The to-do list for small businesses can often seem like it’s never-ending. Whether you are trying to keep customers engaged, closely managing your staffing budgets, or trying to balance security needs with operational efficiency, it can be difficult to navigate all these challenges.
However, each year, new technological developments are released that can offer effective solutions for staying on task and improving business productivity. In 2025, the big buzz term is “artificial intelligence (AI),” and big brands like Microsoft, Google, and Apple are all leading the charge when leveraging it to create big changes in the coming months.
We’ve highlighted seven of the most talked about tech innovations and developments expected to roll out in 2025 and what they may mean for your business:
Microsoft Copilot
If your business operates on Windows 11, then chances are you’ve already come across Microsoft’s latest contribution to AI-driven technologies. Microsoft Copilot is an AI chatbot integrated within Windows 11 and across Microsoft’s 360 ecosystem. However, as the year progresses, Copilot is expected to have much more value, especially in business settings.
Microsoft plans to integrate AI more deeply across its entire suite of products. When applied to its Office Suite and platforms like Teams and SharePoint, Copilot will completely reshape how teams collaborate and manage their products using generative AI assistance and improved automation capabilities. This includes being able to:
Windows 10 Support Ending
While Windows 10 has been going strong since its initial release in 2015, Microsoft will be discontinuing support for it later in 2025. While the operating system will still be usable, this announcement means that Microsoft will no longer be providing additional security patches, feature updates, or any technical support related to the version.
All OS support moving forward will be focused on Windows 11 and its successors. It’s important for businesses to consider this transition carefully and its impact across their current technology stack. This includes creating a mitigation plan that balances performance and compatibility needs as well as security.
Key Business Takeaways
Future-proofing your business is important as we move into this next year. This requires both preventative actions when upgrading legacy systems and leveraging the available technologies already integrated into your tech stack.
Microsoft Copilot provides highly advanced AI capabilities directly in the tools your teams already use. By leveraging this free integration, you can automate more business tasks and streamline your workflows.
With Windows 10 discontinuing at the end of this year, it’s a perfect time to start evaluating your hardware and software compatibility. Try to avoid waiting too long to transition, as it could leave your business vulnerable to unnecessary security risks or system bottlenecks.
Google Gemini
Google Gemini is a multimodal AI platform that is becoming a powerful tool for individuals and businesses. Not only is it able to understand and process natural language, but it can also process information from multiple data sources, including text, images, and even code.
This opens exciting possibilities for small businesses in 2025. While current AI tools are often limited to just text-based interactions, Gemini’s capabilities will allow for a more nuanced understanding of business needs. This can include analyzing customer reviews that include images of your products or using Gemini to understand visual trends in your industry and help you adapt your marketing materials accordingly. As with Microsoft Copilot, Gemini is currently growing its compatibility range within Google’s G-Suite and is currently integrated within Google Search, Docs, Chrome, and many other Google products.
Video Advertising Changes
Google has been working to improve its video ad campaign features over the years. In 2025, traditional video action campaigns are now migrating to the new “Demand Gen” format. This will provide businesses with a more holistic approach to their video advertising efforts, allowing them to expand their reach past YouTube, and now include Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network.
Demand Gen will introduce the ability to combine video and image assets within a single campaign as well as incorporate the use of AI to streamline campaign management and optimize performance.
Key Business Takeaways
Google has always been one of the first companies to innovate their technologies to support growing businesses. Gemini’s multimodal capabilities are a primary example of this and can help businesses get more things done in less time.
There are many different ways your business can experiment with using Gemini in daily workflows. This could include creating more engaging web content, streamlining customer support, or simplifying data analysis.
When it comes to your video advertising initiatives, leveraging Google’s new Demand Gen format can be a great way to expand your reach and maximize your ROI. Take the time to understand the nuances of new changes rolling out in the middle of the year, and make sure you adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.
M5 Chip Production
Reports show that Apple has started production of its new M5 chip. Building on the success of previous M-series chips, the M5 is said to add a number of new advancements in the AI capabilities of Macs and iPads, as well as provide significant performance boosts and power efficiency.
Another important development in Apple products has been the inclusion of the Neural Engine, which is a specialized processor designed to accelerate machine learning tasks. This dedicated hardware allows Apple devices to handle complex AI calculations quickly and efficiently and is what’s currently used to power Siri and other AI-enabled Apple products.
Spatial Computing Developments
Spatial computing has been discussed more in recent years, and Apple has continued to lead the charge when developing new hardware to make practical use of this technology. Most recently, its production of the Vision Pro headset has been a major leap forward in bringing this technology to mainstream markets, including businesses.
By combining augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), individuals can overlay various types of information into the real world. This could include showing real-time data and analytics directly in the user’s field of view or enabling instant insights based on surrounding environments. This presents a number of unique possibilities for businesses as the technology continues to mature in 2025.
Key Business Takeaways
Apple’s focus on integrating hardware and software with AI presents a number of opportunities and challenges for businesses. The speed of development for Apple products can make it difficult to know when it’s time to upgrade business hardware. The best way to approach new technology adoption is to balance your budget requirement, compatibility needs, and expected return on investment.
It’s also important to continuously keep an eye on industry-disruptive technologies to see if and when they may be useful for your business. While innovations like spatial computing are still in development, early reports show that they may have real practice use cases as early as the end of 2025.
While the updates discussed are some of the most impactful ones, expedited in 2025, the technology landscape is always evolving and providing small businesses with new opportunities to scale more effectively. But while navigating all these shifts on your own can be a challenge, LLD Consulting is here to help.
LDD Consulting has spent the last 20 years helping small businesses make smarter decisions about their technology investments. Whether you want to leverage the latest advancements in AI, upgrade your current tech stack, or improve your security readiness, we have the expertise needed to guide you through every step. Contact us today for a free consultation.