Technology Trends to watch in 2025
Get ready for our fifth annual deep dive into the future of tech!
This compilation is a blend of engineering eyes and 15 years of experience as a software agency. Additionally, here you can find out how Maria’s and Michał’s predictions for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 shaped up!
Security-first and Security-left
Cybersecurity isn't just about stopping hackers but ensuring business runs smoothly as technology changes. Each year, we highlight it in our trends compilation as we see its importance in our daily work. For some firms, particularly in critical sectors like FinTech and MedTech, addressing security challenges is more than one-time certifications or having a Security Operations Center (SOC). It's about continuous efforts: security testing, proactive vulnerability audits, and training for everyone, not just tech teams. This consistent commitment sets security-conscious companies apart from those that fail to implement long-term robust strategies.
In 2024, we sharpened our focus on helping our clients become security-first by partnering with Snyk, a leading app security tool, and Niebezpiecznik, Poland's top cybersecurity consultancy. According to the World Economic Forum, cybersecurity ranks among the top global threats, so prevention, not just compliance, will define the future. Merely meeting compliance standards or just reacting to vulnerabilities may not be enough in 2025. A security-first culture will evolve from a niche to a core organisational strategy.
As a software agency, we educate that the quality of your codebase is as critical as your infrastructure. A security-first approach involves early threat detection in code. This way, by shifting security "left" on the software development project timeline, security becomes a foundational component rather than an afterthought.
Source: Devopedia
It reduces vulnerabilities before they can become critical issues, minimizing security debt. In 2025, it will become a crucial component of software development, alongside embedding security into the DevOps pipeline (SecOps) to improve resilience and build products that are not only secure by design but also adaptable to emerging threats.
In our 2024 trends, we predicted that advancements in quantum computing would shape the future of technology. This year, a concerning milestone was reached: Chinese researchers used quantum annealing systems to break traditional RSA encryption, posing a potential threat to global cybersecurity. It was in 2023 when Signal introduced quantum-resistant protocol. Later on, in 2024, Apple did that too. Google has also just developed a new state-of-the-art quantum chip - Willow, with 105 qubits and quantum error correction.
In our opinion, by 2025, organizations must prepare for the potential impacts of quantum computing on cybersecurity. This preparation involves: understanding the specific risks posed by quantum advancements to build agility into their cybersecurity frameworks.
AI development and human-AI collaboration
We shall remember that IT systems are under attack from all angles: profit-driven cybercriminals, hostile nation-state actors, global botnets, and even competition aiming to destabilize operations. In 2025, as cybercriminals are equipped with AI, there will be even more of that.
By 2025, AI will improve not only the scale of cyberattacks but also their precision and complexity. We can expect:
- phishing emails generated with flawless grammar and personal details,
- fake phone calls, with generated voice mimicking the voice of known people,
- data breaches caused by employees unintentionally sharing sensitive information with AI platforms like ChatGPT,
- highly adaptive malware that can learn from real-time data, adapt on the fly, and make detection even more challenging,
- AI is used to detect 0-days in existing software.
CISOs must safeguard their sensitive data, articulate the risks of AI in organizations, and proactively implement and navigate the right strategy. On the other hand, AI could be transformative, providing organizations with the tools needed to combat increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. It includes:
- threat detection and prevention,
- automated incident response,
- predictive analytics,
- and behavioral analysis.
AI tools will enable adaptive learning, protection 24/7 and enhanced efficiency and accuracy.
According to a report from the World Economic Forum, while AI and robotics will displace 85 million jobs by 2025, they're also projected to create 97 million new roles in areas like AI development, data science, and human-AI collaboration. At ReasonField Lab, our ML engineers foresee the continued evolution of large language models (LLMs) and agentic workflows alongside advancements in medical technology, such as the rise of avatars in healthcare - a prime example of human-AI collaboration.
As a software agency, we can see that AI tools are becoming more and more integrated into every day work. ChatGPT released desktop apps, which allow users to interact with IDEs. Microsoft works on the Copilot and the controversial Recall feature.
There are also new brands on the market, such as Cursor IDE, which are made from scratch with AI integration in mind, allowing users to leverage natural language when working with the code. It’s a great enabler for a no-code low-code movement, where non-technical people can design smaller applications on their own, without learning programming languages.
However, it may be noticed that AI hype is slowing down. Big companies mention AI a lot, but there is a bit of disappointment in real use cases. We expect that next year will not bring revolution in this area, but rather evolution, fleshing out the use cases where AI indeed brings value.
FinOps popularity is growing
The last few years have brought a challenging market situation. Inflation and rising interest rates have influenced VC investments in startups, and made companies consider reductions and savings. Right now, many companies are focusing on cloud cost optimization, cloud exit or general company spending optimizations. The term FinOps has become more widespread, and various related tools are gaining popularity. There is even a FinOps foundation working under the Linux Foundation. We expect the trend to continue in 2025.
The last months of 2024 brought some hope to the market as interest rates are decreasing. There's a chance of increased investments in the coming months. Some companies that postponed their IPOs (Initial Public Offerings), waiting for better conditions, are now considering going public in 2025 or 2026. They will undoubtedly aim to showcase the best results, including lower costs and greater profitability, by achieving savings on cloud expenses and other areas.
