As IT procurement becomes vital to enabling agile, cost-effective digital transformation, enterprises are re-evaluating how they source technology. Traditional procurement processes struggle with extended cycles, poor provider governance, and limited alignment to cloud-native spend models. Cloud marketplaces are emerging as a strategic procurement channel, offering faster vendor onboarding, dynamic pricing, streamlined license management, and increased spending visibility. In this report, we examine how enterprises can leverage hyperscaler cloud marketplaces, such as AWS Marketplace, Azure Marketplace, and Google Cloud Marketplace, to unlock financial and operational value across procurement, governance, and partner management. It outlines the marketplace features that enable faster deployment, better control, and enhanced committed cloud spend use. The report also offers strategic recommendations for aligning procurement strategies with marketplace capabilities and maximizing value through private offers, curated partner solutions, and co-sell models involving Independent Software Vendor(ISVs) and providers.

Generative AI has moved from an experimental tool to a core enterprise engine, unlocking business value across the entire IT stack. Yet every new parameter-rich model brings a heavy sustainability price tag: soaring electricity draw, intensified cooling loads, and water usage that stretches local resources. The very clouds that promise digital transformation risk casting a shadow over global net-zero goals. In this Viewpoint, Everest Group unpacks the contradiction. We trace how exponential AI workloads are stress-testing hyperscalers’ original green growth pledges, such as 100 percent renewable energy, water-positive campuses, circular hardware, placing these commitments at a pivotal phase of execution and accountability. Beyond this, this Viewpoint focuses on future opportunities. Hyperscalers, based on their scale and influence, hold immense power to reset ambitions and raise the bar for sustainable growth. We examine how hyperscalers are already investing in next-generation technologies that can improve energy and resource efficiency, as well as how they can do more in the future. Ultimately, this Viewpoint offers a forward-thinking playbook for technology providers and enterprises navigating the intersection of AI and sustainability. By turning intent into impact, hyperscalers, their ecosystems, and enterprises can work together to drive responsible innovation that not only meets the moment but defines the next era of cloud leadership.

The public cloud market is significantly growing due to enterprises’ pursuit of digital transformation, innovation, and operational resilience. Microsoft Azure has effectively addressed this demand through strategic investments in generative AI (in collaboration with OpenAI), industry-tailored cloud offerings, Microsoft Fabric for data, and robust security capabilities. As Azure’s portfolio expands, enterprises are turning to specialized Azure service providers to lead cloud migration efforts and drive ongoing optimization. These partners bring key expertise in cost efficiency, resource management, and cloud-native development, enabling organizations to maximize their Azure investments’ value. In response to evolving enterprise needs, Azure service providers are enhancing their go-to-market approaches, earning certifications and specializations, and building proprietary Azure-aligned IP. Their close collaboration with Microsoft allows them to deliver industry-specific, high-impact solutions that strengthen operations and unlock new growth opportunities. In this report, we assess 29 cloud service providers featured in the Microsoft Azure Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2024 and categorize them as Leaders, Major Contenders, and Aspirants based on their capabilities and offerings. Each profile offers a comprehensive picture of the provider’s operational overview, delivery presence, solutions on offer, investments, and market success.

Enterprises have made cloud the operating backbone for AI, platform modernization, and continuous delivery, but governance practices remain reactive. Fragmented ownership, inconsistent tagging, and siloed tooling force finance and engineering teams to chase overspend long after budgets are breached, with 63% of organizations citing staying within forecasted cloud budgets as their top challenge. Systems of Execution (SoE) close this gap by fusing FinOps transparency with AIOps automation in an autonomous control plane. SoE continuously ingest cost, usage, and performance telemetry, apply AI decision logic, and enforce policy-aligned actions, such as resizing or pausing workloads, without human latency. By adopting SoE, organizations can transform cloud from a cost center into a self-optimizing performance engine that enforces budgets in real time, reduces variance, boosts resilience, and accelerates innovation cycles. The report charts a three-phase journey from reactive visibility to fully autonomous operations, detailing the data architecture, policy automation, AI decisioning, and governance pillars required at each step. It benchmarks ecosystem readiness, highlights emerging provider capabilities, and distils imperatives for enterprises, hyperscalers, and service partners, which include treating execution as a differentiator, embedding financial guardrails at run time, and redesigning services around continuous orchestration. Scope This report analyzes the cloud-governance gap, presents an SoE-led framework for autonomous financial and operational control, details a phased implementation roadmap, and offers guidance on selecting technology and service partners to enable self-optimizing cloud operations at scale. Contents All industries and geographies

