AI Wave

Another 72 percent expect to use AI tools in the next twelve months. The study, "Integrating AI: Navigating the Next Wave of Business Transformation," includes insights from 800 decision-makers at large and mid-sized companies in France, Germany, the UK, and Ireland, and aims to provide a strategic overview of AI adoption and the challenges companies face when using AI.

"While the value of generative AI—and the need for it—is becoming more apparent, we see customers struggling with compliance risks, shadow AI, and lack of control. Not to mention the vendor lock-in and skyrocketing costs associated with early-stage AI solutions," said Pilar Santamaria, Vice President of AI worldwide at Suse. "Suse's approach to AI, which is behind the AI solutions and the AI Early Access Program, will help solve many of these problems for customers and for Suse itself. Because we face the same challenges as other companies in implementing generative AI."

Facts, not visions

The Integration of AI study shows that the dynamics of AI have changed significantly. The days of promises are over, and acceptance is growing as companies demand more concrete applications. While only 24 percent of companies have deployed AI tools, 72 percent expect to do so in the next twelve months. The survey shows that many business leaders fear being left behind. 80 percent believe their industry has already been or will be transformed by AI, but only 56 percent believe AI will do the same for their company and its processes.

The growing urgency to deploy AI at scale is closely tied to the desire to realize benefits—especially in areas that directly correlate with the final result. Faster time to market, financial gains, and improved quality were cited as the top three ROI metrics for AI deployments.

AI co-innovation

Suse is committed to collaboration and co-innovation and is launching an AI Early Access Program. This collaborative initiative lays the foundation for secure and compliant open source GenAI in the enterprise. The AI Early Access Program connects customers and partners with experts in the field of generative AI. The AI strategy is based on the principles of open source, a comprehensive security promise, and the belief that customer choice, including privacy by design, is paramount. AI will improve the way work gets done by removing repetitive barriers and helping organizations scale and innovate quickly.

Suse's AI roadmap will usher in a wave of enterprise-grade AI solutions focused on privacy and customer control. "The rapid evolution of AI, both as a technology and a market, has left many organizations without the right solutions for their specific needs," said Frank Feldmann, chief strategy officer, Suse. "With so much at stake, customers need the flexibility to choose which AI technologies, including LLM, they want to work with to innovate faster and more securely."

Despite the clear impetus to achieve ROI through the use of AI, there are still obstacles. Chief among them are technical integration with existing tools and cost control. In fact, only 17 percent of respondents did not see any major barriers to the use of AI. Due to the complex integration landscape, the demand for AI expertise is high. 60 percent of organizations are now turning to external experts to support their implementations. Similarly, more than half of companies are investing in equipping their workforce with the necessary skills by investing in AI training for employees.

GenAI and optimism

Rajesh Krishnamurthy, CEO of Expleo and initiator of the aforementioned study, believes that AI is a technology for today, not tomorrow: "The optimism around the technology is often not matched by the success of the applications. After years of promises, companies have reached a point where they expect to see a return on their investment. The challenge now is to turn promises into visible results."

"Generative AI is helping to bring innovation to our world. Our customers' employees are already using generative AI in their personal lives, and they of course want to use this technology in the workplace. With our solution, they can do so in a secure environment," said Udo Würtz, Chief Data Officer, European Platform Business at Fujitsu. "As a trusted partner, Suse supports our GenAI product strategy through their collaboration, expertise, and commitment to customer choice.

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