Legacy modernization
What about legacy systems? The need to show profits and lower costs made companies focus on features and business value. Over that time, legacy became even more legacy. Modernization can't be omitted in the long term if the future development process should be quick and efficient. Most companies plan to increase IT spending in 2025. We believe they may consider returning to their old systems to improve organization effectiveness, security, and developer experience. Some may even decide to rewrite legacy with new technologies. Sometimes, the reason for that is to unify the company's technology stack to make hiring easier, lower operations costs and unify observability. In other cases, infrastructure costs drive the decision-makers to choose more efficient languages, such as, e.g., Rust.
Unsurprisingly, AI plays a role in software modernization.
- AI-powered tools allow for easier dependency and version upgrades,
- AI algorithms enable easier test writing so that it is possible to easily add more regression tests useful in modernization and rewrite cases,
- However, as usual, the open topic is the privacy of AI-based tools. Companies have to weigh whether it is ok for them to upload the whole codebase to, e.g., AWS AI-specific cloud solution.
That said, Java, Python, and TypeScript have solidified their position as the most popular and widely used programming languages. Thanks to their versatility, the associated platforms are often chosen as the target when unifying technology stacks. Both talent accessibility, and the fact that for any common problem, a well-maintained library exists, play a role here.
Adam Warski, CRDO at SoftwareMill
Rust is the most beloved language
Legacy systems are written in old but gold technologies, but new competitors are growing for greenfield, and not only, projects. You've likely heard much about Rust if you've followed the IT world recently. It’s no surprise that Rust’s growing popularity has many developers excited and eager to adopt it. We talked about it in our trends for 2023 and 2024.
According to the Stack Overflow Developers Survey, "Rust continues to be the most-admired language with an 83% score this year." 12.6% of respondents picked Rust as their language when replying to: "Which programming, scripting, and markup languages have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year?".
We recognize the significance of transformative technologies like the Rust programming language, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025. To support the growth of the Rust community and strengthen Poland's technical talent pool, just like we're doing for Scala with Scalar, we are launching a Rust conference: Rustikon! Make sure to follow the My Rust Story series and find out how Rust community members see the future of Rust. We believe that 2025 may bring increased real-world adoption of this technology.
Return to the office
Regarding global tech companies' operations, 2024 was a year of loud office comebacks. Companies like Amazon, Disney, Salesforce, and others began bringing employees back to the office, either full-time or in a hybrid manner. Why? The reasons vary. Some argue that in-office work is more efficient, while others believe it fosters greater creativity. LinkedIn posts from recruiters often detail why they think in-person work is better. On the other hand, companies like Spotify explicitly stated they have no plans for a similar approach. Instead, they are committed to maintaining flexible remote work because, as they put it, employees "aren't children."
What is the reality? Sometimes, changes to remote work policies are a subtle way to encourage resignations, effectively reducing team sizes without formal layoffs. In other cases, companies may have signed long-term office leases shortly before COVID-19 and now aim to justify those spaces by returning employees.
Hybrid work offers the benefits of both work styles. However, it may also have drawbacks. For example, some employees describe hybrid setups as having a “Monday” twice a week. Others note that hybrid policies can result in team members coming to the office on different days, leaving them on Zoom calls while sitting in the same building.
Return-to-office mandates are often controversial. The pandemic enabled companies to hire talent from diverse locations, and requiring in-office attendance could necessitate relocation for some employees. Policies sometimes differ based on how far an employee lives from the office, raising questions about fairness and equality.
What does research say? Research paints a mixed but generally favorable picture of remote work.
- McKinsey found that 87% of employees who had the option to work remotely took advantage of it.
- Harvard Business Review highlighted that forcing employees back to the office often leads to lower satisfaction, higher stress, and increased turnover.
- Microsoft's 2023 Work Trend Index revealed that 82% of managers felt their teams performed as well or better when working remotely. Remote work also allows employees—especially developers—to focus on their tasks without the distractions common in office environments.
Smaller companies have conducted their studies but often fail to conclusively prove which work style, remote, in-office, or hybrid, is superior in terms of performance or psychological well-being.
As we move into 2025, debates about remote work and return-to-office policies are expected to intensify. What seems clear is that flexibility remains the best approach. According to a Stanford University study, flexible work arrangements significantly increase employee engagement. This is how we have operated since day 0, 15 years ago.
Wrap up of our tech trends
From proactive cybersecurity and adaptable work policies to embracing AI and modernizing legacy systems, 2025 will be defined by smart investments, business adaptability, and focus on long-term value. We’re curious, what trends has your engineering eye spotted? What do you think we’ll see more of in the coming year? Share your predictions in the comments below!
Opt for continuous learning about new ideas, technology trends, and digital solutions by joining Tapir Tech Update - a monthly dose of tech news curated by SoftwareMill's engineers. And if you crave more nostalgia, we’ve compiled strategic technology trends that shaped the past decade. Check it out to get a broader perspective on the tech world.
A big shoutout to Adam Warski and Michał Ostruszka for the insightful discussions! Your expertise and perspectives helped shape this year’s edition of tech trends.