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Please find below an overview of the key findings, with further details and data available in the full study. You may download this study from this website.
Purpose and Focus of the Research Report
The EMA Research Report explores modern trends, challenges, and strategies related to enterprise data movement, particularly in the context of multi-cloud integration and digital transformation. It emphasizes the evolving role of Workload Automation (WLA) and Managed File Transfer (MFT) technologies, aiming to equip IT leaders, architects, and cloud strategists with insights for optimizing data movement across increasingly complex and distributed environments.
Executive Summary aka Key Findings
Multi-Cloud Adoption: Enterprises are heavily adopting multi-cloud strategies, necessitating more sophisticated data management tools.
Central Role of WLA: WLA is now critical for automating and orchestrating complex data flows across diverse systems.
Security and Compliance Challenges: Security concerns, including encryption for data in transit and at rest, are growing, especially with cloud adoption.
Growing Volumes and Complexity: Data transfer volumes are rising sharply, pushing the need for scalable, robust solutions.
Persistent Integration Challenges: Despite advancements, integrating legacy systems with new platforms and fully automating data flows remains difficult.
The report predicts increased use of AI and machine learning within WLA and a move toward service-mesh architectures to streamline and secure data movement.
Digital Transformation and its Impact
Digital transformation is redefining operational models, driven by cloud migration, application modernization, and the need for real-time data accessibility. As organizations become more digitally mature, their strategies for data movement must also evolve to handle increased complexity and security requirements.
Enterprises in more advanced stages of digital transformation (labelled “Gen 2.0” in this Research Paper) show a greater reliance on cloud-native architectures, streaming data, and real-time processing. Security has become the top concern, with cloud migration and data governance following closely behind.
Digital Transformation Maturity
Most enterprises surveyed are still in early or intermediate stages of digital transformation, with only a small percentage reaching full maturity. Nevertheless, there is a visible progression compared to the previous year, suggesting steady, albeit gradual, industry-wide advancement.
Expanding Role of Workload Automation (WLA) in MFT
WLA's role is expanding significantly: 80% of organizations now use WLA for some aspect of file transfer. And as digital maturity increases, so does the reliance on integrated WLA and MFT capabilities.
WLA simplifies complex workflows, supports real-time data orchestration, and ensures smoother pipeline management. Native WLA capabilities that incorporate managed file transfer functionalities are increasingly important for efficient data handling in dynamic environments.
Current State of Data Movement
Enterprises rely on a mix of scheduled and real-time data movement:
78% use scheduled transfers, primarily for operational stability.
72% have adopted real-time data integration to enable immediate insights and agility.
Cloud services dominate the landscape: 73% use private clouds, 63% SaaS, and 58% public clouds for data transfer activities. Data fluidly moves between private clouds, public clouds, SaaS environments, and on-premises systems. Ad hoc transfers and event-driven or near-real-time integrations are also critical components, enabling flexibility and responsiveness.
Software Tools and Investment
The choice of tools for data movement varies widely:
FTP servers remain widely used (58%) but face growing competition from more advanced solutions.
Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) and WLA-native MFT are on the rise (42% each), reflecting a move toward scalable, automated, and cloud-ready architectures.
Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions offer enhanced security and compliance features compared to traditional FTP.
Financial investments mirror these trends, with organizations willing to allocate larger budgets to more secure, flexible, and efficient tools.
Challenges in Data Movement
Although satisfaction rates with file transfer technologies are high, major challenges remain:
FTP servers struggle with security risks and lack of visibility.
MFT software faces cost, licensing, and complexity issues.
WLA-native MFT systems grapple with scalability and compliance.
iPaaS users report challenges in integration, security, and cost management.
The move to integrated, secure, and flexible platforms is ongoing, but legacy systems still pose significant hurdles.
Future Outlook
Enterprises foresee a decline in reliance on FTP servers and a rise in MFT, WLA-native MFT, and iPaaS solutions by 2027. Data movement volumes are expected to grow significantly: 34% of enterprises anticipate a 10-25% increase in transfer volumes. No organization expects a decrease in data movement, underscoring data’s growing centrality in business operations.
DataOps and Pipeline Orchestration
DataOps is becoming critical: 33% of organizations have fully implemented DataOps. And another 46% are partially integrated, reflecting widespread interest but also challenges in cultural adoption and technological integration.
Security, scalability, and integration complexity are major obstacles to fully realizing DataOps benefits.
Overall and unsurprisingly, automation is advancing: 41% have fully automated data pipelines. Automation delivers efficiency, reliability, scalability, and enhanced monitoring, critical for managing expanding data ecosystems.
Enterprise-Wide Impact
Data movement is no longer just an IT concern. Departments like application development, finance, supply chain, sales, and even procurement heavily depend on reliable, secure file transfers. Thus, 95% of IT operations leaders are proactive in sponsoring new file transfer initiatives.
Smooth, secure data flows are thus vital for enterprise-wide efficiency and competitive advantage.
EMA Perspective and Recommendations
EMA’s final perspective stresses the need for strategic, forward-thinking investment in data movement technologies:
For IT Decision-Makers: Invest in automation, prioritize security, and prepare for growing data needs.
For Product Managers: Build solutions focused on integration, scalability, and security.
For Marketers: Emphasize security, compliance, and operational efficiency when positioning solutions.
In conclusion, the report paints a picture of an enterprise landscape in rapid evolution, where data movement is foundational to digital transformation success. Organizations must adopt robust, secure, and agile strategies to stay competitive in the increasingly complex, data-driven world.
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