The 2-Z of 2025 predictions: E-G

E is for essential infrastructure (critical infrastructure)

Thales has observed that IT and operational technology (OT) are closely linked when it comes to cybersecurity, with the overwhelming majority of attacks on operational technology and critical infrastructure starting with IT. The company said few within the operational space—from manufacturing to automotive—make this connection, often seeing themselves as immune from data security concerns, and continuing to rely on dated, unsecured legacy systems.

“Given that critical infrastructure will always be a prime target for cybercriminals due to its potential for widespread impact, the disconnect between IT and OT, combined with geopolitical issues, creates the perfect storm for insider threats to thrive. In (2025), addressing this gap will be crucial to safeguarding critical infrastructure,” said Todd Moore, VP, Data Security Products, Thales.

Gabrielle Hempel, Customer Solutions Engineer, Exabeam, said that cyberattacks on critical infrastructure will reach crisis levels, and could threaten to destabilise entire nations. "Large-scale cyberattacks on critical infrastructure—such as power grids, utilities, and healthcare systems—will reach unprecedented levels," she said. 

"As geopolitical tensions rise and cybercriminals become more emboldened, attackers will increasingly target essential services that can cripple entire nations. These attacks will be designed to maximise disruption and force victims into paying massive ransom."

E is also for edge computing

"As industries like manufacturing, telecommunications and government invest more in IoT, 5G technologies and AI, edge implementations have increased significantly. Lenovo’s 2024 CIO Playbook found that edge implementation increased by 25% in the APAC region between 2023 and 2024. As these edge devices generate more data, efficient edge computing solutions will be a critical driver of real-time analytics and operational efficiency in 2025. Flexible combinations of cloud and edge computing will become necessary to enable businesses to process data closer to the source and reduce latency, while also being able to manage larger volumes of data," said Lenovo.

APAC refers to the Asia-Pacific region. IoT stands for the Internet of Things.

F is for fintech

Lucy Liu, President & Co-Founder at Airwallex said: "The fintech sector has made remarkable strides over the past decade, transforming how businesses and consumers interact with financial tools. Yet, its potential is far from being fully realised. The next phase of fintech evolution is set to redefine competition among businesses, with embedded finance and banking-as-a-service platforms enabling modern organisations to unlock new revenue streams, foster seamless
integration within supply chains, and scale globally without having to navigate the complexities of local financial systems. 

"As the fintech ecosystem matures, we can also expect to see consolidation in the industry. The strongest players—those with robust product-market fit and operational efficiency—are set to lead." 

Aren Yip, Country Manager, Malaysia, for Airwallex, added that Malaysia is poised to become a regional leader in B2B fintech. "As we approach 2025, Malaysia’s B2B fintech sector is primed for growth, driven by global trade, cost efficiency, and AI integration. SMEs are leveraging fintech for seamless cross-border payments, operational efficiency, and data-driven insights. AI is also becoming a key enabler in the industry, with more companies adopting it across their operations and customer-facing services to address challenges specific to their workflows, industries, and end users," Yip said.

G is for green

"2030 is a milestone that many companies set to meet sustainability targets–targets that have been put on the backburner due to AI FOMO of the past couple of years. Governments and regulatory organisations are intensifying efforts to mandate companies to meet their sustainability obligations. Enterprises will now have to prioritise energy-efficient technology solutions in order to meet those obligations," said Pure Storage in a list of 2025 predictions.

Mizutani.

"B2B partnerships will increasingly hinge on ESG credentials, with 66% of CIOs favouring vendors that support environmental goals and carbon reporting," said Yasutaka Mizutani, APAC President, Colt Technology Services.

"Collaboration on Scope 3 emissions reduction will become a critical factor in decision-making." 

Mizutani also said that innovation will be sustainability-driven. "CIOs will focus on reducing AI energy consumption and meeting ambitious sustainability goals. Innovations in greentech will drive ecofriendly solutions, balancing power efficiency with environmental stewardship," he said.

While recent years have focused heavily on AI fairness and ethical usage, 2025 will mark a critical shift toward examining AI's environmental footprint, particularly in terms of energy consumption, said Mei Dent, Chief Product & Technology Officer, TeamViewer. 

"The conversation will evolve from solely discussing AI's potential for solving environmental challenges to addressing the technology's own substantial energy demands. Major AI providers have yet to talk about their power consumption metrics, focusing instead on capability and performance. However, as AI deployments scale and data centres grow, questions about power sources, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability are becoming impossible to ignore," Dent said. 

"Organisations need to consider not just the business benefits but also the environmental costs of AI. With this shift in mindset, companies should prioritise AI solutions that optimise energy efficiency, potentially favouring smaller, more efficient models over power-hungry alternatives when possible. Success in 2025 will require transparent reporting of AI's environmental impact and clear strategies for minimising it. The most successful companies will be those that find the sweet spot between AI capability and environmental responsibility." 

AI adoption accelerates, 34% of global tech executives anticipate major shifts in corporate sustainability processes, and 33% expect new government energy policies and investments, according to NetApp's Data Complexity report. "AI-driven data growth is seen as a key contributor to sustainability efforts, with AI-leading countries experiencing a greater impact than AI-lagging countries. Carbon footprint reduction remains a top priority, especially in regions with high AI adoption, though its focus has declined year over year, from 84% of companies in 2023 to 72% in 2024. The challenge moving forward will be managing the environmental costs of AI while maximising its potential for innovation," NetApp said.

In the Asia-Pacific region, three-quarters of respondents said carbon footprint reduction is important, slightly above the global average. Increased data and computation due to the rise of AI have contributed significantly to companies’ sustainability initiatives, with 57% of the respondents indicating “high” or “extremely high” impacts, NetApp said.

“AI’s transformative potential hinges on secure, scalable, and sustainable data strategies,” said Krish Vitaldevara, Senior VP and GM, NetApp. 

“The organisations leading in advanced analytics and AI are those that have unified and well-catalogued data, robust security for sensitive information, and a clear understanding of how data evolves. By tackling these challenges, they can drive innovation while ensuring resilience, responsibility, and timely insights in the new AI era.”

B2B refers to business-to-business, FOMO stands for fear of missing out, and ESG is an acronym for environment, sustainability, and governance.

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Read the full set of 2025 predictions from 2-Z at https://www.techtradeasia.com/2025/01/the-techtrade-asia-2024-roundup-2025.html

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