It’s hard to believe that it’s already that time of year that I make my digital workplace predictions for the forthcoming year. 2024 was an exciting but also topsy turvy year. We saw AI continue to develop and embed within products like Microsoft Copilot. Here at Content Formula, we worked with some fantastic client teams and delivered successful projects, while also continuing to evolve our Lightspeed365 and Xoralia products. But across the wider intranet and digital workplace industry, market conditions were at times a little challenging for both tech vendors and consultancies.
2025 looks set to be an equally exciting year, but with the potential to be unpredictable. The global geo-political situation feels very fluid, and that might impact the global economy. Developments in AI are also impossible to predict – who knows where we will end up?
Given this, making predictions for the coming year comes with a warning and caveat; they might not happen! You can see what I predicted for 2024 and it is fair to say some of those didn’t quite materialise as expected.
Anyway, here goes! Hera are some of the headline digital trends I think we’ll see in 2025.
1. AI tools will surprise us
Every digital workplace trend or prediction article for 2025 will be filled with forecasts about what will happen with generative AI. Of course, AI will be the dominant theme in the digital workplace space and teams will be focusing on AI-readiness, getting value from Microsoft Copilot, de-risking through governance, evaluating products, supporting employees and trying to keep up with a technology that is moving with unbelievable speed.
It’s hard to know exactly where AI is going to take us, but I think it will surprise us, potentially on different levels:
- The latest incredible development which is pushing the boundaries of the possible.
- Personal tips and tricks which can transform your own productivity and save so much time.
- The adoption and value it will deliver within organisations.
- Amazing products with eyebrow-raising features
- And in many other ways!
There are still obvious risks and uncertainties, but it is exciting and those organisations that embrace the possibilities but also prepare the foundational work, will be able to take the most advantage.
2. Microsoft Copilot finds its feet
So far Microsoft Copilot has perhaps had a bit of a mixed reaction in the market with some justifiable criticisms – for example the pricing is highly complex – and both positive and underwhelming results in terms of the business benefits. Market reaction is also more than a little muddied by the fact that there are actually multiple versions of Copilot.
We think in 2025 Copilot is likely to find its feet and the narrative around its use will start to change to something more positive. Microsoft often releases applications that first don’t quite deliver, but then get substantially better over time. Here at Content Formula when we first tried Teams in 2018, we initially got excited but overall felt pretty underwhelmed, and of course the rest is history.
In some respects, Copilot still feels a little like a beta product that has a few issues to iron out; but we think that will change and prove to be a critical tool for the digital workplace. There are also some genuinely exciting developments on the way, for example with the release of Copilot Agents, announced at the recent Microsoft Ignite conference.
3. Tool proliferation continues to negatively impact employee experience
One of the biggest issues in the world of digital employee experience continues to be the proliferation of apps (often cloud-based) within the enterprise. According to research from Salesforce, the average enterprise has over 1,061 work-based apps in being used, a growth of 26% within just two years. This complex landscape leads to overwhelm, inefficiency and time-wasting caused by context switching between apps, frustrating and fragmented user journeys, issues with findability and more. A complex digital landscape is also harder to manage and monitor.
We don’t see tool and app proliferation getting any easier during 2025. Having said this, there are many teams who want to tackle the issue and are using their intranet (either via browser or Teams) as the place to for employees to complete a wide variety of tasks and transactions without having to enter the back-end systems. In this way the “everything intranet” as we’ve called it, is driving efficiency and supporting a better employee experience.
4. The Return to the office vs Hybrid Working debate rumbles on
Last year I predicted that debates about the value of hybrid working would start to fizzle out, but that hasn’t been the case. In 2024 there is still focus on the “Return to the Office” versus remote and hybrid working. Some major companies like Amazon have called their office-based employees back to being in five days a week and notably in a recent survey by KMPG, 83% of CEOs said they expected a full return to the office within three years.
