The 2-Z of 2025 predictions: V-Z

V is also for virtual realities

The perceived allure of virtual worlds is growing, said Ipsos. In its 2025 predictions the company said 59% globally are expecting increased engagement with such platforms, up 3% since 2022, the last time Ipsos asked this question in its annual survey. Emerging economies like Indonesia (94%) and Türkiye (79%) are confident about the prediction, Ipsos said.

W is for Windows

"As Microsoft ends support for Windows 10 in late 2025, millions of systems will become obsolete. Many of these systems lack the hardware capabilities required to run Windows 11, pushing organisations toward hardware upgrades or alternative operating systems," predicted BeyondTrust experts. 

"The result will be a massive influx of outdated devices vulnerable to cyberattacks." 

X is for customer eXperience (CX)

Source: Zoom. Kapur.

"There will be a rise in the 'everything customer', where they expect to be recognised and have their needs met across all touchpoints. At the same time, delivering personalised CX will shift from being the responsibility of contact centres alone to an AI-first ‘total experience’ approach that involves every department shaping and delivering CX," said Ricky Kapur, Head of Asia Pacific, Zoom. 

"This shared accountability across departments will help foster a supportive environment for agents, balancing AI-driven
efficiency with the human touch to deliver personalized CX that meets rising customer expectations. Together with enhanced agent performance and hyperpersonalised anticipatory service, these changes will fuel a long-awaited rebound in customer satisfaction. Proactive outreach, once a nice-to-have, will become a baseline expectation, enhancing satisfaction and reducing churn across every touchpoint."

"Imagine retail platforms that intuitively understand your preferences before you articulate them, or educational tools that dynamically adjust to your unique learning style in real time. These experiences are made possible by sophisticated AI algorithms that leverage comprehensive yet ethically sourced data," said John Engates, Field CTO, Cloudflare. 

"Critical to this transformation is robust infrastructure that ensures seamless, consistent experiences across devices and locations. Emerging technologies like edge computing are key to this vision, bringing computational resources closer to users and enabling faster, more responsive interactions. 

"The future of user experience is not just about technology—it's about creating intelligent, intuitive connections that feel almost magical in their precision and personalisation." 

Data

"In many organisations, marketing, sales, and customer service teams often operate in silos – each focused on their data and objectives. This fragmentation complicates attribution and campaign performance reviews due to the lack of a unified view of the customer," said Liz Adeniji, Area VP, Asia Pacific & Japan, at Twilio Segment.

"In 2025, more organisations will move away from isolated, point solutions as they realise the value of breaking down silos. They will adopt more holistic, ROI-driven approaches to resolve issues such as redundant customer retargeting, and work towards better reallocating resources toward initiatives that enhance customer satisfaction. By aligning data seamlessly across business units, these brands can enable smarter, more personalised marketing that truly resonates with individual customers.

"Emerging technologies like CDPs and data warehouses will continue to gain traction, serving as unifying forces that dissolve the traditional silos that exist within business divisions and teams. These technologies will serve as the cornerstone for collaboration, bringing together diverse teams and business units under a common language - data. Key leaders including the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Chief Product Officer (CPO), Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Chief Risk Officer (CRO) will increasingly contribute to shaping the data strategy and vision of an organisation, fostering a comprehensive, unified view of the company and business practices (not just a customer)."

Source: Adobe. Sharma.

Shashank Sharma, Senior Director, Digital Experience, Korea and SEA, Adobe, said that customer data platforms (CDPs) were the top priority for technology investments by senior executives in APJ in 2024, and expects the trend to continue in 2025 and beyond.

"With third-party cookies being phased out of Chrome by early 2025, businesses must shift to first-party data strategies to maintain effective customer personalisation. CDPs that can unify and activate data in real-time will become a key piece of the equation, as they will pave the way for actionable insights that translate into better segmentation, personalisation, and activation across channels," he said.

AI agents

Source: Salesforce. Barfield.

"In ASEAN, businesses often hire additional service staff as a quick fix for improving customer experience, especially with lower labour costs in the region. However, increasing headcount alone doesn’t necessarily improve problem resolution or overall customer satisfaction," noted Gavin Barfield, VP & CTO, Solutions, Salesforce ASEAN.

"AI agents provide a fundamentally different approach by autonomously handling requests and enhancing customer interactions in ways that go beyond scaling capacity. This isn’t about efficiency alone but delivering high-quality customer service. AI agents leverage real-time data to provide context-aware support, making decisions and taking action as customer needs arise.

"With AI agents embedded directly into workflows, businesses can reimagine customer service, delivering faster and more accurate responses without increasing complexity or requiring extensive training. AI agents enable organisations in ASEAN to move beyond traditional service models, creating a personal and frictionless experience while providing lasting value through smarter, real-time support."

Ecosystem

"Beyond internal efforts, data collaboration with trusted partners is emerging as a vital strategy to expand insights without compromising privacy. This shift demands a strong commitment to transparency, responsible data use, and robust security measures. Companies that build consumer trust through clear communication and ethical data practices will not only weather the transition but also strengthen customer loyalty and market leadership," Sharma added. 

Localisation

Sharma observed that consumers expect highly-personalised interactions across all touchpoints today, with 86% of consumers in the APJ region expecting brands to provide personalised product recommendations based on their interests and past purchases according to Adobe’s APJ Digital Trends Report.

"However, businesses must also be able to understand the nuances of personalisation across different markets. While most consumers are comfortable with brands using AI for personalisation, preferences vary. Common tactics used in ANZ, India, and Asia could be seen as too direct in Japan. Brands must hence tailor their approach accordingly instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all strategy," Sharma advised.

"Generative AI is a game-changer here, enabling businesses to create, adapt, and personalise content with unprecedented speed and precision. By streamlining creative workflows and integrating real-time analytics, organisations can tailor experiences to individual preferences while maintaining efficiency. Brands that prioritise this integration will stand out in crowded markets, driving deeper engagement and building stronger emotional connections with their audiences." 

Y is for (DI)Y

Source: Salesforce.
Abraham.

"In the race to operationalise AI, the winners will be those who forgo DIY solutions in favour of out-of-the-box solutions that offer superior speed, deployment, and accuracy. Businesses that adopt out-of-the-box solutions can focus on AI deployment and achieve immediate impact and value. In contrast, those who attempt to 'DIY' their AI often face setbacks in the form of hidden costs and a slow realisation of AI capabilities," said Sujith Abraham, Senior VP and GM, ASEAN, Salesforce.

DIY stands for do it yourself.

Z is for Zero Trust

Zero Trust exits its buzzword era to become a fundamental security necessity, said John Engates, Field CTO, Cloudflare. "Imagine a security system that treats every digital interaction as potentially suspicious, requiring continuous verification–much like a hyper-vigilant airport security checkpoint that doesn't just check your ID at the entrance, but monitors your every move," he said. 

"Zero Trust operates on a simple yet powerful principle: trust nothing by default, verify everything constantly. This methodology has become even more essential as traditional network boundaries disintegrate in our cloud-native, distributed work environments."

"Ransomware attacks have increased dramatically in 2024 and we can only anticipate this trend will persist as bad actors employ increasingly sophisticated attacks powered by AI. The availability of ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operators exacerbates the situation. In 2025, more companies are expected to invest in Zero-Trust security solutions capable of detecting and preventing attacks such as ransomware as well as other zero-day exploits," said Vishal Ghariwala, CTO for SUSE Asia Pacific.

A zero-day exploit is a vulnerability that has yet to be patched as the vendor and the public did not know about it. 

Explore

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

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