In data and analytics, the only constant is change. As we head into a new year let’s explore three powerful data and analytics trends that Australian CIO’s and CFO’s should keep top of mind to ensure they set their teams and businesses up for success. We’re not going to get too technical and sprout off every architecture trend here, it’s important to focus on the fundamentals. In fact, three key fundamental data and analytics trends centring around Authenticity, Value and Agile Intelligence. In doing so, businesses could expect to improve operating margins, compliance and customer experiences. So, let’s get to it.
1. Authenticity – Truth, Trust & Transparency In Data
The need for truth, trust and transparency in data, analytics and AI is paramount. Generative AI and its widespread use by employees within businesses has spurred greater interest and investment in data quality and broader data capabilities. As great AI relies on great data, companies are now doubling down on finally getting their data right. This is a key finding by Harvard Business Review and Gartner in its Data, Analytics & AI Predictions Through 2030.
The next evolution in data is making it AI ready. For years, an essential part of digital transformation has been to make data accessible, to break down silos so that the enterprise can draw value from all of its data. True interoperability requires consolidating disparate data sources into a cohesive framework. This includes connecting ERP systems, databases, and third-party applications to create a unified single source of truth. The next step will be to make sure that the enterprise’s unified data is AI ready, able to be plugged into existing agents and applications.
With this in mind, the data and analytics trend to centralise data will accelerate, making sure that data is high-quality, accurate and well managed. Beyond working with well-structured data in a data warehouse, modern AI systems can use deep learning and natural language processing to work effectively with unstructured and semi-structured data in data lakes and lakehouses. Overall, data must be easily accessible to AI systems, with clear metadata management and a focus on relevance and timeliness. Data strategy must also evolve to make sure that AI initiatives are aligned with business goals and are effectively instilling a data-driven culture in the organisation.
2. There’s Value In The Cloud
Cloud computing’s role as a key driver of technology innovation continues as an important data & analytics trend. Many CIO’s look to the cloud to drive their initiatives around data management, analytics and GenAI applications while keeping a keen eye on cloud expenditure and sovereignty challenges. The source of value is coming from productivity gain and customer service improvement. Cloud migration also plays a critical role in advancing sustainability initiatives. It seems migrating to the cloud can reduce energy consumption by 65% and carbon emissions by 84% according to Accenture, making it a key strategy for environmentally conscious organisations.
So, no wonder two of the three top technology investment priorities for Australian and New Zealand CIO’s this year is investing in Cloud Computing (83%) and Business Intelligence / Analytics (84)% according to Gartner’s 2025 CIO Agenda Survey. Deriving value from these initiatives is critical, with total cost of ownership for these solutions being the key consideration according to CIOs.
As data volumes continue to grow, unstructured data is expected to account for more than 80% of data according to Constellation Research and AWS. That means enterprises will be hungry for efficient and cost-effective ways to consolidate disparate data types in real-time in a centralised repository like a cloud data platform that can be shared across an organisation, while allowing uniform data governance policies to be implemented.
3. Agile Intelligence – Working Smarter & Skilling Up
The last key fundamental data & analytics trend for 2025 is around Agile Intelligence driven by the continued democratisation of data due to Generative AI tools like ChatGPT. These tools allow anyone regardless of technical expertise, to query complex data sets and receive instantaneous insights. We’ll also see the rise of autonomous, intelligent systems that act on behalf of organisations and individuals. This will dramatically level the playing field between large enterprises and smaller, more agile competitors.
According to Gartner by 2027, 75% of new analytics content will be contextualised for intelligent applications through GenAI, enabling a composable connection between insights and actions. From the way the organisation is managed to how products and services are sold to customers, the defining characteristic is speed.
This brings us to the need for real-time data. The ability to collect and analyse data in real-time will transition from a competitive advantage to a basic requirement for business survival. Organisations will increasingly shift their focus from historical analysis to instantaneous insights, enabling split-second decision-making that can make or break market opportunities.
Behavioural data will also become the new gold. Understanding customer sentiment and behaviour will become more critical than ever as businesses compete for emotional connections with consumers. While this trend promises more personalised experiences, it will also raise important questions about privacy and consent in the age of emotional analytics.
With all these changes, empowering employees to be data advocates with proper data literacy training and education remains important with Forrester Research expecting 70% of employees to work heavily with data by 2025 (Data Literacy Report.) Effective data visualization and data storytelling capabilities embedded in analytics tools like Power BI are becoming more widely used to help employees interpret and understand difficult information.
Of course, there are many other technology trends emerging in 2025 but Authenticity in Data, Value in the Cloud and Agile Intelligence are 3 key fundamental and powerful data and analytics trends for Aussie CIO’s and CFO’s to capitalise on this year, that have the potential to significantly transform business operations. If you’d like to understand how BoomData can help improve data and analytics within your business, please reach out we’d love to help.
