3 Realities of the AI-Native Era from the Gartner Apps Summit

By Kunal Mehta, Director, Product Marketing

Having just wrapped up our time at the Gartner Application Innovation & Business Solutions Summit in London, one thing is abundantly clear: the enterprise software conversation has fundamentally shifted. We’ve officially transitioned from initial AI experimentation into the AI-native era.

Between keynotes, analyst sessions and hallway conversations with IT leaders, the focus was not just on what AI can do, but on how enterprises can build the architectural backbone required to run AI reliably, securely and cost-effectively.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the summit, and how Jitterbit’s Harmony platform directly addresses these emerging requirements.

1. AI Agents & Model Context Protocol (MCP) Are Now Mainstream

A central theme across keynotes and vendor sessions was the rise of agentic AI, moving from passive chatbots to autonomous agents capable of performing complex multi-step workflows.

Equally prominent in technical sessions was the adoption of the Model Context Protocol (MCP). As organizations scale AI agents, connecting them directly to underlying enterprise systems using custom, ad-hoc integrations creates immense technical debt. MCP is rapidly becoming the standard protocol for giving AI models safe, structured and contextual access to enterprise tools and data sources.

Jitterbit enables organizations to expose business processes and system endpoints via standardized APIs and MCP servers. Through low-code orchestration, Jitterbit ensures AI agents have real-time, context-rich data access while remaining bounded by corporate security policies.

2. The Urgent Need for a Unified Orchestration & Visibility Layer

While AI agents and MCP offer incredible autonomy, they also introduce unprecedented operational complexity. A recurring concern raised by attendees was the risk of “agent sprawl,” a fragmented landscape of isolated AI agents, disparate APIs and decoupled integration pipelines.

Organizations aren’t looking for standalone AI tools; they are seeking a unified orchestration layer that brings governance to:

• AI Agents: Execution tracking, decision boundaries and human-in-the-loop workflows
• Model Context Protocols (MCP): Safe routing of contextual enterprise data
• APIs & Data Pipelines: Connecting cloud services, legacy databases and SaaS applications

Jitterbit Harmony provides a single, unified platform for integration, API management and app development. By managing APIs, microservice, and AI integrations in one central control plane, Jitterbit delivers complete visibility and governance across the entire digital ecosystem.

3. Rising Costs Demand Predictability in Pricing

A dominant operational topic across sessions was budget uncertainty. Between volatile, consumption-based AI token costs and unpredictable, usage-based SaaS licensing, IT leaders are experiencing severe cost shock. Uncontrolled variable costs make long-term technology roadmaps nearly impossible to forecast.

The consensus at the summit was clear: IT leaders are pushing back against opaque, volatile pricing models. Enterprise application teams need cost predictability through:

• Transparent Pricing Structures: Avoiding hidden usage spikes and volatile per-transaction penalties
• Unified Licensing: Consolidating separate tools such as iPaaS, API management, EDI and low-code app building and AI orchestration into a single platform to eliminate vendor bloat
• Controllable Workflows: Setting operational boundaries to ensure AI execution and integration calls scale without ballooning overhead

Jitterbit Harmony delivers a predictable, subscription-based pricing model that allows enterprises to scale connectivity, workflows and AI capabilities without financial surprises. By bundling iPaaS, API management, EDI, MCP and application development into a unified platform, Jitterbit helps organizations keep TCO stable and transparent.

Building the AI-Ready Integration Foundation

The London summit reinforced a reality we see every day: AI is only as good as the integration layer supporting it.

Whether you are orchestrating complex autonomous agents, establishing MCP boundaries, or managing API pipelines and token spend, success hinges on having a flexible, robust integration fabric.

Jitterbit has already helped thousands of enterprises eliminate data silos, automate workflows and build a stronger foundation for a fully agentic future. Contact us today for a personalized demo tailored to your use case and industry.