Introduction

2025 marks a turning point for the US technology industry. Gartner projects global IT spend will surpass $5.1 trillion this year, with enterprise software and IT services driving much of the growth. But growth doesn’t guarantee predictable wins.

Despite rising budgets, deal cycles are stretching. McKinsey reports that 70% of B2B tech purchases in the US now involve five or more stakeholders, up sharply from just a few years ago. Legal, finance, compliance, and sustainability officers are part of nearly every enterprise deal. Layer on AI regulations and heightened CFO scrutiny, and even the strongest business cases can stall.

This is the paradox of 2025: budgets exist, but unlocking them is harder than ever. For heads of strategy, CI, and product, the answer is clear—make M&CI the backbone of decision-making.

The new reality for US tech leaders

The US tech industry is simultaneously expanding and tightening. Spending is rising, but buyers are more cautious and demanding. Each leadership role feels this shift differently:

  • Head of Strategy: Betting on acquisitions or partnerships without clear buyer signals or regulatory foresight risks costly missteps.
  • Director of Competitive Intelligence: Traditional battlecards fall short. Boards demand forward-looking insights into AI regulations, cybersecurity standards, and budget priorities.
  • Head of Product: Product success now hinges as much on compliance as customer demand. A missed regulation or mistimed launch can derail adoption.

Buyers aren’t just purchasing products—they’re buying compliance readiness, ROI proof, and confidence that vendors can adapt faster than change.

Why M&CI matters for the US tech market

M&CI has shifted from a support function to essential infrastructure. Three forces are driving this shift:

  1. AI is reshaping procurement
    Buyers expect real-time, data-backed answers during evaluations. By 2026, IDC predicts 40% of enterprise tech deals in the US will be influenced by AI-generated insights. Vendors unable to match this pace risk losing the deal midstream.
  2. CFOs control the budget
     Forrester finds finance leaders now play a decisive role in over 75% of enterprise IT purchases. Intelligence teams must go beyond competitor tracking to model financial impact and demonstrate quantifiable ROI.
  3. Compliance drives buying decisions
     From the White House’s AI Bill of Rights to state-level privacy rules, compliance now shapes shortlists. Vendors that prove readiness advance; those that don’t are eliminated early.

Future-Facing Intelligence: From Tracking to Predicting

In 2025, M&CI is no longer just about reporting what competitors and markets are doing—it’s about forecasting what they will do next. Intelligence functions are increasingly powered by AI-driven analytics that process vast amounts of unstructured data—from RFPs and regulatory filings to buyer conversations and online forums. These systems uncover hidden buyer intent signals that manual tracking would miss.

The next frontier is predictive intelligence: using historical deal patterns, regulatory pipelines, and competitor behavior to forecast how buying committees will act. This allows vendors to anticipate objections before they arise, time launches with regulatory clarity, and position solutions ahead of rivals. Teams that embrace this shift move from reacting to market shifts to shaping them.

Key advantages include:

  • Identifying early signals of demand or budget shifts before they hit mainstream markets.
  • Anticipating competitor go-to-market moves and countering them proactively.
  • Forecasting adoption patterns shaped by regulation, economic shifts, or technology cycles.

New Buying Drivers in 2025

Beyond ROI and compliance, new priorities are reshaping US enterprise buying behavior. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria are moving from annual reports into procurement checklists. Large enterprises increasingly require vendors to demonstrate carbon reduction, supply chain ethics, and social responsibility before awarding contracts. In parallel, cybersecurity readiness has become a non-negotiable. With high-profile breaches making headlines, buyers now test vendors for resilience, response speed, and alignment with emerging cybersecurity standards.

This means US enterprises in 2025 are no longer evaluating products in isolation—they are assessing vendors holistically, as long-term partners who can reduce risk across financial, regulatory, social, and digital dimensions.

The questions buyers now ask go far deeper:

  • Can you prove ROI to our CFO?
  • Can you keep us compliant under federal and state regulations?
  • Can you meet our ESG commitments and sustainability goals?
  • Can you protect us from the next cybersecurity crisis?

What winning teams gain

The gap between teams that embed intelligence and those that don’t is widening.

Without M&CI

  • Deal cycles drag 9+ months as vendors scramble for last-minute CFO and compliance answers.
  • Strategy bets are made blind, leading to wasted capital.
  • Product roadmaps stay reactive, missing regulatory and competitive signals.

With M&CI

  • Deal cycles shorten by 20–30% as sales teams arrive with ROI models and compliance foresight.
  • Strategy bets are sharper, backed by timely market and regulatory signals.
  • Product leaders prioritize features buyers will adopt in regulated environments.

M&CI isn’t about tracking competitors. It’s about giving enterprises the speed, alignment, and foresight to win.

How Contify supports 

Contify acts as the system of record for market and competitive signals, embedding intelligence directly into daily workflows.

  • Heads of Strategy: Align corporate moves with competitor, regulatory, and customer signals—minimizing wasted capital.
  • Directors of CI: Move from deal support to boardroom influence with signal-first insights on buyers, competitors, and regulators.
  • Heads of Product: Anticipate adoption patterns shaped by regulation, not just competition—building compliant, adoption-ready roadmaps.

Unlike traditional CI tools, Contify integrates insights across dashboards, newsletters, CRMs, and collaboration platforms, ensuring every decision-maker has the intelligence they need.

Conclusion: from 2025 reality to 2026 advantage

2025 has made one thing clear: intelligence is no longer optional in the US tech market. Growth budgets exist, but winning them depends on answering buyers’ toughest questions.

The companies that embed M&CI into workflows today will enter 2026 with a decisive edge: shorter deal cycles, stronger board alignment, and the foresight to outpace regulation and rivals.

In 2026, the winners won’t be the ones with the biggest budgets. They’ll be the ones with the sharpest intelligence.

FAQs

How is AI changing the role of market and competitive intelligence in 2025?

AI is moving M&CI from hindsight to foresight. Instead of just reporting competitor activity, AI-powered market and competitive intelligence solutions process unstructured data—such as regulatory filings, RFPs, and online signals—to surface early buyer intent. Predictive models can then forecast deal cycles, competitor moves, or regulatory shifts, giving vendors a chance to act before the market does.

What are the biggest new buying drivers shaping enterprise tech deals in 2025?

Alongside ROI and compliance, two major forces are redefining US enterprise buying decisions: ESG readiness and cybersecurity resilience. Buyers now require vendors to prove sustainability commitments, ethical practices, and strong cyber defenses. Vendors that fall short are often cut before negotiations begin.

Why are compliance and regulation so critical for US tech vendors?

Federal and state-level regulations—like the AI Bill of Rights and privacy frameworks—directly shape vendor shortlists. Compliance is now seen as a deal enabler, not just a risk factor. Vendors that can prove readiness in advance move forward faster, while those that lag often face delays or elimination.

How can predictive intelligence shorten deal cycles?

By analyzing historic deal data, competitor launches, and budget signals, predictive intelligence helps sales and strategy teams anticipate questions from CFOs, compliance officers, and legal teams before they arise. This foresight enables vendors to come prepared with ROI models, risk assessments, and compliance documentation—cutting weeks or months from negotiations.