This new Bitrix24 report uncovers the 2026 technology priorities shaping business performance, from eliminating technical debt to adopting AI-native systems, Intelligent Automation, and Autonomous Agents. Discover the strategic roadmap leaders need to accelerate growth in the AI era.

WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / With Q4 2025 planning now dictating the year ahead, every business leader-from the nimble startup CEO to the global enterprise executive - is finalizing their strategic wish list. Yet, before any budget is allocated to the glittering promise of AI and the exponential future, a critical liability must be addressed: the unavoidable 'lump of coal' under the digital tree that is technical debt.

For too long, aging systems and quick-fix software have been seen as a necessary evil. But that technical debt is the corporate equivalent of taking out a high-interest loan to patch a leaky roof: the interest payments - the constant maintenance, the crippling slowness, the nagging risk - quickly devour your future budget. Instead of fueling growth, this liability becomes a digital anchor. In the age of autonomous AI, that anchor is an existential risk.

As the visionary Isaac Asimov once theorized about the dangers of static data systems (a theme central to his Foundation series), a business tethered to the past cannot survive the exponential future, and its wisdom will be eclipsed by mere calculation - the same way starlight from a dead galaxy is eventually drowned out by new nebulae.

This sentiment is validated by the findings in Bitrix24's Tech Stack Velocity & Performance Analysis. The study identified three core priorities: retiring technical debt to establish agile, cloud-optimized foundations; investing in intelligent, self-managing systems (like AI-Native ERP and Intelligent Automation) for superior ROI; and accelerating performance through next-gen technologies to enable faster Time-to-Value and sustainable growth.

For 2026, the mandate is clear: businesses must stop pouring budget into reactive maintenance - like perpetually patching fragile legacy systems - and aggressively invest in a cloud foundation designed for breakneck speed and performance. This pivot isn't just about efficiency; it's the prerequisite for unlocking competitive acceleration in the coming AI revolution, ensuring your business is built for tomorrow's star charts, not perpetually repairing yesterday's fixed orbit.

Your 2026 Tech Wish List: Planting the Mighty Oaks of ROI

If your business is a high-speed starship, you wouldn't fill the fuel tank with sand. Similarly, this year's budget is an opportunity to jettison low-value distractions and invest in the twin propulsion systems that guarantee measurable orbital acceleration: Intelligent Automation and the AI-Native central core.

Smart businesses aren't scattering seeds and hoping for the best; they are strategically planting mighty oaks. They are allocating funds to systems that promise immediate, systemic intelligence and measurable return on investment (ROI). The goal isn't just to be digital; it's to be intelligent, a fundamental shift that industry experts see as the key to unlocking massive productivity growth across every department, from the command bridge to the landing bay.

What are the Top Two ROI Priorities for Businesses in 2026?

According to recent industry research among business software users, the highest returns will come from systems that automate execution and consolidate intelligence, essentially making your operations self-managing.

Intelligent Automation (IA): The Digital Co-Worker: This is the undisputed champion, selected by 33.16% of businesses. Think of IA as hiring a tireless, 24/7 digital colleague for every person on your team. It's the antidote to the mountain of soul-crushing, repetitive tasks that burn out small teams and drag down enterprise efficiency. This isn't simple automation; it's hyper-automation - solutions that execute complex, multi-step processes automatically, like receiving a customer order, checking inventory, processing the invoice, and updating the CRM, all in a seamless digital relay. The financial evidence is compelling: successful automation programs are often the quickest path to justifying investment, driving labor savings of 20% or more, and freeing up your top talent for strategy.

AI-Native ERP: The Central Nervous System: Chosen by 31.55%, this priority signals a demand for an integrated system that acts as the "brain" of the business. For decades, companies relied on siloed tools - one for accounting, one for inventory, one for operations, all yelling at each other across departmental walls. AI-Native ERP is the movement away from that patchwork, creating one central nervous system. This allows the "brain" to analyze real-time data from every corner of the company to predict bottlenecks, optimize pricing, and manage cash flow like a master conductor orchestrating an orchestra. This shift aligns with Gartner's focus on AI-Native development platforms as core strategic trends for the future.

The remaining investments - Data & Analytics (18.18%) and Cloud-Optimized CRM (17.11%) - are the strategic artillery. Analytics investments focus on identifying and reducing high Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC), while optimized CRM applies AI insights directly to sales, acting as a smart compass to boost conversion rates and chart profitable trade routes.

The Acceleration Engine: Why Self-Managing Agents Win

The future of efficiency isn't about better maps; it's about self-driving cars. Autonomous Agents are the market's overwhelming preference for a reason: they don't just follow a process; they orchestrate outcomes - but they require a modern cloud-optimized road network to function.

If Intelligent Automation is the strategy, the fuel for the engine is one key technology: Autonomous Agents.

What Single Technology Will Most Accelerate a Business's Tech Stack?

The answer is overwhelmingly Autonomous Agents, selected by a dominant 56.15% of business users. This technology aligns with the Gartner strategic trend of "Multiagent Systems," which analysts predict will dominate the 2026 forecast and drive dynamic workflow orchestration.

Think of traditional automation (Robotic Process Automation, or RPA) as a train on a fixed track - it can only follow the exact route you program. Autonomous Agents are your digital co-pilots. They are not merely following a recipe card; you give them the destination - "Onboard this client in compliance" - and they navigate the traffic, reroute for construction, and adjust the GPS (systems) on the fly. This massive leap is moving automation toward Level 4 autonomy.

The Strategic Catch: Autonomous Agents are the desired future, but they are completely hamstrung by the past. Agents require modern APIs (digital "plugs"), flexible workloads, and distributed data to achieve high-level autonomy. Legacy systems, with their rigid, monolithic architectures and outdated data formats, actively prevent the cross-system coordination necessary for scaled intelligence. They are the fixed train tracks preventing the self-driving car from maneuvering. The overwhelming preference for Autonomous Agents confirms that the market is ready for a transformation that legacy systems actively obstruct, making debt retirement essential. Legacy systems are the gravitational drag preventing liftoff.

The Ghost of Christmas Past: The Crisis of Tech Debt

Meet the Corporate Rust: the high-interest liability that is quietly siphoning capital and elevating security risk across your entire organization. Ignoring your technical debt is no longer a cost-saving measure - it's an existential threat to your business stability.

As you budget for 2026, you must quantify the financial and security burden of carrying outdated infrastructure. This is the "lump of coal" that steals your holiday budget and threatens your company's stability.

How are Legacy Systems Crippling Businesses of All Sizes?

Complete research results: https://www.bitrix24.com/resources/from-tech-debt-to-holiday-cheer-the-b2b-guide-to-a-cloud-optimized-tech-stack.php

About Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a leading digital workplace platform used by over 15 million teams worldwide. It unites chat, video, tasks, CRM, and collaboration tools in one place, helping organizations work smarter, communicate better, and build more connected, engaged teams.

Contact Information:

Vlad Kovalskiy
US Marketing Manager
kovalskiy@bitrix24.com

SOURCE: Bitrix24