{"id":15812,"date":"2025-12-31T16:15:39","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T03:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kinetics.co.nz\/?p=15812"},"modified":"2025-12-31T16:15:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T03:15:39","slug":"five-business-it-trends-new-zealand-companies-should-watch-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.kinetics.co.nz\/?p=15812","title":{"rendered":"Five Business IT Trends New Zealand Companies Should Watch in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As we move into 2026, New Zealand businesses face a technology landscape where digital transformation is no longer optional.<\/h2>\n

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For\u00a0 NZ business managers preparing budgets and strategic plans for the year ahead, understanding the key IT trends will be critical to maintaining competitive advantage.<\/p>\n

Global research firm Gartner<\/a> identifies several strategic technology trends that will shape business operations throughout 2026 and beyond. In New Zealand, the ICT market is on track to reach NZD $25.53 billion by 2030, according to Mordor Intelligence<\/a>, with 2026 representing a pivotal year for companies that want to position themselves for growth.<\/p>\n

As you plan for the year ahead, here are five trends that will demand your attention and likely your investment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Kinetics experience is that Digital Transformation is an ongoing program of work that helps your staff take advantage of software capabilities, including the software you already have, to markedly improve quality, speed and most of all, productivity.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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AI Agents Will Transform How Work Gets Done<\/h2>\n

Whether you are ready or not, and whether you like the idea of AI or not, the reality is that it is here.\u00a0 Even more, it is changing and developing in front of our eyes.\u00a0 We have to keep reassessing the capabilities of AI, and the best way to harness it, knowing that what might have been true in January will have changed by December.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2026, artificial intelligence will evolve beyond simple automation to become truly agentic.\u00a0 That means AI systems that can autonomously plan and execute complex tasks. Gartner predicts<\/a> this shift will create what they call a “virtual workforce” capable of augmenting human employees across multiple functions.<\/p>\n

For New Zealand businesses, this means AI will move from handling basic customer inquiries to managing entire workflows, from procurement to project coordination. The AI Activator initiative predicts that AI could contribute $76 billion to New Zealand’s GDP by 2038, according to TEKsystems<\/a>, with 2026 marking the acceleration point for mainstream business adoption. Managers who begin exploring AI agents now will have a significant advantage over those who wait.<\/p>\n

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At Kinetics, as well as helping clients, we’ve been rapidly adopting AI agents in our administrative and accounting functions to streamline workflows.\u00a0 We’re rolling out AI-based business monitoring to give us better real-time visibility of workload in way that we simply couldn’t do before.\u00a0 We see AI offering a huge boost to our support and engineering teams as they navigate increasingly complex client systems.\u00a0 The question isn’t ‘which AI do I use’ but rather ‘which ones do I use’, noting that some are better at differing tasks\u00a0<\/p>\n

We’re developing ‘Private-AI’ for clients to build custom agents in a safe and secure data-protected environment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Cybersecurity Will Shift from Reactive to Pre-emptive<\/span><\/h2>\n

The cybersecurity landscape will undergo a fundamental change in 2026. Gartner forecasts<\/a> that by 2030, pre-emptive security solutions will account for half of all security spending as organizations shift from defending against attacks to preventing them before they occur.<\/p>\n

The World Economic Forum’s projection<\/a> that cyberattacks will cost businesses more than US$10 trillion annually underscores the urgency. In New Zealand, where recent surveys show that 67% of firms haven’t conducted penetration or device vulnerability testing, 2026 will be the year when cybersecurity must become a board-level priority. Forward-thinking organisations will invest in AI-powered security operations that can predict and neutralise threats before damage occurs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Our observation is that the hackers keep investing in new tools and techniques.\u00a0 If you are defending against them with the same tools you had a year ago, then you aren’t keeping up.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clients who have made the step to Kinetics KARE Foundation<\/a> can rest easy knowing that we are continually refreshing the platform.\u00a0 As just one example, we are currently moving all KARE Foundation-protected PC devices from EDR to MDR to further enhance their protection 24\/7.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Governance , Risk and Compliance (GRC) Cyber-Security Standards<\/h3>\n