Counter to this, many observers (and employees at the companies concerned) have argued that this view is short-sighted and is not supported by the data when it comes to productivity. Meanwhile more businesses are exploring flexible work and even experimenting with the four-day week.
While it’s safe to say that there is quite often a disconnect in some organisations between what leadership and employee want on this issue, the way the RTO debate pans out tends to be very black and white. Of course, in reality there is no right or wrong answer. Different employees and generations want different things, individuals have circumstances that dictate their preferences, and different modes of work lend themselves better to in-person work, but not always. Meanwhile millions of employees who are hybrid working have found a compromise that just about works.
Unfortunately, I think the debate will go on in 2025, but it would be more helpful to recognise this is a complex issue, that one size doesn’t’ fit all, and we should be focused on the work itself, what we’re trying to achieve and what the data actually tell us.
5. Internal comms goes omnichannel
Internal communicators have long worked in multi-channel environments, but in our conversations with clients about the use of SharePoint intranets and the rest of the Microsoft 365 toolset, more and more IC teams seemed focused on going omnichannel.
One of the reasons for this is the work Microsoft has done in the background to support a more coordinated approach to omnichannel publishing. For example, Viva Engage has undoubtedly ramped up support for leadership communications while features such as Campaigns help IC teams to take more of a multi-channel approach. The recent addition of Storylines into Teams will also support more consistent leadership communications across channels.
Meanwhile Viva Amplify specifically allows IC teams to orchestrate and measure communications and campaigns across Viva Engage, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint and a mobile app. In 2025 I expect more IC professionals will take advantage of these features to go truly omnichannel.
6. Cybersecurity will remain a key concern and compliance area
If cybersecurity was a major concern in 2024 it may even be a bigger concern in 2025. In our governance and policy management predictions over on the Xoralia blog we predict that this will be a major area for compliance. Indeed, research from Thomson Reuters shows that 82% of risk professionals identify “data and cybersecurity risk” as their biggest concern.
As AI ramps up it will bring new cybersecurity threats including disturbing deep fake social engineering attacks and sophisticated phishing scams. This will necessitate the need for stricter policy management around AI and cyber risks, renewed vigour in cybersecurity awareness and training, and also advanced monitoring for threats. There will also potentially be more focus on compliance around data privacy which can in turn minimise the threat, impact and fall out from a cybersecurity attack.
7. We may see more consolidation in the intranet software market
If you’ve read the ClearBox guide to intranet software (which features our Lightspeed365 product) you’ll be aware that there are many intranet products out there. Overall, it’s been a pretty vibrant market over the past few years, with significant levels of investment, new entrants and the expansion of products. However, there are quite a few vendors merging and being acquired; the most notable event in 2024 was Omnia’s acquisition of LiveTiles.
In 2025 we think it is very likely that we’ll see more consolidation in the industry. There is likely to be two types of acquisition. The first will be strategic mergers involving bigger players like the Omnia deal. The second will be larger providers acquiring niche players to expand the features within their platform; for example, similar to Flip’s recent acquisition of AI and chatbot specialist The Bot Company. Overall, we think the in-a-box market is still healthy, but it is highly competitive – including from Microsoft and SharePoint itself – and not every in-a-boxer will succeed.
8. Microsoft ramps up the App Store supporting the integrated digital workplace
One of the megatrends of the last few years has been the growth of the Microsoft 365-powered digital workplace, providing a series of integrated and interlocking tools that provide a more coherent and consistent digital employee experience. Much of this has centred around the toolset within 365 itself. However, there are an increasing number of solutions built by Microsoft partners that sit seamlessly within the 365 ecosystem; these include Learn365 from Zensai as well as our own Xoralia policy management solution.
The advantage of these tools being built completely for 365 is not only the seamless integration for employees, but also for IT departments, where the product will tend to tick existing security, compliance and governance boxes and meet existing policies. Solutions like Xoralia and Learn365 are also easy and straightforward to roll-out, and most vendors will ensure their product stays up to date with the M365 roadmap.
