ARTICLE INTRODUCTION
In 2024, there were several key technology trends that transformed the way many businesses work. Most notably, the meteoric rise of AI productivity tools, such as Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, has meant that employees in all industries now have their own AI-powered personal assistants. 
As we look towards the year ahead, this democratisation of AI tools will continue, but this is just the beginning. There are multiple technology trends emerging in AI, cybersecurity and cloud, which will set the scene for IT investments in 2025 and beyond.
In this article, Extech Cloud describes some of the upcoming trends and the impact they may have on businesses large and small, across all industries.
The rise of AI agents
Every big tech company has invested in AI over the past two years. This has led to the creation and proliferation of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Meta’s Llama, to name just a few.
While there is much debate about which models are the ‘best’, one thing all the tech giants agree on is that the next stage of AI innovation is AI agents.
An AI agent is a program that can interact with systems, collect data, and use this data to perform self-determined tasks to meet pre-defined goals. A real-world example of this may be a customer support AI agent that is given the goal of answering customer queries. The agent will be asked questions and find answers from internal documentation to help the customer.
As the barrier to entry lowers, businesses will be able to create bespoke AI agent tailored for specific use. This shift will save businesses time and money, freeing staff from more menial work. As such, a strong data strategy will become increasingly important.
The need for public cloud   Â
Public cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform are well-established. In 2024, public cloud spending increased by 20.4% year-on-year. This trend is expected to break new records in 2025.
Some of the expected increase in spending is due to standard migrations of on-prem servers. However, the majority comes from businesses aiming to capitalise on AI opportunities. While AI solutions can be implemented using on-prem infrastructure, it is prohibitively expensive for most organisations. The public cloud simplifies this process and makes it more affordable.
All public cloud platforms have built-in AI services, allowing businesses to add AI to their existing cloud deployments, or take advantage of AI-powered reporting and business intelligence.
As a result, businesses will continue to need expertise in the cloud space, often relying on managed service providers (MSPs). Overall, there is a growing need for better cost and security optimisation to ensure businesses maximise the value of their cloud deployments.
Energy efficient computing
In server, laptop and desktop computing, there has been a recent push for more energy-efficient chips.
High-powered graphic processing units (GPUs) are essential in servers to harness AI-enabled services, but they come with significant hardware and energy costs. To facilitate widespread AI adoption, these costs need to decrease. As a result, many tech giants are focusing on developing more energy-efficient chips. This shift will lead to lower-cost public cloud services, enabling more businesses to move to the cloud.
With laptops, 2024 saw the release of the first Windows PCs running on ARM architecture. Historically, Windows has run on x86 processors, which are more power-hungry. While ARM-based Windows devices are not yet commonplace, 2025 is expected to see more organisations adopting ARM to improve battery life and reduce power consumption.
Finally, concerning desktop computing, 2025 will see a new wave of ultra low-cost ‘thin’ clients, with all computing being cloud managed. Microsoft has recently unveiled their Windows 365 Link that can be used to access Windows 365 cloud PCs. We believe this will usher in a new wave of energy-efficient, cheap desktops, specifically designed for cloud-first businesses.
Focus on data strategy and security
With businesses turning towards AI for innovation and competitive advantage, the need for data strategy and data security is more apparent than ever.
Platforms such as Microsoft Fabric provide an end-to-end solution for data storage and analysis, but it is only as powerful as the strategy that underpins it.
This trend towards data strategies will see medium-sized businesses investing in Chief Data Officers, or Head of Data Strategy roles, and small businesses looking to IT providers to support them in creating and implementing a holistic data strategy.
With data becoming more important, security is crucial. Businesses will need to beef up security and use security professionals to reduce the risk of a data loss incident.
Democratisation of AI-attacks
Although small and medium businesses will reap the benefits of AI democratisation this year, they will also increase their chances are being victims of AI attacks. The rise of AI-powered phishing attacks led to a 60% increase in phishing emails in 2024. In 2025, we expect to see a surge in AI-powered malware attacks by less skilled bad actors.
There is a vast suite of tools available on the dark web that allows anyone to purchase kits for creating malware or launching AI-phishing attacks. This means businesses will be targeted more frequently. While these attacks may not be overly complex, a holistic security strategy will still be essential to safeguard against them.
Key components of this security strategy will include technologies such as email security, extended detection and response (XDR), and identity and access management (IAM). Many of these technologies use AI for detection, leading to a constant arms race between attackers and defenders in 2025 and beyond.
Rethinking security models
With the world of cybersecurity developing so quickly, businesses need to rethink their security strategies and adopt a timeless approach.
In the past, this has meant adopting a zero-trust approach, where no one is trusted by default, and verification is always required. This is still a strong method of reducing cyber risk but will be superseded by Secure Access Service Edge and Continuous Threat Exposure Management in 2025.
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a cloud-based framework that combines network security functions with wide-area networking (WAN) capabilities to provide secure and efficient access to applications and data from any location. It integrates technologies like SD-WAN, secure web gateways, cloud access security brokers, and zero-trust network access into a unified service.
Similarly, Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is a proactive cybersecurity strategy designed to continuously identify, assess, and mitigate vulnerabilities across an organisation’s digital footprint. Developed by Gartner, CTEM represents an evolution from traditional, reactive security measures by emphasising continuous monitoring and real-time responses to threats. It involves a five-stage process: scoping, discovery, prioritisation, validation.
Both frameworks are expected to become more commonplace in 2025 due to the increasing need for secure remote work solutions, the rise of cloud services, and the growing complexity of cyber threats.
Adoption of low-code and no-code platforms 
Over the past few years, there has been a steady rise in the use of low-code and no-code platforms to create custom apps and automation. This is set to explode in 2025 as these platforms begin to fully integrate AI into their toolkit.
An example of this is Microsoft’s Power Platform, which now integrated with Copilot, allowing employees of all skill levels to build tools to help them work more effectively.
These platforms not only have transformed how something can be built, but it is transforming what can be built, with tools to build intelligent applications and autonomous AI agents.
The proliferation of low-code and no-code platforms has the potential to spark innovation in all industries and increase efficiency within the workplace.
Extech Cloud managed services
2025 is set to be an exciting year for technology and IT. With so many new products and services coming out, it can be difficult to know how to get the most from your IT budget.
Extech Cloud works with companies of all sizes to make the most of the AI and cloud opportunities, without compromising security.
If you want to find out more about any of the trends mentioned or want to discuss your IT strategy for 2025, contact one of our experts today.
