50% of Asia/Pacific businesses to modernise Cloud for cost efficiency

According to IDC ’s recent report, IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Cloud 2025 Predictions — Asia/Pacific (Excluding Japan) Implications, organisations in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan are continuing their march into cloud as their use of traditional infrastructure continues to decline over the next two years, with IDC predicting that by 2027, over 50% of businesses will modernise up to half of their cloud architecture to boost efficiency and drive innovation.

Over 77% of APAC organisations recognise digital infrastructure as critical, driving adoption of modern cloud architectures with AIOps to optimise infrastructure, applications, networks, and costs. The rise of GenAI and traditional AI is accelerating this shift, unlocking new opportunities for productivity and innovative business models.

By 2028, more than 90% of newly developed applications will be multi cloud enabled, leveraging platform-delivered capabilities to drive innovation. As businesses embrace Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), they aim to empower developers with efficient tools for building and deploying applications, fueling agility and adaptability in a multi cloud ecosystem.

“The AI Pivot in 2025 will fundamentally reshape how Asia/Pacific businesses approach cloud and digital transformation. Organisations that leverage multi cloud architectures, infused with AI and platform-based capabilities, will gain the flexibility to innovate faster, adapt to market demands, and deliver unparalleled customer experiences. This shift is critical to thriving in a multi cloud, data-driven world​,” IDC Asia/Pacific research director, Cloud Services and Software Daphne Chung said.

This pivot means truly integrating AI into every aspect of business operations to drive growth and stay competitive. As businesses in the Asia/Pacific region prepare for the AI Pivot, some of the other 10 cloud predictions for Asia/Pacific revealed by IDC are found below:

Air-Gapped Clouds: By 2026, as part their sovereign cloud strategies, 35% of organisations will look for network infrastructure providers that offer sovereign controls.

Specialised Clouds: By 2026, 60% of organisations will leverage specialised accelerated cloud computing services to maximise the speed of deployment and optimise the scaling of their AI and other accelerated applications.

GenAI for Cloud Security: By 2026, 40% of multi cloud environments will leverage generative AI to streamline security and identity access management, reducing manual efforts by 50%.

“AI and cloud modernisation are reshaping Asia/Pacific businesses, making the AI Pivot a necessity to drive growth, efficiency, and competitiveness. Organisations that prioritise AI investments, adopt multi cloud strategies, and align operations with key pillars will unlock new revenue streams, enhance customer experiences, and secure long-term leadership,” Chung ends.

Each year, IDC releases its top technology predictions at worldwide, regional and country levels through its IDC FutureScape Reports and gives a crystal ball view of what is ahead for the rapidly changing IT industry. These predictions have been used to shape the strategies and business objectives of technology leaders and business executives in the next one to five years. All the predictions stated here cover Asia/Pacific implications.

Asia/Pacific Excluding Japan FutureScape Reports come with a complimentary report that provides specific recommendations for tech vendor sales and marketing leaders.