When we look at North America and Australia, we see organisations adopting GRC significantly.\u00a0 We expect that trend to grow in New Zealand as well, as organisations need to demonstrate robust systems to stakeholders such a boards, insurers and as part of the supply chain.<\/p>\n

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Kinetics has built up a GRC practice<\/a> with expertise around a variety of frameworks such as CIS.\u00a0 For clients that don’t have a specific framework requirement, we’ve licensed and embedded the emerging Australian “SMB1001” standard in our KARE Foundation service.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n

Hybrid Computing Will Become the New Standard For IT Infrastructure<\/h2>\n

In 2026, businesses will increasingly adopt hybrid computing.\u00a0 This is an approach that combines on-premises systems, cloud services, and edge computing. Gartner identifies this<\/a> as a top infrastructure trend that will enable organisations to optimise costs while maximising performance.<\/p>\n

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Interestingly, the trend isn’t just one-directional. As organisations gain experience with public cloud services, many are discovering that certain workloads are better suited to private, locally-hosted cloud infrastructure, including our own ‘CloudSource’ private cloud<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong> This shift is driven by two key factors: reducing unpredictable operating costs and gaining budget certainty. Services like private cloud platforms offer New Zealand businesses the flexibility and scalability of cloud computing while maintaining predictable monthly costs and keeping data within local infrastructure\u2014an increasingly important consideration for organisations managing tight budgets and regulatory compliance requirements.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n

AI Governance Will Become Non-Negotiable<\/h2>\n

As AI adoption accelerates, 2026 will be the year when AI governance platforms become essential. Gartner predicts<\/a> that by 2028, companies using AI governance platforms will achieve customer trust scores 30% higher than competitors, making 2026 the critical year to establish these frameworks.<\/p>\n

For New Zealand businesses, this means implementing policies and oversight systems to ensure AI is used responsibly, ethically, and in compliance with emerging regulations. The Privacy Act 2020<\/a> already provides a framework, but businesses will need to go beyond basic compliance to build customer confidence in how they use AI-powered systems.<\/p>\n

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The Skills Gap Will Force New Talent Strategies<\/h2>\n

The technology skills shortage in New Zealand will intensify throughout 2026, particularly for AI specialists, cybersecurity professionals, and cloud architects. Rather than simply trying to hire their way out of the problem, successful organisations will adopt new approaches.<\/p>\n

Gartner research suggests<\/a> that 73% of business managers now want technology specialists embedded in their teams, reflecting a broader shift where technology decisions become decentralised. In 2026, expect to see more businesses partnering with managed service providers to access specialised expertise while simultaneously investing in upskilling programs for existing staff. The organizations that solve this puzzle will have a substantial competitive edge.<\/p>\n

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Many NZ Businesses simply can’t afford to tie up salary budget in expensive IT professionals.<\/b><\/p>\n

That explains why we’ve seen significant increase (200%+) for our fractional IT Leadership in Q4 of 2025\u00a0 we expect this demand to accelerate in 2026. Even the smallest businesses can now afford an experienced IT leader embedded in their operations.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead<\/h2>\n

As we move into 2026, these trends will separate leaders from followers in the New Zealand business landscape. The organisations that thrive will be those that view these shifts not as IT challenges, but as strategic opportunities. The decisions you make in the first quarter of 2026 about AI adoption, cybersecurity investment, infrastructure modernisation, talent development, and governance frameworks will largely determine your competitive position for years to come.<\/p>\n

\n

The time to prepare is now.<\/h3>\n

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One more thing!\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Expect the growth in data centres to drive up the demand and price for hardware, and electronics in general.\u00a0 Demand for CPUs and RAM will push up prices<\/a> for end-user PCs, tablets, phones, and even smart-appliances etc.\u00a0 We recommend that you beat the predicted increases by getting any device renewals underway early.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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