Continual innovation is one of the defining characteristics of the information technology (IT) field. For example, consider the evolution of storage media from floppy disks holding hundreds of kilobytes of data to modern thumb drives that securely store multiple terabytes of information. Similar advancements have been made across the IT landscape, improving everything from processing power to network speed.
Companies must stay informed regarding the emerging trends that may impact their businesses. Companies that ignore new or refined solutions to business objectives can find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Imagine how your company would fare if it were still trying to utilize floppy disks to exchange information with partners and customers.
The following IT trends will transform the business landscape in 2025 and beyond. Organizations should take advantage of these trends when applicable to their businesses. Companies may need to modify operational procedures and processes to exploit their benefits.
Agentic AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will be more visible in many areas of an IT environment. Tools built on these technologies will become more accessible to small businesses for various tasks like supply chain optimization and customer interaction. Intelligent assistants and solutions will leverage natural language processing (NLP) advances to become more efficient and productive.
Agentic AI denotes AI systems capable of making autonomous decisions, acting, and adapting to new conditions without human intervention. These systems can plan and achieve complex objectives. They can evaluate their performance and make necessary adjustments to optimize results based on context and evolving objectives. Agentic AI systems learn from experience and are more advanced than ML systems, which require detailed instructions to perform complex tasks.
Agentic AI systems exhibit these capabilities:
- Autonomous decision-making using analysis to choose and execute actions;
- Objective-focused behavior that adapts strategies to reach the intended goal;
- Real-time adaptation to address changing conditions;
- The ability to perform complex tasks requiring planning and reasoning;
- Continual improvement by learning from interactions with the environment.
Business applications of agentic AI include:
- Customer service chatbots capable of real-time problem resolution;
- Autonomous cybersecurity threat detection and mitigation;
- Logistical support and supply chain optimization;
- Healthcare decision support by evaluating data to suggest care and monitor treatment.
Cloud resources can be instrumental in enabling companies to harness the power of agentic AI.
Digital Twins
A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical process, resource, or system. Organizations use the replica to study the behavior of the physical twin in real time. Users can run simulations and analyze the effects of different activities or modifications on the system. The information gained from observing a digital twin can be instrumental in optimizing and analyzing system performance without physically interacting with the physical entity.
Digital twins typically share characteristics including:
- Real-time data synchronization employing Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices to update the virtual model;
- Leveraging data synchronization to run and analyze simulations;
- Predictive capabilities supported by data analysis, enabling companies to take preventive measures;
- Offering insights that will allow optimization of the physical entity.
Digital twins offer many types of organizational benefits that include:
- Improved efficiency by optimizing processes and productivity;
- Cost reduction by detecting inefficiencies and waste;
- Risk mitigation by identifying potential vulnerabilities.
Organizations can use the public cloud to develop digital twins to analyze their complex business processes and systems.
Sustainability and Green IT
Companies are increasingly interested in promoting environmental responsibility by minimizing their carbon footprint. Sustainability can be responsible for substantial financial rewards by reducing energy costs. Businesses may benefit by reducing energy consumption and appealing to more environmentally concerned customers.
The major public CSPs offer cloud sustainability solutions that are available to companies of any size. AWS, Microsoft, and Google are striving to produce zero net emissions shortly. Small and medium-sized businesses can promote sustainability using the cloud and energy-efficient data centers. Tools like the AWS Carbon Footprint Tool provide information on the tangible sustainability benefits of the cloud and let companies track their progress.
Quantum Computing and Cryptography
Quantum computing is an advanced field that utilizes the principles of quantum mechanics to develop high-performance systems. Quantum computers employ parallelism to solve certain types of complex problems much more efficiently than traditional computers. The power of quantum computers threatens to make traditional cryptography obsolete by quickly breaking encryption algorithms.
Conversely, quantum computing also enables quantum cryptography. This advanced form of cryptography could create an unbreakable encryption method built on the properties of quantum mechanics. Companies need to be prepared to leverage the capabilities of quantum computing to protect valuable data resources.
Additional applications of quantum computing include:
- Simulating molecular interactions to support the discovery of new drugs and materials;
- Optimizing logistics systems and supply chains by solving complex equations;
- Accelerating machine learning algorithms for more efficient model training;
- Climate modeling and weather prediction based on detailed simulations.
Google, AWS, and Microsoft offer quantum computing solutions in their public cloud portfolios, making their capabilities available to all organizations.
Blockchain and Decentralized Technologies
Blockchain and decentralized technologies will play an essential role in business operations. Many companies will utilize the blockchain for secure financial transactions, supply chain transparency, and to support decentralized applications. The blockchain provides the foundation for smart contracts and tamper-proof records.
Efficient real-time communication is necessary to support the blockchain and related activities. The cloud offers companies an accessible platform for applications relying on blockchain technology. The ubiquitous nature of the cloud makes it an excellent fit for decentralized technologies.
VAST Helps Your Business Assimilate These Trends
VAST has your back in 2025 with the excellent skills and experience to assimilate these emerging trends to enhance your business. Our strategic partnerships with industry leaders position us to identify an efficient strategy to utilize the public cloud or optimize your on-premises computing environment to address your business objectives.
VAST can help you find the best platform for a digital twin or the most effective way to utilize blockchain technologies to streamline your business. Contact us today and be prepared to take advantage of the coming IT trends.