As AI models become more complex and resource-intensive, enterprises must modernize their infrastructure to support high-performance, scalable, cost-effective workloads. Core challenges in modernization include integrating multimodal data, enabling autonomous agents, and optimizing the AI stack across diverse environments. Enterprises also aim to deploy AI in hybrid and edge settings, requiring flexibility, low latency, and data sovereignty. At Google Cloud Next 2025, Google announced AI infrastructure upgrades, including Ironwood TPUs for inference at scale, AI Hypercomputer improvements, expanded VM families, and re-architected networking with multi-shard architecture. Google also emphasized hybrid and distributed AI deployment with support for air-gapped environments and on-premises inference using NVIDIA Blackwell systems. These updates show Google’s intent to deliver an integrated AI stack, combining custom hardware, orchestration tools, and productivity platforms. However, these offerings also raise questions around interoperability with third-party tools, operational complexity, and cost transparency. In this report, we analyze Google’s AI infrastructure announcements at Google Cloud Next 2025, assessing their alignment with enterprise needs across performance, scalability, and deployment. The report covers key enterprise priorities, Google’s positioning, detailed product reviews, and Everest Group’s perspective on strengths and gaps of announced AI infrastructure-related products, offering a clear view of Google’s AI infrastructure maturity. Scope All industries and geographies Contents In this report, we examine: Key AI infrastructure-related products launched at Google Cloud Next 2025 Google’s current positioning and alignment in the AI infrastructure market AI infrastructure-related products’ specifications, benefits, and challenges

As enterprises navigate a dynamic business environment, operational excellence becomes a cornerstone of sustainable growth and competitive advantage. Shifting from traditional, fragmented models, they are adopting intelligent operations powered by automation, AI, and cloud-native platforms to enhance agility, resilience, and scalability. This transformation not only boosts efficiency but also fosters innovation, improves customer experience, and safeguards businesses against market disruptions. This Viewpoint explores how enterprises advance toward intelligent operations through distinct maturity phases: beginning with ad hoc, manual processes, progressing to managed, standardized workflows, then evolving into data-driven, automated operations, and ultimately reaching cognitive phases where AI and advanced analytics enable proactive, autonomous, and continuously improving functions. It offers a strategic roadmap to navigate operational transformation, identify key challenges, and highlight the essential technology enablers and provider capabilities needed. Additionally, expert guidance on partner selection strategies ensures that enterprises build adaptable, future-ready operations aligned with changing business needs. Scope All industries and geographies Contents This Viewpoint outlines: The persistent challenges enterprises face in modernizing operations A strategic framework to achieve future-ready, intelligent operations, guiding organizations through a phased transformation Expert guidance on selecting providers, emphasizing the importance of evaluating partners for their ability to deliver measurable outcomes, integrate advanced technologies, and drive sustainable, business-aligned transformation Memberships Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management

AI’s rapid evolution demands purpose-built computing infrastructure that balances cost-efficiency, scalability, and high performance. Training deep learning models requires massive computational power, pushing traditional hardware’s limits. Cloud providers and enterprises are seeking cost-effective yet robust solutions to train increasingly complex models while optimizing energy consumption and reducing latency. As enterprises increasingly adopt AI-driven solutions, cloud providers are taking the lead in innovation to meet these growing demands. Cloud providers such as AWS have been at the forefront of this transformation, investing heavily in custom AI chips to enhance deep learning training and inference capabilities. AWS’ Trainium and Inferentia stand out as powerful, cost-effective alternatives to conventional hardware. These chips enable organizations to scale AI applications seamlessly, reduce dependency on expensive third-party hardware, and enhance performance across cloud-based machine learning workflows. In this report, we explore the potential of Trainium2, an AWS chip launched at re:Invent 2024, examining its key features, including cost efficiency, ease of integration into different environments, and security and privacy concerns. We also provide insights into its market positioning, key benefits, and broader implications for enterprises. Scope All industries and geographies Contents In this report, we: Provide an overview of the Trainium2 chip that AWS launched at their re:Invent 2024 event Examine its current positioning and alignment in the AI infrastructure market Explore its specifications, benefits, and challenges

