IT Trends: Tech, Strategy, Hiring, and More in 2025

Information Technology (IT) is a fast-paced, ever-changing domain. Staying current with the latest trends is essential for both established and aspiring professionals. In the following article, you’ll find general and industry-specific IT trends related to emerging technologies, infrastructure, and jobs. First, let’s look at 2024 to identify persistent trends that may continue to shape the industry. 

If you're looking to strengthen your resume with in-demand IT skills, consider enrolling to earn IBM's Generative AI for Cybersecurity Professionals Specialization. You'll learn how large language models (LLMs) impact computer and network security measures today and gain hands-on experience with prompt engineering techniques you can use on the job.

2024 IT trends: Where are they now?

Technological research and consulting firm Gartner reported the following three movements among the "top 10 strategic technology trends of 2024” [1]: 

1. AI Trust, Risk, and Security Management (AI TRISM). According to IBM data, 42 percent of enterprise-scale companies surveyed reported having deployed AI in their business [2]. Another 40 percent of companies are experimenting with AI, but cited limited AI skills, data complexity, and ethical concerns among the top barriers preventing deployment. AI TRISM is a framework designed to increase transparency, protect data, and enforce AI ethics. It includes both technology and methodology. AI TRISM steadily emerged alongside AI advancements, topping the list of Gartner’s top 10 strategic technology trends in 2023 and 2024 [3], [1]. Strategies aligned with some of this framework's goals such as disinformation security and AI governance platforms replaced AI TRISM among Gartner's top 10 in 2025.

2. Sustainable technology. Sustainable technology is defined as solutions that increase the efficiency of IT services, conserve resources, and help both organizations and consumers reach their sustainability goals. Although technology is the primary focus, methodologies, and strategies also contribute to sustainable technology in IT. Sustainable technology moved up from 10th place in Gartner’s 2023 list to third place in 2024 [3]. In 2025, it dropped off the list entirely, however, energy efficient computing now holds the number six spot.

3. Metaverse. In 2022, Gartner predicted that 25 percent of people would spend at least an hour per day in the metaverse by 2026 [4]. It’s important to note that the metaverse is not limited to Mark Zuckerburg’s metaverse. The metaverse is an amalgamation of vendors creating a virtual reality environment with immersive experiences and an economy. Around 400 million people use the metaverse today, but over half of them are under 13 years old, and 83.5 percent are under 18 [5]. Most popular digital platforms include Roblox and Minecraft, centering entertainment over other predicted usages such as work, shopping, and education.

Read more: AI Ethics: What It Is and Why It Matters

IT industry trends in 2025

In recent years, hype has cycled rapidly for technologies ranging from NFT art to ChatGPT. CompTIA projected this AI excitement would wane over the next year in their IT Industry Outlook 2024, not because the tech was overhyped, but because companies will turn their attention to building the infrastructure needed to employ it responsibly [6]. These changes in perceived popularity don’t discredit the merit of these technologies, but they may help us view them more objectively.

Generative AI remains firmly at the top of minds in 2025, as ChatGPT has been joined by many other accessible AI tools, such as Google's Gemini and Claude. However, CompTIA's IT Industry Outlook 2025 suggests the cost of AI implementation could potentially offset its tremendous potential [7]. They also note that while many businesses are already reaping the benefits of AI, these applications predate the rise of GenAI and are instead centered around using machine learning algorithms to enhance workflows. In the following sections, we’ll explore more trend forecasts for 2025, ranging from cutting-edge technology to organizational strategy.

According to Statista, IT automation technology is the top IT trend among organizations in North America and Europe for 2025 [7]. 

IT security trends

The demand for governance is growing in the cybersecurity and data science spaces. CompTIA reported in 2024 that only 5 percent of individuals cited governance as a key priority for cybersecurity initiatives, suggesting this view is due to the belief that governance is synonymous with regulatory compliance [6]. In truth, governance practices serve many more purposes than just compliance. Organizations are beginning to realize that structured business processes surrounding vast amounts of data can provide more advanced analytics, informing critical business decisions and strengthening valuable insights.

AI Governance platforms are number two on Gartner's top strategic technology trends of 2025, aiming to enable leaders to validate the reliability and transparency of AI [8]. These platforms are also employed to ensure AI applications align with organizational values and regulatory requirements, and avoid negative societal impacts. Human intelligence will also be a key factor in IT security for 2025 as generative AI increases the scale and believability of social engineering cyber threats. 

