2025 Tech Predictions

2024 was a fantastic year in the technology world and we were excited by the innovative projects that our clients involved us with. In the Financial Services space, there has definitely been a huge shift in how technology is being used and it’s brilliant to see how it is now being embraced by small to mid-sized businesses, which wasn’t necessarily the case even 3 years ago. 

With 2024 now behind us, it's time to look to the year ahead and think about the technology trends and issues that we predict will be on the cards for 2025.

AI -

2024 was without a doubt the big year for AI and it’s definitely here to stay. The opportunities and improvements it can make are monumental. We would however advise you to err on the side of caution when bringing AI into your business. When implemented properly with a strategic plan it has huge benefits. If you want to use AI because everyone else is without any idea of what you will really use it for, then we would recommend you delay for now.

Don’t rush in. Do your research, get advice on the best way to utilise AI in your business and avoid any costly mistakes. You won’t be seen as behind the curve if you have a timeline and proper plan in place. It will pay off tenfold in the long run.

Data -

Data is a huge topic that will again dominate conversations for 2025. We have seen a huge uptake in our data services as businesses realise how important their data strategy is. If you are in a regulated industry, then this becomes even more prominent with acts such as Data Protection, Consumer Duty and GDPR.

We believe Data Warehouses will become extremely important in IT plans. While some businesses have been using them for years, for those that haven't, they are integral to strategies for AI, BI and machine learning. Data Warehouses bring together data from multiple sources into a central place, enabling your data to be analysed and manipulated in a more cohesive way. It gives a business a single source of truth to be working from. With the huge uptake in AI, we see those businesses that don't already have a Data Warehouse looking to implement this into their strategy for 2025. In some case this is also a key prerequisite for AI to work effectively so be careful where you put the proverbial cart and horse.

Platform change 

There are many great platforms out there all striving to help make companies more efficient. Some have been around forever with other more recent additions hoping to take some of the market share. We have started to see a shift, however, in businesses wanting to create their own bespoke platforms or at least elements of a platform. Every business is unique with unique needs and sometimes these can’t quite be met from an out of the box solution. Building a hybrid model, if that is afforded to you, could bring you an edge over your competitors whilst enabling a step change for your digital client experience, and is a challenge being put to us more than ever before.

Navos has also seen more integrations and partnerships within the platform and technology provider community as we all strive to bring together a collaborative, efficient and effective approach to deliver change at pace, whilst effectively balancing risk.

Fractional resourcing

Fractional is a term that has grown in popularity in 2024, and already in 2025 shows no let up, and this is something we welcome. If you are not familiar with this, it is an approach that reflects a temporary or contractor route previously by bringing in resources on a fixed term, or fixed delivery basis, rather than simply employing a person.

We have seen firsthand the advantages of businesses using our services for (say) a Chief Technology Officer, Head of Data, or IT Risk resource when it makes little sense to employ someone full-time unless they justify the need internally first. This can also be useful when there is a desire to challenge normality or understand whether doing things the way they have always been done really does need to be something of the past, without having any long-lasting animosity.

Furthermore, helping to set a digital strategy has sometimes been a challenge only achievable by consultants, who at times could charge a Kings ransom, but an option to bring in an experienced Chief Information Officer with a track record of delivering is now more possible than ever. We have recently sat in the Boardroom of a Financial Planning firm whose summary was “Why would I spend £100k on a Head of IT per year when I can bring someone in on a temporary basis that delivers quickly, and I can then use on an on-going basis, whenever we need.” 

It may only be January but already this fractional approach has had more queries in a week, than the entirety of the last quarter of 2024!

Don’t forget the important stuff

With our 2025 tech predictions also comes a word of warning. The flashy, shiny stuff is all great but don't let it detract from your biggest risk – Cyber Security. While not a new trend, cyber threats will never go away and should be at the forefront of your tech strategy, over and above things like AI.

If your company is compromised by a cyber-attack then it doesn’t matter if you have the latest AI feature, your company won’t be able to trade. In fact, AI itself will make cyber threats even more prominent in 2025 and beyond, with cyber criminals using AI to make even more intelligent malware, phishing and ransomware attacks.

Don’t become complacent. From a cyber security stance, you are never fully covered. You need to ensure you are building these items into your cyber plans:

• Review – Check over what cyber security products, plans and processes you have in place and make sure that they are robust enough. This needs to be reviewed regularly to keep up with advances in cyber-crime.
• Penetration testing – Test your infrastructure and devices to see if they can be breached. This includes internally and externally.
• Review Policies – What disaster recovery and business continuity plans do you have in place if a cyber-attack were to happen? What policies do your third parties have in place? Make sure these are reviewed and referenceable.
• Detection & Recovery – What product do you have in place to detect a cyber-attack in the first place? Can you recover your data if you are attacked? Are your back-ups protected? Make sure you review any third-party solutions regularly to make sure they are keeping up with the latest threat protection technology.
• Education – Staff are your biggest threat when it comes to cyber security. They need to be continually educated on the risk of cyber-attacks. Phishing emails are commonly the way for a cyber-criminal to get access to a company's systems. Make sure that staff are vigilant and helping to keep them at bay.

In 2024, some of the world’s largest firms were hit by cyber-attacks, so I challenge you – is your business REALLY doing enough for 2025?

There you have it! Those are our predictions for the tech scene in 2025. It sure is going to be a fascinating few months and we can’t wait to see how it evolves before 2026.