For What It’s Worth: Aaron Wadsworth Looks Ahead to 2025
One of the ways I intend to use this space is to look into the future so we can help our partners prepare for what’s next. By mapping out the year ahead, we can be proactive in offering solutions your customers really need. With that in mind, 2025 is shaping up to be a year focused on enterprise efficiency, collaboration, productivity, and security – driven by increasing AI innovation.
To thrive in this reality, IT service providers need to go beyond implementing technologies. Staying relevant in the AI future will involve recognizing and predicting customer needs, then designing technology solutions that solve business problems and increase competitiveness. Knowing what’s ahead means you don’t have to wait for an order or RFP. Instead, you’re making proactive recommendations that make sense to your customers.
We’ve identified five trends that are impacting the migration business. While some may feel like more of the same, keep in mind that all of them will be influenced by the forward march of AI.
Migrations Unlock the Benefits of M&A
All signs point to an increase in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2025. Importantly, organizations are tending toward more strategic M&A decisions. That is, they’re looking beyond fit and value to ask how quickly the combined companies can be collaborating as one.
The migration is just one component of strategic restructuring. Experienced service providers are offering a portfolio of services to build out post-merger IT systems and unlock the benefits of M&A. These services include recommendations for digital transformation, enhanced security and compliance, and adapting to the modern workplace.
The Cloud is Not a Static Place
BitTitan originated from a need for faster and smoother migrations to the cloud. That need has evolved, and so have we. Today, MigrationWiz is frequently being used for tenant-to-tenant migrations. As organizations continue improving processes, cutting costs, and innovating their offerings, they’re on the lookout for ways to optimize their position in the cloud. New strategies that leverage AI platforms like Microsoft Copilot are also leading to more cloud-to-cloud migrations.
We’ve already seen that even ‘simple’ tenant-to-tenant migrations are becoming more complex. It’s not just about moving mail and documents. Today’s IT professional needs to have the tools and knowledge to migrate the components of complex environments like SharePoint and Teams. MigrationWiz is the tool, and it’s backed by support from migration experts, training, and documentation that will assure a successful migration project.
Cloud Laggards are Catching Up
Just because organizations understand and embrace cloud computing doesn’t mean their journey is complete. Many have shifted the easiest or most obvious workloads, or they’ve acquired platforms that originated in the cloud. Still, they may have closets full of on-prem applications. This can legitimately cause frustration for anyone who’s trying to modernize an organization. It also presents an opportunity for IT service providers to identify untapped opportunities in the cloud.
As your customers learn more about the potential of enterprise AI, they’ll soon learn that consolidation in the cloud is a prerequisite for tapping the power of a solution like Microsoft Copilot.
It Can be Hard to Say Goodbye
You can say you’re not frustrated with customers that ask you to put band-aids on systems they should have jettisoned long ago – especially if you’re knowingly making a patch that presents a risk to security or service availability. Maybe it’s time for some straight talk about retiring those legacy systems. This is where you can play an important role in identifying cloud replacements and getting them implemented quickly.
Replacing legacy systems with cloud-based solutions is another trend we’re seeing for the coming year. This activity is being helped along by the availability of cost-effective applications and easier migration processes. It’s also hard to ignore the advancements available in AI-supported system replacements. Just when you think you’ve maxed out your migration business with a particular client, a careful inventory of their systems may help you uncover needs they didn’t even know they had.
Rules and Regs are Here to Stay
Anyone betting that a change in the political climate will do away with regulation isn’t being honest with themselves. Regulations will be part of our lives as long as governments exist. In fact, the landscape is expected to get more complex as regions flex their muscles and U.S. states decide to strengthen data protections along the lines of California. Customers will be relying on your expertise to keep them out of hot water with regulators.
While MigrationWiz continues to evolve technically to the changing landscape, it’s relationships with partners like you that make us all successful – in meeting the needs of your customers and helping them embrace future opportunities. As always, let us know how we can help.
