Unlocking the Agentic Enterprise: Key Insights from Salesforce's 2026 Connectivity Benchmark Report
The era of the **agentic enterprise** has arrived, where humans and AI agents collaborate seamlessly across workflows. Salesforce's 2026 Connectivity Benchmark Report, surveying 1,050 global IT leaders, reveals that 88% of organizations are on track for partial or full agentic transformation, with 98% planning adoption.[1][2]
The Explosive Growth of AI Agents
Enterprises currently deploy an average of **12 AI agents**, projected to surge 67% to 20 by 2027.[2][5] However, half operate in isolation, fostering fragmented automation, governance risks, and "shadow AI."[2] This shift demands robust connectivity to unlock true value.
The Connectivity Paradox: Apps Galore, Connections Lacking
Average organizations manage **957 applications**, up from 897 last year, yet only **27% are connected**—rising to 32% for fully agentic firms.[1][2] This gap stalls innovation: 82% cite data integration as a top AI challenge, and 26% of IT projects miss deadlines due to manual integration efforts consuming 36% of team time.[1]
- 71% report overly dependent systems from poor infrastructure.[1]
- 40% blame outdated architecture and silos for AI barriers.[2]
- Over 4 in 5 leaders fear AI agent sprawl will create more complexity than value.[5]
API-Driven Architectures: The Path Forward
To combat fragmentation, **94% of leaders** advocate API-centric IT architectures as the connective tissue for multi-agent systems.[2][5] Already, one-third use APIs for faster integrations, and 50% for AI governance.[2] Early adopters leverage integrated frameworks like Salesforce's Agentforce 360, powered by Data Cloud and MuleSoft, for cross-cloud workflows.[3][4]
"This is an inflection point. Enterprises must move from simply deploying agents to operationalizing them at scale through sustainable and secure integration strategies." – Kurt Anderson, Deloitte Consulting.[2]
Overcoming Barriers to Agentic Success
Despite momentum, 96% face data barriers for AI, exacerbated by app sprawl.[2] Solutions include MuleSoft for third-party integrations, Agentforce Vibes for natural language processing, and robust governance to avoid UK-style lags in agentic adoption.[3][9] Salesforce's Informatica acquisition bolsters this with clean data pipelines for Agentforce.[4]
Organizations embracing **API-led connectivity** will lead the agentic transformation, turning potential chaos into coordinated intelligence. As IT leaders prioritize integration, the promise of autonomous AI systems moves from vision to reality.[1][2][5]
