33% acknowledge the need for greater understanding before committing resources. Opinions on the promise of agentic AI are divided, juxtaposing the enthusiasm and uncertainty surrounding this next wave: Thirty-three percent believe it’s too soon to gauge its impact, 26% consider it “useful but risky,” while only 27% view it as “highly promising.”

Unlocking AI’s Growth Potential

As AI continues to evolve and business strategies shift, ePlus is committed to helping organizations overcome these challenges and seize new opportunities. By providing guidance, expertise, and adaptable solutions, ePlus empowers leaders to navigate uncertainty, strengthen their capabilities, and stay ahead as AI technologies and best practices advance.