Every year, C-suite executives need to wade through endless forecasts to find technology that actually moves the needle. ELEKS's tech experts have dissected predictions from Gartner, IDC, Deloitte, and KPMG to separate signal from noise. But we didn't just compile a list—we applied our 30+ years of engineering expertise to evaluate each trend's real deployment risk and business value.
Artificial Intelligence: No Longer Just Hype
AI is becoming as fundamental as electricity or the internet. Both Gartner and Deloitte agree that in 2025, it's only getting bigger, especially with generative AI. It's evolving from a mere automation tool to the cornerstone of business strategy.
Generative AI: Beyond the Chatbot
ELEKS' expert evaluation: deployment risk: low; business value: high
The most significant shift is how GenAI is maturing and embedding itself in enterprise operations. It's not just about shiny new systems; it's also about breathing life into expensive legacy systems. According to Gartner, by 2028, generative AI will reduce the cost of modernizing legacy applications by 30% compared to 2023 levels.
What's most interesting is how GenAI is changing workplace knowledge flow. Instead of digging through docs or bothering colleagues, workers can get answers instantly. Gartner reports that 75% of developers will use generative AI for learning new skills.
Business benefits you can actually bank on:
⚡ Efficiency boost: Let AI handle the boring stuff so humans can do the creative thinking
💰 Cost optimization: Automate processes, modernise legacy systems, and manage resources better
😎 Customer experience: AI-driven personalisation and 24/7 support that doesn't suck
🚀 Faster innovation: Test concepts and build prototypes faster, reducing time-to-market
AI Agents: The Next Evolution
ELEKS' expert evaluation: deployment risk: low; business value: high
Agentic AI should be the bullseye of our focus in 2025. Multi-agent workflows in particular, which are highly complex and require governance, should present a rich opportunity. — Alex Shegda, ELEKS’ VP of Technology
Forget basic chatbots—enterprise AI agents are becoming sophisticated business tools. Here's what's coming:
- Increased autonomy: AI systems working as teams to manage complex tasks like supply chains without constant human babysitting
- Superagents: Advanced multiagents that coordinate other AI systems across industries
- Multimodal capabilities: Systems that can understand text, images, video, and 3D simultaneously
- Spatial computing integration: AI that understands our natural behaviors without requiring specialized commands
Investors have poured over $2 billion into agentic AI startups in the past two years, focusing their investment on companies that target the enterprise market, says Deloitte. According to IDC, 50% of organizations will use enterprise agents configured for specific business functions instead of focusing on individual copilot technologies to achieve faster business value from AI.
Business benefits of agentic AI:
🤖 Next-level automation: These agents don't just respond—they act independently based on goals
🧠 Smarter decisions: They collaborate and make independent decisions while allowing human oversight
🔄 Enhanced coordination: Superagents optimize how AI systems work together
🌐 Environmental adaptability: Combined with spatial computing, they understand context naturally
📱 LLMs optimisation: Enable large language models to run on small devices and offline
Small Language Models: When Bigger Isn't Better
ELEKS' expert evaluation: deployment risk: low; business value: high
We're seeing a shift toward smaller, specialized AI models designed for specific business needs. It's not about massive AI projects anymore—it's about practical integration into existing operations.
Why SLMs Matter:
🚄 Efficiency: LLMs are resource hogs and overkill for simple tasks
🎯 Specialisation: SLMs can be trained on specific data for specific problems
🔒 Data privacy: Run on-device, reducing cloud dependency
🌱 Sustainability: Lower computing needs = smaller carbon footprint
One challenge stands out in ~80% of cases related to modern GenAI technologies: the i/o validation of LLM-based agents. This leads to problems like users bypassing system instructions or retrieving hidden data through indirect prompt injections. Unfortunately, there's no single, effective solution yet. — Volodymyr Getmanskyi, Head of Data Science at ELEKS
Cloud Computing: Evolution, Not Revolution
The cloud landscape is transforming rapidly, bringing both new opportunities and challenges.
FinOps: The CFO's New Best Friend
ELEKS' expert evaluation: deployment risk: medium; business value: medium
Global cloud spending is expected to exceed $825 billion in 2025, as stated by Gartner. However, tracking and understanding cloud costs remain difficult. That's where FinOps comes in—tools and strategies that give you control over cloud spending. According to Deloitte, businesses could save up to $21 billion in 2025 by adopting FinOps tools and practices, with potential reductions of up to 40% in some cases.
