As we step into 2025, the cloud landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with Microsoft packing some exciting developments to look forward to.
This year promises to be an exciting one, from the increasing adoption of AI to the continued focus on hybrid cloud solutions, sustainability insights, and migrations, there’s a lot going on.
Let’s dive into the top cloud trends for 2025.
1. AI, AI, AI
Artificial Intelligence is set to dominate the tech landscape in 2025, and Azure is no exception. As AI adoption increases, we can expect a greater reliance on best practice infrastructure and landing zones to support these workloads.
This year, the focus will be on creating robust and scalable environments that can handle the demands of AI applications. The Azure OpenAI Landing Zone Reference Architecture is a key resource for organisations looking to implement AI solutions effectively.
Check out that reference architecture here.
2. Continued Focus on Hybrid Cloud Solutions
Hybrid cloud solutions will continue to be a major focus for Azure in 2025. With the introduction of Azure Local enabled by Azure Arc, Microsoft is making it easier for businesses to manage their cloud and on-premises environments seamlessly.
Azure Arc enables organisations to extend Azure management and services to any infrastructure, while Azure Local provides cloud infrastructure for distributed locations. These innovations are designed to provide greater flexibility and control for businesses, ensuring they can optimise their cloud strategies effectively
3. Sustainability Insights
Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for businesses, and Azure is key to helping organisations achieve their sustainability goals. In 2025, we can expect to see improved visibility into sustainability insights, allowing customers to better understand the environmental impact of their Azure resources.
Microsoft has already started building tools to provide these insights, and we anticipate further expansion of these capabilities this year. This focus on sustainability aligns with the growing demand for eco-friendly business practices and the need to maintain accountability to our ESG goals.
4. Cloud Migrations
The cloud trend of migrating to Azure shows no signs of slowing down in 2025. Many organisations are still in the process of moving their workloads to the cloud, and the pace of migrations is expected to continue at the same rate as in 2024. According to Gartner, more than 70% of companies have some cloud footprint, and over 80% are expected to adopt a cloud-first approach by 2025.
This shift towards cloud-native platforms is driven by organisations’ need for greater agility, scalability, and cost-efficiency.
Looking forward
2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Microsoft Azure and its users. With advancements in AI, a continued focus on hybrid cloud solutions, enhanced sustainability insights, and ongoing migrations, Azure is poised to remain at the forefront of cloud innovation.
As organisations continue to embrace digital transformation, Azure’s comprehensive suite of services and tools will play a crucial role in helping organisations achieve their goals. Stay tuned for more updates and get ready to harness the power of Azure in 2025!
