Worldwide end-user spending on information security is projected to total $212 billion in 2025, an increase of 15.1% from 2024, according to a new forecast from Gartner, Inc. In 2024, global information security end-user spending is estimated to reach $183.9 billion.

“The continued heightened threat environment, cloud movement and talent crunch are pushing security to the top of the priorities list and pressing chief information security officers (CISOs) to increase their organization’s security spend,” said Shailendra Upadhyay, Senior Research Principal at Gartner. “Furthermore, organizations are currently assessing their endpoint protection platform (EPP) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) needs and making adjustments to boost their operational resilience and incident response following the CrowdStrike outage.”

Even though the global economy shows signs of recovery, worldwide shipments of traditional PCs dipped 2.4% year-over-year (YoY) to 68.8 million units, during the third quarter of 2024 (3Q24), according to preliminary results from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker . Factors including rising costs and inventory replenishment led to a surge in shipments in the previous quarter, resulting in a slightly slower sales cycle.

“Demand, without a doubt, has returned for PCs amongst consumers and commercial buyers,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers. "However, much of the demand was still concentrated at the entry-level thanks to a recovering economy and the back-to-school season in North America. That said, newer AI PCs such as Copilot+ PCs from Qualcomm along with Intel and AMD’s equivalent chips as well as Apple’s expected M4-based Macs are expected to drive the premium segment in coming months.”

According to the latest IDC Worldwide Edge Spending Guide, Asia/Pacific* spending on edge computing is forecasted to reach $48.9 billion in 2024, an increase of 16.2% over 2023. This includes combined enterprise and service provider spending on hardware, software, professional services, and provisioned services for edge solutions. IDC expects spending on Edge to grow at a five-year CAGR of 15% over the forecast period (2023-28) and reach USD 84 billion by 2028.

IDC defines edge computing as encompassing all technology-related actions outside of centralized data centers, serving as an intermediary between connected endpoints and the core IT environment.

The Combat Management System (CMS) market is primarily driven by increasing defense budgets globally, particularly in countries aiming to modernize their military capabilities. As geopolitical tensions rise, there's a growing demand for advanced, integrated systems that enhance situational awareness and improve decision-making for naval and air forces. Additionally, technological advancements such as AI and IoT integration within CMS are further bolstering market growth, offering enhanced capabilities in threat detection and response. However, the market faces restraints such as high initial costs and complex implementation processes, which can deter budget-constrained nations. Additionally, stringent government regulations and lengthy approval cycles for defense equipment can delay adoption, while cybersecurity concerns pose risks to the reliability and resilience of these systems.

The Augmented Connected Worker (ACW) market is midway through its early adopter phase and experiencing high growth. Frost & Sullivan estimates a 31.1% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, reaching USD 6.36 billion that year across process, hybrid, and discrete manufacturing industries.

The connected worker is a term used to describe technologies (AR, IoT, AI, and more) that help connect frontline workers in manufacturing with the systems they interact with daily. The augmented worker refers to the enhancement in the performance of frontline workers and includes technologies such as AR, exoskeletons, computer vision systems, and more. Although there are many similarities between both and are sometimes used interchangeably, Frost & Sullivan think it is best to use a single term. The ACW is meant to unite both concepts and describe a system that can help connect frontline workers with the tools they need seamlessly to enhance their performance and include them in the continuous improvement cycle of the company.

Global entertainment & media (E&M) industry revenues rose 5% to US$2.8 trillion in 2023 and projected to hit $3.4 trillion in 2028. Advertising revenues projected to top $1 trillion in 2026, with revenues in 2028 to represent double the revenues of 2020. Streaming service usage and uptake continues to rise, but market players look to consolidation, live sports, password-sharing crackdowns and ad-based revenue to drive growth as industry competition intensifies.

Almost half (45%) of workers say their workload has increased significantly in the past year, as almost two-thirds (62%) say the pace of change at work has increased over the same time

More than one-quarter (28%) say they are very or extremely likely to switch employer in the next 12 months – a higher proportion than during the ‘Great Resignation’ (19%) in 2022

Employees prioritise skills-growth: fewer than half (46%) strongly or moderately agree that their employer provides adequate opportunities to learn new skills. This is particularly important for workers considering leaving: two-thirds (67%) say opportunities to learn new skills are a key factor in any decision to job-switch

More than 80% of workers who use generative AI daily expect it to make their time at work more efficient in the next 12 months. Half (49%) of all users expect it to lead to higher salaries

According to Forrester, the key to sustained enterprise success over the longer-term success is to data and AI strategies with business transformation objectives. For tech leaders, a key focus in 2025 will be prioritizing stronger alignment with chief data officers to ensure that AI becomes a business strategy, not just a technology strategy.

According to the International Data Corporation's (IDC) recent report, The State of Ransomware in Asia/Pacific, a staggering 59.6% of enterprises in the region experienced ransomware attacks in 2023. The report highlights the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures to counteract increasingly sophisticated threats. This figure shows the increasing threat of cyberattacks and the need for organizations to improve their cybersecurity measures to protect against more advanced ransomware.

The public cloud services market growth in 2023 grew faster than the previous forecast, driven mainly by the rise of generative AI (GenAI). This trend led to a high demand for AI platforms and data management software. As a result, the PaaS market recorded a YoY growth of 46.5%, the highest in the past four years.

GenAI-infused applications also drove the SaaS market growth, which helped the SaaS market sustain over 60% of total public cloud services market share. In contrast, the IaaS market growth slumped from 21.3% in 2022 to 12.9% in 2023, which met IDC's expectation that the softened economic condition in the region is impacting organizations to focus on cost optimization strategy and shift the cloud spending to automation solutions to streamline business and IT operations.

“Everyday AI promises to remove digital friction, by helping employees write, research, collaborate and ideate,” said Matt Cain, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “It is a core part of DEX, which is a concentrated effort to remove digital friction and improve workforce digital dexterity, which itself is one of the key factors that will drive organizational prosperity through 2030.”

2024 has been a critical year for digital workplace application leaders, as the focus on hybrid and remote work dwindles and the need for a strategic concentration on everyday AI rises. Everyday AI is placed on the Peak of Inflated Expectations on the Gartner Hype Cycle for Digital Workplace Applications, 2024

With modest GDP growth and stagnant budgets, organizations around the world are finding it necessary to reallocate funds from mature areas to support IT investments. While cloud and security continue to be key priorities, generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly taking the spotlight as companies strive for significant productivity improvements. GenAI investment is expected to grow 30%, with leaders from companies with high GenAI maturity anticipating their return on investment will be three-times higher over the next three years than that of companies with little or no adoption of the technology, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) released today.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ global Specialty Analytics Services report for the supply chain industry finds that organizations are investing in technologies to harness enterprise and ecosystem data for better decision-making. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of global supply chains, so enterprises are exploring how data and analytics can make systems more resilient and sustainable.

“Companies can no longer take supply chains for granted,” said Bob Krohn, partner, manufacturing, for ISG. “By implementing new technologies with providers, they are achieving the end-to-end visibility they need to stay ahead of changes.”