Cloud solutions are propelling businesses to expand, boost adaptability, and accelerate innovation through readily available resources and infrastructure, eliminating substantial initial investments. North America leads globally in cloud services with a market driven by rapid technology advances and broad industry adoption in sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and finance. The increasing demand for edge computing and AI-enhanced services is opening fresh avenues in cloud technology. Companies are seeking tailored customer experiences, compliance-focused infrastructure, increased agility, and services catering to local needs. The surge in demand for these technologies reflects a broader shift toward more dynamic, responsive business operations. To adapt, industries are increasingly leveraging cloud services to meet complex challenges in real time, using cloud-based analytics and machine learning capabilities. This trend underscores the necessity for robust, secure, and compliant cloud solutions in today's digital landscape. In this report, we provide an overview of the North American cloud services market, including trends, demand drivers, and key enterprise concerns. The report also outlines the characteristics of cloud services engagement in North America and delves into the market outlook for 2025. Scope All industries Geography: North America The analysis is based on Everest Group’s annual RFI process, interactions with leading cloud service providers, client reference checks, enterprise interactions, and an ongoing analysis of the cloud services market in North America Contents In this report, we examine: The trends, demand drivers, and key enterprise concerns in the North American cloud services market Enterprises’ top cloud services barriers and demand trends The future outlook for 2025 Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management

As AWS evolves, there is a growing demand for AWS providers that can ensure smooth cloud migrations. These providers are essential to transform and manage AWS environments, focusing on managing costs, providing skilled resources, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to create business value. Their strong partnerships with AWS also allow for customized solutions that cater to specific industry requirements, improve operational efficiency, and foster innovation. AWS providers are intensifying their joint go-to-market strategies, enhancing their accreditations and competencies, and developing proprietary AWS-focused innovations and solutions. This strategic advance continues to solidify their strong position in the market. In this report, we assess 31 AWS providers featured in the AWS Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2024 and categorize them as Leaders, Major Contenders, and Aspirants based on their capabilities and offerings. Scope All industries and geographies The assessment is based on Everest Group’s annual RFI process for the calendar year 2024, interactions with leading AWS providers, client reference checks, and ongoing analysis of the cloud services market Contents In this report, we examine: The market impact and vision and capabilities of 31 providers with AWS expertise Providers’ key strengths and limitations Enterprise sourcing considerations Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management

The public cloud market is growing substantially, fueled by enterprises' increasing demands for digital transformation, innovation, and operational resilience. Microsoft Azure has leveraged this trend, boosting its uptake through investments in advanced technologies such as generative AI in collaboration with OpenAI, tailored industry cloud solutions, data management (including Microsoft Fabric), and enhanced security measures. Enterprises are turning to Azure service providers to assist with smooth cloud migrations and enhance their cloud setups. These providers deliver essential services in managing costs, optimizing resources, and fostering cloud-native development, enabling businesses to fully utilize Azure's capabilities to spur growth and innovation. To adapt to these growing demands, Azure service providers are intensifying their market approach, broadening their certifications and specializations, and crafting Azure-centered IP. Their close partnerships with Microsoft allow them to offer customized, sector-specific solutions that boost operational efficiency and open new paths to create business value. In this report, we assess 29 Microsoft Azure service providers featured in the Microsoft Azure Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2024 and categorize them as Leaders, Major Contenders, and Aspirants based on their capabilities and offerings. Scope All industries and geographies The assessment is based on Everest Group’s annual RFI process for the calendar year 2024, interactions with leading Microsoft Azure service providers, client reference checks, and ongoing analysis of the cloud services market Contents In this report, we examine: The market impact and vision and capabilities of 29 providers with expertise in Microsoft Azure services Providers’ key strengths and limitations Enterprise sourcing considerations Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management