The 2026 Provider Lens report says renewable power, heat reuse and local data requirements are steering enterprise cloud choices across the Nordics as AI workloads and geopolitical risk reshape IT planning.
Nordic enterprises are increasingly choosing private and hybrid cloud infrastructure that combines AI-ready capacity, local data residency and low-carbon operations, as high-performance workloads and geopolitical risk reshape technology strategy, ISG said in its 2026 Provider Lens report for the region. The study says buyers in the Nordics are tying infrastructure decisions more closely to resilience, data control and sustainability, with demand extending beyond traditional efficiency metrics to include heat reuse, renewable energy and links to local energy systems. It also highlights stronger interest in Nordic-only cloud instances and keeping sensitive data and operational control within the European Economic Area, reflecting concerns over international data access laws and regional security risk. ISG says wider adoption of AI and generative AI is pushing enterprises to seek providers that can move projects from pilot stages to industrial-scale deployment with measurable results, while a regional talent shortage may accelerate use of AIOps (AI for IT operations) to automate processes. The report evaluates 54 providers across four service categories and names Orange Business and Vivicta as Leaders in three quadrants each, while CS Global IT was named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2026 in private/hybrid cloud and data center services.