Six tech consulting trends for 2025 (Part 1)
The world of IT consulting is shaped by both internal and external forces. From the latest developments in AI and cloud, to the critical importance of data, security and sustainability, technology consultants provide guidance and insight to navigate changes in business and tech.
In this two-part blog series, we have identified six key tech trends for 2025 and outlined the role that technology consultants can play in addressing these challenges and market drivers.
Tech trend #1: Enterprises will move to cloud containers, not cloud.
With the need to balance flexibility and scalability with economy, forward-thinking enterprises are re-examining the drive to move their apps and systems to cloud. There are a few factors at play here.
First, running entire apps on a web server — even with the cost advantages that hyperscalers offer — can be expensive. Although today’s business climate requires near 100% uptime for your critical applications, most apps have many components that are idle at any given moment. These might include databases and other resources that are essentially “read-only” or only need to be active from time to time. If you are hosting the entire app in the cloud, it means you are paying to store far more data and functionality than required to keep your business in business.
Pivoting to a microservices approach using cloud containers is one way to alleviate this issue. Microservices keep only the essential functionality of your apps running 24/7, and they can pull in the data and resources they need — only when they need them. Container-based microservices are smaller and more efficient than even the leanest applications, and they are easier to administer and scale.
The result is a reduction in both power consumption and storage needs, as well as an easier way to make updates and implement new features. All this without sacrificing functionality.
Of course, cloud containers are not the right answer for every application. Some applications — especially older ones — may require substantial re-engineering in order to run on microservices. It’s important to carefully evaluate the cost, effort and disruption required to containerize your critical apps.
In addition, our world is changing every day and new threats are constantly emerging, including malware, the potential for a data breach or fragile connections. In this environment, enterprises must be aware of their risk appetite, keep security top-of-mind and consider whether it makes sense to keep some apps and data on-premises.
It can pay dividends to work with a trusted partner or advisor to help consider all the factors behind any such decision.
Tech trend #2: AI tools will replace some consultants, but not all of them.
There is no shortage of bold predictions (both positive and negative) about the impact of AI on the world of technology and business. Not to add to the clutter, here’s our take on how AI will impact the world of tech consulting.
Put simply, AI may soon take the jobs of some consultants, but we don’t believe that AI will replace them all. Traditionally, aspiring consultants had two distinct paths ahead of them: generalists and executive consultants. In today’s climate, it is the generalists that find themselves most pressured by the recent advances in AI.
With generative AI able to write effective code on its own when provided with the right inputs, many coders may justifiably feel threatened. However, this code still must be checked by a human — for the purposes of model training, debugging, integration testing, etc. Accordingly, many consultants can feel marginalized, as if they have simply become the babysitters for an AI doing the actual work.
However, this is the wrong way to look at it. First of all, humans are critical to avoiding bias, ensuring data quality and validating that the outcome of a piece of software matches its intent. Plus, AI may be great at simple tasks, but they are not ready to perform more complex tasks like implementing new technologies.
We believe that AI is not replacing generalists, but actually creating new learning paths for them to pursue. Despite the hype, AI can only work with data and knowledge that already exists. By definition, today’s AI is already behind the curve. It is incumbent upon consultants to continue learning in order to stay relevant.
By shifting their thinking towards the executive consultant paradigm, generalists can get involved with creating new knowledge, new ideas and new insights. The key to staying relevant is to create innovative new ideas that impact our lives, our businesses and our planet.
To date, AI has yet to put something completely new out into the world. Just remember, behind every AI-generated image of an astronaut cat riding a manatee through a galaxy of technicolor waffles is a creative human that dreamt it up.
Technology changes day-by-day, and many enterprises fear being locked into a long-term strategy. Getting expert IT consulting services should be more like ordering takeout or requesting an Uber.
Tech trend #3: Consulting as a service will emerge as the new standard.
The pace of technological change is accelerating to a scale of weeks and months instead of years and decades. New security risks and cyberattack tactics pop up frequently. Acquisitions are changing market dynamics in unpredictable ways.
In this environment, your three-year or five-year technology plan can be outdated in just a few quarters. So, when needs are changing that quickly, how can you take action now to ensure long-term stability and viability?
The answer is the “as a service” model. Although it has already been applied to many different aspects of technology and business, it has yet to penetrate the field of IT consulting — but it will.
With needs changing day-by-day, many enterprises rightly fear being locked into a long-term strategy. Project scopes are becoming more fluid and undefined, and there is always a risk that a change in underlying technology, strategy or regulation will impact the business. These external drivers must be responded to immediately or businesses risk losing revenue, market share or consumer confidence.
We need to change the perception that technology consulting is some arcane ceremony where the high priests and priestesses of tech gather in a boardroom every few years to divine the future and prepare new rituals that will ensure success.
In reality, getting expert help should be more like ordering takeout or requesting an Uber to the airport. You don’t know exactly when or why you will need them. They just need to be there — fast.
To move consulting away from a T&M or fixed-price model and towards a subscription-based service requires a bit of a leap of faith. It means embracing the uncertainty of today’s business climate, and overcoming apprehension about “spending money for nothing.”
In reality, consulting as a service offers both cost advantages as well as the flexibility to bring in a wide range of essential skills without initiating new projects or purchase orders. With a single, predictable monthly fee, you can deploy the right resources whenever and wherever you need them.
Like any paradigm shift, it requires both behavioral and cultural changes, but we are confident that once enterprises understand the benefits, the consulting as a service model will become the preferred way to source the knowledge and expertise they need to thrive.
In part two of this series, we will look at IT consulting trends related to risk, data management and sustainable data centers.
Posted on: February 24, 2025
