Cloud computing continues changing the way businesses work, and 2025 is set to bring new and exciting developments. More companies will use cloud services powered by AI, adopt hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, and focus on improving security.
These cloud computing trends will help businesses work more efficiently, create new ideas faster, and make smarter decisions.
To learn more about the future of cloud computing, we asked experts to share their thoughts on what they see as the biggest cloud trends in 2025.
Here is a detailed cloud computing overview with the top seven predictions on tap for 2025.
Key Takeaways
- The future of cloud computing is all about automation, better security, and hybrid cloud and multi-cloud adoption.
- AI automation will drive increased adoption of hybrid environments.
- There will be a real push toward sovereign and private clouds.
- Enterprises will stop treating cloud consumption like an all-you-can-eat buffet and start demanding à la carte precision.
- Cloud-native security solutions will leverage GenAI to automate threat detection and response.
Top Seven Cloud Computing Trends in 2025
7. Rise of the Hybrid Cloud
- Hybrid cloud systems will combine onsite data centers with cloud platforms for flexibility and efficiency.
- AI will optimize integration and enable dynamic resource allocation.
In 2025, organizations will start using advanced systems that connect their onsite data centers with multiple cloud platforms, said Randy Armknecht, a managing director and global cloud practice leader at global business advisory firm Protiviti. This approach will offer more flexibility and help make better use of resources.
Jen Curry Hendrickson, senior vice president of managed services at DataBank, agreed.
Another of the future trends in cloud computing is that organizations will use hybrid cloud systems more often to handle large amounts of data as AI becomes more advanced, she said.
They will store sensitive data onsite or in private clouds while using public clouds for processing and analyzing information.
“AI automation will drive increased adoption of hybrid environments by optimizing data management tasks to ensure seamless integration between on-premise and cloud environments,” Curry Hendrickson told Techopedia. “As a result, businesses will recognize the operational cost benefits of dynamic resource allocation and the flexibility offered by a hybrid approach.”
6. Generative AI Will Impact Cloud Hosting Models
- Managing multiple cloud providers will still be common in 2025.
- Organizations will juggle private data centers, public clouds, and container-based environments.
- Containers may limit the adoption of modern, cost-effective, cloud-native architectures.
“While the optimal hosting model for delivering customer value is ‘all-in’ on a single public cloud provider, the reality is that most organizations will be managing a hot-mess combination of private data centers, multiple public cloud providers, and an emphasis on containers,” said Drew Firment, chief cloud strategist at Pluralsight.
Until companies fully move their workloads off mainframes, most private data centers will work alongside a main public cloud provider in a hybrid setup, he said. Ideally, sticking to one public cloud provider is better for saving resources and talent, but managing multiple cloud providers will still be common in 2025 because it’s hard to undo those earlier choices
“Using containers as a method for encapsulating applications so they can work in these heterogeneous environments is a popular choice, but negates the opportunity to take advantage of more modern and less expensive approaches such as event-driven cloud-native architectures,” Firment said.
While organizations have used containers to move their applications across different platforms, it will be much harder to control their data in these complicated hosting setups, especially with the growing demands of generative AI (GenAI) in 2025 and beyond, he added.
5. More Multi-Cloud Adoption
- Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and AWS will support multi-cloud strategies for flexibility.
- Multi-cloud adoption fosters partnerships and joint product offerings.
Paul Horn, senior director, global Microsoft partnership at Nasuni, told Techopedia:
“In 2025, we’re likely to see a significant trend toward multi-cloud adoption, especially as hyperscalers like Google, Microsoft, and AWS continue to embrace this approach.”
For Google Cloud, in particular, being third in the market means adopting multi-cloud can be a smart move as it allows the company to work across different cloud platforms, giving customers more choices and flexibility, he said.
“This approach also creates chances to collaborate with partners and sell products together, which helps not just Google Cloud but also the other two major cloud providers as they support this strategy,” Horn said.
4. Consumption-based Cloud Models Will Trigger Enterprise Cost Rebellions
- Organizations will demand transparency to control hidden cloud costs.
- Cost management will become a competitive advantage.
Consumption-based cloud pricing has become the technological equivalent of a casino where the house always wins, and enterprises are finally realizing they’re continuously playing against a stacked deck, said Charles Ruffino, fellow, cloud architecture at SoftIron.
“What began as a revolutionary model of technical flexibility has metastasized into a labyrinthine pricing nightmare, where hyperscalers have transformed pay-as-you-go into pay-and-pray,” he said.