What's notable for 2025 is the shift from reactive cost management to proactive value optimisation. When properly implemented, FinOps provides C-suite leaders with real-time visibility into cloud ROI—something notably absent in traditional approaches. — Mykola Orlov, Head of DevOps at ELEKS
FinOps benefits:
📊 Optimize resources: Ensure maximum value from every cloud dollar
💵 Cost transparency: See spending across services, regions, and accounts
📜 Regulatory compliance: Easier management of rules and requirements
🏃 Business agility: Align infrastructure with business objectives
Hybrid Clouds
ELEKS' expert evaluation: deployment risk: medium; business value: medium
According to Gartner, by 2025, 90% of organizations are expected to implement a hybrid cloud strategy. This isn't just about having both on-premises and cloud systems—it's about creating a seamless environment, optimising performance, cost, and security.
Hybrid cloud advantages:
🔐 Better security: Keep sensitive data private while leveraging the public cloud for everything else
🎮 More control: Choose where and how applications run
🗺️ Data sovereignty: Keep sensitive data within specific geographic boundaries
🔄 IT flexibility: Allocate resources between private and public infrastructure as needed
Edge Computing: The Need for Speed
ELEKS' expert evaluation: deployment risk: low; business value: high
Edge computing continues to gain traction as businesses need faster data processing and real-time analytics. By 2025, edge computing is expected to process 55% of enterprise-generated data, according to Deloitte.
Edge computing payoffs:
⚡ Instant processing: No more waiting for data to travel to distant servers and back
🔌 Smarter device management: Factory sensors and retail cameras work better than ever
🔏 Data privacy compliance: When data stays local, you worry less about where it travels
🌱 Sustainability: Reduced energy consumption and waste
The best part? Edge devices now come with built-in AI capabilities (NPUs), making decisions without always checking in with the cloud. Think of it as having mini-computers everywhere, handling their own tasks while staying connected when needed.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity isn't just about protecting data—it's about staying competitive. — Oleksandr Pluzhnikov, Head of Cyber Security at ELEKS
The Evolving Threat Landscape
AI integration in cybersecurity is a double-edged sword. While businesses use it for defense, attackers use GenAI for increasingly sophisticated attacks, creating convincing phishing campaigns and adaptive malware. Deepfakes make it harder to distinguish authentic communications from fraudulent ones.
Ransomware remains one of the most significant threats, evolving from simple encryption attacks to sophisticated operations combining data theft with encryption. Compromised credentials create ripple effects throughout interconnected networks, especially in environments without robust multi-factor authentication.
Defense mechanisms that actually work
40% of businesses will adopt DIY security solutions through AI-enabled automation, according to IDC. Companies are implementing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) while security operations evolve toward semi-autonomous models where AI assists with alerts and threat prioritization. Cloud-native security information and event management (SIEM) solutions address unique cloud challenges, and organizations prepare for quantum computing threats with post-quantum cryptography. Success requires:
- Developing robust AI impact assessments
- Building crypto-agile infrastructures
- Fostering collaboration between security, technology, and legal teams
Sustainability: Green Is the New Black
In 2025, sustainability will take center stage across sectors, driven by climate change urgency, regulatory pressures, and the energy demands of AI and other technologies.
By 2026, 60% of organizations are expected to use generative AI to create more detailed and operationally focused strategies for sustainable transformation. By 2027, 25% of organizations will use AI platforms to create digital twins of their supply chains, enabling the analysis of potential climate and weather-related risks. – IDC
Carbon-Free Energy & Sustainable Operations
The intersection of energy transformation and business sustainability in 2025 is remarkable. As renewable power gains traction and nuclear energy addresses AI's growing demands, we're seeing a fundamental shift in energy strategies. GreenOps exemplifies this—companies aren't just tracking costs, they're integrating energy efficiency and carbon metrics into core business decisions. — Lyubomyr Matsekh, Sustainability Practice Lead at ELEKS
The energy sector is transforming. Wind and solar have surpassed coal in annual US electricity generation, driven by customer demand, government regulations, and strategic investments.
Nuclear energy is experiencing a renaissance, particularly for powering AI data centers. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors offer promising solutions for clean, reliable power.
"GreenOps" has emerged as an evolution of FinOps, introducing sustainability metrics into cloud management. Companies measure not just costs but also carbon footprint, making environmental impact a key factor in technology decisions.
Regulations With Real Teeth
The regulatory environment in 2025 has tightened, with the EU leading. The Digital Product Passport requires transparent records of products' environmental impact. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) integrates sustainability into financial reporting, while the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) ensures environmental risks are properly accounted for in financial practices.
Companies are responding globally by implementing AI-informed carbon accounting software and integrating sustainability requirements into procurement processes.
Understanding which technology trends hold genuine potential for your business requires more than market research. Drawing on over 30 years of software industry experience, our certified experts help you evaluate emerging technologies against your specific business context.
