IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Performance-Intensive Computing 2025 Predictions

IDC FutureScape Figure

• Figure: IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Performance-Intensive Computing 2025 Top 10 Predictions

Executive Summary

IDC FutureScape Predictions

• Summary of External Drivers

• Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers

• Prediction 1: By 2029, 5% of Performance-Intensive Computing Will Be Delivered Not by Raw Binary Compute Power But by Systems Based on Artificial Synaptic Connectivity for Low-Energy, Low-Cost, High-Accuracy AI

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 2: By 2028, 75% of G2000 Organizations Will Operate Their Business Based on Heterogeneous IT Environments Built on Standards Promoting Interoperability

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 3: By 2027, 60% of G2000 Organizations Will Adopt Performance-Intensive, Software-Driven, Scale-Out Storage Infrastructure and Unified Data Management to Accelerate Insights for AI and Analytics

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 4: By 2028, 60% of G2000 Organizations Will Centralize Data Logistics for AI, HPC, and Analytics on a Platform with Integrated Governance and Security, Fueled by Automation, Flexibility, and Scalability

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 5: By 2028, the Need for Advanced Real-Time Functionality Will Result in 40% of Workloads Utilizing the Benefits of Performance-Intensive Infrastructure

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 6: By 2029, the NIST's Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards Will Be Adopted by 75% of Western Governments and Very Large–Scale Organizations to Protect High-Risk Data and Infrastructure from a Quantum Breach

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 7: By 2029, Small-Scale (About 100,000 Qubits) Quantum-Centric Supercomputers Will Be Used by 60% of U.S. and EU Governments for Primarily Solving Complex Defense- and Science-Related Problems

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 8: By 2028, 80% of Organizations Running Performance-Intensive Workloads Will Leverage Energy-Efficient Power and Cooling Technologies to Reduce Energy Costs and Contribute to Sustainability Goals

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 9: By 2028, Upgrade Cycles and Opex-Friendly Pricing for Performance-Intensive Systems and Platforms Will Result in Demand for Server Recycling Services to Double as Compared with 2024

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 10: Through 2027, the Skill Sets Required to Take Advantage of Performance-Intensive Computing Workloads Will Remain in Short Supply, Reducing the Return-on-Investment Potential for 60% of Organizations

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

Advice for Technology Buyers

External Drivers: Detail

• AI-Driven Business Models — Moving from AI Experimentation to Monetization

• Future Proofing Against Environmental Risks — ESG Operationalization and Risk Management

• The Drive to Automate — Toward a Data-Driven Future

• Expanding Digital Security Frontiers — Fortification Against Multiplying Threats

• Customer Experience Squared — Consumer and Citizen Expectations for Digital Services

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• Related Research