Nasuni has published the findings from its industry research report, The Era of Hybrid Cloud Storage 2025, based on a survey of 1,000 purchasing decision makers across the US, UK, France, and DACH regions. One of the most prominent findings reveals that while AI investment is the top spending priority for nearly half of businesses, only one-fifth of surveyed companies feel confident their data is AI-ready.
“Organisations are making AI a top priority and significantly ramping up their investments, but what we are finding is they are not always taking the critical steps necessary to ensure success when it comes to data management,” said David Grant, President at Nasuni. “A modern approach that unifies, organises, and makes unstructured data accessible is needed to reliably and securely harness AI, enabling teams to navigate the complexities of AI deployment confidently.”
Key Takeaways:
Data migration remains a hurdle: Ninety-six percent of respondents face challenges migrating their file data, creating a major roadblock for AI initiatives.
There is a misalignment in investment priorities: While nearly half of respondents cite AI as their top spending priority over the next 18 months, only a third will invest in the necessary cloud data management.
Business data is not ready for AI: Disorganised data is still plaguing businesses, with only 20% of respondents strongly agreeing that their data is structured, accessible, and ready for AI initiatives.
Security remains a concern: Despite the shift towards AI, concerns around data security and privacy remain a challenge when it comes to implementing AI initiatives (34%).
A hybrid cloud model is key for security: Adopting a hybrid cloud storage model is a strong risk mitigation strategy. Organisations without plans to implement such a model are more likely (51%) to have data security and privacy concerns.
Larger companies are struggling the most, with data complexity increasing as organisations grow. Without a unified approach to file data storage and management, businesses risk missing out on AI-driven efficiencies and competitive advantages. While 46% of organisations expect cost reduction as an expected outcome of AI initiatives, only 27% of AI projects are delivering an accurately measurable ROI, highlighting that the role of cloud infrastructure has never been more critical.
