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Posted 18th December 2024
As 2024 draws to a close, BCN’s in-house experts look ahead to what looks set be a transformative 2025.
Their predictions paint a world where AI liberates human creativity, VR expands beyond entertainment, and sustainability strategies integrate seamlessly into core business operations.
Copilot 365: For Johan, the promise of AI lies in its ability to unlock human potential. By handling mundane, repetitive tasks, AI frees employees to indulge their creative instincts, spark genuine innovation, and, as Johan states “AI is going to make work fun again.”
Johan envisions Copilot agents revolutionising AI interactions, becoming peoples’ most used search engine and seamlessly integrating into our personal and professional lives. AI creates smarter decision-making and automation freeing teams to focus on meaningful work. Collaboration will flourish with adaptive tools, while real-time language translation will break down communication barriers.
As AI gains traction, businesses will start taking data management seriously to unlock its full potential, transforming productivity and fostering global connectivity.
There will be significant demand for data security, and Microsoft Purview will play a crucial role in helping businesses identify and manage risks within their operations.
Beyond productivity gains, Johan foresees VR as a game-changer: immersive meetings, interactive training, and secure device management through Microsoft Intune may soon render the traditional laptop obsolete.
Soon, VR headsets will seamlessly connect with Windows 365 Virtual Desktop, turning them into fully functional, portable laptops. Users will access their cloud-based desktop environment through the headset, with all files and apps streamed securely from the cloud.
Chris believes 2025 will belong to businesses that embrace AI strategically. He sees the rise of AI copilots as an inevitable milestone. Chris states that “encouraging the use of copilots in everyday interactions, such as drafting documents, recording meeting actions, and summarising emails, will boost efficiency and free up employees’ time to add value, solve complex situations, and focus on innovation.”
By leveraging generative AI to reduce development times, Chris believes engineers will improve their ability to jump directly to refining production-ready solutions.
Chris also predicts that, via their cloud-native tooling and platform as a service (PaaS) offering, public cloud ecosystems delivered by the likes of Microsoft will continue to provide organisations with the fastest route to wider AI adoption in 2025. However, he cautions that organisations yet to embrace the cloud fully or at least transform their services with cloud native technologies will find realising value from AI adoption much more challenging.
Chris also believes that hybrid cloud adoption will further empower organisations to balance sustainability with computational intensity, while data-driven insights, gleaned through Microsoft’s supply chain analytics, will help maintain eco-consciousness. But he also warns that those still clinging to outdated infrastructure risk missing the fastest route to AI success.
Harry envisions a 2025 workplace where AI literacy becomes second nature. As intelligent agents and copilots take on the drudge of work, employees will find themselves free to focus on the human elements that matter most—critical thinking, creativity, and relationship-building.
He predicts that platforms like Microsoft Fabric will place sophisticated analytics in everyone’s hands, so even non-specialists can easily derive insights from data. As a result, Harry predicts that this will “free dedicated analytics teams to explore deeper insights that require longer term, more experimental approaches.”
This brighter, more accessible future will require tight security. With quantum threats looming, businesses must embrace agile, AI-driven defences to stay a step ahead of bad actors.
Fraser echoes Harry’s enthusiasm for AI-driven democratisation but emphasises the importance of governance.
Citing the newest releases from Microsoft in November 2024, he believes that the ability for anyone in an organisation to create personal agents to help with everyday tasks is likely to “explode”.
“Businesses will want to ensure user adoption. They can achieve this by implementing AI Governance and Business Rules to create empowering, inclusive, fair, secure and accountable solutions.”
As AI tools proliferate, fairness, security, and accountability must guide their deployment. Unified analytics solutions like Microsoft Fabric will simplify data ingestion to visualisation, granting organisations complete control over their data assets.
Fraser also stresses the need for proactive cybersecurity. Even in a digitised commercial environment increasingly dominated by AI, businesses can build trust and resilience by staying compliant and leveraging integrated AI-driven protections.
Emma shines a light on a less optimistic angle: AI’s potential to fuel more sophisticated cyberattacks. She predicts a surge in deepfake-based identity theft and advanced phishing campaigns that will challenge even the most vigilant organisations. “AI will be used to enhance information operations,” she explains, “and this will make malicious content more persuasive and harder to detect.”
But this doesn’t have to be an issue. To counter these threats, Emma underscores the critical role of rapid patching and vulnerability management. In a world where risks evolve at lightning speed, swift and decisive defensive actions become the hallmark of effective cybersecurity strategy.
For Ban, the future of ERP systems like Dynamics 365 Business Central is all about specialisation and adaptability. Offering industry-specific functionalities, these platforms shorten configuration times and accelerate return on investment.
Meanwhile, with legacy ERP nearing end-of-life, she posits that “Offering continued support, regular updates, and access to new features, cloud-based ERP systems will help businesses optimise costs and enhance efficiency to remain competitive.” Making cloud migration a strategic imperative. Ban also predicts a growing synergy of IoT and ERP systems, as real-time data from connected devices fuels predictive maintenance, smart inventory replenishment, and streamlined logistics.
In 2025, the competition for AI and cybersecurity talent will significantly impact SMBs and SMCs. As AI becomes integral to business strategy, accessing skilled professionals will be crucial for driving innovation and efficiency. However, the high demand for AI talent poses a challenge for smaller businesses. Similarly, the evolving threat of cybersecurity necessitates top-tier talent to manage risks and ensure compliance. To navigate these challenges, SMBs and SMCs must invest in upskilling their workforce, leverage AI-driven tools, and form strategic partnerships.
Collectively, BCN’s experts depict a 2025 defined by AI-enabled creativity, immersive and secure virtual environments, hybrid cloud ecosystems, democratised data insights, and unyielding cybersecurity measures.
As these predictions unfold, businesses stand poised to capitalise on new efficiencies, forge sustainable practices, and approach the next era of innovation with confidence.
Ready to embrace these emerging trends and position your business for success in 2025 and beyond?
Contact BCN today. We’ll help you make sense of the evolving tech environment —capitalising on AI, refining your cloud strategy, and strengthening your cybersecurity posture—so you can confidently lead the way into a more innovative and agile future.
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