2025 was a demanding year – not due to lack of ambition, but because market conditions continued to test even well-prepared organisations. Across many industries, decision cycles remained extended, budgets stayed constrained, and projects frequently faced delays, even after approval. Meanwhile, the pace of change in Data and AI accelerated, with expectations shifting decisively from experimentation to demonstrable returns on investment.

We found ourselves operating in two parallel realities: external uncertainty on one side, internal strengthening on the other. Our focus remained on commercial discipline, delivery excellence, and building the capabilities required for sustainable, long-term growth.

The Past: What we thought would happen

Entering 2025, we expected challenging market conditions and planned accordingly. We anticipated that demand would concentrate on initiatives where organisations could justify spending through clear, defensible business impact.

Two themes were expected to drive customer demand:

1. Direct cost reduction through smarter cloud usage, data platform consolidation, and stronger governance frameworks.
2. Indirect efficiency gains where AI enhances team productivity and decision quality, within daily workflows – not as isolated experiments, but as integrated capabilities.

We also expected customers to mature in their approach to data: less emphasis on dashboards alone, greater focus on platforms, ownership models, data quality, and the infrastructure needed to scale effectively.

The reality: What Actually Happened

The market proved more challenging than forecast, particularly for launching new initiatives. Many organisations paused investments or demanded stronger proof of value before committing resources.

Efficiency-first initiatives dominated demand. The strongest conversations occurred where customers clearly identified a path to:

• Reducing operational costs
• Accelerating reporting and decision-making cycles
• Improving reliability and trust in data assets
• Scaling AI deployment in controlled, responsible ways

A significant insight emerged: under pressure, organisations recognised that both resilience and growth depend on better control of data. This understanding drove renewed interest in robust data platforms, reliable reporting infrastructure, and enhanced visibility into business performance metrics.

Technology trends that shaped 2025 in our space

From a technology perspective, 2025 marked the transition of AI from experimental to operational.

Three areas gained substantial momentum:

1. Agentic AI: Systems capable of planning and executing actions autonomously, which simultaneously increase requirements for governance and risk management. Gartner identified agentic AI as one of the major strategic technology trends, emphasising both the opportunity and the necessity for robust guardrails.
2. Modern Unified Data Platforms: Customer preferences shifted toward fewer, better-integrated tools—such as lakehouse architectures, comprehensive lineage tracking, unified security models, cost optimisation, and faster delivery capabilities.
3. AI Embedded into Analytics Workflows: Beyond chat interfaces, we saw copilots and assistants integrated directly into enterprise data environments, built on strong access controls and data quality.

This evolution explains the increased adoption of platforms such as Microsoft Fabric and unified data lake approaches throughout 2025. Capabilities like OneLake shortcuts enabled more flexible, broader access across complex data estates.

Perhaps the most significant shift was AI’s impact on software engineering itself. AI-assisted development tools – including advanced coding assistants and “vibe-coding” solutions – fundamentally changed how software is designed, built, and tested. These tools enhanced developer productivity, shortened feedback loops, and reduced effort across implementation and quality assurance phases.

The result: higher output with lower overall development costs. This is no longer experimental – it has become a standard expectation within modern delivery models.

In parallel, we invested substantially in internal accelerators and reusable components. These enable us to standardise and automate large portions of delivery, particularly for data platform implementations. When building modern data platforms on Databricks, for example, our approach can save hundreds of engineering hours – in some cases, up to 1,000 person-hours per project – without compromising quality or scalability.

Critically, these productivity gains strengthened how our teams deliver value. People were redeployed into higher-value work: deeper customer engagement, strategic problem-solving, and new growth initiatives. AI helped leverage talent more effectively, not replace it.

Together, AI-enabled development and internal accelerators now form a robust foundation for faster, more cost-efficient delivery while maintaining rigorous engineering standards.

What we achieved — and what we did not

Several outcomes from 2025 warrant recognition.

First, we strengthened operational discipline. We reduced unproductive time and stabilised utilisation rates. In a year like 2025, control over delivery efficiency was not optional – it was essential for survival and positioning.

Second, we reinforced delivery capacity. We onboarded new talent in key competence areas and maintained quality standards, even during periods of market uncertainty.

Third, we continued developing our commercial pipeline. We expanded conversations around data platforms, cloud modernisation, analytics transformation, and AI-enabled decision-making. We also invested significantly in industry presence and strategic networking, which proved effective for lead generation and for cultivating long-term relationships.

However, challenges persisted:

• Several secured projects did not start as planned. Timelines slipped, budgets underwent re-evaluation, or organisational priorities shifted.
• One large strategic opportunity weakened significantly due to changes on the customer side, including investment constraints and access limitations.
• Some anticipated growth areas did not materialise, despite preparation and recruitment efforts.

Even with operational improvements, the commercial environment demanded constant adaptation and recalibration.

The road ahead: building for the next stage

One of the most critical internal shifts in 2025 was achieving stronger alignment across the business. We reviewed objectives across Delivery, HR, Marketing, and Sales – not as an abstract exercise, but to improve how we operate month by month, week by week.

We also increased focus on strategic partnerships. Selective collaborations enable us to extend reach and deliver larger outcomes while maintaining agility. This matters more as customers seek partners who can combine speed, deep specialisation, and the ability to scale on demand.

Building a stronger market presence remains a priority. Having established our brand position in the Polish market, we must continue investing in visibility through marketing, community contribution, and consistent communication of where we create the most value for our clients.

Looking forward with cautious optimism

The outlook for 2026 appears cautiously more positive. Forecasts remain forecasts – geopolitical events, macroeconomic shifts, or regulatory changes still carry weight. Yet, there is a reasonable possibility that conditions improve compared with recent years, especially for organisations prepared to move quickly when opportunities emerge.

Early signals suggest that organisations are preparing to invest again, especially where they can clearly connect initiatives to competitive advantage, operational efficiency, or revenue growth. The organisations that invested in foundational capabilities during 2025—in data platforms, AI readiness, and talent—are likely to move fastest.

Closing thoughts

2025 reinforced a simple lesson: in complex markets, growth doesn’t stem from optimism alone. It comes from discipline, execution quality, relationship building, and the willingness to invest in the right capabilities, even under pressure.

We enter 2026 focused on delivering practical value in IoT, Data & AI, maintaining high-quality delivery standards, and operating a commercial engine built for sustainable growth—not just revenue targets, but outcomes that matter to our clients and their businesses.

As the year comes to a close, I want to thank our clients, colleagues, partners, and friends for the trust and collaboration throughout 2025.

If you want to exchange perspectives on where IoT, data platforms, AI adoption, and operational AI are heading in 2026, I welcome the conversation.

I wish you a restful holiday season and look forward to continuing the journey together.

Andrzej Winiarski
CEO, Holisticon Insight

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