“Hidden costs now lurk in every computational corner like digital gremlins, transforming what seemed like an elegant solution into a budgetary black hole that would make even the most seasoned CFO break into a cold sweat.”
Ruffino said that in 2025, we’ll witness the great cloud pricing rebellion, an enterprise cloud strategy, “where enterprises stop treating cloud consumption like an all-you-can-eat buffet and start demanding à la carte precision.”
Forward-thinking organizations will create advanced systems to manage costs effectively, he noted. They will track usage in detail, use predictive tools to plan ahead and focus on cutting unnecessary expenses.
“The hyperscalers’ drip-pricing model will meet its match in a new generation of technologists who view cloud economics not as a convenient abstraction but as a critical strategic battleground where every computational penny represents potential competitive advantage or existential waste,” Ruffino said. “And that battle will be mounted across clouds and private data centers alike.”
3. All Hail the Sovereign Cloud
- Demand for sovereign and private clouds will rise to meet regional data laws.
- Flexible systems will adapt better to sovereign cloud setups.
In 2025, there will be a real push toward sovereign and private clouds, said Kevin Cochrane, chief marketing officer at Vultr.
“We’re already seeing the largest hyperscalers pouring billions of dollars into constructing data centers around the world to offer these capabilities,” he said. “This rush to build capacity will take a while to come online, in the meantime, demand will skyrocket fueled by a wave of legislation coming predominantly from the European Union.”
Organizations with flexible and scalable cloud systems can easily switch to sovereign or private cloud setups, according to Cochrane.
But those with inflexible, outdated systems will struggle to keep up.
2. The Year of the Seamless Cloud
- Businesses will integrate ecosystems for scalability and efficiency.
- Unified cloud governance will improve visibility and streamline operations.
“As business operations have continued to digitize over time, organizations have been waking up to the fact that the disparate approach to digital transformation has created silos within their digital environment, impacting their ability to scale, manage resources and make informed, data-driven decisions,” said Kevin Miller, chief technology officer at IFS.
“The future is governing and managing your digital footprint in one place.”
As such, another of the cloud adoption trends we’ll see in 2025 is the push toward a seamless cloud where everything is integrated, and business leaders have full visibility into their entire ecosystems, he said.
1. GenAI to Drive the Future of Cloud Security Against Evolving Threats
- Cloud-based security tools use GenAI to automatically find and stop threats.
- Cyber-storage will protect data with AI-powered defenses and backups.
Another of the cloud computing predictions for 2025 is that GenAI will continue to enable attackers and defenders, said Moshe Weis, chief information security officer at Aqua Security.
Cybercriminals now use AI to create advanced scams, such as smart malware, deepfakes, and phishing, he said. To fight back, cloud-based security tools use GenAI to automatically find and stop threats. These tools can analyze risks in real-time and predict future attacks, keeping systems safer.
“[In] 2025, using AI within cloud-native frameworks will be essential for maintaining the agility needed to counter increasingly adaptive threats,” Weis said.
Aron Brand, chief technology officer at CTERA Networks, agreed that in 2025, we’ll see an escalating threat to data security.
He noted that ransomware attacks and zero-day vulnerabilities have become more advanced than ever, making traditional storage strategies no longer effective.
“This has led to the rise of cyber-storage, a concept that integrates active cybersecurity measures directly into storage platforms,” Brand told Techopedia.
“With features such as AI-powered threat detection, immutable backups spread across cloud regions or providers, and embedded disaster recovery tools, cyber-storage is quickly becoming the standard.”
Gartner, which introduced this concept, predicts that by 2028, all storage solutions will include active defense capabilities, Brand added.
Looking ahead to 2025, companies that adopt these changes will gain a decisive advantage.
“Generative AI will help them unlock new insights from their data, while cyber-storage will ensure their information is protected against evolving threats,” he said. “This will allow teams to focus on the creative and strategic work that drives real innovation.’
The Bottom Line
Cloud computing will keep changing how businesses work, with big advancements expected in 2025.
Adopting AI-powered tools, hybrid cloud and multi-cloud strategies, and stronger security measures will give businesses better ways to grow and adapt.
These cloud computing industry trends will help companies work smarter, be more creative, and stay competitive. Adapting to changes will be important for making the most of cloud technology in the future.
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References
- Foundry : Cloud Computing Study (Foundry)