Enterprise software is the set of tools that run a modern organisation. It handles the payroll, the invoices, the stock counts and the customer records. When these systems change, people feel it, from the finance team closing the books to the council worker approving a permit. That is why we track enterprise software news closely. In 2026 the market is moving faster than it has in years, and Australian businesses need to understand the trends if they want to make good buying decisions.
Global Spending on Business Software Hits New Highs
Organisations are spending more on software, even with interest rates and cost pressures in the headlines. In July 2026, Gartner raised its forecast and now expects worldwide IT spending to reach US$6.37 trillion in 2026, up 14.2% on last year. Software alone is tipped to reach about US$1.47 trillion, growing 15.5%, according to the Gartner forecast.
Much of that growth comes from artificial intelligence. Gartner analyst John-David Lovelock said organisations are spending more on “AI-ready software” and the computing power behind it. For a business owner, this means vendors are shifting budgets and staff towards smart features, and older products may get less attention.
Key takeaway: when a vendor’s roadmap has little to say about automation, we treat that as a warning sign rather than a neutral detail.
ERP Updates: Business Systems Learn to Act on Their Own
ERP, short for enterprise resource planning, is the central system that links finance, purchasing, staff and supply chains in one place. The biggest ERP story this year is the move from software that records work to software that does work.
SAP bets on digital “agents”
At its Sapphire conference in May 2026, SAP unveiled what it calls an Autonomous Suite. It has 224 AI agents and 51 assistants spread across finance, purchasing, supply chain and HR. An agent is a small program that can check data, suggest a decision and then carry it out, such as matching a supplier invoice to an order. SAP chief executive Christian Klein added a caution that we think every buyer should keep in mind: “No AI agent can compensate for a bad data landscape.”
An Australian success story
Brisbane-based Technology One shows what a local player can do. In its half-year results to 31 March 2026, the company reported annual recurring revenue (the yearly value of its subscriptions) of A$598 million, up 17%. Profit before tax rose 9% to A$89.1 million. It also launched new AI tools called Plus and Guide for councils, universities and government agencies, and its UK business grew 23%. Those figures come from its ASX release. For Australian public sector buyers, this means a homegrown option is growing well and investing heavily. Readers weighing platforms can explore our guide to choosing an ERP system for Australian businesses.
The Clock Is Ticking on Older Systems
Deadlines are as much a part of enterprise news as new product launches. SAP will end mainstream maintenance for its long-running ECC system on 31 December 2027. Some customers can pay for extended support until 2030. Advisers have noted that very few Australian and New Zealand customers have finished moving to the newer S/4HANA platform. For large organisations, the move can cost tens of millions of dollars and take several years.
Government agencies face the same pressures. In January 2026, reports showed the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources was reviewing its ERP setup ahead of a contract renewal. Its finance and HR work ran across six different vendors. The likely outcome was a push to reduce the number of add-on systems rather than replace the core platform. We think this is a sensible model for many mid-sized firms: fix the clutter around the edges before starting a risky rebuild.
Practical tip: list every system that touches your finance and staff data. If you count more than four or five, bringing them together may save more money than any new feature. Our team covers this process in ERP migration and consolidation services.
Enterprise Funding: Bigger Cheques, Fewer Deals
Enterprise funding tells us where investors think the next wave of business tools will come from. The Australian picture in 2026 is mixed.
What the Australian numbers show
According to Cut Through Venture’s quarterly report, Australian startups raised about A$1.7 billion in the June quarter across 64 venture rounds. The first half of 2026 totalled roughly A3.5billion,thesecondstrongestfirsthalfonrecord. Yet the June quarter was the slowest for the number of deals since before 2020. Small rounds under A5 million fell to 31, down from an average of 56 per quarter in 2025. Two deals, AI infrastructure firm Firmus (A725million) and payments company Airwallex (A460 million), made up around 70% of the capital raised.
AI-first companies received 51% of the money. Within software, vertical products built for one industry, such as construction or healthcare, took 94% of the capital.
Why funding news matters to buyers
Global deals show where products are heading. In September 2026, US-based Ema raised US$77 million to grow its teams of AI agents, which handle work across HR, IT and finance. Its chief executive said some customers plan to stop using certain large software packages altogether. Funding like this puts pressure on established vendors to cut prices or add features. That can benefit Australian buyers when their contracts come up for renewal.
Key takeaway: a well-funded startup can be a strong partner, but we always check how long its cash will last before we trust it with core business data.
How Australian Leaders Can Use This News
Reading headlines is only useful if it leads to better decisions. We suggest three habits:
- Match news to your contract dates. A vendor launch matters most in the six to twelve months before your renewal, when you have the most bargaining power.
- Ask about data before features. New agents only work when customer, supplier and product records are clean and consistent.
- Check local fit. Make sure any new tool supports Australian payroll rules, Single Touch Payroll reporting and local data storage. See our overview of Australian data privacy requirements for business software.
Conclusion
The business technology market in 2026 rewards organisations that pay attention. Spending is rising, ERP platforms are becoming more automated, and investors are concentrating their money in fewer, larger bets. For Australian organisations, the opportunity lies in timing: understanding which deadlines are fixed, which vendors are growing, and which claims still need proof. The companies that treat enterprise software news as input for planning, and not only background noise, will be best placed to take advantage of these changes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Enterprise News
ASX announcements are the best source for listed local vendors, because companies must disclose results there by law. For the wider market, industry analysts and venture reports publish free summaries each quarter.
Both, so always check. Australian venture reports usually use AUD, while global forecasts and US startup rounds use USD. One US dollar is currently worth well over one Australian dollar, which changes how large a deal looks.
Most cloud ERP vendors push small updates every few weeks and bigger releases two to four times a year. Their annual conferences, often held between May and October, are where they announce major new directions.
Not on its own. Funding shows investor confidence, but you should also check the vendor’s customer references, local support and exit terms that let you retrieve your data.
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