He said that as European businesses enter 2025, they face persistent economic challenges, including high energy costs, modest growth, and rising inflation. Dunn predicts achieving cost stability will be a primary focus for organisations navigating these uncertainties.
Dunn advises leaders to invest in platforms offering real-time visibility into cloud usage and costs to maintain control over IT budgets. Tools with automated alerts for unusual spending and consolidated dashboards can enable businesses to optimise efficiency while managing financial risks.
He said it will be essential to adopt scalable IT solutions that adjust to fluctuating demands without incurring punitive costs. Clear, transparent contracts will also be vital in mitigating hidden fees and rigid commitments.
“Balancing affordability, scalability, and reliability will ensure financial stability while enabling innovation,” Dunn notes, framing strategic IT planning as a cornerstone for resilient ecosystems in 2025.
Digital sovereignty will become a strategic imperative in 2025, driven by growing concerns over data control and technological autonomy. European initiatives like Gaia-X and UK investigations into large cloud providers highlight the increasing focus on ensuring fair market practices and regulatory compliance.
Dunn urges businesses to critically assess all dimensions of digital sovereignty: technological autonomy, operational independence, and data sovereignty. He cautions against being swayed by alarmist sales strategies that emphasise the superiority of local providers and encourages organisations to define what sovereignty means for their unique needs.
“Digital sovereignty should begin with a deep understanding of local regulations,” Dunn said. By establishing a clear framework for sovereign IT infrastructure, businesses can navigate evolving standards without becoming mired in unnecessary complexity.
The risks associated with vendor lock-in, brought into sharp relief by high-profile cloud outages in 2024, will push businesses toward hybrid and multi-cloud strategies in 2025. These strategies, Dunn said, are vital for maintaining operational resilience and cost efficiency.
He said that cloud providers often impose barriers such as high data migration costs and technical constraints, forcing organisations into dependency. To combat this, Dunn predicts businesses will prioritise solutions that enable fast, predictable performance and minimise latency issues.
“A resilient tech stack will empower companies to store and access their data when and where they need it,” Dunn said. Organisations can remain competitive, safeguard performance, and respond dynamically to market changes by ensuring the freedom to switch providers.