Four stand-out data movement trends shaping 2025

As we step into a new year, Neil Templeton, SVP of Marketing, highlights four transformative trends that are reshaping network infrastructure and revolutionising how data moves across diverse ecosystems. In this blog, we explore these pivotal themes and offer key insights for organisations seeking to optimise and secure the movement of their data across clouds, data centres, devices and more.

1. AI and the Tsunami of data

It’s no surprise that AI tops the list. This technology is evolving from foundational models, like GPTs, to advanced applications tailored for specific use cases such as predictive maintenance or AI-driven customer support. This progression has inevitably seen an exponential growth in data volumes as businesses move from proof-of-concept to proof-of-value, embedding AI deeper into their operations.

This data surge, further amplified by IoT devices and multi-cloud environments, places increased demand on network infrastructure. The challenges include managing latency-sensitive workloads, facilitating massive data transfers, and ensuring network reliability and security during rapid scaling.

Not only are networks already handling vast volumes of additional data as a result of Gen AI, but different Gen AI workloads also present different network challenges. For example, training Large Language Models (LLMs) requires periods of high bandwidth to transfer data to the cloud, while LLM inference depends on low-latency and stable network performance to support efficient data movement.

According to our 2024 Interconnection Report on the impact of generative AI on networks, 69% of senior IT leaders said their current network infrastructure did not have the capacity to embrace Gen AI to its full potential. Meeting the demands of Gen AI requires a more agile and secure network model that adapts to the unpredictable traffic patterns of Gen AI and scales seamlessly to support evolving needs of AI projects.

2. Simplifying complexity with automation

The complexity of managing multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments is a growing challenge. Many enterprises now operate across three or more public clouds, with a myriad of applications spread across these environments. This complexity is further compounded by the sensitive nature of data moving between clouds, on-premises systems, and edge devices.

Automation is key to addressing this challenge. Platforms, like Console Connect, simplify data movement and management across diverse ecosystems by leveraging API-first network orchestration and pre-integrated cloud connections. With an API-first design, businesses can automate processes effortlessly by integrating their applications directly with the orchestration platform, enabling on-demand network access and optimisation without the need for extensive reconfiguration. Additionally, pre-integrated cloud connections simplify setup processes, saving time and effort.

In short, automation is a strategic enabler for streamlining operations by optimising data flow and reducing the operational burden of managing complex cloud ecosystems.

3. Security meets compliance

With sensitive customer data increasingly residing in the cloud, balancing robust security with evolving regulations is paramount. From GDPR in Europe to emerging global standards, organisations face mounting pressures to secure data while ensuring compliance.

The public internet, with its lack of service-level guarantees and broad attack surface, is no longer sufficient for transporting mission-critical data. Instead, private and secure network environments that bypass the public internet are becoming the preferred alternative. Private connectivity, which limits access to authorised users, offers enhanced control, lower latency, and a significantly reduced risk of cyberattacks.

Stricter governance regulations are also increasing the need to know exactly where data is stored and how it moves between different environments. Private direct connectivity provides the transparency and control required to address these challenges, ensuring compliance and secure data management.

As businesses prioritise secure data movement, the demand for private and compliant network solutions is expected to grow substantially in 2025.

4. Optimisation: Observability and cost management

Operating in a multi-cloud environment often comes with substantial costs, particularly from data egress charges imposed by cloud providers for moving data out of their platforms. These charges can quickly add up where large volumes of data are frequently moved between clouds, making cost efficiency a top priority for organisations.

Cloud optimisation strategies such as direct cloud connections offer significant cost savings as they provide private links between on-premises systems and cloud environments. By bypassing traditional egress pathways and avoiding the public internet, these connections can significantly reduce egress fees, reducing businesses expenses and improving data movement efficiency.

Research commissioned by Console Connect found that it can actually be less expensive to connect to a cloud over a private network when you have more than 25Mbps of traffic. Beyond this, the cost of the private network is entirely paid for by the cost savings from the reduction in cloud internet egress fees. Furthermore, the cost savings continue from this point forward towards a 40% cost savings on cloud internet egress fees.

Therefore, transparent pricing models and financial management tools are becoming critical for cloud cost optimisation. Organisations can gain greater control over their expenses by leveraging platforms that offer set pricing and advanced analytics.

Additionally, observability (the ability to monitor and analyse network performance) is essential for maintaining optimal operations. Platforms like Console Connect offer customers valuable insights, such as bandwidth utilisation, enabling organisations to optimise cost control. This empowers them to make strategic decisions, such as adopting a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model, where they pay only for the bandwidth they use, ensuring their network connectivity remains both cost-efficient and high-performing.

Navigating data movement in 2025

As data volumes grow exponentially, businesses must innovate to stay ahead. Console Connect’s automated platform showcases how technology can overcome these challenges by enabling seamless, secure, and efficient data movement across the digital ecosystem.