Mesoform State of the Union 2025-26

A Meta-Analysis of 2025: Predicting Priorities for 2026

Two years ago, our State of the Union 2023 tracked the rise of DevOps and early platform engineering. In 2025, AI has reshaped the landscape, and the data is now far more complex.

Read on to discover the key findings and what they mean for 2026.

Here are some of the key findings from the meta-analysis…

1. AI is NOT reducing burnout, it’s changing the nature of work

In 2025, 90% of technology professionals use AI daily. 80% say it boosts productivity.

But burnout hasn’t improved.

The reason? Work intensification.
AI speeds up output, and expectations rise accordingly. The cognitive load hasn’t decreased; it has shifted from creating to verifying.

🔹 What we found: AI amplifies performance only when teams have a user-centric focus.

Want to know what separates high-performing teams from the rest?
Download the full report.

2. The cloud is no longer a “deployment target” it’s an identity battlefield

The biggest shift in cloud security isn’t the infrastructure, it’s identity.

In 2025, overprivileged service accounts became a primary vector for lateral movement. Attackers are no longer “breaking in” they’re “logging in.”

This finding is supported by multiple independent 2025 studies, reinforcing the reality that identity is the new perimeter.

🔹 Teaser insight: The boundary between cloud and on-prem has dissolved into a single Identity Plane.

Want the full breakdown of cloud identity risk and what to do about it?
Get the report.

3. Delivery Performance Has Changed, and So Have Team Archetypes

AI is increasing throughput, but it’s also driving instability.

We reveal seven distinct team profiles, showing that AI can accelerate delivery while increasing risk.

🔹 Top takeaway: 2026 will shift focus from observability to Telemetry Engineering, treating telemetry as a governed product.

Curious which team profile your organisation fits into?
Download the report.

4. Platform Engineering is now a survival requirement

In 2023, platform engineering was optional.

In 2025, it’s essential.

Our research shows a direct correlation between platform maturity and AI success. Without a strong platform, AI becomes chaos: fast code, slow delivery, and unstable systems.

🔹 Core finding: Platforms will become governance-by-default systems, automatically enforcing security and architecture standards.

Want to learn how to avoid the “DIY Platform Trap”?
Read the full report.

5. Cybersecurity is now about non-human identities

Attackers are shifting from code vulnerabilities to identity and recovery.

Backup systems are being targeted. OAuth tokens are being used to bypass MFA. The result is a new threat landscape that requires new defence strategies.

🔹Notable finding: Non-human identity sprawl will become the top CISO priority in 2026.

Want the full threat analysis and what to do next?
Download the report.

Want to explore the full meta-analysis?

If these findings sound familiar or unsettling, it’s because they reflect the reality of modern software delivery.

The full Mesoform State of the Union 2025/2026 report contains:

• A meta-analysis of multiple 2025 studies, synthesised into a single strategic view
• Detailed data on AI adoption and its effects on teams
• A breakdown of the seven team profiles
• Practical guidance for platform engineering and AI governance
• Cybersecurity predictions and defensive strategies
• A roadmap for building resilient systems in 2026

📌 Download the full report to unlock the complete insights.

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