"Generative AI isn't just here to stay, it's improving all the time," says Doug, Head of Technology at Grant McGregor. He believes it will continue to transform industries in 2025, but with great power comes great responsibility. "AI is also becoming a tool for threat actors, cybersecurity organisations need to step up their game and use AI to fight AI," warns Doug.
Paul, Head of IT Services, stresses the importance of vigilance in the face of increasing digital threats: "Advances in cybersecurity, such as AI-driven threat detection and remediation, will be essential."
In terms of hardware trends, Doug points out: “Nvidia will continue to dominate the graphics card market and are likely to start releasing all in one PCs, this is one to watch." He adds, “Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are benefitting from recent Intel chip issues and are increasing their CPU market share. If this trend continues, we may look to provide devices with AMD chips instead of Intel."
Doug and Paul both emphasise that automation will be a key area of improvement for IT providers:
Paul agrees, highlighting the human benefits of automation: "AI-driven automation will handle tasks such as system monitoring, incident response and patch management, reducing human error and freeing up IT staff to focus on customer IT strategies and relationships."
Doug adds: "As an IT provider, AI will be able to assist users and resolve day-to-day issues, allowing our staff to focus on customer experience or high-level issues. This will eliminate the likelihood of errors when reproducing work, resolve tickets faster and get customers back to work quicker".
The cybersecurity landscape is evolving rapidly, and both experts point to AI as a double-edged sword.
Paul emphasises the importance of securing cloud configurations and implementing strong identity management practices. “As businesses continue to migrate to the cloud, it’s vital to regularly audit cloud configurations, ensure proper identity and access management practices and document everything rigorously,” he says. Misconfigurations and data breaches remain significant risks.
Doug’s advice? “Cybersecurity awareness training isn’t optional anymore - it’s essential." He further suggests that keeping passwords safe in a secure central vault and not in documents on local devices or written on bits of paper, is simple yet effective step to improve security. Additionally, he stressed the importance of resolving vulnerabilities on PCs, laptops and servers in a timely manner – a practice that is often neglected.
Paul, expands on this idea, highlighting the role IT systems can play in creating a more sustainable future: “IT systems can track product life cycles, support recycling processes, and reduce e-waste through better product design and end-of-life management.” He also emphasises the necessity of proper recycling practices: “We all really need to start recycling all that old IT/Electrical equipment via proper method as precious metals like gold & silver are required in almost every electrical product and by recycling, we can reduce what needs to be mined.”
“Users will encounter AI more frequently in their daily workflows, and they’ll need to understand how to interact with it effectively,” explains Doug. Paul believes seamless integration across platforms, apps and services will become a user expectation. Single sign-on solutions and password managers, Doug adds, will make this a reality while improving security.
Paul highlights the growing need for smarter cybersecurity: "Machine learning-driven threat detection and Zero-Trust Architecture will be critical to protecting organisations."
Doug identifies Azure, AWS and Copilot as technologies in high demand. "Customer experience and project management are becoming as important as technical expertise," he adds. Paul emphasises the need for strong IoT device management and security.
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