ePlus Survey Reveals Disparity Between AI Aspirations and AI Readiness

76% of IT leaders believe their organizations have yet to achieve AI maturity, highlighting a significant gap in meeting AI goals , /PRNewswire/ -- ePlus inc. (NASDAQ: PLUS – news) today revealed the launch of its inaugural AI Readiness survey, which reveals critical insights into the current state of AI adoption and the universal challenges faced by organizations across sectors. The survey, which polled 200 IT professionals during The 2024 AI Summit New York, highlights the ongoing correlation between AI investments and overall return on investment, with a focus on the key obstacles companies continue to face. Notable Gap between AI Curious and AI Mature RemainsWhile the focus on AI is very high, most respondents reveal they're still in the early stages of their AI journey, with 42% identifying themselves as "AI curious" and 28% noting they are "AI ready." What's more, only 24% of tech leaders consider themselves to be AI mature. "While a large majority of leaders are eager to explore AI's potential, there is still a clear maturation gap when it comes to implementation," said Mark Marron, CEO and president of ePlus. "In 2025, all eyes will be on how leaders balance the ROI of AI investment with the challenges that are hindering full adoption." According to the survey, skills gaps (41.8%), cost (38.8%), and security (35.8%) emerged as the top challenges regarding AI adoption, further underscoring the need for targeted strategies to address these barriers. GenAI Introduces Unprecedented Opportunity, But Not Without Its ChallengesAn impressive 74.8% of respondents are planning to implement GenAI in the next 12 months, highlighting the technology's clear impact and perceived value. However, despite the enthusiasm for GenAI, regulation concerns continue to push to the forefront, with the majority of organizations (78.2%) noting they are only somewhat (46%) to moderately (32.2%) confident in their ability to regulate access to and governance of GenAI applications. Ultimately, balancing innovation with thorough adoption and governance strategies will be key to the successful implementation of GenAI initiatives in the coming years. Governance and Data Management Inch to Top of the AI AgendaThe survey results validated that AI deployment requires a new level of governance and controls, especially when it comes to data. Top data concerns from participants included data quality (61%), data security (54.5%), and data governance (52%), highlighting the critical need for a solid data management strategy. "To effectively prepare for AI initiatives, it's important for companies to identify the data in-scope for each specific AI objective and then identify where that data lives, break down data silos, and enforce data tagging and governance," noted Justin Mescher, vice president of AI, Cloud, and Data Center Solutions at ePlus. "This alignment will pave the way for successful and secure AI initiatives and drive meaningful business outcomes." How ePlus Empowers Organizations on Their AI JourneyePlus is committed to supporting organizations in navigating challenges and opportunities throughout their AI journey. Whether they are considering the possibilities of AI, have established data and AI strategies, or seek to transform their AI capabilities, ePlus can help them explore, adopt, and optimize AI technologies. This includes the recent launch of the ePlus Secure GenAI Accelerator. The offering provides organizations a private GenAI chatbot experience that is built to test their specific use cases, use metrics to identify key insights, and make informed decisions to facilitate adopting GenAI quickly and securely. For deeper insights into the survey results, review the full report here. For more information on ePlus' AI capabilities, including its AI Ignite portfolio of solutions and services, please visit www.eplus.com/AI. MethodologyePlus surveyed 200 IT professionals live from the 2024 AI Summit New York, held December 11-12, where respondents were asked a set of questions on the challenges and opportunities surrounding AI within their organization. About ePlus inc.ePlus is a customer-first, services-led, and results-driven industry leader offering transformative technology solutions and services to provide the best customer outcomes. Offering a full portfolio of solutions, including artificial intelligence, security, cloud and data center, networking and collaboration, as well as managed, consultative and professional services, ePlus works closely with organizations across many industries to successfully navigate business challenges. With a long list of industry-leading partners and more than 2,300 employees, our expertise has been honed over more than three decades, giving us specialized yet broad levels of experience and knowledge. ePlus is headquartered in Virginia, with locations in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia‐Pacific. For more information, visit www.eplus.com, call 888-482-1122, or email [email protected]. Connect with ePlus on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram. ePlus®, Where Technology Means More®, and ePlus products referenced herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of ePlus inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of other companies, products, and services mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains information about management's view of ePlus' future expectations, plans and prospects that are not historical facts and may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements." Actual and anticipated future results may vary materially due to certain risks and uncertainties. Certain risks and uncertainties that may affect such "forward-looking statements" are detailed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, especially under the heading "Risk Factors". All information set forth in this press release is current as of the date of this release and ePlus expressly disclaims any duty or obligation to update this information, except as may be required by law. SOURCE EPLUS INC. 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ePlus Survey Reveals Disparity Between AI Aspirations and AI Readiness

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