If 2024 was the year AI entered the mainstream, 2025 was the year technology finally showed us what that shift really means for security, cloud strategy, business applications, and the way we run organizations. Across every discipline, AI moved from “interesting experiment” to “everyday expectation,” and at the same time, risk, complexity, and dependency surged. In this recap-and-forecast, we look back at the biggest lessons of 2025 and offer grounded, realistic predictions for 2026, supported by industry analyses and the insights of our own business, cloud, security, and Dynamics leaders.
Included in this breakdown and analysis:
Across industries, 2025 showed us a paradox: AI made work easier, but it also made threats harder to detect.
The World Economic Forum noted that the rapid spread of AI increased both defense and offense in cybersecurity, in turn widening the attack surface while enabling faster detection when deployed responsibly.
Our company noted this as well: voice cloning scams, deepfake executive fraud, and AI‑generated phishing became routine. This supported a broader market observation that cyberattacks driven by AI were becoming more scalable and sophisticated than ever.
2025 highlighted a key reality: MFA alone isn’t enough. Attackers increasingly bypassed MFA by stealing session tokens or tricking users into approving malicious requests. This mirrored industry findings that visibility across systems is now essential to high‑availability and security operations.
Our Director of Security Operations described it as “the year the MFA wall cracked,” with human behavior becoming the true control surface.
Cloud didn’t “stabilize” in 2025. In fact, the opposite happened. Industry analysts emphasized that observability and hybrid visibility became mission-critical as cloud, on‑prem, and edge environments spread further apart.
Our company saw increased demand for:
This aligned with broader industry reports calling 2025 a year of renewed cloud complexity, not simplification.
While AI stole headlines, another force grew steadily: automation. Many organizations used low-code tools and workflow builders to reduce routine work. This mirrors industry coverage emphasizing that AI-enabled automation now shapes day‑to‑day business operations across sectors.
But without oversight, automation also created shadow IT, a trend we believe will grow unless companies begin governing automations like formal applications.
In the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem, 2025 saw rapid enhancements:
Our VP of Business Intelligence observed that users began seeing Copilot as a kind of “executive assistant”—a sign that AI assistance is becoming normalized in business operations. This trend is consistent with global Dynamics market growth, driven by cloud adoption and AI-enabled applications.
Just as Zero Trust became a security standard between 2020–2023, AI Governance will become a 2026 expectation. The World Economic Forum reports that organizations must embed responsible AI oversight early to prevent fragmentation and risk, not after deployments occur. This aligns with Belinda’s prediction that AI governance will be required by insurers, regulators, and boards—not just recommended.
Why it matters:
Annual check‑the‑box audits are no longer enough. According to global regulatory updates, organizations are increasingly expected to provide real-time evidence of AI and security controls—not yearly snapshots.
Expect 2026 to bring:
These capabilities will become standard, not premium add-ons.
2026 will not be about choosing a single cloud—it will be about maximizing choice.
Industry cloud predictions highlight:
Deeper adoption of hybrid and multi-cloud
More intelligent, software-defined connectivity
Cloud-native modernization via containers and microservices
Our cloud experts predicts AI-assisted Tier 1 automation will further push organizations toward cloud flexibility, since faster resolution and long-term remediation benefit from diversified architectures.
Across security publications, experts agree that resilience will be the defining posture of 2026.
Tech.co’s 2026 predictions emphasize the need for visibility across multi-cloud environments as the key to maintaining uptime in increasingly distributed systems.
Our Director of Sec Ops predicts organizations will invest in:
Multi-cloud redundancy
Vendor diversification
Cyber-resilient backups
Scenario-based rehearsals
This complements industry findings that new categories of AI-enabled malware will likely appear in 2026 as attackers leverage automation, requiring defenders to focus on recovery as much as prevention.
(Here's a few more tips from our CISO, Robert Nettles)
Vendor strategy changes in 2025 (such as Broadcom/VMware actions) pushed companies to rethink dependencies. Industry reports forecast more shifts ahead as cloud platforms evolve to support AI, sovereignty, and cost optimization needs. Brian’s take mirrors this: MSPs will need to upskill as AI absorbs routine tasks, and businesses must navigate more complex cloud pricing tied to AI capabilities.
Looking ahead, Microsoft MVP and Centre Dynamics Consultant, Kim Dallefeld, expects:
New AI agents for Business Central
Continued reporting and data access improvements
Expansion of existing AI-driven features
These expectations align with industry analysis showing that demand for AI-led business applications (including predictive analytics and intelligent process automation) is rising globally. Additionally, the role of data analytics continues to grow. Power BI remains a leading visualization platform thanks to its ease of use and broad integration capabilities.
Build governance before scaling AI: A well-governed AI ecosystem—clear policies, auditability, privacy rules—enables safe innovation.
From cybersecurity to cloud to business applications like Microsoft Dynamics, 2026 will be the year organizations move from experimenting with AI to governing it, scaling it, and securing it. Companies that thrive won’t be the ones using the most AI—they’ll be the ones using AI intentionally, on a solid foundation of governance, identity protections, cloud resilience, and trustworthy data.
And if the pace feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. This is a transformational moment, not a minor update.
Want help assessing your 2026 readiness? We can help you evaluate your security posture, cloud strategy, and Microsoft business applications to build a practical, achievable roadmap.
Let’s talk about what 2026 looks like for your organization.