2025 IT Sourcing Study – BeLux
The 2025 BeLux IT Sourcing Study by Whitelane Research is the most comprehensive survey on IT service provider and cloud platform provider performance. It evaluates over 800 unique IT sourcing relationships and more than 800 cloud platform relationships from over 300 of the top IT-spending organizations in the BeLux region.
72% of BeLux Organizations Plan to Maintain or Increase IT Spending.
In 2025, 31% of organizations in the BeLux region plan to increase their IT spending on external providers over the next two years. This marks a 5% decline from 2024 and a significant 15% decrease over the past five years. At the same time, 17% of respondents intend to reduce spending on external providers—the highest level recorded. Meanwhile, 41% expect spending to remain stable, and 11% remain uncertain about their sourcing plans.
Public Sector Sees Largest IT Spending Decrease.
In the public sector, only 27% of respondents plan to increase IT spending on external providers, down from 41% in 2024—a 14-percentage-point decline. The manufacturing and chemicals sector aligns closely with the BeLux average, with 33% planning to increase spending. However, 21% anticipate spending less, double last year’s figure and the highest percentage among the key industries. In financial services, 26% plan to spend more on external providers, a 10% decline from last year, while one in two respondents expect no change.
Scalability and Access to Talent Drive IT Spending.
Organizations planning to increase spending on external providers are primarily motivated by scalability to meet business needs (50%). Access to talent and resources follows at 48%, dropping 13 percentage points from 2024, when it was the number one driver. Another 48% prioritize focusing on core business functions, allowing for better allocation of internal resources.
Top 3 Drivers for spending more on external providers
Retaining Key Knowledge is the Top Reason for Decreased IT Spending.
The number one reason for spending less on external providers is the need to retain key knowledge in-house (69%) to reduce reliance on third parties in core business or IT areas. Additionally, 47% believe insourcing is financially more attractive than outsourcing.
AI Adoption Gains Momentum.
AI adoption is expanding, with more organizations shifting from experimentation to full implementation. Only 3% of respondents report they do not use AI/GenAI, down from 21% last year. Meanwhile, 41% are experimenting with AI, up from 27% in the previous year. Among those actively using AI, 40% report a minor impact on business processes, while 14% say AI has significantly impacted their operations, marking a five-percentage-point increase. However, only 1% report AI has fully transformed their business.
2025 AI Experimentation
41%
2024 AI Experimentation
27%
AI Investments on the Rise.
93% of clients plan to increase their investments in AI—33% significantly and 60% moderately. Only 4% intend to maintain current investment levels, while none expect a decrease. At the same time, clients cite data quality and availability as the biggest challenge facing AI adoption (50%), followed by compliance concerns (48%), and a lack of skilled personnel (39%).
Shift Toward Nearshore Outsourcing.
39% of respondents plan to increase nearshore outsourcing, only 3% expect a decrease, and 58% foresee no change. Nearshoring appeals due to its cost efficiency, EU compliance, risk reduction, and geographic proximity. In contrast, onshore outsourcing expects the largest decline, with 28% of respondents planning to reduce use of this delivery model.
Rising Client Satisfaction in IT Services. 79% of the 833 IT sourcing relationships evaluated were rated as “satisfied” or “very satisfied,” reflecting a three-percentage-point increase from last year. The “very satisfied” category saw the most significant increase, rising from 20% in 2024 to 24% in 2025. None of the 833 relationships received a “very unsatisfied” rating.
2025 IT Service Provider Rankings. The 2025 general satisfaction ranking features 35 IT service providers. Computacenter leads for the fourth consecutive year with a 90% satisfaction rating. Stefanini, a newcomer to the BeLux study, follows at 87%. Hexaware and GTT share third place with 84%. The average satisfaction score rose by two percentage points, reaching 78%—the highest on record.
General Satisfaction (Exceptional Performers)
Exceptional Performers
Nine IT service providers have achieved exceptional performance in one or more IT service towers, with satisfaction scores exceeding the market average and above the standard deviation:
General Satisfaction: Computacenter, GTT, Hexaware and Stefanini.
Application Services: Cegeka, Cognizant and Deloitte.
Cloud & Infrastructure Services: Atos/Eviden and Cegeka.
Workplace Services: Computacenter and Stefanini.
Network & Connectivity Services: GTT and Telenet.
Security Services: Cegeka and Telenet.
Clients Indicate that IT Service Providers Should Challenge them More.
Clients identify three key weaknesses in service providers. The most significant concern is a lack of proactive challenge (21%), suggesting that clients expect providers to be more strategic and innovative. Insufficient business knowledge (16%) is the second main weakness, which indicates that many providers lack a deep understanding of their client’s industries. High staff turnover and inexperienced resources (15%) also create workforce instability, impacting service quality and consistency.
Public Cloud Adoption Remains Strong.
77% of organizations plan to either significantly expand (39%) or maintain (38%) their public cloud usage. Only 5% plan to reduce cloud adoption, while nearly one in five are uncertain.
Cloud Provider Platform Rankings.
In this year’s evaluation of 803 cloud platform relationships, Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) lead the infrastructure cloud platforms ranking with 77% satisfaction. Meanwhile, Microsoft Dynamics 365 retains the top position in the software cloud platforms ranking with 76% satisfaction.
IaaS/PaaS
SaaS
