Companies face dilemma: How to invest in IT development while cutting costs

According to a comprehensive Forscope survey of Infoshare attendees, rising software subscription prices are stifling corporate innovation, making IT cost optimization essential for funding AI implementation and application development.

Rising software subscription prices are hindering corporate innovation. A comprehensive survey by Forscope among Infoshare attendees reveals that optimizing IT spending is now crucial for funding application development and AI implementation.

Igor Weinlich, CSO of Poland, Czechia & Slovakia

The Infoshare technology conference in Gdańsk, one of the pivotal industry events in the Central and Eastern European region, confirmed what many in the IT sector have been feeling for some time. On one hand, companies are highly interested in investing in artificial intelligence and custom application development; on the other hand, they are heavily preoccupied with costs and the continuous price hikes of licenses and cloud services. According to findings from Forscope, which analyzed responses from over 300 participants ranging from startups to multinational corporations, a full 56% of respondents openly admit that rising software subscription prices are a major concern.

This stands in stark contrast to the need for further development. When asked about their current interests and priorities, 52% of respondents stated they are focusing on creating custom applications and deploying AI. Companies want to grow and innovate, but to fund this growth, they logically must look for financial resources elsewhere. Cost savings on software and IT infrastructure – such as operating systems or office suites – ranked as the second highest priority in the survey, with a full third (33%) of respondents considering it crucial.

To these companies seeking savings in IT costs, we should also add those that are one step ahead in their thinking regarding software efficiency. Nearly 7% of companies see an opportunity in conducting software audits, and 6% (mostly medium and large enterprises) mention selling off unused licenses.

Data from the 2026 Infoshare in Gdańsk clearly confirm that the market has reached a saturation point regarding the willingness to accept constant price increases for cloud subscriptions. Companies find themselves in a paradoxical situation: they want to innovate and build AI solutions, but their budgets are being consumed by routine operations. The winners of digital transformation for 2026 will be those who can tame their licensing labyrinth, find the courage to combine the cloud with perpetual licenses, and invest the freed-up capital into their own future.