Introduction

Hello and a big welcome to 2025!

As we kick off the new year, here’s our roundup of the top technology trends to keep an eye on in the months ahead. You’ve probably noticed that technology is moving faster and changing quicker than ever, and it isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

That’s why it’s so important to stay fully informed so your organisation doesn’t get left behind. So read on and enjoy our predictions for 2025.

 

AI

It’s probably no surprise to see AI at the top of this list.

AI isn’t anything new; it’s been around for some time. But things really changed in November 2022 when ChatGPT was released to the public. Looking back, this was definitely a watershed moment where AI went mainstream.

This year looks to be no different, with no signs of AI slowing down in terms of usage and sophistication. We’ll start to see businesses use AI much more effectively, embedding it into their processes and relying on it a lot more.

This year, a key development to watch is the advancement of AI in replicating human speech with greater accuracy and naturalness. AI is already good at copying human-sounding text; however, this year it might start to become hard to differentiate an AI voice from a human voice. Expect to see AI being used more commonly for customer service purposes, such as intelligent chatbots providing real-time support.

 

Automation

In many ways, automation is the little brother of AI. It often gets less press than AI but still has the power to dramatically improve efficiencies.

We think organisations will automate many more of their repetitive tasks this year and start making the most of automation. One specific example is Power Automate, which is part of the Microsoft 365 suite. This tool can create sophisticated workflows, ensuring processes are completed consistently, removing human error and repetitive, time-intensive tasks. This should free you up to focus on bigger-picture work like strategic tasks that make your organisation better.

Have a think: is there a task you keep doing over and over again? This could be a good candidate for automation.

 

Microsoft Copilot

Following on from AI and automation, it’s likely that more businesses will start using artificial intelligence specifically for business purposes. Microsoft Copilot is likely to be one of the most common AI tools to watch out for in business for several reasons.

Firstly, as Microsoft technology relies heavily on ChatGPT, which is considered one of the most well-known and powerful AI tools, Copilot can benefit from its massive power and data availability. Secondly, as Copilot integrates fully into Microsoft 365, it’s designed exclusively to make life easier and faster for businesses.

Microsoft Copilot boosts productivity by automating key tasks across your business. It drafts documents, analyses data in Excel, summarises emails, and suggests replies, saving time and ensuring consistency. In Microsoft Teams, it enhances collaboration with meeting summaries, action items, and task tracking to keep your team organised.

If you would like to learn more, make sure to check out our blog on How to boost business productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot

 

Fully Centralised Systems

Another key trend to look out for this year is the rise in truly centralised systems.

Businesses have had to adapt to new technology and systems over time, often putting up with a range of different apps that don’t talk to each other. 2025 may well mark the point where businesses become less tolerant of this situation.

Whether it’s organisations moving fully over to having all their apps in one ecosystem like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace or relying on tools like Zapier to link systems together, the days of fully separate systems are numbered.

 

Cyber Security

The final predicted trend for this year is a rise in the importance of cyber security.

Cyber security remains a huge topic in technology. Last year’s annual cyber security review showed that 50% of businesses suffered a cyber attack in the previous year. This year could well be when businesses start taking cyber security seriously, especially at a senior boardroom level.

Factoring in the current climate, the rise in AI means that cyber attacks are more sophisticated than ever before. This means cyber security tools have had to up their game accordingly. For example, tools like XDR use automation and AI to spot and protect against sophisticated attacks across your entire IT estate.

 

Summary

These are the key trends we feel will be important over the course of the next year. It’s vital that you’re aware of what’s coming so you can be fully prepared and ensure you have a successful year.

If you have any questions about any points raised above, please get in touch with our team; we’ll be very happy to help.