2024 was a big year for FinOps with the launch of FOCUS 1.0, the release of FOCUS 1.1, and the updated FinOps Framework. 2025 will bring even more growth and opportunity.
Here’s a quick rundown of the trends and shifts we think will shape the FinOps space next year.
AI is no longer a buzzword in FinOps; it’s here, and it’s delivering. One area where we’re seeing the biggest impact? Reporting.
We’ve started to integrate AI into reporting processes so teams can ask meaningful questions in natural language about inefficiencies, anomalies, and trends—and actually get intelligent, actionable answers. It’s not just about seeing numbers; it’s about understanding what they mean and what to do next.
Expect AI to will simplify the FinOps process, making it accessible for various personas to ask and understand FinOps-related insights effortlessly. This will save practitioners significant time, allowing them to focus on strategic decision-making and driving value for their organizations.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) adoption is growing fast, which is great for agility and scalability—but not so great for visibility into cloud costs.
In multi-cloud environments, cost reporting and optimization can get messy fast. These environments contend with disjointed systems and jargon, and most technical experts can (and should) only have extensive knowledge about the cloud environment in which they work. Add PaaS to the mix, and you get a nightmare.
As cloud waste reduction and cost reporting become even more of a priority, FinOps has an incredible — and significant — opportunity for expansion. Multi-cloud and PaaS environments will require the presence of FinOps teams to ensure organizations make the most of their cloud investments. This practice will become more mainstream and useful to both engineering teams and business leaders, expanding even beyond infrastructure.
If you’re in FinOps, here’s the reality: The days of focusing solely on reporting are over.
We’re seeing a shift where FinOps practitioners are stepping into hybrid roles, bridging financial knowledge with deep engineering expertise.
The bottom line? Your value in 2025 won’t just come from reporting. It’ll come from understanding how to fix inefficiencies and driving collaboration across engineering teams.
This past year has been a game-changer for FinOps, and 2025 is shaping up to be even bigger. Between smarter AI-driven reporting, the rise of PaaS (and the cloud cost challenges it brings), and the growing demand for technically savvy FinOps practitioners, the stakes—and opportunities—are higher than ever.
But I think this is really just the tip of the iceberg. Organizations are realizing the importance of understanding where and how to better allocate investment to maximize cloud resources. That leaves a lot of space for innovation and creativity as we look to solve the problem of cloud cost inefficiencies better and faster than before.
At PointFive, we’re gearing up to help FinOps teams tackle these challenges head-on. If you’re not already leveraging our DeepWaste Detection or FOCUS platform updates, now’s the time. Let’s make 2025 the year of action, not just analysis.
Learn about our DeepWaste Detection approach to cloud cost optimization to discover how you can make the most of your cloud investments.
