Avocado and Ecosystm launch national study into developer experience and AI's growing role in Australian software delivery
New research invites developers and technology leaders to share their views on the perception gap between the C-suite and the coding floor, observability maturity, and the operational risks and rewards of AI — including the rise of agent-led development.
Avocado has partnered with independent technology analyst firm Ecosystm to launch the Developer Experience in Australia Study 2026, a national research program examining how Australian organisations are adapting to the demands of modern software delivery in the age of AI.
The study is designed to close a persistent gap in the industry: the difference between how the C-suite and technology leaders believe engineering teams are performing, and what developers actually experience day to day.
The four themesWhat the study explores
The research examines four connected themes shaping enterprise software delivery in 2026.
Leadership view vs. lived experience
How leadership views of developer productivity, tooling, and delivery speed compare with the lived experience of engineers on the ground.
Observability maturity
How well organisations' monitoring, telemetry, and platform engineering capabilities support both traditional and AI-powered applications.
AI's operational risks and rewards
How organisations are governing, monitoring, and troubleshooting AI-assisted coding tools and AI-powered features in production.
The shift to agent-led development
Where a single developer directs and supervises multiple autonomous coding agents rather than writing code line by line — and what this means for oversight, quality, and trust.
"AI is changing software delivery faster than most organisations can measure it. We're seeing developers experiment with agent-led workflows, AI-assisted coding, and increasingly autonomous systems, often ahead of the observability and governance needed to run them safely. This study will give the industry a clear, evidence-based picture of where Australian organisations really stand — and where the gaps are."
Zana StojanovskiGM Business Solutions, Avocado
The study is open to developers, senior developers and lead engineers, DevOps, platform and site reliability engineers, and engineering leaders — Head or VP of Engineering, CTO and CIO — at Australian organisations with 500 or more local employees. It spans financial services, government, healthcare, retail, telecommunications, technology, critical infrastructure and utilities, and higher education.
The survey takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete. All responses will be anonymised, with results reported in aggregate only.
Participants will have the opportunity to help shape research into how Australian organisations are approaching platform engineering adoption, developer productivity measurement, engineering retention, AI monitoring and governance, and the emerging shift towards agent-led coding methodologies.
"Ecosystm's research consistently identifies enterprise technology teams as the earliest adopters of AI. Combining executive and developer perspectives enables us to assess both organisational priorities and implementation progress, providing practical insight into how AI adoption is evolving across the enterprise."
Sash MukkherjeeVP Industry Insights, Ecosystm
Share your experience
Help shape a clear, evidence-based picture of software delivery in Australian enterprises in 2026.
Start the survey →Full findings from the Ecosystm Developer Experience in Australia Study 2026 will be published in September 2026.
About Ecosystm
Ecosystm is a leading technology market analyst and advisory firm that helps stakeholders navigate innovation in the digital economy through data, insights, and expertise. With ongoing research and access to top analysts and strategic advisors, Ecosystm empowers business planning, go-to-market activities, thought leadership, and innovation strategy consulting. Visit ecosystm.io.
About Avocado
Avocado is an Australian technology consultancy specialising in Observability, Cyber Security Quality Engineering helping organisations deliver complex technology change with certainty.
