Only 20% of Spanish companies have reached the highest level of maturity in cloud computing, meaning that 80% are still not fully harnessing its value. This stagnation could jeopardize their artificial intelligence ambitions, according to a new report released by NTT DATA, “Cloud-Driven Innovation in the AI Era: New Rules for Generating Value with this Environment.” The study’s findings show that Spanish organizations are six points above the global average.
Cloud leaders will be much better positioned to capitalize on AI’s potential by having an infrastructure capable of deploying advanced solutions. However, the report warns of a paradox: while all organizations in Spain say AI is forcing them to invest more in the cloud, 90% warn that their current budgets threaten the success of their own technology projects.
“AI adoption is testing the limits of the architectures and infrastructure of many organizations. Many companies are accelerating their AI initiatives without having built the necessary foundations,” says Roberto García Godoy, head of Digital Architecture & Cloud for Iberia and Latin America at NTT DATA. “The organizations that are really making a difference are those that, grounded in a solid Cloud paradigm, turn their data into structured, actionable knowledge. It’s there that AI stops being merely an efficiency lever and becomes a true engine of value and growth for the business.”
Security, the area with the highest investment
The prospect of turning cloud into a strategic engine of value over the next two years is shaped by a series of emerging trends. Security remains one of the top concerns, which also affects how much is spent in this area. Protecting these services remains the area with the highest investment for 37% of respondents in Spain, just behind infrastructure spending. This does not imply a lack of trust in their current architecture: 39% of leaders report a high level of confidence in the security of their services.
Organizations are increasingly betting on a mix of public, private, hybrid, and sovereign cloud models. Almost all expect growth in their private solutions: sovereign cloud adoption is projected to rise by 41% over two years. However, 58% of respondents acknowledge concerns about the higher costs these developments could generate.
Innovation vs. Cost Management
Despite the push for control, more than half of organizations globally report challenges in cloud cost management and expect fully managed platforms to triple. The move is justified in a context of stagnant investments and increasingly complex environments.
There is greater consensus on the cloud’s role as an engine of innovation for organizations. 57% of local organizations say that legacy applications and data platforms are holding back that potential.
Another central message is the need to design cloud and AI strategies in parallel. Companies are accelerating their AI developments without yet having built the necessary cloud foundations, the study warns. Among the main concerns for adopting Agentic AI, Spanish executives highlight a lack of control over cloud services, as well as governance and security risks.
In this context, moving toward a mature cloud strategy aligned with AI will be key for companies anywhere to compete in the new digital economy.