Currently Microsoft has been investing in the app store and we’ve seen it start to evolve to support this expansion of partner-produced tools that deeply integrate with Microsoft 365. Thie model is a little more like Salesforce whose app exchange and marketplace has multiple platform-ready tools. Having an effective and popular Microsoft App Store will also help incentivise Microsoft partners to continue to innovate with their products.
9. The usual intranet and digital workplace challenges remain
Saying that some things aren’t going to change is perhaps not the most exciting trend to observe, but our experiences over decades in the SharePoint, intranet and digital workplace space see the same issues coming up again and again. Search and findability. Out of date content. Lack of governance. Not enough measurement. Solutions built on assumptions rather than user research. Not quite enough change management. These are perennial problems that keep on appearing, albeit with a slightly different context.
The contrast between the constant change we see with new technologies and products and the reappearance of the same issues year after year is one of the great paradoxes of working in this space. Many of these issues are not technology-related and are often due to not carrying out enough foundational work to build requirements and establish governance. Even with the mind-bending possibilities of generative AI we need to prepare for it properly and put the hard yards in. We expect the situation won’t change in 2025 with the same challenges persisting.
Happy new year from the Content Formula team!
Whatever happens, 2025 is going to be another fascinating year for the digital workplace. Have a very happy, healthy and successful new year from all of us at Content Formula!
The story behind Content Formula
Content Formula is a leading digital workplace consultancy specializing in Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, and beyond. We design and build innovative solutions that transform the way organizations work, including custom intranets, knowledge management systems, LMS integrations, process automation, and more. With clients like Pfizer, Accenture, and Philips, our expertise spans multiple industries and business needs.
3 benefits you can expect from Content Formula
Transform your digital workplace
We create tailored solutions using SharePoint and Teams, from intranet design and architecture to knowledge management and custom applications, all aimed at improving communication, collaboration, and employee engagement.
Automate business processes
Our expertise in process automation helps organizations streamline operations through workflow automation, approvals, and integrations with Microsoft Power Platform.
Comprehensive support and strategy
From intranet strategy and migration to managed services and ongoing support, we provide end-to-end services ensuring seamless implementation and ongoing optimization.
What our clients say
A big thank you to the Content Formula team for their outstanding work on our project! We are thrilled with the Lightspeed365 intranet and the iOS-style navigation they designed and developed for us. It has been a game-changer for our associates. Their expertise in SharePoint design and digital workplace solutions, including PowerApps, were invaluable to us. The team at Content Formula are highly recommended!
Paul Marabella, VP & CIO
Our experience with Xoralia so far has been very positive. It not only simplifies our policy management, but also enhances our overall compliance posture and has proven to be a significant time-saver for our organization. This allows our team to focus on more strategic tasks, contributing to organizational success. Xoralia is a valuable investment for any company seeking a reliable and efficient solution to navigate the complex world of corporate policies.
Nadja Friedrichs Boyum, VP Marketing & HR
Lightspeed365 has given us the tools to provide our users with a more intuitive intranet experience that has resulted in better adoption and more active engagement with our intranet and our internal communication. It was a quick, easy install that gave us richer, more flexible display options, enabling us to share content in more engaging ways for our users. Would definitely recommend - we haven't looked back.
Glenda Lamb, SharePoint Architect
How to get started with Content Formula
Step 1: Book a free consultation
Discuss your digital workplace challenges and opportunities with our experts.
Step 2: Receive a tailored plan
Get a customized roadmap to transform your digital workplace with clear, actionable steps.
Step 3: Deploy and optimize
We support you through implementation and beyond, with a focus on change management and user adoption.
We support you through implementation and beyond, with a focus on change management and user adoption.
What you'll get with Content Formula
List the various solutions and services:
-
SharePoint intranet strategy and design
-
Knowledge management systems
-
LMS365 integrations with Teams
-
Custom app development and integrations
-
Process automation solutions with Power Platform
-
Intranet migration and planning services
-
Adoption and change management (ACM)
-
Managed services and ongoing support