Read more: 7 Cybersecurity Trends in 2025

IT automation trends

Generative AI advancements are driving modern IT automation. Gartner predicted in 2023 that hyper-automation would trend upward to meet accuracy and productivity requirements, adding that cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency would improve with AI in 2024. This forecast demonstrates a shift, conflicting with CompTIA's prediction that implementation costs could outweigh AI automation potential in 2025. In addition to traditional robotic process automation (RPA) use cases like data entry, AI use in 2024 propelled the automation of more complex workflows such as fielding customer service inquiries, scheduling jobs, and screening candidates for hiring. 

Gartner's number 1 strategic technology trend for 2025 is agentic AI–or, AI programs designed to make decisions and take actions toward pre-defined goals independently. Use cases cited in Gartner's report focus heavily on AI's data analysis capabilities, and how organizations can use them to automate and personalize customer experiences as well as improve situational awareness through the use of prediction intelligence.

Read more: Automation vs. AI: Meaning, Differences, and Real-World Use Cases

IT infrastructure trends

While the adoption of cloud infrastructure is not a new trend, it’s one that is surpassing expectations. Gartner predicts worldwide end-user spending on public cloud computing by will reach $723 billion in 2025 [9]. Hybrid cloud computing has become especially integral to digital transformations, helping companies transition fully or partially from legacy IT systems without compromising integrity or performance. 

Hybrid computing is number 7 among the top strategic technology trends for 2025, including the combination of technologies like edge devices, CPUs, GPUs, and quantum systems. This diverse array creates an environment that highlights the strengths of each technology to solve complicated computational problems.

IT hiring trends

In 2022 and 2023, layoffs dominated headlines. The outlook for 2024 painted a much brighter picture, with Google research showing that 39 percent of hiring leaders planned to increase their financial commitment toward hiring [10]. Nevertheless, layoffs continued to persist throughout 2024 in the tech industry.

In 2025, USA today reports that tech layoffs have continued, but begun to finally slow in pace [11]. Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter says layoffs may not always indicate a reduce in headcount, rather, a restructuring and reprioritizing that may result in increased hiring. According to research by Robert Half, technology hiring managers are focusing on candidates with the following skills and experience [12]:

• Proficiency in AI

• Experience with cloud migrations and technologies

• Knowledge of cloud cybersecurity, applications, and database development

Here are the top four technology skills managers report increased salaries for:

1. AI and machine learning

2. Cybersecurity

3. Cloud computing, security, and architecture

4. Software and applications development

Read more: 7 In-Demand IT Skills to Boost Your Resume in 2025

Are you thinking about starting a career in information technology? By enrolling in the Microsoft IT Support Specialist Professional Certificate program, you can gain job-ready, in-demand IT skills from a tech industry leader. In just two months, you'll learn to apply concepts like data management, troubleshooting, customer support, and networking while earning an employer-recognized certificate from Microsoft.

IT outsourcing trends

The IT outsourcing market accounted for over $540 billion in revenue in 2024 and is projected to grow in the coming years, including segments like application outsourcing, administration outsourcing, and web hosting [13]. A central component of IT outsourcing today is managed services. The term managed services refers to outsourcing IT functions like cybersecurity or cloud services to managed service providers (MSPs). Digital transformations like the cloud migration mentioned above are advancing IT outsourcing, especially given the rise of segments like software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS). 

IT recruitment trends

In 2024, large recruitment websites were the most commonly used mode of contact between employers and job seekers [10]. Fifty-eight percent of hiring decision-makers reported large recruitment sites as their top sources for discovering qualified candidates, placing them above their own company’s career web pages and even employee referrals. Job seekers also identify these large job search engines as their number one source, with a colossal 92 percent claiming to use them monthly.

Key takeaways

• Generative AI continues to trend in the IT space, with companies shifting toward AI governance, ethics, and strategic implementation.

• Cloud infrastructure is here to stay and a key driver of IT outsourcing.

• In the wake of layoffs, hiring decision-makers are beginning to allocate more resources to hiring candidates with skills concentrated in emerging technologies.

• AI will continue to be used in the recruitment process to parse candidates and identify and deprioritize out-of-date job postings.

• AI proficiency is key to the success of cybersecurity and data management initiatives.

Be the first to know about tech trends with Coursera

You can stay ahead of the curve by subscribing to Career Chat, our LinkedIn newsletter, or browsing our IT articles hub. If you’re ready to sharpen your skills, consider starting with a topical, free online course like Artificial Intelligence: Ethics & Societal Changes offered by Lund University. Or, start familiarizing yourself with industry-shaping tech today by enrolling in IBM’s Generative AI: Prompt Engineering Basics.