Digital Transformation in 2025: From Optimization Fatigue to Business Model Reinvention

2025 Predictions is a series of special reports examining market trends and business changes TBR expects in the coming year for AI PCs, cloud market share, digital transformation, GenAI, ecosystems and alliances, and 6G.

Top Predictions for Digital Transformation in 2025

1. Transformation comes roaring back
2. GenAI upends pyramids, even as enterprises slow their AI roll
3. Ecosystem intelligence becomes a strategic advantage

Of the three major focus areas for TBR’s 2025 predictions — strategy consulting, generative AI (GenAI) and ecosystem intelligence — the first may seem a long shot, the second too obvious to be new, and the third too well established to be changing much. All three will upend expectations in 2025 with wildly varying results for the IT services companies and consultancies that TBR tracks and for their technology partners.
 

When OEMs first started releasing AI PCs, they shared expectations that the advent of this new product category would help drive the next major PC refresh cycle. However, even as vendors continue to roll out new generations of AI PCs containing increasingly powerful NPUs, adoption remains relatively slow. This is because the presence of an NPU itself does nothing to increase the value of AI PCs compared to other similar devices, and AI PCs require an additional layer in the form of applicable software that makes AI-enabled features easily accessible and user-friendly.
 
Strategy consulting’s rebound will come from a renewed push for growth, underpinned by business model reinvention. GenAI will profoundly change the structures and business models of IT services companies and consultancies, all while enterprises struggle to take GenAI to scale (and hey, how about some strategy consulting to help with those struggles?).
 
The need to stand out in a crowded market will compel technology leaders to better align their strategic partnerships, elevating the need for refined and tested ecosystem intelligence and taking alliance management from a good-to-have to strategically critical.
 
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